Oliver moved silently across the rooftop, his bow lowered but ready. Below him on the street, the rest of the team spread out with John slipping through a side entrance and Thea circling around to the back. When he reached the edge of the roof, he reached up and triggered the ear piece. "Roof is Set" He lowered his hand and scanned the area. On the radio the rest of the team replied that they were ready as well.

"Ok guys. The man's name is Pyter Vladisoff. He was working out of Russia until 5 months ago. He's wanted for ... oh wow..." Felicity trailed off into silence. Seconds ticked by before Felicity cleared her throat. "This guy is seriously Messed up. He has warrants out for trafficking, kidnapping, military grade weapons..."

"Bad news" Thea piped in. "Sounds fun."

"Yeah. Give me a second and I will hack into the security cameras.." the sound of furious tapping. "Ok ..I'm not getting anything."

Oliver frowned and triggered his ear piece "Trouble getting into the system?" That wasn't like Felicity

"No ..I mean ..there isn't anyone in the building." Felicity's voice sounded confused. "It's completely still."

Something had felt off about tonight's mission from the beginning but now Oliver's instincts were in over drive. Staying low, he walked across the skylight and looked in. Below him was a spacious office decorated in warm reds and golds. Two doors were located in the room. One door, directly across from the desk was standing open. The bodies of two guards, dressed in black camo and Kevlar lay splayed face down. They still had their guns near them. Behind the desk was the second door with another guard laying face down beside it. "I have visual." he said triggering the com. "Three men were guarding the office. All three are dead." The line went dead for a second as they waited for John to decide their next step.

"Go in, but proceed with caution."

Oliver stepped back and brought the bow to level. Seconds later the glass shattered, coating the office below. He dropped down into the office without even making the glass crunch. He readied his bow, placing a thin green arrow in place before walking to the main door. "Office is clear, Hallway clear.." he turned his eyes to the remaining door as the rest of the team confirmed that the other guards were dead as well. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he approached the door. The room beyond was dark and he could smell the coppery metallic scent of blood. A lot of it.

He took a breath to steady his hands. The light from the office spilled into the first few feet of the room. After that, Oliver had to rely on his other senses. With one more glance over office behind him, he stepped through the door and into the darkness.

# # # # # # #

(A.R.G.U.S. - Hong Kong, 5 years ago)

Sweat plastered his bangs to his head as he stepped into the room. He quickly wiped it away before it could sting his eyes. *Why am I here?** That thought stayed at the back of his thoughts at all times along with **Why me?** He just wanted to go home, to see his family again and to able to get back to his life. Instead he was walking into a basement room that contained more shadows then light. What light he did have to see by was feeble at best.

"You had better keep your focus, Mr. Queen, if you wish to survive this encounter." Amanda Wallers voice come over the ear piece. "Because I can assure you, your opponent wont be able to be reasoned with.

His opponent? He raised the gun at the ready, his stormy grey eyes scanning the shadows. Was that his imagination or did something just move at the edge of the next light? He felt like he was back on Lian Yu again, trying to survive his first few nights. "So what am I looking for?" Even he could hear his voice quiver.

"You will have to see for yourself."

There! That time something defiantly moved within the shadows. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He couldn't hear anything but the sound of his shallow breathing and that would get him killed. He took a hesitant step into the darkness, leaving the light behind. Her heard the softest whisper of movement to his right and turned. Something tackled him, driving him to the ground, it's teeth piercing the armor and driving deeply into his shoulder. He screamed out in pain and shoved upwards as he used his back legs to propel the attacking creature back into the darkness. Hh lost the grip of his gun when he was hit and it had skittered somewhere further into the darkness. He didn't waist the time looking for it, instead he pulled his combat knife from the shoulder holster. He focused on is other senses. He twisted, facing the spot of light, as a deep guttural growl rumbled up from behind him.

He shifted his weight, expecting another attack. Instead a large dog stalked from the darkness, crossing into the light. The only sound it made was the constant low, angry growl. Even the way it walked insured that it's nails didn't click on the concrete. He raised the knife in front of him, his eyes scanning the animal, his mind ticking off the details. What he had mistaken for a very large dog was actually a Hybrid, maybe a combination of wolf and Giant Malamute. It's coat was thick and dense, a dark midnight black, and it had several healing scars along it's muzzle and front legs. He realized, looking at it more closely, the creature wasn't as big as he first expected. Maybe 120 lbs. He could see the edge of a collar around it's neck, a small green light blinking among it's fur. It lowered it's head, teeth bared and it's ears forward. It's posture stiff as it slowly closed the distance. It's deep green eyes never leaving him.

Everything that he had been forced to learn over the last three years began to bubble to the surface as instinct took control of his actions. He saw the wolf's muscles tense as it readied to spring. He pivoted as it leapt but he wasn't quite fast enough. Oliver was once more pulled to the ground by the wolf's weight as it landed on his chest. He could feel the hot breath on the side of his face an instant before he slammed the knife deep into the creature's side and sliced downward. As the blade came free, he once more kicked the Wolf into the darkness. He heard it hit as he flipped back to his feet, his eyes skimming the darkness. There had been something that had felt...familiar ..about the creature.

**Nikita** The realization caused him to lower his blade slightly. She had gotten bigger since he had left the island but he was sure it was the same wolf. He turned to face the creature as she once more stepped from the shadows. "Nikki" His voice was soft as he lifted his free hand up. "You know me.." He lowered the knife blade and took a hesitant step forward. She growled, her lips curling up over her teeth slightly.

"Dispose of the target, Mr. Queen."

Oliver ignored the voice in his ear and took another slow step forward, his hand still up, his eyes still on her. "You know me, Nikita." The wolf lunged forward, snapping just inches from his leg but he didn't flinch. Instead, he took another step forward, causing the wolf to retreat a step.

"Do as your told, Mr. Queen!"

Oliver pulled the com from his ear and tossed it away. Every action he took was slow and deliberate. "Easy, Nikki..." he took another step forward. "You know me.." He bent and lay the knife on the floor. His heart was slamming in his chest but his voice was soft and steady as he spoke. There was a chance that he was wrong. If he was, he knew that the wolf before him could seriously wound him or kill him. The wolf took a hesitant step forward, it's growl falling silent. "That's it, Nikki.." He took another step towards the wolf and carefully reached out his hand. His action was met with another deep growl but the growl faltered when he didn't jerk back. "That's it.. You know me." Relief washed through him as the wolf's ears relaxed and she fell silent. The tip of her tail twitched slightly as she walked over to him and leaned into him. "Hey, girl.." He said softly as he rubbed her behind the ear. As he stroked her head, his eyes went to the floor and the puddle of blood that had collected where the wolf had stood. "I'm so sorry I hurt you.."

Nikita jerked away from him, every tooth showing as she twisted to face behind her. Seconds later, lights flooded the room as 6 armed soldiers walked into the room. Four of the guards held long silver polls that they lowered as they approached. Nikki lunged forward, snarling and snapping at the soldiers. Every time the poles touched her, Electricity arced causing her to scream in pain.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Oliver tried to shove the closest soldier away from her.

The soldier brought the pole around slamming it into his face. The hit knocked him to the floor. When he tried to regain his footing, another soldier kicked him in the side. His breath left his lunges and the pain drove him back to the ground. The soldier put his boot on Oliver's neck and pinned him to the ground All he could do was watch helpless as the guards drove Nikita towards a solid metal crate.

# # # # # # #

Oliver leaned a hip against the counter with his arms crossed, lost in thought. A quick search of the building revealed that everyone in the building had been killed not long before the team had arrived. The room behind the desk had been created as some kind of sound proof concrete cell. That was the room he had found their target. Pyter had been left in the back of the room. His throat and his stomach had been ripped open. He had also been missing the ring finger of his right hand. Above him had been a set of deep claw marks with a single bloody paw print in the middle.

He glanced up as Felicity walked over and gently gave his shoulder a squeeze.

'You ok?"

He smiled and placed a hand on top of hers. "Yeah. Just thinking." She nodded lightly as she sat down in the chair beside him, her hand resting on his knee.

'Ok...so ..what exactly was that. I mean someone obviously slit the guards throats," Thea glanced at her brother. "but that Pyter guy looked like he had been attacked by a wild animal."

"And don't forget that symbol on the wall." John looked at Felicity "See if you can find anything linked to that symbol. We might have some kind of death cult on our hands."

"You don't need to look for that." Oliver's voice was quiet, he had a far away look in his eyes. "I know what it means."

"Mind sharing with the class?" Thea asked, half expecting him to say no.

"It was a warning.."

"Warning?" Felicity glanced at the rest of the team. "For that creep's business partners?"

"No..." Oliver looked over at her, his eyes dark. "..For me."

John leaned forward in the chair, his hands resting on his knees. His eyes studied Oliver's face. Trying to see behind the neutral expression. "What do you mean? What kind of warning."

"From Lian Yu." He sighted lightly and stood. "It means Danger. If I saw the claw marks, I would know that I needed to prepare. It meant that someone was after me."

"You said claw marks. What about the Print? and why in blood?" john frowned

"The print is a signature and the blood means someone wants me dead."