Archive of Our Own

Oliver's return to his family after 5 years away through hardship and pain.

Part 1: Arrow Return: Home Safe Free: Oliver finally makes it home to his family. (Complete. Posted)

Part 2: Arrow Return: Kapiushon: Oliver makes contact with the Bratva in Starling and finds a way to vent his rage. (Complete. Posted)

Part 3: Arrow Return: Finding Corruption: Oliver tracks down corruption in Starling. (Partially written. Outlined)

Part 4: Arrow Return: Vindicta Contra ARGUS: The CIA and FBI investigation into ARGUS. (Outlined)

Part 5: Arrow Return: Bringing Sara Home: The League makes contact and eventually, Sara is released to return to her family. (Basic outline)

I wrote this when I was looking for a darker Oliver. I had some issues with the way the TV Show glossed over the trauma that Oliver had been through and tried to make him instantly adjust back into his life... Unless it helped their plot point.

AU Differences:
1. Oliver has PTSD and it is NOT glossed over. I was military and medical. Oliver was traumatized for years. I didn't gloss that trauma over as a plot point.
2. HIPPA. Seriously! I was medical… in the USA. There is no freaking way Dr. Lamb would just ramble on about Oliver’s medical condition IN THE HALLWAY. HIPPA applies. Even to mothers.
3. Bratva culture. Oliver had just come from Russia. He was intensely aggressive upon his return because of his experiences there. He would also be IMMERSED in Russian language, culture, and the Bratva culture. I tried to show that.
4. Thea. I made her older. There is only a 5-year separation between them. Oliver was 20 when he got on the yacht. Thea was 15. Still gone almost 5 years. Thea is Robert's kid. Not Malcolm's. Timing wasn't right.
5. The US Government. I have no words for how absolutely offended I am with how ARGUS was presented in both the comics and in Arrow. I made Waller doing shady shit a secret from the US Government. One of my plot points is holding her accountable for her shady shit.
6. No Tempest. Malcolm doesn’t go batshit crazy. Starling is still corrupt as hell. They just aren’t organized. Which makes them harder to track and the corrupt politicians are just… corrupt politicians. Greedy, power-hungry politicians. You know, like in real life…