The Darkness: 3

Part 25

Italics- Lydia's voices

Oliver

It had been three weeks since Oliver had become Al Sah-him. Ra's had been teaching him life lessons and how to lead the League of Assassins. He had too much to think about but still knew how to balance out listening to Ra's' speeches as they walked in a dead garden.

"Why are we here?" he asked, pulling his arms behind his back just like Ra's. "This is where I first killed," he explained, "It was very difficult for me as he was my best friend. You've already learned how to kill, but you're still learning it without remorse." Oliver stopped in his tracks and looked at Ra's who continued walking. He had to catch up to him as he didn't look back.

The two made their way back to the sanctuary and Sarab opened the massive doors for them. "What are going to teach me now?" he asked firmly, raising his head from the mask. "Go to Star City," Ra's began and his attention perfected, "just to look out." Oliver bowed his head and eyed assassins to come and they followed.

Lydia

Lydia could feel the leader of death walking towards her and heard the door to her chamber open and close. The soft drag of cloth ran the floor and her head tilted to Ra's. He pushed her head to the other side and began to stitch her head and clean up the blood.

"I can leave?" her voice cracked. "For a short while, but you will come back to me. If you don't hear my voice every day and the energy of the Telluric Currents, you will snap out and the whispers will fill your head," he explained. "And I'd scream till my head explodes," she whispered, "taking everyone around with me." "Yes, my child. You don't have a choice." "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

Ra's gauzed her head and lifted her faint body up. "Follow Wareeth Al Ghul," he ordered, "stay in the dark and report back to me." Lydia swayed her legs before she touched the hard floor and put on her shoes. She glanced at Ra's as he watched her tilt her head and walked out of the chamber. Lydia made it to the center of the sanctuary and one of the assassins opened the door for her to leave and they helped her on a plane to Star City.

———————

It was night the time she reached the bright lit city. She was across a building, hiding behind the door leading to the rooftop. She peeked over to the next building to see that Oliver had been standing behind Nyssa.

"This is where Sara died," Nyssa spoke and Lydia had to listen closely. "Do you remember that?" "You know the ways of the League," he told her, "and you were sometimes there." Out of anger, Nyssa drew her sword and attacked Oliver. He pulled out his sword and they began to fight.

A familiar vigilante appeared behind them and opened their mouth. The Canary Cry disrupted their fight and Nyssa stood next to her. Oliver glared at the two before falling off the ledge. "Pretty bird," Lydia whispered, watching Laurel and Nyssa leave.

Lydia moved from her spot and went down the stairs of the building to the first floor, out into the street to wherever Oliver was going.

Laurel

Laurel and Nyssa went back to Palmer Technologies where the rest of the team was. "Did you find Ollie?" Thea asked worriedly. "Yes," she crossed her arms, "but not Oliver Queen."

"What does that mean?" Felicity asked, standing up. "Setting the mind into a new person," Nyssa spoke, "in Oliver's case, Al Sah-him, the Arrow." Laurel put a hand over her head and leaned on the table, muttering, "Why did Lydia have to visit the pack now?"

"We're going to need help," Thea said, eyeing someone at the doorway. Everyone caught her gaze and turned their head. "No," Felicity said firmly. "Felicity, I don't like Merlyn, but we need his help," she told her. "Purple smoke," Nyssa said, "he wants to meet."

———————

Laurel, Nyssa, Thea, Diggle, Felicity, and Merlyn all entered the warehouse where the purple smoke was coming from. They were facing towards the groups of assassins and the one standing in front had taken off their mask.

"Oliver," Diggle called out and his eyes rolled to him. "My name is Al- Sah-him," he corrected, waving a hand. An assassin approached them and began weapon checking them. "Don't you dare touch me," Felicity pushed their arm. The assassin looked back at Oliver who nodded and they continued the search.

An assassin dragged out Lyla who was tied to a chair and gasps filled the room. "Lyla?!" Diggle shouted in anger. "Let her go," Oliver told him and Lyla ran towards Diggle. "Go to Felicity," Laurel heard him whisper.

"Where's the Banshee?" he asked. "Probably didn't want to see who you've become," Laurel told him with slight anger in her voice. "Now," Malcolm whispered and Lyla turned into her coat, pulling out the guns and shooting at them. A few assassins went down as Oliver shot back at them, slowly retreated until he was finally gone.

"That's not Ollie anymore," Thea said softly, wiping a tear. Malcolm pulled her in for a hug but she pushed him back. "This is all your fault!" she shouted before leaving. "There is nothing I can do," Nyssa told them. "You can't talk to Ra's?" Diggle asked and she slightly tilted her head, spinning around and walking out. The last people all eyed each other in defeat and dispersed.

Lydia

Lydia had already watched the fight and was going back to Nanda Parbat before Oliver's return. She hurried the pilot to reach the sanctuary and he ran it down the runway as the sun began to rise.

As she was walking down the sandy terrain, the whispers began to cloud her mind. She fell on her knees as they filled in rapidly and she covered her ears, letting out a silent scream and the ground quaked. She lifted herself up and began to stumble to the double doors. "I need to get back," she whispered, knowing if she were to scream again, she would die, including everyone around her.

She barged into the sanctuary where Sarab rushed over and picked her up. "Shh... my child," he hushed and the voices calmed down. "You are home."

Her arms dropped to the side and her head back as Sarab carried her bridal style down the hallway to her chamber. She glanced at Ra's who looked like two separate figures from her dazed mind. "Maseo," she whispered and he looked down. "Akio loves you."

Sarab set her down on the bed and Ra's began to remove her gauze then slowly on her stitches. The was silence as Lydia heard the door close, knowing that Sarab had left before the sound of the drill began. Ra's whirled it a few times before reopening the hole in her head. Lydia could feel the blood drip down her head and down to her neck.

"What do you hear?" he asked. Ra's thick voice soothed her subconscious and the question he asked went searching through her mind.

"Alpha..." she trailed off and he leaned closer, "beta..." she clicked her dry tongue, "omega." "And the meaning?" he asked curiously, even though he knew what it meant. "I am the Harbinger of Death, but the thing Nyssa carries, is death itself; the Alpha-Omega Virus."