Laurel and Thea stood in front of the brick wall of the old dingy gym, in the early hours of the morning still dressed in their suits. They had just finished a recording; Quentin had just clicked off the camera.

"Think that will at the very least deter, The Vigilante?" Thea asked as she lowered her hood.

Lance shrugged, as she glanced up at the ceiling, silently praying that it would work. "I don't know. But having The Birds voicing their discontent with his bastardized brand of justice, and swearing he will be hunted down, at the very least will make the people of this city sleep a little better knowing their guardian angels are helping the SCPD."

Laurel pulled down her mask, letting it dangle from her neck. "How will this be sent to him? It's not like we have his address."

"I will discreetly send this to one of the SCPD's media liaisons, anonymously. They will air it almost immediately, The Birds and The Vigilante are currently one of the most contentious issues, they won't have a choice but to air it."

Sommers was sitting at his desk, as he ran his finger over the arrow hole, in his desk. After almost ten minutes, the woman he had called finally appeared.

"I appreciate that you arrived."

China White walked around the scaffolding. "Anything for a friend."

He scoffed. Friends? He doesn't have those. He just lets her and her Triads use his ports, for an exorbitant fee.

"If you want our business relationship to continue, you will take this archer more seriously. He makes Nocenti, look like a small fish."

"And who leads this charge? Nocenti's daughter? She picked up where her father left off. She's the problem." She smirked. "And, unlike The Hood. We know where she lives."

"No. You target her; Lance will never let it go. She will be like a dog with a bone. She won't stop until she burns all of us and our world to cinders, just as she did with Brickwell. No, and who knows if this Black Canary is still looking out for Lance and Miss Queen."

China White shook her head. "We do not fear, Sui Jerk Kai, nor her novice. She couldn't even kill Brickwell. We will kill Miss Lance." China White said with finality. "And then, if Sui Jerk Kai makes an appearance to defend her, one-time ally, she would be dealt with as well.

Thea walked from her room, on her way out, as she saw her brother, in his room without the door closed. She was going to ask him, if he wanted to have lunch together, like old times when she saw the scars littered across his torso.

It's kind of reminded her of, Laurel's scars, especially after she had almost been killed by that Ninja-Archer. While Laurel had scars, they paled in comparison to her brothers.

Between, Ted and Laurel, she has heard of or seen a variety of scars. Scars from Arrows, gunshots, glass, burns, and blades. And Ollie had all of them. Showing every scar, telling her how many times he had escaped death.

"Don't you knock?" He asked angrily, as she stared at his scarred body.

She shook her head, as she slapped his hands away to have a better look. "Mom said that there were scars…"

Not just scars, but tattoos that were never there. She had seen her brother running around shirtless after a bender more times than she could count, and they were never there before. A black star on his chest, and Chinese writing, where Laurel would have the long scar that reached from her navel to just pass her ribs.

Two of the people she loved and looked up to the most in the world, both had been forced to wear their scars, showing their hardships, failures, and losses.

Thea felt her eyes start to tear up. "Ollie… I know you went through hell. I can see it in your eyes, and it painted over your body. If you don't wanna talk to me about it… Then promise me something?" She asked, forcing the words out of her mouth, in spite of the raw emotions she was feeling for her brother.

His eyes met her's showing a mixture of embarrassment, pain, and curiosity. The three emotions, swirling for supremacy until he finally spoke. "Hmm, what?" He mumbled, his Adam's apple bobbing, showing that he was struggling to maintain his façade.

She held out her hand to him. He silently took it, as she led him outside to his and their father's graves. "I know, it doesn't really compare, but for the first four years… I had come out here almost every day to talk to you. About everything and everything. My crushes, Laurel leaving, news or movies that I thought would interest you."

She noticed his throat bob again. "I would often beg you to come home. Then last year, I—when all hell broke loose, with Brick and The Russian Mob's Gang Wars. I used you as a sounding board. Especially a day or so, after I was almost killed, and saved by the Black Canary." She then squeezed her eyes shut. "What I'm saying is, you gotta let someone in. I don't want to see your horrors eat at you from within."

She had heard both Laurel and Ted talk about guilt, anger, and depression. They said that people have to find a release, talking, fighting, helping others, it didn't matter. As long as it could be released or… "From within, it devours." Laurel had said, recalling what Ted had said to her following the Gambit.

Oliver returned to his bunker, he flicked on the news as he started to do his push-ups, after an hour or so, he heard something that forced him to stop his training. And rush over to his laptop, to see a blonde woman, and a woman in red.

"A few days ago, an individual known to the public and SCPD, as The Vigilante, has started to prey on others. This is something that cannot and will not be tolerated." Black Canary said glaring at the camera.

Oliver found himself gritting his teeth in annoyance. This Black Canary was forcing him to expedite her death. She was pointing the crosshairs at herself, instead of at the men and women on the list. And he would shoot the arrow, and kill her, even if she did save Thea a year ago from a drug dealer.

A few seconds later, the woman in red spoke. "This is a warning to Robin Hood, this is not your playground, and we don't tolerate criminals. If you continue down the path you have chosen, we will hunt you down, just as we did with Daniel Brickwell."

"We are the justice you cannot run from, and make no mistake, Robin Hood we will get you." Black Canary promised as the feed was cut off.

Laurel was sitting on her couch, as she was trying to find out more about this Hood. From what she has put together, he was likely special forces, or received similar training, and is targeting the wealthy.

She hoped that he wouldn't target the Queen family, nor Tommy. But she knew that making that video, would either antagonize him to make a rash move or unlikely as it may be, make him reconsider his choice as a thief and a murderer. It was at this point, a knock on her door, interrupted her investigation.

She quickly closed her laptop, and swiftly closed the door to her office, before making her way to the door. As she opened it, she saw Oliver.

She exhaled. Here he was again, resuming their dance. Hot and cold.

"You Ok?" He asked. "Thea told me, that your father told you to keep your eyes open for potential backlash from Sommers."

Instead of answering, she fired back a different question back to him. "Quick question. How am I supposed to steer clear of you, if you keep coming to me?" He started to stutter for an answer, but she kept him on his toes. "What are you doing here Ollie?"

He gave a small smile at her using his nickname. "My sister, she pointed out that I've been distant? And that is because I'm fighting my demons alone. She advised me that it was probably a good idea to confide in someone I trust."

She was surprised that he trusted her. "If you trust me, then why did you…"

"I was trying to protect you." He answered, her unfinished question. "I was wrong to do so." He then looked down to his feet, before asking her. "Is that offer to talk, still on the table?"

He sounded so vulnerable, and before she could answer, he gave her a mischievous smile, "I brought ice-cream to sweeten the deal."

She laughed, as she moved to the side to let him into her home, as she went to retrieve a bowl and spoons.

After enjoying their dessert, Oliver sighed in contentment. "I missed this." He moved his arms around, signaling about the room, and the occupant sharing it with him. "And, this." He pointed at the tub of the dessert. "Was as good as I remember."

He tapped the side of the tub as if he was pondering what to say. "My mother, she wants me to join Queen Consolidated."

Laurel rolled her eyes, as Oliver smiled at her reaction. "Yeah, take my rightful place."

"I can't see you as the master of the universe." She said dryly.

"You know… After five years, I have things I wanna do, need to do…" He said, leaving Laurel slightly curious at what his plans were. The Oliver she knew before the Island, was spontaneous.

But then, she was as well, once.

Things change, people change.

She changed.

He scrunches his face as he continued. "I can't do that with briefings, meetings, and backroom politics."

She ate a spoonful of ice cream. "Oliver, you are an adult. You can say no." She then lowed the bowl into her lap. "Thea declined every one of your mother's incessant offers."

He gave her a look. "Oh, trust me. I tried. But you know my mother is very… Stubborn."

"Show don't tell." She said, which caught his attention. "Actions speak louder than words. Show her the person you want her to see you as." She then gave him a conspiratorial smirk. "Trust me, I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents."

Oliver chuckled, it made her heart flutter, at seeing Oliver with a genuine smile, and not the mask, nor the façade he puts up to protect himself.

"I have personally been at the brunt of your father's disapproval." He said with an arching brow, daring her to say otherwise.

"He blames himself, more than he blames you," Laurel told him and he turned his head from the empty table, back to her. "He thinks maybe if he and Sara were closer, she would have told him about the boat trip. And that he could have stopped her from going with you." She then gave him a pointed look. "He was the one to tell me about Thea, after her DUI. He wanted to help Thea avoid the mistakes, you and Sara made."

"I am sorry," Oliver said with remorse, and a hint of self-depreciation.

"You already apologized." She said immediately, without missing a beat.

"It'll never be enough."

They then gazed into each other's eyes, as the room returned to a comfortable silence. They both were finally making progress and were nearing to be on the same page as each other.

It the calming, relaxing silence was broken when a metallic sound broke them from their musings.

"You hear that?" Oliver asked quickly, his eyes darting around the room.

She loosened her muscles, and clenched her fist, as Oliver discreetly picked up a knife.

And, within a second, Oliver half dragged Laurel her towards the door, as the door was kicked down, revealing a large man with a firearm.

She wanted to stand her ground, but she couldn't risk Oliver's life in the process. So, she allowed him to attempt to find a way out, each of their potential sanctuaries, was manned by a gunman.

As they were about to head, towards her kitchen, she saw someone. China White.

Did she know, she was Black Canary? She quickly kept her mind on the situation at hand, she would deal with the fallout later.

Before she could fight, one of the Triad thugs was killed, as Mr. Diggle came in, his pistol at the ready to kill any and all threats. By his stature, and movements she could surmise he was a military veteran. He carried himself, not unlike Ted.

Diggle was taken by surprise, by China White. The two traded blows after she had deftly disarmed him. She sent a flurry of punches, and kicks to Mr. Diggle, before sending him to the ground. And brandished a knife, she was ready to kill him.

As she was about to use her cry, when, Oliver to her surprise, threw a kitchen knife at her blade, disarming China White. As strange as it was, she supposed that he had to become efficient with throwing knives and similar things in order to survive and hunt for food.

As Laurel rushed over to Oliver, he wrapped his arms protectively around her. She had to know that he was safe, so she returned the hug.

Oliver was at the foundry suiting up. He wanted to give Martin Sommers the chance to confess and face the courts, justice, just as Laurel would have wanted it. But as far as he was concerned, he squandered his chance at atonement, the moment he set his sights on someone he cared about instead.

He targeted Laurel. And that was something that he could not forgive. Would not forgive.

Sommers will still face justice; it would be a different kind, to what Laurel would give him.

After her father had assured her that one of his colleagues was a former carpenter and could fix her windows for a large discount in a few hours. She gave her dad a spare key before he left.

She then she ran to her office, and pulled out her trunk, and opened it. Her black leather-like suit was folded next to her sister's. Just above her suit, was her blonde wig and mask.

China White, The Triad came after her and put her friend in harm's way. A man that had been through more than his fair share of hell in the span of half a decade. A man who didn't deserve to be in the line of a firefight or danger.

For all she knew, Sommers' and The Triads attack on her, had set Ollie's recovery back. They would face justice. She would ensure that.

Sommers was going to understand that Starling City was not going to cower to the criminals and the corrupt.

As she put on her gear, she left her apartment, to head for the port that Sommers uses for his business.

As she made her way to the location, she turned on her radio, to listen to both the SCPD and Sommer's militia.

"Wallace? Wallace, you copy?" A man asked over the radio. "Wallace?"

She had just taken down a couple of sentries, as she heard a cold voice reply to the man over the radio.

"Wallace isn't here. But I am."

She knew that the only other person that was hunting someone like Sommers would be Robin Hood. She finally had a voice to put to the green hood.

Black Canary snuck up to a guard that was keeping his vigil, towards the east, where the gunfire was. She held the baton to his throat, and choked him, until he passed out, before advancing carefully into the port.

Before she could get farther, she heard her father shout a command at one of the perpetrators. She jumped up to the shipping container, hiding in the shadows, as her father had Robin Hood at gunpoint.

"You so much as twitch, and your dead!" The Hood became as still as a statue, as her father issued out more commands. "Bow down, hands up."

With the fastest reflexes she had ever seen, since the Ninja-Archer, Robin Hood threw a dart, disarming her father, she was about to jump down to defend him, to see Robin Hood fleeing in the opposite direction.

She quickly followed him, escaping, she used her cry, sending him tumbling across the rooftop.

As he got up to his feet. His hand twitched towards his dart, once again.

She ran up to him, delivering several strikes to the ribs before he retaliated.

They sent a flurry of punches, and kicks, neither, outmatching the other. He eventually caught her unaware and knocked her down with a sweep kick.

"Stay down!" He commanded as Black Canary blinked her eyes. No doubt, she was trying to regain her composure from hitting her head on the hard-tarred roof.

She stood up in defiance, ignoring the pounding sensation in her head. She didn't stay down for Brick, nor Al Sah Her! And she wasn't about to for this upstart either. "This city doesn't need people like you! I've been protecting this city before you even arrived."

He saw as his lips turned into an arrogant smirk, behind his hood. "Is that what you tell yourself at night?" The Hood sneered. " You keep the city safe? Just like you kept Joanna safe?" He then drew an arrow. "You and your student are no more than mascots for an underpaid and crippled police force!"

Canary froze. She didn't know how to react. She then thought of how this archer, was targeting the rich, he could turn his sights on Ollie, Thea or Tommy. She wouldn't let the past repeat itself.

"She died a hero. And the psycho who killed her is behind bars, keep up interfering with justice being achieved, and you will become Brick's cellmate."

"Unlikely." He aimed his bow at her. "I received your message earlier. Last chance. Back off!"

Black Canary gripped her nightstick and held it at the ready. "Make me."

He said something that sounded like Russian, then with extreme speed, he fired an arrow at her, the first, knocked her baton from her hand, sending it flying and down to the street below.

The first arrow was quickly followed by a second arrow, that penetrated her protective suit, and impaled into her shoulder.

The sheer force and surprise, caused Black Canary to stumble backwards, and unknowingly fall off the edge of the building and onto the lower adjoining building.

After she fell, she looked around, and everything was blurry, her ears were ringing, before she could clutch her head, The Hood stumbled towards her, clutching his side. As he reached her, he bent down and ripped her wig off before disappearing into the night.

After he had disappeared, she brought her hand to the back of her head and felt a warm sticky substance. She slowly brought her hand to her face, to see blood coating her fingers. She struggled to keep her eyes open, as she glanced down at the green arrow that was impaled in her shoulder.

She looked back at the moon before everything went black.