Forgive your enemies…nothing annoys them so much.

- Oscar Wilde

*Disclaimer - Characters belong to CW*

When John had approached her as she left the only structurally sound part of City Hall, asking for her help with a 'legal issue', Laurel had assumed he was going to ask her advice on custody of his unborn child or the implications of remarrying his ex wife.

Maybe the possible jail time they'd all be facing if the Arrows true identity was ever made public.

What Laurel did not expect was John requesting she march down to A.R.G.U.S. and insist Amanda Waller reconsider the terms and conditions of her 'Suicide Squad' yet, somehow, here she was - face to face with Amanda Waller.

Face to face with a very unimpressed Amanda Waller

In an underground room of a sealed facility where no one knows I am

All things considered, not her best plan.

"Ms Lance, If I understand correctly, you believe that your position as a recently reinstated, recovering alcoholic, assistant District Attorney, somehow gives you the required authority and security clearance to begin a discussion on the terms and conditions of the continued imprisonment of convicted criminals?"

"Ms Waller - " she began, surprised her voice had not yet betrayed her complete lack of confidence "- I'm here to discuss the potential legal implications if it were to be made known that A.R.G.U.S. condones placing bombs in United States citizens who have been convicted without trial in order to coerce them into continuing criminal activities under threat of a very unpleasant death.

I don't disagree that they are guilty of multiple crimes, but they should have some form of representation, even if that representation is solely to agree the terms of a binding contract with an agreed upon end date"

"You want to draw up contracts for their service?"

"I want to agree on a sentence, an end date and I want to agree steps which could be taken in order to reduce their time in your service."

Waller, expression unchanged, had at least leaned back in her chair. Her expression no longer openly hostile but mildly amused.

Time for the hail Mary pass

"For example…" she took a breath, dropped her eyes to steel herself for just a moment "a reduction in sentence could be achieved through time served in Starling City supporting the Arrow"

"Excuse me?"

Oh dear…

"Oliver needs help. You know that. Slade Wilson may have been defeated, he may have gotten his company back, with your help of course -" Laurel held her hand up as the other woman began to protest "- but the fact is Starling City is overrun with criminals looking to fill Slade and Bloods shoes. Oliver is on his own. Digg has to take a back seat for the sake of Lyla, Roy is still coming to terms with losing Thea and everything he did while under the Mirakuru, Felicity is working on her physical training, as am I but the two of us together still don't equal Sara!"

She paused, took a breath, tried to quell the panic rising as she had listed all the ways they were coming up short

"We need back up. You don't utilise the full squad often, you can spare the men. John has worked with Lawton a few times and in spite of their past, he's agreed to Lawton assisting. Oliver and John have both expressed concern over Ben Turner but Agent Michaels has vouched for him."

Time for negotiations Lance

"Keeping the explosive devices in place during a trial period would be acceptable, as would removing the devices without their knowledge until trust is earned.

Do we have a deal?"

Waller regarded the young woman in front of her. Cool under pressure, educated. Cop father, assassin sister, vigilante ex boyfriend. Waller had seen SCPD reports about the Black Canary's continued assistance with smaller crimes, never alone, always backed up by the Arrow or Arsenal, and concluded there was a new recruit to replace Sara Lance within Oliver Queens team. The tech girl had been the one to finally slip Slade Wilson the cure, that much she was aware of, but she hadn't considered her a likely replacement.

Good for her.

The other Lance had crossed her mind briefly but both together, splitting the role of canary?

Isn't that exactly what the masks were for? Hiding the person to focus on the idea? On the work?

"We have a deal"