"We can confirm that the vigilante is not Oliver Queen. When the SCPD does discover the vigilante's identity, he will be placed under arrest and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Star City does not tolerate vigilantism in any form. Thank you". Laurel replayed her words from the press conference yesterday morning as she walked toward the main doors of the SCPD. She passed by the police captain, Dinah Drake's office and made her way to unlock her own. Secretly, she wished that the vigilante was Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen got results, much like herself, and Laurel was almost sure at this point that Oliver was the only person in Star City that would be capable of helping her take down Diaz and get justice for the only person on earth 1 that cared about her. Her father's earth 1 doppelganger.
Dinah caught up with Laurel before she reached her office. "Laurel. We need to talk." Dinah said.
Laurel rolled her eyes. "If this is about the Conway case, I already told Anastas that I need more time."
"That's not why I'm here, and you know it," Dinah said.
"Aw, did you miss me? That's so sweet" Laurel mocked in response.
Dinah let that one go and said: "Why have you been evading your SCPD security detail? I need you to comply". Laurel unlocked her office door and Dinah followed her inside. Laurel sat down at her desk, intending to ignore Dinah and get to work. "Now, I don't really care if Diaz kills you, but I do care if he kills the DA".
"Touching!" Laurel said.
"Diaz kidnapped you," Dinah said. "He killed Quentin, who everyone believes is your father". Laurel continued staring down at the work on her desk. "It's such a joke" Dinah sighed, causing Laurel's head to snap up and look Dinah in the eyes.
"Hey, I cared about him," Laurel said, with her voice changing into a serious tone.
"Then let my officers protect you. It's what he would have wanted" Dinah said.
Laurel looked at Dinah blankly. The thoughts in her head were: "What Quentin would've wanted? How would you even know that?" While Laurel's thoughts flew about her head, Dinah took a seat on the other side of Laurel's desk. Laurel sighed. "Isn't babysitting a little below your pay grade?"
"Way below," Dinah replied, "but the SCPD is going to keep you safe, whether you want us to or not".
"You might as well make yourself useful while you're here and go get me a cup of coffee. Two sugars, no cream" Laurel said.
"That's never happening," Dinah said and Laurel rolled her eyes once again.
Laurel worked quietly for most of the day with Dinah watching her, but she was really just waiting for an opening so she could evade her as well. It was not gonna be easy though. Laurel knew from experience that the woman who was watching her didn't give up.
Laurel finished up work and Dinah was called away momentarily. "Stay here. I am sending another officer to take my place" Dinah said.
Laurel thought: "Is she listening to herself? There is absolutely no way that I am going to". Laurel surreptitiously left the SCPD and adjusted her mind set. She knew where she would be going and she was prepared to face Diaz and whoever it was that was working for him.
She made it as far as the surrounding area of the building Diaz bought once he was in with The Quadrant. He had intended to use that building as some kind of headquarters, or at least that was how he explained it to her when they had been... intimate. It sickened her that she had ever fallen under his spell. She walked along in the dark, and she spotted Dinah a few feet ahead of her, gun pointed at the ground, walking cautiously. She walked up behind Dinah. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
"Ya know, I should be asking you the same question," Dinah said.
"How did you find me?" Laurel asked.
"Well, I am a cop, Laurel," Dinah said. "What is this place?"
"Diaz bought it" Laurel revealed. "Right after he joined The Quadrant. Planning on renovating, wanted to turn it into his own 'castle'".
"And you think he is in there?" Dinah asked.
"Well, I don't think he is welcome at the Star City Plaza," Laurel said.
"You're going to kill him?" Dinah asked with a half-questioning and half-mocking tone.
"Let's hope so" Laurel replied. She began to walk away from Dinah.
"Ya know, I'm not buying it," Dinah said and Laurel turned around and looked at her. "You're practicing law. Fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. You haven't changed though. You know, deep down, you are still the same lying murderer who killed the man I loved".
Laurel took a deep breath. "I'm not that person anymore," she said. Without giving Dinah a chance to attack her with more words, Laurel proceeded into the building. She easily unlocked the door without a key, and even Dinah had to internally admit she was impressed. Laurel looked around and Dinah followed her closely with her gun pointed. Laurel caught sight of an African American woman who she recognized as The Silencer, one of the Longbow Hunters. She raced towards The Silencer and unleashed her cry. The Silencer, however, silenced it with a sound dampener that was built into her belt. Both Laurel and Dinah engaged The Silencer in hand to hand combat, but The Silencer had the upper hand. She kicked Dinah in the stomach, taking her down. Laurel rushed at her, but she lifted Laurel off the ground and threw her hard against the wall. She began to walk towards Laurel, planning to kick her jaw out, but all of a sudden, a rope tied itself around her legs and she was strung up upside down.
The new Green Arrow stood only a foot away. He shot an arrow into The Silencer's belt to disable it the sound dampener and then shot a boxing glove arrow at her face and knocked her out cold. Dinah scrambled to her feet. "Show me your face" she demanded. Laurel stood up while the vigilante removed his hood and his mask. "I don't understand," Dinah said and Laurel nodded her head slowly in agreement.
Oliver stepped toward Laurel as if Dinah was not in the room with them. "Don't you recognize me. Babe, I'm home. I mean, not our home... but you're my home".
"Oliver, I don't know how you got out of prison... and I know I am guilty of some fucked up shit... but Oliver, you're crossing a line-" Laurel began to say but Oliver cut her off.
"Laurel, that Oliver is still locked up in Slabside Penitentiary. I finally made it home on earth 2, but when I learned you were on earth 1, I had to see you, my wish to see you again is the only thing that has kept me alive for the past 11 years" Oliver said.
"Not possible," Laurel said, tears threatening to spill. "On my earth, you died when the gambit went down. Your father came back".
"No baby, I didn't die. I survived and I'm gonna tell you everything. But not here. I'm gonna take you back to my hideout. This multiple earths thing is new to me too. But I've seen a lot over the past 11 years so..."
"You're not going anywhere," Dinah said, pointing her gun at Oliver.
"No! Don't hurt him. Don't arrest him. I swear to god, Dinah-" Laurel screamed and Dinah screamed back at her, sonic sound waves crashing into each other. Dinah's were cut short though when she was hit in the stomach with a sound dampening arrow. She fell to the ground. "Oh my god!" Laurel screamed.
"I'm sorry. We have to get her to a hospital. I didn't want to do that... but she was trying to hurt you. And I promised myself that when I returned I would protect you from anyone or anything who meant to cause you harm" Oliver said.
