Gotham Holding Cell

"Excuse me, officer, can I please have another phone call?" Barry asked loudly his hands of the cell, only for the guard to tell him to shut up.

"We already had our one phone call, Barry," Oliver reminded him.

"No, you had your one phone call and it got us nowhere, I could still technically have one," Barry said. "Although we wouldn't need one if you hadn't jumped the gun on those guys." He accused Oliver.

"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me, Barry. I'm sorry; after this no more distractions." Oliver reluctantly admitted.

Barry took a breath and sat down. "Look I'm probably making a bigger deal about this than it already is, it's just I have a bunch bad memories of prison." He recalled.

"And, I don't?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I guess you do. From what I know and heard, your time made mine look like the "Orange Is the New Black"; which is probably making me wonder why it seems like your itching to go back after being out for like what ... two weeks? Barry asked with a chuckle.

Oliver surprisingly smiled at Barry's comment.

"So about you going Green Arrow at those guys, what was up with that? Is it Felicity or is it, Laurel?" Barry asked.

"Both I guess and I'd rather not talk about it now," Oliver said a little defensively.

Suddenly a police officer came to their cell and began opening the cell door. "Good news. Somebody posted your bail." The guard said.

"Who?" Oliver asked the guard. "I don't know. Guess someone wanted to make you guys their headache instead of mine." The guard answered as Barry and Oliver exited their cell. "We'll show ourselves out," Oliver said. Leaving out the front door of the police station, the two heroes notice a limo and a well-dressed man waiting for them.

"Please come with me." The man said.

"I'm guessing this belongs to whoever bailed us out," Oliver figured.

"Yeah. Hey, we appreciate the early release but my friend and I are really fine on our own." Barry said.

"I'm afraid my employer insists." The man said as he opened his coat to show his sidearm.

"So much for no more distractions," Barry said as he and Oliver reluctantly walked over to the limo. They drove around the city for a while until the eventually stopped at what was once the Wayne Enterprises building.

Barry and Oliver got out of the limo, Barry in particular gaze the building. "Bruce Wayne got us out of jail? Doesn't sound like him." Barry stated.

"No, it wasn't. Wayne left Gotham 3 years ago." Oliver stated.

"Why? To go where?" Barry asked.

"No one knows," Oliver said.

Looking at the private security guard, Barry and Oliver both got a sense to walk in the building, as they did they noticed it was trashed and almost completely tagged with spray paint. "So who's manning the shop now? Barry asked.

"Apparently after he left, Bruce's broad of directors went to town with a bunch of aggressive get-rich-quick deals," Oliver explained.

Yeah, but an abandoned building didn't bail us out, right?" Barry asked, suddenly he stared up at the 2nd floor and noticed someone. "Whoa. That is definitely not Bruce Wayne." Barry stated as he noticed a woman with short black hair that was jelled and styled. She wore a black shirt and red velvet jacket and matching dress pants. Barry also noticed she seemed to have tattoos on her neck and both arms, he kinda thought she was cool.

"Oliver Queen." The woman said with a smirk and attitude.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" Oliver asked the stranger.

"The rain of your parade." She replied.

"She's cool, she seems cool," Barry told Oliver as the woman walked down the staircase.

"If you're visiting Gotham to compare grappling hooks with Batman, you are out of luck. No one's seen him in years." The woman stated.

"Told you he was real," Barry whispered to Oliver.

"Myth," Oliver whispered back.

"Oliver would never compare himself to a total badass like Batman," Barry told the woman just to tease his friend.

"Look not that I don't appreciate you getting us out of jail, but, who are you and why are you helping us?" Oliver skeptically asked.

"Gotham has enough problems without a guy in green leather showing off his arrows to everyone, so the faster you find what you're looking for, the faster you can get the hell out of my city." The woman stated.

"Uh, but, what should we call you Rain, Ms. Parade?" Barry nervously asked.

"Kane, Kate Kane." She said as she finally introduced herself.

Undisclosed Safe House

Back at the abandon League of Assassin's safe house, the groups started to arrive with the exception of Barry and Oliver. Sara and Ava had finished setting up the safe house, John and Dinah had arrived first.

"So any luck guys?" Sara asked.

"Well after being told to go to hell, in every possible way in the English language we did manage to get something," John said.

"Apparently, Laurel or whoever this is has been hanging around in Gotham for a while now," Dinah explained. "She's been attending bars for information and hits Gotham's underground fighting clubs whenever she needs money, apparently she wipes the floor with them." She says.

"Guess that runs in the family," Ava said as she looked at Sara.

"It could still be Black Siren," Dinah said. "All we really know is that we've confirmed that whoever Cisco saw is here." She said.

"I understand that Dinah, I'm not being very overly hopeful anyways," Sara said. "Do we know where to find her?" She asked.

"No, unfortunately," John said.

"Dammit, we need a lead right now," Sara stated in annoyance.

Wayne Enterprises Rooftop

Barry, Oliver, and Kate Kane all stood on the rooftop of what was once Wayne Enterprises. Kate was looking at an old worn-out photo of Laurel Lance, the same one that Oliver kept with him during his five years of hell.

"Beautiful Woman. Did you guys try facial recognition? One of Bruce's R&D guys still works in the building. I can give this to him." Kate said as she handed the photo back to Oliver.

"Uh, we did try it, so thank you, but no luck. Besides, I'd think if Wayne's R&D's is in the same shape as this building, it's not gonna really do us any good," Oliver explained.

"Suit yourself," Kate sighed.

"Seems strange, doesn't it, that Bruce Wayne and Batman disappeared from Gotham around the same time." Barry curiously stated.

"Well, when Batman left, the city went to 5 different kinds of hell, which for Gotham is really saying something. Took a toll on Bruce," Kate sadly stated.

"Is that why he left?" Barry asked.

"Still trying to figure that out," Kate replied."

"Right, but you work for him, and you don't know why he left?" Oliver wondered.

"Who says I work for him," Kate stated with a smirk. "Well listen if you don't want my help feel free to stay here, for now, the building is under renovation, so this is the best place for you guys to work out of." She explained before leaving for the exit. "Oh, and the, uh, Wi-Fi password's "Alfred," She said at the last minute before leaving.

Undisclosed Safe House

Cisco and Caitlin arrived at the safe house that Sara texted them. Cisco and Caitlin took a look at their current work station, it was poor at best. As it had only two computers, at least two or three years outdated. It had a training mat on the floor and an impressive collection of martial arts weapons that were better than the computers.

"Please tell me, you guys found something," John said.

"Actually, yes," Caitlin said. "We went to this one coroner's office and this one doctor seemed a little ... suspicious." She said as she went to the computer and brought up his file. "We called Felicity, she hacked into his computer files now she didn't find any records on the victims in their photos but she did manage to find this." She said showing the group Dr. Snyder's financial records.

"Something tells me a medical examiner isn't supposed to make that much money," Ava stated.

"They're not," Caitlin replied.

"All this really proves is the guy's on the take, doesn't mean he has anything to with the victims," Dinah said.

"Oh, but he does." Cisco excitedly stated.

"How do you know?" Sara asked.

Cisco pulled out a photo from his pocket which showed the Doctor on a boat fishing and holding a huge trout. "After Felicity checked the dirty doctor's bank accounts, Caitlin and I swung by his place to get a little souvenir," Cisco stated.

"You do realize you're admitting to breaking and entering to a cop right?" Dinah mention with a frown.

"Oh, snap sorry," Cisco said suddenly.

"S'okay just messing with you," Dinah cheekily said.

"What did your vibe show you Cisco?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, he did perform an autopsy on the victims. However, once he was done he had the bodies destroyed didn't contact their families or write a report about it." Cisco answered.

"Almost like he didn't want anyone to know they existed," Sara said. "Call the others,". She ordered.

Wayne Enterprises Building

Oliver and Barry worked on the rooftop for a while but got nowhere, frustrated with everything going on he decided to walk around and clear his head. Oliver walked around the ruined building, moving through hallways there was too much for him to think about. Eventually, he found himself staring at Kate Kane who was sitting in an office that almost reminded him of his father's office at his childhood mansion, she noticed him almost immediately.

"You lost?" Kate asked him.

"No. I ... I just needed to clear my head for a sec." Oliver said. "Actually, you know what? I'm sorry about the third degree earlier. I guess the name Bruce Wayne carries certain notoriety." Oliver explained.

"Oh, I know," Kate said with a smile. "Bruce Wayne's my cousin." She stated.

"Your cousin? That makes a lot of sense actually." Oliver said finally figuring out Kate's position now.

"Actually, I'm in the process of turning this building into a real estate development firm, so this is me hijacking his office," Kate said, her desk and hands covered with various important papers and documents. "You know, you actually kind of remind me of him ... just a little." She stated as Oliver walked over to stare out of her office view of Gotham.

"You know, I've heard that before and I just want to say I think once upon a time that might have been true," Oliver stated, as he heard comparisons to himself and Bruce Wayne for years.

"Believe me when I say you two are more alike than you think," Kate said ominously as she stood next to Oliver.

"Yeah well, I bet Bruce doesn't have to worry about a wife that is upset with him at the moment because of the decisions he's made recently. Speaking of which, do you think your cousin just left? That may be living in a city like this just got to be too much for him and he just broke?" Oliver asked.

"Sitting at that desk, staring out that window, watching the city that we grew up in rot at its core, you find a way to not break. Bruce didn't leave Gotham without a fight." Kate confidently stated.

"Sorry, I just ... I have a hard time trying to help my city and I feel like it costs me with the people I love, I'd be lying if I said I never thought about taking my wife and my son, somewhere private and just be with them." Oliver reluctantly admitted.

"But then you wouldn't be the Green Arrow, and as for what it's worth I think your city needs somebody like you," Kate said.

"Really, I didn't get that impression from you earlier," Oliver replied.

"Well, you can't blame me. I mean, would you like it if somebody like you showed up causing trouble in your city?" Kate answered with a smirk.

"Fair enough," Oliver admitted with a slight smile, suddenly his phone rang and Oliver quickly answered it. "Yeah, you got something? Okay, Barry and I will meet up with you soon, Sara." He said as he hung up.

"Sounds like you have a lead?" Kate asked and stated.

"We do. Thanks for the help and the chat." Oliver said as he walked out of the office. Once Oliver was out of site, Kate went to her office's bookshelf and went to the grandfather clock in the middle of it. Opening the glass door, she pulled a lever inside it. This caused the bookshelf to part revealing a secret elevator behind it, entering the elevator, Kate pulled the chain lever and began descending down. Reaching the bottom, Kate exited the area and entered the dark cave-like room. She heard the sound of metal clanking metal and eventually came to the source of the sound, it was a woman working out on a salmon ladder, the same woman in the photograph that Oliver Queen showed Kate herself. Except now, Laurel Lance was older, leaner, more muscular, and she was not brunette as her hair was now blonde and short, it's length just barely passing her chin and parted on her right side. Once Laurel reached the top of salmon, she then let go of the bar and dropped to her feet.

"So I met your ex-boyfriend," Kate said as she threw Laurel a towel.

"Did you tell him anything?" Laurel asked after she wiped the sweat off her face.


I modeled Laurel's appearance in this story to Katie Cassidy's recent look in 2019 with her short blonde, which looks really good in my opinion.