The End Of All Things (An Arrow: Season 8 Fanfiction)

Chapter 11: The Key Word Is in Try

The soft chuckles and smooth conversation floated down the hall to my ears as I made my way to where Mia would be sleeping for the night and I found her in the bed, burrowed up in the covers. I sat there, on the edge of her bed. Opening her eyes, she looked at me. 

'Hey, Mia. Just wanted to see how you're doing.' 

'I'm fine,' she muttered. 

'Can we talk, please? I feel like I don't really know you as much as I should. I promise, I'm not your dad, and I'm certainly not your mom.' She sat up. 

'Yeah. Sure, I guess. We can talk.' I smiled softly. 

'So... future me, what am I like?' Mia smiled softly. 

'You're kind. A little rough around the edges, and you got really sad after Oliver died. But you did good, for the city and stuff.' 

'That's good to hear. About what you said earlier, you said you missed me. What did that mean?' She gave me a look and I threw my hands up in surrender. 'Hey, hey, I promise, I'm not trying to pry. I just wanna know.' 

'You were gone for a really long time before we were teleported here - or something like that... I just really missed you,' she said, her eyes welling with tears. I pulled her in for a hug, stroking her blonde hair. 

'Oh, sweets, I missed you too. You were so gorgeous when you were born, you know. Now, look at you. You've got your dad's spirit - definitely Queen family genes there. But you're a lot like your mom too. I'm so sorry you and William didn't get to grow up together.' 

'It's not your fault.' 

'I know, and I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you and William get as much of my "auntie-brand" love as possible.' I stood, giving her a gentle kiss on the head. 'Get some sleep, okay? You'll feel better in the morning.' I walked to the door, then stopped and turned around. 'Oh, and Mia?' 

'Yeah?' 

'Please promise me you'll give your father a chance. This is new to him.' She smiled.

'I'll try.' 

'Good girl. Goodnight, Mia.' I stepped out of the room and shut the bedroom door, but just as I was closing the door, I heard a soft voice from within. 

'Goodnight, Aunt Evelyn.' 

Later... 

Rene, Oliver, William, Mia and myself were standing around the computer screen in the bunker, watching the nightly news report.

'Starling General was attacked last night after a bomb was found inside Archroyal Capital CEO MacMillian Fairfield,' Brittany Snow announced over the screen. 'Authorities believe the infamous terrorist Deathstroke orchestrated the attack.' Rene turned off the screen. 

'Please tell me the city's better in the future,' Rene said. 

'Yeah, yeah, definitely,' Mia replied. I gave a small side-eye, which she didn't notice. That was a curious answer, I thought to myself but thought better than to voice that opinion out loud. 

'You think this is Slade?' I asked. 

'No. No. I have ARGUS keeping tabs,' Oliver replied. 'He's currently in Buredunia, which is nowhere near Star City. Neither is his son, Kane Wolfman.' 

'So this is someone new?' Mia asked. 

'Yep,' Oliver replied, turning to face his daughter. 'Someone has co-opted the Deathstroke mask, and they're using it to terrorise the city.' 

'Well, we need motive,' Rene spoke up. 'Well, the VIC is some rich Wall Street type, and those guys are easy to hate.' William gave him a look. 

'We're not all bad.' 

'He's a billionaire,' Oliver chimed in. 

'Say what?!' Rene replied in surprise. 'Please tell me Zoe is, too. How is Zoe? Are you guys still friends?' I didn't fail to notice Mia looking over at William, and my heart started pounding at the fact that they might be keeping certain secrets. 

'Yeah. She's... you'd be proud,' William finally replied. Rene smiled. Just then the doors open. 

'Oh, hello bunker!' I heard Curtis Holt call out as he strolled into the bunker, coming up to the platform with a briefcase in hand. 'Oh, it feels so good to be back. Wait. Are those the kids from the future?' he asked animatedly. 'Those are the kids from the future! Oh, my God, and excuse me. When were you gonna tell me about this, Councilman Ramirez? This is so cool,' he added, holding up an election promotional sign. I laughed. 

'How much caffeine have you had to drink, Curtis?' I hugged him warmly. 'It is so good to have you back.' 

'I may have had coffee on the plane, and by "may have", I mean I definitely did have it.' 

'It's Candidate Ramirez. We don't know if I win yet,' Rene replied. 

'Uh - did you miss the part where these kids are from the future?' Curtis replied. 

'Okay, if you really want to know,' William replied. 'You become mayor.' 

'Seriously?!' Rene shouted. He and Curtis whooped in delight. Just then, he pulled out his phone. 'Oh, that's a text from D,' he said. 'I will let her know about Slade and gloat that I'm gonna be her boss.' Curtis and I laughed and he slipped away. 

'Uh, William, we should go and let them work,' Mia said. Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but then Curtis interrupted. 

'Wait, but I just got here, and I have so many questions, starting with why did nobody say anything about my beard?' 

'It's good to see you, Curtis,' Oliver replied. 'Your beard looks tremendous, okay?' He turned back to Mia. 'I mean, work or otherwise, I'd like you to stay.'

'Yeah. No. I just, um - I'd rather see the city than the bunker. Let's go.' She and William walked away. 

'I can't believe that's your son,' Curtis said. 'That's William. I can, however, definitely believe that that is your daughter.' I cracked a smile. 

'Yep, that's the impeccable Queen family genes,' I replied. 

'Okay,' Oliver said shortly. 

'Yeah. Speaking of which, I'm a little upset that you didn't tell me about her, but that's okay. I forgive you. So why'd you call in the big guns?' 

'You know Earth-2?' I asked. 

'Yeah.' 

'Well, yeah. It was destroyed by a wave of energy. This fabric was clipped by it, and I would like you to try and help us figure out what it is,' I replied, handing him a piece of fabric in a small, clear plastic bag. 

'I can track down some equipment,' Curtis replied. 'It might... take a bit. The reason why I would help?'

'It's a wave of energy that's powerful enough to destroy a planet, so it's probably powerful enough to stop a god, which is... what we're doing now.' Oliver and I walked away. 

'God. You said a god. So the fate of the universe is in my hands,' Curtis called out nervously. 'Cool, cool, cool. Yeah. You guys  I got it.' He cleared his throat and the two of us finally walked away.