My adventures with Oliver Queen a fan audio drama

Option 1: I was gonna run last night. I was gonna run and keep right on running. Clear to the Iowa border. I drove all night with the windows open. The old man’s two bucks flapping right on the seat beside me. It never stopped raining the whole time. Never stopped once. I could see myself in the windshield. My face. My eyes. I studied my face. Studied everything about it as though I was looking at another man. As though I could see his whole race behind him. Like a mummy’s face. I saw him dead and alive at the same time. In the same breath. In the windshield I watched him breathe as though he was frozen in time and every breath marked him. Marked him forever without him knowing. And then his face changed. His face became his father’s face. Same bones. Same eyes. Same nose. Same breath. And his father’s face changed to his grandfather’s face. And it went on like that. Changing. Clear on back to faces I’d never seen before but still recognized. Still recognized the bones underneath. Same eyes. Same mouth. Same breath. I followed my family clear into Iowa. Every last one. Straight into the corn belt and further. Straight back as far as they’d take me. Then it all dissolved. Everything dissolved. Just like that.

Option 2: The day I went missing... was the day I died. Five years in hell forged me into a weapon, which I use to honor a vow I made to my father who sacrificed his life for mine. In his final moments he told me the truth: that our family's wealth had been built on the suffering of others, that he failed our city, and that it was up to me to save it, and right his wrongs. But to do that without endangering the people closest to me, I had to be someone else. I had to be... something else."

Option 3: At last… I can breathe… my own personal Crisis averted, I turn my gaze towards the stained glass windows of the old Starling city church and watch as the colors dance about, the sun shines through it refracting the beauty as one does to a kaleidoscope. Shining like a star I see… Hello, by way of its befitting name, my Starling city, I’ve only been home a week and yet you managed to make me feel panic and pain… I’m out of place in your glittering gritty upper world and don’t wish to explore the underbelly of bullshit. Your proverbial heart beats with the corruption that flows through the center of the darkest street corners where not even angels wish to tread, and I’m not about to play Robin Hood to your own self centered narcissistic cult of money grubbing bastards who prey on the innocent and steal the hearts of those less fortunate than you. To be as liberal as they come, I went to university for more than that. …Not that I lasted long at said university.

What was that back there?” He asked quietly, his voice was stern and Oliver knew he was in deep trouble. He attempted to speak but all that came out was a jittery speech pattern, “I-I-I-I-C-C-C-couldn’t—could—-could… I…I..I…H…Huh…Huh..H…it…tuh…tuh…t….the ball.” Robert didn’t hesitate to slap the boy across his face, “My god what is wrong with you, Oliver!? I swear can you ever find it within you to speak NORMALLY! My own son… an absolute chicken wuss.” Oliver didn’t move, didn’t attempt to make a getaway, he just stood there in his uniform, his fingers gripping the tufts of his wild hair and running it between his fingers, “D…D…D…addy…I…I..I’m….Suh…S….s..I… s…s…sorry.”

Oliver is about 12 years old here: Hi! I’m Oliver! And you’re my baby sister Em! Wow… I get to be a big brother…. Cool! Huh… what’s wrong? You look like you wanna cry… it’s ok, I’m gonna protect you. And that’s a promise! Oh, here, you take your little pinky in mine and see, that’s a promise. …Say, you have a cute nose! Cute as a button. Bop!” Oliver is enthusiastic about being a brother, happily and playfully making the little girl in front of him smile. Emiko, aged four, starts giggling as Oliver, aged twelve, picks her up and sets her on his lap, nuzzling her nose to his in a gentle way, “See! I’m just silly! Blah blah Blegh! Dah! Wuhhhh hahhh!” Emiko laughed harder, her giggling lighting up the whole of the car, “Ah! See! I’m just Silly, silly ninny Ollie! And I love you, Emi! I love yooooooouuuu!”

You don't know what's going on. I do. So if you wanna keep your eyes shut to the whole world, then the least you can do is hear me out. Now... it's not what you think it is. No, you don't know my life! But I know yours. And I've done everything in the whole wide world hoping you'd never have to know. So, so you could go on thinking that people are good, and kind and that should make sense, you know? 'Cause I love that about you. But I can't.

I’m in love with my best friend’s brother. No! No! It can’t be. How can I tell Alexis that I’m in love with her brother? Her annoying brother. Her brother, whose name is spelled M-I-C-A-H. Micah… gosh, why him? I don’t even understand, but there’s something about those glasses, the way they frame his beautiful blue eyes…ugh! I’m a horrible friend for liking him, but gosh, he’s just so cute. And the way he runs is so fascinating. He wins almost every race. Me, Riley, and him, Micah. She’ll probably hate me, but I can’t control my feelings. The way he tries his hardest in cross country and track, the way he looks in the track uniform, his laugh, it’s so adorable. Lots of people think it’s annoying, but I think it makes him even more handsome. And the fact that he can run a five-minute mile and always tries new events. Just everything about him makes me like him. I wish I had the courage to tell him. Maybe I’ll tell him at the end of the year. Maybe. Just maybe.

“We don’t have time to talk, son. Prepare yourself, the Kkangpae have found us.” “The Kkang who?” Oliver shuddered. “The Kkangpae, a mafia if you will, They’re called the Beomseobangpa Chilsung-pa, they’re active in Busan and run blackmail jobs, extortion… you name it. They’ve been around since 1979, and well… i’m afraid they’ve sent their best to collect me.”

Jessica Cruz: Hal shook his head as he closed the fridge and nabbed the snacks, “So, how’s the dessert coming along, love?” “Just about ready to chill said dessert and then we can go ahead to get started on food. I hope you and Oliver aren’t filling up on snacks alone.” Jessica answered quietly. “Not at all.” Hal chuckled.

Oliver nodded, “I would do anything for Hal. After all, he's done way much more for me than I have any right to have been given by him. So… How is he? Do you know?” Jessica shook her head no, “He crashed. Bad they said but… Thank goodness they got him out and now…. he’s being treated in the emergency room.”

They think it’s just a ring.They look at this glowing piece of alien metal on my finger and they think it’s a magic wand. They think it does all the work. But the ring is just a tool. It doesn’t have a mind, and it definitely doesn't have a spine. Without the person wearing it, it’s just an expensive paperweight.

Option 2: Hal gently grasped his friend’s shoulders again and looked him straight in the eyes, though Oliver’s gaze faltered slightly, he would look at anything but Hal. “Listen to me, Ol, everything you’ve been through… I can’t tell you why the cards were in your favor or why you’re here… just that you are and it’s a good thing. On the other hand, I also can’t tell you why your dad didn’t make it… why you alone remain living…because life is a mystery we can’t always know the answer to.” He sighed softly, “To be fair and truthful to you… I tell you that I always liked Robert, though I think he found me a bad influence on you. Still… to the subject of living again… it’s no easy feat. After my own dad died… he… he was killed in that crash… in the sky… they were doing a demonstration and his plane just… gone… like that. After I lost him when I was young… you’d think being a military brat and watching your dad’s death in real time… I wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps.” “But you are.” Oliver swallowed. “I am. And I understand what it’s like to think… why am I here without them? Why didn’t they get to live? Dad died when I was eight… it haunted my every dream, Ol, I used to wake up screaming, wondering what his last thought was. Was he scared? Did he think about me… about my mom…? She’s… gone too, you remember that…?

CONTEXT: Hal has been in a bad fighter jet crash and was badly injured. He is lying in the hospital when Oliver comes to visit him. Please read Hal's lines only. Hal’s eyes swiftly watered with tears, “Ol… can I… I tell you something?” “Anything, bud.” Oliver replied. “I thought about my dad…., he sniffled, I thought… right. This is it…and i… I thought about how my mom was right… and i… I could’ve died up there. But you know what’s so… so… weird…?” “It’s ok, Hal. You don’t have to be ashamed. What was weird?” Oliver asked gently. Hal sniffled, “I… I wasn’t afraid. I don’t know… adrenaline must’ve… must’ve kicked in… but I wasn’t afraid. Up there, falling down as I crashed… I wasn’t scared. Even as I thought about you… and Jess… and my… my brothers and my nieces… I have nieces and nephews did I tell you? I… I… thought of everything I ever loved… and I wasn’t afraid.”

I came to live with you because I loved you. I stayed with you because I loved you. (pause). I endured you because I couldn’t imagine life without you. (pause). I feel battered. Ignored. Belittled. (pause). I didn’t care for you because you’re a famous actor. You remember talking about that party where we met? Well when you came over and talked to me- I thought I’d never seen a man so haunted. So defensive and uptight. (Pause). I never thought you’d find me attractive. I never thought you’d see me again. (pause). When you asked me to, I said yes for you.Not because I was impressed, or flattered, or anything like that. I almost didn’t dare to think you’d have any serious interest in me. (pause) But you did. (pause) Girls at school used to laugh at me because I said I wouldn’t go to bed until it was somebody I loved. Very old-fashioned, or whatever. At my school you were considered freaky if you were still a virgin after sixteen (Pause). And because of you- I was glad. I was happy I’d never been with anyone else. (Pause), I’ve been happy with you- but to sad as well. Too sad as well. Too humiliated. (Pause). Too hurt. (Pause) I never thought it mattered at all your being so much older. Now I can see it does. Not the years. Not the difference in experience. (pause). It’s that you’ll go on being exactly the same.

Ditto: Um…. I thought you were amazing, dinah. You always know just what to say and I felt the whole of the song’s meaning in my bones.”

Pamola: Pamola chimes in next, one of my backup vocalists, “Byron’s buyin’ and I’m starving! I say Hella to the yes; let’s hit Starling’s greatest burger chain! I’m game, As long as you throw in a mint shake and chips, I’ll pitch in for the whole meal deal. Oh, and another thing, D, my darling, It wasn’t shit, you know.” “Hmm?” “Ah, the song, babes? You’ve grown in your lyrical style since we started five years ago.”

Lord Byron: Byron, the band’s drummer jumps off his kit and pumps up a fist in the air, “Hell yeah burgers are on me by the way! I’m buying! There’s a big belly burger around the corner, let’s eat there!”

“Oliver Queen, *pause* You cannot escape destiny. You cannot escape the truth… the truth of your purpose!" *dark and intimidating laughter* That’s it boy! you are destined for so much more, Oliver Jones Queen. Have you seen it? All that the talisman granted to me, the visions of glory? Oh by the gods it has shown such strength; such fortitude! You were meant to stumble upon this island, it remains a place to fulfill your potential! But the first act of embracing destiny is pain. You must learn to accept it. Succumb to the numbness of nothingness and let it fuel you towards the destruction of fate’s hand!”

Moira Queen: The doctor leaned forward in his seat and set his chin against his hands, “Well… as you’ll recall, Madam Queen, When we found your son well over this past week, his body temperature was over 103.3 Fahrenheit, he’d been sick by the looks of things and he had a wound to the chest region with signs of… a bad internal infection that wasn’t treated properly or promptly at that.” “Yes of course. We’re lucky he did not die from the fever.” Moira answered quietly. “Most certainly he is lucky, but there remains another matter that my team and I discovered. Myself, as well as Doctor Yao Fei, believe… and please prepare yourself accordingly because it is rather… volatile to explain.” “Dr. Ivo, I’ve already lost my husband. And I may yet lose my only biological son whom lies comatose in your well regarded establishment. As his mother, my heart aches, but do not think it weakens me. I’ve soothed that gentle boy’s every fever and bandaged every scraped knee since he popped out of my womb, Please do not insult me by believing I cannot handle your… discovery.” Moira snapped fiercely.

Barry Allan: “Ol! C’mere and meet Barry! He’s my friend from Central city. Ah wait… what’s this?” Barry smiled, “Tulips for Jess of course. They’re her favorite flowers.” “What is it with you dolts bringing flowers for my girl?” Hal teased, giving Barry a quick noogie. “It’s a gentlemanly gesture to compliment the female host, Hal. Besides, I’m dating someone too. Her name’s Iris, and she helped me pick these out.”