Thanks to my friend who edits!
Don't own Arrow!
Fledglings: Not so Different
"You really know how to pick a hideout." Helena's words oozed with sarcasm.
Sara merely glanced at Helena; curiosity told Helena to continue, "The floor boards creek with every foot step, even yours. Not to mention there were some missing steps in the staircase. Plus, the clock is either two hours slow or ten hours behind."
They both glanced at the clock; it was frozen at 11:52.
"At least the clock isn't stuck at midnight or I'd have to add cliché to the long list of problems."
"It has a nice view, you can see the whole city from up here." Sara replied.
Helena rolled her eyes, "Yes, this city in the pinnacle of stability and beauty, everyone should bask in its glory."
"It was beautiful before the Undertaking at least."
A laugh was suppressed when Helena realized the bird was serious, "You're kidding, right?"
"Compared to the place I called home for the past few years, yah it was."
"What kind of place…" Helena trailed off after noticing the somber look in Sara's eyes.
"Well, I'll just say, the fact there was no wifi was one of the more minor problems."
"Wow, I just stepped in a land mine. But still, maybe that saying, 'you never know what you have until it's gone' applies."
"Maybe, I don't think I cared about Starling as much until recently. I always felt so restless here, but now, it's almost…" But Sara never finished her train of thought.
Helena just mumbled something in Italian, to which Sara simply raised an eyebrow, "Just a heads up, I know English, Arabic, Chinese, and a couple other languages, but Italian isn't one of them."
"It just means no matter where you go, you'll always return home."
Staring out to the city, Sara simply nodded, "I guess you're proof that it's true."
Helena instantly picked up on her slip up: 'why aren't you proof?' but said nothing.
Instead, she went for a different topic, "So let me guess, you're going to go patrolling with me, we're going to take some bad guys down, all while you try to make me change my ways. Justice, not revenge… etc."
"I've told you before, I'm not in a position to lecture you about morality, or really anyone for that matter."
Sara gaze drifted from the city down below to meeting Helena's, "Plus, I thought you said you're on a hunt for justice?"
"Yah, well he…"
"He doesn't matter. I'm working with you, not him. I'm not him."
"Really? But once upon a time on a certain boat…"
"As far as I'm concerned, that was a life time ago."
Helena noticed this topic in particular brought the icy gaze back and decided to lighten the mood, "How many lives? And don't tell me you have nine lives, I've always thought of you as a bird for some reason, a cat… no."
"Funny you should say that, I called my self Ta-er al-Sahfer a for a while."
"Maybe we should write down the list of languages we both know, because Arabic isn't one I know."
"It means yellow bird." [1]
"So basically, you're calling yourself a canary?"
"That was kind of the idea."
"Beats 'The Hood' at least, then again, at least I get where the name came from."
"I used to have a pet canary when I was younger, and obsessed over it non-stop. It was kind of my only friend when I was younger."
"Well, that explains a lot…"
"Hey!"
For the first time in the evening, they both let a laugh escape them. If anyone didn't know any better, they sounded like some old friends catching up on the latest gossip, as long as one ignored the scenery.
It also seemed like they'd forgotten about the topic at hand, seemed being the key word.
"Besides, I understand and he's wrong."
"Oh, we're back on that topic."
"I've investigated every incident The Huntress is connected to."
"Do you sleep?"
"Sorry, the nightmares don't let me do that, I needed a hobby." Helena couldn't tell if Sara was joking or not.
"So stalking me was your choice?"
"Well that and beating up would be rapiers."
"I feel so honored."
"Anyway, all of your targets, or should I say prey? They all were scumbags that no one would miss, all of which could easily escape the full repercussions of the law from connections."
"It sounds like a but is coming up, with a side of judgment."
Sara flatly answered, "I was part of a group called The League of Assassins, I did more than just kill scumbags."
"No offense, but seriously?"
"Well, you see why I can't really lecture you about…"
"No, I mean 'League of Assassins' talk about obvious, was Murdercorpse already taken?" [2]
Sara let a small smile form, "If you want my opinion, you do have a sense of justice, just an unorthodox version. Your own kind of justice."
And for the first time in the evening, Helena was speechless, no witty retort available. So instead she decided a distraction would be better, "Have you even used a crossbow?"
Sara picked up Helena's cross bow and examined it, "Hm… it's a bit different from a bow."
"Well I tried a real bow before, and I don't have the patients to use one. I'm more of a shoot now ask questions later kind of girl."
"Yah, the other night I noticed."
"Sorry, but hey, all's fair in love and war."
"So are you telling me you wuv me? Aw, that's so sweet the Huntress has a heart!" Sara teased.
"I said love and war."
"Well, it certainty wasn't war that night."
"Shut up…"
- BIRDS OF PREY -
Clank. Clank. Bang. Bang. Smash.
'If this continues, I might throw myself off this tower…" Helena thought.
Even if she said it out loud, chances are Sara wouldn't hear her. The bird was rhythmically smashing her two batons against the stair rails. Each blow gave a satisfying ring. Each blow also rhythmically gave Helena a migraine. "You know if this doesn't stop, I will throw myself off this tower!"
Sara, however, didn't hear her and continued.
Helena sighed, notching an arrow in her crossbow and fired, the arrow wasn't meant to hit anyone; instead it whizzed by Sara's face and hit the wall behind her. "You know, you can just ask me to stop."
"Yah, tried and failed."
"Sorry."
"Hey, practice all you want, next time just give me some warning so I can clear out. Don't want to go deaf before I'm thirty."
Another arrow whizzed by Sara's face, this one, however, was meant to hit someone.
"Holy shit!" the person ducked after exclaiming.
"Sara what was… oh my… you know The Huntress."
But the first reply was the sound of a reloading crossbow.
"Helena." Sara simply said.
It was strange how the six-letter word carried so much power of The Huntress. Sara could deliver an entire conversation, compacted in just three syllables.
Helena sighed and put her crossbow away.
"One of the Huntress's arrows just fired at me… One of the Huntress's arrows just fired at me!" The second time seemed to have more enthusiasm?
"Helena, Sin. Sin Helena."
"This is so cool…" Sin quietly muttered.
"Now do me a favor, tell me why a half-pint hoodlum knows about our secret layer?"
"Hey! I'm 5' 3" I'm not that short…"
"Still below average." [3]
Sin huffed, "…curse all you tall people…"
"Let's try this again: why is she here?"
"Oh right, I brought food." Sin held out the bag of takeout.
Helena handed half of the food to Sara, "Italian?"
"Well, I guess she wanted to play it safe with you." Sara shrugged.
"You don't have to refer to me in third person while I'm standing in front of you," Sin said while eying the arrow that nearly took her head off a few minutes ago.
Pulling it out of the wall, Sin twirled it in her hand, "This is very cool."
Helena raised an eyebrow.
Sin sheepishly asked, "Can I keep this?"
"Sure, knock yourself out kid."
"I'm seventeen."
"Which means you are still a minor, therefore: kid."
"Got it, Granny." Sin smirked.
Helena smirked back.
"Kid, have you ever fired a crossbow before?" Helena asked, 'this could be interesting'.
"She'd be a pretty cool granny." Sin declared.
Sara however put her foot down, "No."
"Oh, she's going to be a real fun parent." Helena stated and Sin simply nodded.
"Well, actually, based off what she's told me, Nyssa probably would be the stick in the mud parent," Sin simply stated.
Sara however was somewhat red.
Helena noticed instantly, "Oh, I need to hear more about this Nyssa character."
"No!" Sara exclaimed.
"Well…" Sin started.
"Go to your room." Sara cut her off.
"But I don't live here."
"Uh…"
"Like an annoying littler sister…"
"Love you too, Sara!" Sin joked, but underneath Sin a wave of happiness washed over her, 'so I'm her little sister…'
Helena however wouldn't let the moment pass, "Don't worry we'll talk later…"
"Like the corrupting, evil aunt…"
"Hey!"
"Don't worry those are the fun aunts!" Sin explained.
"Sin," Sara simply stated.
So, apparently, the name only conversation applied between Sara and Sin too, "Oh, right."
"Oh right?" Helena asked.
"I think I know where your dad is hiding."
- BIRDS OF PREY -
"Remind me again why you're the only one going out tonight?" Helena's voice rang over the coms.
"I thought we agreed that you'd stay behind, in case it was a trap. Reinforcements, remember?" Sara answered while landing on another building.
"I think the deal was more I stay here so that way I don't scare my father off."
Sara checked the surroundings; there was one thing that caught her eyes, a squad car, "Whatever story you want to go with."
"Yah, well both suck. I either have to believe my partner is a terrible liar, or she doesn't trust me to control myself."
Sara glanced into the police car and noted a picture on the consul, a very familiar picture. It had two little girls one had a black canary perched on her finger. "Helena, I think my dad's here too."
"Is that really surprising? He's a cop, isn't he? People like my dad, mob bosses, are like catnip to cops. Just focus on the task at hand."
The shadows of the building concealed the Canary, "Yah, but I…"
"You don't want to be seen, do you?"
Sara continued to stare at the picture, "Not really."
"If you want, I can be there in five minutes."
Now walking along the building Sara peered into a window, "No, that's ok."
"Wow, you really are a terrible liar, guess I feel a bit better now."
Sara pulled out a knife and quietly opened the window, regardless of the lock, "Focus, Sin said this was a common mob meeting place, until last week."
"Yah, I remember. Someone kicked everyone else out."
Around the corner, the sound of footsteps rang out, "Talk in a sec."
Over the com, Helena heard one guy yelp and groan in pain her only response was to smirk.
"Your dad really should invest in better security."
"I'll tell him that right before I put an arrow in him."
"Oh shit! You're with her!" The random monk shouted.
Sara pressed her bō against his rib cage, "Hey, looks like we got one that can point out the obvious."
Helena sighed, "Dad should get smarter goons too."
"I'm standing right here!" The guy shouted.
"Ok…"
"…Billy…"
"Ok Billy, where is Frank Bertinelli?"
"…"
"Keep in mind, I decide if you continue breathing." Sara applied a little more pressure to illustrate her point.
"He's…"
"Freeze!"
The bō's pressure on Billy's ribs remained constant as Sara turned to the owner on the new voice. She froze, but not because he screamed to freeze, but because of who he was, Quentin Lance.
"Step away from the man, with your hands up." Quentin shouted pointing the gun, unwittingly at his own daughter.
Sara, however, didn't comply beyond freeze, so a several shots rang out. Sara managed to avoid all but one, which managed to graze her arm. Luckily, she was fast enough, so the cut was only superficial, but a small trail of blood was left behind.
She hid behind a large pillar, "I'm on my way." Helena said, the sound of a motorcycle's engine was heard.
More gun fire went off, but this time it wasn't directed at Sara, "Tell Helena: her dad sends his regards." Billy screamed.
Billy's hand was trembling as the knife in his hands was pressed against Quentin's neck. However, it wasn't the hand without a knife that caught Sara's attention. In his other hand was a detonator, "Move any closer and I blow up the entire building, us included!"
However, the bombs never went off as an arrow knocked the detonator out of his hands, "Why, aren't you a very cliché criminal?" Helena asked.
"Shoot me and you'll never know where your father is." Billy simply stated.
Helena still had the crossbow pointed at him, but her finger was no longer on the trigger, "Don't tell me and I'll shoot you."
"This is a nice Mexican standoff… that I don't need to be a part of." Quentin pointed out.
But Billy had forgotten Quentin was even there, until he spoke up, "Ok, new deal, let me go and he lives."
Sara eye's caught Helena's, the message was clear.
Helena dropped the cross bow, "Ok, but just keep in mind, they call me The Huntress for a reason."
Just to prove Helena's assessment on being cliché, Billy stabbed Quentin in the chest anyway. Helena raced over to Quentin and pressed her hands against his cut, hoping to stop the bleeding.
Sara, however, picked up Helena's crossbow and impaled him with the entire magazine of arrows. Racing over to her father, Sara felt some tears streaming down her face, "Please, stay with me…" She removed her mask and wig.
"Sara?" Quentin weakly gasped.
"Daddy, stay with me, please."
"If I stay with you, doesn't that mean I'm dead?" Quentin tried his best to chuckle.
"No, daddy I'm alive."
Several red, white, and blue lights lit the place up. Sirens filled the air.
"Sara, we need to go." Helena urged her.
Sara frantically shook her head, "But my dad!"
"We need to go now, they'll help him, but we have to go now!" Helena was basically pushing Sara out of the building.
"I love you, dad."
But Quentin was passed out from blood loss.
- BIRDS OF PREY -
Sara sat alone in the clock tower; she was staring at the picture in her hand. It had two girls; one had a black canary parched on her hands. "Sara?"
"Oh, hey Sin."
"Heard about your dad, that's rough."
"Helena told you?"
"Yah."
"Don't worry, he's ok. In the hospital, but he's alive. He'll be out in a couple of weeks."
"You broke into a hospital?"
"I'd do the same thing for you, in case you're jealous."
"Wha… no, me? Jealous?," Sin instantly went for a distraction, "I heard Helena killed a guy. Man, I guess she's a little crazy."
"I don't know. If that's the case, I'm probably crazy too."
"But you're not a killer."
Sara wanted to tell Sin the truth, but the words couldn't leave her mouth, instead she just gave a sad gaze, "We're not so different honestly. The only thing different about us is my loved ones are still alive."
"I think there's more to it then that."
"What? I'm a blonde, and she's not?" Sara forced a joke out.
Sin, however, didn't notice, "Ok, there's that, but I mean she's cool."
"So I'm not cool? Ok that's it, I'm not treating you to dinner anymore."
"No I mean, she's cool like a friend kind of cool. But you're cool because you care. You care enough to take save a random stranger from some guys. You care enough to help her get her act together, to protect her, to feed her. You care enough to be my new family."
Sara smiled and pulled Sin in for a hug, "Ok, fine, I'll still treat you to dinner."
"Yay!"
However, the touching moment was cut short by the sound of a phone buzzing.
"It's Helena," Sara said after checking the phone.
"Well, at least she's done sulking," Sin joked.
"I'll be back in a little bit."
"Where are you going?"
"To church."
- BIRDS OF PREY -
Helena was sitting in one of the isles across from her was another person, but they were tied up, ganged, and their head was covered by a sack, "Hey Birdy."
"I see why I needed the mask, you made a new friend?"
"Yup!"
"But you tied them up."
"Well, you know my social skills. I nearly took your head off, I nearly took the kid's head off, at least she's only tied up."
"So you're not mad for last night?"
"Oh you know me, I prefer to do something productive with my rage, so I went shopping and instead I found a more reliable source."
"Care to introduce me?"
Helena removed the sack, "Canary, Felicity. Felicity Smoak, Canary."
[1] The Arabic word for canary is canary, I guess Arrow wanted something foreign sounding so they went with the next best thing.
[2] Another shameless Jessica Jones reference.
[3] The average height for females in the US is 5' 4" so I have no idea why the show keeps calling Thea (5' 4'') short.
Reviews
highlander348: Thanks so much! Yah, Sara and Laurel will always have a connection, but who knows if Laurel's the only one on this hunt.
kindleflame5: Sorry no Laurel in this chapter, but we'll see what she's doing a little later.
Ok we can do this everyone, just twenty five more days before Flash returns, just twenty six more day before Arrow returns, and just twenty seven more days until Legends premiers. Oh, yah I'm calling it now Felicity is alive and might be Oracle later. Also Zoom is earth-2 Barry. Merry Christmas! If you celebrate, otherwise Happy Holidays!
Thanks for reading!
12/25/15