Falling (issue)

For the Supergirl episode of the same name, see Falling.

"Falling"
Information
Series	Arrow
Chapter number	9 of 36
Released	December 5, 2012
Written by	Story: Marc Guggenheim Andrew Kreisberg Script: Beth Schwartz Katherine Walczak
Art by	Mico Suayan
Colors by	Ikari Studio (David Lopez & Santi Casas)
Cover by	Phil Hester Eric Gapstur Randy Mayor
Chronology
Previous chapter	"[REC.]"
Next chapter	"Caged"

"Falling" is the ninth chapter of the comic book series Arrow. It was released digitally on December 5, 2012. "Falling" is the ninth chapter of the Arrow comic book series.

Synopsis

This must-read chapter provides a glimpse into Helena Bertinelli's fateful relationship with Michael Staton.

Plot

The story opens with Helena waking up in her apartment, after she and Oliver had been intimate. Helena has a flashback of when her fiancé Michael Staton was still alive and she had come to visit him while he was teaching a class. Michael then has his students open their books for her, asking Helena to marry him, to which she agrees. They left together that afternoon and Helena mentioned that she called her father to tell him their good news and that he wanted to hold an engagement party for them, however, they were interrupted by a woman carrying out an unconscious student, who was carried away in an ambulance. The incident reportedly being drug0related and Michael was shocked that someone would sell drugs to a student.

At the Bertinelli Mansion Helena questions her father, Frank, asking if he works with the drug dealer Tony D'urso, to which he responds in the affirmative. When he asks to the reason for her enquiry, Helena tells him "A student of Michael's OD'D today, on Tony's pills". He refrains from response. Frank is sorry for what happened to Michael's student but tries to justify it as business - this angers Helena as she criticizes him, telling him that he should not be working with men like Tony and that a kid almost died because of that so-called business. They get into a heated argument, in which he further attempts to justify his "business" as a means of provision for his family.

Later, at the engagement party, Frank congratulates the couple and expresses his hope that Michael would join the "family business". Michael, however, politely declines the offer, stating that "teaching is his calling", before he proceeds to dance with Helena.

Sometime later, Frank sends Nick Salvati, his right-hand man to check out Michael. While Nick searches through Michael's apartment, he finds a laptop, and goes to see what information it contains, when he receives a call from Frank, who sarcastically asks; "so is my daughter engaged to Donnie Brasco or do i actually have to pay for this wedding?". Nick gives him bad news, that Michael has (supposedly) gathered enough evidence to send him to jail, and he was just about to hand over to the FBI. Frank orders Nick to kill Michael so as to protect himself and his interests. When Michael returns to his apartment expecting Helena, Nick shoots him. This shot resulting in his demise. Helena arrived home later to find Michael's body on the floor, lying in a pool pf blood. She is horrified and devastated over the death of the man she loved.

Sometime after Michael's death, Helena moves back into the Bertinelli Mansion, and whilst still mourning the death of her fiancé, she wakes up late one night and overhears her father speaking on the telephone - when she gets close and listens to the entire conversation, she discovers that Frank was behind Michael's murder.

Helena attends Michael's funeral. Tony tells Helena that he is so sorry for her loss, and Frank gives her emotional support, (unaware that Helena is well aware of him being behind Michael's murder). He states that she will survive this, Helena then throws a rose into the hole, where Michael's coffin is before it is sealed by soil, when Tony appears and offers Helena some of his product should she need it.

A year later, Helena begins a crusade against her father and his associates, as revenge for Michael's death, she tracked down Tony, and during a drug deal she kills him, claiming that it was a start to avenging her fiancé's death.

The memory then fades and her consciousness transitions to the present day. When Oliver wakes up, he asks Helena if she had had a bad dream. When she hesitates to respond, Oliver asks if she is all right, this time she responds by saying, "Yeah, but I'm awake now".

Gallery

Digital cover