These Prison Walls (An Arrow: Season 7 Fanfiction)

Chapter 24: Confrontation

Oliver was about to knock on the door when it swung open in front of him. Emiko was leaving, a large bag slung over her shoulder. 

'Uh... we don't have a training session until next week,' she said.

'I don't think family needs a reason to stop by,' he replied. 

'Hey, Emiko,' I chirped. 

'Hi, Evelyn,' Emiko replied. We walked in. 

'Going somewhere?' Oliver asked. 

'I - uh, I was just heading out for a bite to eat,' Emiko said as she shut the door. 

'Want some company?' Oliver replied. 

'Hmm... not really.' 

'Because you're meeting someone?' I asked. 

'What's with the interrogation?' she asked, looking back and forth between the two of us. 

'That teacher that you were telling me about... how long did you train with him?' Oliver asked. 

'Since I was 11.' 

'Where did you meet?' 

'That doesn't matter. It was a long time ago.' 

'Yeah. I mean, if I was working with a known terrorist, I'd want to keep that quiet too.' 

'What are you talking about?' she asked, her eyes going back and forth much faster between the two of us. 

'We saw you last night with Dante outside of Palmer Technologies,' I said. She dropped her bag to the ground. 

'You were following me.' Oliver hummed in response. She stepped forward. 'So now you think I'm some kind of criminal?' 

'Trying to give you the benefit of the doubt,' Oliver replied, 'but... this guy Dante is - he's a monster.' 

'I know who Dante is,' Emiko snapped, 'but I - I didn't back then. I was 11 when your father walked out on me and my mother. He chose your family over mine, and he left us with nothing - no home, no money. Dante took me under his wing, and he - he trained me. He taught me how to survive. By the time I knew who he was, it was too late. You know, I owed him, and I still do now.' Oliver began to say something, but Emiko snapped, 'You have no idea what kind of power he holds. The organization he runs -' 

'The Ninth Circle?' I said. Emiko glared at the two of us as if we weren't supposed to know that. 

'Then you know there's no way out,' she said. 

'On your own,' Oliver replied. 'But if you're being backed up by a team - just, I can - I can help you, but you have to let me.' 

'You can't, and trust me, you will only make things worse for the both of us if you try.' Turning her back on Oliver and me, she walked out of the room. 

Later... 

'Good news!' John announced. 'Lyla got a DNA sample from the dagger used by Dante to kill Director Bell. Guess who now has said sample.' 

'John Diggle, you give the best gifts,' Felicity said, taking the cotton swab out and placing it into the analysation tube so ARCHER could run a scan of the DNA. 

'Will ARCHER be able to find him?' 

'Well, with all the money I'm spending on this program, that is the hope.' 

'How's Emiko?' Rene asked, leaning over to the two of us. 'Did you find anything more about her...' 

'About her being on the wrong side,' Diggle cut in.