What's wrong with us when happy hurts

I ain't fast like a speeding bullet I ain't strong like a hurricane

Notes:

I hope this makes sense. Also I'm so, so sorry you guys. But you asked for Oliver... don't hate me! It's the Arrow writers fault.

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I ain't fast like a speeding bullet I ain't strong like a hurricane I ain't as big as the bridge to Brooklyn Just a man that my father raised They can lock me up, they can beat me down Mama made me tough, I'mma make her proud

Oliver

Adrian had left him alone again after taunting him and pointing out just how powerless he currently was. He'd tried to get out of the chains, tried to find a way to free himself, but he didn't have enough room or chain to work with. He also wished he'd still have his boots on and not because the floor was cold, but because he kept tools in them, just like he did his suit jacket, which was also missing. There would've also been the slight chance that by taking off his boots, he'd be able to slip his feet out of the shackles on his legs, but alas, there was no chance. They were too tight around his ankles.

It was also difficult to find a position that was not putting pressure on his legs and with that; the arrow wound in his thigh. He could feel the arrow inside and it hurt like hell. There were moments the meditation techniques he'd been taught by Yao Fei, Shado and later on Tatsu helped him focus on anything but the pain and push it to the back of his mind but it was difficult especially whenever he tried to get out of his restraints. Oliver wasn't sure how much time had passed until the door to his prison opened again and his capturer returned, only this time, he wasn't alone.

"I don't believe I taught you how to escape from shackles, Oliver." Talia's words were matter of fact and it was true. She had not. Neither had her father in the short amount of time he had trained him. This made him wonder if Sara would know how to get out of them. Was it something every assassin was taught, or just a few? He'd have to ask her, and if she knew, have her show him how to get out of them for future reference, just in case. But there wasn't much he could do about that lack of knowledge now.

"Your father was an honorable man. You've aligned with a psychopath. And he'd be ashamed of you." Oliver tried to reason with her, not really believing it would work, but maybe, maybe pointing out what Ra's had stood for, and how little he would think of her current actions might help deter her or have her rethink her chosen path. Her behavior made little sense to him. He understood the urge for revenge, but giving in to it like Talia chose to do was against everything Ra's had stood for and dishonoring his memory and wishes.

"Well, when it comes to the shame of fathers, I shall bow to your superior expertise." He knew the dig at him was supposed to hurt, and maybe it would've stung a lot more than it did right now a few years back, but he'd come to some understanding of his parents, except for a handful of choices they'd made, and their actions and knew that for most of them there had been reasons and that they weren't evil or had been done out of malice. They had tried to make a change, to help, as misguided as their attempts might have been, but they had come from a place of care, unlike Malcolm's. Yes, there were choices they'd made that he still didn't understand, and probably never would be able to. But learning about William, that he was a father and now with Mila on the way, he felt he better understood why they'd made some of those choices. That Thea and his safety and wellbeing had been their driving force, and he couldn't fault them for that. He might not agree or understand their choices, but their motives had been pure. They had come from the love of a parent. Most, at least. There were some choices of his mother's he'd never be able to understand or forgive her for and a part of him wished he'd have the knowledge whether or not his dad had been in on her choice to make William disappear. But he knew for a fact neither of his parents had been ashamed of him. His mom had even told him just how proud she was of him the night she'd been murdered. So no, he had no expertise in that department. His parents had loved him unconditionally