Episode 21: Hell is Short For Helena

Domino, Batgirl, Helena, Drake, Barracuda, Victor, and Sarah all stood in the toy factory. Anna told everyone about finding Stranger—minus the part where his real name was Slade Wilson. If they knew that, she feared, then they wouldn't be as apt to trust him anymore. Not that he deserved their trust anymore. "So that's it?" Drake asked, after she'd finished.

"What else is there?" Anna asked.

"He just let you walk away without a hitch…I don't but it," Drake said, crossing his arms with a shake of his head. "Stranger doesn't just let people walk away."

"What are you saying?" Anna asked, suddenly feeling all the eyes turn to her.

"I'm saying maybe you two are going soft again" he said.

"Again?" Helena asked.

"That's ridiculous," Anna said, ignoring Helena. "Stranger and I had our time and now we've both moved on. What, you think I'm a double agent? Are you serious?"

"You're a double agent already," Helena pointed out. "You've been lying to Oliver for a few weeks now. Lying about where you've been going, who you are with—and then you come here and work with us. Sounds pretty iffy to me." Batgirl scoffed. "You aren't a part of us" she said, glaring at Helena.

"Agreed" Sarah said, glancing at the two.

"Guys," Barracuda said, raising his hands in a 'calm down' motion. "No one is a double agent here. No more accusations, got it?" everyone nodded and Anna couldn't help glancing in Drake's direction. He'd always been a close friend of hers and yet there he was, the first one to accuse her of being a double agent. Boy, did that hurt. "Now. Everyone needs to be on their game twenty-four/seven. Stay in touch. There are times to check in on the conference call that must not be taken lightly. Dismissed" Victor said.

Anna hurriedly left and went to the Bat-Bike—by day disguised as a plain black Ducati. She couldn't believe how easy it was for Drake to call her a traitor. After all the things she'd done for him he had the nerve to say she was a double agent. Which, she clearly was not. She swung her leg on and started the bike. She spun the back wheel and sped out of the Glades, not waiting to talk to Drake.

Three Hours Later…

Anna walked into the apartment at near four AM. She'd changed into her normal clothes somewhere else in case she ran into Oliver on her entry. She tip toed up the metal staircase and quietly slipped into the bedroom. She shut the door without any noise occurring. She tip toed over to the bed and slid in next to a still Oliver.

His back was turned to her but he seemed to be asleep. She quietly slid under the blanket until she was shoulder-deep and let out a silent breath of relief. Then Oliver promptly rolled over to face her and she sighed, pushing the blanket down to her waist. "Where were you?" he asked, quietly as if he might wake someone.

"Out" she said, stiffly.

"For the past week now you've been 'out'. And when you leave in the morning you don't come back until five AM. Anna, what's going on?" he asked. She turned onto her side to face him. The room was nearly pitch black but she could still see the concern in his eyes, feel the tension between them. She took his hand, wove her fingers in with his. "Nothing you need to worry about" she said.

Just then Anna's phone buzzed and started playing a ringtone while showing a picture of Drake. She sighed in annoyance and sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. She pulled out her phone and answered. "What do you want?" she asked. Her answer would have been much harsher but Oliver was listening so she calmed it down to the PG version. "We need to talk. Not on the phone. Somewhere untraceable."

"You son of a—look…It's almost five AM now, I don't have the tolerance to deal with you. So we will talk later, okay? Goodbye" she said. She then hung up and put her cell phone on the nightstand. She let out a frustrated yet exhausted breath and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

Oliver sat up and scooted up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing her neck gently. "Anna…You know you can tell me anything" he said, softly. She groaned in indecision and leaned back against him. "Yeah. I will tell you, just…not now. Okay?" he nodded silently, accepting her unwillingness to open up, then pulled her down to lie next to him.

Two Hours Later…

Anna startled when a hasty rap on the door sounded up the stairs. She heard one more rap and then the sound of the door opening. She assumed it was Damien but she shot up and grabbed her gun out of the nightstand drawer just in case. Oliver stood as well and followed her to the door as she tip toed out of the room.

She only made it a foot out of the room before running into Helena. Her eyes went wide and she immediately held the gun up, aiming at her forehead. Helena rolled her eyes and switched her weight from on foot to the other as if she expected Anna's behavior. "Helena?" Anna heard Oliver say from behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked her.

"It's not safe for you here anymore," Helena said, keeping her eyes on Anna. Anna noticed the genuine emotion in her tone and the serious expression on her face. It surprised her. "Victor and Drake pulled a Robin and overheard a conversation between two of the League's assassins. Ra's is coming here."

"What? Why?" Anna asked, dropping the gun to her side.

"He's skipping ahead, fast forwarding his plans. He's skipping all the way to you" Helena said. Anna stiffened momentarily before hurrying to the closet. She pulled out the false-wall panel and pulled out her suit, mask, and boots while Helena spoke to Oliver. Anna changed into her outfit and walked back to them at the door. She slid her gun into her belt and put on her mask as she stopped beside Oliver.

Helena's eyes momentarily widened but she recovered from the shock quickly. Oliver, though, stared at her with a look of a mixture between being proud and being pissed. Helena motioned for them to follow as she started for the stairs and Anna did. Oliver shook his head before grabbing his jacket and following.

Helena led Anna and Oliver into the toy factory where Victor, Drake, and Batgirl were all gathered. Batgirl couldn't hide her surprise at seeing Oliver—dressed as the 'hood'—walk in behind Anna. Victor rose his eyebrows but Drake looked as if he'd expected it. Anna went straight to Victor. "What did you hear?" she asked.

"We overheard a conversation between two of the League's assassins here in Starling City. They were saying how they needed to make sure everything was in place for Ra's to arrive" Victor said.

"Then they said why," Drake said. "Apparently you've sparked some need to 'tie up loose ends' in the Al Ghul family." Anna nodded, absorbing the information. Anna then turned around and walked up to Helena so that only inches separated them. She looked into Helena's eyes with a fire in her irises. "You ever come into my home like that again," Anna warned. "And I'll make you wish you were dead."

"You tried that before, remember? Didn't work out so well" Helena countered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Things got messy. This time it'll be a clean cut, that I can promise you" Anna said. Victor walked to Anna and pulled her from Helena. "Let's not start this again, okay?" he asked, keeping a grip on her arm.

"Again?" Oliver asked.

"Bitch tried to kill me when she was working with Stranger," Helena explained. "The two were great as a couple but not so mush partners in crime. Her job was to kill me but, well, I'm here so obviously that didn't work out. Then I tried to kill her and it just kept going like that until she decided she'd switched to the good guys. Now she can't stand to have me on the same side because she never had the chance to get even. Well, that, and I tried to kill her boyfriend."

That fueled Anna's anger and Victor sensed it. He tightened his grip and shook his head at her. "Ex-boyfriend" Anna clarified, through gritted teeth. Victor shook his head and walked back to Drake. Batgirl stepped in between Helena and Anna, causing Helena to narrow her eyes. Anna couldn't stand being in the same room as Helena, she feared she would try to kill her if she stayed a second longer, so she walked around them and outside the factory.

She stood a few feet from the building when Oliver came out to stand beside her. She refrained from looking at him. "So this is what you do," he said. "These are your allies. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Some things are better left unknown" she said, glancing at him briefly.

"Like the fact that you were shot? Anna, how could you not tell me you'd been hurt? Or that you were the mysterious Domino that came to me for help?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, okay?" she said, frustratedly, turning toward him. "I'm sorry…I just…" she shook her head at herself and turned, walking to her motorcycle and sliding on. She started it, spun the back wheel, and sped down the street.