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

Chapter 15: Back to the Past

Several days later... 

Oliver and Mia were fighting with sticks in the bunker, hitting with ease and precision. In the middle of the fight, she blocked his sticks with one of hers. 

'Nyssa taught you well,' he remarked. 'So did your aunt.' 

'Mom made sure of it,' she shot back, then went after him again. He had one of the sticks just touching her throat within a few blows. The two stepped back from each other. 'How did you do that?' 

'Variable acceleration,' Oliver replied. A laugh sounded from near them and they looked over as I chowed down on a granola bar. 

'It's all about timing, kiddo. It took me a couple of months to beat your father. You keep practising; you keep flowing, it just becomes second nature.' Mia swung her sticks around, flashing her father a smile. 

'All right. Again.' 

'You don't want a break - maybe?' Just then William walked up to the three of us. 

'She's a machine, Dad. They don't need breaks.' The two stood back from each other to look at him. 'Speaking of machines, I have something to show you guys.' The four of us walked up to the central platform and William sat down at one of the computers. 'I created a facial recognition algorithm to find that general that Curtis told us about, which was a lot harder than it sounds. No offence to Felicity, but these computers are like, a million years old. And Russia is a very big country.' 

'William,' Mia replied sharply. 

'Right. Sorry,' he said, returning to the present task at hand. 'His name is General Alexi Burov, and he's in Moscow. Curtis said that the energy wave that destroyed Earth-2 can be replicated, which means we can weaponise it. And right before he went off the grid, Burov was working on the plans for a weapon called the "pulse wave generator".' 

'Right,' Oliver said. 'We need those plans.' 

'And we also need plutonium,' I chimed in. 'It's the only thing that can power Burov's machine.' 

'Wait. Plutonium as in a nuclear bomb?' Mia asked incredulously. William hummed in assent. 'Where are we gonna get that?' 

'Bialya,' John called out, coming up to the central platform of the bunker to join us. 'There's a facility near the border where all kinds of radioactive material are stored. I'm thinking a two-man fire team can get the job done.' 

'Okay. Want to take Connor?' 

'No. He wanted to check in on Sandra. And he promised to stay out of sight. I have someone else in mind to help.' 

'Okay,' Oliver said, turning to William and Mia. 'I'd like the two of you to accompany me, Laurel and Evelyn, to Russia.' The two looked mildly shocked by the request, and eventually, William spoke. 'Okay. Wheels up at dawn.' 

'Well, better go buy a parka,' William said, standing from his seat. 

'Is it that cold in Russia?' Mia asked. I scoffed. 

'Oh, you are so not ready for this,' William replied, and he left, Mia following after him. John turned to the two of us. 

'Things seem to be going pretty well with the kids,' he remarked. 

'Never thought I'd get to know them,' Oliver replied. 'Not like this.' 

'Is that why you invited them to go with you?' he asked. 

'Well, I mean, I promised Mia that I would keep training her. And I think it's very valuable for them to keep seeing how we operate in the field.' 

'Evelyn?' John said, looking over at me. 

'Hey, I'm with Oliver on this one. It's a bit of a leap from the bunker and tiny missions in Star City to making a radioactive substances mission in Russia for a supersonic earth-vaporising weapon, but I believe in them.' 

'And you're sure Russia's a good place for a tutorial, Oliver, Evelyn? That was a very dark time for the two of you.' 

'It was a long time ago, though,' I replied. 'We're better people. We're different people,' I added, looking at Oliver. 

'I think that I can teach them good without showing them the bad,' Oliver added. The two of us walked away from John. 

'Hope so,' he muttered to himself. 

A few hours later... 

We stepped into a building, easing the door open. 

'So, this is Russia,' Mia remarked, scanning the ornate room that looked at least a couple of decades old. 

'Not what you were expecting?' I shot back playfully. 

'I just thought there'd be a lot less dirt,' William replied.  

'It's very rude to insult man's homeland,' a familiar voice called out as Anatoly rounded the corner, coming to face Oliver and me. 

'Hello, Anatoly,' Oliver said. The short gangster stepped forward, and the two hugged. 

'Oliver Queen... my brother.' Then Anatoly wrapped his arms around me gently and pulled back. 'It is good to see you again, моя прекрасная богиня войны (my beautiful War Goddess).' 

'Я тоже рад тебя видеть, Анатолий (It's good to see you too, Anatoly),' He looked at the two of us. 'What, you think I punch you again?' 

'It never even crossed my mind,' Oliver replied respectfully. Anatoly smiled. 

'Welcome to Russia, my favourite Americans.' 

'Well, I have seen many crazy things in my life,' Anatoly said, walking back and forth, 'but adult children of Oliver Queen sitting in my bar. I hope you do not think badly of me. Last time we met, you were little,' he added, looking over to William, 'and I was on the wrong side of history.' 

'Вода под мостом (Water under the bridge),' William replied in Russian, making Oliver and I look at him in mixed confusion and amazement. 

'I like this one already,' Anatoly said approvingly. 

'We were surprised to learn that you were in Russia,' I said. 'I thought the Maldives would be permanent.' 

'Oh, with Diaz dead, so reason to stay away.' 

'You got bored,' Oliver replied. 

'I miss borscht. So I reinvent myself. Bar owner.' He let out a chuckle. 'But I got inspired, too. I got really good recipe for pina colada.' He picked up a glass. 'You should try. It's delicious.' 

'Who wouldn't want to be reminded of the tropics in these cold Russian winters?' William asked. 

'Well, apparently his customers,' Laurel snarked. 

'Nice to see this one's still a charmer,' Anatoly replied with a smirk. 

'How's the search going for General Burov?' Oliver asked. Anatoly put his glass down. 

'Well, it's not very easy,' the gangster replied. 'But I do have friends I can call.' 

'I know, but I - I don't want them involved in this,' Oliver said. 

'Why not?' Mia asked. 'If he has friends that can help, it -' 

'Because Mia, with due respect,' Oliver replied, 'the people that Anatoly is describing aren't really friends. Let's just keep this one in the family, okay?' 

'All right,' he replied. 'I work to find Burov hard way.' 

'Can I help?' I asked. 

'Come, Богиня войны (War Goddess),' he replied. I jogged off after Anatoly.