9Started out as a story that addressed some plot holes created by the series finale, ended up taking on a life of its own as a fix it. More notes at the bottom.
Iron Heights, 2016
Night
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Damien Darhk said as he held Laurel Lance at his mercy. "Ms. Lance, I made your daddy a promise. I told him what I'd do if he ever betrayed me."
Oliver jumped up and fired an arrow, managing to somehow overpower Darhk's magic. Darhk easily caught it, smirking before the Arrow head suddenly lit up in a blinding light. Darhk dropped it, his sight and magic momentarily got. Now free, Oliver quickly notched another arrow and fired. The arrow hit Dark in the chest and he flew back, a look of shock and pain on his face as the arrow hit his heart. He died within seconds.
Central City, a few weeks later
Night
"You still won't believe me Barry, that we're the same," Hunter Zoloman sneered at Barry Allen as he held Henry Allen by his neck.
"Barry, Barry, look at me son," Henry pleaded.
"So I'm gonna have to make you believe me," Zoom sneered.
"Jay, please, please take me," Barry begged, immediately met with protests from Henry.
"You are gonna watch your parent die just like I did," Zoom sneered.
Before a move could be made by either speedster, Zoom cried out as he was hit by a blue beam from behind. Zoom was pushed forward, letting Henry go in the process. Seeing his chance, Barry sped over and sped Henry across the rom. With Zoom on the floor, paralyzed from pain, Barry and Henry looked over at their unexpected savior.
"No more killing, no more terror. No more chaos from you Zoom, no more people will suffer because of my hubris," Harry Wells said as he took aim at Zoom with his Pulse Rifle.
Growling, Zoom started to get to his feet. Knowing it would only slow Zoom down, using his speed; Barry grabbed Henry and Harry before speeding out of there.
Star City, 2020
Morning
In the District Attorney's office, Laurel Lance sat in her seat at she sat across from Marcia Pedowitz as a camera crew filed her.
"It's just a lot to take in," Laurel finally said. "That in this other reality…I died. After everything we've seen with Metas, you'd think nothing would surprise us anymore. But Ollie always proved me wrong, I guess that hasn't changed."
Laurel took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Sorry," she said in a choked voice. "The people who were with him in the end told me that he became something else, a force for good. To someone who's known him as long as I have, it wasn't much of a surprise. I've known, even when he was just this selfish playboy, that he had this potential for greatness inside of him. I'm just…heartbroken that he finally realized his full potential…at the end."
The scene then changed to the Arrow lair. Roy Harper sat in a chair, sitting in front of the camera crew.
"Oliver saved so many lives, mine included, over the last eight years," Roy said wistfully. "He gave us all hope, purpose after this city spent so long without it. And now I guess…we'll have to do it by ourselves."
The scene changed once more to City Hall. Quentin Lance in his office, looking reflective as the crew filmed him.
"When Oliver first showed up as The Hood, I would've celebrated his death with a beer. I hated him; I thought he was an anarchist, a murder. But, over time, I saw that he bore the same burdens I did and was fighting the same fight as I was. In a lot of ways…I came to think of him as my own son. He was a hero, one of the best men I ever knew. This world, this new world he created…will be worse off without him," Quentin said gruffly, unshed tears shining in his eyes.
The scene then changed to the streets of Star City. Sitting on a chair that had been brought for him, the crew filmed Barry Allen, who had been called from Central City and agreed to meet with them.
"Oliver, he had this way of bringing out the best in everyone. He always believed in you, even when you didn't believe in yourself. He wasn't afraid to push you when you needed it or call you out when you were too wrapped up in yourself to see the big picture. He told me once that a guy like him wasn't meant to get a happy ending. This is one time I really wish he had been wrong," Barry said fighting back tears.
"I think that's enough. Thank you," Marcia said gently as her crew began getting their gear together and Barry nodded with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Barry said with a tight smile.
As Barry got out of his chair, Henry approached Barry from where he had been watching. It still amazed him that Oliver had brought his dad back. It was just another thing Barry wished he could repay Oliver for somehow.
"How you doing Slugger?" Henry asked and Barry was silent for a moment.
"I don't know. I guess it's still sinking in that he's really gone," Barry said as he looked around the city sadly. "I've never seen this city so…peaceful. I guess it means he didn't die for nothing."
"No death is meaningless Barry. Your friend, he knew that. Death is part of life, we can't change that. All we can do is accept it," Henry said as he placed a hand on Barry's shoulder.
"I know that here," Barry said as he pointed to his head before gesturing to his heart. "Just not sure I know that here."
That night, Thea Queen sat across from a dark haired woman in a rather modest kitchen in one of the nicer houses in the area.
"How's he doing?" Thea asked gently. "Is he dealing with everything okay?"
"With what exactly? That his father is dead or that in this other reality, I died?" Samantha Clayton asked dryly before sighing. "He's doing as well as can be expected. He hasn't said a whole lot since the news broke. I'm worried about him."
"Give him time. I lost my dad around his age, I didn't react much better. But he'll need you," Thea said gently.
Samantha opened her mouth to speak but Thea suddenly whipped her head down the hall. Samantha was bewildered as Thea suddenly jumped out of her seat and raced towards the hall, towards William's room. Thea kicked the door in and saw a man in William's room. He had William in a choke hold, her nephew thrashing around wildly as the man attempted to lead him out the open window of his room.
"Let him go," Thea said attempting to keep her voice calm.
"You come one step closer and I throw him out!" the man shouted and Thea stopped short as Samantha raced into the room, staring in horror.
"What are you doing? Please, let my son go," she begged.
"He didn't let me go!" he snarled and it hit Thea then as she recognized him.
"John Byrne," Thea said and he sneered at her. "You were one of the people Ollie targeted his first year back. He spared you."
"He thought he was saving me. Eight years in Iron Heights never saved anyone!" Byrne laughed humorlessly.
"My nephew had nothing to do with this. Let him go," Thea said in a calmness that reminded mother and son of her brother.
"Your brother took away everything that mattered to me! So I'll take away the one thing that he cared about most!" Byrne sneered as he moved towards the window.
Thea pulled out a knife from under her sleeve and threw it. Her aim struck true, hitting Byrne in the hand. He cried out, loosening his grip as Thea rushed forward. William broke away as she tackled Byrne to the floor. William rushed into Samantha's arms as they watched, terrified as Thea and Byrne wrestled on the ground before Thea got on top of him, putting a knife to his throat.
"Do it! I've got nothing left to live for anyway," he sneered.
"No," Thea said calmly. "If my brother didn't kill you, then neither will I."
Queen Mansion, next day
Morning
In front of Oliver Queen's grave, Barry, Henry, Felicity, Mia, Anatoly, Diggle, Lyla, Laurel, Tommy, Rene, Dinah, Quentin, Sara, Nyssa, Roy Thea, Moira, Rory, Curtis, Talia, Samantha and William stood silently, staring at the grave sadly.
"There is no body in there, no?" Anatoly asked after a moment.
"No, we buried a casket full of mementos," Tommy admitted.
"Does anyone want to say a few words?" Laurel asked and it was silent for a moment.
"He'd want it to be you," Sara said after a moment, looking over at Barry.
"I don't know," Barry hedged.
"You were with him in the end. You were the only one besides me really trying to bring him back. It should be you," Mia said softly and after a moment, Barry nodded.
"Okay...okay," Barry said, trying to gather his thoughts. "Oliver Queen...was one of my best friends. He was one of my trusted allies. But he was more than that. He was a mentor, a brother, a son, a father. He was a hero. Not just as the Green Arrow, but as Oliver Queen. He was my hero. He was a hero to each and every one of us. He inspired us in a way that I never could. He was one of the best men I ever knew. He taught me about sacrifice, about courage, he taught me the meaning of heroism. He said I was the best of us, but really, it was always him. I would not be who I am today without him. Each of us would not be who we are if we had not known Oliver Queen. Because of knowing him, we are all the best versions of ourselves. And even though he's…gone now, it's up to us to make sure his legacy lives on. You can rest easy Olivier, we'll protect the world from here on out."
A few feet away from the gathered group, unseen, a man in a leather jacket with one eye covered by an eye patch stared at the scene sadly but a hint of pride was visible on his face.
"Goodbye kid…and thank you," Slade Wilson whispered.
Ended up watching the series finale more out of a curiosity to see how it wrapped up the show than anything. In some ways, it was a satisfying ending to the show. It others, it failed spectacularly.
As nice as it was to see Tommy, Moira and Quentin were alive again, it does open up a few plot holes. According to Moira, Oliver could not bring back people who had a big impact on making him the man he was. This likely also applies to the other Arrowverse heroes, which is why characters like Nora Allen remained dead. But it would have been well within Oliver's power to bring back Laurel, Henry, and Samantha. Seriously, are we supposed to buy that Oliver would allow any version of Laurel Lance to remain dead or his son to grow up without his mother or Barry to remain haunted by seeing father killed right in front of him when he could do something about it? I still gag from the writers using Quentin as a mouth to piece to say nothing 'needed to be fixed' regarding Laurel.
Having the documentary from season seven retooled as a memorial was cool and Moira's interview was nice, but I just didn't care about Diggle and the recruits' interviews. It would have been much more interesting to see Roy, Thea, and Quentin's, who was criminally underused in the finale, reactions.
If the writers were going to have Barry show up, he should have done more than just comfort Felicity. Kara just shouldn't have shown up after the crap she pulled in Crisis.
Diggle's eulogy was okay I guess, but any attempt at showing Oliver and Diggle as brothers falls very flat after Diggle threw all Oliver's mistakes and Samantha's death in Oliver's face for an ego boost in season six. Diggle did not deserve to give Oliver's eulogy; I say Barry should have been the one to give it.
This last one's kind of a nitpick; but I wish Slade had shown up as well outside the reused delated scene at the beginning of the episode. Even just a cameo would have been nice to see.
