Samandra made her way through Iron Heights, as she did, she pinned the visitor badge onto her chest, and continued moving until she found Daniel Brickwell's cell. She walked in and saw the large man resting on his bed. "How are you? The medics told me it was superficial."

"On the contrary, I found it quite traumatizing, Agent Watson."

"This isn't a game, Mr. Brickwell." The agent said, scowling at the prisoner.

"I couldn't agree more, It's of the utmost importance to me, Special Agent."

Samandra looked around the small cell before casting her eyes on her very own Criminal Informant. "What? Some prisoner with a shank?"

"I didn't intend on beating around the bush, Agent. I honestly fear a great deal. I'm a father, and once the word is out that I am the informer for your agency. Every man and his dog within these walls, know that I am cooperating with you, Agent."

"You will continue to give us worthwhile information, Mr. Brickwell. This was not a one-off. You want us to continue ensuring that your son is safe and sound? And you want the possibility of seeing your son again? Then you have to cooperate with us."

Brick exhaled through his nose audibly, "These walls are not just to protect everyone beyond them, they are to protect everyone inside as well. Criminals and guards alike. In assisting you and The Bureau these walls are no longer doing their job. Whilst I am here, I have a target on my back." Noticing Agent Watson's dour look, he continued, looking at her imploringly. "I am helping you help my son. There is no more of a noble cause than to protect an innocent child. It's impossible to that if I am six-feet under."

:-: :-: :-: :-:

Malcolm walked up the mountain, hearing the crunch of snow cracking beneath his boots. As he held the lantern lazily in his hands, he eventually made it to the summit. There he saw the blade that Ra's had used to slay Oliver Queen, dark red blood pooled around the blade.

Oliver was a boy that he had watched grow into a man, a man that had given his life for his baby sister. He always put his family first, he was so much like Moira in that regard, and thus easy to manipulate. Though unlike Tommy, Oliver had made something of himself before he died.

Merlyn looked down the side off the cliff face and didn't see Oliver's remains below. He supposed that the wolves or other scavengers would have already found the body. He dislodged the blade from the stone, and made his way back down the mountain, and back to civilization.

:-: :-: :-: :-:

Agent Samandra Watson was getting irritated at the bureaucracy of the job. She needed to get Brickwell out of prison not for his sake, but for her brother's. Georgie needed that money that came with a promotion so that he could be looked after by professionals.

The bickering between Agent Talos and The U.S Marshal's office, and the district attorney. They wanted Brickwell to be housed in a safe location that was heavily monitored, The Marshals were telling them asinine arguments spouting that the precedent was that this was a luxury for white-collar criminals, less dangerous felons. Not someone as dangerous as the man that almost brought Starling to its knees.

Did they not realize that they had Brickwell by the short and curlies? And that by giving Brickwell some comforts they would be arresting hundreds of criminals, some that would usually fall beneath their radar, or ones that they have been hunting for years. It was a concession they had to make to ensure everyone wins. It was the lesser evil.

"Brickwell is a dirtbag, no one is denying that. But let's talk about the Irish for a moment, hmm?" Watson paused for effect. "Two dead SCPD officers, another dozen or so are now desk jockeys due to their injuries. Over a hundred civilian murders tied to them across the country including; National City, Elmond and Evergreen City all committed in just under a decade; six task forces, the vigilantes in Starling, eleven million dollars, we had nothing on them. Not until Brickwell."

She then went on to explain with the intel that Daniel Brickwell provided them, that they had dismantled the Irish Mob in a day, with no injuries to the public, nor the policemen. It was a clean job. He was the key to them dealing a massive blow to the criminal underworld.

"I can keep him talking, gentlemen. This deal will save many innocent lives."

:-: :-: :-: :-:

Brick sat in the armored sedan as the convoy rolled down the dark streets of Starling City, he watched as his city illuminated in the darkness. He was finally home. And there was no Canary to deal with. He had endured while the pretty little bird had withered away, before finally disappearing into obscurity. She had won the battle, but in the end, he had won the war.

The voice of Agent Watson broke him from his revelry. "I want this to be crystal clear, Mr. Brickwell. You will be monitored every minute of the day by myself and my team of agents." She then listed off her demands, demands that he would accommodate for now. Not taking off his chafing ankle monitor, not leaving the boundaries they have set, will have to adhere to their schedule as they see fit. "Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, Agent Watson. You will not have any quarrels with me. I am doing this for my son, and for this city, for this great nation. There is nothing a parent won't do for their child. I had become a criminal for him, and now… and now, I realize that I was misguided. If staying in your shackles will protect my boy, and everyone else in this city then I will endure."

A loud crack and a warm amber glow illuminated the area before disappearing and repairing with each shot. Brick looked over his shoulder, as he was slammed against the side of the car door, from the sudden turn to avoid the explosion.

He could hear his heart thumping in his chest.

The Canary of Starling City may have perished in The Glades she coveted due to the machinations of Malcolm Merlyn and Tempest, but she had allies, a support network. The Green Arrow followed Black Canary to the grave when he was imprisoned. All that remained where; Speedy, and Arsenal. Judging by the news lately, the two archers should be wary about running around the city in their tight leather suits.

A second explosion followed a few seconds later that catapulted the armored car into the air.

Brick blinked, and groaned from the impact and being suspended from the seat, "Bloody Hell!" He groaned. The Englishman struggled with the cuffs that the FBI had bolted into the car rendering him barely able to move. "Watson!" He hollered out to his handler. "Watson!?" He bellowed, through his dry throat.

The silence was all that answered him.

He looked around for a way to escape this madness. He managed to undo his seatbelt, and crashed to the floor, though his hands remained awkwardly held in the air by his chains. He panted and looked around after hearing the cracks of gunfire, this wasn't vigilantes, he realized. No, this was an ambush set up by the Irish.

He grabbed the chains suspending his arms, and used his legs to leverage himself as he pulled using all his mass to give himself freedom, a fighting chance against the Potato lovers. The car ground from his weight until finally the anchor buckled and fell to the ground.

He crawled to the window to watch the FBI agents shooting into the smoke. One by one the agents were shot and fell to the ground, unmoving. A few beats later, a handful of silhouettes marched out of the smoke, their guns raised.

He could hear the men speaking Gaelic. He lowered his body to make it harder for the Irishmen to spot him, it was all fought naught, as one of the men knelt down to the window and spotted him. The mobster stood back and peppered bullets at the bulletproof glass.

The next thing he heard was the whirling of a metal grinder. He felt his perspiration drip down his nose. He had to make all this worth it somehow. Sparks fluttered around the door.

A small crack was heard, followed by another. Until the grinder had stopped whirling. He watched as several more men fell to the ground, bullet holes in their heads.

The next sound he heard was a scream, a high-pitched scream. He looked out the window to see an FBI agent use a similar scream to that of his former adversary. The pitch was slightly different though however, he supposed anything was now possible due to the public blunder that STAR Labs committed a year ago.

Brick kicked out the cracked window and managed to crawl out of the car, to see his savior. With dark hair and eyes. He raised his hands and pleaded for the agent not to shoot. "Don't shoot! I'm unarmed and had nothing to do with this anarchy."

The female agent turned to him, aiming her pistol at him, "Convict. Don't move a muscle, I'm Agent Siobhan Smythe."

Brick raised his hands in surrender, as he heard the sound of police sirens in the distance.

:-: :-: :-: :-:

What remained of the team, were in secondary Bunker. Diggle stood up from his seat looking at Laurel, "With Oliver gone, it will only be a matter of time until criminals realize that there is no Green Arrow to stop them. The SCPD, are too busy hunting down vigilantes, and keeping their heads following the FBI raids, and their inquisition. And no offense to Thea, but Starling needs someone who already has a reputation. Their own reputation. If it were just Thea and Roy, maybe we could deal, but not with The League, criminal and the cops. Oliver is gone just like Sara."

It was the unfortunate truth, that both Arsenal and Speedy were inherently linked to both Green Arrow and Black Canary. And didn't hold as much clout as the other two vigilantes.

"Thanks for reminding me."

Diggle sighed, as he wiped his face, "No, Laurel, that isn't what I meant. We need the Black Canary back, criminals fear her, and the people respect her. Starling needs her Canary."

"That's a nice sentiment," Malcolm said as he strode towards them. "I, however, have rather melancholic news, The League conducts ceremonial events, such as duels on hallowed ground. I went there," He then gently placed down a bloody one-handed sword onto the closest bench to him.

Diggle watched as all three women paled, he noted how Thea's hand instinctively grasped onto Laurel's forearm for dear life, as if the sole act of holding her sister-in-law was enough to keep her grounded and remind her that all this was real.

"I found this." He said solemnly, avoiding eye contact with every person in the room. "It is the custom of every Ra's, to leave behind the instrument of death, to ensure that the spirit of the deceased does not become vengeful."

Diggle failed to swallow, as his mouth and throat became dry, "Merlyn did you see Oliver's body?"

"His body fell into a ravine, his remains were unrecoverable, I'm afraid."

"How do we know that this is Oliver's blood?"

Malcolm hesitated before he looked towards Laurel and Thea with an almost regretful look. "Because I know what it is like losing my significant other in such a violent matter. I wouldn't lie about that." He then cast his gaze back to Diggle and Felicity, "Doubtless, you will test the blood, and find yourself with the inescapable truth that Oliver Queen is dead."

Thea glared at her biological father, "He's dead because of you!" She growled.

"He bowed his head, "I'm sorry for your loss, Thea, Laurel.I…."

The next thing Laurel knew, was that she had wrapped her hands around Malcolm's throat, pinning him against the table. The man that she knew growing up, Tommy's father…Thea's biological father was gasping for his breath.

She clenched her jaw, snarling at the man who had destroyed her world. How was she going to explain to her son that his father had gone off to die? That Connor's own Aunt Thea had been brain-controlled to kill his maternal aunt? It was so bizarre that she doubts she would have believed it if she had heard it from someone else.

She barely noticed him trying to get out of her grip, or hitting her arm in an attempt to stop her from strangling Malcolm. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of Thea's arrows, in her arm's reach. It would be so easy to just reach over and drive the missile into his chest, and make him feel what Sara felt, what Oliver felt when he fought Ra's in a no-win scenario. The question was, did she have what it took to take this bastard's life for real this time?

The next thing she felt was Diggle shoving her away from a purple-faced Malcolm, followed by telling the man to leave and never return. His heart thumped from the adrenaline, but she couldn't help but feel more than a slither of pride at Malcolm's bright red neck that sat just above the scar tissue that she had given him years almost four years ago.

She shirked from Diggle's grasp, waving her hands out that she had calmed down, as she walked over to the heavy bags. She couldn't go home to Connie with this rage clutching at her heart. She never wanted her son to ever see her this angry.

:-: :-: :-: :-:

Laurel tucked her son into bed and kissed his forehead. His little hands playing with her long honey blonde hair. She stifled a sob, as she gently brushed her fingers on her son's cheek. Connor would never know his father.

And now that she was being pushed by both the team and the world to protect Starling, there was a very real chance that once night, she just may never come home. "Mommy loves you, Connie. And Daddy will watch over you, and will be proud of you as you grow up sweety." Her eyes stung, as he slowly drifted off to sleep. "Daddy is with both of your Grandpas, Robert and Quintin, your Grandma Moira and your Aunt Sara. And they all love you like Mommy and Aunt Thea, and Uncle Roy."

She kissed her son for a final time, feeling her eyes sting "No matter what happens, Connie, I love you. And I realize that you are too young to understand, but I need you to know that, or to hear it." She needed to say the words to her son.

It was at that moment, she felt like she could just hear a small rhythmic beat. It wasn't long before she realized that it was her son's heart. Caitlin had once hypothesized that her powers had lain dormant until she reached high stress and anxiety. Perhaps, she was slowly quiring a new enhanced addition from her mutated cells? Just another thing to add to her ever-growing list of things to do.

"I have to go, sweetie. I love you." As she walked out of her son's room she looked at Dawn, her son's babysitter. "All set, look after Connie for me."

"Sure thing, Ms. Lance."

"It's Mrs. Queen." Laurel corrected, even though she and Ollie didn't have a marriage certificate, in their hearts before he left, they had been married in their hearts. Laurel then heard the babysitter stammer to correct herself, and congratulate Laurel as the older woman walked out of the apartment. Why did she always have to save the world? that wasn't fair, she was doing this for Connor, to keep him safe.

:-: :-: :-: :-:

Black Canary and Speedy stood together on a rooftop overlooking the dark alley below. They watched as two cars pulled up, once the cars came to a halt, and the men climbed the vehicles, she saw one group pop open their car trunk, and violently dragged a young red-haired girl that couldn't have been much older than sixteen. The Girl had a nasty purple welt around her eye, a black and blue ring on her otherwise, porcelain white skin. While the girl was being dragged by the scruff of her neck, the gag in her mouth became visible.

"I'm in position, overlooking the south alley." Diggle's voice came from the comms.

"Roger that," Speedy said before she looked over at her sister-in-law. "In spite of… How does it feel being back in black?" She asked carefully, eyeing her sister.

Laurel didn't look at Speedy, her eyes remained glued on the illicit activity below, "This isn't how I envisioned myself returning back to the fight."

It was left unsaid, as to why. It didn't need to be said, that she envisioned Oliver and Roy fighting alongside them.

"Have you heard about the FBI convoy that was blown up?" One of the guards nonchalantly asked the other, "Apparently, Brick was in there. The FBI let Daniel Brickwell out of prison."

"Laur—Canary ... wait!"

Before Speedy could caution patience, Black Canary jumped down onto the roof of the car, knocking out one by colliding her baton to his head, she, out of the corner of her eye watched as Speedy took out the majority of the drug and arms peddlers, and made her way to the victim, who undoubtedly would have been sold into sexual servitude, it was at that moment, she grabbed one of the thugs by the scruff of his jacket and dragged him into an adjacent alley.

She pulled out one of her bolas, and wrapped it around the man's neck, she heard him choke and wheeze as she pulled the cords tighter around his neck, hearing the man gurgle and gasp for air that wouldn't come, "I'm going to make this really simple. You will answer my questions, or shit is going to get dark over here for you."

"Who are you?" He managed to rasp out.

"Not important right now," She sneered tightening the cords of her bolas around his neck. All of a sudden, she heard a slight rhythmic thumping, as if she could just make out his heart beating. The Canary ignored it, as she continued holding the cord tight around his throat.

"The Canary of Starling City? … A dead woman reborn?" He rasped as he fumbled with the good around his neck in a feeble attempt to lessen the cord from around his neck to be able to breathe.

"Was it Brick who was in the convoy?"

He gasped for air, as Black Canary pulled him back firmly with the bolas. "Yes…FBI's payroll."

She maintained a tight grip on the bolas, as her mind raced. Brick was back. It was at that moments, Laurel recalled the threat that Brick had made her. The bastard had promised that everyone she ever loved would be a target. She couldn't even hide in plain sight under the guise of Dinah Laurel Lance, a recently widowed woman, an attorney and a single mother of one.

'Focus on the things that you have, that you can change…' Ted's voice echoed in her mind.

The whole life she built in Starling after returning home was falling apart, piece by piece, and Brick would be the final person to dismantle her life if he had his way. She had to get to him first!

Speedy and a masked Diggle walked down towards her, he spoke to her with a commanding voice, "Canary, Enough!" Instead of complying with Diggle's command she pulled harder before stepped away watching the thug slump hard to the floor, unmoving.

Diggle glared at her from beneath his ski-mask, "Get out of here!" He growled as she walked back brushing her hair back with her fingers, breathing heavily. Speedy knelt down to the unmoving body, Diggle's eyes didn't leave Laurel's as he spoke to the other vigilante, "Is he dead?"

Speedy shook her head, "No, passed out, and likely a concussion from landing on his head." She said as she watched Laurel disappear from the scene without checking that the girl that they had saved was safe and unharmed.

"She was reckless, and once word gets out about how violent and dangerous Black Canary is, we will be back at square one, being hunted by the cops. Laurel was our only hope of staying on top of protecting the city, and stopping The League." He muttered darkly. "I'll tell Felicity to keep an eye on her while we return to the base. She can't go around trying to kill people."

Thea walked slowly back to the van, she hadn't seen Laurel so reckless, and violent. It reminded her of her brother when he was The Hood. Ollie had told her that she was doing better since she spoke to Ted, and maybe she was for a time, but life didn't seem to be done with screwing with Laurel. Thea prayed that she could help Laurel before she continued to sink further into the abyss that she was finding herself in. It was as if Laurel was slowly disappearing, and using The Black Canary as her armor, to protect herself and her son from the world.