Survive - Arrow Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven

She wakes long before the sunrise and carefully gets out of her makeshift bed. With a quick glance to assure that Slade is still asleep, she strips and pulls on her worn jeans and a vest that she had stolen off of Slade after her constant whining of not having any clothes.

Her movements are careful as she reaches for her backpack and packs up her meager belongings. Waking Slade and being forced to confront their awkward situation was not on her to do list today - or ever. She refuses to subject herself to another humiliating experience of being told that she is just a spoilt little girl with an inconvenient crush. She is Olivia Queen for fucks sake. Men in Starling City would sell their first born for a kiss from her.

But not Slade Wilson.

Well. Fuck him. Fuck him and his protection and his lessons and his fucking brooding. She's done. Being alone works far better for her, and after his brutal methods of teaching, she's pretty sure that she can handle anything that comes her way. She doesn't need him, and he made it very clear that he doesn't need her.

Doing her best to be silent, Olivia slowly creeps over to Slade's chest and opens it. It still surprises her how much weaponry he possesses. She picks out a 9mm and carefully loads it, still wary of the thing despite how familiar it has come to feel in her hand. Tucking it into the waistband of her jeans, she ignores the stab of guilt for taking Slade's supplies and takes two boxes of ammo and places them in her backpack. Surely he would rather lose a gun and some ammo than spend another day with her and her inconvenient feelings.

Straightening her spine, Olivia clenches her jaw and slowly shuts the chest. Her time with Slade has to come to an end, for both of their sakes. She refuses to live in such close quarters with a man who sees her as nothing more than a child he needs to protect, and she can't stand to be around the one man she can't have any longer.

Perhaps she had been that girl when they first met. But now she is so much more. She's a soldier, a killer, a survivor. And it's all because of him.

Turning towards Slades bed, Olivia takes a step closer and swallows tightly as she takes in his peaceful face. It is the one and only time she has seen him look so at peace. There are so many things that she wants to say to him, but all she can muster up is a whispered, "Thank you."

Forcing herself to turn away, Olivia throws on her jacket and picks up her backpack, and with one final glance at Slade's peaceful face, she leaves the one place where she has felt safe in months.

Without any other plan other than to get away from Slade and not dying, she walks for what feels like hours. It takes her a long time to realise that she's being followed, but she does not acknowledge him until he decides to make his presence known.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he growls.

"Getting away from you," Olivia snaps, not bothering to turn around.

"You're being ridiculous," Slade seethes, hooking his hand around her arm and forcing her to stop. Olivia struggles to free herself but it's useless, he is far too strong.

"Save it. I wouldn't want to be a distraction for you. This is for the best," she hisses.

"Kid, come on."

Olivia laughs bitterly, angry tears stinging her eyes. "What do you expect of a spoilt brat?"

"Let's go back to the fuselage, and sort it out-"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Slade's grip on her arm loosens and Olivia takes the opportunity to wrench herself away from him. She takes several steps back but Slade just matches her move for move.

"I'm doing this to protect you!" he growls, his voice tight with frustration.

"The only person I need protecting from right now is you!"

Slade clenches his jaw and in a slightly softer voice he says, "Our main priority is to get off of the island. Us being together is only going to distract us from that. Don't you see?"

"No, don't you see Slade?" Olivia cries, swiping at a stray tear. "What if we never leave? What if this is it for us? We could die tomorrow or in fifty years time. Do you honestly want to die knowing that you spent your final days being too afraid to live for something other than survival? I can't live like that. I won't."

"What I want doesn't matter!" Slade snarls. He grabs the tops of her arms roughly and gives her a little shake. Olivia flinches away from him in surprise. "What I feel doesn't matter! I'm going to get us off of this island and you can go back to your life with your family and friends and men your own age. Now turn your ass back around and get back home."

"I'm not going back," Olivia says, the strength in her voice surprising her.

"Yes you are. You're going even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and tie you to a fucking chair for a week until you get this idea out of your head. You're going."

"You wouldn't dare," Olivia snarls, taking a step closer and glaring at him with scornful eyes.

"Try me," Slade growls, his whole form towering over her.

Olivia opens her mouth to argue, but a sudden snap of a stick fills the eerily quiet forest around them, and suddenly Slade's turning, his gun already in hand, but it doesn't matter how quick he is because this time he isn't quick enough. "No!" Olivia cries. There is nothing she can do except reach for her own gun far quicker that she ever thought herself capable of as a bullet tears through Slade's shoulder, and the strongest, the bravest, the most indestructible man she has ever met cries out, and falls to the ground at her feet.

For a split second, Olivia is frozen, her terrified eyes fixed firmly on Slade's too still body. Then she remembers everything that Slade has ever taught her, and what he would have to say if she got shot too because she was too busy freaking out. Though it kills her to do it, she forces her gaze away from Slade and swings her eyes around until she finds the mercenary whose gun is cocked firmly at her. He smiles, a harsh, ugly twist of his mouth. Olivia shivers, recognising the man immediately from the group of men who cheered and leered at her half naked body as Billy Wintergreen drove his fist into her cheek.

"Fyers has been looking everywhere for you-"

Olivia lifts her gun and pulls the trigger without hesitation, shooting him right in the gut. A chill goes through her as she sprints to her fallen victim who is already reaching for his gun with a shaking hand. Olivia kicks it away and aims her own gun firmly between his eyes. The mercenary sucks in rattling breaths and pleads, "N-no! Please! I have a family-"

Olivia smiles sweetly and replies, "As do I, and you just shot a member of mine." Olivia pulls the trigger.