#lyla michaels & john diggle

[jbuffyangel]

The Love We Deserve: Arrow 2x06 Review (Keep Your Enemies Closer)

This is the episode I knew the writers were going THERE with Olicity. I wasn’t sure about endgame. I certainly did not know how Oliver and Felicity’s story would unfold, but “Keep Your Enemies Closer” confirmed we were in this, fam. We were in this all the way.

2013 Jen's live reaction:

Let’s dig in…

Olicity

The first scene immediately sets up this juxtaposition between Felicity, Oliver and Isabel and it carries through the episode. It’s not a love triangle. Isabel doesn’t matter enough to warrant a point on a triangle, but they use her (quite effectively I might add) to show Oliver and Felicity are anything but “just friends.”

Isabel is bitching at Oliver for whatever-he-failed-to-do-this-week and Felicity is trying to get his attention for some arrow (Roy Harper) related business. Initially, she tries using “Mr. Queen” in a very boss/employee way, but ultimately is fed up with being ignored and yells “Oliver!”

Isabel barely tosses Felicity a glance, but Oliver ends the Co-CEO argument to leave with Felicity. Trust me when I say, Isabel clocks this decision.

Source: @okmcintyre

Oliver and Felicity join Diggle in his search for Lyla Michaels. She went to Russia to search for Deadshot and now she’s missing. Oliver uses a Queen Consolidated subsidiary in Moscow as their cover story and use of the company jet. Unfortunately, Isabel tags along. She believes Oliver is meeting with their overseas partners behind her back. Once she discovered Oliver didn’t have any meetings planned with their subsidiary in Moscow, her accusations shift to Felicity.

Oliver: I’m not this person you think I am.

Isabel: That depends.

Oliver: On what?

Isabel: On if I think you used the corporate jet for a weekend of fun with your assistant.

Oliver: Excuse me?

He does his very best to look incredulous at the idea of hooking up with Felicity while on a romantic weekend in Moscow. I really wouldn’t put Russia on my Top 10 list of romantic getaways. Tahiti made a lot more sense, but whatever. The point is – Oliver’s feathers are immediately ruffled. Did I see him blushing? Oliver lies all day every day both professionally and personally, but this line of questioning has him quite tongue tied.

Isabel: A blonde IT girl all of a sudden gets promoted to be assistant to the CEO? There are only two ways that happens. One is nepotism and she doesn’t look like your cousin.

Source: Paigeota

It absolutely should be happening, Oliver.

Isabel: What were her qualifications aside from an abundance of short skirts?

Source: Paigeota

This scene is incredibly important because A) it’s hilarious and B) this is the first time Arrow has addressed OUTLOUD Felicity Smoak as a love interest for Oliver Queen. Everything up until now has been gazing, fervent glances, shoulder touches, soft tones, sexual innuendo and the electric chemistry between Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards. But Isabel puts her money on the table and flat out accuses Oliver of sleeping with Felicity.

We, the audience, know Oliver and Felicity are not having sex (much to our horror and disappointment), but Isabel presents the one question we’ve been dying to ask Oliver – does he WANT to sleep with Felicity? And his answer is… glorious.

First he laughs, uncomfortably, like this is the most INSANE line of questioning to ever take place. Keep in mind this man was tortured on Lian Yu for information about bombs, planes, the location of a Chinese archer and Japanese soldiers bones from WWII. But nope, Oliver is shocked – SHOCKED I TELL YOU – that anyone would ever think he’s having sex with Felicity. Methinks he doth protest too much.

But Oliver trips up at the mention of skirts. He stutters his way through defending Felicity. It is damn near gallant of him to argue they are an appropriate length. No ma'am, the skirts are not too short. Not for Oliver Queen!

We can chalk this up to Oliver being a flesh and blood heterosexual man. The day they stop looking is the day they die. But this is the first time anyone has asked Oliver if he is sexually attracted to Felicity. He blushes, laughs, protests and stammers his way through his answer like a 13 year old boy.

Also, it’s extremely important to remember one episode prior Oliver was rejecting Laurel Lance in her apartment hallway after she tried to kiss him - his primary female love interest. Then the very next episode, the writers are crafting a scene forcing Oliver to address a romantic relationship with Felicity.

Is it a funny scene? Yes, but the real win for Olicity shippers is the question is being ASKED. The answer is even better. Yes, Oliver has noticed the skirts and the spectacular legs that go with them. You don’t say that about a character who is going to remain a platonic, comic relief Girl Wednesday.

We are so far from done. Diggle infiltrates the Russian prison where Lyla is being held while Oliver and Felicity meet up with Anatoly to purchase a Russian police car as part of their escape plan. Felicity is extremely anxious about Diggle, so Oliver offers her some witty banter and a shoulder touch as reassurance.

When the Russians try to fleece Oliver he threatens to make their children orphans in Russian.

It’s all very Bratva Oliver and menacing, but with Felicity he makes a little joke and winks! One could say his demeanor is quite light hearted – dare I say flirting?

Source: Paigeota

Oliver returns to the hotel and has a drink with Isabel. Bizarrely, he brings up Felicity again – unprompted. He couldn’t wiggle out of this line of questioning fast enough and now he can’t stop bringing it up! Pick a lane, my dude.

Oliver: Does everyone really think that Felicity and I are…

EXPLAIN THE DOT DOT DOT OLIVER! LET'S BE SPECIFIC!

Isabel: No. Just everyone who works at Queen Consolidated.

My kingdom to hang out by the water cooler in that office.

More with the loud chuckling. Nothing to see here but friendship. Look at all the friendship. Hardy har har.

Isabel: You don’t seem like the kind of man who has female friends.

That’s the understatement of the century. Putting Oliver’s sexual partners aside for the moment - Felicity is in a unique position. Oliver doesn’t have a lot of friends let alone female friends. Felicity is also the only female in his life who knows he’s the Arrow. Has he told her everything about his past? No, but relax. We’re only on Season 2. 

Oliver has shared quite a lot with Felicity in a relatively short amount of time. He trusts her (as much as he's capable of) and Oliver does not trust easily. Felicity is the only woman Oliver can be completely and authentically himself with. This makes her more than unique – it makes Felicity special. I think Oliver understands that and he approaches their friendship with reverence. He toes a very strict line with Felicity – for a very good reason which he will reveal later on in the episode.

Isabel: Underneath that swagger, I see you pretty clearly. You’re intelligent, driven and lonely.

Isabel reveals she doesn’t buy Oliver’s bad boy routine and instead believes she shares a lot in common with him. We can take this conversation one of two ways – 1) two people connecting over vodka and a shared ability to speak Russian or 2) Oliver is working Isabel to keep the real reason for this trip a secret. Bonus? He gets laid in the process.

Clearly, I’m going with option 2. He feeds her a line about loneliness in Russian and Isabel practically races Oliver back to the hotel room.

Mercifully, we don’t have to watch them have sex. Oliver is pressed for time because they need to save Diggle, but Isabel is fine with the wham bam thank you ma'am. Oliver thinks he left enough time, but as he opens the door to his hotel there stands Felicity just about to knock.

Oliver left Isabel undressed and in his bed, but the woman finds her clothes with lightning speed when she hears Felicity at the door and purposefully makes her exit then.

If Isabel bought Oliver’s “we’re just friends” speech then doing this would not be necessary. Isabel wants Felicity to know they slept together. Regardless of what people at Queen Consolidated think, Isabel knows there’s more going on between them than Oliver will admit. She wants to hurt Felicity. Isabel is marking her territory and I would encourage you to listen to Stephen Amell’s thoughts on why. #Cosigned.

However, this is NOT information Oliver wants Felicity to know. He is so embarrassed he can’t even look at Felicity as Isabel walks out the door.

Felicity is stunned. She’s actually speechless. Oliver tries to offer up some feeble explanation, but he doesn’t get very far. 

Felicity immediately makes a joke to alleviate the tension, but as she turns we can see her hurt and anger.

She cannot fathom a reason why Oliver would sleep with this woman. Whether or not Oliver heard Felicity’s remarks – he grimaces because he knows he screwed up. BIG TIME. It is so awkward and painful.

But again, the viewers must ask a fundamental question – why is this scene being written like Felicity caught Oliver cheating on her? Oliver is single. Isabel is single. Felicity is single. Nobody is dating anybody. And yet, the Arrow writers make it clear Felicity is hurt by this encounter – like she’s been betrayed.

As for Oliver, he absolutely did NOT want Felicity to know he slept with Isabel. He knows it will hurt her. This shows Oliver is somewhat aware Felicity has feelings for him. Congratulations, Oliver you’re not a total pine tree.

What’s more telling is Oliver’s reaction. He acts like Felicity caught him doing something wrong. If he didn’t return Felicity’s feelings then her opinion wouldn’t really matter. It’s never stopped him from dating or sleeping with other women before. And this is just a one night stand. Not even – it was a quickie. But Oliver is ashamed. This makes him look bad. Generally speaking, when you have romantic feelings for someone you don’t want that person to see you hooking up with someone else. It sends a very mixed message.

THIS IS NOT HOW YOU WRITE A PLATONIC COUPLE!!!

Felicity Smoak wears her heart on her sleeve. She can’t let it go. It’s not just that Oliver slept with someone. It’s that he slept with ISABEL. The woman who is trying to steal his company. Her bitchiness is embedded in her DNA, so Felicity’s work environment probably less than fun. Felicity cannot stand Isabel and Oliver slept with her. HER. 

Felicity: Over 64 million women over the age of consent in Russia and you sleep with her.

But this time it is Oliver’s turn to make a joke to deflect. The entire vibe is couple’s fight.

Source: Paigeota

But Felicity is not joking when they get home and she’s tired of the mixed messages. So ask the question point blank. God bless her. No sexual innuendos, stammers, deflections, furtive glances or unspoken truths.

 Source: Paigeota

Oliver’s initial response is kind of flippant to be honest.

 Source: Paigeota

He gives Felicity a very generic “It just happened,” which is the exact non-explanation cheaters use. Sex doesn’t “just happen.” It’s a decision. Oliver made a choice and Felicity is trying to understand why because maybe if she understands then it will hurt less. Even worse, he says it didn’t mean anything. The problem is it meant something to Felicity. Take it away Willow Rosenberg.

Xander: We were just kissing. It doesn't mean that much.

Willow: No. It just means you'd rather be with someone you hate, than be with me. - BTVS "Innocence"

Truly one of the most devastating lines in television history delivered by an equally heart wrenching performance by Alyson Hannigan. What Felicity is truly asking Oliver is not, “Why her?” but rather, “Why not me?”

Felicity’s disappointment in Oliver’s response is palpable and feels very similar to their scene in 1x12 when she asked Oliver if she could trust him. She didn’t want a flip answer then and she doesn’t want one now.

Source: Paigeota

Oliver lowers his voice into his gentle Felicity tone and says, “Hey,” so she’ll look at him again. The real intimacy between them is revealed in a single word. He cannot wiggle out of this, so Oliver is approaching her question, and pain, with the reverence she deserves. Felicity closes her eyes for a moment before she meets Oliver’s gaze again, like she’s steeling herself against whatever explanation is coming next. This time the answer will be honest, but it will hurt more.

Source: Paigeota

Oliver speaks hypothetically of course, in an attempt to discuss what he feels for Felicity without really discussing it. It keeps their friendship in this little protective bubble as Oliver takes an infinitesimally small step over the strict line he has drawn between them. Oliver feels life as The Arrow, and his proximity to danger, prevents him being in a loving relationship. He slept with Isobel because he doesn’t care about her. Oliver won’t be with Felicity because he does care about her.

What is MONUMENTALLY IMPORTANT about this scene is Oliver acknowledges the elephant in the room for the very first time. He feels more than friendship for Felicity.  Does Oliver Queen love Felicity Smoak? Yes. Is he ready to admit that to himself - let alone to her? No. Oliver believes his love endangers Felicity. He cannot lose her, so he will not allow himself to love her. As frustrating as Oliver’s answer is it’s not difficult to understand why he feels this way - especially after losing Tommy.

Felicity gives a little nod like this was the explanation she expected, but still needed to hear. Despite the hypothetical, they both know Oliver is speaking about her. Rather than a meaningful relationship, Oliver has resigned himself to a life of loneliness. He may have hook ups and one night stands to fill his bed and relieve an urge, but he withholds access to his heart. This is not just about Oliver’s refusal to truly love someone. It’s also about his refusal to allow anyone to love him in return.

He's taken bullets that hurt less than this.

In the end, it’s Felicity’s response that truly packs the emotional punch. She believes Oliver deserves better, regardless of his way of life. He deserves more than empty affairs and lonely, dark and violent nights.

There is so much this man cannot forgive himself for and the guilt is overwhelming. Oliver believes he has no right to happiness. Loneliness is his penance.  When all you experience is pain and loss it can be difficult to imagine a life without it.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." - Perks of Being a Wallflower

Oliver hurt Felicity deeply by sleeping with Isabel.  They both know it. He continues to hurt her by drawing this line in the sand between them. Yet, in the face of that pain, Felicity dreams a life for Oliver that’s more than the one he’s resigned himself to. It is forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love in action. He does not feel worthy of Felicity Smoak, but those are the lies Oliver’s guilt tells him. She knows the truth.

Source: Paigeota

The stunned look on his face says it all - no one has ever told Oliver Queen he deserves to be loved. 

John Diggle

Contrary to the previous six pages, this is actually a John Diggle focused episode. And boy, does he drop a bomb on Oliver and Felicity.

Oliver didn’t immediately recognize Lyla’s name, which is fine because I don’t think they’ve shared a scene. Felicity reminds him Lyla is John’s ARGUS girlfriend and I had whiplash at that status update. Girlfriend? When did we get to girlfriend? I feel more comfortable with super spy sexy time friend.

Diggle lowers the boom. Lyla Michaels is his ex-wife. SAY WHAT??!

Felicity: Explain that sentence.

Honestly, how do Oliver and Felicity not know this yet? What do they talk about in the bunker? It can’t always be about crimes and arrows. Sharing is caring OTA – embrace it.

Diggle: We couldn’t figure out how to stay married without a war to fight.

Diggle and Lyla were married while on tour in Afghanistan, but divorced shortly after returning home. Lyla joined ARGUS and Diggle went back for another tour.

Diggle and Oliver hook up with Anatoly (!!!) and he informs them Lyla was trying to break into the worst prison in Russia on a tip that Deadshot was being held there. Unfortunately, she was captured. It hasn’t been a pleasant stay given how battered Lyla is looking.

The only way in Gulag is to be a prisoner, so Diggle volunteers. Oliver balks at that, but Diggle needs him on the outside make the moves necessary for an escape. Also, Lyla is Diggle’s woman and he's going to save her, damn it. SWOON. Find you a man with a hero's complex. They make divine husbands. I speak from experience.

Anatoly provides enough drugs to land Diggle in prison for 400 years. Oliver and Felicity are nervous about this plan. In one of the sweetest moments between Diggle and Felicity, she gently kisses him on the cheek and wraps his scarf around his neck. It’s a good luck kiss, but everyone is clearly worried it’s a goodbye.

Of course, once John is inside he runs right into Deadshot. He sure is easy to find for a globetrotting criminal mastermind. Deadshot knows where Lyla is being held and wants in on the escape plan in exchange for her location. After Deadshot kills Anatoly’s guard, John has no choice but to team up with him.

Lyla: You came for me.

Diggle: I always have and I always will.

This is what stellar ships are made of folks. This is the content we're here for.

Of course, Oliver and Felicity rescue Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot, but the pinnacle of the episode for John is when they dump Deadshot on the side of the road. They’ll help him get out of prison, but not out of the country. John holds a gun on him – ready to pull the trigger to avenge his brother’s death, but he can’t do it.

Deadshot: That’s the thing about honor, John. You can’t turn it on and off.

What a great line! I love that line!!! It’s so fully encapsulates John Diggle’s character. I’m sorry I know he’s a killer, but between Deadshot bringing Olicity together with the ridden computer and this moment with John– I’m really starting to like this guy.

Deadshot offers John some additional information about his brother’s death. A thank you for not killing him I guess. He asks John how he thought Andy was killed.

Diggle: You shot at a client that Andy was protecting and you missed.

Deadshot: I don’t miss. Your brother was the contract.

Diggle: Who would want to kill Andy?

Deadshot: I don’t know their names, just an alias. H.I.V.E.

The plot thickens! I’m sure all the comic fans were excited about the introduction of H.I.V.E. I was clueless, but with a quick Google you’ll discover H.I.V.E is a terrorist organization. So, this means one of two things, John’s brother was an honorable man who ticked off a terrorist organization or Andy was not as honorable as his brother and ticked off a terrorist organization. This adds a layer of complexity the Diggle vs. Deadshot storyline desperately needed. It was running a little stale.

Diggle: You know me and Carly broke up because I couldn’t love her and hate him at the same time.

Lyla: I’m honored to be the exception.

Diggle: Lyla, you were always the exception.

Ok, I’m onboard the SS Dyla. Let’s get remarried. I’m ready.  

We go from the Dyla love scene directly to Olicity’s final scene in the office. This is not a mistake. John guides Oliver on his path. This also includes his romantic life and one of the ways Diggle guides Oliver is by example. Dyla always points the way.

Stray Thoughts

This is the first episode we meet Amanda Waller. She’s loyal to Lyla Michaels and knows about Oliver and Diggle’s vigilante operation, so she’s arriving on the scene as a fully formed bad ass.  

Diggle refused Anatoly’s vodka. Based on the look Oliver gave him I’m guessing that was a very bad idea. Drink the vodka, John.

“I wouldn’t mind a drink.” I mean honestly the boys could be so sexist sometimes. Felicity likes booze too!

“I will take care of her.” Snort. Yeah, I’ll bet Oliver.

Isobel immediately jumps to the conclusion that Felicity is sleeping her way up to the top. Way to be supportive of your fellow female coworkers and fighting that glass ceiling together, Isobel. This just makes her more evil in my opinion.

Sara left town. That’s fine I need a break from the Lance drama.

Quentin lets Roy go because he's working with the Arrow too, so I'm counting Lance as part of the team.

No Laurel. Hallelujah. Did you even notice she was gone? Nope. This character lifts right out.

There’s this whole weird subplot where Moira’s lawyer wants Thea to dump Roy because he’s a felon and it makes Moira look bad. Sure, Roy Harper is the problem. Not the 500 people who died. Even Moira thinks this plot line is ridiculously stupid and gets these crazy kids back together. Can we be done with the Theroy breakups? I’m tired. Find these two an actual storyline.

Slade: I will not be the reason something happens to you.

Shado: When I care about someone there's nothing I won't do for them.

Slade is in rough freaking shape after being burned over half his body, but he gets snuggle time with Shado so it isn’t all bad.

Never trust a Russian woman. Has Oliver ever seen a movie?

Flashback Sara betrays Oliver and gives Ivo the location of Slade, Shado and the soldier bones. Let's go with Stockholm syndrome to explain this insanity. Or she's just completely terrified of Ivo. Either works. But still - dick move Sara.

Why does David Ramsey wear shirts? It’s really a crime against humanity.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x06!!!

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Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me!

[arrow-v-flash-polls]

John had only two love interests in the eight seasons of Arrow. Which canon love interest did you enjoy seeing John with most?

[the-feral-gremlin]

Guess who posted one of their WIP’s 🙏🙏

[kitkatt0430]

i know that you write more about the flash/ legends than arrow but what do you think about diggle and lyla? or even the suicide squad eps with them and deadshot, cupid, etc?

Overall, I really like Dig and Lyla.

Dig is an absolute favorite of mine and he has put up with sooo much of Oliver's bullshit over the seasons, but he still sees Ollie as his found family and I was glad that he got to see Oliver one last time on the final season of the Flash. I do think he got robbed by having the Green Lantern option taken away when what was going to be his spin off show got taken away. There are times when the writing for him is inconsistent, but one of the most consistent parts of the arrow verse was the inconsistent writing so... *shrug* it is what it is.

I'm less fond of Lyla than of John, but I still enjoy her character. And I do see ARGUS as being an overall better and more ethical organization under her leadership. I get why Barry and Team Flash trust ARGUS under her leadership, it's not just because Oliver vouches for her but because she does clean up a lot of Waller's worst practices like forcibly conscripting missing persons like Oliver or the suicide squads. (I know the Ghost Initiative gets reactivated later, but I haven't seen those episodes, so I don't know how Lyla handles the team there. And the Arrow wiki doesn't clarify if they're still sticking bombs in people's necks.) I do think she got screwed over somewhat in the Red Skies Crisis, but I'm of mixed opinions on how that x-over event was handled.

As for the suicide squad episodes... it's complicated. On principal, I really hate the idea of suicide squads - criminals or not, supervillains or not, it is wildly unethical and immoral to be sticking bombs in people's necks to coerce them into doing dangerous jobs and I have no doubt this practice in canon is what inspired Lewis Snart to put a bomb in Lisa's neck to coerce Leonard into working with him. It's very much something that the 'good guys' should not be party to. It's the sort of thing they should be fighting against.

Lyla continuing to work with ARGUS despite it utilizing suicide squads - her loyalty to Waller despite these and other ethical nightmares Waller treats as totally normal things for ARGUS to participate in - is probably a big part of why I'm less fond of her than Dig. She does reform things later on, but her complicity is very uncomfortable before her promotion. For Dig (and Oliver) working with ARGUS isn't really something there's much choice in. As a vigilante himself, Dig knows ARGUS could easily justify arresting him and so his work with ARGUS isn't entirely voluntary though he is also doing it out of love and respect for Lyla as well. It's a messy situation and while I don't necessarily agree with Dig's choices I do think he tries to make the best of a bad situation.

That said, I do enjoy the episodes themselves. They provide a wealth of character development for Dig and Deadshot - the almost friendship that is reluctantly forged between John and the man who thinks he killed John's brother (and John thinks killed his brother) is fantastically done. Even Floyd's death is fairly well handled by the show writers considering the circumstances under which the real world decision to remove him from the Arrow-verse came from. (Deadshot being a character tapped for the movies made him suddenly off limits for the tv verse so he got written out permanently.)

I think the Suicide Squad episodes originally worked specifically because of Diggle and Lawton. So I can't really speak to what happened with the reactivated 'Ghost Initiative' in S7 since I still haven't watched that season. I don't know if they still had the explosive implants or not - I'd hope not, that Lyla would be better than that. Especially since this is the organization Cisco leaves Team Flash to work for; after removing the explosive from Lisa, I can't imagine Cisco being okay with knowingly working for an organization that creates Suicide Squads when it's convenient for them. But I can't say I'd be surprised - disappointed, but not surprised - to learn Lyla did treat the reactivated Ghost Initiative as a Suicide Squad similar to how Waller did. And if that is the case? I just kind of have to assume Cisco had no idea.

I can't say I have strong opinions about Cupid or the other Suicide Squad members on the show. Floyd's the one that really stands out to me. Cupid was a character I mostly found annoying; her obsession with romantic love just does not click as an interesting motive to me. Likely in part because I'm aromantic, which makes Carrie feel to me like a caricature of the perils of amatonormativity. And I couldn't really name any of the other Suicide Squad members off the top of my head - I had to look them up on the Arrow wiki - so that goes to show how little impact they really had on me when I last watched those episodes.

[schrijverr]

Tomorrow Will Be Different 16

Chapter 16 out of 26

Instead of managing to meet up later, Oliver has to keep running with Akio. The only way to keep them safe is to go public with Oliver being alive, leaving him back home in charge of Akio, while Tatsu and Maseo are still in the wind

In this chapter, the news about the boat breaks, signaling that Shrieve has been arrest. However, it can't be without its complications.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: vague mentions of human experimentation (Ivo)

~~~

Chapter 16: No Comment on the Survivors

Oliver has been enjoying lunch with Laurel, despite some of the rougher moments. He is glad he reached out to her to try and mend their friendship. She has never been afraid to push him and her firm worry and questioning keeps him grounded in reality.

However, when he spots Akio in the corner of his eye, his attention is immediately drawn away. He gets up and hurries over, kneeling down in front of him, he puts his fingers on Akio’s chin, so he can maneuver his head around to check him over for injuries.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, worried. “Did something happen?”

Akio easily bats his hands away, saying: “I am fine. Nothing happened.”

Oliver looks over to Diggle for confirmation, who luckily gives him more information. “You stopped replying to his texts after telling him you were going here for lunch. He says he got bored and wanted to see you, but I think he got worried.”

“I did not get worried,” Akio argues, glaring at Diggle for giving him away.

At the reveal, Oliver softens slightly. However, he is still aware of Laurel’s words and her presence right behind him. He doesn’t want to validate her earlier words. “Akio, I was having lunch with a friend, Laurel,” he gestures to her. “If you were bored you could have gone to Thea, if Diggle didn’t want to play with you.”

“It is not the same,” Akio pouts, then changes the subject in an obvious ploy to get out of the conversation. “Laurel? Is she the friend that is complicated?”

“Complicated?” Laurel repeats, falling into his trap.

Oliver isn’t sure he wants to have this conversation, but he didn’t want to have the other one either. He can’t very well berate Akio when seeing him released a tension in his muscles. He wasn’t lying when he said they’re working on it, they’re successful most of the time, just not all of the time.

Before he can consider jumping in, Akio has already answered: “Yes, it’s because you were good friends, but then he did something stupid and now you guys weren’t friends anymore and you never talked about it. But I guess he took my advice, since you’re friends again now.”

Laurel is amused by Akio’s account of their history and delights in further questioning her agreeable witness. “And what was your advice?”

“That when you do something stupid you say sorry and make up for it and then you both agree to forget about it.”

“Thank you for that, Akio,” Oliver interrupts, before it can get further out of hand. He ignores how Diggle is almost certainly laughing at him, Laurel too probably.

“Told you, you could try,” Akio tells him.

“Yeah, buddy, you were right,” Oliver agrees. “But Laurel has to get back to her work now. So why don’t you say goodbye and then I’ll go pay and we can get out of here and do something fun together.”

“Can we go to the theme park again?” Akio asks, eyes sparkling.

“I think Speedy will get mad if we go without her again, but we can go to the normal park or the library,” Oliver offers, feeling bad about not agreeing, but knowing that by the time they get there, the theme park will be practically closed and that’ll be more disappointing.

“Alright,” Akio pouts.

“You know what, I’ll take you to an arcade. How does that sound?” Oliver says, because Akio has him wrapped around his little fingers.

“What is an arcade?”

“All those video games and you never heard of an arcade?” Oliver retorts.

“It has games?” Akio asks, sounding thrilled at the thought.

“It sure has. Now say bye to Laurel.”

“Bye, Laurel, it was nice to meet you,” Akio says politely, adding a little bow.

“Goodbye, Akio, it was nice to meet you too,” Laurel replies, looking absolutely charmed. Oliver gets it, Akio is a surprisingly charming kid for how mean he can be sometimes.

With that Laurel leaves again for her job, promising to keep in contact. Then Oliver pays and along with Diggle, they set out the arcade, where Akio goes wild for a few hours. He beats Oliver at everything except the shooter games.

The rest of the week proceeds fairly normal.

Thea does sneak out Akio one time to take him to the theme park by enlisting Tommy’s help, who tells Oliver about it behind both their backs. Tommy also makes sure Diggle is with them. Oliver is very grateful to him for that. Out of everyone, he has opened up the most about his worries to Tommy, who doesn’t really understand, but respects and helps. Tommy is a good friend like that.

As the next two weeks pass, Akio starts working seriously on his classes again. In their letters his parents called it vacation and Oliver has gone along with it too, because that was the easiest. Akio never fully bought it, but embraced it.

However, with his parents being found coming closer, he wants to catch up on classes to impress them. Or at least show them that he’s been behaving himself.

It’s heartbreaking yet adorable.

After his classes with Shado and the year in Hong Kong, Oliver can help somewhat when it comes to Mandarin, but Akio is already pretty good at that. It’s the more STEM courses that they collectively fail at.

When they’re sitting at the table, trying to do math together, Oliver tells himself to marry someone who is good at this stuff, because he sucks and will never be able to help any child he’ll have in the future.

He feels like he should be good at math and physics, he always uses it when shooting his bow and when fighting. However, that is instinctual and his teaching had been more spiritual, not this science stuff.

But the two of them get through it with a lot of help from google and a few tears on both their parts.

Then on Thursday morning the news breaks: The boat that held Oliver Queen has been located, most of the crew dead after a mistake with a bio weapon they were testing on their prisoners, no comment on the survivors as of yet.

Oliver is actually sleeping when the news hits. Nightmares had been plaguing so he’d been up till 5:00, which means he rolls out of bed at 8:30, surprised he slept as much as he did after that.

He checks up on Akio, who is still asleep, before making his way downstairs for breakfast. His mom and sister are already sitting there and Oliver pauses at the morose atmosphere hanging over them. Cautious and confused, he greets: “Good morning,” trying to gauge what��s happening.

“God, Ollie,” Thea cries, getting up from her seat and flying into his arms.

Oliver catches her with ease, holding her close to him and letting her bury her head in his neck as she sniffles. He turns his frown to his mom, asking: “What’s going on?”

Moira looks close to how she sounded over the phone, though she is obviously trying to project strength. “The ship that- that held you. It has been found.”

Fuck, Amanda could have given him a heads up about that. Though, he probably isn’t a priority within all the mess. Still, Lyla could’ve called Dig.

“Oh,” is all he manages, mentally trying to shift gears as quickly as he can for this performance.

“The news said they were testing stuff on the people they were holding,” Thea tells him tearfully, before whispering: “Were you- were you experimented on?”

Oliver tries to find a convincing act, calling on his experience with Ivo to give them something authentic. It’s only when he thinks about it, that he realizes it never was a lie. With everything that has happened to him, he forgot he actually was a captive on a ship that experimented on humans for a bit there.

The realization gives him a pause. He’d borrowed parts of his story for the press from Sara, but he never fully felt a part of them. She’d been on the Amazo, he’d been on Lian Yu, the fact that they collided never fully registered in that sense.

“Ollie?” Thea asks softly, likely scared she’d broken him.

“I’m okay,” he manages an unconvincing smile. “I- I guess they- uhm, they did. I’ve tried to forget… Repress, maybe.”

He clears his throat, not even having to fake pushing down the tears. Being reminded of everything that happened on the Amazo is enough to make him nearly down in the grief. However, he pushes through, not feeling like breaking down. “Did the news say anything about Tatsu and Maseo?”

When he asks, Oliver already knows the answer, so he feels a little guilty as he watches both faces fall.

It is Moira, who bites the bullet and says: “They say most of the crew is dead after an accident involving a bio weapon. There has been no comment about the survivors.”

“Of course,” Oliver says, not having to pretend to be disappointed. He knew the news wasn’t going to say anything, but he still hoped they would have, because if they had that means Tatsu and Maseo have already been located.

Before Moira or Thea can try to comfort him or try to make it better, they’re interrupted by Akio entering the room. Both his mom and sister stiffen. Oliver can’t blame him, if he didn’t know that the two Yamashiros had a high chance of being alive, he also wouldn’t want to have this conversation.

“Sleep well, buddy?” he asks, filling the sudden hush that had fallen over the room with Akio’s arrival.

“Yes…” Akio replies cautiously, having paused upon entering, probably picking up on the weird vibes. “Why are you looking weird?”

“They found the boat, Akio. It was on the news this morning,” Oliver answers, making sure his tone sounds on the right side of breaking potentially damning news for his mom and sister, while also not too much to make Akio worry.

Akio lights up at the news, which is understandable, demanding: “Did they find Otōsan and Okāsan?”

Moira and Thea are both looking at him, not wanting to be the one to have to tell Akio about the accident. Oliver is glad for their reluctance now, because he needs to have this conversation properly. Him and Akio discussed the act after Oliver briefed him on the story, and talked about how they would communicate should others be listening in.

Oliver makes his way over to him, squatting down in front of him as he has done many times before. He ensures Akio is looking in his eyes, putting as much reassurance in them as he can. “I heard there has been an accident on board. Some of the people died, but there are survivors, Akio.”

“Did Otōsan and Okāsan survive?” Akio asks, voice small.

Oliver isn’t sure how much of an act this is, but it doesn’t matter either way. He assures him: “I am going to make all the calls I need and we’ll know what happened to your parents soon, okay? We’re going to get them back here, if not today, then tomorrow. Remember, tomorrow will be different.”

“Tomorrow will be different,” Akio repeats, a small tentative smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Oliver agrees, smiling back. “Now let’s get some breakfast so we have the energy to figure out our next steps.”

Akio matches the enthusiasm Oliver injected into his voice and eagerly makes his way over to the table so they can get breakfast over with and onto bringing his parents home.

Moira and Thea look on, both still caught in their own upset after having learned about what Oliver supposedly went through for a year. Though, Oliver does recognize that look of judgment in his mother’s face that is similar to when they first arrived here. She probably thinks he’s giving Akio too much hope.

Oliver doesn’t feel like getting into it with her or risking giving anything away by convincing her he isn’t needlessly setting Akio up for heartbreak.

There are still insecurities in his own mind of course. Tatsu and Maseo could have been made and silently killed the past month, Shrieve can have them stowed somewhere to use as leverage now that he’s been caught, or they can be caught up in something else after an attempt to escape, or not hear about the news at all and not come out of hiding.

However, Oliver sees no use in focusing on those what ifs. He knows Tatsu and he knows Maseo, and he knows what they will do for Akio, what they will push through, what they will survive for him. He needs to believe they’ll be located soon.

So, he stuffs his face with breakfast quite quickly, much like Akio is, mentally planning the next steps.

Diggle will surely come in after the news has hit, bringing the satellite phone so Oliver can call Amanda and demand an update. Maybe he’ll have heard from Lyla, before getting here. So, then they will have more information. Once they have that, they can plan more.

He also quickly checks the news on his phone, trying to see what has been released and what the media is focusing on.

His own story has been re-plastered on every front page and the photos there are of Akio are back in circulation. One thing he knows for certain, is that he’ll keep Akio inside, he doesn’t need to deal with the interest, especially now that the media is going crazy with the new revelations about the part Oliver hadn’t spoken about before.

Even with how his return was publicized, he still isn’t used to being in the spotlight again. Now, he can’t imagine why he ever liked being the media darling of Starling City and he hopes the stories dies down again soon. Maybe a big company can have a financial scandal or something, ease some of the pressure.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts by the landline ringing. He doesn’t expect any of his contacts to call him through there, however, he doesn’t want to risk any information slipping by him or having to hear it second hand from his mom, so he jumps up.

Picking up the phone, he makes sure to take a deep breath so his voice is level before he says: “Oliver Queen, speaking.”

“Mr. Queen,” Lyla’s voice comes over the speaker, making him frown because he told her to call him Oliver. “I am agent Smith and I’m part of a task force that has been working on locating your captors. I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the boat you were held on being found.”

“I’ve heard about that, yes,” Oliver plays along, not sure where this is coming from but not wanting to blow her cover. “Is there something you need from me or is this to inform me, agent Smith?”

“There are a few things we need clarification on,” Lyla says pleasantly, but Oliver can hear a thrum of something in her voice. “To make it easy for you, the SCPD has let us use a room. We request you come down to the local police precinct to answer a few questions.”

Oliver’s mind is spinning with possible reasons for this sudden addition to their story, but all the questions he has, he can’t ask. So, he just answers: “Of course. I’ll make my way over as soon as I can.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Queen,” Lyla tells him. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, see you soon,” Oliver replies, hanging up in a daze.

Still standing next to the phone is how Diggle finds him seconds later. When he spots Oliver, he winces apologetically. “I’m sorry, Oliver. I tried to get here before she called.”

Diggle knows what’s going on, Oliver’s brain immediately registers that and he snaps into focus, asking: “What’s happening?”

“It’s turned into more of a thing than expected, Waller’s being monitored. I don’t have the details, but this was the only way to get into contact with you,” Diggle says. “Just go along with it.”

“Alright,” Oliver nods sharply. That he can do. “Be right back,” he tells Diggle.

Quickly popping his head back into the dining room, he says: “They need me to come to the police precinct to ask me a few questions. Can you two look after Akio? I would leave Dig here, but I suspect it’ll be a circus out there.”

“Why do they need to question you?” Moira frowns, suspicious. “Should I call our lawyer?”

“Nothing serious, just clarifying a few details,” Oliver assures her. “Please, don’t make a statement to the press and keep Akio away from those vultures.” When Moira promises she will, he turns to Akio. “Behave, stay out of sight and I’ll tell you all I know when I get back.”

“Okay,” Akio agrees immediately, not even protesting about wanting to come. It’s similar to when they were hiding out in Hong Kong. Oliver cherishes his trust and vows to get him home as soon as he can.

With that, he leaves the house, Diggle behind him.

[joeey-dee]

What are your other favorite Arrowverse ships if you have any?

Hmmm… good question. 

I guess Canarrow is a given by now, lol. Not going into detail here now why. 

I really liked Roy and Thea, I think they were a good fit and helped each other grow and move out of their comfort zones and the lives they knew and with that changed their outlook on what their lives are going to be like because of the environment they grew up in. Roy learnt that he could be more than a petty thief and that if someone like Thea Queen not only believed in him but actually loved him, other people might give him a chance too and see him for who he is, not the circumstances he grew up in and that shaped him into who he was at the beginning. She gave him a chance and with that pushed him towards believing in himself and that he could be more than what everyone thought and always told him. He didn’t need to be stuck in the situation he was in at the start of the show. 

And Roy in return taught Thea to look beyond a person’s first appearance, to understand what less fortunate circumstances could lead to and the path someone could be pushed into simply by circumstances and desperation. Roy also pushed her to be more than the spoiled trust fund princess that she was or pretended to be at the beginning of the show, he helped her grow up and look passed her own wants and needs. 

They were good for each other and in their case the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks and the spoiled rich girl actually worked very well, their relationship was very realistically portrayed in my opinion and that made me root for them. 

Moira and Walter were also a couple a got attached to. And I was really sad when they broke them up, even though I completely understand Walter’s reasons and support his choice. Their story was also very relatable and I loved how positive Walter’s presence in the Queen women’s life was portrayed. Stepparents get a bad rep on TV or in movies way too often and that saddens me, because I grew up with at stepdad and he’s the best. I was around the same age as Thea was when my dad died which led to me having a lot more patience and understanding with Thea’s behavior than most of the fandom. I guess I could relate. So, yeah, Moira and Walter have a special place in my heart because Moira got a second chance at love and some happiness after losing her husband and son in such a tragic way. 

I also very much wanted Laurel and Tommy to end up together, those two were so great together and brought out the best in each other. They were a much better fit than Oliver and Laurel in my opinion. They had their issues but I feel they could’ve worked passed those had Tommy lived, Laurel just needed to put Oliver in the past once and for all were romance was concerned. 

I also like Oliver with Helena or McKenna, Sara is my all time favorite but I could’ve easily seen either of those relationships work out in a positive way, once they’d dealt with some issues. McKenna would’ve been very interesting given she was on the Hood Taskforce and her learning her boyfriend was who she’d been hunting for months would’ve made for some great storytelling, plus given her character I could’ve easily seen her becoming Oliver’s inside person at the SCPD. 

Helena was a great character too and I felt her and Oliver’s involvement was very rushed, I would’ve loved for them to stretch it and make her turn on him all the more impactful. They could’ve even brought her back later on reformed and have them fall back into each other and a relationship, and have her become the Arrow’s partner in the field. 

Both Helena and McKenna had a lot of potential that was never really developed and their storylines felt very rushed, unfortunately. 

Lyla and John are also a couple I like, even though they do have some serious issues… but still, I think in they work very well together and they have great chemistry and are a lot of fun.

I think those are the major ones, it is possible I missed some that I enjoyed. I guess Quentin and Donna were pretty great together too and Felicity and Ray had a lot of potential too and would’ve been the better fit than Oliver and Felicity. 

Thank you for your question I hope I answered it to your satisfaction, otherwise just let me know and I elaborate some more, lol. 

I hope you have a great day.

[cogentranting]

Oliver and Lyla breaking Diggle out of a military prison on a whim and against his will.

Love when Diggle lets his guard down a little leading to his wife and best friend both slipping their leash and immediately teaming up to be terrors together. Love Oliver and Lyla being two of a kind.

[silver-inked-quill]

✨ Requests are open ✨

Dc Comics

{full list of requests options}

Hey there gentle reader,

I am just a writer who needs inspiration so please do not hesitate and suggest whatever your heart wishes to read!

I can do canon x canon, I love exploring dynamics between characters and oc x canon as well. But what i also enjoy is the setting a fictional universe allows me to describe, including the space and the situation

💥I love writing drama and fight scenes that end up in an easy going cute way and i also write more steamy things💥

✨Please do not hesitate to dm or comment here your prompt or imagine ✨

These Characters and couples give me strong feelings are below but i can't write for others👇🏼

♣️Justice League Unlimited -Young Justice

That's the era I prefer mostly and am most familiar with so any any any thing from those it's perfect🫶🏼

♣️DCCW

🟩The Arrow

John Diggle - Laurel Lance - Sara Lance - Thea Queen - Roy Harper -Tommy Merlyn

Malcolm Merlyn - Nyssa Al Ghoul - John Constantine - Ra's Al Ghoul - Shadon

Helena Bertinelli - Wild Dog - Lyla Michaels

🟥The Flash

Caitlin Snow - Killer Frost - Cisco Ramone - Barry Allen - Jessie Quick - Wally West

Julian Albert - Heatwave - Captain Cold

🟦 Supergirl

Kara Danvers - Mon El - Alex Danvers - Lena Luthor

⬜ Legends of Tomorrow

Sara Lance - Rip Hunter - Leonard Snart - Jackson Jefferson - Nate Heywood

- Zari Tomaz - Amaya Jiwe - Ray Palmer - Mick Rory

♣️ Arkham Series

♣️Titans

Dick Grayson - Donna Troy - Dove Granger - Hank - Aqualad - Jason Todd

Rachel Roth - Barbara Gordon

♣️Comics

i have read too many but i am willing to read new ones and to write something about it 🫶🏼

♣️Dc comics filmography

Only the ones that are animated... 👉🏼👈🏼🥺

♣️TEAMS /🦇Batfam🏹Arrow team⚡Flash Team💎 Superfam

if you are wondering if they are still open check my masterlist and the request list (pinned on my profile) 🫶🏻

[rowinablx]

My personal ranking of the main Arrow ships

8. Olicity (Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak)

Worst: While Olicity had its moments and a dedicated fanbase, it also became one of the most divisive ships in the Arrowverse. The relationship often overshadowed other aspects of the series, leading to debates over character focus, plot, and the handling of other relationships or character development. The fan reaction was intense, both in support and opposition, contributing to a polarizing community atmosphere.

7. Laurel Lance and Tommy Merlyn

Their relationship was cut short due to Tommy's death, but it had potential. It was one of the more relatable and less drama-filled romances in the early seasons, showing a glimpse of what could have been in a world where the characters weren't constantly at war with their pasts.

6. Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance (Earth-2)

This relationship from an alternate Earth was intriguing but didn't have the same depth or development as other main storylines. It was more of a plot device to explore different dynamics but didn't resonate as deeply.

5. Ray Palmer and Felicity Smoak

Raylicity was a brief but significant relationship that highlighted different aspects of Felicity's character. It was appreciated for its lighter tone and for showing Felicity's life outside of her relationship with Oliver. However, it felt somewhat rushed in its development but is my personal favorite Felicity ship

4. Thea Queen and Roy Harper

Thyroy had a passionate, tumultuous relationship that mirrored the chaotic lives they led. Their connection was genuine, and they shared some of the show's most heartfelt scenes. The tragedy of Roy leaving to protect Thea added depth to their storyline, leading to Roy proposing to Thea in the series finale.

3. Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance (Earth-1)

Lauriver was the original love story set up in the series' early days. Despite the relationship's challenges and eventual dissolution, it had strong chemistry and was integral to the show's initial narrative. Their history provided a solid foundation for character development.

2. John Diggle and Lyla Michaels

Diggle and Lyla's relationship was one of the most stable and supportive in the series. Their love story was grounded, showing that even amidst all the chaos, partnerships could thrive. Their marriage and family life added a layer of normalcy and depth to Diggle's character.

1. Nyssa al Ghul and Sara Lance

Best: Nyssara's relationship was compelling due to the intensity of their connection and the drama of their circumstances. Despite ending due to Sara marrying Ava, their relationship was filled with passion and sacrifice, resonating with fans for its emotional depth to this day

[ao3feed-supercorp]

The Juniors

by ciancitto123

They were overwhelmed, tired, and beaten. They had fought so hard, yet more of them came. They were indestructible unless you hit the weak spot under its chin, a narrow opening. It wreaked of death, shot lasers from its eyes, and had kryptonite knives for hands. All the teams had been called in to help, but it didn’t do any good. They were still losing. Almost everyone who was still alive was there fighting to their last breath.

The Juniors, as Sara had dubbed them, were all suited up to help their parents fight the best way they knew how. They had a half-baked plan and an inter-dimensional portal that would take them back before this happened. A time and place when they would have time to figure out how to beat these monsters and their leaders. The only problem was simultaneously talking to their parents and avoiding blasting themselves out of the time stream. They'd heard plenty of Barry's stories about messing up the timeline throughout their lives. They had to be better.

Words: 5946, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Arrow (TV 2012)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Other

Characters: Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers, Lena Luthor, Winn Schott Jr., Lucy Lane (DCU), J'onn J'onzz | Hank Henshaw, Maggie Sawyer, Agent Vasquez (Supergirl TV 2015), Barry Allen, Iris West, Cisco Ramon, Caitlin Snow, Cindy Reynolds (The Flash TV 2014), Joe West, Nora West-Allen, Oliver Queen, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle (DCU), Lyla Michaels, Sara Lance, Ray Palmer, Nora Darhk, Mick Rory, Wally West, John Constantine, Amaya Jiwe, Zari Tomaz | Zari 1.0, Ava Sharpe, Gary Green, Eliza Danvers, Lillian Luthor, Ra's al Ghul, Joker (DCU), Reverse Flash, Darkseid (DCU)

Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Alex Danvers/Sara Lance, Barry Allen/Iris West, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Lucy Lane/Agent Vasquez, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Winn Schott Jr./Lyra Strayd, Cisco Ramon/Cindy Reynolds, Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer, Amaya Jiwe/Zari Tomaz | Zari 1.0, Eliza Danvers/J'onn J'onzz | Hank Henshaw

Additional Tags: Past Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Past Ronnie Raymond/Caitlin Snow, Crossover, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Useless Lesbians, Oblivious, Denial of Feelings, Tags Are Fun, Secret Children

from AO3 works tagged 'Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor' https://ift.tt/FJWsOrn via IFTTT https://ift.tt/FJWsOrn

[arrow-v-flash-polls]

on arrow season 2 they started setting up the suicide squad members, they had plans on making that a big plot, but due to the suicide squad movie being released they had to scrap that

would you have liked to see more of the suicide squad on the show?

yes

no

Good question Anon and thanks for the suggestion. Please keep all ya suggestions coming I'm always interested in them.

[the-feral-gremlin]

A list of things that I wish we got to see in arrow flashbacks

More of John (and Andy’s) childhood and time in the army, not just the Dyla flashback episode (which don’t get me wrong I love) and the glimpses of John and Andy as bodyguards.

Dyla breakup!!! Dyla breakup!!! Dyla breakup!!! Give me them not knowing how to love each other outside of war and pain and trauma!! Give me them trying so desperately to love each other when they’re both still so guilty and angry and grief ridden and traumatized!!

More of What the fuck it was like for everyone else after the gambit went down. I personally loved the episode where Oliver returns to starling city while working for Waller and seeing just how much the gambit affected everyone else. Maybe give more depth to what it was like for Thea so that I can stop seeing people criticize her for lashing out at Oliver in season one.

[afaimsarrowverse]

Mein A/B/O-Arrowverse-AU-Verse:

Diese Serie von mir rekonstruiert das gesammte Arrowverse in einem Alpha/Beta/Omega-Setting. Sie geht gegen Ende der 6. Staffel von "Arrow", der 4. von "The Flash" sowie der jeweils 3. von "Legends of Tomorrow" und "Supergirl" zunehmend AU. "Batwoman" ist inkludiert, allerdings nur die erste Staffel und da auch schon von Anfang sehr anders als im Canon.

Diese Fics wurden zwischen 2017 und 2019 geschrieben, wobei die eigentliche Hauptstory zwischen 2017 und 2018 entstand. Spätere Einträge spielen zwischen den Ereignissen der vorher geposteten Fics. Prinzipiell geht dieses Verse mit dem Ende der 2017/18er Seasons vollkommen AU, daher werden später eingeführte Ereignisse, Charaktere und Ships nur am Rande benahdelt und eingebaut, und in diesen Fic finden sich nur Dinge die vor „Crisis on Infinite Earths“ passiert sind.

Prinzipiell bin ich der Meinung, dass es heute trotzdem noch gut stand hält, wobei der auffälligste Unterschied zum Canon die Tatsache ist, dass fast alles geschrieben wurde bevor Nia aktive Kräfte für den Kampfeinsatz besaß, weswegen sie im Kampf die gleichen Kräfte wie Dream Girl in den Comics verwendet und nicht ihre Canon-Traum-Energie Strahlen und Peitschen. Und natürlich sind die End-Game Pairings andere.

Inzwischen noch witziger ist was alles in meinem Fics passiert ist, bevor es im Canon ebenfalls passiert ist (wie etwa, das Clois-Baby, dass Lena Lex erschießt, Johns Lungenkrebs Storyline, dass Eddie zurückkommt, der Ausflug in die Speed Force während er großen Krise etc) und wie anders manches bei mir ist was der Canon absolut vergessen hat mir aber doch wichtig erschienen ist.

Chronologisch gesehen beginnen wir mit der Kindheit verschiedenster Charaktere und enden mit einer Szene im Jahr 1992, die alles abschließt. Handlungstechnisch enden wir aber im Jahr 2028.

Im Gegensatz zum Canon kriegen hier alle Serien - „Arrow“, „The Flash“, „Supergirl“, „Legends of Tomorrow“ und irgendwie sogar „Batwoman“ - ein Ende und jeder Charakter bekommt eine mehr oder weniger zu Ende erzählte Geschichte. Obwohl die letzte Fic das Ende von „Legends of Tomorrow“ darstellt, gibt es darin trotzdem Gastauftritte von diversen anderen Charakteren, die auf Erde-1 leben (es gibt keine Erdverchmelzung in meiner Version), und wir lernen etwa das zweite West-Allen-Triaden-Kind kennen, weil ich ja im Gegensatz zu Eric Wallace der Meinung bin, dass eine Franchise auch also solche beendet werden sollte.

Da dieses Universum zur Zeit der 2. Staffel von „Legends of Tomorrow“ und „Supergirl“ begonnen hat, sind die Endgame-Pairings entsprechend. Manche Fans werden hier also nicht glücklich werden, aber immerhin gibt es hier im Gegensatz zum Canon ein Ende für alle. Und auch wenn es manche Charaktere aus späteren Staffeln nicht gibt, gibt es trotzdem Happy Ends für andere. So findet Ava letztlich mit Caitlin ihr Glück, Nora wird als Single glücklich etc.

Endgame Pairings in diesem Verse sind (trotz diverser andere Pairings zwischendurch):

Atomwave (Ray Palmer/ Mick Rory) , Captains3 (Sara Lance/ Rip Hunter/ Leonard Snart), Vixensteel (Amya Jiwe/Nate Heywood),  Westhallen (Iris West/ Eddie Thawne/Barry Allen) , Lauriver (Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen), Karamel (Kara Danvers/Mon-El), Sanvers (Maggie Sawyer/Alex Danvers), Constangreen (John Constantine/Gary Green), Guardiancorp (James Olsen/Lena Luthor), Winniac-5+ Nia (Winn Schott/Brainiac-5/Nia Nal, wobei Nia mehr ein Add-On in der allerletzten Supergirl-Fic ist eine logische Konsequenz, das gebe ich gerne zu), Avafrost (Ava Sharpe/Caitlin Snow), Coldray (Leo Snart/Ray Terrill), Clois (Clark Kent/Lois Lane), Jocile (Joe West/Cecile Horton), Martians (J’onn J’onzz/M’gann M’orzz), SmoakDetective (Donna Smoak/Quentin Lance), Dyla (John Diggle/Lyla Michaels), Throy (Thea Queen/ Roy Harper) sowie Kate Kane/Renée Montoya (wobei ich Montoya lange bevor es den Charakter in „Batwoman“ gab geschrieben habe).

Charaktere, die im Canon gestorben sind, haben hier überlebt. Charaktere, die tot geblieben sind, sind hier zurück gekommen, Charaktere, die im Canon zurück gekommen sind, blieben hier tot, aber am Ende würde ich sagen, dass dieses Universum für mich selbst die befriedigendere Version des Arrowversums war, als der Canon, alleine eben deswegen weil es hier ein Ende für alle gibt und viele der problemtatischen Dinge Post-Crisis nie passiert sind und daher nie zum Problem wurden.

Die Original-Version dieses Verses findet ihr:

 https://www.fanfiktion.de/u/Afaim

 https://www.fanfiction.net/u/879958/Afaim

Sie bsetehend aus:

Den „Legends of Tomorrow“-Fics:

 „Nennt uns Legenden I-V“

„Legenden auf Doomworld“

Den „Arrow“ Fics:

 „Jemand Anderer werden“

„Mein Name ist Oliver Queen“

Den „Supergirl“-Fics:

 „Kara Danvers ist meine Lieblingsperson“

„Capetricks“

Der “The Flash“-Fic:

 „Dinge, denen man nicht trauen kann“

Sowie den Crossover-Fics:

 „A/B/O-Oneshotsammlung“

„Geschichten von Erde-X“

„Crisis on Earth-X“

„Road to Finale Crisis“

„Elseworlds“

“Finale Crisis”

„Beginnings and Endings“

 Sowie verstreuten One-Shots in:

  „Legends of Tomorrow Shorts“

„The Flash Shorts“

und

“Infinite Earths Oneshots und Shorts”

Außerdem gibt es die düstere AU-Version zu einem alternativen Ende von “Crisis on Earth-X”:

 “Stranded on Earth-X”

 Sowei zwei dazu gehörtige One-Shots in:

 „The Flash Shorts“

Eine restruktrierte „Alle-Fics-chronologisch an einem Ort“-Version findet ihr hier:

 https://archiveofourown.org/series/2542033

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Rise of the Green Arrow

by ArlyssReborn Oliver Queen awakens in the past after being taken from Purgatory and is informed by Mar-Novu that he has been sent back to prepare the world's heroes, including those who remained hidden from him even during the Crisis, to fight for the survival of the multiverse. But as Oliver begins his work again, he soon finds that he cannot maintain even the most basic semblance of the timeline he remembers and so must do what he does best: face the unknown with just his grit and his bow. (Chapters based on rewritten Legend chapters up to Chapter 30) Words: 5526, Chapters: 1/44, Language: English Series: Part 1 of In Defiance of Fate Fandoms: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014), Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M Characters: Oliver Queen, Moira Queen, Thea Queen, Walter Steele, Tommy Merlyn, Malcolm Merlyn, Laurel Lance, Sara Lance, Quentin Lance, Dinah Lance (Arrow), Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Roy Harper, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle (DCU), Amanda Waller, Lyla Michaels, Naomi Singh, Original Male Character(s), Original Male Character(s) of Color, Original Female Character(s), Carl Ballard, Frank Chen (Arrow TV 2012), Carter Bowen, Janice Bowen, Jessica Danforth, Jacob Kane Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant - Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe) via https://ift.tt/7mYcrOb

[dinhlnce]

u will witness my most tentative of cast lists:

jurnee smollett as dinah laurel lance/laurel lance/dinah drake-lance/black canary angela bassett as dinah drake donnie yen as ted grant/wildcat daniel day lewis as quentin larry lance billie lourd as sara lance/the artist formerly known as the canary jeff bridges as brian durlin/savant winston duke as john diggle/spartan missy peregrym as lyla michaels/harbinger (but better than what s8 did with her) nesta cooper as helena bertinelli/huntress