Samanda Watson walked down the long hallway of the hotel, towards the surveillance room, every step she took, she could hear the low voice of The Canary of Starling City echo in the back of her mind, telling her to open her eyes, that Daniel Brickwell was the puppet master, and she and the Bureau were the puppets, having their strings pulled.

The vigilante's voice continued as she sat at her desk and started scouring the files that she had brought in dossiers on each and every agent that had anything to do with Daniel Brickwell.

"The woman who attacked Verdant, dressed as the Black Canary, she's one of yours. She's FBI." The true Black Canary's statement echoed through her mind as she searched the files. Samanda went through several files, until she came to Siobhan Smythe, was she truly the agent that went rogue?

"Hello, Thea, a pleasure to see you two again after my time away." It could have been Agent Smythe's voice, she thought, as she tried to remember the recording of Fake Canary attacking Verdant.

Agent Watson looked back up at her fellow agents who continued to work, and it only took one bad apple to ruin the bunch. If Brickwell had his claws on Agent Smythe, who else did he have under his thumb?

She turned to look up at the log sheet to see when Smythe was last on duty, before pulling up the security footage of the surveillance room, a feature only the lead agent would know about. She clicked open the date and watched as Smythe turned off the recordings in Brickwell's penthouse, before leaving for the room.

She raised her hand to her mouth, "My god..."

:-:-:-:-:

Diggle watched as Nyssa tickled both of Connor's feet, according to her, she had returned to Starling due to the fact that she had nowhere else to go, and that Laurel was the closest thing she had to family now that Sara was gone, and her father for all intents and purposes had disowned her, stating that she had heard whispers that he had chosen a new heir.

The former heir to the demon hadn't been able to locate Laurel, much to his chagrin, so she had opted to watch over her beloved's nephew and was his ever-present shadow in the past few weeks.

John had thought that the team had convinced Laurel that the right thing to do was come out from hiding, and resume her life. Apparently Brickwell had forced Laurel to think otherwise.

Connor couldn't continue living in limbo, with his father killed, and his mother being forced into a bad situation that there was no easy way to escape from. Thea and Roy, for the most part, looked after the child, occasionally he, Lyla, Nyssa, and Walter Steele would also take turns when necessary.

After Thea and Roy had returned to The Bunker, following the massacre at Verdant, Felicity had scoured many of the security cameras around the area to find where their friend had managed to. John suspected that Laurel knew many of the winding alleys, shortcuts, and the location of prohibition tunnels like the back of her hand, just as Oliver knew his way blindfolded through the rest of the city. The Glades, and even to a lesser extent the city was her domain, which made it difficult to find her unless she wanted to find her.

It didn't help either that Laurel had had counter-espionage training from Ted Grant, a man that had according to Thea abandoned Laurel, he could sympathize with her situation, feeling like everyone was against her, he just hoped that she would come to realize it wasn't true before she did something monumentally stupid.

A small part of him wondered if Ted was keeping Laurel's location a secret, his military background and his honor surely would prevent him from leaving someone behind, let alone someone he considered family to fend for herself?

All he knew for certain was that if Oliver had somehow made it out alive, or was watching them from the other side, he knew that the man that he once considered a brother would have a few choice words for him and Felicity.

:-:-:-:-:

Laurel watched from the rooftop as she watched Agent Samanda Watson slink into the alleyway, looking like a fish out of water. Laurel moved around the rooftop looking for any plain-clothed agents, before making her way down the fire escape, landing behind her silently.

"Agent Watson." She said softly, watching the agent slowly turn to face her, her eyes trying to find out who she was behind her mask and hood.

"You're late," Watson said curtly, looking the vigilante in the eyes.

Laurel smirked under her mask that covered the lower part of her face, "Or, I was early and ensuring that you didn't do anything underhanded." She said, before squaring her shoulders, "What's her name?"

"You want to speak about trust? I want to know if I can trust you before I do anything." She kept browbeating the vigilante, she was going against everything she believed in, "You have a history of hurting people, including federal agents, why would I hand you one of our own?"

Laurel scoffed, "I haven't killed any of them, and if she's dirty you will want to be sure."

Watson gave the Canary of Starling City an unamused look and shook her head. "You assaulted agents the other day, men and women who were just doing their job. One of which is still in the hospital."

"And if you arrested me, there would be no one to take down Brick." And Connor would be left an would have to endure what Barry had to, only she wouldn't be innocent like Barry's dad.

"No. If you are right about Brickwell, he's our responsibility, not some deputized punk who runs around covering her face, nor her posse."

"Interesting." Laurel remarked sardonically, "And I suppose Brick is sleeping behind bars, and not given a five-star hotel to sleep in?" She then gave the agent a nod. "I understand, and that's where you and I can agree, Watson. It's the greater good. House incarceration in exchange for actionable intel. Sometimes you have to hurt a person to save another." She then looked straight into the agent's eyes, "What is her name?"

Watson broke the stare down and blinked as she looked up and down the alley, "I need your word that you won't touch her."

"And how much does an anonymous woman's word mean to you?"

"All the same." Agent Watson snipped through a tight jaw, "I need to hear you give me your word."

Laurel thought about it quickly, and as much as she wanted to say no, this was still her best chance of putting Brickwell back where he belonged. At the very least, he would be held without access to technology, people without being monitored heavily, if Waller doesn't take the man herself. "I need him to testify against Brick, so I need him alive as much as you do. So now you have it."

Agent Watson exhaled, and pocketed her hands into her jacket, "We will slip into her apartment. Look for evidence that ties her to the Verdant attack or Brickwell. If we do, we leave it be, we set the fire alarm on the way out."

Laurel bit her lip, it was a smart idea, "You can circumvent a warrant that way."

"If we don't find anything, she gets to go on living her life, with no repercussions."

"Don't beat around the bush, Agent." She said, talking over Federal Agent, "What is her name?"

She could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, she could relax, look after her baby, resume being a lawyer, and perhaps occasionally go out in the field with Speedy, to keep the city safe for her son to grow up in.

"Special Agent Siobhan Smythe."

:-:-:-:-:

Thea returned from her patrol, trying to ascertain who was the latest vigilante who was trying to protect her city. Diggle had tried to get a hold of Felicity but to no avail, she had only witnessed the man wearing some kind of robotic suit, and possessed the ability to fly, or hover using some kind of miniature jet-pack things. She opened the door to her apartment to see Roy looking absolutely tired, "You feeling alright?"

Roy nodded, as he wiped his face with his hand, "Sure. Connor has just got a sore throat that's bothering him, the doctor said that his throat was a little inflamed but nothing but a bit of popsicles, or chicken soup won't solve."

Thea hugged her boyfriend, before dropping her bag on the floor, and heading into see her nephew sleeping, she touched his forehead, just like she remembered her Mom doing when she was sick, but felt no fever. She leaned over, giving him a kiss, before leaving, hating that her nephew couldn't be with his parents, sleeping in their bed, between them.

It was one of the best medicines she knew of for little kids, sleeping in their parents' bed when they were sick. She still remembers when she came home from the hospital after having surgery on her broken arm as a little kid, she remembers sleeping between her Mom and Dad for the first few nights.

She returned to see Roy sitting down on the couch, and two cups of coffees sitting on the table. Thea sat on the couch, and brought her legs beneath her, "I was thinking while I was on patrol, Brick has been giving up criminals involved in corruption."

"Right." They already knew that.

"Well, what if his endgame is to step into the gap that they leave behind? He becomes the sole source of government protection, from all sorts of criminals in The Glades, if not the entirety of Starling City."

Roy sat up, alert. "So, what made you so excited?"

"I have a plan." She said proudly.

Roy didn't want to burst her bubble, but he felt that he had to warn her all the same, her brother and Laurel would do the same. "He's ten steps ahead of us, Babe. I'm surprised that Laurel has been able to evade his influence and the FBI."

"That's if he knew that I am on to him, he doesn't— couldn't know. I discovered this when I was being Overwatch, the other night when you were in my brother's new suit."

"Hey, I was trained by you, Laurel and Oliver. The city needs a Green Arrow, especially while its Canary is indisposed."

Thea scoffed playfully, "Fine, you can be the heir to the emerald hood. But the point is, I was bored while you and Diggle took out Murmur. I looked through so much information on some of the biggest law firms, and found a deposition of a corrupt official who was providing fraud and laundering services to the Irish."

She then pulled a piece of paper from her bag, "These are Brick's terms for his house arrest. If he violates even one of them, then we will find himself back in prison. Number three is what should catch your eye."

Roy smirked as he read the text Thea was pointing at it read; committing or conspiring to commit a felony.' He looked back at Thea, who looked so proud that despite being side-lined by her sister, she had managed to help her regardless. That's the girl he fell in love with; smart, loyal, resourceful and exceptionally stubborn.

"So, the FBI sees that our English friend…"

"He's not my friend!" Thea corrected him almost immediately.

He bit his lip to resist chuckling, "Right." He agreed, "Once they find that he has violated the agreement they are forced to bring him back into prison?"

Thea beamed and patted her legs. "Yup, and we have Felicity sending it to every local media outlet, including Iris in Central City, to put it on the front pages, and no one can ignore it. Hell, after he is put behind bars, we could convince Lyla that he is just as much of a threat as that boomerang guy, or Slade Wilson. He will never see the light of day again"

:-:-:-:-:

Siobhan walked into the FBI offices that night, feeling every agent stop whatever they were doing and casting their judging eyes upon her, as if she were some sort of pariah, it was at this time that she finally had someone she could trust in her corner, Brickwell trusted her and that was enough.

She ignored all the eyes on her, as she found Agent Watson speaking to another agent, "Samanda?"

The woman turned around, and looked at Smythe seriously, "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Your message made it quite clear that it was not an offer." She said, avoiding eye contact with her senior agent, "What's happening, boss?"

Agent Watson nodded, "I have someone here who would like to speak to you." She then gestured her head in the opposite direction, "Come."

Smythe hesitates, taking a final look around the office, and her fellow agents, agents who had turned their backs on her, and followed Watson through the bullpen, and into the frosted door of the conference room.

A man in his late twenties, in a fine suit, stood with a large portfolio and gave Siobhan a charming smile. He was certainly a pretty boy, she thought.

"Siobhan, this is an old friend of mine, Shane Jacobson." Siobhan, after a beat, shook the man's hand. "He's an attorney, if you are up for it, Shane, here is willing to go into bat on your behalf. To sue the Bureau for wrongful suspension."

Smythe shook her head in bewilderment. "He can do that?" She asked Watson.

The chuckle of Jacobson broke the silence, "I can, and will if that's what you want my friend. And considering that your colleagues have footed the bill to put my expensive ass on retainer, they must love you."

Siobhan looked at Agent Watson, visibly moved, "You had my back through all of this?" She watched as her fellow agent nodded, "I don't know how to thank you."

Samanda's eye twitched, "The girl that pulled us from the fire, and saved our lives doesn't need to thank us for anything, you're a hero."

:-:-:-:-:

Laurel watched the night sky as she watched a light blue light darted around the city, and towards the power plant. She twisted her jaw as she wished she could be there fighting alongside her sister, Roy, and Digg, hearing Felicity try to make a name for the metahuman or criminal who had the technology to fly.

But she had to deal with Brick, it was personal, her baby was in danger, and so was every person who crossed him. Laurel buried her longing down inside of herself, reminding herself they didn't believe that Brick was a threat.

"I have been looking for you, my friend." A familiar voice said, coming from behind her. "Are you alright?"

Laurel turned slightly to see Nyssa standing beside her. It was unsurprising that Nyssa was able to track her down. "How are you?"

"I shall endure, as I always have. And you? I see we have opted out of the protective suit, not the smartest decision you have ever made."

Laurel nudged her friend, only to feel Nyssa embrace her with a warm smile on her face, making Laurel feel homesick once again, "I assure you, your little one is strong just like his parents, he is well. For the past week or so, I have kept an eye on him. I will continue to do so while I'm able to do so. I shall protect him as if he were my own kin. I already consider him to be such."

Laurel pulled back, wiping a rogue tear from her eye. As far as she was concerned, Nyssa was one of Connor's honorary aunts. It was always interesting watching how gentle the assassin was with Connor, it was a stark contrast to how she usually acts around other people.

"That's good." She whispered, more to herself than to Nyssa. "I'll be fine once this is over."

"I am a marked woman, Laurel. And yet, I will kill Daniel Brickwell and his ilk, if that is what you desire?" It was what Nyssa didn't say that gave Laurel a warm feeling. Nyssa was ready to kill for the only two people that she saw as her true family. Her and Connor. Even if it meant her own death. " You only need to say the word, and he will choke on his own blood."

Laurel hesitated for a few seconds. "No," Laurel answered. She finally had the upper hand on him again, she was working the lead with Agent Watson. "I can handle it, no need to put yourself in harm's way. I hope that this meeting can stay between you and me?"

"Of course."

" Take care of yourself, Nyssa. "

Laurel gave her friend a final smile, before she turned, covering her face with the lower face mask, and climbed down the fire escape, silently taking measured steps to avoid making a sound, she walked down two stories, before stopping at a window, she crouched and pried the window open, shoulders first, she swung herself into Agent Smythe's apartment, and taking careful vigilant steps she looked around the dark room, before slowly moving towards the front door, to grant Agent Watson entry.

Samanda walks in with a torch, the light illuminating the room, "Find anything?"

"Besides the fact that I would say that your fellow agent has OCD?" Everything in the apartment was ordered and cleaned. The apartment didn't look lived in, no magazines, books lying around, nor dirty dishes in the sink.

"So did my ex, but she wouldn't fit in your suit." She said, as she looked around, noticing Black Canary opening the refrigerator. "Everything I have on Smythe is circumstantial at best." She said, as she looked at the large bookcase with everything sorted according to the genre, then in alphabetical order. "I suppose we can take solace that she is busy, I made sure of that."

Watson could only just make out The Canary's light footsteps as she moved around the room. "I just can't see a decorated agent falling for whatever sweet words Brickwell is whispering to her."

Laurel looked over her shoulder, "That's how he works. He finds your Achilles' heel and hits it hard and fast without mercy. And when you are on your knees, you have no choice but to buy into his bullshit."

It's part of the reason why she had abandoned her son. To keep him safe, isn't it? As long as it looked like she didn't care about her baby, Brick wouldn't press the issue. It wasn't a safe bet, but so far it was working.

"I would bet that you guys are shouting his room service?" Laurel continued with a sardonic tone, lacing her voice. She gave a hidden smile to the agent, who gave her a dirty look, Laurel opened the closet, to find a safe, and put her ear to the cold steel, and started twisting the dial. Grateful that she had developed a stronger sense of hearing.

"How can you do that?" Watson asked with bewilderment, she knew that there were people with powers, but usually, they were overt, super-speed, a sonic scream, super strength, or controlling the weather, not enhanced sense of hearing.

"I can't, not if you keep talking." Laurel whispered, as continued to crack the lock, Ollie would have used a trick arrow or attempted to brute force it. She hoped wherever he was, he would forgive her for abandoning their son, and perhaps, if she was lucky her husband looked at her proudly for cracking the safe with her new powers.

Once the door opened, both women looked inside to see a few assault rifles, knives and some money, along with some other valuables, and knickknacks. "If the suit was here, she hid it somewhere else." Laurel thought out loud.

"I don't think that your uncorroborated testimony will sway a judge."

Laurel stepped back, staring at the agent, "She's my copy-cat."

"So, you say," Samanda sighed, "We have nothing here that ties Smythe to Brickwell or Verdant. Nor does Shivvy have any documented powers." The agent stopped, and looked at the vigilante, "How did you end up at the nightclub?"

"Does it matter?" Laurel deflected, "Just gotta keep one foot in front of the other, and don't look back." She then looked back in the safe, to see a tape recorder, and she pressed play on it.

"When the neighbor's cat jumped into our yard," The voice of a younger Siobhan said, "I screamed at it, at the cat, the sound from my mouth killed it." To Laurel's ears, the voice didn't sound remorseful.

"How did it feel to watch the cat die, Shivvy?" Asked for another voice, likely a psychologist.

"I tried not to, Doctor Thompkins, I did. But I liked it."

"Holy shit!" Watson said upon hearing the recording.

Laurel wondered how Agent Smythe had developed her cry as a child, she had only woken up her powers when she was almost killed by Malcolm, and her enhanced hearing had only just emerged this year. There was so much that they didn't know about how enhanced people came to be, even before the particle accelerator. Maybe they never would know.

:-:-:-:-:

Ra's walked towards one of the priestesses, as he did, she spoke to him. "You are troubled. You are troubled because you worry about Al Sahim's loyalties."

Ra's sighed, as he sat down, as he did, he truly felt his age. "That is one of the many things I fret about." He wasn't long for the world. His eldest daughter left. Years later, her younger sister followed after being led away by Sara Lance's influence.

Nyssa was going to be his heir until he met Oliver Queen. The man possessed remarkable skill and discipline that And despite Nyssa no longer being an heir, that so few truly possess. No Nyssa would still serve a purpose.

All of the future plans that had to be rushed due to his failing body, now the pits have stopped working beyond giving him a slight energy boost. Malcolm Merlyn under interrogation had informed him of what has been happening, how he had seen a glimpse of the real Oliver reemerging. Merlyn was very cooperative, once he lost several toes, a few teeth, and an eye.

"Ensure that Al Sahim's loyalty is to you and you alone. Speak to him often, be his confidant. Lead him away from his temptations, until he has slain them." The seer told him. "He is to play a vital role in the future of the League." He knew her to be correct. No other Oracle has rivaled Nanda Parbat's since the Roman emperor Theodosius silenced the oracle at Delphi. As such, no Ra's had ever questioned the wisdom of their oracles.