Arrowcave Bunker, Day
Screaming her lungs out, Laurel eventually stopped and check her old decibel gauge which measured the strength of her Canary Cry; it measured 141 decibels. Angrily, Laurel threw it aside, just as Oliver walked in. "Not the results you were hoping for?" He guessed.
"Hardly at all," Laurel answered with a sigh of frustration. "Any signs of Takeo?"
"None. I sent the recruits to hit the streets, they're checking some old Los Halcones territories ... hopefully, we'll find a Yakuza to talk to too." He said with his arms crossed as he approached her.
"Well, when we do finally find Takeo make sure you're the one who knocks his ass out." She commented.
"Why's that?" He asked growing a little concerned.
"Because apparently, I'm not good enough to take him down on my own." She said as she went over to grab her coat.
"What's that suppose to mean?" He inquired.
"It's exactly what you think it means." She snapped back. "I wasn't good enough to beat Takeo. And wasn't good enough to beat Prometheus. And if you hadn't been there both times ... I'd probably be dead right now." She recounted as she tried to calm herself.
"Laurel ... that can happen to any of us. Hell, it's happened to me." He reminded her.
"Yeah, well, you're not the one who lost her powers ... and your not the one who's starting to feel useless without them." She said in a fit.
"Laurel they seem to be coming back. And even if they're not you are still an asset to this team." He told her truthfully.
"Says the man who basically told me to give being the Black Canary and become the D.A." She reminded him.
Closing his eyes for a second, Oliver spoke up again. "That's not what I ... when I suggested that ... I thought you'd be able to do more good for this city as the District Attorney than as the Black Canary. Not because I wanted you to leave." He clarified.
"I know ... listen, there's something I've never told you." She said and took a deep breath. "I was gonna do it. I was gonna hang up my mask, be the District Attorney. But ... then Darhk murdered my father ... and everything that happened afterward. And I just stayed as the Black Canary. And I don't know why. I mean why did I continue being "this" when I lost my powers? Why did I continue being this when I was going to quit?" She propositioned and Oliver, honestly couldn't answer that question. Possibly because he knew it was a question that Laurel herself had answer herself.
Unbeknownst to the lovers, Tatsu had overheard their conversation and was troubled by Laurel's doubts. Silently she decided that her student and friend needed some guidance.
Later on, Laurel was currently on monitor duty and gradually, she started to lose her train of thought. "Laurel," Tatsu said from behind her causing her to turn around. Immediately, Laurel saw Tatsu trying to kick her in her face which she immediately blocked and then backed off from.
"Tatsu, what the hell?" Laurel exclaimed but Tatsu refused to answer and continued to attack her.
Throwing straight karate punches at Laurel, which she defended herself against but her defense was broken by a spinning side kick that Tatsu threw at her which knocked her down the steps. Laurel then saw Tatsu jump down with a punch directed at Laurel, but the vigilante-lawyer rolled back and got up and used a front kick which Tatsu managed to block. Laurel then attacked Tatsu with a series of jabs that the samurai parried but once Laurel dropped low, she delivered a hook punch right where Tatsu was injured which brought her teacher to her knees.
"Urgh," Tatsu grunted in pain.
"Tatsu are you okay?" Laurel asked as she knelt down to help her up.
"There she is," Tatsu remarked as she looked at Laurel.
"What?"
"The woman I trained. Who carried a fearsome determination in her eyes it seems she's still here." Tatsu noticed as Laurel helped her to a chair. "From what I overheard during your conversation with Oliver, I wasn't entirely sure." And Laurel realized what Tatsu was doing.
"You know you could've just talked to me," Laurel suggested.
"What is that old American saying? Sometimes you need to have some sense knocked into you." Tatsu recalled. "I did tell you that Takeo was a skilled warrior. If you lost to him there is no shame in that."
"I know. I know it's just ... it's just." Laurel started to say but paused as she then crossed her arms. "When I first decided to be a vigilante, I knew it would take me a long time before I got as good as my sister ... as good as Oliver. But with my powers ... my Cry ... I had something that they didn't; something that made me feel like I could make a real difference out there in this city. And when I lost it I knew I had to retrain to become stronger to cope without it ... but now, now I wonder if I made the wrong choice. All that's happened to me too recently ... I guess I'm wondering if I'm really cut out for this now anymore." She finally admitted.
"I do not believe you made a mistake continuing the path you are currently on ... because deep down it is what you wanted," Tatsu advised her, and Laurel took notice of that. "I do not know your sister, I do not know the kind of warrior she is; I only know the kind of warrior you are. I trained you, remember. And I would not have allowed you to leave unless I knew you were capable of living this life without your Cry." She told her student, who smiled slightly. "You have come a long way from your journey since you first put on your sister's mask ... in fact, it is no longer her mask anymore it is yours and you need to believe that; because I do." She assured her.
"Thanks, Tatsu," Laurel said gratefully.
"As for Takeo, when you face him again you'll be better prepared because now you'll know how to beat him next time," Tatsu added.
"The key to defeating any opponent is knowledge," Laurel said paraphrasing Tatsu's instructions to her when she first started training her, however, as she did Laurel gradually started to realize something. "Tatsu."
"Yes."
"I think I have an idea on how we can find, Takeo," Laurel told her.
Streets of the Glades, Night
As night came, Rene just finished asking a local about seeing any Asians in any of the old Los Halcones turfs; he got nothing from him. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Felicity. "Go for Overwatch," Felicity said at her computer station in the bunker with Oliver not too far from her.
"So I called and met with everyone I know, none of them's seen or heard anything in old Halcones hideouts," Rene said on phone.
"Yeah, I haven't been able to find anything either. Then again these guys are old-school and new to town." Felicity reasoned.
"So we've got nothing," Oliver said sourly as he looked over Felicity's shoulder at the monitor.
"I wouldn't say that," Laurel said walking up to him with Tatsu by her side. "Rene." She said addressing the man on comms. "How fast can the word spread on the streets?"
"Pretty fast. Why, Bonita?" Rene asked.
"Cause I need to spread the word that a buyer for the sword can be found at the docks with a million dollars in cash ... and her name is Tatsu Yamashiro," Laurel mentioned.
"Wait, you wanna use Tatsu as bait?" Felicity surprised that Laurel would suggest such a tactic.
"If we can't find Takeo then we lure him out. Besides, I just realized that he's a total cliche." Laurel chuckled.
"What does that mean?" Oliver asked.
"It means he wants what he cannot have, which is me." Tatsu clarified.
"We dangle the woman he desires and plus a million dollars for his start-up, and he'll take the bait," Laurel said confidently.
"Gotta say I like the sound of this plan, hoss," Rene stated.
"Tatsu, with your injuries you won't be a hundred percent and Takeo won't come alone." Oliver reminded her.
"Neither will I, Oliver. Besides, if I am to move forward with my life. I must sever this anchor." Tatsu adamantly stated.
"Rene, do it," Oliver told him.
"On it, hoss." Rene complied as he hung up.
Going over to the weapons rack, Oliver took a green-sheathed and handled katana and tossed it to the woman of the same codename. "I doubt it's as good as your family sword but-"
Partially removing the sword to check its quality, Tatsu saw that its edge was a little dull but seemed sturdy enough for a fight. "But I'll manage," Tatsu replied as she completely sheathed the blade.
"Suit up," Oliver stated.
Star City Docks
Entering the warehouse with his men, Takeo Yamashiro looked around and didn't see his sister-in-law. As formidable as Tatsu was even she couldn't handle 20 of his men with automatic weapons by herself especially with her injuries; if the words of his surviving men in Tokyo were to be believed. Stepping forward in front of his men, Takeo gripped the Yamashiro family sword tightly. "(Tatsu! Hiding from the shadows is not the samurai's way! It is certainly not your way ... or have you become a coward in these past 8 years?!)" Takeo shouted out loud as he looked around for her and suddenly from down the long hallway, appearing behind the shipping crates, Tatsu appeared in her armor.
"(The only one among us that is a coward is you, Takeo.)" Tatsu proclaimed.
"(It's been a long time, sister-in-law. Or should I say, my former sister-in-law?") He corrected himself in a condescending tone.
"(Do you even care that your own brother is dead? Or, the fate that befell him? Or our son, your nephew?") She said bitterly.
"(To Maseo, no I do not. But Akio ... yes.) He said which somewhat surprised Tatsu. "(The night I set the fire at your home ... my intention was to kill Maseo, not your son. I did not know he was still in there.)" He revealed.
"(As if that would change anything.)" She immediately countered, not caring for his rationalization. "(Besides, there was nothing you could do, nothing, that would make me feel nothing but hatred and disgust for you.)"
"(Tatsu ... much has changed these last 8 years but clearly you have not. You are still the ferocious warrior that yearned for then ... and perhaps even now. Allow me to make you this single offer. Join me." He said then unsheathed the ancestral sword and pointed the blade at her. "(Or die.)"
Removing her sword, Tatsu didn't need to think. "(The only one who will die tonight is you ... and it is a death that is long overdue.)" She proclaimed.
"(How unfortunate. However, you shouldn't have come to Star City without allies, Tatsu.)" He arrogantly reminded her.
"(Actually, my allies were already here.)" She said with a smirk.
Dropping the smug grin on his face, Takeo felt an arrow fly towards him and quickly deflected it with his sword. Takeo knew about the Star City vigilantes and he also knew he might have to face them sooner or later. He just didn't imagine it would be this soon.
Rene charged in as usual guns blazing with Curtis covering him, firing non-lethal ammo at Yakuza, who also returned fire. Rory appeared and used his rags to restrain his enemies and throw them aside. As the Japanese mobsters dispersed, Oliver continued firing arrows to wound his targets. Two of them got closed and attacked Oliver, but he simply parried the strike with his bow and spun around him striking his lower back with his weapon; and finished the second thug with a push kick that knocked him down. At the same time, Laurel having dropped down from the crates and knocked out two gangsters from behind with her tonfa before they even noticed her; the one that did she quickly got around and slammed his head against a metal crate.
In a more secluded area, Tatsu was engaged with Takeo in a sword fight and she was struggling. Her injuries from Takeo's constant assaults over the last few weeks left the samurai on the defensive. Seeing an opening, Takeo tripped her by knocking her foot; causing her to fall. As Takeo swung downwards, Tatsu used her sword to hold him off but he continued to put his weight behind his blade it drew closer to her. At the last moment, however, Laurel appeared knocking Takeo in the face with her tonfa that pushed him back and away from Tatsu.
"(I'll be your opponent.)" Laurel told him and Takeo grinned.
As Oliver knocked out one of the Yakuza's with a back fist, he saw one on comms. "(There's more than one! Get here immediately!) He told him and went down once the arrow went into him.
"I don't speak Japanese, but I get the feeling we're gonna to have some more company soon!" Oliver shouted to his allies
Bursting out of the door, Laurel and Takeo continued their fight. Stuck on defense, all Laurel could do was block Takeo's sword strikes with her staff. High block, right block, left block that shifted to an upwards strike that he moved back from the attack. At that moment, Laurel returned her staff into its tonfa form. Holding it by it's handle, Laurel parried Takeo's blade work but on his next swing, Laurel followed with one of her own; knocking the two weapons back. Delivering a roundhouse kick to his knee that caused him to stumble, Takeo slashed at Laurel's face but held her weapon to her face as she deflected it. Dropping low, Laurel jammed her weapon's side handle into his solar plexus causing reflux which she used to her advantage. Grabbing his sword wrist with her empty right hand; twisting his arm with one hand, she then knocked the katana out of his hand with the other that held her weapon. Kneeing him in the back to gain so distance, Laurel then kicked the sword back away from him.
Entering a fighting stance, Takeo throw a series of karate punches at Laurel which she blocked or avoided. As his fists continued to fly, Laurel failed to notice that a knife that came from under Takeo's sleeve and he used it to slice her on her right forearm causing her to drop her weapon as well. Backing away from his slashes Laurel saw in the corner of her eye that they were getting closer to water. As Takeo thrust his knife forward, Laurel using a knife disarming move she learned from Nyssa, Laurel quickly grabbed his wrist and his bicep and she spun him around she moved the sections in opposite directions causing him to drop his blade. Takeo then punched Laurel in the face to get him off of her but Laurel wasn't worried.
Tatsu was right and now Laurel knew it. Fighting Takeo a second time, as good as he was, was easier this time; although now she knew that she was more used to him this time. Feeling her confidence being restored and more importantly knowing how to beat him, Laurel pressed forward. Using a favorite combo of hers: Laurel used a left side-kick which Takeo blocked but he didn't block the right elbow thrust or the follow-up front kick which Laurel then used a flying knee strike to push him back. Getting him closer to the water, Laurel threw a right roundhouse which Takeo brace for. Deflecting his punches with a jab combo, Takeo blocked her right knee strike with his own but missed Laurel's right cross. Seeing her chance, Laurel ducked and got behind Takeo and wrapped her arms under his ribs, and used a wrestling throw to send him into the water.
Laurel then dived into the sea and the two fighters could barely see each other. Takeo threw a punch at Laurel but it was slow and easy to read and deflect. While they were both slow underwater, Laurel had more experience fighting in this environment than Takeo did. Grabbing his next punch, Laurel striked him in the face with her elbow and than swam around him to put him in a chokehold. Struggling at first, Laurel knew it was over when she saw the air bubbles. Reaching the nearby docks, Laurel got herself and Takeo out of the water.
"Black Canary!" She heard Oliver calling her name from a distance.
"Over here!" Laurel shout as she was still catching her breath.
Reaching her location, Laurel saw her team and they noticed she was soaking wet. "Little late for a swim, don't you think?" Rene asked sarcastically.
"Yeah well, it was planned," Laurel said with a smirk.
Coughing up the water, Takeo started to regain consciousness and as he did Tatsu approached him. Looking up, he saw the woman he longed desired for standing above him. Pulling out a tanto knife, Tatsu tossed it to him on the ground and he knew immediately what she wanted from him. "(We both know that the Yazuka will never forgive this failure ... and if they did no one would ever follow you again given how much you've cost them.") Tatsu told him and pulled out her family's katana which she reclaimed earlier and held it to his neck. "(Either way, you die tonight.)
Understanding exactly what she was saying Laurel moved to stop Tatsu but Oliver stopped her from doing so.
Grabbing the tanto, Takeo unsheathed the blade knowing that Tatsu's statements were true. "(Tell me. If things had been different would you have wanted me instead of Maseo.)" He asked out of curiosity.
"(No. Never)" Tatsu told him flatly. "(And if I did, it would never satisfy you. Because men like you can never stop wanting more.)
"(Very true. Sayonara, Tatsu.)" Takeo replied and plunged the knife into his belly slicing it open. As he did the other vigilantes, were startled except for Oliver as Takeo fell dead.
Sheathing her sword, Tatsu turned to her allies with some of them stern and some of the startled. "We should leave," Tatsu told them.
As the team began to leave the area, an armored van appeared and many of the Yakuza exited from the warehouse. As the backup exited the van, the gangsters opened fire and Team Arrow immediately took cover. "We need to create an opening!" Oliver yelled.
Laurel thought about it a lot and wanted to try something, if it didn't work she could still use her sonic bracelet. "Cover me!" Laurel told them. As Oliver and Rene fired at the mobsters with their arrows and bullets respectively, Laurel moved up closer to the gangsters. Getting behind them with her hand on her bracelet in case this didn't work, one of them noticed her and was about an open fire. Opening her mouth, Laurel screamed and her Canary Cry, after being gone for almost 10 months had finally returned. The sound waves so powerful they knocked back all the Yakuza that were still standing on the ground and out cold by several feet.
As she finally stopped to catch her breath, Laurel was still a little surprised that her Cry had come back. Given what she had learned from Constantine about the nature of Darhk's spell and how it seemed like her power was slowly return she wasn't entirely certain but for some reason, she just felt like it had come back. Eventually, she saw her teammates come and looked at her almost in awe.
"Damn, so that was your Cry?" Rene noted. "Good luck, dealing with that in bed, hoss." He joked to Oliver how just scowled at him.
"Can I just say, it's good to hear me scream." Laurel said with a smile.
Arrowcave Bunker, the Next Day
Back in the bunker, with her former brother-in-law dead and her family sword back in possession; Tatsu, wearing civilian clothes decided to depart from Star City. As she was packing her things, Laurel confronted her. "Leaving so soon? I was hoping you'd want to stay in town for a while." Laurel said.
"As much as I would like to, Laurel, I must leave as soon as possible," Tatsu said as she turned to face her friend and student.
"Going back to the monastery?" Laurel wondered.
"Yes. You disapprove." Tatsu said noticing the expression on Laurel's face.
"Tatsu ... before I came back home to Star City, I didn't want to. I didn't feel ready. You told me that the longer you stay away from life, the harder it becomes for you to return it." Laurel reminisced. "Tatsu, Takeo's dead. And you're too good a warrior to just waste away in a temple."
"Laurel ... I have lived in isolation for so long, that I no longer know how to be a part of the world anymore." Tatsu sadly expressed.
"If I might make a suggestion," Laurel said stepping forward. "There's this thing we do in AA, where we have to confront the reason why we still drink in order to stop ... I think you have to do something similar if you want to get back in the world." She suggested and Tatsu considered it. "You said your son died in Hong Kong?"
"Yes. You're telling me that's where I should go? To the source of my pain?" Tatsu realized.
"It's just a suggestion," Laurel said in an empathic and low tone.
"I'll consider it," Tatsu responded after a brief moment. "Thank you, Laurel, for all your help."
"Thank you for the same," Laurel said with a light smile and Tatsu bowed in respect for her causing Laurel to slightly chuckle. "I think we're past bowing now, Tatsu." She said and pulled her in for a hug, something the samurai returned after a brief surprise of awkwardness.
As Tatsu left Laurel at the computer station, she approached the elevator door and Oliver next to it. "I hope when we met next time, we will not have an enemy to defeat." Tatsu brought up.
"I hope so too but somehow I doubt it," Oliver replied brief laugh.
"As do I," She replied with a smirk and then hugged her old friend. After entering the elevator to take her leave, Oliver joined Laurel at the computer station. "How's it feel having your powers back?" He asked.
"Pretty good actually, I missed having them ... although this gonna sound strange but ... I'm glad I lost them in the first place," Laurel admitted.
"What do you mean?" He asked slightly confused by his girlfriend's statement.
"There's always been this part of me that's wondered if I could do this without my Canary Cry and now I know. Now I know that I'm a badass with or without my powers." She said in an upbeat manner that made Oliver smile.
"Well, I'm glad you realized that." He happily replied.
"That's not the only thing I learned." She brought up.
"What's the other?"
"Ever since I was offered the job as the DA, I've wondered why I'm still the Black Canary when you're right it's possible I could do more for this city as the District Attorney than as a vigilante. But these last couple of months, my time in Japan, training the recruits, being a full-time vigilante, and even my relationship with you; I think I finally know why I didn't." She recounted and Oliver was actually anticipating her answer. "Because being the Black Canary, is what I wanted to do. You're right I started because of Sara ... because of her death ... but somewhere along the way I think stayed because I was always frustrated by what I couldn't do with the justice system. But more than that, being the Black Canary is the best part of my life. And fighting out there along with you and the team, it's what makes me feel alive inside." She said happily and after a brief smile, moved in to kiss her.
"Well, I'm glad you feel that way. Cause honestly, I can't imagine doing this without you anymore." He said as he parted her lips which added to her good mood.
Epilogue: A Few Months Later
District Attorney's Office, Day
"Miss Lance, the Mayor's here to see you." Her assistant said while Laurel was looking through her law books in her new office.
"Send him in," Laurel said on comms and Oliver walked in his mayoral suit shutting the door.
"I'm gonna have to get used to you having a secretary." Oliver cracked truthfully.
"You're not the only one." She replied as put the book away, she was a white-button shirt and a knee-length light gray skirt. "Of course you might not have to, remember being promoted to DA is just a temporary thing. Keeping it depends on how well I do at the job." She reminded him.
"Well, no worries then cause I know you'll be great at it." He complimented her causing her to smile brightly. "I meant to ask this earlier but does this new job, does it mean you're leaving the team?"
"We both know the answer to that question." She answered rhetorically. "Besides, if I've learned anything from Adrian Chase, it's possible to do this job and wear a mask at the same time. Of course, the difference between us is that I won't be moonlighting as a serial killer but as a badass blonde bombshell." She assured him.
"Good to know, John just called his lead to Chase didn't work out." He told her.
"Well that sucks but that's actually not why asked you here." She revealed.
"Oh?
"You see I saw that you were off around this time ... and so am I. And I was wondering if you could help me with this desk." She said playfully and suggestively as she seductively crossed her legs on her desk. "Cause there's something that I need to get done on it." She mentioned with a smirk as Oliver developed a playful grin of his own. Rushing her, Oliver quickly tackled Laurel on her desk as he pressed his lips on hers. She felt his lips moved to her neck and his hands moving up her skirt to her underwear causing her to softly moan, all the while she began to unbutton both his shirt and her own. Since they started dating again, Laurel briefly toyed with the fantasy of getting some "work" done on a desk; she just figured it would be on Oliver's.
Author's Notes: So here's a quick recap of Laurel's overall progress in my story. In Season 3, she's a beginner, using her powers very often while still developing her fighting skills which gradually get better. In Season 4, she's more well-balanced, as she uses her Cry and Combat skills in relatively equal measure. And finally, by Season 5, having lost her powers; Laurel trains harder than ever before to cope without them and eventually become the master combatant she was always meant to be. With her newfound skills, Laurel now only has to use them when she really has to like when she's really outnumbered or fighting someone with superpowers. To me, this would be the best and most natural form of progression for Laurel's skills as the Black Canary.
In comics, Laurel as Black Canary is typically depicted as a better fighter than Oliver is one of the best fighters in the DC Universe; some people think she's good enough to beat Batman in a straight fight. However, I don't think that Laurel, as this version of the Black Canary would've been better than Oliver even if she was properly developed as a fighter. Both Oliver and Sara, have too many years of experience on them and have trained with arguably better teachers, certainly deadlier. That being said I do still believe Laurel could've been a really great fighter and one of the best in the Arrowverse with her powers giving her an edge. To me, I see Laurel as being as good as her Earth 2 counterpart or as good as Dig, who's a master combatant in his own right.
Sorry, I promised this chapter last week but I got busy with work.
Thanks for reading, please leave reviews, and I hope you enjoyed the final chapter. Tell me what you thought about Laurel's progression as the Black Canary in this story.