The End Of All Things (An Arrow: Season 8 Fanfiction)

Chapter 16: The Fighting Ring

Later... 

Anatoly and I walked into another room. 

'I have classic bad news/good news. I find General Burov,' Anatoly announced. 

'Is that the bad news?' William asked. 'I'm confused about the order.' 

'The bad news is that he is man who likes betting - and blood, which means only place to find him, кровавая баня (blood bath).' 

' "The Bloodbath",' William replied. 

'Oh. Doesn't that sound lovely?' Laurel quipped. 

'It's not lovely,' Oliver bit back. 'It's a fight club.' 

'Oh. That sounds like where I met her,' William said, sticking his thumb back at Mia. 

'He met you where?' Oliver and I asked in unison, looking at each other. 

'Well, when I first left home, I had to find a way to make money,' she replied. 'So I fought, and I won.' 

'Like father, like daughter, aye, товарищ (comrade)?' Oliver gave him a pointed look. 

'He's got a point,' I said. Oliver turned to Anatoly. 

'You, me, Evelyn and Laurel will go to the club to find Burov. You two are gonna stay here.' 

'Did you not hear what I just said?' Mia exclaimed angrily. 'I grew up in fight clubs.' 

'You did not grow up in fight clubs that were run by the Bratva,' Oliver snapped. 

'Then why did you bring us on this mission if you're not going to let us help?' she snapped back. 

'This is not a regular mission. This is the Bratva. They are terrible people, and you guys are my kids.' 

'Yes, but we're not children.' 

'Well, you are when I look at you!' She glared at him, saying nothing. 'And I'm sorry, but this is how it's gonna be.' He turned and walked out of the room, Anatoly and I following him, along with Laurel. 

'Aunt Evelyn?' I heard Mia say, and I turned, nodding to Anatoly to let him know I'd catch up with them in a minute. Her eyes seemed to plead with me. 

'I'm sorry, kiddo, but your father's got a point. It's too dangerous.' I walked away, and strangely, Mia said nothing. 

At the fight club... 

'So this is what the Russians do for fun,' Laurel quipped blankly as the four of us walked down a hallway, hearing the sounds of the fight club ahead of us as a fight was going on in the ring. 'I assume that we want to have our chat with the general without crossing the Bratva.' 

'We want to move quickly and keep our heads low,' Oliver replied. Just then we stopped at the end of the hallway. 

'There is general,' Anatoly said, pointing up to the balcony above the fighting ring, where a middle-aged man stood, eyeing the proceedings below him like a hawk with a vodka glass in his hand. 

We walked up the steps to hear the general mutter something. Anatoly was the first to speak. 

'General Burov. I am Anatoly Kynazev, Danik's friend.' 

'Danik has big mouth,' the general replied, eyeing the three of us. 'What do you want?' 

'Your expertise with something sensitive,' Oliver said.