Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or Batman comics or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

GCPD

Few days later, Montoya was clearing up Michael's desk, feeling sad for what has happened to her partner as she looked at the photo of them graduating from the academy as she sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know Michael seemed like a good man." Gordon assured her. "We've all been duped."

"I wish I could have helped him." Montoya said.

"Sometimes, some people you can't help." Henry said as he approached her. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly…" Montoya sighed. "These past few weeks… past two years… have challenged everything I've ever believed in. It all comes down to one thing… not everything is as it seems. Like with you. Or like with Michael."

"You couldn't have known who he really was. Blaming yourself and dwelling on what you could've done, doesn't help. Trust me. I know that better than most people." Henry said.

"I'm not blaming myself. I just wonder… is he too far gone? Can we help him?" Montoya asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Henry said. "Renee, look, if there's something I can do for you…"

"Yeah. Sure, Henry." Montoya nodded, although she still looked sad as she looked at the photo of her partner.

"Is she going to be OK?" Sara asked.

"I don't know." Henry admitted as they went out. "It sucks when someone you care about, someone close to you, turns out to be something different than you had believed them to be."

"Yeah." Sara said, remembering what happened, when she returned back to Oliver and her family from Nanda Parbat. "Did you tell your sister from the beginning that you were a private investigator, when you started?"

"No." Henry said. "She didn't take it well much at first, either. Mary, she figured it out but she never judged me. But, Nicky…"

Seventeen years ago, Gotham City

Tired of Mercy's jobs and wanting to focus on his family, Henry wanted to decline.

"Where are you, Fyff?" Mercy asked.

"Forget it, Mercy. I'm done. I don't need your money. You've brought me nothing but trouble and if I'll have to go to prison for what I did, it's a price I'm willing to pay." Henry said. "We're done talking."

"I don't think so. You won't believe, where I am." Mercy sent Henry a photo and Henry glared.

"Nicky's house. What the hell are you doing?" Henry demanded.

"You should hurry, Henry. Your sister needs you." Mercy teased and Henry growled.

"Mercy!"

Mercy hung up and Henry clenched his fists angrily.

Henry entered Nicole's house as Mercy examined Henry's family photos.

"Three-year old daughter and three-year old nephew. And a big sister. How sweet." Mercy teased.

"What did you do to them?" Henry growled.

"All of this… such a waste." Mercy waved her hands around. "You know, what's really sad, is that someone like you surrounds yourself by so many fragile things. It makes you fragile, you know?"

Henry roared and punched Mercy before slamming her to the counter. "Where?!" Henry shouted angrily.

"Uh-uh. Let me go, or she dies. This is not going to work the way you want. You screw around and she's dead." Mercy said before Henry's phone rang. "I think you should answer that." Mercy smirked.

Henry answered the call.

"Henry! Help!" Nicole screamed.

"Nicky!" Henry called out. "Where are you?" The call was disconnected and Henry grabbed Mercy by her throat.

"Stop and think." Mercy choked out. "You screw around and she's dead." Henry wanted to snap Mercy's neck right where he was standing but Henry instead threw her away as Mercy staggered and massaged her throat. "Smart move. You know, it did not have to be this way but you've forced my hand. If you had listened to me, things would be different."

"Just tell me where they are." Henry said.

"They? It's just your sister. That little boy and your girlfriend and your daughter… I think they're out of town, if I recall." Mercy said. "I'll let your sister go, if you do as I say."

"What do you want?" Henry demanded, already knowing he was going to regret it.

Later, Henry broke into Gotham Merchants Bank and plugged in a flash drive, thanks to which Mercy stole hundreds of millions of dollars.

"I did what you asked." Henry said as he called Mercy.

"Good. Now here's where she is." Mercy said before an alarm rang and Henry saw on his phone a GPS location.

"What did you do?" Henry demanded.

"Did you think I'd leave a loose end?" Mercy teased and Henry realized that he had been set up. Two guards approached Henry.

"Freeze!"

"On the ground, now!"

Henry pulled out a gun and kneecapped them before he started to run. "Sorry."

"That fucking bitch set me up." Henry growled as he drove towards an abandoned warehouse, where Nicole was. Henry snuck in through a window and knocked one of the thugs out. He hid in the shadows as another thug was on a patrol before Henry grabbed him in chokehold.

"Now you're going to tell me, where's the blonde girl."

The thug accompanied Henry to where Nicole was as he opened the door. Nicole stared in disbelief, seeing her brother hold someone in gunpoint before Henry knocked the thug out.

"Henry?" Nicole asked, shocked at what he was doing. She knew that he was doing some questionable things as an investigator but she never expected him to do something so extreme. "What's going on? Some men took me and…"

"Nicky. It's going to be OK. I'm going to get you…"

"No. There are guards everywhere." Nicole shook her head.

"Nicky. Trust me." Henry said, handing her a gun as Nicole shook her head.

"Oh, God. This is crazy. Henry, you know I don't like guns." Nicole said, frightened before she screamed as another thug entered and she shot him on instinct. The man held his chest and fell down. "Oh, my God… I shot him…"

"I know. I know." Henry held Nicole. "Listen, we have to go."

"Shouldn't we see if he's OK? Oh, God, I killed…"

"Nicky, we stay here, we're both dead. Do you trust me?" Henry asked Nicole, who was hesitant, not even recognizing him anymore. "Do you trust me?" Nicole, somewhat reluctantly, nodded. "Good. Listen, this was self-defense. This doesn't make you a bad person. Just come with me, do as I say and it's going to be OK. Understand?" She stared at the dead man that she just shot. "Nicky. Focus. Do you trust me?"

Nicole quickly nodded as she followed Henry. "He was still breathing. The guy I shot, he was still breathing. Maybe we should call 911…"

"We don't have time, we need to go." Henry said. "Get down!" Henry forced Nicole on her knees as he shot down two thugs, who showed up around the corner as Nicole stared in shock at seeing her brother kill people. Henry held her hand as shock flooded through her as her hands trembled.

"Jesus… I haven't used a gun since hunting with Dad, that was just stupid rabbits…" Nicole said, horrified.

"Nicky. I know but we need to leave here now." Henry said as they kept on running.

"Jesus, did you see his face? He couldn't believe I shot him, he brought me blankets last night. Maybe we should go back…"

"Nicky, we gotta get out of here." Henry reminded as Nicole was in shock.

"OK. OK. Yeah." Nicole nodded, breathing out. "I don't understand how you can do this? This isn't a way to live. Is this what you do? You kill people? I can't believe it. It's not you. Is it?"

"No." Henry assured her.

"I mean, sure, you go too far sometimes and beat the crap out of people, who threaten me but… this…" Nicole whispered, not even recognizing Henry anymore before they entered a car as more thugs approached them.

"We gotta get out of here, hang on!" Henry hit the gas and drove away.

"Henry, I heard some rumors that you stole money from Gotham Merchants Bank. Is it true?" Nicole demanded. "Please, tell me that they set you up." Henry was silent. "Tell me!"

They saw a patrol car as Henry ducked. "Get down."

"Why won't we call Jim? He can help us." Nicole said.

"No. Jim's gonna come after me." Henry said.

"But if we explain everything about Mercy, I'll tell them what happened…"

"No." Henry protested. "Nicky, if they catch you, don't say anything. I want you to leave town and stay invisible until I sort this out."

"No, I want you to tell me exactly what the hell have you gotten yourself into this time, right now or I'm going to scream for help!" Nicole exploded, glaring as Henry stopped in an alley.

"Nicky… it's complicated." Henry said.

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything." Nicole pleaded, seeing how reluctant Henry was. "Look. You're my brother and I love you. That's never going to change but I need to understand. What did Mercy put you up to? Have you been in trouble like how Dad was with the mob, when he became a cop investigating them and they killed him?"

"Nicky…" Henry sighed. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just that… you wouldn't understand."

"Then help me understand. Please." Nicole said as Henry told her everything that happened since he met Mercy as Nicole stared in disbelief and shock.

"Look. Don't worry about Mercy coming after you. It's over." Henry promised.

"Is it? For me and Riley, maybe. But is it over for you?" Nicole asked as Henry sighed. "It didn't have to be this way, you know."

"I know. And I know that this is my fault. And I'm sorry." Henry turned to her, remorseful. "For what it's worth, I never meant for you, Riley or anyone else to get hurt."

"I know you didn't." Nicole said. "You're my brother and I love you. That's never going to change. When we were kids, I was the one looking out for you, since you were fat and they bullied you. Now… it's the other way around but it's so messed up." She wiped her face, frustrated. "Why does it have to be you? Why can't you stop?"

"Because Mercy's using you as a leverage. I stop, she'll do something to you and I'll never forgive myself for that." Henry snapped.

Nicole sighed. "Always have to be the hero, do you? Why can't you just let it go? It doesn't have to be you."

"If not me, then who? Batman?" Henry scoffed as Nicole sighed before he went out. "Nicky. Go to Riley and lay low. I'll handle it."

"What are you going to do?" Nicole asked.

"What I'll have to." Henry said before she went out.

"Is there no other way?" Nicole asked.

"I don't see another option." Henry said as the two siblings hugged each other. "You and Riley and Babs are the most important things in my life. Remember that."

"If you make it, promise me you'll let go. Please." Nicole said.

"I… I'll try." Henry said.

Later, GCPD

Henry was in his cell until Gordon unlocked it. "You're free to go."

"What?" Henry said, surprised.

"Under duress. We're not pressing charges. Batman sent us evidence." Gordon said as Henry nodded.

"Thanks, Jim." Henry got up and went out before Gordon held his shoulder.

"I know you feel like it has to be you… but you should stop and look back at how it's destroying you and your family. Let it go." Gordon said as Henry considered.

"I'm not sure I can. Some things you can't just walk away from." Henry said.

Present

"What are we doing here?" Sara asked.

"I may have let go of what happened to Mary and Ashley. But as long as there are reminders of what I did wrong, I'll never really move on." Henry said as they drove towards a storage unit that Henry opened. "One of my stashes, back in my investigator days. Guns, fake IDs, money… I never burned it because I thought I might need it. Now I'm realizing that it keeps holding me back."

"So what? You're going to burn it?" Sara asked.

"Burn it, tell Lyla about it, who knows. Anything, just to make sure I don't need it anymore." Henry said. "I may have let go but I keep letting my past define me. Maybe it's time I turned over a new leaf." He picked two canisters of gasoline. "A little help?"

Sara smiled, glad that her boyfriend was trying to move on to be happy as they were pouring the gasoline.

"I told Lyla that I need a leave of absence." Henry said. "Maybe it's time I stopped focusing on trying to be the hero and be there for you. And my family."

Sara kissed Henry before she pulled out a lighter and burned the stash down.

Later, Fyff's house

"Thanks." Mia smiled as Henry entered. "For saving me."

"You're my family too, Mia. And I'm always going to look out for you." Henry hugged her as Mia smiled.

"Remember when you scared off that drunk asshole stepdad that was beating up one of my classmates?" Mia said.

"Yeah."

Few years ago

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Henry asked as Mia told him everything after she snuck in her friend.

"Because I didn't think you'd give a shit. And I didn't know you would be home." Mia explained. "Please, don't be mad."

"I'm not mad and second of all, don't talk like that." Henry said. "I promise, I'll handle it."

"You're going to pack your things up and leave Gotham. Forever." Henry said as he punched the man in his face. "I'm going to drop Olivia by tomorrow and if I see you in the house by then, I'm going to finish the job. Understood?"

"OK. OK." The man nodded. "I'll leave town and you'll never have to see me again."

Later, Henry was returning home as Nicole stood at the entrance. "Olivia's mother called me. Said that the stepdad left, sick of them and they said he was bruised."

"Nicky, I don't want to hear it." Henry snapped. "You're just making things worse, Hank. Just leave it alone, Hank. Stop being a hero, Hank."

"That's not what I was going to say." Nicole said, much to her brother's surprise. "You stood up for your own child. And you did what you had to do to protect them. I'm proud of you."

Nicole smiled and hugged Henry, kissing him on his cheek.

Present, Fyff's house

"I invited Renee over but she's probably processing what happened to her partner." Henry said.

"Is she going to be OK?" Thea asked.

"Honestly, I don't know." Henry admitted. "Seeing that people you think that know, you actually don't know at all…"

"It's gotta be hard." Oliver nodded.

"OK, enough of this. We're having a family dinner." Nicole said as she brought in a bowl of chicken wings and potatoes while Laurel brought a salad.

They loved Nicole's food but as they tasted Laurel's salad, most of them coughed.

"A bit sour, Laurel." Barbara blushed, her eyes filling with tears.

"Did I put there too much vinegar?" Laurel wondered.

"What did I tell you, Laurel?" Nicole mockingly smacked Laurel on her shoulder as Laurel blushed in embarrassment, while everyone else laughed.

Wayne Manor

"Miranda Tate was behind this Order of Saint Dumas." Bruce said. "Talia is alive."

"And that can mean nothing good." Selina said. "When was the last time they saw her?"

"In Morocco." Bruce said as he pulled out a photo. "I think we're going on a hunt."

"What about Azrael?" Selina asked.

"I found him and spoke to him. I don't think we need to worry about him being a problem anymore." Bruce said.

Gotham City

Azrael was on a gargoyle, watching over Gotham City. Now that Batman has disappeared to find Talia al Ghul, who has wronged them both, it needed a new guardian. A new protector. And Azrael would bring God's justice upon the criminals and the Order of Saint Dumas, who has manipulated him as a promise to Batman.

Michael Lane was dead. He was... Azrael. The Angel of Death. Protector of Gotham.

Author's Note:

I hope you have enjoyed this story. I do plan another sequel with Bruce, Selina and Talia but Azrael, that one I am keeping open-ended and at the moment, I do not plan a story with him.

Stay tuned for another story in this saga, depending on ideas that come to my mind.

Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed the story to its end.

With regards

Bl4ckHunter