Ghosts. With have_no_mercy.

[dl_greenarrow]

When they arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, a couple hours later, Oliver was just glad to be able to get out of the car and stretch. It had been a tense, silent ride, and while he'd wanted to say something--anything to try and break the tension, he wasn't sure Tess would have heard him anyway. She'd gripped onto the steering wheel so tightly he was half

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[have_no_mercy]

There was nothing to talk about, as far as Tess was concerned, and if Oliver insisted on tagging along he was just going to have to do it her way. Besides, she needed her focus to drive.

When she finally stops, she doesn't even really know where they are. She just knows she's tired of driving.

The silence continues as she takes her own bag out of the back of the car and follows him into the office, waiting while he procures a room. And yet more as they walk there afterward. Once inside, Tess drops her bag in a corner and then just stands in place, staring out the window.

[dl_greenarrow]

Oliver is silent for a long moment, setting his bag on the chair. "Mercy." His voice is soft.

[have_no_mercy]

She doesn't move, her back to him and her arms crossed. "If you want to use the shower first, go ahead."

[dl_greenarrow]

He sighs softly, moving to stand beside her at the window and staring outside, as well.

[dl_greenarrow]

Oliver closes his eyes for a moment, letting out a breath. For a moment, he'd been truly afraid that Lex had used her as some kind of science experiment without her even knowing it. "God."

[have_no_mercy]

"I thought they had all been destroyed." Tess huffs out a quiet breath and shakes her head at herself. "I really should have known better."

[dl_greenarrow]

"This isn't your fault," he says, frowning. "Lex is incredibly screwed up in the head and he's capable of anything."

[have_no_mercy]

Her gaze drops to the floor. "I'm well aware of that. And I still underestimated him."

[have_no_mercy]

Tess lasts about ten seconds after he's out the door and she can't hold back anymore. There aren't many tears and there's certainly no sobbing, but it's enough. More than enough.

By the time Oliver returns, she'll have changed into yoga pants and a t-shirt and be sitting on the edge of the bed, chin in her hands.

[dl_greenarrow]

Which is exactly how he finds her when he steps back into the room. He's carrying two diet sodas in one hand and a bag of chips and a dark chocolate Hershey's bar in the other. He moves to sit down beside her, wordlessly handing her the chocolate and one of the sodas.

[have_no_mercy]

Oliver will get the smallest of smiles for the chocolate, which she'll then open and pretty much devour. She hadn't eaten since that morning. The soda will be dealt with much more slowly.

"What are we going to do?" Serious question time.

[dl_greenarrow]

"We find out where he is," he says quietly, fully aware that the entire team is working on that very thing, with Chloe in the lead on her computers.

"And we take him down before he gets to us."

[have_no_mercy]

Tess takes the time to think, because for some reason, things are starting to come back online in her brain and that cool, controlled calm she attempts to maintain is slowly returning.

Slowly.

[dl_greenarrow]

Oliver returns awhile later, looking weary as he places his bag on the chair once more. He glances at her briefly and picks up his soda, taking a drink.

[have_no_mercy]

She says nothing right away, simply watches his movements.

Then, quietly, "Do you really want to know?"

[dl_greenarrow]

He pauses at the question, then meets her eyes. "Yes," he says simply.

[have_no_mercy]

Tess shrugs, keeping her seat. "He only would have told you himself anyway, once he knew you didn't know." Because it would hurt her more.

[dl_greenarrow]

He has no doubt she's right. Lex would have told him--but not just to hurt her more, but him, as well.

Oliver turns to face her, his gaze intense. "I'm going to help you find him. And whatever you want to do to him, I'll support that. Whatever assistance I can provide, count me in."

[have_no_mercy]

She looks up at him, eyes still a little red though there are no tears in sight now. Softly, "I think you're better off not knowing what I want to do to him. What I will do to him."

[dl_greenarrow]

"Whatever you do to him, he deserves it," he says quietly. "If you don't want me to know specifics, that's fine."