Arrow: Fracture Part 3

Sidelines

A painful grunt exited Oliver as he steadied himself against the table. His fingers gripped the metal frame with nearly enough force to bend beneath his grasp. Felicity shuttered slightly, no stranger to seeing bruises or cuts on Oliver but feeling responsible for the new additions. Diggle watched quietly from the side, fighting the same guilt as Felicity. They both knew that their secretive plan to hire Deadshot to eliminate Whorrsmen was what had thrust their friend headfirst into such a dangerous outing. The last bandage settled over Oliver's ribs as Felicity slowly stepped back to give some space to her injured boyfriend, somewhat fearful that he would use his silent treatment against her. Oliver gently turned to face his partners while slowly pulling a sweatshirt onto his aching body.

"Were there any fatalities at the hospital?" Oliver asked.

"Aside from Sanderson. The explosion put one officer in critical condition, other than that...just a lot of wounds from arrows." Felicity answered, hoping the news would help Oliver accept the events that had just taken place. A silent nod from Oliver kept the room silent as a quizzical expression began to brew.

"What's your take on what Sanderson said? About the Garden Project?" Oliver asked as he looked directly to Felicity, knowing that the mention of her own creation would have been eating away at her.

"I don't know. The Garden Project is just a super security system, not some type of global domination device. It doesn't make sense." She replied, obviously at a loss and aggravated.

"Maybe it's a decoy? Draw our attention to one thing while they focus on the real goal?" Diggle suggested.

"Possibly. It just feels like somethings off...almost like we missed something." Oliver stated, fearing that once again the team had moved backwards in hopes of stopping HIVE. Diggle and Felicity shared an apologetic glance while silence once again crept over the room. Oliver read their expressions and foresaw the inevitable discussion that was about to befall him.

"Look, whatever happened...whatever decisions were made. It's over and we need to move forward." Oliver began, looking to his friends and needing them focused. Felicity and Diggle both nodded in agreement, understanding that the dire situation they faced had no room for focusing on past mistakes.

"So now what?" Diggle asked, hopeful that his friend had a plan.

"We try a different angle." Oliver replied.

"Which is?" Felicity asked, eager to hear the new strategy.

"We can't beat them in the shadows, so we stop them in the light." Oliver answered with a smile as he looked to Felicity.

A single glass sat on the vacant table, a motionless hand beside it. The dark room was calming to Whorrsmen, giving him the much needed silence and momentary peace that he desired. The phone resting in his hand buzzed, bringing with it a tightening in his chest.

"Yes." He began after bringing the phone to his ear.

"I reviewed the reports from tonight's events Jakob. I understand that Mr. Sanderson was eliminated?" The woman on the other end paused, allowing for her constitute to gather his thoughts before replying.

"That's correct." Whorrsmen spoke after clearing his throat.

"A shame. His influence on the Queen Technologies board of directors was instrumental in our contingency." The woman said, almost as if reminding Whorrsmen of what would happen if the operation faltered.

"Unfortunately it was necessary. I have things in motion to support the operation, this won't effect our goal." Whorrsmen clearly stated, knowing a direct answer was much needed in dealing with his superior. A pause stopped Whorrsmen's heartbeat as he waited for what seemed an eternity.