Athena and the League of Assassins (An Arrow: Season 3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 23: Pain of the Potential Truth

'Hannukah present?' Felicity called out as Roy, Oliver and I walked into the hideout, fresh from following a lead on Malcolm Merlyn. Roy handed her the USB that had the incriminating video footage on it. 

'Security footage from the airfield where Merlyn landed,' Roy said. She moved over to the desk and plugged in the device, typing on the keyboard. 

'Check for October 7th,' Oliver said. She kept typing until she pulled up a video. 'Right there. Stop.' A video showed of a private jet, with a pilot coming out of the plane, then Malcolm Merlyn, and after him followed a sight that neither Oliver nor me expected to see. None other than Thea Queen, carrying a bag, walked behind him. 

(flash-forward)... 

Oliver kept climbing the mountain, using his strength to climb up onto a ledge. His foot slipped on some icy snow and he grabbed the ledge, grunting as he pulled up, panting for breath when he reached a ledge where he could stand and catch his breath for a while. 

At the hideout... 

The group, including the two vigilante siblings, watched the video again. 

'I thought you said Merlyn was keeping his distance from Thea, that he hadn't had any contact,' Diggle said to Oliver. 

'He lied,' Oliver said, walking away. 'And so did she.' He turned back to the group, visibly confused. 

'Maybe there's something we should consider here,' Diggle said, walking up to Oliver. 'Maybe it wasn't your DNA, Oliver, or Evelyn's... maybe it was Thea's.' 

'What?' the two siblings said sharply at the same time. 

'You three are siblings,' he said. 'There would be overlap, maybe even enough to -' 

'Diggle, are you listening to yourself?' Oliver snapped. 

'Are you seriously insinuating that Thea killed Sara?' Evelyn also snapped. 'That's - that's - no. That's not true. That's ridiculous. It's - I have no words for this.' She ran a hand through her hair, and turned back to watching the screen. 

'Even if - even if she would, if she could - why?' Oliver replied. 

'Malcolm Merlyn is her father,' Roy pointed out. Both of the siblings glared at him. 

'I hate to even say this,' Felicity spoke up. 

'Then don't,' Evelyn snapped from where she was looking at her phone, not even glancing up. Felicity stood. 

'Oliver, Evelyn, I know how much you guys love your sister, but we have to look at the facts. The virtual autopsy I did on Sara; I thought Roy might have stabbed her because the trajectory wasn't consistent with that of an archer of average height. You weren't considering a killer of Thea's size.' 

'Enough! Both of you!' Oliver exclaimed. 'My sister did not kill Sara. The DNA on the arrows is either mine, or Evelyn's, because Malcolm Merlyn put it there.' Just then Felicity's phone buzzed, and she picked it up and talked for a while on it, before she grabbed her stuff and left the room. 

I stood up from the chair, groaning loudly as I ran my hands through my hair. 

'Evelyn...' Oliver said softly. 

'I can't deal with this right now, Ollie. We've lost too many of our family members to suspicious behaviour, I can't. If the League finds her - if Thea really did do it - fuck, I can't... they'll kill her. They'll kill her, Oliver. I - I don't want that to happen. I can't have that happen. Please say you'll do something. Please. Just say you'll figure it out. Say you've got a plan.' My shoulders heaved and shook with tears. Diggle and Oliver could do nothing but look on in sympathy as I broke down in tears, stumbling against the workbench. 

'She didn't do it.' 

'How do we know, Oliver? How?! How the hell do we know? You and I didn't do it. You loved her, and she was like my sister. I can't frickin' do this now! I can't deal with it now!' My chest heaved as I began to hyperventilate. Then I hit the floor, on my knees. Oliver ran to me and supported me, I slumped against his chest, half-crying, half-hyperventilating. He held me close. My breathing softly began to slow, and I relaxed visibly, my eyes closing shortly after as I was lulled into a deep sleep by Oliver's heartbeat against my ear. 

Oliver scooped up his sleeping sister in his arms. 

'I'll take her home,' he said softly to Diggle, and after removing his suit and Evelyn's, he left the hideout. 

Later...

Oliver returned to the new apartment that Thea owned in the heart of Starling City, and Evelyn had roused, but it was evident she was still shaken by what had transpired earlier. He opened the door, gently wrapping an arm around his sister and escorting her into the building. The two stared at the giant Christmas tree sitting in the living room. 

'Hey!' Thea said cheerfully, coming down the stairs with presents in her arms. 'What are you two doing home? I wanted the Christmas tree to be a surprise.' 

'It's a surprise,' he said warmly. She looked at Evelyn. 

'Hey, sis. Nice tree,' Evelyn said, blinking slowly. 

'You should head to bed,' Oliver said softly. The middle Queen child nodded and disengaging herself from Oliver's side, took the steps gingerly upstairs, holding the railing with both hands as she went. 

'Is she okay?' Thea asked when Evelyn was out of earshot. 

'She's tired. She saw something today that triggered a panic attack. She should be okay tomorrow.' Thea nodded, then spoke. 

'I thought -' and at this she gestured to the tree, '- since it was just the three of us now, smaller the family, bigger the tree.' 

'What about Malcolm?' Oliver asked. He turned to her. 'Thea, I know you saw him in Corto Maltese.' She sighed, taking the two boxes to the kitchen bench, talking to Oliver as she walked. 

'Ollie, we've lost everyone. I - Malcolm's the only family I have left besides you two.' She turned to him. 

'Thea, I deserve to know what you've been doing with Malcolm Merlyn.' 

'I've just been getting to know him, that's all.' 

'A couple months ago, did you fly back to Starling City with him?' 

'No,' she said, making a face of disbelief. 'Ollie, if I was back in Starling City, don't you think I would have called you - or Evelyn? I was in Corto Maltese since May. Now, will you please just... come upstairs and help me find some more Christmas stuff?' 

'Okay,' he said softly. She turned and left the space, going back upstairs, leaving him alone to ponder.