Chapter 8: Revenge (Is Just a Blame Game)

Vroom!

Oliver Queen waved at his mother in greeting from his motorcycle. Moira, across the street, waved back, and continued conversing with the man in front of her, clearly trying to shoo him away.

VROOM!

Oliver turned, and saw another motorcycle drive up the street. The rider, dressed head-to-toe in black, pulled out a gun. Oliver watched in shock as a spray of bullets were fired, hitting the man his mother was talking to, his dead body falling across her. The other motorcyclist drove away as Oliver ran across the street towards Moira.

"Mom!" Thea entered the hospital room. Her mother, laying in a hospital bed, took her into her arms as her daughter all but threw herself at her. Following Thea were Kara and Clark, who made their own greetings and comfort to the Queen matriarch. Off to the side, both Oliver and Robert were conversing Quentin Lance, the former explaining to the latter what had happened.

"Guards needed to be posted immediately, Dad, Quentin. The shooter could come back at any time." Oliver stressed.

Quentin shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Oliver. Your mother most likely wasn't the target."

Oliver blinked. "She wasn't?" Beside him, his father, however nodded his head. Quentin gave him a look, and Robert cleared his throat.

"Thea? Why don't you take Kal and go down to the cafeteria? Get your mother something to eat."

Thea look mutinous, but at the stern look in her father's eyes, relented. "Sure thing, Dad." She took Clark by the hand and out the door. Clark looked at everyone curiously before following her.

Robert closed the door shut, and looked towards Quentin. Quentin nodded his head, and replied to Oliver's question. "She most likely wasn't. The man your mother was talking to, the one that was killed, was Paul Copani."

"Paul Copani?" Kara asked, confused.

Robert answered. "He's a close associate of Frank Bertinelli."

Kara still looked perplexed, but Oliver, drawing up some vague memories, pressed his lips together as realization dawned on him. "Frank Bertinelli…as in the boss of the Bertinelli crime family?" He demanded. Robert and Quentin nodded.

The Kryptonian turned her head sharply towards Moira. "Why were you meeting with this guy?"

Moira sighed. "He wanted the contract to build Queen Consolidated's new Applied Sciences building. I said no, obviously, but he kept on hounding me about it before he was killed."

"So Copani was the target?" Oliver asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"Most likely." Quentin confirmed, then sighed. "You didn't hear this from me, but Copani wasn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew that's been hit. Someone has been targeting them all, one by one, for the last couple of weeks."

"But," he continued, "That's our problem, not yours. So, you," he pointed at Moira, "just get some rest. I'll inform you if circumstances have changed, but for now, we have no reason to believe you'll be in any further danger." Bidding everyone farewell, he opened the door and left.

Robert exhaled. "I'll clear my schedule for the next two days, keep you company. Just to be safe." he told his wife.

"Robert…" Moira protested half-heartedly. Neither of them noticed Oliver and Kara exchanging glances.

Barry gave a low whistle. "You know, for an abandoned lab station, this place isn't half-bad."

From beside him, Harrison Wells smirked. "Why thank you, Mr. Allen. Though I think we hardly count as 'abandoned', seeing as you and I, along with two others, work here still."

Barry shrugged.

The former castaway had arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs an hour or so ago for his first day at his new job, whatever that would be. Dr. Wells had then taken him on a tour of the facility. Barry had already memorized the official blueprints of this place, right after Dr. Wells had spoken to him about his offer, but they were only blueprints. Seeing everything with his own eyes was an entirely different thing.

A crash was heard. Barry and Dr. Wells entered the Cortex to see young man of Hispanic descent and a Caucasian woman with chestnut brown hair bickering with one another. Beside them was a fallen mannequin with a red suit on it. Dr. Wells cleared his throat, breaking up the argument. They turned to look at him.

"Dr. Wells!" They both exclaimed. Wells nodded at them both.

"Barry, these are my two remaining employees. Cisco Ramon, one of the most brilliant mechanical engineers in the world, and Dr. Caitlin Snow, an equally brilliant bio-engineer." The scientist gestured to both as he stated their names. "Cisco, Caitlin, this is Barry Allen. He will be aiding us in our…new work."

They both blinked. Caitlin frowned. "Dr. Wells…"

The scientist held up his hand, stopping her. "Never fear, Caitlin. I can assure you that Mr. Allen is fully qualified."

"How so?" Cisco questioned.

Dr. Wells was about to answer, only to be cut off by a loud ringing noise. Barry frowned, taking out his phone and accepting the call, putting the communication device next to his ear. "Hello?"

His expression changed. "What?"

"Joe, Eddie." Barry called out to the detectives as he entered the Precinct's lobby. Both men looked up and waved him over. "What happened?"

"Tony Woodward." Iris answered from behind him. Barry turned to look at her. "Showed up and confronted me at Jitters during my lunch break. Crunched my phone with his bare hand, too."

"Tony Woodward? As in my old childhood bully, Tony Woodward?" Barry asked her incredulously.

Iris hummed. "The one and only. We put out an APB for him after we caught him driving off in a stolen Humvee after robbing several ATMs." Barry blinked, and smirked.

"Well, at least he's graduated from stealing candy from babies." her best friend joked drily.

Iris smiled slightly at that. From behind Barry, Eddie frowned, and decided to interject. He stepped forward, looking directly at his girlfriend. "I'm putting a detail on you."

"Eddie…" Iris frowned.

"No arguments, Iris. This guy's like the Girl in Blue and the Streak, and he's fixated on you. Rather be safe than sorry." Eddie shut her down immediately. Iris took in a deep breath and nodded her assent.

Barry looked at Joe. "He's like the Girl in Blue and the Streak?"

"And Mardon. Eddie tried to shoot Woodward and bullets just glanced off him. And before you ask – no body armor. They bounced off his face, believe it or not." Joe replied.

Barry hummed. "Well, I'm free for the rest of the day, so I guess I can keep Iris company."

Eddie scowled. "That won't be necessary, Barry." he stated, barely managing to keep his jealousy in check.

"Maybe not," Iris shifted her shoulders and smiled fondly at her closest friend, "But I don't mind. I was planning to drop by Keystone to visit Mom and Wally, and they haven't met Barry yet. And since Tony dropped out of high school before word spread about my move, he wouldn't think to look me for there. It's a win-win." Eddie's scowl darkened, but before he could protest anymore, Barry's phone rang once more. He picked it up, puzzled when he saw the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Barry got us a name: Helena Bertinelli." Oliver announced, dropping file down onto a table in the middle of the Foundry. Kara opened it to reveal some documents, along with a picture of an attractive woman with long, dark hair.

"Any relation to the boss?" she asked as she began to peruse through the information.

"His daughter." Oliver confirmed as he picked up some of the documents himself. "Fiancé Michael Stanton died in a shootout about a year or so ago. Alleged killer was said to be working alone, tried and convicted and went to Iron Heights. Clean cut case. Or so it would seem."

Kara clicked her tongue. "Let me guess – Daddy had the fiancé killed, then payed off the police to cover it up so his baby girl would never find out. Except she did, and now she's out for blood." she illustrated the most likely scenario like she was conversing about the weather.

"Got it in one." Oliver's face turned solemn. "Revenge, huh."

"Revenge." Kara sighed.

The League had a complex view on revenge. There were instances where revenge was justice, they could not deny. However, emotion drove revenge. It was dangerous, volatile, which is why the League did not advocate it. Honor was one thing, equivalent exchange, a life for a life. But when it came to vengeance, none of those things were applicable, usually – a person who desired revenge was one who usually desired suffering, and unnecessary suffering was not the way of the League.

Of the castaways, only one of them could ever be tempted by revenge, and that was Barry. But Barry had people to pull him back, to remind him to live his life. To say nothing of the fact that revenge wouldn't get his father out of prison, only justice.

"So, what do we do?" Kara asked Oliver after a moment of reflection. Oliver's eyes sharpened. In the file, there was a document detailing a locker in the Glades registered to Helena.

"We pay Miss Bertinelli a visit."

Helena Bertinelli was wiping some residue off her gun, all while studying the board in front of her. On it were pictures of members of her father's inner circle. Among them, recently crossed out, was one of Paul Copani.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. Helena immediately grabbed her gun, arming herself. Only to freeze when she saw who it was that invaded her sanctuary.

The Hood, and the Girl in Blue.

Helena froze, but just for a moment. She fired, only to gape as the Girl in Blue jumped in front of the Hood, blocking the bullets and allowing them to bounce off her in different directions. She never noticed the Hood sneak off until he was right behind her. Helena looked back, but before she could attack, she found her arm held behind her back in an iron grip by the vigilante.

"Helena Bertinelli." he rumbled. "Your vendetta against your father is reckless and foolish. It is dragging innocents into the fray." Helena face slightly fell at that, before hardening.

"I don't care. My father had Michael killed." she spat.

The Girl in Blue was the one who spoke up this time, her voice smooth and soft with a hint of steel. "Well, we do. Stop your vendetta. If you still seek the downfall of your father, then we shall handle that. Otherwise, you will be going to jail with him."

"No!" Helena exclaimed angrily. "It has to be me! I need to kill him – jail is too good for him!"

The Hood tilted his head. "Why? Why does it need to be you?"

Helena's face crumbled. "It was my fault Michael died. I…I was talking to the FBI. Planning to take down my father – he was…is a monster. I gave the laptop that had all the information I was planning to hand over to them to Michael, for safe-keeping." She gave a choked sob. "My father must've found out, however, and thought it was Michael talking, and had him killed."

Both vigilantes stared at her, sharing a silent conversation. Then, they nodded as one. Helena, after her tears subsided, watched the exchange curiously.

The Hood let go of her arm, which she then began to massage. He took out a piece of paper from a hidden pocket in his suit, and handed it to her. On it was an address.

"What's this?"

The Girl in Blue spoke up once more. "Tomorrow at 10:00 p.m., a plane will be waiting for you there. It will take you directly to the base of the mountains of Tibet. Once there, pluck a blue flower and climb until you reach the midpoint. There is an entrance hidden behind a slab of rock with the symbol of a demon's head."

The Hood continued with the explanation. "Follow the path and it will take you somewhere that can help you hone your skills and harness and control your anger, your rage and hate. Hand the flower to one of the guards, and they will take you to their Master. Tell him your life story, and if he deems you worthy, he will train you until you become one of the most dangerous people in the world."

Helena stared at them both, calculating. "…and if I'm not found worthy?"

"You die." The Hood refused to sugarcoat it. It would not do any good.

Helena frowned. "…and if I stay?" she hedged.

"You go to jail for the rest of your life, and your father will walk free."

Helena hummed. "You two drive a hard bargain. Fine, I'll go. But in exchange…"

She could feel them smirking. "Daddy goes to the slammer. Don't worry." The Girl in Blue waved her off.

The lights flickered once more. Helena looked around, and found she was alone. In her hand was another piece of paper.

When you get there, tell them that Al Sah-him and Saraab sent you.

And now Helena joins the League of Assassins. She will return, I can assure you. Next time, a Barry-centric chapter!