Arrow: Crucible

May 2018

It had been like someone ran him over with an semi truck when John Diggle learned about his friends Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak were dead from the pod crash into the mountains.

Barry Allen AKA The Flash had told him about what had happened in outer space and the monsters they fought ended up causing the whole mess in the first place and now they were gone.

Six years ago John Diggle was hired by Moira Queen to serve as a bodyguard to Oliver Queen after he returned home from being on an island for five years then years later he was helping out Oliver Queen's team as Spartan becoming close friends despite some rough patches through the years.

But they were gone the people he cared about the most and allies Oliver and Felicity were dead...

"Diggle..." Barry said choking up "We found the place where their pod had crashed but we couldn't find it" telling Diggle back in Star City.

Diggle sat there millions of thoughts raced through his head about William, Oliver and Felicity and Star City since his friends were gone.

"I feel like i'm gonna throw up" Diggle only replied to Barry and the others.

"What... are we gonna say to poor William about his father?" Barry asked Diggle about William knowing he was gonna be grief stricken about his dad and Felicity.

Diggle paused an moment raised his finger then shook his head looking at Oliver's suit in the bunker. "I'll tell William everything that happened" Diggle sadly replied to Barry as he and Diggle left the bunker to deliver the news to William.

LATER

William took the news of his father and stepmother gone very hard, so hard that he cried himself to sleep that night.

Thea Queen upon her reaction to her brother's death didnt want to be alone so she stayed with Diggle and he accepted.

John Diggle went back to the bunker alone and sat down for an moment in the empty cave thinking of his past.

2012

after returning home from being shipwrecked for five years Oliver Queen walked out of Queen Manor as Miora Queen stopped him "Oliver!" she said to him. "I want to introduce you to someone, John Diggle he'll be accompanying you from now on"  she told her son introducing Diggle to Oliver Queen.

"So? what do I call you?" Oliver said to him .

"Diggle's good" he said to him. "Dig if you want".

That moment had begun an six year partnership to friends.

Back to 2018

John Diggle gulped for an moment trying not to fall apart but he was alone in the bunker so it didn't matter to him.

He fell to his knees crying releasing all his emotions of Oliver and Felicity gone forever from the pod crash. his guilt and grief overwhelmed him as he stared at Oliver's suit crying his eyes out of his grief of losing his friends. Oliver and Felicity felt like a brother and sister to him keeping Star City safe from bad guys.

Diggle grabbed Felicity's empty chair and smashed an monitor shattering glass on the ground. soon after he punched an case carrying Oliver's suit causing him to cut his hand open from broken glass. shortly before Oliver and Felicity left the former asked Diggle to be the Green Arrow so Oliver could spend more time with William which had been months ago.

Now Oliver and Felicity were dead from that pod crash and Diggle was heartbroken about it as were the rest of Team Arrow after Barry explained to them what had happened. Diggle smashed more monitors out of grief and anger as well as guilt over the tragedy.  "and William !" Diggle thought in his head. "What's gonna happen to poor William?"  Diggle thought. he didn't really know him all that well but now he was all alone. his mother was killed on Lian Yu from Adrian Chase and just now his father and stepmother were killed from the pod crash Barry Allen told him about.

Falling to his knees, with his hand bleeding and the Arrowcave destroyed he looked at Oliver's suit. he wanted to be the Green Arrow but not like this with his friends dead but he had no choice now. "I'll train your son Oliver... and keep your legacy alive with your son which I'll look after him for you." Diggle said promising to Oliver that he would keep his legacy alive and to look after his son.

John Diggle was going to keep his friend's legacy alive and to look after William.

LATER

"And so we say goodbye to Oliver Jonas Queen and Felicity Megan Smoak" an minster said in the pouring rain of the cemetery outside of Star City as John Diggle, Barry Allen, Catlin Snow, Dinah Drake, Rene Ramirez, Curtis Holt, Iris West Allen, Cisco Ramon, Thea Queen and William Clayton sadly looked on.  "Two souls taken too soon and we ask that you look over their son William in his time of need". the minster said as William wiped his wet tear filled eyes. Diggle felt for him as did everyone around him.

Diggle turned for an moment as the minister continued to speak and looked at Curtis, Rene and Dinah who were distraught. he wanted them out of the team for Rene ratting out Oliver and not just Rene but all of them gone they didn't deserve to be in Team Arrow not after what Rene did to Oliver by squealing to the FBI.

An minute later Diggle and William were alone in the rain as everyone began to leave the graveyard. Diggle slowly walked to William about to speak but hesitated at that moment of Oliver's son who was now all alone as his father and stepmother were gone. William layed down an flower at the graves of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak standing there for an moment then William whispered "goodbye dad... goodbye Felicity..." turning around to leave as Thea ran to her step nephew comforting him while William started to shake uncontrollably silently crying into her arms.

Tears fell down on Diggle's eyes feeling sorry for William as he promised he would look after William with Thea's help. William calmed down for an moment walking away as Diggle turned to look at Oliver and Felicity's tombstones for an moment remembering everything they fought for and Oliver and Felicity marrying along with Barry and Iris after the Earth X thing.

"So long Oliver.... bye Felicity...." he sadly said walking away.

Star City was now without the Green Arrow and Overwatch but Diggle made sure it wasn't going away but it was the begining of things to come for Star City and William in general.