A/N: Please visit my profile if you haven't done so since about two p.m. MST on 3/31/2020. There's been some changes in how things will be going moving forward and my readers need to be aware of this.

TRIGGER WARNING: A rather taboo topic comes up at the end of the chapter that may disturb some readers that deals with the depths of depravity that some people reach.

Oliver Queen rolled over in bed and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 1:00 p.m., and he had been asleep since roughly five or six a.m. It had taken a little longer than he had thought to get to Central City; he had become far too used to driving here on a bike, able to dodge in and out of traffic, or coming via one of Cisco's breaches. Driving in the Camaro with Laurel and Thea had been entertaining, as the two kept up a lively commentary about the dinner party and how that had probably shaken the rich muckety-mucks for the first part of the trip. It was after this that Thea had asked them the question that strained things between the three.

"What's wrong with the Merlyns?" Thea asked from her spot in the backseat. Oliver and Laurel shared a look before Oliver returned his attention to the road. "See? There you go again. You shared a look like that when Ollie said the Merlyns were still at the mansion. What's wrong with them? Is it to do with-with Ollie's night job?"

"Yes, Thea," Oliver said after a moment. "It has to do with my work as Green Arrow. I can't tell you anything. But I can tell you Tommy knows nothing of what I'm talking about. Malcolm, on the other hand, is a snake, one both Laurel and I have to watch ourselves around."

"Is that why you told them the stuff you did?" Laurel asked. "To throw Merlyn off the scent?" Oliver nodded tersely. "Probably for the best. Much as I'd love to nail that bastard to the wall, I know it can't happen. Not yet."

"What is it that he's done?" Thea persisted.

"Thea, I would love to tell you what's going on, but as much as I love you, you're still a teenager, and that means you're impulsive," Oliver said, glancing in the rear-view mirror to meet his sister's hazel eyes. "The last thing I need is for you to accidentally let something slip to Tommy about his father, and I think we both know you would." Thea grimaced guiltily. "You'll know what it is about Merlyn that Laurel and I know eventually, Speedy. Everyone will."

Oliver pulled himself into a sitting position in the hotel room he had booked for himself. Because of his nightmares, he hadn't wanted either Thea or Laurel in the room with him and booked two rooms, a single and a double, the latter of which the women had shared, to their disappointment. He knew they would be looking for signs of trouble in him once they woke up, if they weren't already awake. He grabbed his phone to check for any messages and found one at Laurel, saying that Thea was going to sleep a little longer and Laurel herself was going to go to Central City University, where her mother taught a course on ancient world mythology. The text had been sent not ten minutes ago, so Oliver got up and began getting dressed. He had somewhere he wanted to go, somewhere he needed to go.

*DC*

Laurel Lance entered her mother's office at C.C.U. with a bit of nervousness, Sara's letter to Oliver in her purse. She had her doubts that her father had told her mother about Sara's return yet, probably hoping to wait until Sara was back in Starling permanently before he did. But her mother was running herself ragged on her search for Sara, and Laurel needed to at least try to give some kind of comfort to her mother. She hesitated in the doorway, seeing her mother hunched over her desk, grading papers. "My office hours are from two to four," her mother said without looking up.

"I'm not one of your students, Mom," Laurel said, and Dinah Drake Lance's head shot up.

"Laurel," she breathed out in amazement, standing and moving around her desk quicker than Laurel might have thought her mother capable of. She was pulling Laurel into a hug before the younger woman knew what was happening. "Oh, Laurel, I was so worried when I heard what happened to you on the news, but I didn't know if I would be welcome in your life after leaving like you did."

"It doesn't matter how strained things are between us, you're still my mom, and I'll always need you in my life," Laurel whispered, hugging her mother back and closing her eyes, breathing in her mother's distinctive scent. "And I know I helped push you away by running to the law like Dad did. But I've had a rude awakening that sometimes, the law doesn't mean justice. And justice is what I want to see happen."

Dinah pulled away, holding her daughter at arm's length and examining her. "Well, you seem to be pushing through what's happened to you," she said softly.

"That's partly thanks to Oliver," Laurel said, and Dinah blinked, surprised. "We sat down and had a serious discussion after the incident with China White since he got injured defending me. We established that the biggest problem that we had was that we didn't communicate with each other and weren't honest about the issues we were having. We're trying to see if things will work if we're honest. He's changed because of what happened to him after the Gambit sank. He wants to help people, and even has an idea for a homeless shelter that he wants to work on with me, Walter Steele, and Malcolm Merlyn."

"It sounds like he's still the good man you thought he was," Dinah said softly. "I hate to ask this, Laurel, but did Oliver say anything about what happened to Sara?"

"That's why I'm here," Laurel said softly. "Ollie had some things he needed to take care of here in Central City and I tagged along. Sara's alive, Mom. She was in Starling City last week." Dinah's hand went to her mouth as she slowly sat down on the edge of her desk. Laurel opened her purse. "Oliver tried to convince her to come home, to let us know she was alive, but she left in the middle of the night, leaving this behind." She withdrew the letter from Sara and handed it to Dinah, who read it silently, her eyes filling with tears.

"My poor baby," Dinah finally whispered. "She's out there, somewhere, hurting, but too afraid to come home."

"Ollie thinks she will, eventually," Laurel said softly. "He thinks she's just nervous. She's had a hard life the past five years. I only know some of it thanks to what Oliver's told me that he knew about. I can't imagine what else she's been through to turn her into the woman who wrote that letter."

"I hope Oliver's right," Dinah said softly. She looked up at her elder daughter. "I have to be here for my office hours, but maybe we could meet up this evening? Get dinner perhaps? I'd like to know more about what you've been doing in Starling City."

"I'd like that," Laurel said softly. "I'm staying at the Marriott with Oliver and Thea. You can probably catch me there anytime after five p.m."

"I'll see you then," Dinah promised, and the two women shared a hug before Laurel left, leaving the letter from her sister with her mother, who needed the tangible evidence that her youngest was alive more so than her father did.

*DC*

Oliver didn't know why he was doing this to himself. Perhaps it was a case of masochism, or perhaps he just needed to see his friend one more time, even if the younger man never became his friend in the timeline that was sure to form once he went through with his dark intentions this evening. Whatever the reason, masochism or a need to see his friend one last time, Oliver had ensconced himself in CC Jitters with a consistent order of coffee, which he nursed, waiting for Barry Allen to make an appearance. Oliver was seated where he could see both entrances so that he wouldn't miss the entrance of the young man that would one day be known as The Flash. What he didn't expect was to see two people he recognized, and more importantly, see them together. Two women entered Jitters from the more lit entrance to the café, and it took a moment for Oliver to come to terms with what he was seeing.

The woman he recognized instantly was Dinah Drake, the woman that he had recruited to be the new Black Canary and succeed Laurel after the crushing experience of facing off with Earth-2's Laurel Lance, aka the Black Siren, who had aligned with Prometheus and Talia al Ghul. The other woman he only vaguely recognized, and it took a moment for her identity to sink in since he had only seen her the once, in the final minutes before Palmer Technologies had ceased to exist as part of the Ninth Circle's plots. This woman was Beatrice, the woman who had presumably assumed command of the Ninth Circle due to Emiko's wavering loyalties and her siding with Oliver in that final confrontation. Beatrice had escaped that confrontation and Oliver had no idea what had happened to the Ninth Circle afterward but knew he had left Felicity and Mia in hiding to keep them safe from the Ninth Circle.

What the hell was Dinah doing with a member of the Ninth Circle? Had she been a traitor all along, working for Beatrice, who had clearly distrusted Emiko despite her rank at the time in the Ninth Circle? Was her name even Dinah Drake? As if from a distance, Oliver remembered the first outing he and Tommy had had with the Lance sisters at Berlanti Prep, which served every grade from elementary school to high school. Quentin had introduced himself to their parents and then introduced his wife as Dinah Drake Lance. How had he been so blind? A woman who just happened to have Laurel's first name (which she hardly ever used to differentiate herself from her mother), who just happened to share her mother's maiden name, becoming the new Black Canary? He knew the Ninth Circle was skilled; they had fooled Cayden James, one of the most intelligent men in the world, into thinking that the Green Arrow had killed his son through their agent, Ricardo Diaz. Considering how eager Felicity and Curtis were to fill the role of Black Canary after the confrontation with Black Siren, they might not have dug too deeply into Dinah's background.

Another thought occurred to Oliver. He knew it wasn't possible to become a police officer under a false name, as 'Dinah' had said she had to protect her family. But the record that Curtis had pulled up from C.C.P.D. had listed her name as Tina Boland. Oliver also thought of the dark future that had been wrought and realized that Tina had done nothing to stop what happened, and he could only assume it had been at the order of the Ninth Circle. Perhaps the Ninth Circle had been behind the corporation that his children had been fighting against in that dark future, Galaxy something, maybe even been behind the Deathstroke gang that J.J. Diggle had been the leader of.

Oliver resisted the urge to move seats and listen in on the two women, instead focusing on what he could make out over the din of the coffee shop. It sounded like Beatrice was urging Tina to work undercover, saying it would prove to be a good experience. Oliver couldn't help but feel sick as he realized the Ninth Circle must have been planning on embedding the woman into his life and preparing their chosen asset accordingly this early on. Which could only mean they were planning to get rid of Laurel and play on Oliver's grief over her death by hiding Tina under the name Dinah Drake. He hadn't realized how deep his half-sister's hatred for their father ran. Perhaps he had been wrong that she was redeemable. He had been thinking of approaching her since his return to this time, but perhaps it was best not to invite the poisonous snake into his embrace. *1*

Beatrice and Tina left the coffee shop, allowing Oliver to relax slightly. It took another half-hour and a third cup of coffee, but eventually the two people he had been expecting showed up: Barry Allen and Iris West, who were laughing and joking about something from their college courses. Barry looked so carefree, despite the dark shadow of his father's incarceration hanging over him, and Oliver grimaced as he realized there was a fifty-fifty chance that Eobard had not made any sort of recording revealing his role in Nora's death yet in this timeline, but he couldn't let The Flash and the Legends erase everything he had been working for. If it turned out Eobard hadn't arranged for a confession to make it's way to the police, he would find another way to free Henry Allen. He would coerce a confession from Eobard if he thought it would help, but Barry had told him that the District Attorney for Central City, Cecile Horton, had been a hard-ass who only mellowed once she got involved with Team Flash, so he doubted she would use a coerced confession to free Henry Allen.

Barry and Iris sat close to Oliver and began to discuss something a little more serious based on their expressions. "I'm just not sure I want to work at the precinct with Joe, Iris," Barry was saying to his stepsister and eventual wife, and Oliver tried not to think too hard on that subject since it would do him little good to get involved in his friend's love life when his own had ended up so twisted. "The main reason I want to work there is to help make sure nothing like what happened to my father happens again."

"Barry…" Iris sighed. Oliver frowned; he had gotten the impression Iris always backed Barry up. But it appeared that hadn't always been the case.

"I know, I know, you don't believe me," Barry said, bitterness tinging his voice. "No one does. But I know what I saw that night, Iris. My father did not kill my mother, and I don't know if I could stomach working at the precinct that railroaded my father and didn't even look for other suspects. I might just try to get a job at S.T.A.R. Labs or Mercury Labs, help in developing new crime scene technology. That would probably do more for my father than drowning myself in cases. I hear enough from Joe to know C.S.I.'s are overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. I don't think I want to work in that kind of environment."

Oliver was stunned; he had never realized this sort of bitterness existed inside of his friend, even with the glimpse he got when Rainbow Raider as Caitlin had called him 'whammied' Barry with his rage-inducing gaze. But he also knew already that his friend was destined for failure in being accepted at either S.T.A.R. Labs or Mercury Labs since he had ended up in the C.S.I. lab at the precinct where he worked with Joe West. Perhaps it was due to his own issues with Joe West, or perhaps because he still wanted a relationship with Barry, but Oliver leaned forward. "I don't know about S.T.A.R. Labs or Mercury Labs, but Queen Consolidated is always looking for ambitious, sharp minds," he said, drawing Iris and Barry's attention.

Iris' eyes widened as she recognized him. "Oliver Queen?" she said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, typical corporate shenanigans, seeing if I can poach any excellent young talent before Harrison Wells or Tina McGee get to them," Oliver said with a smile. "I think wanting to develop new technology to help in crime scene investigation is not only an ambitious goal, but a vital one. I'd like you to consider taking a position under me in Applied Sciences at Queen Consolidated. I'm sorry, I just realized I butted into your conversation without an introduction, though the young lady has already provided an introduction for me. And the two of you are?"

"Iris West," Iris said, before gesturing to Barry. "This is my best friend, Barry Allen." Oliver leaned forward and shook each of their hands. "You're really serious about asking Barry to come work at Queen Consolidated?"

"I am," Oliver confirmed. "My father had an eye for talent, one of the few things I'm proud to have inherited from him. And I can tell simply from the way Mr. Allen here spoke that he would be driven to develop new crime scene technologies. I would rather have people working under me who are driven to develop technologies for the common good of mankind. Trust me," he added grimly, "the Applied Sciences division is about to have a shake-up. Too many working under me are in it for their own egos. I'd rather have people like your friend working at Queen Consolidated."

Barry was wide-eyed at the offer. "Uh, well, I don't know what to say," he said. "This is pretty sudden."

"Say you'll think about it," Oliver replied with a shrug. "I don't expect an answer now. I would understand if you would prefer somewhere in Central City to work. But if things don't work out with S.T.A.R. and Mercury Labs, well, know you've got a guaranteed spot with me. I'll fight the C.E.O. to approve your application if need be."

"Why?" Barry asked. "You don't even know me."

"Like I said," Oliver said quietly, "I have an eye for talent and I just know you're going to be something special if given the chance to spread your wings." Oliver took out one of the business cards he carried around with him at Walter's request and handed it over to Barry. "Just think about it, Mr. Allen. You could help so many people by developing technologies that ensure the right people are put behind bars." Oliver finished his coffee and stood. "You both have a good afternoon. I'm staying at the Marriott if you want to know more, Mr. Allen."

Oliver strode out of Jitters, tossing the coffee cup in the garbage as he went. He had done what he could to make sure Barry had a bright future once he took care of Thawne; now all that was left to do was prepare for tonight. He had already decided acting as Green Arrow here would raise Merlyn's suspicions all over again, so he would be making use of his disguise as the Man in Black, which he had retrieved from the Bunker after a quick stop there before leaving town with Laurel and Thea. He had also had to promise the two women he would give them a tour of his 'night office' when they returned to Starling.

*DC*

Oliver adjusted the black face-mask he was wearing to disguise his features as he waited inside of the impostor's home for Eobard Thawne to return home for the night. A little-known fact about A.R.G.U.S. was that they had implanted an override into every alarm system used in the continental United States, which allowed them to perform the necessary assassinations. The override was embedded into the coding the alarm companies made use of and would force it to register as a system error that corrected itself, ensuring the alarm company didn't swing by to check things out. Waller would have questions, Oliver knew, and he had every intention of exploiting Lyla's connection to Mar-Novu in that regard, even if it meant throwing her under the bus.

In truth, Oliver was a little bitter regarding Lyla, because she had known the Crisis was coming for years and done nothing to prepare the heroes that she knew for it until Novu told her to. She was a mindless tool who obeyed her master's call, whether that was Waller or Novu. So felt no guilt in causing her problems with Waller, especially since the Crisis would be returned to its original place. This time, Oliver would prepare the heroes that rose up for the Crisis and make sure they knew what was coming, Novu's thoughts on the matter be damned.

Oliver heard the sound of the front door opening, and the beeps as Thawne disarmed the alarm. A few moments later, he heard the clinking of glass on glass and music starting up. He moved from where he had been waiting, drawing the silenced, A.R.G.U.S.-issue pistol before rounding the corner and facing off with Thawne, who's expression showed his shock for once as he was faced with a masked gunman. "If you want something special from me, you're welcome to whatever you wish," Thawne said. "I have no care for my belongings."

Oliver didn't say anything, instead firing the pistol three times, the bullets punching their way through Thawne's body and piercing his lungs and diaphragm. Thawne was thrown back by the force of the bullets striking him and landed on his back, blood pooling and mixing with the brandy from the shattered glass that had landed to his side. "W-W-What-?" Thawne coughed.

"It's nothing personal, Eobard," Oliver said, causing Thawne's eyes to widen in horror and understanding. "Just making sure things cement the way that I want them to."

"W-Who…?" Thawne gargled out as blood filled his lungs.

"You should be more worried about where you're going than who I am, Eobard," Oliver replied, raising his gun one more time. He wasn't about to leave things to chance. He fired the pistol one last time, catching Thawne in the head, the back of which exploded outward, spattering the floor beneath it with chunks of skull and brain matter. Oliver left the house through the back door and ducked into the back alley between the houses where he had parked the Camaro. He got in, pulling his face-mask back as he started the car and pulled away. No one took notice of the Camaro driving away. Oliver let out a sigh. He had done as he had been asked. Eobard Thawne was dead, and his former allies in the future wouldn't be able to erase his memories and restoring the timeline that once was since it now no longer existed.

*DC*

Oliver returned to the Marriott and made it to his hotel room without incident. As he entered it, though, he once more found himself on the platform in the midst of space, Novu standing before him. "Did I miss something?" Oliver asked.

"No," Novu replied. "You have done what needed to be done. Neither The Flash nor the Legends will realize what has happened in time to do anything. I have summoned you here because from this point forward, I can give no more aid. I am as affected by the timeline as anything else. This is where we part ways, Oliver Queen. You now have full control of your own destiny once more." The platform and expanse of space faded, and Oliver found himself standing in the middle of the hotel room he had booked for himself. One thought continued to cycle through his mind. His destiny was his again; he was no longer beholden to Novu or anyone else. He could finally be the hero his city needed and focus solely on his city.

I won't waste this chance, Oliver thought to himself. I will make the most of this. *2*

*DC*

Hadrian Wolcott smiled as he bit into the ample drumstick, cooked to perfection and covered in a savory honey barbecue sauce. He had expected the girl he had picked up in the bar to put up more of a fight when she realized what was happening. Instead she had all but surrendered after a brief attempt at fighting him failed when he had smacked her around a bit. After all, once she entered this building, she stopped being a person. She was just another slab of meat to be processed. For that was the dark nature of Hadrian Wolcott, the serial killer/hitman known to the F.B.I. and other law enforcement agencies as The Huntsman. He was a cannibal, independently wealthy, and he had a 'processing facility' in every major city.

As he ate, Wolcott turned his attention to the dossier on the victim-to-be that had brought him to this cesspit of a city. In all honestly, he wasn't going to enjoy this one nearly as much as he normally would enjoy processing a curvy blonde. Felicity Smoak, age 23, an I.T. agent at Queen Consolidated, was the wrong kind of curvy blonde. Wolcott preferred to go after those who were curvy due to athletic achievements and the like, not curvy because they spent time sitting in an office chair staring aimlessly at a computer screen. But a job was a job, and you never knew when the man who ruled Starling City's underworld would decide he needed the services of The Huntsman again. Better to satisfy the customer, even if he himself wouldn't be all that satisfied.

Smoak only went to three places frequently enough to know that she was going to be there at a given time: Queen Consolidated, her home, and some kind of vacant office in the Glades district of Starling City. Queen Consolidated was too public, even with the underground parking garage. The vacant office appeared to be in the vicinity of where the Green Arrow emerged to do his hunting and Wolcott had no desire to get on Green Arrow's radar by kidnapping a woman nearby. That left her apartment, in an unsecured building and easily accessed by anyone with a working knowledge of locks.

Tomorrow night, Felicity Smoak would come home and not be seen again. *3*

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

Chapter Notes:

*1* Okay, let's see… when 'Dinah' was first introduced, she claimed she operated under a fake name as a police officer to protect her family, claiming her real name was Dinah Drake. The files of undercover officers are kept on a separate network in most cities, from my understanding, which only their superiors and Internal Affairs have access to. Curtis accessed the 'public' records (meaning those not on a dedicated server) and her name was listed as Tina Boland. The attempt in Season 6 to retcon this does not erase the fact. They slapped the name Dinah Drake on a nobody because they were too cowardly to 'go back on their word' and bring Earth-1 Laurel Lance back.

So, if 'Dinah' is in fact Tina, then she had to be working for someone to use a fake name on Oliver's team. The Ninth Circle, and specifically the woman who succeeded Emiko as leader of said organization, is my choice of employer. Don't like? Don't read.

*2* No joke on this. Oliver is freed from his previous destiny of dying in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. From now on, he can chart his course how he wants.

*3* Writing The Huntsman is like writing Merlyn. I always feel the need for a shower afterwards. For those who hadn't 'met' The Huntsman before now, well, now you know why I call him my most hateful creation. In my mind, there is nothing worse than someone who would hunt their fellow human beings as a source of food.

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not going to 'show' his 'processing' of Felicity or anyone else. I tried that once before and I freaked myself out at how dark it got. So the most you'll see is when he cuts Felicity's throat or however he chooses to drain her blood. Assuming, of course, that she doesn't find a way out of it or Oliver stops The Huntsman himself…