Long Live Love

There's this old saying, "Wisdom is to live in the present, plan for the future and profit from the past." Once again, Katie found herself thinking of those words and she wasn't truly sure why. Not in this moment. Not as she sits on the hard wooden chair, in an old oil processing plant, staring at the eye patched wearing man who just stared at her, with a slight smirk fixed on his face.

"The first time I met your father, I remember walking into his office and overhearing a conversation he was having with you." Slade shook his head at the memory. "He was telling you how much he looked forward to seeing you when you came home after graduation."

"So before you kill me, you're going to talk me to death?" Katie snarked and Slade chuckled.

"Sense of humor." the man said. "Just like him. Some times I just think he liked to hear his own voice. He just talked and talked and-"

"Much like you're doing now." Katie stated with a shake of her head as she turned away from him. It was just the two of them, but she had no doubt, Slade's goons were nearby.

"You know I expected more of a fight from you." Slade said and Katie chuckled. "At least from what Ms. Rochev described, but I wouldn't be able to ask her now."

"Did you love her?" Katie asked and the man turned away. "Is that why I'm here, because I killed her?" he looked to her, seeing the smirk curl at her lips. "I didn't hesitate, you know? There is no hesitation when it comes to your survival."

"You sound like a soldier." the man said sliding closer to her, intrigued that she didn't even attempt to inch away. "But what kind of war has some rich doctor been put in?"

"You and your league of doped up criminals." Katie says, deciding to lean in as well. "Definitely aren't my toughest opponents." she sat back in her seat, and folded her arms over her chest. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to kill me? Are you going to invite Oliver so he can watch? What happens now?" Slade looked at her, and it made her feel uneasy, even though she would never show it.

"All in good time. Right now I just want to talk to you."

"About my father?" she asked and the man sat back in his chair. "The man who gave the order that landed you on that island."

"Jacob took my life." Slade replied with a shake of his head. "And I don't even know why. I wasn't one of his ARGUS agents, he wasn't my commanding officer, and yet he made one call that landed me and Billy in his office, and all these years I still don't know why."

"You can't ask the dead questions, Mr. Wilson. If you could, people would sleep a whole lot better at night. Either let me go, or kill me, because this talking doesn't change anything that has happened." Katie said. "Actually nothing you have done will change anything, you ending up on that island, Shado being killed, no matter how many bodies you pile up, nothing will ever change that." He once again stared at her, studying her and she wasn't sure what he was doing. "What is this? Why do I get the feeling that this isn't you trying to draw Oliver here. Why—

"You talk an awful lot." Slade replied before standing to his feet towering over her. "Just like him. Except back then I was too much of a good soldier to rip his tongue out, but now—" he bent down slightly, their eyes locked, neither flinching in intimidation. "Now—" he simply chuckled before turning and walking off. When he was gone, Katie knew he wasn't really gone, knew she wasn't truly alone. Her hand slid across her pocket, relief only settling inside of her at the feeling that this would soon be over.

Martin Ellis was simply a man who believed in what he did. He would die for the cause set by Jacob, and it would seem he would die anyway. He stood trying not to flinch or shake, or show any signs of fear after revealing to his boss that the protection detail following his daughter had gotten caught up in the war happening in the streets of Starling, and now had no idea where she was. What Martin knew about Jacob Robins was that the man could talk. He always had something to say, usually in great detail about practically everything, and yet in this moment, Jacob Robins was eerily quiet.