Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter One:

''Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for Beauty is found within. But when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. She transformed him into a hideous beast, and her spell could only be broken if he could learn to love another and earn their love in return. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time,'' Felicity read aloud. She heaved a sigh. 'A beautiful prince, an enchantress, a curse, a rose, true love.' She slammed her laptop shut in annoyance and scoffed. 'Yeah right. If only it were that simple!'

Felicity stood, and she began to pace in the gardens of the Queen mansion restlessly, laptop forgotten on the grass. 'Oh no, it could never be that simple. Oliver had to piss off Malcolm Merlyn so much that he joined forces with Damien Darhk and cursed Oliver. I suppose that chopping off his hand and forbidding Merlyn from seeing his daughter was the final straw...' Felicity muttered as she pointed at the bluebird that had cocked its head at her as she rambled. 'Oh, they gave him a way to break the curse. It's just that every time Oliver gets close to someone and it's looking good, dear old Malcolm or Damien screws it up, or I screw it up and can't love him enough to break the curse.'

Felicity frowned down at her feet, barely visible in the long grass, and she shuddered as she remembered the way that Merlyn had manipulated Roy. Because of Merlyn, Sara was dead, and Roy could not bear to face them. Especially Thea. Oliver had been reluctant to try and learn to love again after that, let alone her, but desperation had given them a shot. Felicity had tried her hardest to be the love that Oliver needed, but Oliver had proved that he couldn't change who he was, not even for her. He couldn't let anyone in and trust them completely. Felicity was sure that it was all part of Malcolm's plan: it wasn't a secret that Oliver had trust issues. Regardless of their history, she would stand by Oliver until the end: No matter how hard it would be to see the man that she loved deteriorate into a shell of his former self.

The large apple tree above her had begun to flower. There wasn't long left now until Oliver turned 30, and rather than cause excitement, it was a day that everyone in the household dreaded. It was to be the day that the curse would take Oliver's life, should he not find true love by then.

The garden was large and beautiful this time of year. Flowers had begun to bloom, and the cherry blossom trees were alive and bright with pinks and whites. Felicity felt tears spring to her eyes. Oliver would not see another summer. 'Oliver...there must be something I can do...' Felicity broke off as she remembered watching Beauty and the Beast with Lyla and little Sara. 'If only Oliver could be that lucky.'

Felicity wandered to stand by the apple tree, and she looked beyond the large iron fence of the mansion that Oliver insisted they move to when he had first been cursed. She addressed the little bird which had followed her and landed on a branch nearby. 'At least we weren't all transformed into household objects,' Felicity giggled hysterically. She certainly did not want to be a teapot or a feather duster, and the very thought of Roy and Diggle stuck as a clock and a candlestick cracked her up.

'Oh God, I'm losing it,' Felicity huffed sadly. 'Although if Roy had been a candlestick, and Thea the duster, because of course she would have been, then it would have been near impossible for Malcolm to drug Roy and influence him to kill Sara, and maybe Oliver would be cured and Roy and Thea would still be together.' Felicity brought her hand up to her mouth to cover a sob as she sank to her knees in the tall grass. She barely knew Oliver any more. He kept himself inside the mansion and alternated between stalking its halls and brooding. The once proud manor continued to fall into a worse state of repair. If only she could turn back the clock six months to just before it all began.

Six months ago, Starling City:

Damien Darhk laughed manically as Malcolm Merlyn straddled a helpless Oliver Queen and pinned him to the floor with his one remaining hand at Queen's neck. 'This is the end for you, Oliver. Sad as I will be to see you go, I cannot allow you to keep Thea from me any longer.'

'And I cannot allow you to continue to interfere with my plans,' Darhk complained as he placed a hand on Oliver's chest.

Oliver could feel his eyes slipping closed as the hand that Darhk placed on him pulled at his energy. Darhk began to chant, and Oliver felt himself grow weary. His struggles were weak as he tried to get free, but he was unable to dislodge the hefty weight that pinned him.

'We all win from this, well, all except you of course,' Darhk drawled.

'An ancient curse,' Malcolm explained as he injected Oliver in the arm. 'It will cripple you, drain your energy and show the truly damaged nature of your soul externally. There is a cure of course, but you will never achieve that. Without your good looks, no one will look at you twice, and even if they do get beyond that, your very nature will never allow anyone to get close enough to love you,' Malcolm laughed.

Darhk finished chanting the curse and straightened up to kick Oliver in the side. Malcolm released him. Oliver tried to struggle to his feet, but he lost his footing and fell immediately to his knees.

'I still don't see why we can't kill him,' Malcolm complained. He smacked Oliver with his own bow. Oliver fell to the floor on his side, hands bound, and he began to squirm. Malcolm threw the bow down by Oliver's head and watched with interest.

'Because if you murder her brother, Thea will never forgive you,' Darhk insisted. 'Have patience, Malcolm. The curse is already taking effect. If Oliver does not find love by his thirtieth birthday, he will be dead anyway. Oliver has a chance to save himself. If he can't because of who he is, that's hardly your fault,' Damien grinned. 'Let's depart, I'm sure that his friends will be here soon to pick up the pieces, and he is beginning to change.'

Oliver groaned in agony as the two villains stalked away. His last thought was of Felicity before his eyes slipped closed. He hoped that they would find him soon.

–--

When Oliver regained consciousness, he felt a dull pain which ran through his entire body. He pushed past it and sat up hesitantly. Oliver breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that he was at least safe in the foundry. He swung his legs over the edge of the table and winced as every movement caused his skin to pull and every muscle twinged. Oliver sighed as he remembered Malcolm's words, a curse which would cripple him and eventually kill him. He could not tell the others how weak he felt. He would carry on as normal and pretend that everything was fine. Oliver stood and braced himself as he made his way over to Felicity.

'Oh, Oliver, you shouldn't be up,' Felicity exclaimed, and struggled to meet his eyes.

'What is it, Felicity?' Oliver asked when he noticed her odd behaviour. He could not stop the grimace that crossed his face as his muscles twinged in protest.

'Oliver...what did they do to you? And before you say it, don't say nothing. You're covered from head to toe in scars, I barely even recognise you,' Felicity choked up.

Oliver's hands moved slowly to his face and he traced the scars. They were everywhere. Oliver could not help the gasp that he let loose and he moved to sit again. He accepted the mirror that Felicity offered to him and was horrified by what he saw. Felicity was right, he barely recognised the man that he used to be. His face had changed, gone was his pale skin and pretty boy looks. His face was covered in scars and barely a smooth patch of skin could be seen. The scars were raw and red, but they were not bleeding. Oliver whimpered when Felicity touched his shoulder. He could feel his skin stretching and realised that the scars must extend underneath his clothes too.

'I can't go out in public like this,' Oliver realised aloud and sat with a lost look on his face. 'I can barely stand up without getting out of breath either. Whatever they did drained my stamina. I can't go out at night any more as the Green Arrow either.' Oliver stood and kicked the filing cabinets in frustration but winced as he felt his leg twinge in agony.

Felicity approached him. 'Oliver...we will find a cure...'

'You won't,' Oliver growled. Malcolm's words replayed in his head. True love. Why did it have to be that? He was not an open person and Malcolm knew that finding love and learning to trust someone completely would be near impossible for him. Oliver felt a deep sadness consume him. 'I need to be left alone.'

Felicity sighed and left Oliver alone in their base, but promised herself that she would check up on him later. There must be a cure, there had to be, or all their hard work against Darhk, all the sacrifices that they had made to try to stop him, would have all been in vain.

Present day, Central City:

Quentin Lance sighed as he sipped a cup of coffee and watched out of the window of the Central City police headquarters as a bright yellow streak zipped past in the blink of an eye in and out of traffic. The Flash, or at least that was what the newspapers were now calling him. The fastest man alive, a hero, a protector of the innocent and an unstoppable force. Quentin was still unsure about him. The Flash had not dished out punishment or taken the law into his own hands yet, as far as he or the rest of the department were aware, but the path of a hero was tough, and it was a fine line between being a hero and becoming a vigilante.

A few months ago Starling City used to have a vigilante. A vigilante who dished out a permanent kind of justice to criminals and who was feared by the population and wanted by the police. Quentin had missed his chance to catch the vigilante on a number of occasions, and had even worked with him for a time, although that was a closely guarded secret. Everything had changed when Damien Darhk and Malcolm Merlyn joined forces and decided that the vigilante needed to be stopped. No one knew the specifics, but all Quentin knew was that the vigilante had disappeared and Oliver Queen had holed himself up in the old Queen mansion out of town, in a secluded location in the middle of a forest between Starling and Central City. Coincidence? He thought not.

Quentin had tried to believe for a time that Starling City was better off without the vigilante, but under Darhk's leadership the city was going to hell faster than ever. His daughter Laurel, who he was convinced had been involved with the vigilante, had very little to say on the matter, and had sighed when he had cursed the vigilante. She had disappeared not long after Queen had, and Quentin was convinced that Queen was involved, that he and the vigilante were the same person. Why else would they disappear at the same time? He wasn't going to trek through a dangerous forest to find out though and Laurel kept in regular contact with him, even if she did refuse to talk about Queen or the vigilante whenever she called.

Either way, Quentin had enough of Starling City and transferred to Central. His new partner, Joe West, had explained that there was something weird going on at the old Queen mansion, and that people were advised to stay away.

'Rumour is that Queen's cursed,' Joe explained. 'I wouldn't have believed it before, but we've had some pretty strange goings on in Central City ever since the particle accelerator exploded, so I don't know what to believe.'

'Regardless, I'm convinced that Queen was a criminal and a vigilante. If it wasn't so much hassle to get to that mansion of his, I would have arrested him long ago,' Quentin complained.

Joe nodded. 'I agree completely. Man killed a lot of people in the name of 'justice.' At least the Flash doesn't kill people.'

'The Flash would never do that!' Barry piped up as he walked towards them down the stairs and handed Joe a file. Joe rolled his eyes at him and Barry looked down just in time to notice that his shoes were smoking. He scuffed them out on the floor quickly before anyone else could notice. 'That's the evidence from the shooting this morning. Two different guns, but one shooter, even despite the odd angles. The two 'different' fingerprints are actually the same, just jumbled up.'

'Thanks, Barry,' Joe offered with a smile.

'Hey, can I slip out for a bit? Iris wants to meet me at Jitters, she said it was important,' Barry asked and argued his case. 'I'm done here until anything else happens that needs my attention.'

'Sure, get out of here, kid,' Joe laughed and clapped a hand on Barry's shoulder. 'I'll call you if I need anything.'

Quentin watched as Barry left. 'Where on earth did you find that kid? He's brilliant,' Quentin muttered. 'Could have done with him when we were trying to catch the vigilante in Starling.'

'Haha, don't let Barry catch you saying that, kid has it in his head that the vigilante was a hero,' Joe laughed.

'Hmm, perhaps not as smart as I thought then,' Quentin grinned.

Joe sighed. 'Can't get through to him about everything. Barry has this habit of seeing the best in everyone that he meets. Let's get to work, kids probably given us a good lead.' Joe held up the file.

'All right, lets go then,' Quentin nodded and they headed to their desks to get to work.

–--

'Hey, Iris!' Barry greeted cheerfully as he reached the table that she had grabbed for them. It was mid morning and Jitters was quiet. A calm before the storm of the lunchtime rush. Barry slid into the chair opposite Iris and reached for the coffee that she had bought him.

'Hey, Barry, you're late!' Iris scolded as he sat down. 'Luckily for you, I knew that you would be. I only just got your coffee, it's still warm.'

'Thanks,' Barry murmured gratefully and sipped his drink. 'A chocolate chip muffin too? You're the best, Iris. I'm sorry that I'm late, really. Your dad held me up at the station, I had to process some data from a shooting. What is it that you wanted to talk about?'

Iris nodded decisively and left her left hand on the table in between them. 'So, you know that I moved in with Eddie a few months ago. Well, last night was our one year anniversary, and he took me out to this amazing restaurant.'

Barry tried to stop the frown that threatened to spill onto his face at the mention of Eddie. Ever since Eddie had transferred to head up the new second branch of CCPD, Barry had not seen as much of him. It had been a relief, really, as he no longer had to see Iris make out with him at the station every other day.

It was then that Barry looked down and saw the engagement ring on Iris' finger. He felt a deep sadness well up inside him, but fought to contain it and keep his expression interested as she continued. 'Sounds good,' Barry forced a smile.

'He proposed!' Iris exclaimed, and waved her hand in front of Barry's face. 'Barry I'm so excited!'

'Really? That's amazing, Iris!' Barry exclaimed and forced a grin as best as he was able to.

'I know, it's the best!' Iris gushed. 'Barry, I want you to be there through everything. Be my maid of honour?'

'Iris, I don't know what to say!' Barry replied. 'I'm a guy!'

'You can have a male maid of honour!' Iris insisted. 'You're my best friend, I wouldn't have anyone else!'

Barry smiled and nodded. 'Of course, Iris. I'm happy for you,' Barry murmured quietly.

'Thanks, Bear! I'll see you later, I have to get back to work,' Iris gave him a quick peck on the cheek and was out of the door.

'Bye, Iris,' Barry said quietly. The minute she was out of the door he slumped in his chair and smiled sadly as he finished his coffee. Ever since he had told Iris how he felt and insisted that she had feelings for him too, Iris had thrown herself into her relationship with Eddie. She had believed Caitlyn's 'lightning psychosis' explanation and thought that Barry's feelings for her were purely friendly. Barry had felt the sting of rejection sharply and had thrown himself into being the Flash, working to save as many people as possible and trying to prove that Dr Wells was the man in yellow. He had not stopped to examine his feelings and he did not have time to do that now.

Cisco and Caitlyn were currently chasing down leads in Starling City. Dr Wells thought that they had taken time to visit a science fair in Coast City, and Barry planned to distract him long enough to keep it that way.

Barry looked at his watch. His friends would be nearly halfway through the dense forest on the way to Starling City by now. They had taken the scenic route in a hire car to throw Wells further off the scent. Caitlyn had insisted that they leave early to make it through the forest well before darkness fell, provided that they didn't get lost in the ass end of nowhere. It was probably a good time to get to Star Labs and check in. They could manage without him at the station for a while.

Suddenly Barry's phone buzzed with a distress call from Cisco. Barry froze momentarily before his mind kicked into gear and he was out of Jitters in a flash. He rushed straight for Star labs to track Cisco and grab his suit. In minutes Barry was speeding towards the forest to follow the road that Cisco and Caitlyn would have taken, his heart beating even faster than was normal for him in his chest. There had been no sign of Wells at Star Labs and Barry felt panic begin to stir in his chest.

'Please let me get there in time,' Barry muttered as he skidded to a relieved halt in front of Cisco and Caitlyn, who stood at the other side of a rickety wooden bridge at the side of the road. The car had flipped and lay smoking a few metres away. 'Are you guys OK?'

Barry took in the blood which dripped down the side of Cisco's head and winced at the scar on Caitlyn's cheek.

'It's only minor damage,' Caitlyn insisted, 'But we don't know where he went and he could be back at any second.'

'Who?' Barry asked.

'The man in yellow, Barry!' Cisco confirmed and Barry shuddered. Barry knew that he was not fast enough to beat him, not yet, but now his friends lives were in danger and it was all his fault. He had to try.

'OK, you and Cisco call a taxi, I'll keep watch and if he comes back I'll distract him whilst you get away. Head to Starling City and lie low for a while, I'll find you there,' Barry insisted.

Cisco nodded, took out his phone, and tried to make the call. He looked at Caitlyn with a worried look on his face. 'It's not working, try yours.'

Barry scanned the area carefully and stood close to his friends. He was not surprised when the man in yellow appeared at the other side of the bridge.

'Looking for me, Flash?' the man in yellow scowled as he advanced menacingly towards them.

'Leave them out of this,' Barry insisted and stood between the man and his friends.

'I need you, Flash, I don't need them,' the man insisted. 'They are already dead to me.'

'I will never help you!' Barry yelled, and rushed Cisco and Caitlyn far away into the forest. 'Run!' Barry insisted and zipped back to engage the man in yellow in a fight.

'If you want a chance to save your mother, you will do whatever I say,' the man yelled as he and Barry exchanged blows. 'Let me help you, Barry, and in return you can help me.'

'That's not possible,' Barry insisted as he landed a particularly strong blow to the man's head.

'Anything is possible if you get fast enough,' the man insisted and Barry winced as his stomach was hit repeatedly. It was time for a tactical retreat.

Barry ran. His heart pounded and his chest heaved. He noted with relief that at least the man had forgotten about Caityn and Cisco and was now following him through the woods at breakneck speed and was gaining fast. Barry felt the undergrowth brush his legs and was grateful for the thick material of the Flash suit which kept his legs from being shredded by the thorns and brambles. He pushed himself harder than he had ever pushed himself before and willed his body to move faster. He had never been fast enough to beat this man before, but he had to get away and into a position to fight back. Barry felt a pressure deep in his chest and yelled out as he flung himself forward further into the depths of the forest. He blinked and suddenly found himself alone in a clearing, and when he turned the man in yellow was nowhere in sight.

Barry sped around the area and came to a halt in the clearing again with a curse. There was no sign of the man anywhere.

Suddenly, an ear piercing scream sounded in the distance. 'Caitlyn,' Barry exclaimed and sped off towards the sound, his heart pounding brutally in his chest.

The man in yellow stood near a waterfall and Barry processed quickly that there was just enough time and enough speed. He just hoped that he would come out on top. Barry flung himself towards the man in yellow, who was taken by surprise when Barry's punch connected and they both tumbled off the waterfall, limbs entangled. As they fell they clawed at each other, each desperately trying to get purchase on the other so that they could push off and speed away to the safety of dry land. It was no use, Barry thought, as he fumbled another attempt. Their suits were wet from the spray of the waterfall and he could not get his footing. The last thing Barry remembered was seeing the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall and he twisted desperately to avoid them with the hope that he would be OK.

Later that day:

When Barry came to he was cold and shivering. He opened his eyes and looked around. He had been washed up on the side of the river and lay on his side facing upstream. The ground was wet and Barry guessed that it had rained whilst he was unconscious. Barry choked violently, coughed up a mouthful of water, and winced as his chest gave a twinge of pain. He attempted to push himself up on his right arm and grimaced when he was unable to put pressure on it. Barry looked at his left arm and moved it cautiously. It seemed to be fine, so he switched to his left arm and pushed himself to his feet. His left ankle twinged in protest, so Barry balanced most of his weight on his right foot. His cowl was drenched and Barry pulled it back carefully and ran his fingers through his hair, agitated. A quick glance around confirmed that he could no longer see the bottom of the waterfall and he had been washed up on the shore of a wide river. Waves lapped peacefully along the river bank and Barry looked in the direction that the water was flowing from. The current further upstream was much stronger and the river cut its way down a steep slope and through the countryside. It could have carried him miles away from his point of origin and there was no way that he would be able to run back in that direction in his current state.

Barry sighed and clutched his right arm to his side as he focused on the river bank itself. Upstream the bank was rocky and rough, with no visible path in sight or no sign of anything other than a deep forest. Barry turned his head to look the other way. Downstream, the riverside was obstruction free and would be much easier to navigate. Barry sighed and focused on moving a few steps forward at a time. Suddenly he noticed something yellow by the side of the river and gasped in shock as he took in the man, a sharp contrast against the darkened river bed.

Hesitantly, Barry approached the prone, face down, man and nudged at him with his right foot. The man did not stir so Barry let his injured arm down gently to hang by his side and knelt awkwardly by the man in yellow. With his good arm he reached out and took the man's wrist in his hand to check for a pulse. Barry sighed and felt a wash of sadness sweep through him when he felt nothing beneath his fingers. He sank to sit with his knees pulled up to his chest and leant his good arm on top of them. A single tear tracked down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. He had to know for sure.

Barry reached over and held his hand out slowly to grasp the edges of the yellow mask. He hesitated and took a deep breath before he pulled it back to reveal the face of Harrison Wells. Barry sobbed and dropped the cowl to withdraw his hand and cover his mouth to stifle a cry. It was over, but this was not how it was meant to go. His father would be stuck in prison for the rest of his life and Barry felt helplessness stir and spread through his entire being. He shuddered, dropped his head to his knees and sobbed.

–--

By the time Barry lifted his head, the sky had darkened and it had begun to rain. His limbs felt heavy, his chest ached, and his arm felt no better.

'I can't stay here,' Barry murmured to himself and pushed himself to this feet. Barry pressed the button for his comms. 'Cisco, Cisco, can you hear me?'

The device crackled and sparked and Barry turned it off quickly. He was on his own with no way to contact his friends, no way to ensure that they were all right. Barry glanced around and further down the river, deep in the forest, two lone spires extended above the tree line. It was the only landmark that he could see and he needed somewhere to shelter from the rain so that he could recover and let his healing abilities work their magic. Barry moved tentatively to test his legs, unsure of the damage that had been done to his body in his fall over the waterfall and journey downstream. His chest hurt, he suspected that he may have cracked a rib or two, and he did not feel up to running. Barry started to move towards the forest and the mansion in the distance on unsteady legs.

He had made it a fair distance into the forest and could no longer see the river bank when a sudden howl pierced the air and Barry looked up in alarm. Wolves. Barry picked up his pace and pushed through the exhaustion that threatened to overcome his aching body. He knew that his time was limited. Wolves moved fast and hunted in packs, and they could probably smell the blood on his clothes from the gash on his leg, which Barry had not noticed until now.

The wolves howled again, closer this time, and Barry could make out at least three separate cries. Barry's eyes widened in fear as he saw the undergrowth rustle nearby and he willed his body to move forward. He managed a few short bursts of speed but faltered each time and was unable to maintain his usual super-speed for any length of time without his chest twinging in agony.

His pursuers were gaining slightly and Barry looked back fretfully as he moved as quickly as he was able. If he could just make it to the mansion ahead of the wolves, hopefully he would find shelter and safety. His eyes crackled with lightning energy and he forced himself to speed up. He managed to access the speed force within him for longer this time. Barry found himself in front of a locked pair of iron gates and took a moment to look up at the dark, towering form of the house before a howl pulled him from his thoughts and he eyed the bars critically. The bars were evenly spaced, but further along a couple were bent outwards. Barry sized up the gap and made his choice. It was either try to get into the creepy looking house, or stay out here with the wolves. It was not a hard choice to make. He ducked and slipped between the bent bars easily and ran up to the doors of the house.

Barry knew that the wolves would also be able to squeeze through the gap in the gate and pounded frantically on the door. 'Please, somebody let me in!' Barry yelled and listened to see if there were any footsteps on the other side of the door. Nothing. He tried the door and cursed. It was locked. Barry banged on the door again and waited. Still nothing. There must be another way.

Barry looked at the solid oak door and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and pushed on the door. It would not budge. This was it, he was done for. Unless...the man in yellow had phased through objects before. Could he also do that? Barry placed his hand against the door, cleared his mind, and forced himself to concentrate as he began to vibrate his hand against the wood. Oh, his injuries did not like that sensation one bit and he could feel every vibration against his bones and muscles. It was endure this or be torn limb from limb by wild animals though.

Barry pressed his hand against the wood and frowned when nothing happened. He let his fist pound against the door in frustration. Barry risked a glance over his shoulder and grimaced. The wolves were howling and scrabbling as they all tried to fit through the gap in the gate at once. It was only a matter of time before...Barry flinched as one wolf squeezed through the gap, followed closely by the rest, and they started to run towards him. He hurriedly turned his attention back to the door and cleared his mind of everything but the speed force coursing through him. The slow motion howl of the wolf sounded distant as Barry imagined himself falling through the door and into the mansion.

The wolves were at his heels now and Barry winced as pain coursed through him. He felt an odd sensation as he passed through the door and fell to his knees on a worn carpet. Barry gave a sigh of relief and let his head fall forward to rest on the carpet. From behind, he heard the wolves growling and scratching at the door. Barry looked down at himself.

'Great, I managed to phase out of my suit...' Barry winced as he heard a large ripping noise from the other side of the door and huffed out a breath as he struggled to breathe. 'Cisco is going to kill me.'

At least his underwear remained, Barry thought gratefully as he winced and pushed himself to his feet. He was exhausted and needed somewhere safe to rest and heal, preferably a comfortable four poster bed and preferably on the ground floor so that he didn't have to navigate any stairs.

Barry wandered further into the entrance way and stood in front of the stairway. The hallway looked deserted, dusty and unkempt, but Barry hoped that there would be someone here that could offer him a place to stay and some food so that he could recover enough to get back to Central. If not, he was cool with squatting. It was better than camping out with the wolves outside. He hoped that Cisco and Caitlyn were OK and that they were not stranded in the forest somewhere.

'Hello, is anyone here?' Barry called out, and grinned when he heard his voice echo. 'Amazing. This place is bigger than Star Labs!'

Barry wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours to his aching body. He felt weaker by the second and cursed his decision to phase through the door. His last protein bar had been in the suit and he had struggled to use his speed during his escape from the wolves. Now, his metabolism was working full speed to try and heal his injuries but because he hadn't eaten since the coffee shop with Iris, he barely had the energy to sustain himself, let alone heal. He had skipped lunch to rush to Cisco and Caitlyn, and a glance at the clock told him that it was just after 3pm in the afternoon. This wasn't good. Without something to eat soon, he was sure that he would pass out. Barry heard footsteps from further down the hall and felt a wave of relief spread through him. At least now if he passed out, hopefully there was someone here who could help him. He headed towards the sound as quickly as he could and winced as every step jarred his ankle. He hoped that whoever he ran into, they were good people.

–--

'He doesn't have long left, Dig, and the closer it gets to his 30th birthday, the moodier he becomes. Laurel and Roy have both left already, and I know that Thea is torn between staying by her brother's side and following the man that she loves. I'll stay with him until the end, he's Oliver and even though it didn't work out between us I still care about him. I just think that we need to make plans for when this is over,' Felicity sighed.

'You mean when Oliver dies and Thea is taken by her evil father?' Diggle insisted. 'You know that Oliver wouldn't want that. I plan to go to Starling and protect Thea even after Oliver has gone.'

'And how does Lyla feel about that?' Felicity asked.

Diggle sighed. 'She doesn't agree, she says that she wants our daughter to grow up in a normal, safe city. Central maybe.'

'I'm heading there too, Ray is...' Felicity tailed off as she saw a young man heading towards them in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

'Hey! I was beginning to think that this place was deserted!' Barry exclaimed and wobbled slightly as his feet gave out under him. His vision began to blur, but he was convinced that the people he had found looked friendly enough. 'Please, help me,' Barry murmured, and felt his eyelids slide shut as he lost consciousness.

–--

When Barry came to and opened his eyes, a quick glance around confirmed that he was in what looked to be a makeshift medical room. He groaned as his ribs reminded him of his injuries and glanced to the left, where a beautiful woman with blonde hair and glasses sat playing candy crush on a tablet.

'Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling? You look terrible,' she rambled, and corrected herself immediately. 'Oh, no, not in that way, you're actually pretty handsome, just, your injuries...'

Barry laughed but winced as he clutched at his chest. 'I'm fine, really, I feel much better than I did when I got here. How long have I been unconscious?'

'Oh, less than an hour,' the woman explained and looked at her watch. 'It's about 4 in the afternoon. We had to move you out of the hallway, obviously, but your injuries don't seem too severe. I thought that you might have broken a few ribs at first, your arm too, but I must have been mistaken, because the scans I did a few moments ago only show fractures.'

'It was mainly malnutrition that caused me to pass out, rather than the injuries themselves. I was chased by wolves, separated from my friends. It's a long story,' Barry explained, and kept to the basic details. There was no point in worrying the woman about the man in yellow, he was no longer a threat after all. Barry resolutely gulped down on the tight feeling in his chest that threatened to escalate into despair and focused in on what the woman was saying.

'Your friends?' the woman asked and tilted her head curiously.

Barry nodded. 'It was getting dark and I didn't want to leave them out there alone, but I couldn't look for them in my current state. Their partners will be worried sick if they don't hear from them.'

'What about you?' she asked, and Barry looked carefully at her to try and determine if she was just curious or being flirtatious. 'Is there no one to worry about you?'

Barry sighed and shook his head. It must have been curiosity. Just like Iris, Felicity was far too beautiful to be interested in him. 'There's someone that I really like, but she just got engaged to her long term partner. She's so excited that she probably won't even notice if I go missing for a few days, and her father, my foster father, will probably think that I'm lying low for a while to deal with the news. He knows how I feel about her. Sorry, I didn't mean to dump all of my problems on you like that...' Barry tailed off as he realised that the woman had yet to introduce herself.

'Felicity,' the woman smiled broadly and held out her hand.

Barry took it and kissed it and watched as Felicity blushed. 'Barry. Hey, do you have any thing that I can eat? I'm pretty hungry.'

'Oh, of course! I'll get something sorted...' Felicity began, but was interrupted by a voice that came from a shadow in the doorway.

'Felicity. What. Is. Going. On?' a male voice demanded.

Barry turned and tried to catch a glimpse of the newcomer, but he was hidden in the shadows and his face was covered with a dark hood.

'Oh, Oliver, this is Barry, I found him wandering our hallways,' Felicity explained and indicated to Barry. Barry gave a small wave.

'Why didn't you throw him in the dungeon with the other trespassers? We can't have people know that I am here, Felicity,' Oliver growled and stalked closer. Barry craned his neck but he could still not get a good look at the man. His entire body was covered in clothes and he kept his head angled downwards. Barry frowned. There was something familiar about that hood and the way that the man held himself.

'Everyone knows you're here anyway Oliver! Besides he's not a trespasser!' Felicity protested. 'He was looking for shelter and fainted in the hall. He needed medical attention.'

'Others? Do you know their names?' Barry interrupted, and the man, Oliver, turned his full focus on Barry as Barry swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Barry assumed that Oliver's glare was meant to make him feel intimidated. The man's posture, arms crossed over his chest and the way he stood tall and straight, screamed power and dominance. Barry sat up straighter and ignored the slight twinge of pain from his ribs as he crossed his arms and glared at Oliver defiantly. 'Well?'

'Cisco Ramone and Caitlyn Snow,' Felicity answered and Oliver turned to glare at her. She flinched but held her ground, used to Oliver and his glares. Barry's defiance though, surprised her. For a man who was thin and wiry and who was dressed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt that she had dug up for him, he was surprisingly confident as he stared down Oliver.

Barry let out a sigh of relief and his shoulder's relaxed. 'At least they got out of the forest ok. You cant lock them up though, they're my friends!!'

'I can and you will join them!' Oliver insisted and moved even further into the room. 'Nobody is to come here without my express permission.'

Barry flinched as Oliver advanced towards him, but he did not back down. He stood on shaky legs to glare at Oliver. 'You do not know who you are messing with!'

'Neither do you!' Oliver threatened and reached behind his back for a bow that was no longer there.

'Oliver, Oliver,' Felicity stood up and put her tablet aside. She stood in front of Oliver with her hands on her hips and protested in a low whisper. 'Look, the others are no use to you, they are both in relationships already. This one is single, and quite honestly we are running out of time and options. Don't throw him in the dungeon with the others, make a trade, make him our guest. At least try and break the curse, for Thea's sake.'

Oliver sighed wearily and deflated at the mention of his sister. 'It's unlikely to work, you know that, right?'

'You have to try. You know that we may not be able to protect her when you go...Look at him, he's not afraid of you, that's a start,' Felicity insisted and placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder.

'He hasn't seen my face yet, Felicity,' Oliver growled low and glanced over at the young man. 'What makes you think that he will agree to those terms, anyway?'

Barry swayed where he stood and looked like he needed to lie down. Oliver watched him suck in a breath and regain his straight, defensive posture. He crossed his arms over his chest and directed a defiant glare at Oliver.

'He's hurt, hungry, tired. He needs somewhere to rest anyway and from the sounds of it his friends mean the world to him. He can't refuse,' Felicity explained, and hoped that she was right. She liked Barry already, and he didn't seem like he would take any shit from Oliver either.

'Barry,' Oliver turned and ordered gruffly. Barry raised an eyebrow cheekily at him and Oliver tried not to smile. 'You will stay here, as my prisoner, and I will release your friends.'

'That's blackmail!' Barry protested, and the cheeky fell from his face to be replaced with one of horror. 'You can't just demand that I give up my life. I have a job, a home in Central City, and you're crazy if you think that I'll give all that up to become your prisoner! I'll find my friends and free them myself!'

Barry forced himself to move in the direction of the door. He winced as his shattered ankle struggled to take his weight and cursed his inability to heal quickly right now.

Oliver growled and grabbed Barry by the scruff of his t-shirt. 'You will not leave, or I will kill your friends and chain you in the dungeons.'

Barry struggled briefly and pushed at Oliver's chest. Oliver thought that he saw a flash of something, lightning, in the other man's eyes and was stunned by the force of his glare. Barry's eyes betrayed a captivating strength and Oliver struggled to glare back. Instead, he looked away and began to drag Barry out the door and down the stairs.

'Hey, where are you taking him?' Felicity protested and grabbed Oliver's arm.

'Dungeons,' Oliver growled and brushed her off. 'And don't try to stop me.'

Felicity fell to the floor with a thud and glared at Oliver's retreating back. She pushed herself to her feet, fully intent on following Oliver to try and change his mind and give him a piece of hers. How dare he shove her? She began to head down the stairs, but was halted when a firm hand grasped her shoulder.

'Felicity, I don't think that there is any talking to Oliver at the moment,' John Diggle commented and winced as his arm twinged. 'He's always grumpy after his medication dose and particularly so this afternoon because I thought it would cheer him up to spar with me.'

'He didn't hurt you did he?' Felicity asked, concerned.

John shook his head. 'Only my pride, and his own. Give him an hour to calm down and then we can try and sort this mess out.'

Felicity nodded. 'Let me know when Oliver is out of the way, won't you? Barry's really malnourished and I need to get him something to eat before he passes out again.'

'Barry?' John asked with a raised eyebrow.

Felicity nodded. 'Our new 'prisoner.' He's nice, Dig. Really nice. It's just a shame about Oliver...'

'Yeah, he's even more impossible than usual lately. I think the reality of his situation is starting to hit him hard. I'll let you know when he's out of the way,' John replied and held up his phone.

'Thanks, John,' Felicity answered and started across the mansion to the kitchen to find some food for Barry.

---

Meanwhile in the dungeons, Oliver unlocked an empty cell with his right hand, shoved Barry inside roughly and slammed the door shut. Barry cried out as he hit the floor, but stood and faster than a blink of an eye was back at the bars. He reached through a slender arm to punch Oliver in the chest as he turned the key in the lock. Oliver frowned. He had barely managed to get the door shut before the man had attacked him and his chest twinged where Barry had hit him with a surprising amount of force for someone of such a slight build.

'You can't keep me here!' Barry yelled in Oliver's face and let loose another punch.

This time Oliver was ready for it and grabbed Barry's fist mid swing. 'I can and I will, Barry,' Oliver insisted, and released Barry's wrist to stalk off back up the stairs.

'Oliver!' Barry yelled and pounded his fists against the bars, frustrated, tired and hungry. His pleas were ignored and Barry sighed.

'Barry!'

Barry turned and saw Caitlyn huddled up to Cisco on the floor of the cell next to his.

'Caitlyn, Cisco! Are you ok?' Barry asked as he looked them both over with a worried look in his eyes.

'We're fine. Apart from Mr hooded dark and mysterious up there. Honestly I feel like I'm Maurice in Beauty and the Beast,' Cisco complained and stood to dust himself off.

'So who does that make Belle? Me or Barry?' Caitlyn humoured him and smiled.

'I don't know!' Cisco exclaimed and helped Caitlyn to her feet. 'I hadn't thought it out any further than that.'

'Well, he did order me to exchange myself for your freedom, so I guess that means me,' Barry laughed. 'Only I said no, and then he got really pissed off and threw me down here.'

'Way to go, Barry,' Cisco grumbled. 'You do realise that you could have accepted and then run away, right?'

Barry frowned and looked down. 'I suppose that I could have. Felicity is nice enough. Oliver was just all up in my face and he didn't even ask me what I wanted, he just demanded that I stay as if I'd be ok with it!'

'Yeah, he called us trespassers, but he left his door unlocked!' Caitlyn huffed. 'It was cold and wet and we couldn't find you. We just wanted somewhere to shelter for the night so that we could start looking again in the morning.'

'Why didn't you call a cab and get home?' Barry asked and advanced towards the bars which separated him from his friends. 'It was really dangerous out there.'

'We wanted to find you and make sure that you were OK,' Caitlyn insisted and moved to hug him as best as she was able to through the bars. 'You were fighting your nemesis after all, and that didn't go so well last time.'

Barry frowned and returned the hug sadly. He winced as his ribs twinged again when Caitlyn held particularly tightly and he was pressed to the bars.

'You're hurt!' Caitlyn exclaimed when she noticed Barry wince. 'How bad is it?'

Barry sighed. 'A lot of fractures and bruising, it's possible that I had a broken bone, but I'm healing slowly. My super speed is failing me too.'

Cisco gasped. 'Dude you gonna be ok?'

Barry nodded. 'Yeah, it's coming back in bits and pieces, but I'm healing a lot slower than usual. I think that the stress of the fight, the fall over the waterfall, my injuries and not eating anything for hours have all taken all taken a toll on me.'

'Barry, you need to get out of here. Who knows what will happen if you don't get some food soon. You could start to waste away really quickly,' Caitlyn worried. 'Normally when you're injured we can give you a top up of nutrients via IV at the lab to help you heal faster, but I can't treat you properly here.'

'Yeah,' Cisco agreed and looked Barry up and down. Realisation lit up his face and he glared at Barry. 'Barry....where's my suit?'

Barry tugged self consciously at the hem of the t-shirt that Felicity had leant him. 'I had a bit of an incident. I had to phase through the front door of this place to get away from some wolves, but the suit didn't go with me. I think it was torn to shreds. Sorry dude,' Barry shrugged.

'Sorry, you're sorry? Do you have any idea how much work I put into that thing!' Cisco protested and ran his hands through his hair.

'Cisco, Calm down!' Caitlyn insisted. 'Would you rather Barry had been torn to shreds?'

'Spose not,' Cisco grumbled. 'But you owe me one dude. You're lucky that I have a spare back at the lab!'

A knock on the bars startled them all.

'Hey, Felicity,' Barry greeted and moved over to where she stood by the door.

'Hey, are you ok?' Felicity asked as she moved towards Barry. Barry nodded and so Felicity continued with a sigh. 'I'm sorry about Oliver, really I am. He's just really cranky sometimes. If you promise to stay, at least for a couple of weeks, I'll free your friends and get you invited to dinner.'

'Why don't you just let us all go?' Caitlyn frowned. 'Wouldn't that be easier?'

'Ooh, unless she wants Barry all to herself!' Cisco exclaimed. 'It must get really lonely here with nothing but the beast for company...'

Barry shook his head at his friend incredulously. He frowned when Felicity smiled sadly..

'Oliver,' Felicity sighed deeply and put emphasis on his name, 'is pretty lonely and doesn't get much contact with the outside world. I thought maybe if he had a companion he would be happier...'

Barry thought carefully about his situation. He was injured anyway, and would never make it back to Central in his current state. Even with a ride back, he would probably be better to recover here before he attempted to move very far. There was also something that intrigued Barry about Oliver. He wondered what was behind Oliver's bristly outward attitude and the hood that was eerily similar to the one the vigilante of Starling City used to wear.

'All right, I'll do it,' Barry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 'Just let my friends go and make sure that they get back to Central safely, all right?'

Felicity nodded. 'I promise to have Laurel drive them back into the city.'

Cisco looked like he was about to protest but Barry held up a hand. 'Cisco, it will take me a while to recover from my injuries anyway. I'll be fine. Just make sure that you find Wells. He was laying around the river side.' Barry looked at them both meaningfully. Caitlyn raised her eyebrows in surprise and Barry nodded in confirmation.

Felicity unlocked the cells and let Barry hug his friends. Laurel had slipped in unnoticed ready to escort them to safety and stood by Felicity's side. 'My dad works with that kid, Felicity, don't keep him here against his will too long or you'll have trouble.'

'I won't. It's just until Oliver...' Felicity choked back a sob and Laurel held her close.

'It's all right, I understand. But this kid? He's not Ollie's usual type,' Laurel commented.

'Maybe that's what he needs,' Felicity sighed deeply. 'I know, it's a long shot, but I'm getting desperate and Oliver's birthday isn't far off. Barry isn't afraid of Oliver, I just thought that maybe...' both women turned to look at the group as Felicity trailed off.

'I'll make sure that they get back to Central safely,' Laurel promised. 'And I'll try and cover for Barry's disappearance as long as I can.'

'Thanks, Laurel,' Felicity smiled.

'Good luck,' Laurel offered. 'Keep me posted on his condition won't you?'

Felicity nodded as they waited for the friends to say goodbye. 'Of course.'

Barry held Caitlyn and Cisco both at once and whispered, 'Don't worry about me. I may be starving and feeling weak right now, but I'll heal fast, and as soon as I do I'll be out of here faster than they can stop me.'

'What if he chains you up?' Cisco whispered back.

'I'll phase out, it'll be fine,' Barry smiled. 'Get back to Kendra and Ronnie, and if Firestorm can protect the city whilst I'm out of action that would be great.'

'Ok.'Caitlyn nodded and smiled sadly. 'Bye Barry.'

'Good luck man,' Cisco offered and clapped him on the back before the pair turned to leave with Laurel.

Barry turned to Felicity. 'So, what now?'

'Let me show you to somewhere more comfortable to rest,' Felicity smiled. 'There are plenty of spare rooms, but I'll put you near John and I.'

'Thanks, I think I'll heal a lot faster if I have a bed to sleep on and not a pile of straw.' Barry grimaced at the cell that had been his temporary prison. He followed Felicity up two flights of stairs and into a long corridor. The walls were covered in pictures, which were dimly lit up by overhead lights that did little to brighten the corridor. Barry paused as a large portrait caught his attention. Two parents, proud and tall, a teenage boy, handsome and captivating, and a young girl who the boy held in his arms. She was clearly his world.

'Oh, that's Oliver,' Felicity gushed. 'Wasn't he a handsome teenager?'

Barry nodded but said nothing. There was something familiar about the family, but Barry couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't imagine how the Oliver in the painting, who looked happy, was the same man who had growled at him and thrown him in a cell.

After a few moments Felicity shook her head and continued down the hall. She pushed open a door near a large grand staircase. 'This is you. Make yourself at home. There are some clothes in the wardrobe that are probably your size, if you fancy a change,' Felicity offered and indicated to his sweats and t-shirt, which were a little dirty from the cell floor.

Barry smiled and moved slowly into the room. 'I think that I'll take you up on that.'

Barry glanced around the room. It was at least three times the size of his room at home and the furniture had a rustic look to it: In a house as large as this, it must have been antique. Everything was old and looked solid and the centrepiece of the room was a large four poster bed with red covers. Barry smiled softly: the shade matched the Flash suit nearly perfectly. He moved over to one of the large windows which sat either side of the bed and looked out at the cherry blossom trees. They were full of bright petals, a sharp contrast to the dark, intimidating shape of the house itself.

'Pretty, aren't they? Felicity commented sadly. 'When all the petals have fallen, they say that spring will have ended and summer will begin.'

Barry frowned and turned back to her. It was odd that she would be sad at such a thing. He did not have long to think about it though. Oliver appeared in the doorway, hood still up.

'If we are going to do this,' Oliver glared at Felicity, 'Then you may treat this place as if it were your own, however the only restriction is that you must not set foot in the basement. It's off limits.'

'Wow, this is more and more like a fairytale every day. Dungeons, wolves, a mansion in the middle of nowhere, and now a forbidden wing,' Barry joked and Felicity got that haunted look in her eyes again that caused Barry to pause and frown. He chanced a glance at Oliver, who shot him a glare. Something odd was clearly going on here and if he were stuck here for a while, Barry was determined to find out what.

Oliver glanced over at Felicity who nodded encouragingly towards Barry. Oliver turned and growled at Barry. 'You will join me for dinner tonight.'

Barry glared at Oliver and crossed his arms over his chest. His stomach gave a twinge of protest, but there was no way he was going to let Oliver order him around. 'No, thank you.'

'It wasn't a request,' Oliver frowned. 'You eat with me or not at all.'

'I'll take the latter.' Barry muttered and turned away to stare out of the window, resolved to go hungry for now against Caitlyn's advice.

Oliver looked at Felicity and shrugged. 'I tried,' he muttered quietly and stalked out. Felicity sighed and followed him. Oliver stopped outside the door and pulled it shut. Felicity watched as he slid a key out of his pocket and locked the door.

'Oliver! You can't lock him in!' Felicity protested.

'I meant what I said. I need him to like me, Felicity, and he can't do that if he refuses to spend any time with me. He has to eat eventually and when he does it will be with me,' Oliver insisted and glared at her as if daring her to challenge him.

Felicity sighed. 'Fine. Fine. Give me that key.'

'Felicity...' Oliver warned.

'I promise that I will not bring him down to dinner unless you are going to be there.' Felicity rolled her eyes. 'Someone has to convince him to join you, and Barry likes me. I can't convince him without that key though.'

'Fine,' Oliver grumbled and handed over the key. He began to walk away down the hall. Felicity followed him quickly. 'Good luck with that, he's as stubborn as you are.'

'If you tried being nice instead of ordering him around, he might be less stubborn. He's not afraid of you Oliver, that's something, right?' Felicity prodded as she jogged to catch up to him.

'I haven't had a man in a long time, Felicity. For all we know, he's straight or homophobic,' Oliver protested and flinched when Felicity grabbed his arm. No matter what they tried, his scars still hurt as if they were fresh.

'Then try to make a new friend,' Felicity insisted and let go of Oliver's arm when he turned to face her in the hallway. 'You've been lonely since the others left, Laurel and Roy and Ray and Lyla. I can tell that it's been even worse since Lyla had Sara and John hasn't been around as much. It's often just me and you nowadays, and that's a bit awkward now because of everything that happened. Even your sister hasn't been around much since Roy and Laurel left. I think that she's struggling to see you get worse.'

'I'm struggling to see me get worse. This curse can only be stopped by something that I am beginning to believe doesn't exist,' Oliver grumbled but felt the first stirrings of panic curl within chest. It was as if there was an invisible timer above his head and Felicity would never be able to understand what he was going through. The only way to get over his unstable feelings in the past had been physical exertion and although weakened, Oliver knew that he needed that more than ever now. 'I'm going to train. Don't follow me.'

'See you at dinner,' Felicity sighed and watched Oliver stalk off towards the basement. She turned away to head back along the hallway towards the kitchens.

'Stubborn men,' she grumbled. As soon as dinner was ready she would return and convince Barry to join them. If her last ditch plan was ever going to work, then the boys clearly needed a push, and if anyone knew how to do that, it was her.