Venomous |O.Q|

{Five} Crucible

Oliver was sitting by Bella's hospital bed, he's been there ever since she was committed after her encounter with The Doll Maker. The doctors had put her in a medically induced coma and she's been out for three weeks now. Bruce would come from time to time but he didn't stay long because he had to go back to Gotham and take care of his son and company. Oliver blamed himself for all of this but Bruce reassured him that it wasn't.

Felicity called Oliver telling him that someone is selling guns on the black market and handing it to the wrong type of people. He didn't want to leave her side. After Oliver left that day, he wasn't allowed back into her room for the next couple of days.

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Oliver was hosting a business party for the Queen Consolidated Board of Directors. Except there was one problem, Oliver wasn't there yet, and only Felicity was. The party was grand and extravagant. But Isabel waited impatiently in the foyer. Soft piano music filled the room.

"Mr. Queen's going to be late. He's extremely sorry. It couldn't be helped," Felicity said.

"Where is he?" Isabel snapped at her.

"I'm actually in direct contact with him right now. Let me check," Felicity said before she turned away, touching the coms unit in her ear. She jumped hearing the gunshots in the background.

Oliver had just made it back on time, well in time for Oliver Queen. "He's here." Felicity smiled at Isabel.

"Sorry, I'm late." Oliver apologized to her.

"This party is to attract investors for your failing company. Being fashionably late might do well for the club circuit but it does not inspire confidence on Wall Street." Isabel scolded him. Then she has seen blood on Oliver's face. "Is that blood on your face?"

"Hm?" Oliver said trying to check the blood off of his face.

"Don't worry. It's not his blood. Uh, I mean. Of course, it's his blood. Why would he have somebody else's blood on his face?" Felicity began to ramble. "Who taught you to shave, mister?" Felicity pulled Oliver away from Isabel.

"What kept you? Was it our blond that carries a giants staff to beat attackers?" Felicity asked.

"This time it was guns," Oliver told her.

"We were just talking about guns," the voice of Sebastian Blood chimed in. Felicity turned to see him approaching Oliver with a large grin on his face. Laurel was with him.

"Hey. Oliver," she greeted him awkwardly.

"Hi," he muttered in reply.

"What's your interest in guns, Mr. Queen?" Sebastian asked, holding his hands behind his back.

"Never touched them myself," Oliver replied, being cordial to the Alderman as Felicity slip away.

"The gun epidemic in the Glades has gotten increasingly out of control," Sebastian said.

"Which is why the DA's office has committed to ending gun violence," Laurel threw in.

"Well, I'm sure the police are doing whatever they can to catch whoever's bringing the weapons into the city," Oliver said.

Sebastian tried to suppress a chuckle, but couldn't hide it. "Did I say something funny?" Oliver asked.

"They know who's been arming the gangs, Oliver. The Mayor," Laurel explained.