Chapter 46: Terrible, Terrible Idea

"This is a terrible, terrible idea." Barry loudly announced. Iris, Ralph, and Captain Singh, all crowded together with him in Singh's tiny little office, had different reactions to that, but remained silent as Barry continued to speak. "For one thing, I have no official affiliation with the police. I'm not even a consultant."

"I agree with Barry." Iris quickly stated, (futilely) hoping this would be enough to sway the argument in their favor.

It wasn't.

"You're perfect for the job, Barry – I can call you Barry, right?" Not waiting for answer, Ralph plowed on through. "You've been gone for ten years and have no public profile or online presence. You're basically a ghost, and ghosts are easy to mold for undercover work."

"What if someone recognizes me?"

"Dye and contacts."

"Residence? I'm living with Joe right now."

"We can get you place, easy. It'll only be for the duration of the assignment, of course, but you'll make it work, I'm sure."

"What if it goes south?" That was the most important question, and even that, Barry knew the answer to.

"Witness protection." Ralph smoothly replied, and Barry shook his head, frowning.

"My life is here, Detective Dibny. I will not risk that." He stated firmly.

Ralph sighed in false exasperation. "Barry, this is a chance to take down the premier weapons dealer of Central City's underground. There's no way we're going to find anyone else suitable with the small timeframe right now. You don't want Iris' first big case to fall apart because of something like this, right?"

Barry blinked. Normally, this is when he would've have laughed at Ralph's amateur attempts to manipulate him. The man had no subtlety whatsoever. However, he was diligently thinking. Crime in Central City – and most of Starling and Detroit as well – was slowing down thanks to the establishment of the Justice League. He hadn't had to imprison a meta in the newly opened metahuman wing in Iron Heights for several weeks. Nowadays, he filled his time with working on his projects and training Cisco, and the entertainment factor the latter provided was wearing itself real thin these days. And worse yet, there was no obvious hope of any of that changing until he went to college in September.

Simply put, Barry was bored.

And a bored Barry is never a good thing.

Putting on a mask of tiredness, Barry exhaled. "Only if the assignment starts after Kal's birthday."

Ralph gave a triumphant grin. Iris adopted a look of defeat and buried her face in her hands in aggravation. Singh said nothing, having remained a spectator in the proceedings, and instead started pulling out the appropriate forms.

"His name is Leonard Snart. The best thief on the west coast. He spends weeks, or even months, casing a gig, and then after he's done, falls off the radar for months until the next one turns up. And word on the street is that for this job, he's looking for a hacker. I understand you have familiarity with that."

Barry gave a small smile. "Some."

"You're going to infiltrate Snart's crew, offering your skills to him, and stay with them until they begin touching base with Amunet Black, our target. Black and Snart are two of the major crime heads in Central City's underground, and they've been closely associated with each other over the years. She's known to fence some of his wares, usually on the lower end, but some high-end stuff as well."

"You'll stick with them until then, then, after wringing as much information as you can from them, you'll inform us of their location. We'll go in, arrest everyone – even you, and when we're done, we'll send you off in a different car, claiming you're wanted for some major federal crimes. After that, we wash out the dye, take out the contacts, and you can resume your life as you see fit." Ralph finished his explanation with a thumbs-up. Both Barry and Iris were distinctly unamused: Barry was still skeptical of the operation (it was a simple plan, but Barry knew it was going to go to shit because life always worked out that way for him) and Iris was just fed up with Ralph.

"Anything else I need to know?"

Ralph and Iris exchanged looks, and Iris took a deep breath. "Just one thing. There are rumors that Amunet might be a metahuman, which would explain how she rose to the top of the underground so suddenly."

Barry raised an eyebrow in interest at that but betrayed nothing else. "Alright then. I still think this is a terrible idea, but when has that ever stopped anyone before? How am I going to get Snart's attention?"

"…and that's it for today. So?" Tommy drummed his fingers unto his desk.

He was in his office at Merlyn Global. His father's office, located at the top of the building, had been cordoned off for investigation, and even after the police had determined they had gathered all the evidence they could from it, he hadn't the heart or will to go anywhere near it for the time being. Instead, he had sent one of the few trusted employees that hadn't fled from the company after the Undertaking to gather any necessary documents and files (both hard copy and digital) from there and give it to him, and then had sectioned off the entire floor to everyone but him. The memories would be too much for him now and Tommy was too concerned with the company to bother with whatever his father might've left behind for him.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. Stocks have dropped significantly, but your public return has seemed to pull them back up. And the statement you made to the press was a good first step to repairing the company's public image – at the very least, Merlyn Global won't be another S.T.A.R. Labs." Isabel gave a reassuring smile to Tommy, and it wasn't entirely an act; Tommy had done well. It seemed he had his father's penchant for business, and that made things easy for her, for many reasons.

Tommy blushed at the praise. "Thank you. Anything else?"

Isabel was about to reply negatively, until something caught her eye. "What's this?" She pointed to an invitation. Contrary to the elegant script and finely-crafted card stock that was used for most upper-class functions that someone of Tommy's station was usually invited to, this invite used blocky print and bright coloring. It was almost juvenile.

"Oh. That's an invite to the birthday party of the little brother of a friend of mine."

"Are you going?"

Tommy shook his head with a laugh. "Oh, no. I was just planning on sending a gift. Kal's a good kid, but he's just that – a kid. I doubt he and I have similar tastes in fun."

Isabel tilted her head. "Kal?"

"Clark Kent, the younger brother of Kara Danvers – though I doubt you've heard of her, being new in town and all. His middle name is Calvin, hence the nickname."

Isabel nodded. In fact, she did know of Kara Danvers, even before the other day at The Palm where she had snubbed the younger woman so blatantly. She had taken great pains to learn of those who were closely related to the Queen family, and the mysterious Miss Danvers was near the top of the list, just below the Merlyns and the Lances in fact. She had immediately caught the eye of Starling's high society, partially due to the abrupt and unexpected admittance of her younger cousin to Balliol Prep, and partially due to her close association with Samantha Arias, Laurel Lance and, more pointedly, the Queens. It was the latter that had many turning heads; Kara was a virtual unknown, and her association with them had caused the greatest rise in societal status since the Lances.

While the Lances were technically a middle-class family and, logically, should not be considered among the Elite, they unofficially were, if only tangentially. Laurel and Sara Lance were acquaintances and even friends of many of the younger generation, their mother had been a teacher of a few who had elected to attend Balliol's college in place of the more well-known institutions, be they Ivy League schools to Starling City University. Even Quentin Lance was a well-known face among the upper-crust; his wife and daughters' connections meant he was often assigned to any high-profile cases that impacted one of the richer families.

However, what really cemented the Lances anomalous place as one of the premier families of Starling City were their close friendships with the Queen and Merlyn families, the two most powerful families in Starling prior to Malcolm Merlyn's fall from grace. Their alliance thanks to the close friendship between Robert and Malcolm had not only cemented their places at the very top of Starling's high society but also prevented any divide within that social strata. Oliver and Tommy grew up together, best friends and brothers in everything but blood, and they had immediately hit it off with Laurel when the three started Balliol Prep together and were occasionally joined by Sara when she started school. They were so close, in fact, that the Lances were said to be among the first to be introduced to Thea Queen when she was born, alongside Tommy Merlyn himself. That, more than anything else, proved their status, and it was then they were counted among their number, no longer snubbed or looked down on.

Kara Danvers, however unintentionally, was repeating the same feat. Samantha Arias had a rough start in Starling due to being low-born and a single parent, but in the years since her arrival, she had proven herself to be a brilliant businesswoman and a desirable ally. Laurel Lance, again, was well-known and a well-beloved citizen of Starling, with connections from every part of society. And, of course, the Queens. Kara was officially Oliver Queen's business partner for his ongoing pet project in the Glades. The two were seen together frequently, so much so that some had speculated the possibility of a romantic liaison – a thought that was immediately shut down after both expressed blatant and vehement disgust at the thought. She had also been seen in the presence of Thea Queen, particularly when picking up her cousin from school, and Robert and Moira Queen, who spoke of her as if she were another member of the family.

The rise of a new star was striking enough, but what was most interesting about the girl was that she and her cousin literally came out of nowhere. The Lances, at least, had the excuse of their children being lucky enough to get into Balliol thanks to their mother's place of employment. Kara however, had no point of origin to explain why she had become so close with Starling's most prominent family in such a brief time. Isabel, of course, had figured out the truth. A private investigator and a little digging revealed that Kara and Clark had gone missing, presumed dead, ten years ago in a shipwreck with Kara's parents. Clark's parents had died in a fire not long after his birth. It was obvious what happened – they had washed ashore on the same island as Oliver Queen, stayed there with him, and were rescued alongside him. With no family left to go to, they had settled in Starling and took advantage of their friend's connections to build a future for themselves.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Isabel. Kara had managed to accomplish in a year what Isabel had been striving for her whole life, all thanks to being (un)lucky enough to wash up on the same abandoned island as a pampered rich boy. She wasn't even fishing for a husband, and already, Carter Bowen, the most eligible bachelor on the west coast after Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn, was pursuing her. Isabel knew if she showed even the slightest interest in any young man in Starling, the witch called Moira would have her cast out before she could even finish speaking her name. Just another notch against her ill-fated affair with Robert Queen.

So yes, Isabel knew of Kara Danvers, which is why she threw such a withering glance when they finally met at The Palm. The presence of Samantha Arias and the obvious closeness of the two did not help matters – God knows the history between her and dear Sammy was anything but pretty.

However, looking at the invitation, Isabel wondered if she had been too hasty. In order for her to succeed in her goals, particularly her revenge, she needed Tommy's trust, and there was no better way to gain the trust of a man than gaining the trust of his friends, and it was clear that Tommy Merlyn and Kara Danvers were, indeed, friends. She picked up the invitation and looked at the details, noting triumphantly that it was taking place at the Queen Mansion.

"Tommy, I think you should go."

Tommy arched an eyebrow. "Isabel –"

Isabel held up a hand. "Hear my out. From what I understand, a lot of Kal's classmates are attending, right?"

"Right."

"And Kal attends Balliol Prep, right?"

"Correct."

"And since this takes place at the Queen Mansion…"

Tommy's eyes widened. "A lot of their parents will be there."

Isabel nodded. "Their rich, well-connected parents. Tommy, this is an excellent opportunity. By showing up, not only can you make new connections and strengthen old ones, you can also show others that you are doing well, and that you don't condone your father's actions. Once they see that, Merlyn Global will probably see some old investors returning. Not now, obviously, but perhaps when your father's trial is over…"

Tommy looked conflicted. Clearly, the pros outweighed the cons, and he had been invited, so no one could protest his presence even if they wanted to.

He just wasn't sure if he was really ready to face the world yet. The Queens and Lances were one thing, Merlyn Global another, but this…

"If you want, I could go with you?"

He sighed in relief. "Sure. Thanks, Isabel."

"It's not an issue, Tommy. We're partners now, remember?"

Internally, Isabel smiled vindictively.

Knock.

A tall, well-muscled African American man opened the door. "Ah, Kara. Come in."

Kara did just that, looking around the sparsely decorated apartment. Thanks to Amanda's…connections, they had been able to move J'onn into the apartment right next to hers and Kal's, already fully-furnished with all the necessities. The only thing the place was lacking was decorations to give it a personal touch. As for J'onn himself, they had shown him the picture of a deceased government agent to take on for daily appearances, and assigned him a false identity, complete with driver's license and passport – John Jones.

Since then, J'onn had been assigned to her and Oliver's care as they taught him how to blend in. Surprisingly, J'onn had adapted quite easily, admitting to them in private that he had used his telepathy during his incarceration to learn about human lifestyles, and this wasn't much different. After determining him to be competent and inconspicuous, the Martian had taken to exploring Starling, eating different foods, collecting knick-knacks and testing the limits of the limitless government-issued credit card that had been handed to him after his release from A.R.G.U.S.

A good life, Kara thought, thoroughly amused.

"Indeed, it is." J'onn commented, offering her a box of cookies. Kara took it gratefully, opening it with glee and watching J'onn do the same with his own box of cookies. Each grabbed one of the cookies inside their box and bit them in tandem, moaning in almost orgasmic pleasure.

"Thank Rao for alien metabolism."

Agreed. So, you're here to invite me to Kal-El's birthday party?

Kara nodded, taking out another cookie to eat. Yes. And please, call him Kal. That's what the public knows him as and I don't want to advertise his Kryptonian name to the masses.

J'onn gave her knowing look. You all are very paranoid.

She shrugged. Experience.

Understandable.

Black Canary woke up.

"Don't worry. Your mask is still on." A familiarly low, gravely voice spoke to her. She looked to her left. And there he was. Green Arrow.

Her side is aching, she has blooding caking the bottom of her nose. Arrow is soothing another bruise on her exposed arm. She's staring into space.

Taylor Moore is an orphan.

"You know, when I was younger – a kid, really – I had two people who I loved very much. They were like parents to me. And…I lost them."

"I'm sorry."

His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and he tilted his head. "Don't be. You didn't kill them. But I…sometimes I wondered if I did. If I had been faster or stronger or smarter, maybe they wouldn't have been taken from me."

"I'm sure you did everything you could." And she did. Regardless of his methods, Green Arrow was nothing if not dedicated, and she admired him for that.

"And I'm sure you did too." At her startled look, he elaborated. "You didn't kill that kid's parents. You tried to save them, and there's no one to blame for their deaths except the man that shot them. The thing you need to learn about this job, this life, Canary, is that you can't save everyone. You can try, and there's nothing entirely wrong with that, but the reality is, we're human. We aren't as strong as we want to be, as we should be, and we make mistakes. And all we can really do is learn from them and do better next time."

"There won't been a next time for the Moores." And if a bit of bitterness seeped into her tone, he ignored it. He knew it wasn't directed at him, anyway.

Instead, he shook his head. "There won't be. And that's something we're all going to live with. And there will be more like them, in the future – I know it. If you want out, Canary, I won't blame you." And then his eyes crinkled knowingly. "But something tells me you don't."

She looked at him, and knew he was right. If anything, this – all of this – left her more determined than ever. She resolved to do more training, and perhaps it was to branch away from Ted, to look for other styles besides boxing. Black Canary didn't know what the future held, how this would all end for her – but she did know that she couldn't let this go. This city needed help, Supergirl and Green Arrow both need help, and she was here and willing and raring to go.

"Thanks, Arrow."

"Anytime, pretty bird."

Okay, this is a long chapter.

There's a discrepancy between what Kara and Sam think high society sees Kara as and how they actually do, as seen with Isabel. The discrepancy is deliberate; Kara doesn't have an accurate picture of how people see her due to not being particularly sociable (at least by high society standards). Besides a few business lunches/dinners with Oliver and some investors, and the Humanitarian Awards Ceremony that she only went to because it was the Merlyns before she learned Malcolm was evil, Kara doesn't really go to a lot of high society functions. As for Sam, she's an upstart like Kara, and her early treatment before establishing her reputation has colored her perception of these kinds of things.

Next chapter: Kal-El's birthday! Expect lots of fluff.

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