Arrow: Fracture Part 3

Oliver Queen

A drop of blood fell from Oliver's face, leaving behind the battlefield of scars and bruises that now covered it. The cold concrete was somewhat comforting as Oliver pushed himself further away from it, fighting to stand on his feet again. Ra's rested for a moment, breathing heavy and deciding against attacking his opponent while he was down. It would have been an acceptable strategy if he weren't himself in a weakened state, a failed strike could just as easily result in Ra's being the one to receive further injury. Instead, he allowed this momentary reprieve from combat. Both men needed it physically, but mentally this is where things would change. Ra's had the upper hand, not only was he still standing but he had yet to lose control of the fight. He was leading this dance and he knew it, his thoughts didn't need to dwell on things such as defeat or death. Ra's had long learned to control his body, mind, and spirit. Oliver was no stranger to this control either, but Oliver Queen wasn't his opponent. Where the Green Arrow might have been able to remedy the situation and keep control over himself and his thoughts when he wasn't in combat, the beast was not. A creature that thrived and survived on carnage and death would surely become it's on downfall when there wasn't a thought required for defense or offense. This calm quiet moment was exactly what Ra's knew would be the deadliest attack he could deliver to the beast. Another drop of blood fell from Oliver's face as he hovered over the floor on his hands and knees. His strength to push himself upward was halted, his muscles burned and pulsed violently. His breathing was heavy and chaotic, disrupting any attempt to calm his heart rate. His thoughts drifted, with no need to focus on an incoming or outgoing attack he couldn't settle on anything. Memories from Lian Yu spliced with his years as a child growing up un Queen Manor. Hallways he knew from running up and down them every day became overgrown in dense flora, bedrooms turned into gulag prisons. The stench of old blood and ancient stone walls filled the air and hung over him. Ghosts lined the walls and glared into him, none saying a single word. Oliver gripped into the concrete floor, twisting his fingers for anything to grip onto as he fell into the beast's thoughts and fears. Ra's watched in enjoyment at the sight, his unmatched knowledge of combat reinforced his pride for the moment. Oliver fought for control, attempting to snap away from these images and focus on an attack. Every thought drug him back into the dark pit from which the beast stay dormant for all those years, and now it was time for Oliver to take it's place. A balance had to be maintained within him, he struggled to break free. Ra's moved to the device and retrieved a remote from it, his smirk looking to his beaten opponent.

"In your eyes, this is failure. But you don't understand...maybe you can't understand." Ra's began, slowly stepping toward Oliver.

"I exist so that balance may exist. It is my purpose and it is my calling. We all have a place in the prophecy...perhaps I was wrong about yours." He added, glancing down at the battered hero. His thumb pressed the button on the remote, activating the device behind him. A roar ripped through the room as the machine shook and began to resonate a sturdy sound. The skys above Starling City began to change, strings of clouds reached for one another as distant lightning illuminated them. The winds seemed to pulsate, not flowing in a singular direction but instead remain consistent underneath the brewing sky. Cities all over experienced the same effect as citizens stopped to watch the spectacular flicker of what seemed like nonstop lightning just hanging above the clouds.
The device poured out a satisfying cry as Ra's admired it, respecting it's true power and potential. A steady thump began to grow in the device's sounding engine, buried beneath the high pitch screeches and the proud roar. Oliver grasped at whatever sliver of control he had over himself, fighting to keep out of the beast's pit. The steady thump caught his ear, it managed to cut through all the thoughts and noise. The steady rhythm continued, almost as if it were coming from him. He closed his eyes and focused, singling out the rhythm.

Felicity's gentle hand lightly pressing against his chest.

The single memory stopped everything, no sound or thoughts. Everything was dark except for this memory. Oliver slowly reached for his chest and placed his hand where Felicity had laid hers so many times before. He felt it.