The Hood and Athena: An Arrow: Season 2 Fanfiction

Chapter 12: Slade Wilson

'I'd like you to meet Slade Wilson,' Moira said, bringing the older man over to meet Oliver and I. 

'It's a pleasure to meet you... Mr. Queen,' the older man with the eyepatch said in a gravelly voice. He turned to me, kissing my hand. 'Ms. Queen.' 

'Please, Mr. Wilson, call me Evelyn,' I said with a soft smile. 

'What are you doing here?" Oliver asked sharply, trying to not let on that he had an issue going on with Mr. Wilson but evidently there was something in his eyes that I couldn't see. Layers of anger and regret. Moira walked over. 

'Mr. Wilson just made a sizable contribution to my campaign,' Moira said, suddenly shocked at Oliver's behaviour upon seeing Slade. 

'How generous of him,' Oliver replied, deadpan but sarcastic. 

'Well, I felt compelled,' Mr. Wilson said. 'It was the least that I could do for your mother. And what this city needs is a pro-business mayor like Moira to spread growth through urban investment.' The older man let a small smile slip, while Oliver just glared at him. 

'And we were just discussing how to combat the rising wage gap,' Moira said, completely oblivious to Oliver's eyes burning through Slade's head. Seriously, I had no idea what was going on with these two! 

'And the answer lies in your budget proposal,' Moira said as Slade walked around her, placing a hand on her shoulder, Oliver's eyes burning into Slade's hand as he walked around our mother. 

'You know,' he said, probably to Oliver and me, but I thought mostly to Moira, 'when I look at your mother, I think about everything you went through after the quake. All I can say is, you and I have something in common.' 

'What's that?' Moira asked. 

'I know how difficult it is to pick yourself back up when other people have written you off.' She took a deep breath as he let go of her. 'What's wrong, Mr. Queen? You look a little piqued.' 

'I'm fine, thank you,' Oliver replied, strained. Just then someone came in with a tray on a cart. 

'Ah, thank you dear,' Moira said. 'Oliver, Mr. Wilson was kind enough to bring a bottle of authentic Australian rum.' Slade followed Moira to the rum, and Oliver turned, stroking his head softly. I caught his arm. 

'Hey, you okay?' He nodded in a way that said, I'll explain later. 

'Will you join us in a drink?' Moira asked as the both of us eyed the bottle of rum. 

'Yes, of course.' 

'Wonderful,' Slade said, letting a smile slip that was vaguely creepy. 

'What shall we drink to?' Moira asked. Oliver looked sideways at Slade, and I didn't fail to notice the glare that was present in his sideways look. 

'To friendship,' Slade said, raising his glass. The four of us sipped the rum, and I coughed loudly at the strong alcoholic drink. 

'Sorry. Just a little strong.' Oliver patted my back gently and again, I didn't fail to notice, this time, Slade eyeing the both of us. 

'Delicious,' Moira commented. Slade's eyes shifted from us to a model boat in the living room, resting on a table. 

'This here is a beautiful piece,' he said, strolling over to it, still holding his glass of rum. 'Tell me, does your family spend much time on the water?' 

'No,' Moira said, turning to him, Oliver and I following suit, Oliver's expression pensive. 'Not since my late husband.' 

'I'm sorry, Moira, forgive me,' Slade replied, turning again to the three of us, and giving a sideways look to Oliver. 'I do remember reading about that accident in the paper.' He turned his full attention to Oliver. 'You were a brave soul.' 

'I don't like to talk about it.' My heart began to pound as I felt Slade's unsettling gaze settling on me. 

'You were kidnapped two weeks after, yes?' he asked. My heart, if it was possible, began to beat faster until I was sure I was getting heart palpitations from his intense gaze boring into me. 

'Y-yep. I-I'm not comfortable with talking about it,' I replied in a strained tone, feeling lightheaded from the panic that was threatening to overtake me. 

'I'm sorry,' he said in a voice that was supposed to be sympathetic, but it sounded strange coming from him. He walked up to Oliver as I fought to keep it together. 

'I can understand, about you and your sister. All that time on that island, and in Russia... it must have been hell for you.' I sucked back a couple breaths, gaining my voice back enough to touch Oliver's arm and say, 

'I'm gonna go back up to my room.' He nodded softly as I walked out of the room, inching my way up the stairs. When I got to my room, I staggered to it and shut the door, falling down against it and began to hyperventilate and cry. 

Lian Yu. Five years ago. 

Slade removed the arrow from the tree trunk, handing it back to Oliver. 

'Shado would be proud,' he commented. 

'Thank you,' Oliver replied. 'But those trees don't move, or shoot back. Ivo's men will.'

'Then shoot first.' 

Slade placed a map on the military-grade ammunition box for him and Oliver to see, while Sara Lance stood in the corner, grinding something in a bowl. 

'Ivo's freighter is located here,' he said, pointing to a spot on the map. 'He keeps eight men on deck. Three on the starboard, three up on the port and two up on the bridge. But our bigger concern are these GP 25 grenade launchers that they're walking around with at all times.' 

'Do they have night vision?' Oliver asked. 

'Not according to blondie.' The two of them looked over at Sara, and the foul smell from whatever she was grinding became even more prevalent. Oliver walked over to see the pink plants she was grinding up. 

'That smells awful,' Oliver said. 

'It'll taste even worse.' 

'But it'll work?' 

'I spent a year with Anthony Ivo. I know how he thinks. It'll work,' she replied, looking up at him with certainty in her eyes. Oliver, taking her arm, led her outside of the fallen plane that currently housed them and a lot of military gear. 

'Hey, what about the Mirakuru?' Oliver asked. 

'Well, what about it?' 

'Well, look, I mean, it can cure, I don't know, maybe anything. Maybe... maybe it's a miracle drug. But it's also something else. Something that people like Ivo should never be allowed to control.' 

'What about Slade? He might not let us.' 

'Might not let you do what?' Slade interjected, peeking his head out of a door of the plane. 'You think we should destroy the Mirakuru?' 

'This thing doesn't go our way...' Oliver began to say, 'we can't let Ivo have it.' 

'You're right,' Slade replied. 'We should burn it.'