The Arrowverse Files: Across Time and the Multiverse

by snow1010

Lost stories of all the heroes we know and love in the CW Arrowverse.

My name is Dinah Olivia Queen. After almost five years on the run, I've returned home with only one goal; to save my city. But a new threat has emerged; the Thanagarians. With the help of my fellow heroes of the new Justice Society, we will save the world from this alien threat.

I am the Black Canary.

…

Before.

I guess you could say that I never had an ordinary life. How could you, when your parents were in the crime-fighting business? As well as all their closest friends, as close as family?

As the daughter of Green Arrow, the first thing I learned was to defend myself. When I was little, I was almost too good at it, sending too many bullies home with bloody noses if they happened to look at me weirdly. Maybe it was foreshadowing for my eventual penchant for violence.

I always knew even then, that I would be different from everyone else. By publicly being the child of the Star City Mayor as well as the co-CEO of Helix Dynamics, I would always be under threat of being kidnapped. That meant I always had to be watchful, careful of everything I did.

That was until when one day, in one of my classes, I was called to present something. I forget what it was. Either way, I was nervous, my tummy twisted in pretzels. My throat was tight, and it ached.

Clutching my little fists, I still marched to the front of the class, and faced the other kids. But when I opened my mouth to speak, a high-pitched sound emerged. I closed it. Shaking my head, I tried again.

My sonic cry shattered the windows. Several of the kids suffered lacerations from the glass. With the help of the Legends' memory wiping device, nobody remembered what had happened. But having the ability, the same as Aunt Dinah, it terrified me.

So I refused to open my mouth. I swore never to speak again.

Mom, Dad, Will, Aunt Dinah, Mr. Diggle, even Curtis and Rene visited from out of town to try to get me to talk. Nothing worked.

It wasn't until JJ sat beside me one night, in the Queen apartment.

"Come on, Tweety bird," he said, with that annoying little grin. "You can't keep quiet forever. Of course, I don't mind-"

"Don't call me that." My voice was grumbly with disuse, feeling unnatural on my tongue.

There was that frustrating grin again. "Good to have you back, Tweety."

I pouted.

"Come on. Don't you think it's cool though? You got the same power as the Black Canary! That means you could be her one day."

I vehemently shook my head. "No. I'm going to be the Green Arrow."

Of course I didn't understand what it meant to take on a mantle of a hero. All I knew was that my dad was a superhero. That meant I wanted to be one too.

"I doubt your brother would like that."

Will was a protective older brother. My knight in shining armour, and all that.

So the next thing I learned was to control my ability. Aunt Dinah as well as Aunt Laurel taught me what they knew. Soon enough I could control it. Though they always said to use it only in emergency.

….

As I got older, Dad grew more and more lenient towards letting me into the superhero community. Finally, when I entered high school, he agreed to train me officially as his sidekick, though he didn't call it that.

In my vehemence to prove that I was ready, I threw myself into physical training. It must have paid off, because a box soon arrived in the bunker from Central City.

With quiet pride, Dad handed me the box. Mom was there, along with Mr. Diggle and Will. Will crossed his arms, his face closed off. I knew he wouldn't like me becoming a vigilante. But he couldn't talk really. He had become Speedy when he was around my age. But he quickly retired, realizing that the vigilante lifestyle wasn't for him. He rather preferred helping people with volunteering projects and such. He had no interest in succeeding the Green Arrow mantle.

I opened the box. Inside was a green hood.

"So what's going to be your name?"

I held up the hood, the smooth leather supple in my fingers. I wasn't going to be Speedy like Will. Or Artemis. I was going to be the Green Arrow one day.

"Arrowette," I answered.

…

"No guards around the perimeter," I said through the comms.

"Copy that, Arrowette," Green Arrow replied. "Let's go in."

The warehouse was a drug farm. This gang was synthesizing a new, more potent version of Vertigo, one that seemed to be cut with fentanyl. Drug overdoses were rampant across the city.

I started off at a run. Nocking a zipline arrow, I let it fly. I didn't hesitate as I leapt off the roof, catching the zipline. As I sped towards the warehouse, I realized that my aim was a bit off with the zipline arrow. I had aimed it too far right.

I cursed, trying to slow my descent. As it got closer and closer, I took in a deep breath. And let out my sonic cry.

The window and wall gave in with a groan as I burst through the hole, landing in a crouch. Men and women wearing face masks looked up, gloved hands paused in the middle of their task.

It seems I was the first one to get in. That wasn't good.

I aimed a smoke grenade at the floor. It hissed as it released white smoke. The scientists fled the warehouse, while the guards came running.

The others burst in, as I slung my bow across my body, withdrawing an arrowette from my sleeve. As the first guard came in, I threw the arrowette, the small projectile finding home in his leg.

As the others took on the guards, I went over to makeshift lab, studying the chemicals. Most of them were non-flammable, though there were a few. So I threw them into a metal safe and locked it. All the evidence that would be needed to link the gang to Vertigo crisis. I also pocketed a lighter, engraved with the gang's symbol.

"Black Canary, I got the evidence," I said. "It's secured, but I can't lift it out of here."

"Good, put it aside, and help clean up the guards."

Nodding, I immediately ran back into the fray. Leaping into the air, I took a gunman down with a swift quick to the back. Then I charged at another, ducking underneath his baton, pushing his arm away from him. Taking out an arrowette, I stuck it in his foot. Screaming, he dropped his gun. With a swift elbow to the jaw, he was down.

Soon enough, the warehouse was clear. Spartan, Green Arrow, and Black Canary trotted over, finding me by the safe.

"Why is there a hole in the wall?" Spartan asked.

I grinned sheepishly. "I misaimed a bit with the zipline arrow. So I used my cry to make my way in."

Green Arrow shook his head. "You know what I've said about using your power."

"I know. But it was either that or break an arm hitting the wall. You know I'm not as good as you with the bow."

Spartan and Black Canary shook their heads. Green Arrow patted my shoulder. "Good work on securing the evidence."

I smiled.

…..

Things were good for a while. But the vigilante lifestyle was draining. My grades were starting to drop. And being Arrowette didn't give me the same fulfillment as it did in the beginning. Maybe I had outgrown the sidekick identity.

So I decided to take a little sabbatical for lack of better word. Focus on my studies. Things ran smoothly, my grades went up, I would be graduating high school soon, it was great.

Little did I know that this was only the calm before the storm.

Before any semblance of my semi-normal life went up in flames.

Part I: 2041-2042: Star City

"Congratulations, graduates of 2041!"

A flurry of hats rose into the air as the now former high school students threw them upwards. I caught mine out of the air, rubbing the tassel between my fingers.

Finally. I was done.

Now, on to the next step of my life.

Winding my way through the crowd, I went out back through the hallways, my small wedge heels loud against the linoleum.

I paused. Someone was following me.

Without thinking, I whirled, grabbing my pursuer, twisting their arm and slamming them hard into the lockers. The metal groaned in protest. Laughter followed.

"Nice to see you too, Tweety," JJ groaned, as I let go of his arm.

"You know better than to sneak up on me," I said, placing my hands on my hips.

"I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen," another male voice added.

I whirled. William grinned, brown eyes twinkling. He wore a neat button down, tucked into blue pants. Laughing, I tackled him with a hug. He squeezed me tight, ruffling my hair.

"You look pretty grown up, sis," he patted my shoulder.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm still your bratty, annoying little sister."

"Ha, I don't know about that. You weren't that bratty."

I shoved at his shoulder. "So how was your trip?"

"Enlightening."

"I bet. Going to who-knows-where to find yourself. Must have been pretty nice to get away from the city."

"It was. But I of course had to come back. I have responsibilities you know."

"Of course." Will had followed in Dad's footsteps, and had gone into politics, after a successful turn as an engineer. He was good at it, and obviously inherited Dad's easy charisma and ease with people. Whereas I inherited my mom's social anxiety, and tendency to ramble.

"So, Tweety, got some exciting news to share?" JJ teased, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"What news?" William asked.

"I got into the CSI program in Central City."

"I'm so happy for you. Congrats."

"William!"

Oliver Queen came, waltzing into the hallway. Felicity Smoak followed afterwards. The mundane background of Star City Secondary seemed too ordinary around them, both dressed impeccably. Other people stared as the power couple of Star City approached us. Sometimes it was a bit of a slap in the face realizing that they were my parents.

He gave William a hug first, the two men patting each other's shoulders.

"Good to see you, son. Glad you're back."

"Me too."

After everyone reunited, we left together. But before we could get into the car, the media came swarming, demanding a picture of the Queen family.

"Let's humour them, shall we?" Dad said, straightening his tie. Already, he had his camera-ready smile on.

I sighed, but followed my family towards the photographers.

…

The family gathered around the television, waiting for the news. Meanwhile, I was looking at houses, Dawn's cheery face hovering in the corner of my screen.

"So this is it?" I asked.

"Yep! So it'll be me, you, Don and Mina. We're trying to get Martie in on it, but I don't know if he'll be able to handle all of us at once. We've all been wanting to move out, and you coming to Central City seemed the perfect excuse."

"It's nice that I'll know some people in the city. Besides, I think it'll be a good thing, me moving."

"Protests getting worse?"

"Yeah."

In the past few years, the number of metahumans has been increasing steadily. With that, metahuman crime has also been increasing, along with anti-meta sentiment. Things didn't help when the President and his cabinet was assassinated by an unknown meta, leaving the country in utter disarray.

ARGUS had placed an interim President in power, and now people were calling for change. There was talk to declaring metahumans illegal. Or making metahumans wear inhibitory collars and identifying tags. There had been an attempt before to put in regulations against metas in 2021, before I was born. But there hadn't been enough support for it.

Central City was decidedly against it. After all, their champion was a meta himself. They declared themselves a sanctuary city for metas.

But Star City was a different story. Despite being grudgingly pro-vigilante, they were barely tolerant of metahumans, despite the Black Canary being one.

Rene had reported the same sentiment in the Quad Cities. Curtis was too busy managing Helix Dynamics' new location to really report anything.

With this entire hubbub about the possible anti-metahuman bill in Congress, people had started to protest outside the Mayor's office. Dad was of course pro-metahuman, and now people were calling for re-election, even impeachment. William was of course doing his best as well as the new Deputy Mayor. His predecessor had retired a few years ago, and was enjoying his retirement outside of Star City.

"The house is pretty nice," I commented, as I clicked through the pictures. I could imagine all of us living there together. Almost felt bad for Don though, living with a bunch of girls. I could already imagine his face when encountering a mess left by Dawn. No one came as straight-laced as him.

"And between all of us, it's affordable. Close to campus too, and the downtown core. Wanna check it out this weekend?"

"Okay. I'll get a train ticket."

Dawn laughed. "You do know that I am a speedster. Daughter of the Flash and all that. And there's Mina, daughter of Vibe and Gypsy. Who can literally make breaches."

"Right. Just don't breach or run here at an ungodly hour in the morning."

"Can't promise anything. You know Don, he'll want to be the first one visiting."

"I heard my name?"

Don entered the frame. He waved. "Hey, D.O. How are you?"

"Good. Saw the pictures of the house. Looks good."

He nodded. "I plan on getting us in there as soon as it opens. We want to make a good impression with the landlady."

Dawn raised her eyebrows. I laughed. "Okay."

"Dinah."

I looked up from my screen. Dad hovered by my shoulder. I knew things were serious when he called me by Dinah, instead of little bird, or buddy, or even Olivia.

Voices on the other side of the computer called my attention. Don and Dawn were looking off screen.

"Talk to you later," I said.

Don nodded, shutting off the call.

Dad turned up the TV. A grim-faced reporter folded his hands on the desk on screen, dark eyes unreadable.

"Bill M-52, or the Anti-Metahuman Act of 2021, has passed. Here are some of the details that have been released. Using metahuman powers is now illegal. Known criminal metahumans will be executed upon capture. Upon using metahuman powers, metahumans will be arrested and incarcerated, away from the public."

My ears rang. Metahumans were illegal. I was illegal.

…

The new bill had seemed to break whatever fragile stability the country had built after the President's assassination. Cities, even entire states seemed to be in open protest or rebellion of M-52. Everyone was divided, to the point where we weren't even a country. States of emergency were declared. It was to the point where cities were declaring their independence from the US.

The first to declare themselves a city-state was Central City.

On the other hand, Star City had become a war zone. Protests became violent, with both sides having to be broken up with smoke grenades. Green Arrow, Black Canary and even Spartan were out every night, while William tried to hold the city together from the Mayor's office, commanding the SCPD. JJ was out there as well, as backup, dressed in a black face mask.

With the city in chaos, I asked to help. Of course, Mom and Dad said no. They needed me to focus on packing, on getting to Central City in one piece.

But, I decided one night to disobey. I pulled on my gear, and snuck out into the night. Even in this area of town, I could hear the wails of car alarms and angry shouts. In the distance, the smoky tails of fires rose into the air.

Pulling out a small portable tablet from my boot, I entered a few easy operations, linking myself to dispatch. I didn't dare to try to piggyback on the Bunker's transmission. Mom would detect me right away, and I had never been as good as a hacker as she was. I only had somewhat decent skills because one of the best hackers in the world taught me how.

"Nelson Plaza. Call for backup. Metahuman activists and anti-meta protestors have started a brawl. Gunshots reported."

Tucking the device back into my boot, I nocked a zipline arrow. Feeling the sturdiness of the cable, I hooked my bow to the line. Taking a deep breath, I stepped off the roof.

Zipping downwards, I landed neatly by a rack of motor bikes, a couple of the motorcyclists exchanging silver flasks.

"Hey," I said, waving. "Can I borrow one of your bikes?"

The two burly men stared at me.

"Or maybe one of you guys could give me a ride?" I suggested. "In a bit of a rush."

"How about you give us those fancy weapons you got there?" one of them asked, flicking out a switchblade.

"Really? I asked nice and everything."

He swung, the short blade glinting orange under the streetlight. I stepped back, pushing his arm away from him. He stumbled as his weight was thrown off balance. A swift kick to the ankle had him tangled up with some of the bikes, the others crashing into each other in a quick domino action. The man snarled as he tried to lift the heavy frames off his body.

The other man just sighed. Fishing into his pocket, he held out a set of keys. "Here, try not to demolish it."

"Thanks!" I snatched the keys, and jumped onto the bike. It roared to life underneath me, the strength of it humming in my bones.

I grinned. Then with a quick rev, I was out of there. In a few minutes, I reached the plaza.

The potted plants surrounding the plaza were in flames. The plaza was a writhing mass of people, picket signs bobbing amidst the chaos. One woman lay dead by the stairs, a picket sign reading "We are all HUMAN" speared through her body. Another was close beside her, another picket sign in her chest. This one read "FEW for the MANY".

In the distance, I could see Black Canary, Green Arrow and Spartan working to disperse the crowd. It was working, but there still remained the main group of combatants in the middle of the square. I nocked a flashbang arrow, and fired it to the air. The sudden loud sound caused more to scatter. But not enough. Slinging my bow across my body, I headed for the crowd. Just as a burst of fire rose into the air. The seething mass of people stilled as a meta emerged, flames dancing across his hands.

People began to run as the flames shot across the square.

"Come on, get out of here," I yelled.

In the center, the meta remained, facing off against a group of anti-meta protestors. One woman was reaching inside her jacket, towards her waistband. I nocked a concussive arrow and fired it at her feet. Her companions fled.

"Get out before you're arrested with assault with a deadly weapon," I growled, aiming another arrow at them.

"You don't get it. With metas around, we'll never be safe in our homes. They'll continue to manipulate non-metas. Use their advantage against hard-working ordinary folk," the woman seethed.

"Go home. You can protest your beliefs. But you shouldn't shoot someone over someone else's. Go."

The woman clenched her jaw. "One of those things killed my son. My little boy."

"And one day you can get justice for him. But this is not the way! Killing a stranger for another person's crime? What will that accomplish? You in jail. How can you get justice then?"

The woman lowered the gun. Bowing her head, she ran off.

I turned my arrow towards the meta. Flames still danced over his body, his eyes glowing an angry orange.

"Power down," I ordered.

With a growl, the flames around him faded.

"Meta filth!" someone screamed. A gunshot filled the air.

The meta grunted as the bullet found home in his shoulder. Snarling, he lashed out, flames shooting towards his assailant.

Black Canary burst through the crowd and unleashed her Canary Cry. The meta flew off his feet and into the stairs. The flame projectile faded into nothing just before it hit the shooter.

"You shouldn't be here," Dinah scolded, kneeling by the unconscious meta. She nodded to herself, as she took his pulse.

"You guys were short on hands. Did you really think I'd sit on my ass and let this happen?"

"No, you're just like your parents that way. Bull-headed."

"Don't forget my wonderful aunt," I chirped.

She shook her head, smiling. She sobered, as something caught her attention over my shoulder.

Before I could even think, she rushed at me, pushing me down to the ground. I immediately rolled, pushing myself up, just to see her be shot.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Black Canary's body arched as the bullet hit her straight in the throat, blood scattering in the air. Another hit her in the chest, then the stomach. Her hazel eyes blazed as they landed on me. She crumpled to the ground.

"No."

I scrambled over, flipping her over. I pressed my hands hard into her throat, trying to stem the flow. But it was no use. With all the other gunshots, she was gone.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed over and over again, as I listened to her choke on her own blood. It was wet, and heavy. I could feel the heat of her blood soaking into my gear.

My eyes lifted upwards. In the night, I saw the glint of the opened window from across the plaza. For a moment, the storm of grief faded. Replaced by a cold, cold anger. It wasn't the rage that consumed every inch of you, demanding that something be done. This was more a more terrifying deep and cold darkness, snaking its way through my body. I carefully rose to my feet. I stared hard at that open window.

I took in a deep breath.

And I screamed.

All of the glass windows around the plaza shattered, bursting outwards. People screamed as it rained down on them. But I could barely hear them.

Black Canary was dead. And someone had to pay.

Before I could wreak more damage, someone called my name. I placed a hand over my throat to meet eyes with JJ, his black mask in his hand. I fell to my knees. He ran forward, catching me. He held me close, murmuring as I stared unblinking at the crumpled form of Black Canary.

….

"The Black Canary is dead. After helping to fight a mob at the latest of the metahuman protests, the known metahuman vigilante was shot in the throat, along with the chest and stomach. We do not know whether it was accidental or a planned altercation. More on this later," the reporter announced.

I stuffed my things into my suitcase. My backpack was already ready, stuffed with fake IDs, birth certificates, anything that I would need in case things went south.

Someone knocked at my bedroom door.

"Come in," I called.

"You ready?" Mom asked, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

I nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

She withdrew two white boxes and held them out. "Late graduation presents."

We gravitated towards the bed. I accepted one of the boxes. It was from my parents. Opening it, I found a dark blue jacket, with a silk gold-yellow lining. Two bands of gold yellow encircled the upper arms. The jacket I had been eying for a month.

I smiled. "Thanks so much, Mom."

"You're welcome, honey. Though Dad got Cisco to add some things to it."

I felt the material. Another stiffer layer had been added. Kevlar.

"Of course."

"And here's the other one."

I took the box. I paused, smoothing a hand over its surface. It was from Aunt Dinah. Tears immediately surfaced at the sight of her achingly familiar writing.

"I can't."

"She'd want you to have it."

"No, I can't. I'm the reason why she's dead. If I weren't there, she wouldn't have pushed me out of the way to take those bullets. If I wasn't there in the first place, she could still be here."

Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. "You can't blame yourself. Maybe if you weren't there, she might've not been shot. But she could have also still been. You don't know what could have happened."

I shook my head, but let her take me into a hug. I knew the truth. I knew that it was my fault. And I would have to bear that for the rest of my life. And no one could tell me otherwise.

"Okay. I'll take these. Your stuff is going to be dropped off with a friend. From there, you're going to be breached to Central City. Everybody will be waiting for you."

"Okay."

She led me out of my room, and out into the main area of the apartment. Everyone was waiting. I stopped scanning the room when I realized I had been looking for Aunt Dinah. I bit my lip.

Accepting hugs numbly from my loved ones, I followed Will out of the apartment complex. He would be taking me to the mysterious friend's place, or at least dropping me off somewhat close to it, in case they were questioned about my disappearance.

Since the death of Black Canary, ARGUS had started to send in operatives, as well as drones. Anti-metahuman devices were installed in the wealthier, cleaner parts of the city, including the neighbourhood we lived in. One of those devices was a breach-field disruptor. It emitted a certain frequency that blocked anyone from making a breach into the city. Which was why Will had to take me out of the cordoned area, and into the Glades. It was also the most lawless part of the city, with the protests and all.

Will opened the town car waiting for us, gesturing for me to get inside. He went around and slid into the other side. Silence fell between the two of us. ARGUS armoured trucks flew past us. Some even had a mounted machine gun on its roof, the operator standing through a hole in the car top.

I shook my head. "How could it come to this? I didn't think so many people hated metahumans."

"You'd be surprised," Will replied. "Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there."

"You promise to take care of Mom and Dad right?" I asked. My voice came out small and frightened, infringing on mouse-like.

"Of course," he leaned forward, and took my hand. "Things are bad right now. But you have to remember that whatever I am doing, I am doing to protect this family, and the city."

I nodded, my eyebrows scrunching together. The way he said that, it didn't sit right with my gut.

Almost like he was apologizing. But apologizing for what?

The town car slowed to a stop.

"What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, sis. But you'll understand later why I do this."

The town car's door swung open. Masked figures reached in and yanked me out. I struggled, but there were too many of them at once restraining me.

"Will!" I screamed. "You can't do this!" He ignored me, withdrawing his cell phone, bringing it to his ear. He gestured for the driver to keep going. And it pulled away.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned my strength for a sonic scream. But something blocked me.

"You're not bursting any eardrums today, girlie," one of the masked men growled. A sonic dampener glowed with life at his belt.

Then everything went black as they tugged a black hood over my face.

…

The masked men had moved me to a car and handcuffed my hands and ankles. Both sets of manacles were linked with a chain, which was then bolted to the floor. The chain tinkled as I moved, feeling along it until I felt the bracket braced on the floor.

I immediately flashed back to one of Dad's lessons. He had already shown me how to break zip ties and was progressing to handcuffs.

"These are harder," he said. "It'll require some pain on your part."

To escape the cuffs, I would have to dislocate my thumb, to squeeze my hand out of it. From there, I could make some chaos.

So I held my left hand with my right, feeling along my thumb. Finding the right place, I bit my lip and pressed hard. My hand came sliding free as I quickly did the other one. Through the black hood, I could see two guards with me, both distracted with what was happening outside. Gunshots were distant popping sounds around us, muffled by the heavy armour of the truck. An ARGUS truck?

Before I could hesitate more, I grabbed the chain as best as I could, and wrapped it around one of the guard's necks, yanking hard. The other guard took out a taser and launched forward. I shoved the guard I had by the neck at him, the two men falling into each other.

With a few tricks, the cuffs around my ankles released with a clatter. Grinning, I went for the doors, shoving them open.

"Going so soon, little mouse?"

A man stood outside the truck, hands clasped behind his back. A thick scar ran down the length of his face, and it tightened as he smirked at me. I reached for my Cry, but it was still dampened. I needed to get out of range.

I leapt at him, kicking him in the chest. Then I made a run for it. I got a few yards before a tazer hit me. My body seized mid-flight, collapsing hard to the pavement. I groaned as the current took hold of me, my limbs jerking uncontrollably.

The man took his time getting to me. He knelt slowly. He took a cloth out of his pocket, placing it over my nose and mouth.

"See you soon," he murmured.

…

When I woke up, I was in an empty warehouse, cuffed to a chair. My bare feet slid against something cold. I looked down. A blue tarp was laid out underneath me. Besides that, there was an old TV, broadcasting Channel 52.

"Star City continues to devolve into chaos. Now, an unknown army marches on the city, blocking all the exit routes. ARGUS, protestors and these unknown forces war across the city. Stay safe everyone."

The TV powered down with a flash. William came into view, hands clasped behind his back.

"I told you I would save the city," he said. "My forces are taking it now. ARGUS and anyone that doesn't obey me will fall under my control."

"You're nuts," I growled. "Kidnapping me, sending an army to conquer the city. Why the hell are you doing this?"

His eyes glinted darkly. He strode towards me, kneeling by my feet.

"When I was away, I was shown a vision of the future. Something is coming to consume the entire planet. And you, and everyone we know die trying to stop it. That's why I didn't take you to be breached to Central City. It's to save your life! I'm trying to keep you safe, like I've always promised!"

I shook my head. "Then why am I tied up like this? Why is there a tarp on the floor?"

The manic light in his eyes dulled. He rose from his crouch. "A necessary evil to save everyone else."

The man with the scar ordered the guards to strip me. I tried to fight, but with the restraints and the lingering effects of the chloroform, it was impossible. I was left in my underwear as the man with the scar went to a roll-up table, hovering his hands over its surface. Sharp silver caught the light from the industrial fluorescent lights. A shiver ran down my skin.

William waited in the periphery, his head turned away. With the scruff and rolled up sleeves, he never looked more like Dad.

"Where is Team Arrow's new hideout?" the man asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I hissed. I turned towards William. "You're really going to let him do this to me."

He kept his face turned away.

"We need to know where they are. Their actions will worsen the chaos of the city. If you want to save yourself and your family, you will tell me where it is."

"I don't know," I said between clenched teeth. "They're probably still in the Bunker."

"No. The Green Arrow has gone into hiding now that Grant Wilson has released his identity to the world. The Bunker is nothing but rubble."

I laughed. "You have got to be kidding me. Grant Wilson? William, you know he's insane."

"A tool to be used," he answered quietly, still not looking at me.

The man with the scar flipped the scalpel in his hand. Without warning, he drew a long hard line into my arm. I screamed.

"Tell us where the new hideout is," he repeated.

"I don't know where it is."

Another slice. Another scream.

"Where is it?"

"Even if I did know, I would never tell you," I spat.

The backhanded slap came out of nowhere. Copper flooded into my mouth with the strength of the blow, silver stars dancing across my eyes.

"Defiant. You won't be for long, little mouse."

…..

I didn't know how long they kept me. Sometimes it felt like only minutes, sometimes years. All I knew was that as time passed, new scars covered my skin. In the haze of pain, I didn't know if I told them anything. Sometimes the pain was so bad it drove me near insane. Babble would pour out of my mouth, cut with sobs. Maybe the words made sense to them.

But one day, things were quiet at the warehouse. Even the guards were gone. Nobody had given me another dose of the sedative that prevented me from using my cry. The fact they were sedating me instead of using a sonic dampener, made me wonder if there was one at all on the premises.

Grunting, I pulled at the zip-ties keeping me to the chair. They came loose easily. I bent to do my ankles.

I pulled on my clothes as fast and as gently as I could. Already old wounds were re-aggravated, bleeding through my shirt and pants. I still felt foggy from the drugs but was aware enough to move. Grabbing a scalpel from the table, I stumbled out of the warehouse.

Rain fell in a deluge in the night, instantly soaking me. From what I could tell, I was close to the Glades. If I could just get there, I could try to get to one of Team Arrow's backup hideouts.

My breath rattled wetly in my chest as I hobbled away. I stopped in an alleyway, leaning against the slick brick. A sob escaped me before I clamped my hand over my mouth. My teeth sank into my palm as I pressed down the instinct to cry. I couldn't break down. Not until I got away.

Pushing off the wall, I made my way further down the alley.

An arrow shot past me, puncturing a garbage bag near my feet. I whirled.

And there was William. He wore a black vigilante suit that mirrored Dad's. Black arrows peeked over his shoulder, along with the hilt of a sword. A Prometheus suit.

He withdrew his sword, the blade straight and blunt. A chokuto. It glinted strangely in the night, a strange gold-bronze.

"You have really gone insane. Suiting up as Prometheus?"

"I will save this city, Olivia. And you, and our family."

"How are you saving me by letting that man torture me?"

"You don't understand, sis. If I could just show you what I saw-"

"I understand enough. It doesn't matter if you think what you're doing is right. I will never forgive you. Never."

William sighed. "I can't let you leave. If you leave, you die. I can't let that happen."

"Then you're going to have to stop me."

The rain poured around us. I watched as William pulled up his hood, and placed the bandaged face of Prometheus over his own.

With a wounded cry, I charged. He met me blow for blow. He lashed out with a kick, sending me tumbling into a trashcan. I groaned as my head clipped the brick, sending my world spinning. Grabbing the trashcan, I chucked it at him, and stumbled away. He easily caught up to me.

The fight didn't continue much longer. I was too weak to use my Cry, let alone focus on the fight. Prometheus pulled me in a stranglehold, his blade pressing into the base of my throat.

"Stop fighting," he growled.

I struggled underneath his grasp, as he pressed me into his chest, my arms immobilized. The blade pressed harder into my neck.

"Come with me, Dinah. We can save this city together. Like family. I promised I'd always be there for you. Be there for me."

I scrambled for something to do. Anything. But I couldn't move. My body shook with fatigue.

So I pressed further into the blade. In shock, William let go of me. With that movement, it slid across my neck. My hand rose to my throat as I slowly turned towards him. I could feel my own blood pouring down my front.

"No, no, no," he muttered. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" he rushed towards me.

Pressing hard into my neck, I screamed. My Cry sent William flying. He crashed hard into a fire escape, falling heavily to the ground. His sword lay at my feet.

Grabbing the blade, I stumbled away. My blood pumped hard against my fingers, nearly scalding hot. The world was tilting and fading around me.

I fell to the ground, landing hard in a pile of trash.

The last thing I saw was the black sky, lightning sparking blue in the clouds.

…

Snip. Drip. Snip. Drip.

Squelch.

A worn face stared down at me. Salt-and-pepper stubble covered his cheeks. A TV murmured in the background.

"You're in some bad shape, kid," he muttered.

I blearily blinked at him. He looked away, and to the TV.

The Green Arrow is dead, the news headline screamed.

"No," I murmured. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

"I'll get you more pain-killer," he said.

Before I could protest, he turned on the IV drip. And I faded away in a gray haze.

….

When I woke up this time, I was dressed in new clothes. My own clothes. A simple button up shirt and sweatpants. Groaning, I pushed myself up off the bed and left the guest room.

The apartment was small and Spartan, barely any kind of homey touches or decoration in the whole space. I did find a few pictures though, of a young man holding a champion belt. A boxer.

"So you're up. Good."

I whirled.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice cracked and rusty from disuse.

"Ted Grant. I'm the friend that was supposed to receive you before you were supposed to breach to Central City."

"Wildcat?"

"The one and only. Come on, I'll get you something to eat."

I followed him into the tiny kitchenette, pulling myself up into one of the lone barstools.

"Is it true? Is the Green Arrow dead?"

Ted sighed, as he pulled out a frying pan. "You just get right to the hard stuff, don't you kid."

He let the stovetop heat up, and cracked an egg. It sizzled as it hit the pan.

"Yes. Grant Wilson took his arm off. He got away, but he disappeared. They say they found his body in the trash later on, dead from blood loss."

"What about everyone else?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what happened to the rest of them. It's crazy out there. Ever since Prometheus took over the city."

So William was successful. He had conquered Star City. But why would he order Grant Wilson to execute Dad? Why would he do that?

I thought of the devastated look on his face as he realized his own blade had cut open my neck. My body seized in memory, my neck burning. My hand rose to it. Lumpy tissue poked into my fingertips.

He was doing this out of anger, out of grief. Of all the relationships in the Queen family, Will and I were always the closest. As I grew up, whenever Mom or Dad would be particularly hard on me, Will was always there. "You and I, we're a family of two. The family that matters," he would always say, especially on the nights where I'd be alone, Mom and Dad saving the city in their Bunker. They would always push, push me to be better, the best at everything, because being the daughter of the Mayor and the CEO of Helix Dynamics, I couldn't be anything but perfect.

Did he know that I was alive?

"Where's your shower?" I asked.

He gestured to his left. "First door on the left. You can find some towels on the shelf inside."

"Thanks."

I gingerly slid off the barstool. Before going to the bathroom, I paused.

"Why did you decide to help me? Green Arrow and you never got along."

"True. But you're his kid. You haven't done anything to me. Besides you remind me of someone. You're named after her and all." He turned back towards the eggs.

I smiled. My full name was Dinah Olivia Queen. I went by either Dinah or Olivia, but Olivia was usually more convenient, when Aunt Dinah and I were in the same room. Mom and Dad had named me Dinah in honour of yes, Aunt Dinah, but also after Dinah Laurel Lance, the Black Canary before Aunt Dinah. Aunt Laurel on Earth-2 was her doppelganger.

As I approached the bathroom, I unbuttoned my shirt, my fingers shaking. I closed the bathroom door, and stripped to my underwear, and looked to the mirror. I clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle the sob of surprise.

My body was covered in bright pink scars. Some were thicker than others, still black with stitches. But the worst one was at my throat, thick and jagged and ugly, underneath a thick white bandage. My chest grew tight as I tried to calm my breathing. My heart stumbled over itself with its flurried beats.

All I could see was a broken, scared girl.

Snarling, I punched the mirror, the glass shattering underneath my fist. Multiple angry blue eyes stared back at me in fragments.

…

I healed slowly. My body seemed keen on remaining weak, trembling when I saw something that reminded me of William. Or Dad. Or anything.

The news wasn't helpful either. Several cities seceded to ARGUS rule. Anti-meta drones and soldiers were garrisoned there, turning those cities into complete police states. And it seemed the number of cities and states under ARGUS control grew everyday.

The latest addition was Seattle.

When Ted would close the gym, I would sneak downstairs, and pull on some gloves. Punching the bag seemed to release some of the tension of the tight ball that clenched inside my chest.

"Need someone to spar with?" a voice called.

Ted hovered in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Okay."

He pulled on some light sparring gloves and gestured for me to get in the ring. I exchanged the heavy boxing gloves for the smaller Velcro gloves as well.

I lashed out first. Ted easily blocked, as I charged at him, punch after punch after punch.

"Are you even trying? I thought your dad would teach you better than that," he taunted.

With a snarl, I kicked him hard in the gut. He bent over. I lashed out once more, but he quickly recovered, grabbing my leg. With a grunt, he threw it away from me, sending my body tumbling along the mat.

"I've seen you fight from news footage. You're talented. You have the potential to become a very dangerous fighter. But this," he shook his head.

"Well it's not everyday that you get tortured for months, and your brother betrays you," I snarled. I pointed to the ragged scar across my throat. "Who do you think gave me this?"

He knelt by my feet.

"You're hurt. You can't reconcile that this happened to you. But it did. You can feel sorry for yourself; you can let yourself become that broken, sad little girl you think you are. Or you can get up off the mat and try again. Because if you stay broken, Prometheus has won."

Ted held out a hand. "It's all about how you get back off the mat."

I took it.

…..

I focused on training, and didn't watch any of the news. I knew it would just be more depressing updates of this Uprising that took over the city. More reinforcement that this city was not going to be saved.

My body didn't shake as much when I pushed it, my appetite slowly and surely returned. But despite my improvements, I still felt broken. And those jagged little pieces seemed to dig in more and more.

But still, an improvement.

But one day, Ted came home, eyes glinting with panic.

"Get your stuff ready. You have to go," he said.

"Why?"

"The ARGUS agents that are in Prometheus' pocket are searching homes. They're looking for metahumans in hiding."

I bolted for my bag, already packed. I was kept it packed in case something happened. Pulling on a baseball cap, I was ready.

"Here," he said gruffly. "You'll be hitching a ride on a transport truck heading for Gotham. The driver runs an underground railroad for metas. Give him this, and go to these coordinates."

A slam on the door interrupted us.

"This is ARGUS! Open the door, or we will force it open!"

Ted patted my shoulder, giving me a little smirk. "See you around, kid."

I ran to the staircase that led to the Wildcat Gym. Looking behind me, I saw the front door cave in a flurry of wood pieces. ARGUS agents rushed in, guns raised.

Ted raised his hands.

I rushed down the stairs, wincing every time the metal rang loudly in the alley. Grumbling, I launched myself down the rest of the way, landing with a roll.

I ran the rest of the way, and I didn't stop. Scenarios of Ted being shot down flashed through my head. But I had to keep faith that he would be okay.

I found the man with the transport truck in a shadowy lot. I handed him the envelope that Ted had given me.

"Alright, get in the back, there's a loose panel you'll slip through."

I did as he said. A loose plank board hid a compartment in the truck. It was big enough for me to sit or lay down inside. Throwing my backpack inside, I jumped in and pulled the plank board over. The smuggler threw a rug over it and moved some boxes over it as well. Whatever light leaked from the corners of the plank board was blotted out, leaving me alone in darkness.

The truck rumbled to life.

Alone, I left Star City, curled up in darkness.

Part II: 2042-2043: Gotham

The amphitheater was full that night. Gotham's richest and most powerful claimed their seats, waiters passing up and down the stairs carrying silver trays laden with champagne. Excitement buzzed in the air as the lights dimmed, and the spotlights focused on the arena.

I passed a hand through my newly shorn hair as I jumped in place, keeping my muscles warm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Meta-Brawl! Our fighter, undefeated for months, is Skull-Crusher!"

"Very original," I murmured.

"Now the challenger! The mysterious Starling!"

The spotlight focused on me as I marched into the ring, the forcefield cordon closing me in. My opponent, Skull-Crusher, was at least six-feet tall, and made of rippling muscle. He threw his arms up, exciting the crowd, flexing his muscles. From what I knew, he had enhanced strength from his meta gene. But I wasn't sure if that translated to enhanced durability, with the greater muscle thickness. It would be safer to assume so.

I pulled at the neck of my jumpsuit, as I rotated my shoulders.

Skull-Crusher laughed as he spotted me, waiting for him.

"A little girl? Send me a real challenge!" he roared.

I didn't respond to his dig. I just needed the money.

"Fight!" the announcer declared.

With a roar, Skull-Crusher charged, the arena's floor rumbling underneath my feet. I waited until the last possible second and dodged. He ran right past me. Realizing his mistake, he whirled and charged again. I spun out of the way.

The crowd booed.

This time, I ran when he came after me. I headed for one of the posts that held the forcefield together. I jumped, and pushed off the post, whirling around. My foot collided hard with his jaw.

Out of surprise, Skull-Crusher stumbled. Face twisting into a snarl, he grabbed me by the arm and threw me across the ring. I collided hard with the forcefield.

The crowd roared as Skull-Crusher laughed, watching me slowly push myself up. I grunted as my back protested. If I didn't end the fight now, I wouldn't be able to fight the next night just from being battered so much.

So I stood. Lifting both arms slowly, I beckoned him over with an overconfident smirk, not caring that blood was starting to drip from my mouth. I must have bitten my lip or tongue in the fall.

Yelling, Skull-Crusher ran at me once more. I remained still. His arm swung at me. I ducked, pulled it forward, while tucking my shoulder underneath him. With little effort, I flipped him over my back, the meta falling hard onto his. I stomped my boot into his nose.

A little thrill ran through me at the sound of bone breaking underneath my foot. After kicking him hard in the temple, he was out.

"And the winner is Starling!"

The crowd was in uproar, as I wiped at the blood around my mouth with my thumb.

…

"Two thousand."

The bag of money dropped heavily at my feet.

I scowled, as I slowly pushed off the top half of my jumpsuit. "The money purse was 5."

"House got to take a cut. Maybe if you get to the higher rings, you'll get more of the cut."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Unless you don't want it-" the manager reached for the bag. I grabbed his wrist.

"No. I want it."

"Okay. You'll get the encrypted text for tomorrow by morning. You know the rules."

"Yes."

I took the bag and slipped it into my own, inside my secured locker. I slipped off the rest of the jumpsuit and threw that in too. I pulled on my sweats, as well as my hoodie. Using the back staircases, I left the underground theater.

The underground Meta-Brawl was hosted in one of the rougher areas of Gotham. It made the rich and powerful feel a thrill, being closer to danger. Plus, it was less likely that ARGUS would be finding them out.

I walked towards my apartment, when I felt the lurking presence of someone following me. I turned. Two men followed me. One flicked out a switchblade. I sighed.

"Alright, let's go," I called to them.

They paused, straightening. They weren't expecting me to call them out. But it didn't deter them. The taller of the two swiped at me with his switchblade. Stepping away, I pushed his arm away, causing him to lose his balance. One kick to his kneecap had him down, screaming. Picking up his discarded switchblade, I threw it. It found home in his leg.

But what I didn't realize was that there was a third. The surprise came with a blow to the back of the head, sending me falling forward. The attacker pulled at my bag, unzipping it. He took out the cash and ran off, leaving his compatriots groaning in the alleyway.

I cursed as I rubbed the back of my head. A doorway opened to me, sending golden light into the darkness of the alley. An old Japanese man looked down at me. He looked to my attackers, still on the ground.

"Come in."

He welcomed me into the dojo. He ushered me to sit down. Groaning, I dropped into a plastic chair, zipping up my bag. Everything else was still in there, except the money. That meant I wouldn't have the money to pay the rent on my crappy apartment. The waitress job I managed to get at the Iceberg Lounge would be able to cover some of it, but I already used some of my pay to buy food.

"Here," he handed me a steaming cup of tea.

"Thank you, sensei," I accepted the cup, relishing the warmth that sank into my skin.

"What happened out there, young one?"

"These guys followed me. I guess they knew I had money."

He nodded. "You fight in the Meta-Brawl."

I didn't deny it. But I didn't confirm anything either. I just sipped my tea.

He sighed. "From the look of you, you are running from someone. And that's why you're fighting for the rich people's entertainment."

"The tips at my work can cover my rent or my food. I needed the money to cover the other."

I knotted my hands together. Things would have been easier if I'd been able to access the shadow accounts Mom set up for me just in case of emergency. But I knew that William knew about them. So using them would give away the fact that I was alive, not dead like he thought I was.

So I had to find my own way of getting money just to survive, let alone going to college. That bright future of moving out with Dawn, Don and Mina seemed so far away now.

The image of Aunt Dinah flashed in my mind. Here I was complaining about not having the cushy future I wanted, while Black Canary was dead. While my dad was dead. I should be counting my lucky stars that I was even alive.

Though it wasn't much of an existence.

Sensei considered me for a moment. "I'll make you a deal. I'll provide you a place to sleep and eat. But you clean the dojo and help with my students."

Something in me perked up. Help. I was getting help.

But I learned early on in Gotham that help didn't come without a heavy cost. And whatever happened, I had to always put myself first.

"What's in it for you? Besides some cleaning."

"Come with me."

He took me out into the hallway. A pin board was mounted just outside the dojo. Surrounding by pictures of past pupils, this pin board was covered with missing posters.

"Ever since ARGUS implemented Bill M-52, people have been disappearing. Kids disappearing. Including one of my own pupils."

He pulled off one of the posters. It showed a handsome young man with dark hair. His name was Benjamin Reyes.

"Benjamin was a metahuman. When his parents found out, they turned their backs on him. So he was on the streets. I found him, gave him a place to stay. He told me he found a job that paid him lots of money to use his powers. Then he disappeared."

He handed me the poster. "I want you to find him."

"Gotham is a big city. How am I supposed to find one guy?"

"I believe he was last seen fighting in the Meta-Brawl."

I groaned inwardly. "And let me guess, break him out?"

"Yes."

I turned to him. "What if I say no?"

"I will still offer you a place to stay. That will not change. But I think the thought of standing by doing nothing will weigh heavy on your heart."

I stared at the picture. The black and white picture of Benjamin Reyes smiled back up at me.

"Okay, I will try to find him."

…..

After sneaking into my sketchy apartment, grabbing my things and leaving what cash I had, I settled into the room Sensei offered me. It was homey. A picture of a younger Sensei with his wife and daughter smiled up at me as I dropped my bag on the floor. I placed a finger on the smiling daughter's face. It looked like she didn't have a worry in the world. I plopped down on the bed.

Despite having a place to sleep with no rats or cockroaches, I still couldn't sleep. I dreamt of Aunt Dinah, screaming that she had died for nothing, that she should have let me get shot. Then Dad, his back turned. No matter how much I called to him, he did not respond to me. Mom sobbing, clutched a bullet wound in her stomach. Mr. Diggle, dead. Then JJ, a chokuto in his chest. William stood over him, emotionless as he pulled out the sword.

"No!" I cried.

Then the dream changed. It wasn't William who held the sword, but me. The blade was soaked with JJ's blood, my loved ones scattered around me.

A hand squeezed my shoulder.

"Well done, little sister."

I shot up from the bed, sweating. A scream hovered in the back of my throat. I touched the scar on my throat, the rough skin almost burning me it was so hot. Throwing off the covers, I went to the dojo and ran through some drills until early morning. By then, I was passed out in the bed in pure exhaustion. Sensei woke me up later to help with his classes.

As the last of the kids left, I swept the floors, putting away some of the equipment.

"Diana," Sensei called. I almost didn't respond to it, nearly forgetting that that was the name I had given him.

I trotted over as he welcomed in a young man, who had to be his son. They had the same cheeky smile.

"This is my son, Takeshi. Takeshi, this is Diana. She's helping me with the dojo."

"Nice to meet you," he offered his hand. I took it.

"I would like you to spar with Takeshi for a bit."

My eyebrows scrunched together. "Why?"

"I want to see your skills. And in my old age, I cannot test you myself."

"Okay."

"You may want to take off the hoodie," Takeshi said, unzipping his jacket.

I shook my head. It hid all my scars, and the last thing I needed was more questions from Sensei. It was harder and harder to dodge his questions, along with his wife's. They were both just too damn nice and caring. But I couldn't form any attachments. Once this Meta-Brawl thing was over and I had some more money, I was going to leave Gotham.

Sensei tapped his cane on the floor. "Please take off your sweater, Ms. King."

I sighed. There was no deterring him. Sensei didn't seem like the type to rat anyone out so I didn't see the harm in him seeing my scars.

So I took it off, leaving me in my tank top. Both men's eyes were immediately drawn to the thick scar on my neck.

"Alright, let's go," I snipped.

Takeshi was a good fighter. But very textbook fighting style. Dodging one of his blows, I darted in close, and flipped him onto his back. Placing a foot on his shoulder, I torqued his arm until he tapped out.

Sensei studied me.

"Let's get to work."

…..

I quit my job at the Iceberg Lounge. With the demand of the dojo and the Meta-Brawl, the amount of shifts I was able to do decreased dramatically, to the point that the manager was concerned.

Teaching kids at the dojo was fun at least, most of the time. But the time I looked forward to the most was when the dojo closed, and Sensei would teach me. Though I thought that Takeshi liked me less and less as time went on, with me using him as a practice punching bag.

At the Meta-Brawl, I fought countless metas, hoping to encounter Benjamin Reyes. Not sight of him yet. One pro for taking this mission though was the money. As I fought, the money purses got bigger and bigger, along with my bruises. I carefully hid my prize money in my room, in case any wanderers came in.

Though things changed when I was waiting to go into the ring one night. The crowd cheered as a tall dark-haired young man entered the ring, wearing a strange metallic cloak. Before stepping into the ring, the guards around him deactivated the inhibitor collar around his neck.

"Please welcome to the ring, Condor!"

He stood still as his opponent also entered. His strange cloak rustled.

"Fight!"

In one movement, Benjamin's cloak flared out. It wasn't a cloak at all. They were metallic wings. His benefactor must love him to get him that.

Before his meta opponent can even charge, metal feathers shot out, pining her by the shirt to one of the posts around the ring. Another flew at her, knocking her clean at the temple. She sagged.

The crowd roared, as he turned, waiting to be let out.

The fight didn't even last thirty seconds.

Our eyes met as he passed by, his inhibitor collar glowing blue against his neck. He nodded in greeting.

I nodded back. Now I had to figure out how to get to him. But first, my fight.

….

After collecting my prize money, I snuck into the lower levels of the underground theatre. Apparently, metas had a different locker room to ensure the safety of the non-meta fighters, or something like that.

Still in my Starling jumpsuit, I slipped inside the men's dressing room, stealthily searching. I found Benjamin in a towel, fresh from the showers. He startled when he spotted me.

"Starling. You lost?" he asked, as he took out clothes from his locker. A name tag with his stage name was even embossed on the door.

"No. I'm here for you," I said, quickly drawing closer.

"Really," he stated, raising his eyebrows. A smirk started to pull at his lips.

I leaned against the lockers beside his. "Don't give me that look. I'm here for business."

He leaned closer to me, his dark eyes glittering as he stared me down. "You sure?"

His nearness set me on edge. And he knew it. I thought of JJ for a moment. How a crooked smile from him sent my senses on high alert. Benjamin had the same over-confident attitude when it came to the ladies as JJ did, in my humble opinion.

"Quite," I said, channeling my best Aunt Dinah, with a deadpan expression, eyebrows raised.

"Hmph. Then why are you here?"

"I was told to find you. A certain sensei is worried about you. So I'm here to get you out."

"Can't, not with this," he pulled at the collar. "If I travel too far from the premises, it'll send an alert out. And it'll shock me."

"I'll get it off you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not unless you got one of those keys on you. Even then, I won't go."

"Are you nuts? Why on earth would you stay?"

"Is there a problem here?"

We turned to find a guard, hand over his gun.

"No," Benjamin answered. "But Starling here wants to see the meta wing."

The guard eyed me up and down. "Alright. Get dressed and we'll go."

A meta wing. How big was this complex? I turned to ask just as Benjamin let go of his towel. I whirled back around.

"Little warning?" I hissed.

"Not my fault you were looking," was the snappy comeback.

Ugh, boys.

Once Benjamin was done, we were lead through a series of halls until we stopped at a metal door. My lip curled as I recognized anti-meta tech installed into the door. It would dampen all powers of the metas inside. I felt its effects from here, like an invisible hand slowly tightening on my vocal cords.

When the guard opened the door, I was overwhelmed by the smell of unwashed skin, blood and feces. Dull eyes peered at me through glass walls, inhibitor collars glowing blue around their necks. I stopped when a child rose, naked as the day he was born, reaching a hand towards the glass. His emaciated body shook like a leaf.

"Why is he not wearing clothes?"

"He has pyro powers. Apparently, he burned a guard before they could get the collar on him, even when they brought him in here. So as punishment, they took his clothes, and vented cold air into his cell."

I knew it had been a smart idea to enter the Meta Brawl as a non-meta fighter. But now I realized how good it was. I could have been in here.

I turned to the guard that accompanied us. "Give him some clothes."

He just looked at him. "He burned a guard."

I stuffed a hand down my jumpsuit, the guard raising his brows. I withdrew a few bills from my bra, the money I had for emergencies. Usually the bribing kind.

"Here. Now give him clothes."

The guard huffed but did what I asked. Benjamin was expressionless.

"They're going to give him a harder time now. The other guards," he said as we were escorted out. I couldn't say anything back, not with what I just saw still seared into my mind.

"Do you live in there?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. Once I was cooperative, they gave me a room. But just because it's not in this meta wing, it doesn't change that it's still a cell."

I paused. Suddenly, the walls around me seemed like they were closing in. I could almost feel William's eyes on me, all the way from Star City. Breaking these kids out could lead him to find out that I was still alive.

Then the image of the child in that cell flared bright behind my eyes.

"I'll help you break those metas out. We just need a plan."

….

The higher ups of the Meta Brawl not only headed the biggest illegal meta fight ring, but also the biggest metahuman trafficking ring in the entire city, perhaps even the state. Benjamin told me he thought that one of them somehow had an in with ARGUS and the metahuman database. For Gotham, all metas had to be put into a registry, and wear identifying bracelets. And if you didn't come voluntarily, ARGUS would drag you off the streets and forcibly test you. It had been a miracle and some good luck for me to dodge the mandatory tests.

After weeks of fighting hard, I finally made the headliner fight, a tag-team event with Benjamin as my partner. The plan was to distract the crowd, while Takeshi and Sensei prepared the way for us behind the scenes. When it came to the inhibitor collars though, that was when the issue came up. I could always try to hack into them with my rudimentary skills, but the surefire way would be to use my Cry. At a certain frequency, the inhibition field that was emitted from the collar would fritz until it was dead. Benjamin knew I had something up my sleeve to get rid of them, but I omitted the truth.

Using my Canary Cry was a clear indication on who I was. But it was the only way.

I pulled at the neck of my jumpsuit as the lights swept over the crowd, a milling mass of the rich and famous. Resentment tasted sour on my tongue.

"Ready?"

I turned, finding Benjamin in his Condor get-up. The strange wings glinted blue-black in the diffuse darkness.

"Yeah. Just ready to wreak some havoc."

"Hell yeah."

He raised his fist to me. With a laugh, I fist-bumped him back.

Our opponents were also a combination of meta and non-meta. There was the meta, who could alter her density. Then the non-meta fighter, dubbed the Hammer, a brute who enjoyed beating his opponents senseless. It was an art to him. I had found that out first hand. That loss particularly hurt, along with a chunk of scalp when he pulled my hair.

I cracked my knuckles as we were all escorted into the ring. I studied the posts around us, and the crackling of the force field that kept us separated from the crowd. The first step was to weaken those posts, which would disable the field. The guards would be called away first to a conflict in locker rooms that would require them to leave. From there, we would act, and free those metas.

We just needed to dispatch these two in time.

Judging by the size and posturing of the two fighters, they would go after me first. I was smaller, therefore weaker than Benjamin in their eyes.

As soon as the bell went off, I charged first, at the density altering meta. In the corner of my eye, Hammer was coming at my side, just as I predicted. The eager look on his hard face made my stomach twist. Ducking underneath the meta's swing, I used her momentum to throw her into Hammer, the two colliding hard with one of the posts. The forcefield flickered with the strength of it.

Then Condor followed, the mechanical wings unfurling. Metal feathers flew out, flying towards them. They managed to dodge in time, the blades impaling themselves into the post. The forcefield flickered again.

Now, we just needed to distribute the attacks so that the guards wouldn't catch on to what we were doing.

The female meta lifted off from the floor, floating above us. She flew straight for me. A shining black wing intercepted her, feathers flying out to catch her. She managed to deflect them with her arms, hardening her skin. One whistled too close to my head, a sheared hairs falling to the floor. Cursing, I grabbed the blade just as Hammer made a go for me. I grunted as he took me to the ground, the feather clattering to the floor. Quickly reacting, I wrapped my legs around his neck in a stranglehold.

Outside the ring, I saw the guards begin to withdraw from the posts around the fight ring. The distraction was underway. In the shadows, I saw Takeshi, making wide eyes at me. Now was the time.

First the signal. I whistled twice.

Then I whistled again, using my Cry. Hammer screamed, clutching his ears. Blood poured down between his fingers. He rolled off me, curling into a ball.

Condor looked to me as the inhibitor collar short-circuited, the blue lights flickering until going black. He ripped it off, unfurling his wings to their full span. Metallic feathers shot out in every direction. Seeing the opportunity, the female meta joined in, kicking and punching at the posts. Finally, the forcefield gave way. The crowd was already fleeing. Soon enough the guards would be gone. Hopefully, Sensei was successful in destroying the anti-meta tech in the meta wing.

In the chaos, Takeshi found his way to my side.

"We got the metas out. But the higher ups are still here, along with the guards. We need to do something about it."

I look to Benjamin and the female meta, who introduced herself as Sam.

"Let's get them."

The higher ups were located in a luxurious box area, removed the common rabble of the now vacated theatre seats. It wasn't too much work to take it, the guards too terrified to put up much a fight. In the end, we had the three bosses kneeling on the ground, their wrists tied behind their backs. All three were prominent figures in Gotham's upper echelon. One CEO, one Senator and an infamous heir to a transport company.

"Just because you caught us, won't stop us from starting up again."

I tilted my head. "Not if we out your identities to ARGUS publicly. No matter your money or status, they will have to arrest you for the conditions you keep your fighters, whether they are meta or not."

Takeshi handed me his phone. I held it out screen facing the three. It was a picture of the boy, the meta with the fire powers. The markers of malnutrition and beatings were evident. He also handed me a tablet. I typed in a few commands. Benjamin had been able to give me their identities beforehand, so I was able to pull some hacking magic out of my ass, and do something.

"You will also find your accounts frozen, as well as much of your money being donated to some charity organizations of my choosing. I'm sure the pro-meta organizations will appreciate it."

"You bitch."

I smirked, thinking of Mom. "Bitch with Wi-Fi."

Once the place was cleared out, Benjamin and I lingered in the ring. He pulled out a sac he had found in the higher ups box. It was thousands of dollars from bets and profits, just from tonight. We split it between the two of us. Takeshi nor Sensei knew about this secondary plan. There was a bit of guilt nipping at me, taking this dirty money. But I needed it to get out of Gotham.

"God, I hope they tear down this place."

I looked at him, considering him.

"Then why don't we?"

"How do you would suggest we do that? My telekinesis abilities aren't that strong."

I gave him a crooked smile. "I won't tell if you won't," I held a finger in front of my lips.

I stepped into the center of the ring. "You might want to back up a bit."

Confusion written all over his face, Benjamin did as I said. I took a deep breath, and braced my legs, hips-width apart.

Then I let loose my sonic cry. It shook the ring, until dust began to drift down from the ceiling. The building trembled with the strength of it, as grit and chunks of debris flew out into the theatre.

I turned to find Benjamin with his mouth open, stunned.

"You're-"

"Yeah."

He suddenly snorted. "You make a lot more sense now."

I sputtered, before sobering. "Where are you going now?"

"I'm going to try to sneak up across the border to Canada. They're more accepting of metas there. We'll be legal citizens."

I paused. I wasn't sure where I was going to go. Maybe going to Canada would be a smart choice.

Benjamin handed me a card. "If you decide to come up, you can call me at this number. Password is Condor."

I gave him a crooked grin. "Maybe I will."

….

In the shadows, a woman watched the daughter of Green Arrow head back towards the dojo. She had seen her fight. As well as the use of her sonic cry.

She was quite the suitable candidate for an apprentice.

Now she just needed to motivate the little canary. And she knew exactly how to do it.

…..

When I got back to the dojo, no one was home. Which was strange.

I searched all the rooms, but nothing changed. The place was empty. Until I found a note on the kitchen counter. Beside it was a jeweled dagger, a bird in flight emblazoned on the blade.

If you want to see him again, come to Seattle. Alone. Or he dies.

It was unsigned.

"Diana?"

Takeshi entered the kitchen. I wordlessly held up the note.

"We should contact the authorities."

"They won't do anything," I turned the blade over in my hand. It was perfectly balanced in my grip.

"Why not?"

I held the dagger as evidence. "The people we're dealing with are too dangerous for the police."

"Then what about-"

"Don't even say ARGUS. They'll arrest us both of us before they help get your father back."

"Do you know who took him?"

"I have some ideas. Don't worry, I'll get him back."

"I'll come with you."

"No. I have to go alone. These are the kind of people that would kill him as soon as they saw that I wasn't alone. I don't want to risk that. Plus, I'm expendable. You're not."

Takeshi huffed. He placed his hands on his hips. "Okay. The only reason I'm saying yes is because I believe you can deal with whoever these people are. But you're not expendable."

But I was. To the people that I loved, I was already dead. So it wouldn't hurt them if I actually died. I couldn't make a difference by myself.

"I'll get him back. I promise."

…..

Star City.

William stared at the city below, his hands folded behind his back. In the distance, he could hear the shattering of glass and the general sounds of chaos. He gritted his teeth. Grant Wilson was making too much chaos in the Glades. He was going to have to crack down on his unruliness. It had brought out some fool dressed in his father's hood, attempting to hold the city together. William didn't understand the purpose, after all he held the city together.

But the rest of the city was fairly quiet. He saved the city just like he promised. But the victory felt empty, without her.

"Sir."

"What?" he snapped.

His assistant shakily walked towards him, holding a tablet. "We've picked up a sonic disturbance."

"Where?"

"Gotham."

He snatched the tablet from his assistant. The sonic disturbance glowed back at him, a red beacon on the map. On the right, was the metahuman database. No living meta could produce such a disturbance, that was currently on Earth-1. But Dinah Olivia's entry popped up, marked as deceased.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

"There you are, sister."

Hey guys hope you like the first part of the 2048 Black Canary origin story. Originally, it was supposed to be a oneshot but then I decided to divide it into two parts, like how the Arrowverse shows have two episode arcs. If you have any ideas or characters that you would like me to write up, feel free to put suggestions in the comments or PM me. As per usual, read and review :)