Sacrifice

                                    

                                          
I was greeted with cold water being thrown at me. I jolted up and looked around, only to find my hands bound in chains. I looked up to see the chains being attached to the beam above me. I started looking around the room for Oliver, but he wasn't with me.
                          
"I hope I didn't hurt you," my dad said as he walked towards me.
                          
I glared at him. "Where's Ollie?"
                          
"In another room. Much like in your situation." Dad came closer. "I always wondered why the Hood was so willing to listen to you when I was shot. Should have known that you were his accomplice." Dad let out a breath. "Wow, my own daughter. One of the vigilantes." He circled around me. "So, the nightclub? The leaving work early? You...You really had me fooled. You really did. My hope is that I can explain everything to you to help you understand."
                          
My lips formed a tight line as I my glare hardened. "You murdered Mr. Queen! You're the reason why Oliver and I spent five years in hell! If anyone is fooled, it's me!"
                          
"I didn't know you were on that boat before it was too late!" Dad snapped. "If I had known you were on the Gambit, then I would have persuaded you to stay. When I found out that you were on that boat..." He shook his head as he held his head down. "Five years. I blamed myself for five years. Not only did I lose my wife, I've lost my daughter."
                          
"You've lost your daughter the day you left. After Mom died," I sneered. "You left me and Tommy alone. Tommy had to play mother and father. My first day back from that hell of an island, it was Tommy who welcomed me home. He's the only person I look up to." I used my head to gesture to him. "Look at you. Do your really think you'd be honoring Mom by destroying the Glades?"
                          
"I'm sorry if I wasn't the perfect father. But neither was Robert Queen." He held up my mask. "Do you really think you're honoring him with this mask." He slowly shook his head. "Not a day goes by I don't miss him. But, Ashley, don't you see. You might not be honoring Robert, but you can honor your mother. I want you to join me. We can destroy the Glades together."
                          
Is my father really being sincere? I don't know. Do I believe him for a second? Not a chance. 
                          
"I hope you burn where you're going," I said.
                          
"You're not going to kill me. I know you might hate me, but you could never kill me."
                          
"Well, you did kill me." I leaned forward until I was looking at him dead in the eye. "I wouldn't be too sure. What's that saying? Like father like daughter."
                          
Dad sighed sadly. "You and Oliver can't beat me. Yes, you guys are younger and faster yet the both of you always seem to come up short against me. Wanna know why? Because you don't know in your heart what you're fighting for. What you're willing to sacrifice and I do. No one can stop what's about to come."
                          
Dad brought his hand up and brought it close to me. I glared at him as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in for a hug. When he pulled back, he held up my mask in front of my face.
                          
"Not even the vigilantes."
                          
Lian Yu
                          
Fyers was getting ready to launch his missile on the plane. Shado kept crying as she looked at her father's dead body. My mouth was still wide open as I processed everything. The only comfort that brought me is that Ollie is next to me.
                          
Oliver tapped on my foot with his and nodded at me. He motioned towards his back. I looked back to see a small knife cutting his binds. I slowly nodded back and looked at Slade. He returned the nod before nodding at Oliver. We need to do this. And we need to do it now.
                          
Oliver broke through his binds and got up. He pushed Fyers away from the radio before stabbing the guy talking to it. Slade and I got up. I ran towards Fyers and pushed his against the table, the best I could do with my restraints. Slade brought his leg up and kicked him while Oliver broke Shado's binds. Shado kicked the guy while Oliver cut my binds. One guard came at me, but I collided my fist with his cheek before bringing my elbow up.