𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍

ELEVEN| TO SAVE A SOUL

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"IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU." Oliver Queen told John as they headed into the Green Arrow's superhero lair. Olivia was thrown when she found out that her father knew Oliver Queen. But not as surprised as she was when she learned that he was the Green Arrow.



"Likewise." He replied as he shook Oliver's hand. His grip was firm. Olivia watched the two still slightly baffled as to how they know each other. She's definitely gonna grill her father with questions once they save this woman who needs their urgent attention.



"I'm sorry, but who are you?" The blonde woman asked. She had long flowing hair, and she wore a black almost catsuit like attire; Very similar to the one her sister is wearing as they gathered around her unconscious form. "Ollie claims you're the best chance at fixing Sara."



John huffed. The sense of doubt in her tone-at his abilities-bruised his ego. He didn't give Laurel Lance a direct answer, and instead resorted to handing over his business card.



Laurel took the card hesitantly with a perplexed look. Her eyes scanned the card. "John Constantine. Exorcist, Demonologist, and Master of the Dark Arts." She read aloud then peered up at him like he was crazy. Olivia thought she wasn't wrong. John could be pretty unhinged at times.



She gave the card back to him before crossing her arms over her chest. "So what, you're going to perform some kind of exorcism on my sister?" She questioned skeptically.



John chuckled. "No, an exorcism is a removal of demonic possession. What your sister needs is a restitution."




"Restit-what? What is that?" Felicity Smoak asked. Her head cocked to the side. Her black glasses perched on her nose. Her blonde locks pulled into a loose ponytail. She was dressed in a hot pink long sleeved button up with dark blue jeans and black pumps.




Olivia smirked. She thought Felicity was kind of awkward but in an adorable way. "A restitution is a restoration of Sara's soul to her body." She explained to them.




John grinned proudly turning to Olivia. "I'm so proud of you." He told her and she smiled shyly. She had been excelling in her lessons making him beyond happy that he was able to do something right by her. But mostly he was happy that he got to share his passion with her.




Thea Queen cleared her throat. She seemed far more shaken up than the others. It didn't take a genius to see the hint of guilt behind her chocolate brown eyes. "And you've done this before?"



John stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ah, once. Just last month actually." He gave them all a smug smirk. "But don't worry, it's just like riding a bike."



"I'm sure we have a lot of work to do to prepare. I assume you brought a list?" Oliver said with slight impatience.



John dug in his pockets pulling out the list. He folded it between two fingers handing it off to Felicity. "Apologies. I didn't have time to translate that from its original Aramaic."



Felicity took the list from him slowly when John spoke again. "You know, if I knew you were surrounded by so many pretty girls, Oliver, I would have stopped by sooner." Every single woman in the room eyed John with disgust including Olivia. John didn't care, however, and he just simply grinned.




Oliver huffed in annoyance. He gripped John's arm pulling him away from the group to chat with him privately. John Diggle followed with his eyes before turning to everyone else. "Where did Oliver find this guy, the Luxor?"



Felicity shook her head as if to rid a thought. "Oh, I'm just glad that the latest person from Oliver's past is not another gorgeous woman." She turned to Olivia with a warm smile. "Uh, would you mind helping me out with retrieving whatever is on this list? I thought you might have some useful knowledge since he's your father."



"You know after I translate it of course." She rambled before she could answer.




Olivia chuckled. "Let's go." The two blondes headed for the elevator. John shot Olivia a concerned glance when he saw her leaving with Felicity. "I'll be right back don't worry." She assured him with a smile and he nodded. His constant worry and need to protect her used to annoy her to no end. But now she thought it was sweet. She was finally feeling a connection to him. They for once-to her that is-felt like father and daughter.





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"I think we got everything in here that you wanted, although I am not entirely sure what you need a dead peacock feather for." Said Felicity as they rejoined the group. The ground before them was covered with a symbol that John had made with black paint. In the center was Sara Lance still very much unconscious.




John took the peacock feather from Olivia and begun to use it to scratch his back. "Oh, nice one. That's been bugging me for hours." He said satisfied. Felicity eyed him completely lost with what had happened. She thought he needed it for something cool and mystical. She was disappointed.



Olivia shook her head. "Wow."



John grabbed the ingredients that Felicity was so generous to have already put in a bowl. "Now, I've only got enough juice to send us and two of you to the other realm and back, so." He informed them. Olivia didn't miss the 'us' in his statement nor when he gestured between himself and her.



"I'm sorry we?" She questioned with crossed arms. She thought she was sitting this one out. And she actually didn't mind this time watching from the sidelines. She didn't think she was ready for something like this. This wasn't like sending some monster back to hell, or finding out why the souls of dead miners where wrecking havoc on a small town. This was somebody's soul. Someone's life was at stake. And if something was to happen because of her-because she wasn't prepared-she couldn't live with herself.




"I need you to be there incase something was to happen to me, you can get them out." John said like it was obvious. As if sensing her fear he said gently, "you're ready for this."



She decided to trust him. To trust herself. Olivia nodded. "Okay. I can do this." She said trying to pass of as confident but her voice betrayed her.



"Now, which two of you is willing to travel to the land of Oz?" He jested. A huge grin on his face as he fiddled with his lighter.



Thea stepped up timidly. "Oh, I think it should be me. Um, I'm the reason why she's like this right now." Olivia thought her going was the worse idea ever. From what Oliver told her and John, Thea had killed Sara under the influence of some kind of mind control herb. And after being resurrected, Sara had been trying to kill her for it. Thea's the last person Sara needs at the moment.




John had been thinking the same thing. "No offense luv, but from what I hear, you're not exactly bringing out the best in Sara right now, are you?" He told her. And she looked defeated and guilty. But Thea knew he was right.



Oliver stepped forward signifying that he was without doubt going. "Laurel." He called to her. She peered up from her sister to him with fear in her eyes.




"Do you trust me?" He asked. Without any hesitation, she nodded strongly. "Trust me when I tell you this will work."




"Oh, there's, uh, one more thing." John added. "Whatever's locked her soul away, it's not going to give it over without a fight. So be ready." He warned them before opening the lighter with a flick of his fingers.


John smirked. "All right then. On with the show." He dropped down into a crouch and burned the ingredients inside the bowl then rose to his feet.



Olivia, Laurel, and Oliver all joined hands like she had instructed them to. John raised his hands out, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he begun to chant the incantation. The lights flickered and sparked chaotically. Sara's eyes opened suddenly as she let out a loud gasp. Her pupils and irises were pure white.



The room shook causing Laurel to tighten her grip on their hands. "Oliver!" She shouted. In mere seconds, Olivia's eyes snapped open, and she was in a place she had never seen before. The walls were solid rock. There was grey tiled floor underneath them. Two open arched windows brought in gusts of wind making the air chilly.



John lost his balance and stumbled back. Olivia's hands flew up instinctively and caught his arm preventing him from hitting the ground. He exhaled gripping her shoulder softly. "Thanks, luv."



He grinned cheekily. "Ah, well, I've had worse hangovers."



"So what are we supposed to do?" Oliver asked John. She noticed that he and Laurel were dressed in their superhero suits despite wearing causal clothes when they had started the ritual. It was kind of funny in a way.




"Laurel! Laurel!" Sara's voice is heard echoing throughout the room. She was scared. Laurel wasted no time and bolted towards the nearest archway.



"No!" John shouted as the three of them ran after her only to find themselves back into the same room they had just been in.



"What the hell?" Olivia breathed. She bent forward with her hands rested on her knees. She needed to workout more. She wasn't even physically moving, and she was already so tired. Is it sad that she was exhausted after running a short distance in her mind?



"This is new." Oliver thought aloud as he studied their surroundings.




"Well, new is why you brought me along." John replied boastfully.



"Help!" Sara cried once more and just like the last time Laurel was quick to jump to her aid. However, thanks to Olivia and John she couldn't get far.



"No, no, no, no." John rushed out as he blocked her exit. Olivia had gripped her arm to keep her in place.



Laurel huffed. "Well, I'm not going to just stand here!" She told them defensively.



"But you can't help your sister by running around aimlessly. We've already discovered that this place is basically a mental maze." Olivia told her as gently as possible. She knew Laurel was hurting and she understood the lengths people would go to protect their family. Laurel was lucky that she had the opportunity to save Sara not many people do. But she had to be smart about it when it came to messing with things she didn't quite understand.




"Liv's right." John hummed. He pulled out his lighter from his pocket and held it up. "We need a tour guide."




John knelt down on one knee. He placed the golden lighter flat down on the ground. His hand hovered over it. "Axis mundi, produco tuus vires." He chanted before rising back to his feet. Olivia's focus was anchored to the lighter that slowly began to pivot off the ground. John smirked to himself as the object reached his eye level then stopped pointing directly towards the second and left pathway.



"This way." He said then threw a glance at the others from over his shoulder. "Unless you want to be trapped here for all eternity." He added when neither Oliver or Laurel made an effort to follow. They were simply exchanging confused glances.



Olivia ran through the archway that separated both rooms alongside the rest of them. She halted her movements as she spotted the blonde assassin flailing around in what looked like a pit filled of water. Arms sprung out of the pit from many directions pulling at Sara, trying to bring her under. Towering over her figure were the figment of two Assassins from the league. After sensing their presence, they turned around hauntingly slow, their eyes ghostly white.



"This is what locked away Sara's soul?" Laurel asked John and Olivia.



"How the human mind perceives it, anyway." said John.



Oliver raised his bow and with ease he let his arrows fly killing the assassins in seconds. He turned his body halfway to catch a glimpse at Laurel before jerking his head towards Sara. Laurel and Olivia ran ahead to help Sara as Oliver and John stood behind.



"Help!" Sara cried. Olivia took Sara's right hand and Laurel took her left.



"Hold on, Sara." Olivia said through her struggles. It was hard to get her out of the pit with those manifestations tight hold on her. The pure fear in the blondes eyes made Olivia want to fight harder for her. She couldn't let her soul be lost forever. The pressure was overwhelming but she needed to prove to herself that what John said was true. She needed to prove that she was ready for this.




Oliver was at their side tugging at her shoulder firm but gently. Olivia couldn't remember when he arrived but it didn't matter. "Grab her hand." Olivia demanded him as she released her grip. He was a tad confused but obliged.



"I'm gonna handle the manifestations, and once their out of the way you pull her out as quick as you can. Do you understand?" Laurel and Oliver nodded vigorously. The sounds of her father sword fighting behind them mixed with Sara's groans echoed around them.



She exhaled a deep breath as she focused her mind and soul on her lessons. She remembered a spell her father taught her that's purpose was to dispel of dark entities. She rubbed her hands together in a circular motion, muttering the spell underneath her breath. A glowing, bright ball of light emerged between her palms. She raised the ball of light to her lips and blew against it sending it outward hitting Sara but damaging only the manifestations that were holding onto her.




"Now!" She heard John shout from behind her, and Oliver and Laurel swiftly lifted Sara out of the pit.




Olivia's eyes snapped open. Her once grim and almost medieval surroundings had faded and was replaced with the Arrow's hideout. Sara awoke with a gasp stealing everyone's attention mainly Laurel and Detective Lance. She pushed herself up by her hands as her family slowly knelt down to her level. Olivia could tell they were still a bit scared that she wasn't their Sara.





Olivia wandered over to John silently. She didn't want to intrude on their moment. She and John leaned back against one of Felicity's desks. She watched with a tearful smile as Laurel and Detective Lance held Sara and cried. There was something fulfilling about being able to help bring a broken family together. What she would give to raise her mother from the dead and hold her again. If she knew the last time she had hugged her mother would have ended up being her last, she would've never let her go. She would've appreciated the time she had with her more than she had then.







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"Good work back there." John told Olivia with a proud smile. They hung in the back as everyone else reunited with Sara. "You saved her."



Olivia smiled shyly. She turned her sight towards Sara who was approaching them. "I helped. I can't take all the credit."


"Hey." Sara said softly. Her eyes shined brightly, but Olivia couldn't tell if it was the fluorescent lights reflecting on her clear blue eyes or tears forming. "I wanted to say thank you for saving me. I owe you both."



John stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nah." He said with a flirtatious smirk. "I was just completing my yearly community service."



Sara chuckled softly as she shook her head. "I'm serious. Thank you. Both of you. Whenever you need any help or a favor, give me call. I owe you." She handed Olivia a slip of paper with a phone number etched on it.


"Will do." Olivia replied with a smile as she took the slip out of Sara's grip.



"I can't promise you I'll need your help, but if I do I'll give you ring." John told her. He tried to come off as smug, but Sara had dealt with bigger egos than his.


Sara smirked. "Alright." She muttered before turning on her heels.




"She can actually be useful, you know? She's a freaking assassin." Olivia told John slightly awed.



John rolled his eyes as he scoffed. "Yeah, well, I don't think I'll need her help anytime soon. Especially not with our line of work." It was now Olivia's turn to scoff.




"Yeah, we'll see about that."

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