Starling Welcome Hotel

"Sara called," Mick announced, striding into the room, "says she and Leonard are headed ba-What are you doing?"

Ray was posted next to the window, having cut out a circle in the glass. He had a high-powered telescope out, and was peering into it.

"He is not getting in again," Ray declared. He looked up, slightly feverishly into Mick's eyes. He clearly had not slept much. "Not even if I have to stay up all day to stop him."

"Pumpkin, that's ridiculous," Mick sputtered.

"Yeah Ray c'mon," Jax agreed, "You standing by the window isn't gonna help."

"Besides," Stein chimed in, "You've vandalized the room by cutting the hole and we really need to plan the heist. And see, you've also let the bugs in," he added, seeing Ray snatch his hand away from the window in pain.

"No you're wrong!" Ray insisted, "I'm gonna stop this guy, I'm gonna show him what he's messing with. I am not weak."

"No one thinks you're weak," Mick reassured tenderly, his heart going out to his insecure lover.

"Doesn't matter," Ray argued, "I need to do it for mys-what is that?"

"What is what?" Mick asked.

Ray got up, pointing at the building across the street, "It's him!" he exclaimed, "The Panther!"

"What are you talking about?" Mick wondered incredulously, "Pumpkin you're pointing at a mural."

"He's hiding in it," Ray maintained. His face took on a look of pure terror as he practically screamed, "And now he's flying across the gap!"

"What?!" Mick sputtered, he looked back at Stein, "Doc, what's going on?"

"Oh God!" Ray wailed, "He's coming for me!" He took off running.

Stein slapped his head, "When he was standing by the window they must have shot him with a hallucinogen. We need to find him so I can give him an antidote."

Mick nodded and went to find Ray.

He found him when he heard rustling in their closet.

"Ray," he called, "are you in our closet?"

"He won't find me here," Ray asserted, adding with a whimper that damn near broke Mick's heart, "I hope."

"Pumpkin, he's not here," Mick assured him, "You were hit with a hallucinogen. Why don't you come out and the doctor can help you out."

"It's not safe," Ray responded plaintively, "I don't want to-OH NO HE'S IN HERE WITH ME! PLEASE DON'T, NOOOOO!"

He sounded so terrified, Mick couldn't take it. He broke the doors open. Ray was huddled in a ball in the corner, sobbing. Seeing his lover sobbing in a ball made something snap inside of Mick. He needed this to stop, and he knew just how to make them stop, and pay them back.

He stormed off. Passing Stein in the hallway, he muttered, "He's in our closet."

"Mr. Rory," Stein called, "I would've thought you'd comfort Dr. Palmer. Where are you going?"

"To end this," Mick replied, and grabbed the heat gun.

Lawton Crib

"I'm back!" Karl announced, "And I have won! Ah what a day, eh Floyd?"

When Floyd didn't answer, Karl got a little concerned, "Floyd?" he called. In the distance he heard faint sobbing. He took off in a run. Floyd never cried.

He found his twin in the back. Deadshot was sobbing into his hands, but appeared unharmed. He looked up at his twin, tears streaming out of his good eye.

"They killed her," He sobbed.

"Who?" Karl asked, and then, with a sickening certainty, he knew. No, he thought, not-

"Zoe," Floyd choked out.

The world stopped, started, and stopped again. Everything in Karl's vision went blurry, and suddenly the world was spinning. Karl's thoughts went unbidden, to his last meeting with his niece, over three months ago.

"Uncle Karl?" she wondered, her light brown hair tied back into a ponytail, "Why do you always cover your face with a scarf now?"

He smiled, "I don't want to scare you."

"Show me," she demanded imperiously, "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Ok," he replied, and dropped the scarf, revealing his scars. For a while she just looked at him, finally starting to trace the scars. "I'm gonna find who did this to you, and bring them to justice," she declared, with all the certainty of a teenage girl.

"Oh you will, huh?" Karl laughed, bringing the scarf back up.

"Yeah. I'm going to GCU, gonna study law, and then prosecute Ra's al Ghul," she informed him, "Just you wait."

Karl laughed again, "I look forward to it," he replied, and ruffled her hair, earning a stern frown in the bargain.

Now he would never see it.

"Why?" he demanded hoarsely.

"I hit the target with a hallucinogen," Floyd replied hollowly, "He freaked out and ran away from the window. So I left. Then I got the call that there-there had been a fire at the school."

"Rory," Karl stated, a cold rage coloring his tone.

"Karl?" Floyd asked, "We're gonna make them pay, right?"

Karl embraced his twin, letting him sob into his shoulder, his voice cold with promise, "Oh yes, Floyd. Mick Rory is going to pay, and then some."