Synopsis: When Helena Bertinelli (Huntress) breaks out of prison, she has a new target in mind. While Oliver searches for a way to apprehend Helena without anyone getting killed, Helena finds an unexpected ally to help her cause.
A/N; I'm afraid this came out a bit OOC here and there for one character in this piece. I tried, though, and will explain my reasoning behind this in the next chapter, so bear with me. I will warn readers now, however, that if you do not like Laurel - you might not like this chapter either. In fact, I wager those hate-colored glasses will contort this. So go ahead and skip this chapter if that's the case.
Here's to hoping you enjoy this chapter!
Edit: This chapter has been edited due to dissatisfactory results.
Edit 2: I decided to add a little nod to Flash (tv-series). I figured Felicity would still want to visit her friend in Central City, (though under different circumstances than it will occur in 1x04). Since the visit would have happened on Flash (not Arrow), the short trip happened off-screen.
3x03: Jailbird
"Hey, Felicity!"
"Dig!" the blonde woman glanced back over her shoulder to see her friend calmly jogging down the steps to the foundry. It took her quite by surprise since it was in the middle of the afternoon and she'd been positive to have their home away from home to herself for another couple of hours. It didn't exactly lessen her confusion to see John present today of all days. "…I thought you and Lyla would have hit the road by now. Anything wrong?"
Clad in casual jeans, a black tee and his usual leather jacket, the man looked the epitome of 'at ease' as he walked towards her seated frame. "Nah, just came to say goodbye before we go."
"… Hormones?"
Diggle exhaled and inclined his head slowly. "Just needed a short breather before I go on a six hour car ride with her. I love the woman to death... but I just needed a little break, you know?"
"I'm glad you did, because I have something for you," Felicity declared and turned towards her purse that lay discarded by her chair. She dug through its contents and whipped out a small tube that she handed over to her friend with a casual shrug. "Well, for Lyla."
"What is it?" Dig eyed the item cautiously.
"A special antacid solution to help with her heartburn. I… did a quick search on it," she smoothed an invisible wrinkle in her short, floral dress and ducked her eyes briefly. She didn't want him to see the truth written in her eyes of hours spent looking for a way to help her friends. John had told her about his ex-wife's problems a few days earlier, but also assured her it wasn't too bad. Still, Felicity's concern for those she loved had spurned her to take action. Remembering the search result, her gaze flew up to him once more as she asked, "Hey, Dig? Have you considered raising the head of your bed by roughly 6 inches?"
John smiled down at his young friend and his dark eyes shone with brotherly affection. "Thank you, Felicity. I'm sure she'll be very grateful."
The blonde let her mask slip, knowing he'd already seen through it, and smiled sheepishly up at him. "How you doing with everything?"
"I got to admit…" the big man started as he leaned back against her steel desk. His eyes clouded over with thought momentarily as he voiced what hid within his heart, "It gets more daunting the closer you get to due date. I thought it'd be easier by now, but…"
"It's a huge change, John…" the woman spoke in a softer voice that still carried strong with conviction. "I'm kind of glad you're nervous. Means you're excited and want to do it right. Trust me; wanting to do right is half a win already."
Diggle sighed and some of his tension seemed to evaporate into thin air as he snorted good-humoredly, "Since when are you so good at mentoring, Felicity?"
The blonde beamed up at the man. "Since I met you."
Diggle gently exhaled. "You never told me how your little trip to Central City went?"
"It was good. It was really nice seeing Barry again. You know, not in a coma. Kind of weird seeing him as The Flash, though. I have to get used to that," Felicity grimaced. "We're just friends. Obviously. What with me dating Richard and Barry being head over heels for his best friend - though she has no idea. Iris is wonderful, though. Barry lights up when he's around her... It's complicated."
Diggle inclined his head. He pondered the options but decided to extend a hand towards her. He wanted to give her a gentle reminder that it was still a two-way street: that her concern for his growing family was evenly matched by his concern for her heart. "What about you and your man?"
Her smile fell momentarily to reveal her own cracks as she admitted, "Dick is genuinely sweet and caring… Very funny. Doesn't babble, but I do that enough for the both of us. But, I don't know, he's so normal."
"How dare he?" John raised his eyebrows in jest.
The blonde grimaced a smile at his feeble joke. "I have to lie to him every day, Dig. I don't know if I want to do that. I think I could like this guy too much to want to lie to him, you know?"
"Felicity…" the man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and the weight and warmth did help fractionally. "He seems good to you and you seem happy. Maybe you shouldn't give up on this guy that easily, okay? There might be a golden mean for you two." He glanced down at his wristwatch and pushed off the table with a huff. "Now, I'd better run… See you in a week!"
The blonde nodded distantly, still processing his advice, as he walked up the stairs. "...Have fun with A.J and Carly! Good luck settling them in on the coast!"
Oliver shuffled in his seat as his fingers fiddled with the handle of the ceramic cup before him.
It had been a couple of weeks since he'd stopped Cupid on his rooftop, a couple of weeks since Laurel fiercely had pushed for her cause. The two of them hadn't properly spoken since then, both getting immersed by work on their separate fronts. He knew the questions still plagued her mind, however, as they still plagued him.
He wanted her safe. In fact, it was what he had always wanted for her. She'd crossed a line in the sand when she'd asked to join his team as the next Canary, and another when she'd asked to resume the relationship they'd once had.
How could he ever say yes to either of her requests? Both meant putting her at great risk. He couldn't let her balance both her life and heart on the thin edge of a blade. His team was already balancing dangerously close to a bottomless precipice and he couldn't add to that precarious situation with another possible victim. Too much was at stake, and he had too little to offer her in return.
Oliver pulled himself back to reality as he saw the door to the coffee house open and the attorney in question stepped inside. She wore a knee-length, navy-blue dress and matching jacket that added layers to her professional gleam. With firm strides, Laurel Lance stepped over to him and smiled tightly down at him. He tried to match the expression with a warmer grin.
"Sorry I'm late," she breathed and sank into the seat opposite him.
Oliver pushed the second coffee cup towards her as he properly took in her appearance. She had dark circles under her eyes and carried herself almost wearily. "You okay?"
She waved off his concern easily, "Just swamped at work. You know about Flynn Bauer, don't you?"
He nodded slowly. "The suspected new mob boss in Starling? The one trying to take over the void after the Bertinelli family?"
Laurel inclined her head sharply and ran a tired hand through her long, curling hair. "I've been trying to stop him since my first week back in the DA's office, but there's not much of a case. Or rather, I have a lot of evidence, but very little I can use."
"He's good with not leaving a trail," Oliver mused with a bitter edge. "Sorry the Arrow hasn't been able to help you."
"I'm not sure it would matter," the woman huffed as she sipped greedily from the coffee offered to her. "He seems to have a couple of judges wrapped around his little finger. I've tried going to court with what I have, but the evidence is always invalidated faster than I can counteract. It's frustrating to no end... And now my new boss is expecting results but my hands are tied."
"Let me know if I can do anything to help," the man said in a low voice. He knew the words rang empty without result, but still he had to offer up whatever he could.
"You're already doing what you can out there," Laurel countered, her own voice low enough to match his tone. "Just keep doing what you do, Ollie. Never stop. I'll find a way to catch Bauer, one way or another."
As silence descended like a dark cloud over their little company, Oliver felt the tension slowly creep into the seams of his clothes along with it. He could tell she was also astutely aware of the standstill they found themselves trapped in and that no other topic aside from work was safe ground at the moment.
"Thank you for coffee, Ollie," the beauty said suddenly and rose from her chair with grace that stood in stark contrast to the false promise and weariness of her tone. "I have to get back to work. I have a long evening ahead of me yet, I'm afraid."
"… Do you…" he cleared his throat as he searched for a way to make what he had to say less harsh and accusing. He tried to add an air of innocence as he asked, "Are you going to an AA-meeting tonight?"
Laurel blinked. Oliver cringed internally at the hurt look that flashed past in her vibrant eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been the most tactful approach, after all.
"I went to a meeting at lunch," she said and frost touched the tip of her voice. She squared her shoulders and exhaled slowly to calm herself. "I know what you're really asking, Ollie… and I'm offended you think I'll break that easily."
"I wasn't implying-"
"Yes, you were," she countered and to this he had no retaliation. It was the truth, and she deserved more than his lies at the moment. "Someone once told me not all fights would be easy. I've never thought I could persuade you to let me join your team over night. But that doesn't mean I'll give up trying. I think this is worth fighting for, Ollie. One day I hope you see it my way."
Without another word, she turned and the man listened as her heels clicked steadily against the floor until she was out the door. He sighed and closed his eyes against the onslaught of thoughts.
A couple of hours later, Oliver made his way into the lair as had been his nightly routine for over two years now.
"Any news, Felicity?" he called out as he heard her fingers play across the keyboard like fingers on an instrument.
He entered the main area and glanced to the left where Roy was busy aiming his red bow at a bull's eye by the training mats. The younger man nodded in greeting but soon returned his focus to the target. The arrow split the air and pierced the target, barely missing the bull's eye. Roy huffed in annoyance.
"There is, actually," Felicity spoke up as Oliver walked over to her workstation. She flashed him a bright smile as she explained, "I think Nightwing is back in town. As you know, I expanded my search for him and found mentions of a man matching his description fighting crime in cities close by. I think he's returned to Starling, however, and dropped a body late last night when you and Roy were patrolling the other edge of town."
"The dead cop?" Roy asked as he stepped away from the practice mats to join their conversation. Interest filled his voice as he looked down at the woman. "I read the papers about that this morning. I'm not sure how killing cops counts as fighting crime, though?"
"Neither did I but I talked to Detective Lance earlier today," Felicity told her partners excitedly. "It seems evidence was found with the body that suggests the dead cop was also a corrupt cop with connections to the mafia. The police are keeping a lid on that until they've investigated it closer."
"Good work, Felicity," Oliver nodded.
"Out of curiosity…" the younger man began cautiously. "If we do find him out there, what are we supposed to do? Buy him a coffee and sit down for a vigilante heart-to-heart or drive him out of the city because of his lethal methods?"
"I have no quarrel with him, Roy," the other man assured stiffly. "I would like a word with him, though, to learn his intentions. I guess we'll have to see what happens next..."
A frantic alarm suddenly started beeping from Felicity's monitors and both men turned as she uttered a low, "Uh-oh!"
The alarm died down, but the blonde's fingers flew across the keyboard with something akin to panicked frenzy. Her voice rose an octave as she said, "The entire computer system at Iron Heights Prison just shut down! Their power's off! What the…? And the back-up generator appears to be fried."
"The prisoners?" Oliver growled as he leaned over the table beside her to watch the information flashing by on the screens.
"I don't know, I can't access anything without power," Felicity muttered low. "It seems to be tampered with and judging by the source of this… The main target was the power to the prison cells. I think we're about to have another jailbreak mayhem on our hands!"
Oliver immediately jumped into action. "Roy and I'll go down there, see if we can keep the prisoners where they belong. Can you get their system up and running from the foundry?"
The woman's wide eyes followed him as he hurried over to retrieve his costume. "I'll try."
"I have faith in you, Felicity," the man managed briefly before he rushed with Roy to the changing rooms.
Felicity watched their retreating forms with an incredulous look, before turning back to her screens. "That makes one of us right now…"
Felicity had been right. When the vigilantes arrived at the prison, it was to hear sirens blaring and frantic orders being issued from every corner of the formerly secure position. The police arrived almost at the same time as the vigilantes to block perimeter escape. Oliver and Roy watched the police cars from their vantage point above before they snuck in through a door on the roof.
They descended further inside the darkened prison and soon came to understand that all technologically controlled areas were opened and prisoners had scrambled to get free from almost every section, tasting the freedom offered to them so suddenly. The vigilantes fought alongside a few surprised guards that remained to contain the orange-clad prisoners attempting to flee.
Roy's fist connected with a prisoner's rounded jaw and the big, tattooed man stumbled backwards a few feet before he fell unconscious to the floor in his cell once more.
"Nice work," Oliver breathed from his right.
Unaccustomed to verbal appraisal from his mentor, the younger man was taken aback for a second, "…Thanks!"
The lamps above suddenly blinked a couple of times before everything came back on line. The whole room bathed in the bright glow from the overhead lights and the prison seemed up and running as usual again. As the guards reclaimed their turf and control, Oliver and Roy slipped back into the shadows and up the way they had entered.
Oliver spoke into his headset, "Good work, Felicity."
"Wasn't me," came her speedy reply. "The power came back exactly seven minutes after everything shut down. And I mean exactly."
"Too exact to be a coincidence?" Roy breathed as he ran after the green-clad man up on the rooftop.
Felicity explained, "This has to be an outside job. Whoever did this didn't leave any 'digital fingerprint'… I can't track them."
Oliver sighed at the supposed dead-end as he and Roy swung themselves off the roof. He found his footing on the ground next to his motorcycle and hurriedly asked, "How many prisoners are still unaccounted for, Felicity?"
"Ehm… Five seem to have gotten past the police line, but the numbers keep changing. We'll know more soon."
"Try and give us directions, will you?" the elder man asked as he started his vehicle and heard Roy do the same beside him. "We'll go after them and hopefully stop them before they get too far."
"Wait, guys!" Felicity breathed and the men exchanged a weary look. "Someone forcefully reclaimed their personal belongings from the jail a few minutes ago."
Queen frowned and felt a bad sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Whose belongings?"
The disbelieving reply came swift like a bullet, "You've got to be kidding me!"
It was well after ten in the evening when Laurel slipped her key into the lock and stepped inside her flat. It had been a long day in the office, and her body ached with fatigue. Her brain felt like a puddle of incoherent mumbling as she discarded her shoes and purse in a pile in the hallway. With a yawn she walked bare-feet further into her home.
She felt some of her tension leave her lean shoulders as she exhaled slowly, but far from everything escaped her frame. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, Bauer slipped through her fingers like a nasty street rat. He knew every short cut and every slippery slope to salvation, it seemed.
Laurel started to go over the case in her mind before she forced herself to stop. She was at home now and needed to let her work go for the night. There was nothing more to do right now anyway and she cleared her head from all her bothers.
She walked over to her fridge and pulled out a bottle of water which she drank from slowly. The rhythmic gulps of water helped empty her brain, one sip at a time.
"Hello, Laurel…"
The woman yelped and the bottle slipped from her grasp as she shut the refrigerator door in a flash. She turned in the direction of the unexpected voice and held her breath as she saw the figure that appeared from the lurking shadows of her living room.
Clad in her usual black and purple costume, with her long, brown hair flowing freely around her slim shoulders, Helena Bertinelli stepped into the light. A faint smile twisted her beautiful features into that of a monster.
"… Helena," Laurel breathed as she found her voice and managed to suppress the panic that threatened to escape. "What are you doing here?"
The brunette cocked her head to the side and playfully cooed, "I need your help."
Malcolm Merlyn stood vigilance in the living room of his luxurious penthouse - rented under a different name to offer some much needed anonymity - as he looked out at the night-sky and city silhouette outside the panorama windows. His mind was close to void as he simply waited on the edge.
Before long, he felt his phone vibrate where it rested in the palm of his hand and he looked down at it. With a slight grin he answered and pressed the cell to his ear.
"Mr Constantin…" he drawled. "You'd better have good news for me."
As expected, his associate didn't waste any time as he threw himself into a response, "We got him out of Iron Heights safely. In all the commotion, it doesn't seem he's been noticed as missing yet. My people will make sure things stay that way."
Malcolm exhaled in amusement. So simple, yet so efficient. Just the kind of associate he preferred to work alongside with. "Excellent work, Mr Constantin. You know what to do. Bring him to me when you are done. There's much to discuss, after all…"
He hung up the phone and let the good news fill him to the brim. The plan was set in motion, at last. Malcolm couldn't stop his grin from expanding on his features as he once more looked out over Starling City.
A voice whined from somewhere behind him then, "Was that the good news you've been waiting for? Mr. Constantin, is it? Can we finally step out of hiding?"
"Not yet, sweetheart. Not for a while yet, I'm afraid…" Malcolm assured his daughter and waved her over to his side. Thea sauntered up beside him and he placed an arm around her slim shoulders as they both watched the skyline together. "I know this isn't easy for you, but this needs to be done right. You understand me, don't you?"
Thea sighed as her irritation subsided slightly. A faint smile played at the corner of her lips like a passing ghost. "I guess... Yes, I do understand."
"We're doing this for you, Thea," Malcolm reassured. "Don't lose sight of that."
Laurel remained at the other end of the room, where she head a clear view of her foe. Helena had already seized her phone and purse to make sure no one was warned of the runaway guest.
Though she had a feeling she didn't need to fear for her life right now, Laurel wasn't stupid enough to lower her guard entirely. She'd been at the wrong end of Helena's crossbow before and had no intention of reliving such a moment.
"What is it you want from me…?" Laurel questioned again.
The Huntress sat reclined on a chair by the long, wooden table, her weapon aimed squarely at the other woman's heart.
"Flynn Bauer…" Helena voiced slowly.
"The mob boss," the other woman filled in the blanks, but still felt answers elude her. "Why? What do you want with him?"
Helena leaned back in her chair and her piercing glare was firm and calm as she beheld her company. She explained in her soft, almost haunted voice that was still as bereft of life as last time they had met, "Prison changes you, Laurel. For most of the day… I was stuck with no one but my own company. I had a lot of time to think in there… A lot of time to reflect."
"A catharsis?" Laurel snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "You must have misunderstood the meaning of a life-turning event if you're still on this path."
The other woman chuckled coldly. "It's true: my father's death offered me a catharsis, of sorts. But his death at the hands of another left me… empty. I still think it should have been by my hands."
"This still doesn't explain why you're after Bauer."
"I want to stop him," Helena's voice was impassive and stiff as she continued, "I realized in prison that I couldn't turn from this path, even if I wanted to. I realized… I want to continue what I started. Fighting the wicked with their means. I will stop Bauer and any other mob boss that tries to take my father's place in the hierarchy. The world will be a far better place without any of them on the loose, don't you agree?"
"Stop them? How?" Lance asked cautiously.
"How do you think?" Helena countered with an amused grin.
"And you think I will help you kill this man…?"
"You ask a lot of questions to which you already have the answer, Laurel," the other woman drawled and sighed. "Of course you'll help. You'll help me unless you want me to kill your dad… or your mum or maybe even Oliver himself. All I need from you is your file on Bauer. I know you're working his case… without success, one might add… and I'm here to take over where you are failing."
"I want to take him down, too, but it should be done right," Laurel argued forcefully and took a step towards the enemy. "You said it yourself; your father's death left you empty. Empty because death was the easy solution. Death meant he didn't fully pay for his crimes against you and your fiance. He died - but your vengeance failed."
"You're wrong," Helena contended stubbornly and her eyes shone with unmatched sadness. "Or maybe you're right… It doesn't really matter. What matters is that these people – these men – need to be stopped! One way or the other… and I just happen to prefer my way. Now… That's enough chat for tonight. Give me his file… or you know what happens next."
"There's a folder in my purse," Laurel nodded at the discarded item on the center of the table. As Helena roughly searched for what she needed, the other woman sighed. "At least… ask Oliver to help you with this. You don't have to be alone."
The brunette paused and her wide eyes were filled with bafflement as they once more found the other woman. "Well, well… He told you his secret then? No, I can't ask for his help, Laurel. He doesn't understand why I need to do this my way."
"But you think I do?"
"Yes… I do," Helena answered truthfully as she withdrew the folder. Her eyes danced with glee as she beheld it momentarily, as if it was a pot of gold and the answer to everything she had ever sought. She turned back up to her company as she explained her reasoning, "I saw it in your eyes last time we met. You have a darkness and strength Oliver has lost. His compassion makes him weak."
Laurel shook her head firmly as she held her ground. "I disagree, it's his greatest strength! And if you think you and I are anything alike… You're delusional."
"Am I really so delusional, Laurel…?" the brunette countered as she leisurely rose from her seat with the thick, manila folder resting in her left hand and the crossbow in the other. "I think you're refusing to admit the truth. But I don't really care. I got what I came here for. Thank you, Laurel."
The villain turned to the window to escape into the dead of night, but a thought jolted Laurel to take action.
"Wait!" she cried. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute inside her head, yet still everything was suddenly clear as day. Perhaps this was her fulcrum and the chance she'd been hoping for. She hardly believed herself when the words escaped past her full lips, "…Can I come?"
Helena stopped dead in her tracks as she turned her incredulous, blue eyes back to her company. "I don't believe it. Laurel Lance… wants to play masquerade with me? Who would have seen this coming?"
Laurel ignored the teasing tone and held her chin high. "Well…?"
Laurel rushed down the stairs to the foundry on quiet feet. She knew there was a big chance Oliver and Roy were still out on the streets at this hour, and the lair empty for her quick mission. In fact, the mission quite depended on this to be true.
She'd changed her clothes already. She now wore black, stretch jeans and a long-sleeved tee in the same shade. Her elegant heels were exchanged for low, dark sneakers that were better fitted for the plan. All she needed now was the finishing touch.
Her entire body pumped with adrenaline and she felt more alive than she had in months.
Her feet touched the bottom of the stairs and she glanced into the empty main area of the lair. She released a sigh of relief of finding one less hurdle to leap over. Her eyes were drawn to the glass case on the right and she stepped over to it without wasting another second. Sara's Canary jacket hung before her then, waiting for her to literally don the cape.
"Laurel? I wasn't expecting you here tonight."
Lance froze as she heard Felicity's unmistakable voice fill the foundry. Laurel collected herself and spun around to face the blond with a smile. "Felicity… I thought you had the night off."
"Dick cancelled our date. Something about a busy night in the precinct," the blonde grinned back as she crossed the room and walked back to her workstation. "Anything I can help you with? Oliver and Roy are still out hunting escaped prisoners."
"Escaped?" Laurel asked as she remembered herself and forced the confusion to appear genuine. She had to play the ignorant part right now, or endanger everything.
"There was a prison break at Iron Heights. Don't worry, though, Oliver and Roy contained it pretty well, but a couple of bad guys and girls are still on the loose. Not least of all that psycho bitch; Helena Bertinelli."
"Oh…" the other woman breathed faintly as another idea hatched within her brain. She slowly stepped forward as she seized the opportunity, "Hey, can I ask you for a favor since you're here now?"
Felicity's cobalt eyes were filled with bafflement as she turned around in her seat to face the other woman. "What do you need?"
"You've helped me and Oliver chase down information about Flynn Bauer these past few months..."
"Mm," Felicity nodded as confusion made its way into her intrigued eyes. "Too bad it wasn't much help for the DA's office."
"No, you did more than enough," Laurel disagreed with a kind smile. "The things is... I need your help again. Only yours. I need your help to find something, and Oliver can't know about it. Not yet."
"...I won't lie to Oliver," Felicity breathed in suspicion.
"I'm asking to keep him safe," the brunette disagreed fervently. "Please, don't question why. I just... need someone to trust in me for a change."
Felicity's eyes sparkled with thought before she exhaled deeply, "What do you need?"
"To look at Bauer's safe house."
"Okay..." The blue prints flashed by on the screen as Felicity showed her what information she had on the location just outside of town. "It's more secure than the Bertinelli residence was, with eleven armed guards, four high-tech security cameras and a bunker in the basement that can withstand an atomic bomb. When someone thought of the term 'safe house' they must have been imagining this exact house."
Laurel leaned closer as she tried to soak in all the information like a sponge. "Any way around his security?"
Felicity's shoulders tensed a fraction at the unexpected question, and her response came in the form of a counter-question, "Laurel... What are you asking?"
"No. I don't want you too involved in this, Felicity. I can't say."
"Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"
"I need to know if there's a way onto the premises. Please. Trust me."
"... The building is set on an old site and according to the blue prints there should be an abandoned underground tunnel that leads onto the premises, just inside the fence on the eastern border. Here," the blonde explained hesitantly and pointed to the entrance and exit tunnels on the maps. "Of course, it's guarded – but with a well-timed diversion, I suppose you could sneak a vigilante or two inside."
Laurel's grin widened as she exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Felicity."
The brunette turned and stalked over to the glass case further away, gazing up at the black leather with admiration. Felicity rose from her seat and slowly followed the other woman.
"... I can't let you do this, Laurel. Whatever it is. Oliver wouldn't-"
"It's not Oliver's choice," Laurel breathed and glanced back over her shoulder. "I make my own choices, Felicity. This is something I have to do, for me..."
"Why? Why not wait for Oliver?" Felicity questioned with genuine concern.
The other woman's shoulders slumped as she tried to find the words to describe the predicament she found herself in. "Because he wouldn't understand that this is something I choose to do. That this is something I can't involve him in. Just this once... I need him to stay safe on the outside."
"Laurel, I-"
"Felicity... I know I'm asking a lot of you. But believe me when I say; I can't tell you anymore. I'll be fine. I won't be alone, but I do need to do this," Laurel explained as she held the other's woman's gaze, hoping against hope that she could convey what needed to remain unsaid. "To prove my own worth. Not to Oliver or my dad or anyone else... but to myself. There's a plan, Felicity. I'll be fine. I'm not going to ask you to lie for me... just... give me an hour. That's all I'm asking."
Felicity searched her eyes for a few seconds before she stiffly inclined her head. "... Be careful."
"No sight of Helena," Roy called as he and Oliver entered the lair a while later, after a long and winding search through the city's hectic night life. "We did catch three runaways for the police, though. So I still call that a partial success."
Oliver shared in the younger man's smirk as he walked further into the enclosed space. He pulled back his hood as he neared Felicity's workstation and saw the blonde busy behind her monitors. "Have you found anything that leads to Helena? ... Felicity?"
"I hacked into the traffic cameras," Felicity spoke in an unnaturally low voice, but her gaze never rose from the screens ahead. "I found something, alright."
Oliver frowned as he saw her discomfort. "What's wrong?"
"It's Laurel, Oliver. She was here when you were out. She asked me for information on Bauer, the mob boss... and his safe house just outside of town," Felicity explained in a flurry as she turned to face her friend. "And when I checked the traffic cameras due to a... hunch... I saw... Helena on a bike, heading towards the same safe house. With Laurel."
"What?!"
"Laurel said it was something she needed to do. I think Helena twisted her arm, Oliver. She asked for time, and... I didn't want to agree to it, but I could see she wasn't lying to me. She did need this, for whatever reason. But I couldn't lie to you. Of course not," Felicity babbled and her gaze slowly drifted to somewhere beyond his shoulder. "There's more, though..."
Oliver blinked in confusion before he followed her gaze. He turned as he saw the empty glass case next to his own. Sara's black jacket was missing and left behind it an unmistakable void. He felt trepidation rise within his chest like a tempest as his gaze dropped to Felicity once more.
Laurel crept after Helena in the shadows of the forest just outside of Bauer's estates. They were quiet as mice as they searched for the entrance tunnel to take them inside the devil's pit.
Laurel jumped slightly as she felt something vibrate in her pocket. She withdrew her phone and felt a sharp pain invade her heart. She grimaced as she pressed her phone to her ear, "Felicity told you?"
Oliver was evidently bordering on irritation and confusion as he growled in a loud voice, "What's going on, Laurel?"
"I didn't want your team involved, in case this goes wrong," the woman whispered and hoped he could tell she was telling the truth.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Before Laurel had a chance to explain anything, Helena pulled the phone from her hand and pressed it to her own ear. "She's doing what I asked her to do."
"Helena…" the man breathed tensely. "Taking out Bauer won't change anything."
"Agree to disagree, Oliver." the brunette said as she made her way past the plentiful oaks and the fallen leaves that all shone grey beneath the new moon above.
"When I saw you last… you said you felt alone," Oliver attempted. "This won't fill the void left after your vendetta against your father, Helena! I promised you I'd be there for you, and I meant it! Don't do this! You can still turn back around!"
"No, Oliver…" Helena breathed as she caught sight of the hatch a few yards ahead. "It's too late now. I've chosen my path… and I'm sticking to it. Goodbye, Ollie."
She hung up and threw the phone back to its owner. "Shut that off, will you? I don't want any more calls to interrupt the hunt."
As Laurel put aside the phone as ordered, Helena stepped over to the hatch and pulled it open with a strong tug. She crouched down to gaze down at its potential before smiling to herself. This would serve her purpose well, indeed.
She looked back up at Laurel. She still had a hard time to believe the attorney had chosen to side with her right now, dressed in a black costume. Helena searched through her own jacket pocket and threw her ally a small item. "Use this. I had a spare."
Lance caught the mask deftly in her hands and looked down at in wonder, before nodding her head mutely. She pulled it over her head and adjusted it over her eyes. "I'm ready."
"I'm not," Helena tilted her head to the side as she glanced down at her watch briefly. When she raised her gaze once more, it was filled with innocent curiosity. "When did he tell you?"
The unexpected question and pause right at the edge of it took Laurel by surprise. She wasn't sure at all what the other woman was doing, but decided to play along. Perhaps it would let her keep her head awhile longer. "… He didn't exactly. A man called Slade Wilson told me."
"Oh!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That it makes more sense," Huntress shrugged as she rose from the forest floor and brushed off a few leaves. "When he was dating me he seemed quite adamant at not letting you find out about the truth. He didn't want to endanger your life… He loves you, you know. Or did then, at least."
"I know," Laurel smiled.
Helena's smile turned slightly mocking as she brazenly questioned, "But he doesn't want you on his team?"
"Sorry?"
The brunette sighed as she ticked off the points she'd noticed up to that point, "That jacket's not yours. He didn't share his secret in the end. You're not on his team. Not really. It's the reason you wanted to help me, isn't it? You want in, but he's not letting you. He's treating you like white noise. My, my, things have changed."
"I'm not white noise to Oliver!" Laurel disagreed hotly.
Before she could open her mouth to argue properly, there was a sudden explosion from further away. She gasped as her eyes were drawn to the source beyond the fence. About fifty yards away, on Bauer's lands, she saw fires erupt on the lawn outside the extravagant building and brighten the dark night with its mystic gleam.
She saw a shadow float through the air and land just outside the forest beside them. The figure strode over to the women and Laurel frowned up at the mysterious shape. It was a man, also dressed in a costume of sorts that matched theirs. It was mostly black, but with a blue bat across his wide chest.
"Who are you?!" she managed in a frightened voice as she looked up at the tall man.
His face was hidden behind a mask as he turned to her briefly. The gruff reply came without missing a beat, "Nightwing."
Laurel stuttered as she tried to keep up. This plan was starting to evolve into something she hadn't signed up for already, and they had barely begun their work. "W-what's this?"
"You don't think I'm the only one who wants to fight the mobsters, do you?" Helena cooed from her right.
Laurel felt her heart beat like thunder inside her chest as she started to make more sense of their situation. The trio gazed up at the blazing inferno inside the fence and the armed guards that ran back and forth to minimize the wicked flames and guard for intruders.
"Now I'm ready. Let's go," Helena whispered and jumped into the tunnel.
"There's the ladder," Helena informed her team suddenly a while later and shone her flashlight at the exit only a few yards away. "Ready yourselves."
Laurel's veins pumped with adrenaline and not for the first time that night. Her fingers fidgeted on the Eskrima sticks she'd borrowed from Oliver's secret lair. She tried to breathe through her nose but her lungs craved too much oxygen and she ended up gulping it down as if it was water and she was in dire need of it.
"Take a few calming breaths," the man – Nightwing, she reminded herself – spoke from somewhere behind her in the dark tunnel. "It helps. And when you use those… aim for the biggest target if you're unused to them. A good blow to the chest can be just as effective as a dislocated knee. Bigger chance you'll hit your mark, too."
Laurel nodded distantly and tried to follow his breathing advice as she climbed up the ladder after Huntress. As she got out of the hole onto the lawn, she was met by the sight of a minor battle field. Some smaller fires still ruled parts of the grass, while men were running around frantically calling out orders to each other. She barely had a glimpse of Helena's fighting form ahead before another armed guard charged straight at her.
Laurel swallowed and swung her sticks as she'd seen Sara do in the past. She managed to keep a cool head as she defended herself from the man's more seasoned attacks. She remembered her own self-defense training as she struck at him again and again. Before long, the man lay unconscious beside her feet and she exhaled in relief.
Six other men lay littered across the lawn – dead or alive she couldn't tell – as Huntress and Nightwing towered over them, the first with her ready crossbow, and the latter with his own Eskrima stick. As she saw them now, Laurel had to remind herself of why she'd wanted to do this. What the whole point of this was about: Taking out the guilty before they could do more harm. She knew she was treading a fine line between good and evil, but also knew she'd made the choice willingly.
She strode over to join them and looked up at the building the mob boss used as his fortress to protect him from the rest of the world. Ahead of them were wide glass doors that stood as the gateway from the patio to the open living room. Every lamp inside seemed to be lit, as to not give the attackers any shadows to hide in, and the room was seemingly void of people.
"Nightwing, open the door for us," Helena ordered none too gently.
"Let's be clear about one thing, Huntress... You don't know how I operate, but I won't take orders from you or anyone. Only reason I'm doing this is because we happen to have a mutual target," the man glared down at her. He withdrew something from his right gauntlet and rapidly threw it towards the bullet-proof glass. As it hit the surface, the item exploded and the glass shattered to the ground in a million, tiny pieces.
Laurel's mouth fell open in amazement. "What was that?"
Nightwing offered her a faint smirk. "A batarang."
"Let's move," Helena's interrupted and her voice dropped an octave. "Nightwing, control the perimeter in case Bauer tries to make a run for it. Remember to cut the power to the fence for a quick escape. Laurel… you're with me on this one."
Laurel adjusted her domino mask as she nodded once and followed Huntress inside the mansion.
As Oliver parked the motorcycle just outside the fenced perimeter, both he and Roy could hear shouts and chaos from within the Bauer residence.
Though the younger man didn't say a word, Oliver could still feel the questions that went unsaid between them. He exhaled tensely as he clenched his glowed hand around the bow in one hand and pulled his green hood up with the other.
"Come on!" he growled and ran forward without another command.
Roy followed the Arrow onto the lawn and aimed his bow at the six bodies he counted on the grass. None of them moved as they approached. Smoke billowed from a few corners of the garden and the smell of burned earth touched his nose as he snuck closer.
So far, they'd met no resistance, even the electric fence had been shut down as they'd entered the premises. All in all, it felt too simple. Roy's ears picked up some commotion from around the corner and he rushed forward, his crimson bow at the ready.
As he rounded the corner, he stopped short at the sight before him. Nightwing hovered over another fallen guard. The masked man turned as he heard Roy come closer. He rose from his predator stance and lowered his Eskrima sticks momentarily.
"I've done my part," Nightwing said at length. "Huntress is his now…"
Roy nodded his head in understanding. The other man bowed his head with a familiar smirk before he turned and escaped into the shadows of the night. Just as he disappeared out of sight, Oliver appeared beside Roy.
The Arrow directed his frown at his ally as he yelled, "Why didn't you stop him?!"
The red-hooded vigilante shrugged and offered, "He's on our side, isn't he? Then why would I stop him?"
Oliver opened his mouth to debate the question but suddenly heard commotion and raised voices from above. One voice was decisively Helena Bertinelli's furious growl that could only mean one thing: Death was close at hand.
"They're on the roof," Roy meekly pointed out.
"Stay here," Oliver ordered in a rough snarl as he withdrew a grappling arrow from his quiver and aimed it straight. "If anyone tries to escape: stop them. If you see Laurel… stop her, too."
Laurel remained in the periphery on the blackened roof top as she watched Huntress circle her prey in the glow of the distant moon. Flynn Bauer, with his grey suit torn and left knee popped, lay on the cold ground, moaning in agony.
"You've given us the information we wanted. Thank you. But that means we're done with you now, I'm afraid... Any famous last words, Bauer?" Helena snarled and crouched down beside her victim.
"Helena…" the man whimpered and his green eyes shone with unshed tears. "I knew your father, Helena…"
"You think that works in your favor?" she snorted in amusement and rose in one fluid motion. She kicked him hard on the shoulder and the man fell backwards with a blood-curling scream. His shoulder had popped out of its socket, too, presumably. Laurel grimaced.
"I can't let organized crime continue, Flynn," Huntress explained with a shrug. "The mafia all need to die."
"Helena, no!" Oliver's voice suddenly cried from the other edge of the roof and everyone turned in his direction. As he stepped forward, Laurel tried to offer the green-leather wearing man an apologetic smile, but he failed to see it. His bow and arrow were aimed towards Huntress and his eyes never faltered from its target. "It's over, Helena…"
The brunette snorted and aimed straight at her target's head. "It's never over…"
Before she could pull the trigger a small flechette arrow came flying from the side and knocked the crossbow from her hand. Both Helena and Oliver turned in Laurel's direction with surprise written across their features as she stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, Helena…" she breathed and revealed another flechette hidden in her sleeve. "I couldn't let you kill him."
Bertinelli's eyes widened a fraction as she gazed up at her fleeting ally. Bitterness slowly settled in the deep orbs as she huffed in amusement, "…This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To back-stab me at the very end?"
Laurel shrugged her lean shoulders as she stepped closer to the center of the rooftop. She offered a slight grin as she explained herself, "Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out..."
"You remembered… Glad I made a lasting impression," Helena spoke in jest.
Lance shook her head. "I don't want to become a cold-hearted killer like you, Helena. I did what I thought was necessary for justice, however."
With a well-aimed strike, she hit the mob boss across the jaw with one of the metal sticks and watched him drop unconscious to the ground. She withdrew a small recording arrow from the small pocket of her jacket and waved it in the air. "With your help… I have his confession right here. I can bring Bauer before court and have him sentenced for his crimes. That's justice, Helena."
Huntress' eyes darted between Oliver and Laurel and with a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
Helena's eyes danced with tears as she glared at the horizon not half an hour later. Her hands were cuffed together and there was no escape this time. She watched the moon and the stars above, gleaming peacefully despite the blood spilled during the night, and felt void of everything. There was no remorse or regret, only the sliver of a woman that once had been.
Oliver parked the car then and she was drawn from the depths of her despair. She gazed out the passenger window and frowned. "… This isn't the police station."
"I wanted to have a private word first," the man growled as he opened his car door and stepped outside. He walked around to her door and yanked it open with more force than was necessary. Helena slipped out of the vehicle. The sound of the door slamming shut behind her barely fazed her.
"… I thought you'd changed," Oliver admitted as he stepped around her and held her gaze. His eyes were filled with a feeling of betrayal and she knew it was all directed at her. "When your father had died, I thought you understood how pointless all of this was. I guess… I was the one who didn't understand."
"Oliver…"
The man cut her off with a heavy sigh that lingered in the space between them. "Why? Why turn back to that life…?"
Helena wore her heart on her sleeve as she confessed, "It's all I have left!"
"You could have so much more, Helena!" Oliver yelled back in her face. "If you only let me help you!"
The woman closed her eyes and felt tears stain her cheeks as she shook her head in disagreement. "Don't you see? I can't walk down the path you choose for me!"
"So instead you'll fill your life with killing and pointless vengeance once more?" he threw back in her face on the brink of desperation.
"I want to eradicate organized crime, Oliver. I thought that might be something that would interest you!"
"It is! But your method isn't!" he explained himself and his jaw clenched as he forced himself to calm own. "I think… you still haven't found your path in life. I could… If you would only just…"
"I can't…" she breathed and the frailty that seeped into her voice seemed enough to stupefy the man before her. "I mean it. This is my life, Oliver. I'm not a charity case or something you have to fix. Not everyone can live according to your choices. You can't decide what other people should do, Oliver. Even if you mean well… It's not your decision to make…"
Oliver lowered his head and she could see the heavy storm clouds gather in his downcast eyes. He remained in a stiff stance for another couple of long seconds before he reached into his pocket and withdrew something. He reached for her cuffs and Helena was surprised when he unlocked them and let the metal clatter to the ground.
Her eyes flew up to meet his, but the dissatisfaction was clear as day in his depths. "You're never coming back to Starling. Is that clear? That's the only condition I have for you. You're right… I can't decide for you, but I don't want you to poison the lives of my team again. You can go your own path… but it will not be in my city. You're free to leave, Helena…"
She opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already gone. He jumped into the car, started the engine and was gone before she really had a chance to gather her scattered thoughts.
She watched the car disappear into the distance and inhaled the sweet air of freedom.
Laurel carefully put the Canary jacket back in its glass case and closed the door once more. Her hand lingered on the glass for another second before she stepped back to face her company and the reality of her actions.
Roy was gazing at her with a suspicious look she couldn't escape. She couldn't blame him, she hadn't expected him or anyone of them to understand her decision or need to act in this fashion. Felicity, however, stood next to the young man with something warm brighting up her eyes. Despite what had happened between them tonight, there was still trust in Felicity's eyes. It caught Laurel by surprise, and she met the other woman's eyes with a smile. Perhaps they could be friends, after all.
"Thank you, Felicity," Laurel breathed with a grateful sigh. "For giving me a chance to act."
The blonde merely shrugged her lean shoulders. "It might not have been the right way... but it was the right thing in the end. Helena forced your hand, and you had to make a difficult choice that put you at odds with Oliver. It's not easy making decisions like that. But sometimes you have to."
Laurel inclined her head in agreement as her smile widened. Roy remained stoic and stiff in the background, not as quick to forgive what had transpired tonight.
Felicity glanced back at the man's grim expression before she faced Laurel once more. "Team Arrow is kind of family by now. And even if we make mistakes, we're still accepted. Because that's what family's supposed to be. Supportive."
"You... count me as part of that team?" Laurel frowned.
Before Felicity could answer, the sound of someone descending the staircase reached their ears.
Oliver, dressed in a dark-blue sweater and jeans, entered the main area and came to a halt a few feet away from his team and Laurel.
Felicity exchanged a look with Roy at the sour expression that crossed Oliver's features and the blonde gently asked, "…Helena?"
The man turned to her as he explained in a rough tone of voice, "I set her free. On the condition that she never returns here."
"What about we give you two a minute?" Felicity offered and nodded for Roy to follow her. Laurel watched the two ascend the steps and felt the easy atmosphere disappear along with them. Slowly she let her eyes fall to her ex-boyfriend and his azure eyes were lit up like a thunderstorm. He stood stiff as a tree in the forest and seemed torn about what to do and how to react around her now.
She knew what haunted them both and she didn't need him to say it out loud. She'd agreed to stay out of harm's way but a couple of weeks before, but this had been the exact opposite of that promise. She glanced at the short, black jacket in its case, that had fit her so perfectly, and some of her guilt faded.
"Before you say anything, may I explain why I did this?" Laurel begged and waited until the man inclined his head before she threw herself into it, "When Slade Wilson's Mirakuru Army invaded Starling… one of the footmen beat up my dad pretty roughly. He collapsed due to internal injuries…"
"I remember," Oliver nodded.
"What I didn't tell you then, however… was that he flat-lined at the hospital," her voice broke and she swallowed past the bile as the memories forced themselves back. "It was only for a couple of seconds, but he did. He was dead… Because he tried to save me. I realized then that he wouldn't have been hurt if I knew how to defend myself. I nearly lost him… The thought of…" she swallowed again and felt a tear escape its prison and leave its mark on her face. "…It was the same when Tommy died. He also tried to save me, but wound up dead. I don't want to see more people that I love die, Ollie… Not when I can make a difference and save lives instead!"
Oliver listened intently and the second she was done, his eyes closed tight as he battled his own demons. He wanted to shoot down all her arguments, tell her she had no business meddling with these things, but a part of him knew it wasn't true. A part of him could so very easily identify with her emotions, and this time he couldn't ignore it.
Laurel took the opportunity and decided to clear the air between them. She owed that to them both. "Oliver, I'm sorry I did this without telling you… I just care so much. About this… and about you."
"I care about you, too, Laurel," the man echoed and opened his eyes. "I only want you to be safe. But Helena made a fair point tonight. I can't make the choice for you, it's your life. And clearly you'll do this with or without me… You're too strong-willed to let this pass."
Laurel blinked as she felt her heart swell with hope. She wet her lips and carefully asked, "… What are you saying?"
"That I agree to train you. But only if you agree to do everything my way until I say you're ready. And under no circumstances may you endanger Felicity or anyone else on my team again. Do I make myself clear?" Oliver's gaze was relentless and firm. It was an order, not a plea, and they both knew it. "This doesn't mean you're on the team, but we'll take it one step at a time."
Without thinking about it, Laurel flew forward and wrapped her arms around his muscular shoulders. There was a beat before his own arms wrapped around her waist and his sigh tickled against the side of her neck.
Laurel pulled back, but kept her hands on his shoulders. She held his gaze with a small smile. "Thank you, Ollie."
She rose onto her toes to give him a peck but he froze beneath her touch and became stiff as a board. Laurel faltered. She could see hesitance dance in his eyes and it was her turn to sigh.
Laurel stepped out of his arms and offered him another faint grin as she put more distance between them. "I know you care about me. And that's why I don't mind waiting a little bit longer for you to find whatever balance you need in life to realize that we could be good together."
"I can't promise anything."
Laurel shrugged. "You deserve to be happy, Ollie. You don't have to promise anything, I just want you to see what I see when I look at you."
He shook his head sadly, "Laurel-"
"I get it. You could be with Sara because she could defend herself. As could Helena. And Felicity… is one of a kind. She's not a fighter, perhaps, but she's still alive so she's got some hidden qualities, I presume."
"F-Felicity?" Oliver stuttered. "I don't-"
"The point is…" the woman interrupted forcefully before he could complete the sentence, "that the people closest to your heart are still alive. Whether by your aid or their own capabilities… When Sara left with Nyssa, she told me you needed me. I understand her now… I understand what she meant. You do need me, or someone to love. Take all the time you need, Ollie, but please never forget that."
He nodded with a faint smile and held her gaze as he let her words sink in.
Episode 4 to come!
Preview for next episode: When Felicity gets bad news from her mother, she must return to Las Vegas – in the company of good friends Oliver and John.