Arrow: Reckoning Part 2

Epilogue

The SUV shifted from side to side as the convoy moved through the dark streets of Coast City. ARGUS had finally been able to move Slade, after he was declared stable for transport Waller wasted no time sending him on his way. The ARGUS facility on Lian Yu had seen a massive upgrade following Slade's escape and Waller was eager to return the madman to his new cell. The convoy of SUVs moved quickly through the city, only stopping to avoid unwanted attention. Slade was located in the third vehicle, seated in the middle row with armed men sitting all around him. His reinforced handcuffs were hooked into a bar on the floor, keeping him from lifting his arms beyond his waist. The ARGUS operatives spoke to one another over the radio, confirming their distance to the airfield. Slade sat quietly in his prisoner issued grey jumpsuit, a bag over his head. The Mirakuru's lasting effects had trained his senses to act well beyond any normal humans, especially when combined with his previous training. The high pitch sound caught his attention, twisting his head slightly to the left as the faint sound steadily grew louder. The operatives couldn't hear it, their hearing was much more limited than Slade's. At first he couldn't place the familiar hiss but then he remembered it very well, causing him to take cover immediately. He threw his head down toward his lap and did his best to cover his head, catching the attention of the operative on his side.

"Hey, take a nap on the plane." The operative ordered as an RPG crashed into the lead SUV, destroying it in a ball of flames. The force of the explosion shook the SUV as the operatives each snapped to attention and started scanning for threats. Another explosion rocked the vehicle, this time from behind. The sound of muffled gunfire and explosions pierced the darkness that plagued Slade, his senses filling him in on his surroundings and what was happening. The snap of automatic weapons and the crack of bulletproof glass splintering to high powered rounds played out all around as a symphony of war that Slade was all to familiar with. The ARGUS operatives continued to call out targets and bark orders to one another as Slade felt one begin to disconnect his handcuffs from the floor. Slade waited until he felt the pressure dissapear from his wrists, forcing him into action. Within a split second Slade threw his elbow up into the face of the man who had released him from the floor, snapping the operative's head back. The sudden movement on Slade's left prompted him to jump over and tackle the man into the door, stunning him for a moment and allowing Slade enough time to point the operative's weapon away from him and toward the front seat. Slade snapped the weapon forward and felt the automatic fire ripple against his hands. Using the mental map that his senses had created Slade sprayed the front end of the car with automatic gunfire from the operative's weapon before forcing the man's head into the window several times. Slade snapped back to his right and once again struck the other operative in the face with his elbow before snapping his neck and finally removing the bag over his head. His eye blurred before adjusting to the light coming from the firey wreckage around the SUV and the sight of the sidearm aimed directly at Slade's face. One operative in the driver side has survived the barrage of bullets and now had Slade dead to rights, which was most definitely what Waller had ordered her men to do in the case of an emergency. Slade glared at the man, angry that a random survivor had thwarted his unbelievable escape attempt. A blinding light illuminated the interior as both men turned to see a pair od headlights crash into the SUV, sending both men into the air as the vehicle rolled onto it's side. Darkness instantly consumed Slade's vision as he lay motionless inside the flipped vehicle surrounded by dead bodies.

A piercing light snapped Slade awake, blinding him as he pulled his head away from the intense source. His senses kicked into overdrive as he scanned the dark room for any details as to where he was, his hands no longer bound by handcuffs. He rose from his seat and carefully stepped around the small dark room, no idea what was happening.

"Hello Mr. Wilson." A voice began from a speaker directly ahead of him, a faint shadowy outline of a man appearing behind a glass wall at the edge of the room. Slade angled himself to the window and looked back at the man, unable to see him beneath the shadows.

"Where am I?" Slade asked, stumbling to his side as he stared toward the window.

"In a secure location I can assure you." The voice politely answered, no hint of fear or deceit in the man's tone. Slade studied the man's outline as he stopped directly in front of the glass, checking for any weaknesses in its design.

"I apologize for the roughness of our rescue, but it appeared that you required our intervention once again." The voice explained, a playfulness present during the statement. Slade glanced at the man and thought over his statement, thinking back to the convoy attack and his escape from Lian Yu.

"You attacked Lian Yu." Slade stated, searching for other beyond the glass wall.

"That's correct, and if things would have gone according to plan we would've had this conversation a long time ago." The confident tone aggravated Slade, angering him that this man thought he was responsible for Slade's escape single handedly.

"What conversation is that?" Slade asked, turning his back to the window and continuing his search of the cell.

"The conversation where we discuss our mutual goals." The voice happily began, obviously eager to offer Slade some kind of deal in exchange for rescuing him. The idea only angered him more as he kept his back to the window, unable to find any structural weaknesses but refusing to give the man the satisfaction of his full attention.

"Such as Oliver Queen." The voice added, sounding as if he were offering Slade a one and only chance. The mention of Oliver's name turned Slade's gaze back toward the window.

"We can offer you a chance to get your revenge against Mr. Queen...to finally prove once and for all who the better man really is." The voice offered, the man already knowing he had Slade's full agreement. Despite his state of mental health, Slade was smart enough to know what type of organization had the ability to successfully attack ARGUS and get away with it.

"We're offering you a chance to settle your war with him in return for your outstanding services and skills." The voice added, deciding it was time to reveal their intentions which Slade would have almost certainly already guessed. Slade grinned as he stopped in front of the glass and looked up at the man's outline.

"When do I start?" He asked, temporarily blinded by his hatred for Oliver.

"There's one condition however. Felicity Smoak is not to be harmed." The voice sternly ordered, leaving no room for interpretation as to the man's true meaning of the statement. Slade angled his face to the glass at the mention of Felicity's name and the odd instructions regarding her, sparking a question he should have asked to begin with.

"Who are you?" Slade asked, peering through the glass at the man's dark outline. The man leaned forward and revealed the bottom of his face to the light in front of him, a large smile curling his lips.

"Welcome to HIVE, Mr. Wilson." He ended, grinning through the glass at his organization's newest employee.