A/N: I apologize for the delayed update. Other things have been taking priority, but I will try my best to continue a consistent updating schedule.

"I hope I got this right," Slade said as he set a cup of coffee on the table before taking a seat across from his partner.

Shado picked up the cup and took a small sip. While she still held it to her lips, her eyes moved up towards Slade, and he could see the smile in her eyes. "It's perfect. How's yours?"

"Average, but I don't understand what about this coffee draws in this many people," Slade answered as he looked around the bustling coffee shop from the table near the window where he and Shado sat. The streets were busy for a Thursday morning. Cars sped past the small shop, people on the sidewalk walked by without a glance, and life continued as normal. Several people sat at tables inside and even more people stood in line to get their regulars.

"It's clearly become a routine for several of these people," Shado noted while staring at the line.

"The coffee's overpriced anyway."

"If it's overpriced, then we're just here to blend in with city life, correct?"

"If that's how you'd like to view it, then yes."

"Let me add to this allusion then," Shado began, "I think we should both get a job."

"We're not exactly short on money."

"I know, but…." Shado lowered her voice. "If we want to maintain a cover, then maybe getting a job will create an alibi if we were to get into a situation."

"And what type of jobs were you thinking?"

"Small things. Waiters, secretaries, maybe I could pick up my career in the medical field, and you could work in personal security?"

Slade grinned uncomfortably. "Absolutely not."

"You'd be good at it."

"That job requires patience."

"You could manage."

"I've had a glimpse into a job like that and it's not something I'd like to return to."

"Right, the Lagunov job," Shado smiled, "I forgot about that rich bastard."

"That rich bastard did go a long way in getting that gang leader off the streets."

"I guess so, but I still think that a job in that area would still be good for you. Or, if anything, it would keep your head on a swivel."

"Maybe…"

Shado took another sip, her eyes staying on Slade for a moment until they moved up towards a TV. He knew it was more than a simple glance, because her eyes were glued to it for a few seconds before Slade turned around in his seat to see what had stolen her attention.

A headline reading "Somers Case Proceeds" was plastered on the TV. Video footage of Somers walking out of the courthouse was playing while the anchor continued to speak.

"After being accused of accepting bribes from the Chinese triad to smuggle drugs into Starling City earlier in the year, Martin Somers, CEO of Starling Port, was charged with ordering the murder of Victor Nocenti. Nocenti's daughter, Emily Nocenti, continues to push for Somers to face criminal charges. Her attorney, Laurel Lance from CNRI, has made large strides in uncovering what really happened between Nocenti and Somers."

A video of Martin Somers speaking to the press came up. Several interview recorders were held towards him and even from behind, people crowded around him. "I'm not sure what I've done to receive this kind of attention from Ms. Lance and Ms. Nocenti, but these charges are preposterous, and I will do everything in my power to fight them. I run an honest business, and I know my port helps several smaller businesses stay open. I wouldn't want to jeopardize those businessmen's life work because of a little profit."

"Interesting set of charges," Slade remarked, "It will be entertaining to see where the trial goes," He looked back towards Shado, expecting her to agree. Instead, she was still staring at the TV, carefully drumming her fingers on the sides of her coffee cup. "Shado?"

"Come with me outside."

She stood up from her seat before Slade could answer, but he followed her out of the small coffee shop and out onto the sidewalk without another word. When he was at her side, she glanced towards him and began walking.

"Martin Somers," Shado began, "I remember seeing his name on the list."

"Then you believe he's our next target?"

"Opportunity may be presenting itself in our favor. Who would we be to ignore it?"

"You were right, about Somers being on the list."

Shado looked up from where she was reading over articles on a tablet. Slade shut the small book as he took a seat at the office chair in front of the computers. He immediately began his research, already pulling up several articles. Some were on Somers, others on the Chinese Triad, and a few on the Starling Port specifically. News from Starling City's Central News Network played on a screen, but neither Slade nor Shado paid it any attention.

"If it weren't for these charges, Somers would appear to be a perfect businessman," Shado remarked while reading over Slade's shoulder.

"But accepting bribes, assisting with the spread of drugs, and murder. They're all large crimes, and I doubt they're his first."

"So, you're suggesting a cover-up?"

"Men like Somers, they can put on a mask and wear it for the rest of their lives. It will never fall off, unless someone goes and pries it up themselves," Slade said, "We both know that the authorities won't be the ones to pry it off."

"But we're not going to pry it off either," Slade turned around towards Shado with a raised eyebrow. "He's in the middle of a trial, and if someone on the outside interferes, it makes getting justice even more messy. We'd make it appear that the prosecution is trying to get justice on their own terms, and by then, the court would most likely rule that charges were only filed as some personal vendetta."

"And the growing corruption makes this even more difficult." Slade grumbled.

"So, if we are going to fix this by avoiding our own masks, then how do you suggest we go about taking Somers' off?" Shado asked.

Slade looked towards the computer screen that displayed the news. A picture of Emily Nocenti and Laurel Lance walking out of the courthouse was displayed. "The prosecution attorney would know what's needed to serve Somers the justice he deserves. Perhaps our masks would only be a method of…. speeding up the trial."

"And how exactly would you go about getting information from an attorney?" Shado questioned, "I've read about Laurel. She's a strong attorney, and she's incredibly smart. If someone in a mask were to approach her and offer her help, even after what happened with Tirrell, I doubt she'd utilize the presented opportunity."

"We shouldn't present ourselves as a threat, in that case," Slade muttered, "But two people seeking legal aid wouldn't be suspicious."

"And what legal aid would we need, exactly?"

"We've just returned from five years on a deserted island. We're not American citizens, but you don't need a lawyer for that…."

"But the media did publish our stories without consent," Shado suggested, "I don't know about you, but I feel rather violated, traumatized even, and in need of some compensation."

"Laurel, just hold on a moment!" Joanna called as she hurried after the attorney, "You're not going to get anywhere with that lead, if that's what you can even call it," She stopped behind Laurel, who was sifting through a pile of manila folders, each stuffed with papers. "You're wasting your time."

"You asked me to look into your case, and as I see it, this is one of the most promising leads you've found," Laurel remarked.

"I've already looked into it. Seriously, it's a waste of time."

"This is a bank account number related to Gerald Fisher, the man who's supposedly been stealing from your client, Martha Bennett."

"That account number belongs to his brother, Paul. None of his deposits line up with anything his brother's been accused of."

Laurel turned towards Joanna with a raised eyebrow. "And how would you know?"

"I have a friend at the bank…. he owed me a favor."

"MmHmm."

"You don't hum like that when you agree."

"People can cover something up. I just think that you should just look into this a little further before pushing it aside completely."

"Right then, I'll look into it again, for the fourth time."

"Fourth time's the charm," Laurel quipped, but Joanna only rolled her eyes with a faint smile as she walked back to her desk.

Laurel turned back to the stack of folders. How her coworkers could find papers in the mess baffled her, but she didn't want to take the time to think about it any longer. Her own cases were taking up all her time, and they were always the priority.

"Hey, Laurel?"

Laurel turned around to face one of her coworkers, Julia, the secretary, but at her side was a man that was much taller than her. He looked to be around his late thirties, with tan skin and dark hair.

"He came in and asked to speak with you. Said it's about a case, and that it's rather urgent."

Laurel nodded with a small smile, and Julia returned it before walking to her desk.

"Sorry, this isn't typically how I meet with potential clients," Laurel apologized.

"It's not a problem at all."

"Your name is?"

"Apologies," The man said as he extended his hand, "Slade Wilson."

Laurel took his hand and shook it. "I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"Most likely. My friend and I have been on the news recently."

"The castaways."

"That would be it, and my reason for being here," Slade said, "Me and my friend's story has been plastered across the news and, even since the time we were rescued, we were under the impression that our story would remain private. We didn't ask for all this attention, and never gave consent to the story being released."

"I'm terribly sorry. I can't imagine that any of this is easy."

"No…it's not. To say the least, it's ripped open some old wounds and….it hasn't made the transition the easiest. I read about you online, and your experience with these kinds of cases. You seemed perfect for our…. dilemma, and we were looking to hire you."

"I see then," Laurel made a motion for Slade to follow her as she began walking back to her desk, "Well, Mr. Wilson, I'm honored that you think I'm the one for the case."

"That sounds like you're declining to take it."

"I'm so sorry. I just, I have a very large case on my plate right now, and I don't know if I could get you the result you're looking for when I have other things to worry about."

"Don't worry, I understand," Slade smiled sympathetically, "I've just…had some bad experience with attorneys in the past. It's hard to know who you can trust. Most attorneys do it for the money, and usually steal from their clients, but you seem like you really care about the wellbeing of your clients. I just want to find someone who has that quality to represent me and my friend….it hasn't been easy, and we'd like this to be as easy as possible. I'll just keep looking but thank you for your time."

Time seemed to slow as Slade turned to walk away, but the voice in her head began to tell her, to yell at her, to stop him. She knew he looked familiar, and after hearing his name, Thea entered her mind again. The way she pleaded and pressed the slim potential replayed in Laurel's mind as she spoke with Slade, but then she remembered the part of Thea's findings that affected her the most: Sara.

As much as she didn't want to admit it to the young Queen, she'd been right. She wanted closure, as she kept telling herself, but really, she wanted answers about what happened. The slim possibility that there was a connection was more than she needed to decide. After all, Thea reopened old wounds, and there was now an opportunity to close them once and for all.

"Mr. Wilson, wait," Laurel called. The Australian stopped and turned back to Laurel, "I don't want you to go through even more trouble, especially with your current situation. I'd be happy to take your case."

"I thought you had a major case to focus on," Slade recalled.

"I do, but you and your case are just as important as any other."

"Thank you."

"Now I hate to seem dismissive, but as you can see, right now isn't an ideal time to discuss more. Why don't you and your friend come to my place for dinner? We can talk more there, without all of this chaos around."

"You're too kind."

"I only want what's best for my clients," Laurel smiled as she reached into her desk.

Slade watched her for a moment, but his attention drifted towards a bulletin board. News articles, printed papers, photos, and small notes were all pinned neatly. The one thing that kept his focus on the board was a photo of Martin Somers.

"What's this bulletin board for?" Slade asked, "For a case?"

"Yes, that's actually my other case," Laurel answered, "Basically, this man, Martin Somers, has aided the Chinese Triad in bringing drugs into Starling, and when someone found out, he had them killed. He's one of those rich CEOs, so this has been all over the news and it's not helping."

"I'm sorry. It appears we have similar problems."

"Guess so," Laurel stood back up straight and handed Slade a small card. "That's the address to my apartment. How about tonight at eight?"

"Sounds perfect. Thank you again, Ms. Lance."

"Of course. Happy to help."

Laurel was the first to walk away, back towards the stack of folders across the small office. Slade stood still for a moment, letting other attorneys pass him without a care in the world. He looked back towards the bulletin board as he reached into his pocket. Another opportunity had presented itself.

The bowstring snapped as it slipped from Shado's fingers, and an arrow shot across the room, stopping in the dead center of a target across the room. Shado lowered the bow, proudly looking at the target, when she heard the metal door open and shut, then the pounding of footsteps coming from the metal staircase. Slade hurried down the stairs and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he looked up to see Shado approaching.

"How was the meeting with Laurel?"

"As expected. We have a lawyer and more information on Somers," Slade replied as he walked towards the computers. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and after a moment, he passed it to Shado. "Ms. Lance kept a bulletin board with her case information on Somers out in the open. We can use some of that information to figure out a course of action."

"Not a wise decision to leave this out in the open."

"And there's a catch," Shado lifted her head and stared directly at Slade. "To better understand the lawsuit, Ms. Lance wants to meet us over dinner at her apartment later tonight."

"Are we really pursuing a lawsuit now?"

"If that's what it takes to maintain a cover until Somers is behind bars," Slade answered, "We have two hours before we need to be at the dinner."

"And we have information here that we haven't had before, including more information on Nocenti's murder."

"So, what are you proposing?"

"A warning, and a demand to confess. Somers needs to know that his charades aren't going to protect him any longer, but we both know how the legal system is falling apart. More and more corrupt people are attaining those positions, and we can't rely on them to get justice. It's time we take matters into our own hands," Shado turned to her side and picked up the list from the corner of the table. She flipped through a few pages before stopping on one and showing Slade the name inside. "Not only would we be crossing another name off the list, but we'd stop another source of corruption that ASPAR is looking to end."

"Then we're wasting time right now. There's a businessman with a confession waiting to make tomorrow's headlines."

Flashback: Lian Yu, 4 Years Ago

The first rays of morning light illuminated the hazy air inside the plane, but the early hour didn't stop Slade, Shado, and Oliver from rushing past one another. Each snatched supplies off and out of boxes, stuffing anything they could need into backpacks. Slade continued to pluck knives and guns from small piles, some of which he put in his own bag, others he threw to Oliver.

Just before their bags were filled, Slade picked up a set of escrima sticks and tossed them to Oliver, who caught them and stared at the Australian.

"What do I need these for?"

"You'd be surprised how those can help in the middle of a fist fight." Slade remarked.

"Why don't you give me a large gun, or something that might actually help?"

"Because you're reckless and you'll do something stupid when given the opportunity."

Slade walked away before Oliver could make another comment, but he already had Shado's attention. She wore her green hood, her quiver on her back, and held her bow at her side.

"Are you sure that he's up to this?" Shado whispered while staring towards Oliver, who had his back turned towards them.

"He doesn't have a choice."

"Does he at least have a gun or a knife?"

"Yes, he's fine, so stop worrying about it."

"I want to get off this island as much as you do, so it would do us all some good if we communicated a bit more and made sure everyone was prepared," Shado pressed, then looked up. "Oliver?"

"What?"

"Are you ready for today? Do you understand the plan?"

"Yes, I got it."

"What are you doing first then?" Slade asked.

"Getting on the boat."

"How?"

"Shado lights the bonfire, and I run along the coast away from Ivo's men. I get caught, and then you both use the small boat from Fyer's camp to get to Ivo's ship."

"See?" Slade grumbled, "He's fine."

"Good," Shado picked up a backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "If you both understand, then we need to get going. We have a long hike ahead of us, and a ship to take."

"Couldn't agree more."

Shado and Slade both grabbed the last few things they needed before walking out of the plane and into the field, but Oliver remained behind. He looked down at his bag and the set of escrima sticks next to them. A grumble escaped his lips as he shoved the sticks into the backpack, but he grabbed the bag and began to follow his fellow castaways. Before he stepped outside, Oliver stopped mid step and glanced to his side. Sitting atop a metal crate was Sara's jacket, leather bracelet, and knife that she kept in her boot. He stared at the small pile for a moment but took the knife and pushed it into his boot. Only after a minute did he take her leather bracelet and push it into his pocket. As small as it was, it was all the motivation he needed.

The silence in the warehouse quickly ended when Somers stormed around the corner already making a fist. The three members of his security team all looked towards him, but he stepped up to one man separated from them and buried his finger in his chest.

"I told you to keep this trial under control," Somers growled, "And I'm paying you a large sum of money to do so."

"I'm only a lawyer, and I can only work the legal system so far before people start looking at our methods," The lawyer replied calmly, "You should do yourself a favor and stop placing yourself in front of the cameras at every available opportunity, because at some point, you're going to say something you'll regret."

"I don't need you to tell me how to win this case. I only hired you to read off a prewritten script. How about you do yourself a favor and fulfill the position I put you in before we have any more issues."

The lawyer straightened himself. "Are you threatening me? Isn't this the reason you got into this mess in the first place?" Somers was silent. "You threaten me again, and you'll have to find another lawyer."

"You may be able to play the legal cards, but we both know that the justice system isn't what it used to be. These days, more effective, more physical, means are necessary," Somers muttered slyly, "And I'm sure you already know that I have several connections in that field."

"I'll look further into your case."

"Good, now get out of my face," Somers pushed past the lawyer and walked towards his desk. A member of his security team was quick to escort him out of the area while the other two stayed in their places. "I want one of you to keep an eye on him," Somers ordered, "The last thing I need is him calling out to the-"

The lights went out before he could finish his sentence.

Somers looked towards his men but didn't have a chance to give an order before an arrow flew out from the darkness and buried itself in the shoulder of one of his guards. He didn't look towards the other before jumping up from his seat and running in the opposite direction. The sounds of his security guard's footsteps followed him, but stopped, immediately replaced with a groan.

Somers kept running, skidding around a corner but never slowing down. A door came into sight, but as he passed an isle of shelves, a dark figure stepped out in front of him and everything went dark.

The black slowly faded into dark colored, blurred figures. Somers mumbled as the scene became sharper, but when he could see, he realized what was going on. His hands were bound behind him from where he was tied against a pole on his dock, but in front of him were two figures who had been in the morning headlines just as much as he had.

"P-Please!" Somers shouted, "Just tell me what you want!"

The taller figure dressed in body armor stepped forward, while an archer in green stayed behind with an arrow nocked and pointed directly at him.

"Martin Somers, you're going to testify in that trial."

"I-I didn't do anything!"

The archer fired an arrow and it grazed Somers' cheek before flying into the water.

"You're going to end the trial with your confession of having Victor Nocenti killed!" The vigilante demanded, "There won't be a second warning! And if you mention this to anyone, you're going to wish you only had a prison sentence to worry about."

The archer fired another arrow, and Somers shut his eyes as it sliced his other cheek. When he opened his eyes, both vigilantes were gone, and he was completely alone with his wrists still bound behind him.