Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Arrowverse or Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Comics, Marvel Comics or any characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises or anything else you may recognize.

A man exited the chopper and pulled out his phone. "I've just landed in Starling City." He said with a strong accent. "We agreed – half on arrival, the other half when the job is done." He looked down at his phone to see a wire transfer in progress in the banking app. "Gracias." He smiled. "Don't worry, the man is as good as…"

He was interrupted by a swishing sound in his ear as an arrow knocked the phone off his hand.

"Guillermo Barrera, you have failed this city!" The Hood snarled.

The assassin smirked to face the archer. "You've built quite a reputation."

"And you should have stayed overseas." The Hood sneered.

"I've thought about it but then I remembered…" Barrera smirked. "I've got a reputation too." He pulled out two knives before the Hood fired an arrow, while Barrera blocked the projectile with his knives. They exchanged blows, the Hood blocking Barrera's knives with his bow until they got under the tail of the helicopter. They ducked under the tail of the helicopter until the Hood drove a fletchette into Barrera's chest. Barrera stared in surprise for a moment before he fell down, dead until the Hood picked Barrera's phone and fled the scene as McKenna and the police appeared.

Later, the Lair

"So, how'd it go?" Diggle asked.

"Badly for him." Oliver replied as he put his bow on the table.

"So no lead on who hired Barrera?" Bobbi asked as she entered with Natasha.

"No." Oliver said, taking a breath as handed her a phone. "Can you hack his phone?"

"I can try." Bobbi nodded. "This guy kills high-profile targets, which means whoever hired him, is gonna hire another hitman and their target is still in danger."

"You could've asked me, you know that?" Natasha teased.

"Haven't you forgotten something?" Oliver shot her a look as she remembered.

Later, Laurel's apartment

"Sorry we're late." Oliver said as Tommy opened the door.

"Welcome." Tommy said.

"Happy birthday, Tommy." Natasha said as Oliver hugged him.

"Thank you." Tommy said as he picked the gift bag from Oliver. "Oh, this feels like a Chateau Neuf de Pape."

"It takes like one too." Oliver said.

"You are a true friend. Thank you." Tommy said.

"So, an assistant and a girlfriend now?" Laurel teased, recognizing her, half happy for Oliver, half… surprised, to say the least.

"Miss Lance." Natasha said. "Look, I know what you might be thinking but I know how to keep my two lives separate."

Laurel nodded, not meaning to pry and ruin Tommy's birthday as they went in.

Natasha looked at the photos and saw a young girl with younger Quentin and a black canary in a cage. "That's you? Or your sister?"

"That's Sara." Laurel explained.

"Oh." Natasha said, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's OK." Laurel assured her. "I don't know why my father bought her that canary. That thing chirped night and day. Drove us all nuts."

"A toast." Tommy said as he entered the room, handing them all glasses of wine. "To the first birthday that I have enjoyed in a long time." He turned to Oliver. "I got my best friend back." He then turned to Laurel. "And I have finally figured out why poets have been in business for the last few thousand years."

"Happy birthday, baby." Laurel said, kissing Tommy.

"Thank you." Oliver smiled.

"Cheers." Oliver said.

"Cheers." Everyone else said as well as they clinked glasses and drank before they heard the door knock.

"I think that's the food." Laurel said as she approached the door.

"Oh, thank God, she didn't cook." Oliver whispered, sighing in relief.

"Amen." Tommy agreed.

"That bad?" Natasha asked as they shot her looks. "OK. I might know someone, who could teach her how to cook."

"Mr. Merlyn." Laurel said in surprise as she opened the door and suddenly, the temperature in the apartment dropped.

"Laurel. Can I come in?" Malcolm asked politely as Laurel let him in. Malcolm smiled at the group but no one smiled back as he narrowed his eyes, eying at Natasha. "Oliver. Miss Rushman."

"Mr. Merlyn." Oliver and Natasha said in unison and Natasha's eyes narrowed too, having a gut feeling about the businessman.

"I've been trying to get in touch with you." Malcolm said as he turned to Tommy.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Tommy asked, not even bothering to sugarcoat it.

"Happy birthday, Tommy." Malcolm said, showing him a box.

Tommy hesitated before turning to Laurel. "Just give us a second."

"Of course." Laurel said as Tommy and Malcolm went into the corridor as Malcolm handed the gift to Oliver as Natasha wondered why were things so heated between Malcolm and Tommy.

"Would some of you mind filling me in on why are things so heated between Tommy and his father?" Natasha asked.

Oliver took a breath. "When we were kids, before Tommy's Mom died, Malcolm Merlyn was like this fun uncle that you would never want to leave. He actually performed magician tricks instead of us hiring a magician, when we threw birthday parties and Mr. Merlyn was great at this. But after Tommy's Mom died…" Oliver sighed before continuing. "I understand grief and anger but I didn't think Mr. Merlyn would be that much broken. He left Tommy for two years. Two years. Tommy lived with us during the time and when Mr. Merlyn came back… I know grief can change people but… it was like…"

"He became a completely different person." Natasha finished and Oliver nodded. Then she considered… Malcolm Merlyn was among her suspects and what were the odds that he is associated with Kovar and this Tempest she had been investigating?

A moment later, Tommy entered, obviously angry but trying to mask it behind a smile, not that it convinced anyone.

"So, anyone hungry?" Tommy asked.

Later, the Jade Dragon

After finding out where Barrera had been calling earlier, Oliver got a reservation in the Jade Dragon restaurant, which was the Triad's front.

Oliver and Tommy were at a table, when the waiter came by and dropped off a fried fish on a large plate. The waiter left as Oliver and Tommy stared at their meal.

"That is…that is one big fried fish." Tommy said, as they both chuckled.

"I was told this was the most authentic Szechwan in town." Oliver said before shaking his head. "Whatever. I wanted to make sure that your birthday celebration got its due celebration. It was a little bit, um, tense last night."

"Well, trust my dad to run all the smiles out of the room." Tommy grumbled.

"He did come by, and it seemed like he was trying to act a little bit dad-like." Oliver defended.

"Dad-like, that sums up my father perfectly." Tommy said in sarcasm.

"I know the two of you have never been close, but it couldn't have been easy for him after your mom was killed." Oliver noted.

"Yeah, I guess he forgot that there were two of us in that club." Tommy scoffed.

"I'm not defending him, Tommy. It's… with everything I've been through, people that I've lost... I know how hard it can be." Oliver pointed out.

Tommy nodded. "You probably don't remember this. We were eight. But after her funeral, he left for like two years. And when he did come back, he was... he was so freaking cold. We barely spoke. And that's why I spent so much time at your house."

Oliver nodded in understanding.

"From the outside, it always looked like I had a father. He paid my bills, he lived in the house, and he bailed me out. But your dad took me to my first hockey game." Tommy smiled. "Your dad taught me how to fly fish. Your dad took us to our first R-rated movie."

"But he wasn't perfect." Oliver said. "My dad made mistakes. And…" He took a breath. "We haven't talked about this. But I have a lot of anger towards him. But still, I would give anything to have him back, because… at the end of the day, your dad is… your dad."

Tommy felt touched. "I meant what I said last night. I'm really glad that you're back."

Oliver smiled, as Tommy started to eat. Oliver was about to as well before he saw a large Asian man with a tattoo on his neck walk past them. "I got to hit the restroom."

The big man moved through kitchen to a back room where a smaller Asian man was counting the Triad's money. The big man pulled stacks of cash out of an envelope and handed it to the accountant, who was about to put it into an electronic cash counter when the light suddenly went out.

They looked around, and the big man reached for a gun when suddenly Oliver jumped at him from above, slamming his head to the ground. Oliver grabbed a squeeze bottle of hot sauce and sprayed it into the accountant's eyes, blinding him. The small man shot up up and tried to run out of the room, but Oliver was on top of him. He slammed him into the wall and held him there.

"The Triad put out a hit on someone. I want to know who." Oliver demanded in Chinese.

"I don't work for the Triad!" The man protested.

"You're not making Dim Sum here." Oliver growled, choking him.

"I don't know who it is." The man said.

"But you know something. Tell me." Oliver demanded.

"Tomorrow. Whatever it is. It's supposed to happen tomorrow." The man said as Oliver left.

"Who was that man?" The tall man asked.

"I don't know. He spoke with a perfect accent. Definitely Chinese." The accountant said.

The big man ran out of the room and headed back into the dining room, looking for the guilty party. All the while Oliver sat at his table, and as the big man walked past, he gestured to the waiter. "Check, please."

"Here you go." The waiter said, revealing himself to be an elderly man with a bushy moustache with white hair, wearing glasses and smiling.

SCPD

Quentin answered the Hood's phone. "Lance."

"The Triad have hired a contract killer." Oliver said, with a distorted voice.

"Yeah? You mean the one you put in the morgue?" Quentin asked sarcastically as he stood up from his desk. "Congratulations, you're the talk of the station again."

"They hired one, they're gonna hire another, Detective."

"Who's your target?" Quentin asked as he walked past his colleague's desks.

"I need you to put your people on it."

"My people don't work for you." Quentin sneered. "Come to think of it, neither do I."

"It's not about you and me, Detective. It's about saving a life." Oliver pointed out as Quentin paused in consideration.

"Call me back when you got a name." Quentin said before hanging up.

Starling City

China White was briefing her goons on the assassination. "There are five exit routes from the main floor that need to be cut off." She circled around her men. "Once the fire alarm goes off, we'll have less than 30 seconds to disable Merlyn's private security and force him outside with the others. Once he's outside, the rest will be up to Mr. Lawton, and Jade, in case things do not go precisely as planned." She looked at the marksman, dressed in his traditional gear and a new artificial eyepiece and the other assassin in green kimono, who was sharpening her steel claws and sai knives.

"Roger that." Lawton smirked.

"Been a while since I was on a good hunt." Jade smirked.

In the following hours, Bobbi kept on working on the phone, Oliver was contemplating in his room, Tommy stared at the pictures of his childhood, considering and Moira was preparing for the ceremony.

The Foundry

Oliver entered the Foundry as Bobbi finished breaking through the encryption.

"Got it." Bobbi said.

"Do you know who's the target?" Oliver asked.

"It's Spanish. Give me a sec…" Bobbi trailed off as her blood ran cold. "Oh, my God."

"What?" Oliver asked as Natasha paled, reading it.

"The target is Tommy's father." Natasha explained.

"At the awards ceremony?" Oliver demanded and they both nodded as Oliver put on his hood.

Merlyn Global Group

Tommy and Malcolm ran upstairs and took cover as two gunmen fired but suddenly, the Hood showed up, taking one of them out while firing an arrow. "Go somewhere safe, I'll hold them off! Go now!"

The Merlyns did as ordered as Malcolm accompanied Tommy to his private elevator.

The Hood took out one of the hitmen as three more showed up from behind, engaging him but then Natasha, wearing a blonde wig and a mask, jumped in through the window and swiftly took them all down with her batons.

Suddenly, in front of them stood China White, who put down her wig, wearing her white dress.

"Why do you want Malcolm Merlyn dead?" The Hood demanded.

"I'll settle for the two of you." China White sneered.

"I'll take care of Tommy." Natasha assured the archer, sliding down as she dodged White's attack and the Hood engaged her.

"What if they see your face?" The Hood demanded.

"Just trust me." Natasha said but stopped as she faced Jade around the corner. "You." Natasha glared.

"We have some unfinished business from Russia." Jade said.

Natasha dodged Jade's claws as she almost scratched Natasha's suit and cut some of her hair. Natasha disarmed her of her claws before she kicked Jade back. Jade pulled out sais but Natasha blocked with her batons and kicked her in the chest as Jade stumbled back. They briefly exchanged strikes before they heard McKenna shout.

"Freeze! SCPD! Put the bow down!"

"Lucky girl." Jade sneered before running to the stairwell.

The Hood spun around and fired at the extinguisher as the leaking cloud concealed his and White's escape.

Tommy was panicking as Malcolm passed out after being shot before he heard cracking of glass and spun around, aiming a gun at the Hood. "Stay back."

"I'm not here to hurt you or your father." The Hood said through his voice changer.

"I said 'stay back'." Tommy growled.

The Hood knelt down and sniffed the bullet. "Curare."

"Don't come any closer." Tommy warned again.

"Your father's been poisoned." The Hood stood up. "An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare, I've dealt with this before. We need to dilate the poison in his bloodstream."

"I said 'stay the hell back'!" Tommy snarled, his hands trembling from aiming the pistol at the archer.

"In three minutes he's paralyzed, in four minutes he suffocates; if you don't let me help you now, he's dead before anybody gets here!" The Hood warned.

"Help? How?" Tommy asked.

"Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital."

Tommy glanced towards Malcolm before looking back at the archer in disbelief. "A blood transfusion? That's insane!"

"It's the only way." The Hood said calmly. "He needs your blood. You're out of time, you need to make a decision right now."

"Why should I trust you?!" Tommy shouted.

The Hood paused, hesitating, considering a risky call before Bobbi appeared, knocking Tommy out with her baton as Oliver stared.

"Wasn't going to let you take that risk." Bobbi explained.

Oliver and Bobbi picked the first aid kid from the closet, picking needles, bandages and some tubes for a makeshift transfusion.

Natasha was chasing down Jade and White as they went outside but as she rushed in the alley, the assassins had disappeared. "Damn it!"

Later, the Foundry

"John is not going to take it well." Bobbi said as Oliver filled her and Natasha in.

"What happened?" Diggle asked as he approached them.

Laurel's apartment

Laurel was going out from her apartment as her mother Dinah showed up.

"It's about Sara."

"What about her?" Laurel asked carefully.

"I think she may be alive."

Laurel tensed.

Starling General

"Black Widow helped the Hood?" Malcolm asked as the associate nodded. He considered. She doesn't know who he is… which played into his hands.

Chinatown

"You've won this game, Oliver but we're not done playing." Jade teased.

"Shall we get our revenge?" White asked.

"Yes. Let's." Jade said as a tall Asian man entered. "Chen Wu."

"You called?"

"Gather your men. We're going on a hunt."

Kudos for those, who got the Stan Lee cameo.

And Tommy doesn't know Oliver's secret here, unlike in the canon, so no strained friendship crap.

The next chapter is going to be again some of original stuff, since I'm not gonna do "The Huntress Returns"

For those not in the known, Chen Wu was a minor villain in comic books and he was in MCU's Iron Fist TV series, one of the members of the Golden Tigers triad gang and a lackey of Davos, Season 2's main villain and he was a skilled martial artist, who was able to hold his own against Danny, Misty and Colleen but not defeat them.

So, what do you guys think?

Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.