Kapitel 95: Arrow ~ Fundamentals ~ Part Two
***
"No," Oliver shook his head in disbelief, lowering the gun and staring at the phantom in front of him. "You . . . Cayden James had you
"Funny thing," Adrian scoffed. "You never did go check for yourself. Guess you were somewhat preoccupied, right? Still . . . seems a little careless." He raised the silver handgun he held and fired, and Oliver yelped as the bullet went through his shoulder, throwing him back. "Come on, man!" Adrian snarled as Oliver grabbed at his shoulder, wincing in pain as he tried to find the gun he had dropped, repeatedly firing all the while. "You've seen people come back from what seemed like certain death! As I recall, you once were stabbed and fell off of a mountain . . . yet here you are!"
Oliver finally managed to grab a silver tray to deflect the bullets fired at him, then swung it into Adrian's face, knocking him back. His gun fell to the ground, and Adrian snarled, grabbing Oliver and tossing him over one of the tables. As he scrambled to get up, Adrian drew his sword and came around the table, swinging it menacingly. Oliver made a grab for his bow as Adrian's first swing hit the rails, and bow and sword clacked against each other before one of Adrian's swings was enough to break it. Their fight moved up to the tech platform, Oliver finally managing to kick one of Adrian's legs out from under him and wrap his arm around his neck, holding him in a chokehold.
The same chokehold from Lian Yu. "Do it!" Adrian growled, trying to wrench free.
"I didn't last time," Oliver gritted his teeth.
"And then I almost killed everyone you loved," Adrian sneered. "I'm not playing games this time. This time, I'm coming for you and Kara and William, and even those bitches Evelyn and Black Siren. Anyone and everyone who's ever been close to you. And there's only one way that you can stop me."
Oliver gritted his teeth, having enough of people threatening his loved ones, and he grabbed Adrian around the middle, wrenching hard and hearing the crunch of bones crack. He dropped Adrian's corpse on the floor, coughing as he struggled to stand up and make his way down off the platform. He leaned against one of the tables, taking a few deep breaths.
There were two quiet metal taps, and he braced himself, preparing to see Adrian get to his feet, but when he turned around, he wasn't there.
"Oh, now wasn't that better?" Slowly, Oliver turned around to see Adrian on his opposite side, a satisfied look on his face. "You know, you might just have to start considering the possibility that I'm just not killable, Oliver."
Oliver stared at his suddenly alive former enemy, then shook his head. "No, Adrian," he turned around. "You're dead, still on Lian Yu or in A.R.G.U.S. custody." He took a deep breath, looking down at his suddenly healed shoulder and completely blood-free shirt. "I'm hallucinating."
***
Oliver winced as he took a syringe and stuck it in his arm, slowly drawing a blood stick. At least he wasn't completely focused on the pain.
Then again, a chattering hallucination of Adrian Chase probably wasn't the best option of what to listen to. "I knew you'd kill me," he said conversationally. "Or try to. I always was the one person who saw you for the murderer you are." Oliver just sighed, sticking the blood stick into the machine next to him. "What are you doing?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, then looked over his shoulder at where Oliver was looking: one of the computer monitors running a scan.Oh, you're running a blood test! You think you've been dosed with something." He clicked his tongue as Oliver slid his sleeves back down, walking around to see the results. "You know, thereanother explanation, a more likely one in my considered opinion. You're finally going crazy. It's completely understandable, Ollie. You're losing everything. Even the people I couldn't manage to take from you."
Oliver let Adrian say his piece, pinching the bridge of his nose. he thought repeatedly.
a traitorous voice whispered.
"I really like this Ricardo Diaz," Adrian continued. "If he didn't exist, I'd have to think him up myself. He's going about all of this right! Don't hurt the people that you love, just get them all to abandon you. It's actually the easiest thing in the world." He pointed at Oliver as he put his suit jacket back on. "I told you this, Ollie. I told you this, man. Everything you touch
the same traitorous voice whispered, making Oliver close his eyes.
"What you're going through right now?" Adrian stepped forward. "Losing your team, the impeachment – all of it is happening just like I told you it would, and nothing in that blood test is gonna change that." Oliver looked up when the test beeped, and he walked over to take a look. "Well?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"Vertigo?" Oliver narrowed his eyes at what he found onscreen. "Absorbed it through my . . . " He looked down at his hands, then sighed and closed his eyes. "Kullens."
"Friend of yours?" Adrian asked.
Oliver sighed, turning around. "Apparently not."
"Don't," Adrian shook his head as Oliver headed towards his phone. "Don't go talk to Quentin! You are not in the state of mind to be talking to him right now. He might have you committed, which would be a shame since by my count, he's probably the only person still left in your corner at City Hall."
"What are you doing, Adrian?" he turned around, finally fed up with what he was saying. "I have more people than you think that are in my corner."
"And what does who you have in your corner say about you?" Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Malcolm Merlyn, Slade Wilson . . . mass murderers, right? Interesting people to rely on when other good friends leave you high and dry."
"I was never left high and dry," Oliver shook his head.
"Really?" Adrian paced. "You've certainly changed. Maybe you are a better Oliver Queen, a happier Oliver Queen . . . but it has sure made you a worse hero. You have a fiancée, a son, you're the mayor, the latter of which, yes, may be going away, but still, it's a fair assumption. You're stretched too thin, buddy. Two Earths? Really? Maybe you've gotten so good at being Oliver Queen that the Green Arrow's mission is suffering. And you've got two supervillains in your ear to tell you what to get back to." He smirked suddenly. "Hey, what's Vertigo do? Does it show you your worst fear?"
"You're not my worst fear, Adrian," Oliver chuckled darkly, turning around. "You're nowhere close."
"Oh, I know," Adrian laughed as Oliver headed into the elevator. "Your worst fear is Guys like me, Ricardo Diaz, Damien Darhk, Ra's al Ghul, when it comes to destroying you, Oliver, we all come in second place." The smirk was back on the villain's face when Oliver turned to close the doors. "You're the one enemy you can't defeat."
The doors closed, and Oliver sighed, reaching for his phone when it rang. "Yes, Quentin?" he asked.
"Hearing's about to start," Quentin said. "Where the hell are you?"
"Well," Oliver leaned against the wall, "Kullens dosed me with Vertigo, and I have been dealing with it."
"Didn't you say that Diaz was dealing Vertigo these days?"
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