AN: Hey! This is that role reversal story based off of Lydiamaritn's post on tumblr! Yes Sara is the main character and this will eventually be Smoaking Canary :D Sara uses knives, her bo staff, and a bow and arrows. I changed things up and hopefully everyone will enjoy Inverse!

It was almost a daily routine now. She would run along the edge of the beach hoping she would see a boat, any boat. As she ran along the rocks, a noise broke through the silence. She glanced out at the ocean and there it was. A fishing boat. She quickly ran until she was close enough to fire an arrow at her makeshift signal post. She fired an arrow and hit her mark sending the pile of wood into a burst of flames. She saw the boat coming towards her now. She was going to get off of this island and return home. She was going to keep her promise. The boat docked and she was met by two Chinese fishermen. They helped her onto the boat and gave her water. She drank it as she stared back at the island and watched it get farther away.

'The name of the island they found me on is called Lian Yu and I have been stranded here for 5 years. I had one goal, to return home. I vowed to get stronger, to get back home and fix the wrongs done by his father. I became something else, someone else. My name is Sara Lance and by the time I get done with the criminals of Starling City, they will have wished I'd died on that island.'

…...

They took Sara to a hospital and put her in a room alone. Everyone was quiet as they looked her over and made sure she was fine. Sara barely responded to anything they asked her. When she finally was alone in the room, she couldn't stop looking out the window. She was home. Starling City hadn't changed much since she had been gone from what she could see. A knock at the door sounded, but she didn't turn around. Instead she waited for the person to walk in.

"Sara?" The voice made her remember all that she had done and everything that would never happen again.

"Dad." Sara turned around and was immediately engulfed in a tight hug. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't sure what to say. Five years on that island and she had no idea what she was supposed to say.

"Let's go home Sara."

…...

Apparently when Sara disappeared, the entire family fell apart. Her dad and mom got a divorce and her dad now lived alone in an apartment. Laurel threw herself into law school and tried to forget about everything that had gone wrong. Sara walked into the small apartment and looked around. Her dad had pictures of the family on the walls and the place was kind of messy. She dropped her bag on the floor beside the couch and looked back at her dad.

"I'm sorry dad."

"How about pizza for dinner?" Quentin asked as he shut the door. Why he was ignoring what she said made no sense. Wasn't he upset that she had run away on that boat with Oliver? Didn't he hate her for wrecking the family? He must have noticed her confusion because he smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sara. I just got you back after five years. How about we sit down and have a quiet dinner?"

"Dad..." She knew she wasn't the same person anymore. She really did die on that boat. The old Sara was never coming back.

"Right now I'm just glad to have you back Sara. I was mad at first, but then I realized you were just a kid and you did make a terrible choice by going with Queen. Do you know what that did to your sister?"

"Laurel hates me?"

"I don't think she hates you. It's more like she hates Queen for letting you go." Quentin said. Sara nodded and sat down. "I'm going to order pizza."

"Okay." Sara felt the book in the pocket of her jacket and closed her eyes for a minute.

"We're having guests over for dinner tonight."

"Who?"

"Laurel and Tommy." Sara nodded and relaxed a little. "You can have the bedroom and I'll take the couch."

"It's fine dad really. I'll be fine here."

"Sara."

"Dad really it's fine. The couch is better than what I've had for the past five years." Sara reassured with a small smile. Her dad sighed and rose his hands in defeat.

"All right. Just let me know if you want to switch."

"Sure thing dad." Sara became silent again as her father ordered the pizza. She wasn't ready to see her sister again. Not after how she went with Oliver on the boat. Laurel was dating him, not Sara, yet she went and she was sure Laurel hated her for it. She didn't even know why Tommy wanted to come over. She never really cared about him much. He could get annoying, but he was Oliver's best friend, so she had gotten used to seeing him. Sara really didn't have any friends worth returning to. Sure she had some before, but now she wasn't that girl. She was stronger and nobody would understand what she had gone through. A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought.

"Could you get that?" Her dad asked from the kitchen. Sara took a deep breath and stood up. She opened the door and saw her sister. Laurel immediately wrapped her arms around Sara and held her close. Sara smiled into Laurel's shoulder and hugged her back.

"Sara...you're really here."

"Yeah. I'm home sis." Sara pulled away with a smile. Tommy stepped up and gave Sara a big hug.

"Hey Sara."

"Tommy."

"You've grown up." He said as he looked her up and down. Laurel smacked his arm when she saw him looking. Sara smiled and stepped aside to let them in. They walked in and sat down on the couch. Laurel sat next to her sister.

"How are you?"

"Good. I'm glad to be home." The words were sincere. She was glad to be back, but she was worried to see how people reacted. She knew they would never stop asking her what happened and what she did for five years, but that wasn't going to stop her from enjoying being alive. When the pizza had arrived, they all sat down at the kitchen table and talked about what was going on in the world. Tommy started listing off things that happened while Sara was gone, and she nodded as if she cared about them. She didn't pay much attention to sports. She liked baseball, but not as much as her father. The dinner was pretty good. It wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be.

"So what was the island like?" Laurel asked as Sara took a sip of her drink. Sara set her glass down. The entire table had gone silent by now.

"Lonely." Sara admitted. She rose from her seat. "May I be excused? I'd like to take a shower." Her father nodded and Sara left them. Laurel looked down at her hands.

"Give her some time Laurel. She'll open up eventually." Quentin said quietly. Tommy and Laurel bid him goodnight as they left for the night. Sara laid down on the couch and closed her eyes to get some sleep. Like every night she tried to sleep, Sara only got nightmares. Every night she would relive the incident on the boat. She saw Oliver get swallowed by the ocean and she woke up gasping for breath. When she opened her eyes, Sara found that she was alone. Her father had gone to talk to his partner. Sara walked into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. She barely recognized the face she saw in it. No longer an innocent girl, Sara had indeed grown. She sighed and returned to the couch. She would need to get some sleep if she was going out tomorrow. She had a promise to keep.

…...

The next day, Sara woke up before her father and left a note saying she had gone to walk around the city. She grabbed her jacket and locked the door behind her. She took a deep breath and started walking down the street. She was walking in front of a store when someone practically ran her over. Sara looked at the girl who had ran into her.

"Thea?" Sara asked in surprise. Thea smiled at her.

"Hey Sara." Sara could tell Thea was holding back her words. She could see the tears in her eyes.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. How about you? Coming back from the dead must not be easy."

"I'll be okay." Sara chose her next words carefully. "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much, but please don't hate him."

"Oliver went on that boat by choice. Our dad took him and I'm guessing he asked you."

"Yes he did."

"And of course you said yes."

"I loved him Thea."

"Even though Laurel, your own sister, was dating him. Pretty messed up if you ask me, but you didn't kill him Sara. I still can't look at you without thinking of my brother, but I don't hate you."

"Thank you Thea." Sara smiled a little and Thea hugged her.

"We were sort of friends you know. But can I ask you something? About Oliver?"

"Okay."

"Did he suffer?" Thea crossed her arms and took a deep breath. Sara shook her head.

"No. He didn't."

"Good." Thea brushed away some tears that were ready to fall. "I...I have to go. I'm meeting someone. It was good to see you again. Maybe we can...I don't know...hang out sometime?"

"That would be great Thea. I'll see you around." Sara and Thea said their goodbyes and parted ways. Sara took a minute to calm herself. She didn't think she would be seeing Thea that soon. Of course they had been friends. Sara and Thea got along well over the years. It would be difficult to be around each other like old times. Sara walked along the streets in the Glades. The place was a mess. She furrowed her brow and looked everything over. She would find a way to help out. She saw the building she had been searching for. An old building of the Queen's. She knew it would be a perfect place for a hideout. Sara moved along. She heard some yelling down an alley and found three men cornering a girl. Sara ran towards them and knocked out one of them before being noticed. The other two cursed and faced her. Sara saw an old broom handle laying on the ground and kicked it in the air to catch it. She smacked it against one of the guys head and then used it to knock the other guy off his feet. He shook his head and got to his feet. Sara got behind him and used the broom stick to hold him close. "People like you shouldn't exist." She quickly turned her hands and broke his neck. She made sure she killed the other two men next before looking for the girl. She had ran off during the fight. Sara sighed and quickly escaped from the scene before the cops got there. She felt something prick her neck and pulled it out with a curse. Her vision faded and she fell to the ground with a thud. Before things went black, a man crouched down in front of her. She gave him a dirty look and let her head drop.

…...

When she opened her eyes, Sara found that she had been zip cuffed to a chair in an empty room. Well besides the men standing around her, it was empty. She glared at the masked man in front of her. He held a stun gun.

"Hello Miss Lance."

"What the hell do you want?" Sara spat.

"Did Robert Queen survive the shipwreck?" Sara looked at the other men in the room and tightened her fists behind her. "I ask the questions and you answer them." He put the stun gun to her chest and she grunted as the electricity went through her. She glared at him again. "Did he survive it or not!?"

"Yes."

"What did he tell you?"

"That I would kill you." Sara said with confidence. The men around her laughed and she waited for them to stop.

"You're zip cuffed to that chair and you're going to kill us?" Sara grinned and lifted her hands.

"Not anymore." She jumped up and used the chair to fight off the men. She broke one of the wooden parts off and stabbed it into the chest of the man behind her before taking the stun gun and pressing it against another man's throat. The third man fired his gun at her and she used the man she was holding as a shield. The gunman took off running and she sprinted after him. She jumped across boxes and got up behind him. She jumped and tackled him to the ground. He swore and she lifted him up so she could hold him in a choke hold. He struggled for air and tried to break free.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do." Sara said as she broke his neck. She could hear sirens closing in. Her dad was not going to like this. She went back into the other room and sat down against the wall. She had to look like someone who was kidnapped and not like someone who had just killed all these people. She heard footsteps running towards her.

"Sara!"

"Dad!" Sara rose to her feet using the wall for balance although she didn't need it. He hugged her and looked around.

"What the hell happened?!"

"I was walking and then everything went black. I woke up here."

"Who killed these men Sara?"

"Some girl in a mask." Sara crossed her arms. Quentin looked around him again.

"She okay?" Another officer walked up to them.

"Yeah. Sara this is John Diggle. He's going to get you home. He is my partner and a good friend."

"Okay." Sara began walking towards the exit. Quentin looked at Diggle.

"She says a woman in a mask did this."

"So are we looking for a ninja?"

"I'm not sure. Question her on the way for me."

"Sure thing. I'll get her home safe and sound."

"Thanks John."

"Let's get you home Sara." Diggle smiled and led her to his car. They got in and Sara stared out the window. He looked over at her every now and then. "Can you remember anything else about the woman who saved you?"

"Everything was fuzzy." Sara said calmly. "She had blonde hair though. The mask was black and I think she was wearing black leather."

"That it?"

"It happened quickly..."

"It's okay Sara. Your dad is just glad you're okay. After all this is your first day home."

"Yeah."

"Let me or your dad know if you remember anything else okay?"

"I will." Sara said as she waited for the car to make a complete stop before getting out. Diggle got out and walked her to her door. She walked inside and he told her to lock the doors before he left. She smiled and thanked him before sitting on the couch. Tomorrow she would be going to work on her new lair. For now, she had to act like the girl who had just been kidnapped. Nobody could find out her secret. Not yet.

…...

"Sara!" A hand grabbed her and hoisted her up onto the inflatable raft. She coughed up water and quickly turned to look for Oliver. She cried out into the darkness and got nothing in return. She cried and turned to the other two men with her. Oliver's father and a member of the crew had survived. "He's gone Sara."

"Oliver..." Sara wrapped her arms around her knees and Robert Queen handed her some water. The crew member complained saying it was all they had.

"If anyone is going to make it out alive, it's going to be her." He said. "Sara I need you to know something. I was going to tell this to Oliver, but...you're the only one left. I need you to know I'm not who I made out to be. I never helped the city. I destroyed it."

…...

Sara woke up and checked the time. Her dad was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She sat up and yawned. She pulled the blanket off of her and set it aside before walking into the kitchen and greeting her dad.

"Morning."

"Sara! Morning. Did I wake you?"

"No."

"You okay?"

"Yeah dad. I'm fine really."

"All right. Well sit down I'm almost done with breakfast." Sara smiled and sat down at the table. She watched her dad slide eggs and bacon onto a plate before handing it to her. "Milk or orange juice?"

"Orange juice please." Sara took a bite of the eggs and grinned. "I missed this."

"I'm glad you still like them then." He smiled and handed her a glass of juice and sat down to eat. They ate in silence. Sara really did miss eating breakfast. She missed eating as a family though, and that wasn't going to happen again since her mom was gone.

"I'll do the dishes dad."

"Really?" He asked in surprise. Sara had never really offered to help out that much. Sara smiled and grabbed her dirty dishes before placing them in the sink.

"I have changed."

"I see that." He took his plate and set it in the sink. "Got any plans for today?"

"Just going to walk around the city."

"Sara..."

"Dad I don't think I'll get kidnapped again."

"I could have lost you again Sara. I love you and I don't think I can handle losing you twice."

"Dad..." Sara turned and wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes and just held him. "I'm not going anywhere." Sara stepped away and Quentin smiled at her.

"Go ahead and get dressed. I'll put the dishes away."

"Okay." Sara stepped out of the kitchen and grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom. She stripped off her pajamas and threw them in the laundry basket before picking up a pair of pants and a red t-shirt. She slipped them on and pulled her hair back into a pony tail. She could hear someone downstairs talking to her dad. She finished getting ready and left the bathroom. Her father's partner was sitting on the couch chatting with Quentin. Sara greeted him. "Morning."

"Good morning Sara." Diggle smiled and they stood up.

"Sara. John is going to act as a bodyguard for you."

"What?" Sara looked between the two. "No I really don't need a bodyguard."

"Sara. Three men kidnapped you yesterday and there is a masked vigilante running around killing people. Just do this for me."

Sara rose her hands in defeat. "All right."

"Thank you. I need to get to work. Take care of her John."

"Will do Quentin." Quentin exited the apartment and Sara was left with Diggle.

"So...ex-military huh?"

"Yes. Don't worry. You won't even notice me."

"Okay then. Let's head out." Sara picked up her jacket after slipping her boots on. She watched Diggle get in the drivers seat before slipping in the back. They drove off and Sara thought of a way to ditch her bodyguard. She shifted in her seat. "So how long have you known my dad?"

"Well it's been a few years. I joined the force after my tour. He's a great guy. Always talking about his children and thinking about everyone's safety. He only told me to watch you because he loves you." He heard a door close and looked in the backseat. He cursed and stopped the car. Sara was nowhere to be found. "Well it looks like I really do have a troublemaker on my hands." He shook his head and began his search for the girl. Sara smiled to herself. She looked around her before hopping over the fence surrounding the abandoned Queen's Industrial building. She opened up the doors and checked to see if all her bags were there. She looked around and nodded. This would be her building of operations. She just needed to take everything downstairs. She quickly went to work on making an entrance to bring the bigger stuff down. It was a good thing she trained hard. She was stronger than she thought she ever could be. It was a little difficult breaking down walls and carefully dropping the heavy boxes and equipment downstairs. It took a couple hours, but she finally managed to set everything up. She started setting out her weapons on the tables. She had knives, arrows, and other assorted weapons. She walked over to a wooden box and opened it up. She sighed and pulled out a bow. It wasn't her choice of weapon, but she couldn't just leave it on the island. It meant too much. She set it aside and picked up another weapon. This one she smiled at. It was a bo staff. One that could split into two separate pieces when needed. She set it on the weapon table and looked around her. She had everything she needed. Her phone rang and she picked it up only to groan. It was her dad.

"Dad?"

"Sara! Where are you?!"

"Sorry dad. I just needed some alone time."

"Really Sara? I just asked one thing from you."

"I know dad, but I'm fine really."

"Just please get home soon."

"Okay dad." Sara hung up and shook her head. It was going to be hard to fight crime with a bodyguard. Sara turned on the TV and leaned back in her chair. Adam Hunt was on the news. Apparently he had some case in court and her sister just so happened to be going against him. Sara sighed and pulled out a small notebook. She flipped through the pages until she found the name she was searching for. Adam Hunt was on the list which meant she needed to go after him. She rose up out of her seat and picked up a mask. Adam Hunt thought he could beat anything that came at him, but he hasn't meant her yet. He would soon find out what it's like to lose.

…...

"Why haven't you taken care of that attorney yet!?"

"She won't be a problem much longer Mr. Hunt."

"She better not be." Adam got in the car and slammed the door. He heard a thud and saw one of his bodyguards unconscious on the ground. He got out of the car once his second man fell. "Who's there!?"

"Adam Hunt."

"What the hell do you want!?"

Sara slammed him up against his car and he now had a look of fear on his face. "You're going to transfer forty million dollars into Starling City bank tomorrow at 10pm."

"Or what?"

"Or I will take it and you won't like how." Sara pushed him away and walked away.

"I'll kill you if I ever see you again!" Adam yelled. Sara turned and threw a knife at his face. He watched it soar through the car window before looking back to the spot where Sara had previously been.

…...

"She paid me a visit last night!" Adam yelled as he picked up the knife Sara had thrown. Quentin took it and looked at it.

"Okay we'll put out an APB for your masked ninja."

"No! She said ten tonight. I want you to be here before then! Talk to my head of security." Adam pointed at his head of security and Quentin and Diggle just nodded slowly. Quentin walked into the elevator with his partner and sighed.

"If this vigilante wants to pick a fight, we'll give her one."

…...

Sara was trying to get some sleep when she heard a gun fire. She jolted awake and looked at Oliver's father. He had just shot the other man on the raft. He looked at Sara.

"I need you to survive and make it home Sara. Right my wrongs." He pointed the gun at his head and fired.

…...

Sara opened her eyes and stared at the clock on the wall. It was ten and Adam Hunt had not transferred the money like she asked. She had made sure to check out Hunt's building for entrances and exits beforehand. She picked up her bow and quiver, and proceeded to leave. Adam Hunt would regret his decision. Sara jumped across the rooftops and saw the police in front of Hunt's building. She raised her bow and fired and arrow. It connected to the building and she zip lined down into the place. She used the bow to take out each enemy before getting in the elevator. She readied and arrow and waited for the doors to open. Once they did the arrow went flying into a guards chest. The others had looked at the fallen man, and failed to see the arrows flying at them. Sara grabbed one man and threw him through Hunt's glass door. The gunmen inside shot the guard and Sara fired an arrow at one man and then started hitting the second guy with the bow. She knocked him out and shot an arrow towards Adam's head. He laughed.

"You missed."

"No I didn't." She was tackled to the ground by one of the guards that she must have missed. She fought the man as Adam ran out of the room. She heard yelling as she put a knife in her opponent's chest. She ran and picked up her bow before the cops entered.

"Put down your weapons!" They opened fire as Sara shot an arrow out the window and used the bow to get across the line. Quentin and Diggle stared out the window with gaping mouths. "You saw that right?"

"Yeah...our ninja can now use a bow." Diggle said as he looked behind him at the damage.

…...

Sara sat in front of her computer and watched as the transfer went through. She had managed to get the money and now she could finally cross his name off the list. Sara opened the book and drew a line through Adam Hunt's name. She was off to a good start on saving the city. Sara leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. The city was just starting to see who she had become. Everyone would wish she had died on that island.

…...

Moira stood outside her mansion and a man walked up to her.

"The men hired to kidnap Sara Lance have failed. Should we hire someone else?"

"No there are other ways to find out what she knows."