Chapter 12: Big Old Fancy Fortress

"That was way easier than I thought it was going to be." Barry admitted to Iris as they exited the building.

Iris grinned. "Glad to see your mind is still as sharp as ever." the grin then faded slightly. "Do you really need to go?" she asked.

Barry smiled comfortingly at her. "It's been a while since I saw them, Iris, and it'll be a good way to wind down from all the studying and testing."

"But still…"

"Iris. It'll only be a few days." Barry bared his teeth. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You've got all your phones?"

"Yes."

"You're all packed?"

"Yes."

"You –"

"Mom. It's going to be fine." Oliver stressed to the fretting Moira.

Moira sighed. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I just don't want you – or Kara and Clark – to leave my sight. Not after what happened the last time I did."

Oliver looked comfortingly at her. "No boats, this time, Mom. Planes are much safer. We'll be fine Mom. It's not going to be a long trip."

"Can you at least tell me where you're going? You're all being surprisingly mum about this."

Oliver shrugged. "Up north. Kal wants to see the snow."

"This is it?"

"This is it." Kara confirmed. They all stared at the large tundra of sprawling ice. Kara took out the key, bearing the sigil of her and Kal-El's family, and held it outwards.

Her companions watched, raptured, as the tundra suddenly spiked outwards, all at once, constructing a large, uneven structure that dwarfed them all. After the edifice completed its rise, they moved forward. There was a doorway, and on it a small opening, in the shape of the key. Kara inserted it, watching as the entrance opened, collapsing into nonexistence.

The survivors of Lian Yu walked in, taking in the palatial interior carved out of translucent, solid water. A buzzing called out to them, and they looked forward.

An imp of machinery, a golden automaton floated, blinking and gazing at them. They gazed back, surprised to something so advanced already here. All except Kara, who looked at it with nostalgia. She knew exactly what it was.

"Greetings. I am Kelex. Designated as the primary assistant to the House of El." it synthesized.

Kara broke out of her reverie, and spoke. "Greetings, Kelex. I am primary user Kara Zor-El. This," she put her hand on Kal's shoulder. "is my cousin." She looked pointedly at him.

Kal got the message. "I am primary user Kal-El."

"Greetings, Lady Kara Zor-El, Lord Kal-El. I have been waiting for you. My prime directive is to serve the House of El and preserve the memory of the planet Krypton. I will obey every order you ask of me that is within my authorization." The machine repeated.

Kara nodded. "Thank you, Kelex. Then, as my first order, please designate two secondary users to the Fortress."

"Very well. Announce your names, please."

"Oliver Queen."

"Barry Allen."

Ping. "Welcome, Oliver Queen, Barry Allen. As secondary users, I will obey every order you give me if it does not conflict with my prime directive. All your orders are secondary and can be overridden by primary users Lady Kara and Lord Kal-El." The machine announced.

Everyone looked at one another. "So, you guys have your own big fancy fortress now, huh?" Barry commented.

"We'll need to connect it to the Foundry." Oliver stated, ignoring Barry's comment.

"And what of S.T.A.R. Labs?" Kara asked.

Barry shook his head. "Not until everyone that works there has been vetted. It will continue to be a satellite base, and possible back-up base should the Foundry be compromised." he insisted, turning serious.

"Uh, guys?" A timid voice called out.

The three vigilantes turned their heads, looking at their young ward, and froze. Kal-El was standing in front of a stationary hologram of a man with dark heir, wearing a robe. His features were eerily familiar, though Barry and Oliver could not place why.

Kal-El scuttled up to his cousin. "Who's that?" he asked her.

Kara payed him no attention, her eyes fixated on the buzzing, see-through image.

"Hello, Kara." He said, and while his voice and face could not emote, one could feel the fondness seeping through him.

"Uncle…Jor-El?" She gasped, stunned.

At that, the entire world stopped. The three males looked at the features of the hologram once more, and it was then that Barry and Oliver could see it. This man…looked just liked Kal-El. With that, it dawned on them who exactly this man was. They each made a small noise of surprise.

Kal-El ignored them, gawking at the visage of a man he'd never thought he'd meet.

"Dad?" he breathed out.

"You're angry today." Ted Grant commented. Beside him, one of his regulars, Laurel Lance, all but ripped the boxing gloves off her hands.

"I've got a lot on my mind." She ground out.

Ted sighed. "Talk to me."

Laurel, realizing how abrasive she was being, turned to look at her mentor apologetically. "Ted…"

"C'mon, Laurel. We're friends, right?"

Laurel nodded. She had first met Ted after he saved her from some punks trying to mug her during her first week at CNRI. The attorney had sought him out to thank him, and took note of the gym. After another guy tried to get the drop on her, she had gone to him, asking for training beyond the basic self-defense her father had made her go through.

Fast forward a few years, and while Laurel had technically completed her training, she still found herself as a regular at Ted's gym, training hard and frequently sparring with him. They had forged a solid friendship, and Ted was often her go-to for any information her father needed from the Glades.

"Yeah." Laurel agreed, then threw her head back, stretching her arms. Her hair, arranged into a long, single braid, bounced slightly behind her. "It's a lot of things, really."

"A girl like you, always trying to help people – I'm not surprised." Ted smiled at her.

Laurel smiled back. "Yeah, well…For one thing, Cyrus Vanch got out."

"Crap." Ted muttered, and Laurel identified with him. Vanch was a well-known name in the Glades and Starling City's criminal element in general. While quite not on the level of the Bertinellis (at least before Frank Bertinelli got busted thanks to the Hood) and the Triad, he was a power-player whose crimes were just as bad if not worse. When Laurel helped put him away, the entire neighborhood breathed a little easier.

"I know, right? Worse part is, the DA won't do anything about it, and won't take any calls demanding her to do something about it." Laurel snorted. "And to think she's considered less corrupt than the last one."

"He'll be back in Iron Heights soon enough, Laurel. Guy like him doesn't know how to stop."

Laurel sighed. "That's what I'm worried about." she admitted, and Ted couldn't help but agree. "But he's not the only man that's stressing me out."

Ted hummed. "Boy problems?" he guessed.

The lawyer chuckled. "I doubt you want to listen to my boy problems."

The boxer shrugged. "You'd be surprised how many guys come in here to vent about their issues with the fairer sex. It'd be nice to hear thing from the other side of the equation."

"If you insist," she teased, and then became morose once more. "I told you a couple of weeks ago about my friend that came back, right?"

"The one on the news? Oliver Queen?" she nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Is he causing you issues?"

"Not intentionally." Laurel admitted. "Ollie and I grew up together, alongside Tommy Merlyn and my little sister, Sara. The three of us were in the same year at Balliol Prep. It was odd, being so close to two people whose parents made more money in a month than mine did on a yearly basis, but for whatever reason, that never was a real issue between us. They never treated Sara and I any different from anyone else in the class. We eventually became best friends, and the three of us were thicker than thieves. I was always the one to bust Ollie and Tommy out of the trouble they always seemed to get into – when I wasn't joining in on the fun." she added on, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. Ted gestured her to continue.

Laurel inhaled deeply, and spoke further. "Life was good. But as we got older, I started developing feelings for Ollie. At the time, he had just noticed girls and wasn't looking for a serious relationship. I didn't want to ruin our close friendship, so I didn't tell him. But they got stronger, so I resolved myself to tell him after he got back from his trip on that stupid boat."

"And then the boat sunk." Ted concluded for her.

"And then the boat sunk." Laurel confirmed. "For ten years, we all thought he was dead. I took it badly, I won't lie – for years, I wondered if I told him my feelings, he would've never gotten on that ship. I know better now, but..." she exhaled. "Tommy, of course, took it the hardest, next to Oliver's own family. He drifted away from me for a while, fell in with bad crowd for a couple years, until his dad finally decided enough was enough and cut him off to force him to take control of his life. After a few months, he did, and we reconnected. He was my closest male friend for years. Until…well, until Ollie came back."

"I'm guessing this is the part where things get complicated."

"You'd be right. I tried moving on from Ollie after his death, but all my relationships never stuck. And then he came back, and we started spending time together – as friends, and…I realized I still had feelings for him. I couldn't tell him, because after ten years on an island, romance is the last thing on his mind these days. He simply isn't ready for a relationship right now. And Tommy…"

Ted looked at her sympathetically. "Tommy has feelings for you."

The attorney nodded. "He tried asking me out a little while ago. I told him no, that I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"So: you have feelings for this one guy, who's not looking for any relationship right now, while his best friend, who also happens to be your best friend as well, has feelings for you, and you don't want to date him because you don't think you can commit to a relationship with him." Ted summed up.

Laurel groaned. When he put it like that, it sounded like one of those soapy Lifetime movies. "Pretty much. I care for Tommy a great deal, but I honestly can't see him as anything more than a brother these days. And with Ollie back in the picture, it just wouldn't be fair to him to try for a relationship when I'm pining for our other best friend."

Ted gave a low whistle. "Wow. That's a lot more complicated than the 'My girl is pissed at me and I don't know why!' I usually hear around here." He gave Laurel a small pat on the back. "My suggestion? Give it time. Your friend just came back from the dead, Laurel. Of course, you would be emotional over that. If those feelings are still around in six months or so, then I say give it chance."

Laurel nodded. That seemed reasonable. In six months she would know whether her feelings were genuine or just sprung from her joy at having one of her closest friends back. And if they were real, then six months should be enough time for Oliver to acclimate enough to try for a relationship.

"Yeah. You're right, Ted. A little time is all I need." Laurel smiled. "I doubt Ollie will be leaving Starling City anytime soon. At least not permanently."

Iris moaned. Eddie laughed.

They were at a nice Italian restaurant in the heart of Central City. With Barry coming back and the incidents with the Streak and Tony Woodward, they hadn't had a date in a while. So, Eddie had surprised his girlfriend with a bouquet of flowers and a trip to the best lasagna in town.

"God, this is so good." she waxed on, taking another bite of tomato and cheesy goodness.

Eddie chuckled once more. "I'm glad you like it. Dibny is the one who gave me the recommendation."

Iris blinked, momentarily forgetting the food. "Dibny?"

The detective shrugged. "He was surprisingly well-versed in food culture, at least for Central. I for one think it's because of the number of failed dates he's been on."

"Sounds like Dibny. Can't go a week without some woman slapping him right across the face and leaving the precinct in a huff." Iris commented, attention back on the food.

"Indeed." Eddie agreed, amused. The amusement soon disappeared from his face and he looked Iris at once more. "Hey, where were you last Friday? You didn't pick up your phone when I called you."

The cop stopped inhaling her food, and looked up briefly. "Barry and I needed to talk. There were some things said during that thing with Tony…that we needed to clear the air about."

"Oh." Eddie set down his fork, and tried to keep his emotions in check. They're just friends. He reminded himself. "You guys alright?"

Iris patted his arm. "Better than ever. Afterwards we went bowling, like we used to when we were kids."

Eddie's heart beat erratically. They're friends. Nothing more. "That's…great. I imagine you guys had a lot of fun."

"Lots." Iris emphasized, oblivious to the tension in her boyfriend's form. "What about you? How's the case going?"

Eddie internally made a sigh of relief, glad for the change in subject. "Well, we're reanalyzing all the reports made about the Streak."

Iris quirked an eyebrow. "The Streak?"

"At this point, with the Girl in Blue and Tony Woodward and Clyde Mardon – there are things this world can't explain, Iris. And the Streak, he's at the center of it, I just know it." Eddie excitedly extrapolated to her. Iris nodded along, though there was this uncomfortable feeling settling in her gut. Surely, getting the Streak off the streets would be a boon to the CCPD. No matter how well-intentioned the vigilante was, it didn't change the fact he was killing people and keeping morale down. On the other hand, the people he killed were people with powers like him, people that the CCPD were ill-equipped to deal with – people that had no issue taking advantage of that shortcoming.

Iris was a cop, and she knew that the law dictated she helped bring this guy down, but she wasn't blind to the greying morality of the situation. She knew better than to voice her concerns to Eddie, though, seeing how animatedly he was acting at the thought of catching the vigilante.

"Just wait, Iris. We'll catch this guy eventually, no matter how fast he is." Eddie had a glint in his eye. "Speed isn't everything, after all."

"Hello, Kal-El. I know I'm not really here, but…I'm happy to see you, regardless." the hologram of Jor-El greeted his son with as much emotion as he could.

Kal-El had been raised to control his emotions, to never show weakness. But even that training failed in the face of his biological father. Kara had told him stories about his blood parents, about their many achievements, of their love for him; the only child on Krypton to have been born naturally, rather than through genetic engineering. While his memories of them were even sparser than of those he had of Shado and Slade, that didn't stop him from holding them just as close to his heart.

Tears glistened on the corner of his eyes as he stepped closer to Jor-El. "I'm happy to see you too." He sniffed slightly, and wiped the liquid away. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"Kelex is limited by the internal safeguards regarding what information he can give you from Krypton's database. I, however, have full access to the database, as a construct of a member of Krypton's Science Council." Jor-El answered.

Oliver crossed his arms. "So, you're here to bypass the safeguards for any confidential information we might need." he surmised.

"Yes."

Barry, catching on to Oliver's train of thought, looked critically at the hologram. "Why? Shouldn't Kara and Kal-El be the only alien presence on Earth?"

When Jor-El hesitated to answer, Kara looked at him sharply. "Uncle?" she prodded. Kal-El

If Jor-El could sigh, he would have. "There has been evidence of prior alien contact with this planet. And, even if there weren't, the presence of Kryptonian technology would inevitably spread throughout the universe. I am sorry, my dear niece, my beloved son. I wished that you two would be able to live peaceful lives, be able to pass on what is left of our planet's culture to the people of Earth, but I knew, logically, that wouldn't be the case."

Kara stepped back, as if a blow had hit her. Kal-El clenched his fists. Barry and Oliver exchanged looks.

"Then we must be ready." The archer declared. "We need to connect the Fortress to the Foundry immediately. Barry, how soon can you vet your new coworkers?" he asked his surrogate brother.

Barry shook his head. "Not soon enough." At everyone's questioning looks, he held up his hands. "I doubt Caitlin and Cisco will be an issue. Dr. Harrison Wells, however…" Barry's eyes narrowed. "There's something off about him. Something I don't like. And since he owns S.T.A.R. Labs, that's not a good thing."

"Fine." Oliver relented. "We'll put off S.T.A.R. Labs for now. The League will also have to be informed – they can put out feelers for any possible troublemakers that have already found their way here."

Kara blew away a strand of hair. "We're never going to have normal lives, are we?"

"Any chance any of us had at a normal life died when we landed on that island." Barry groused.

Everyone else couldn't help but agree.

Ted set down another box and stretched his arms. He had just closed his gym for the night and kicked out any stragglers.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar dark material sticking out from another box. Hesitantly, he grabbed it.

His old mask.

Ted stared at it for a moment, allowing the memories to wash over him, before burying it back into the excess of cardboard.

There was no point in living in the past.

"Here." Maseo Yamashiro handed the paper file, watching as his companion perused over it greedily. "I'm sorry it's not much – even with my clearance, information about them is scarce. They practically fell off the map after Lian Yu."

The man waved him off. "Don't worry about, Maseo. This…this is more than enough. Knowing that they're alive is more than I could've hoped for."

I think you all know who the escapee is, but I'll keep you in the dark a little longer.

I'm still planning out the ending of this arc, though I've already got a fair few of chapters plan. I figured I might as well start writing those and let it sit for a while. It will come to me eventually. The issue isn't so much the actual ending itself so much outlining it in a way that will allow it to build to Arcs IV and V.