Sunnydale, a few minutes after Glory's defeat.

Buffy limped towards home using the hammer as a cane, a small smile developing on her face as she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. Glory was dead, and her minions were about no trouble to any one, and all that remained were the Knights of Byzantium. She was hoping that Giles could talk to the Council, and have them back off since Glory was killed. However, she quickly thought against it since the Knights would surely inform the Council about Dawn; that is if they didn't know already.

And even if the Council didn't know that Dawn and the Key were the same, she didn't want to give the Council anything that they could hold over her head as leverage. Buffy knew that she would have to deal with the Knights by herself. It was just then that she heard the clap of thunder before everything around her became a blur. She saw a flash of yellow lightning before she found herself at the walkway to her house with Dawn and Joyce already standing there with drinks in their hands and wearing 'I Heart Miami' T-shirts. A smile on her face, Buffy turned to see a blur with yellow lighting trailing behind it running down the street before make a left turn.

"Buffy!" shouted Dawn, Buffy turning back towards her, as she ran towards her sister, followed by Joyce. The two of them hugged the Slayer as she dropped the hammer onto the ground, and Buffy hugged them back. Dawn was excitedly telling Buffy in her ear, that they were at Miami beach sipping on drinks just before they were returned to Sunnydale, "Flash said you guys killed Glory, so it's over?"

"Yeah," whispered Buffy as Joyce took a step back and placed her hand on the side of Buffy's face just as there was a ringing sound in her jeans' side pocket. Surprised, Dawn pulled back while Buffy, her eyes narrowed in confusion, reached into her pocket and took out a small, black and green, cell phone. She looked at the caller ID which read as 'unknown' before looking to the left, and then to the right, and then back at the phone again. Shaking her head, she connected the call before bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hey," said Barry, his voice still disguised, as he stood right outside the city limits, "sorry about the ride. Thought you'd want to be with your mom and your sister."

"It's fine," said Buffy as she looked at Joyce and Dawn, just as the front door opened and Willow gave a yelp of Joy before running out onto the porch, and then down to the walkway before hugging Joyce and Dawn. It was the same with Tara, and then Xander, Giles, and Anya- the three of whom- simply hugged Joyce and Dawn while Buffy walked a few inches to the left and leaned against a tree on her front lawn. She looked at the smiles, and the looks of relief, on Dawn and Joyce's faces, and then she looked away and down the street, "I guess this phone is so that I could call you if I need anything?"

"Yes," replied Barry as he leaned against the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign, "the number for my phone is the only one there, and I hope that you won't…"

"I won't give it away," said Buffy turning towards Dawn, "but I think Dawn would want to thank you, and Xander's kinda excited to chat with you."

"Maybe another time," smiled Barry, "listen, I'm not familiar with all this magic stuff and… I mean, I guess both Willow and Tara are, so… so can you ask them if they can help me get home?"

"I'll ask," replied Buffy nodding her head while wondering what she'd do if the situation was reversed, "I guess you have people waiting."

"Family," muttered Barry as he nodded his head, "I mean, it's always family, you know."

"I know," whispered Buffy while looking at Dawn excitedly describing catching a blurred glimpse of all the cities they had run through.

"Call me if you need anything, Buffy," said Barry before saying 'goodbye' and then disconnecting the call. He then sped off towards Santa Barbara for a patrol, and then around Los Angeles where he stopped a mugging here and there, a few car chases by the police, and a few robberies, before he did a round in Sunnydale where he stopped two muggers and delivered them to the police station before getting back to his camp in the desert.

Taking off his cowl, Barry sat down before starting a fire, and then looking up at the clear blue sky. His mind wandered off to Iris, and hoped that she was doing alright; while hoping that Cisco was doing everything he could to find and then return him home.

He so wanted to go home.

While Barry was sitting under open sky eating from a can, Buffy and the others had already gone back into the house where she told them that The flash left her a phone as a way to contact him should there be any trouble. Giles nodded his head, and said that he could be a great ally for Buffy. However the Slayer told Giles what she had told the Flash, that she was the one with the responsibility to protect people against the supernatural, and that he should take care of the human crime.

"Which is where the phone comes in," said Xander motioning at Buffy, who nodded her head, "can I.. you know… borrow it, or.."

"Xander," Buffy chuckled while shaking her head, "no."

"Come on, Buff," said Xander motioning at all of them with his hands, "you guys got to hang out."

"We were under attack, Xander," said Willow with a smirk before she shrugged, "not exactly 'hanging out', and you were working."

Xander narrowed his eyes at his best friend, who then stuck her tongue out at him before chuckling. Xander then turned back to Buffy again and asked if she knew who he really was. Buffy remained silent on that issue, she had her hand in her pocket… brushing her finger along the phone and wondering if she should ask Willow if she could try and trace the signal if she made a call to the Flash. Buffy remembered her doubts about the Speedster; she remembered thinking that he was a demon from another dimension… but she couldn't forget the decision he made to prevent Glory from using Dawn to open a doorway. Buffy knew that there was nothing she could have done to stop him from taking Dawn away, along with Glory, and then opening a doorway. However she mentally corrected herself while Willow and the others were still talking among themselves, she could have stopped Flash with Willow and Tara's magic… it would have taken some time, but she was sure that Willow and Tara would have been able to slow him down.

'But he didn't do anything to Dawn, and he had every chance,' thought Buffy as she glanced at her sister before looking back at the carpet while still brushing her fingers on the phone's surface, 'in fact he protected her and mom by getting them away from Sunnydale, and danger. I can't forget that.'

"I don't know who he is," Buffy said in answer to Xander's question about the Flash's real identity, "all I know is that he helped me save mom and Dawn, and that's all I need to know. Tara, Willow… he asked me to ask you if there's a way to get him home. He did hear you guys talking about sending Olaf away, so…"

"We sent Olaf somewhere where the planet is full of trolls, Buffy," said Willow while Anya nodded her head, "we figured he'd be home there."

"A targeted spell like what we want to do for Flash is nearly impossible," said Anya, "I can't even imagine where to begin. The multiverse is infinite, searching for one world among all of that? I don't know."

"Can you guys try?" asked Buffy as she leaned forward.

"You want him to leave?" asked Dawn, "what if Glory and her…"

"They're not coming back," assured Buffy as she looked at her sister, "I promise, Dawnie… she and her minions will never harm you again."

It would be a day later that Buffy had to eat those words. Dawn was still in danger as the Knights of Byzantium surrounded their home late in the afternoon, with a lot of the neighbours believing that it was a scene from a movie with at least fifty armoured men on horseback surround the small house, as well as more men with armour and swords in their hands as they surrounded the house. Willow put up a magical shield around the house, one which Tara used her magic to reinforce while Buffy walked out of the front door, already having told everyone to stay in the house, and onto the walkway. She stopped just before the magical shield, and glared at one of the armoured men with a tattoo on his forehead.

"Get out," said Buffy, her hand in her pocket, while she glared at him, and then at the other knights surrounding the shield while three men in brown cloaks were brought to the edge of the shield. She heard the three of them saying that the witches had no chance against God, and then raised their hands and started to pray. Buffy then turned her attention back to the man with the tattoo, who had his head tilted while looking at her, and she repeated herself, "if you're the leader, then get out. If you're not the leader, then still… get out."

"I am General Gregor, leader of the Knights of Byzantium," said the man in armour, flanked by two other knights, "and we know that you protect the Key. We know, thanks to one of our brothers who had come across it a few days ago, that the Key was formed into a human being and brought under your protection. Bring her out, surrender her to us."

"She is an innocent," said Buffy as Joyce stood at the doorway. Gregor caught sight of her, and told Joyce that Dawn was never supposed to be real, that she was a danger to the world. He then said that they would soon forget about her once she, the Key, was destroyed.

"The Beast cannot be allowed to have the Key," said Gregor.

"If you mean Glory," said Buffy, "she's dead."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Gregor as he glared at Buffy, "this is a distraction, and…"

"The human host is dead," said Buffy while she took out her phone discretely, "you can check on it. The morgue should have his body, her host's name is Ben Wilkinson. You guys can do that, can't you?"

"You can't have…" said Gregor surprised. He then shook his head and told Buffy that the Key was still a danger, and it needed to be destroyed.

"When was it supposed to be used," asked Buffy, "the Key, when is it supposed to be used?"

"It does not matter," said Gregor shaking his head, "whether or not the Beast is really dead, the Knight's duty is the destruction of the Key. I am only sorry that the monks made it into human form."

"She's innocent," exclaimed Joyce, overhearing everything as she walked towards Buffy, "you're not going to take her."

"I have an army," said Gregor as he looked at Joyce, and then at Buffy, "you are the Slayer, you realize what's at stake for the safety of this world. And even if you refuse, even though I know we are fighting on the same side, our duty is to kill anyone and thing protecting the Key. It is…"

"You're talking about a human life!" hissed Buffy as she pressed a button on the phone and then brought it to her ear. She knew there was no chance she could take on all of the knights, and there was no way she was involving the Council in this fight. The Knights knew who Dawn really was, and they could inform the Council if they were called, and thus bringing Buffy into a war with two fronts. It was something she wasn't ready for, so she had no choice.

"Hey," said Buffy into the phone while she glared at Gregor, "remember I said that you could handle the human stuff in the city? Yeah, well…. got some Monty Python rejects surrounding my house. Yea… they're after Dawn. They're gonna keep coming after her. You think you... ah… two minutes? See ya. Oh, oh, there's a shield around the house and… yea, that's right… a shield. A real life magical shield. Yeap… I'll call them… cool… see ya."

"What are you….?" asked Gregor as Buffy put up a hand and dialled another number, Gregor was trying to interfere again when Buffy told him to stay silent.

"I'm on the phone," said Buffy as she brought the phone to her ear while Dawn, Xander and the others stood out on the porch as the Knights began attacking the shield. When the phone connected to the number she dialled, Buffy spoke, "yes, I have an emergency. My address is 1630 Revello Drive, and I have, like, sixty to seventy naked men just dancing on the street."

Gregor and Joyce turned to Buffy confused as she told the 911 operator that they were harassing her, her family, and her friends, "and my sister's like sixteen. I mean, these guys are from a gang or something. Some cult called the Knight of Byzantium and…. this is like sexual harassment for her… they're just here naked, you know? So can you send someone… now? Ok, cool."

"What have you done?" asked Gregor as he looked on confused, "you.. you think magic tricks can stop us, or…"

"Nothing magic," said Buffy, "just called a friend."

Buffy then held onto a confused Joyce, and then turned and walked back towards the porch. But not before stopping halfway, turning around, and then telling Gregor that she warned the Knights to leave them alone. Buffy turned back with her mother, and then walked onto the porch… with Xander and Giles asking what just happened. Tara looked at the smile on Buffy's face before she turned and then leaned against one of the porch columns, and waved at Gregor who was looking around at all the knights. The expression n his face was that of extreme confusion, before looking back at Buffy.

"You are putting the world in danger," said Gregor.

"And in one and a half minutes, you people will be placed on the Sex Offenders Database," whispered Buffy.

"Buffy?" asked Willow.

"Buffy?" asked Joyce, "who did you call?"

Buffy simply smiled while looking at her wristwatch. It was a minute later that everyone heard the sound of thunder, followed by yellow lighting swirling around all of the knights and the horses. The Scoobies saw the lighting toss the weapons onto the street. The lightning then made its way around all of the Knights that surrounded the house once again. Dawn smiled at the Flash, who stopped right at the edge of the shield, and pressed his palms forward until they reached the shield, which flared orange.

"Dawnie," said Buffy looking over her shoulder, "get back into the house, you really don't wanna see what happens next."

"But…."

"Mom," said Buffy at Joyce, "trust me, take Dawn into the house, please?"

"Come on, Honey," said Joyce gently as she placed her hands on Dawn's shoulders. They were about to turn and head into the house when Barry stopped.

"This is so cool!" cried Barry in his disguised voice while Buffy nodded her head at him. She told him that Willow and Tara have something to tell him, but he needed to leave for now since the police were called. Barry nodded and waved at her just as all the knights armour fell onto the road.

"Oh" said Joyce.

"My" continued Xander.

"Lord," Giles completed while staring at the mixture of nude and briefs wearing knights just as the Flash zoomed away.

"Ewwwww," cried Willow as she turned away from the sight before he and placed her hands over her eyes, "my eyes! My eyes!"

Anya just stared curiously while Xander, Giles, and Joyce turned the stunned Dawn around. As for Tara, she looked away while saying that she had something to do in the house. As for Buffy, she glared at the panicking Gregor who was bending down to pick up pieces of his armour to hide his modesty, and told him to stay away from her family.

"You come after Dawn, there'll be more than this," she hissed just as sirens rang from the distance. Buffy and the others walked back into the house, and closed the door behind them. Some of the knights ran off, and were immediately arrested, while some who had picked up their weapons, including Gregor, were either shot or Tasered as they ran towards the police. Some did take off in horseback, and they were the ones who would later be taken by Barry to the Police Station. It was later that night, once everyone in the house had made their statements, including Dawn, that Barry returned.

"They won't bother you again," he said as he looked at Dawn, "sorry if you saw something you weren't supposed to."

"I saw a lot of…"

"Dawn."

"Sorry, mom," said Dawn.

"Willow and Tara have something for you," said Buffy as Barry, in his uniform, looked at her with hope in his eyes, "I'm sorry, it's not good."

STAR Labs, Earth One, the next day, 0920 hours.

Nearly six days had passed in Sunnydale, with Barry moving into an apartment in Sunnydale and having to start teaching the next day. That was the day that Barry walked into his class, and looked at the students behind their workstations at the science lab.. Barry caught sight of Dawn, who grinned at the young man, before he walked to his desk and placed his bag down.

"Hey," said Barry with his hands in his pockets while looking around at his students, "my name is Barry Allen, and I'll be your new science teacher."

In the meantime, on Earth One, a day had passed where Caitlin, Joe, and Cisco were waiting at one of the entrances to STAR Labs. They were watching a car driving through the gate while Joe was asking Cisco if they had managed to speak to Dr. Tina McGee about working at STAR Labs since Mercury Labs was destroyed in the Meta Human attack eight days ago. Caitlin said that Tina was interested in working at STAR Labs, especially since Wells had returned to his Earth; and with Barry gone.. she felt that she could help find him and bring him back.

Joe nodded his head when Cisco said that she was going to come in tomorrow. They then turned towards the car which stopped in front of them, the doors opening to reveal Oliver, Felicity, Detective Lance, who was in the drivers seat, and finally, Thea stepping out of the car. Felicity gave a small smile before rushing forward and giving Caitlin, then Joe, and Cisco a tight hug.

"Any other news about Barry?" asked Oliver as he shook Joe's hand.

"I looked through a few more Earths this morning," replied Cisco shaking his head while Joe and Caitlin welcomed Detective Lance and Thea to Central City, "but still no dice."

"I was thinking," said Oliver as he stepped back while Felicity looked at them with sadness in her eyes, especially when she looked at the building behind them and imagined Barry suddenly running out and welcoming them. She was hopeful that his disappearance was just a very bad joke.. and she was going to slap him on the back of his head when he comes back. However, there was a part of her that knew he was really gone from this Earth; that he was probably trapped on another Earth, and images flowed in her mind of the Flash being tortured. Shaking her head while she listened to Oliver continuing to speak, she heard Caitlin welcoming Thea and Detective Lance to the City, "I may know someone who can help but… he uses a different way to… well… let's just say he's unique."

"Unique?" asked Joe, "you do realize we deal with Meta-humans."

"What my brother is trying to say," said Thea as she put her hands into her coat as a breeze went by, "that this guy is kind of an expert on magic."

"Magic?" asked Caitlin, "as in Damien Darhk magic?"

"Magic as in 'he was able to restore Sara's soul after being resurrected using the Lazarus Pit' magic," explained Felicity, "yeah… he was the one who did that. Yeah, Sara didn't exactly return with her soul."

"I was there the day she was restored," added Thea much to the amazement of team Flash, "and yes, the pit is really called that."

"Anyway," said Oliver dryly, "I've tried to reach out to him, but a friend of a mutual friend called to say he's in hell."

"Ok," asked Joe as his voice trailed off, "you mean hell as in…."

"The real deal," said Felicity her hands waving all over the place, "you know… fiery pit and all… yeah…"

"No-one's sure when he'll be back," said Oliver turning to Cisco, "but maybe he could help you search for Barry."

"At this moment," said Cisco, "we'll try anything, no matter how it sounds, to find Barry."

"Before we continue," said Detective Lance, "why am I needed here?"

"Cisco," asked Oliver, "what's going on?"

"Where's Sara?" asked Caitlin noticing that the youngest Lance daughter wasn't around. Oliver didn't know if Team Flash were aware of Rip Hunter collecting Ray, Sarah, Captain Cold, Heat wave, and Firestorm to travel through time so that they could stop Vandal Savage; so all he told them was that she was off on a mission and was unreachable.

"Alright," said Joe before nodding at Cisco and Caitlin. He then turned towards Team Arrow, and asked them to follow him and the others back into the building behind them. As they walked through the hallways, Cisco was telling them about the battle with Zoom and about the Meta-apocalypse – Meta-humans from Earth-Two wrecking havoc in Central City eight days ago. Thea nodded her head, saying she heard about it.. but only after the near disaster with Damien Darhk; leading to Oliver apologizing for not being able to make it due to Team Arrow starting to fix the damage caused by Darhk and his minions on the city.

"It was tough having all these super-powered people from another Earth nearly tear down the city," said Joe as they approached the hallway leading to the pipeline. They walked onto the ramp that led to a closed door, and stopped. Oliver knew what was behind the door, a prison where the most dangerous Meta-humans were being locked up while the rest were in specially designed cells in Iron Heights Prison; he knew it was a miracle that the meta-humans weren't released during the riot that released Damien Darhk, if they were.. then it was highly likely there would have been more deaths. But there was a part of him that hoped they did escape, because if they did, then STAR Labs would have gotten a warning and Barry would have been there to save Laurel when he, Thea, and Diggle could not. Shaking his head, he looked at Thea while listening intently to Cisco describing the pipe-line, and that some of the more dangerous Earth Two meta-humans were being held there.

"Without due process?" asked Detective Lance as he stared questioningly at Joe. The Central City detective told Detective Lance that these Meta's were highly dangerous; that one could teleport away before she could be even given a trial, another one was able to turn into a gaseous state and kill, while there was another meta human that collapsed two buildings, and in turn killing two hundred people, and injuring several others.

"You remember what happened to Mercury Labs?" asked Cisco.

"It collapsed," replied Oliver while Cisco walked over to a screen on the right wall and pressed on the screen.

"A meta-human used a scream to level the building," said Caitlin as Cisco pressed his palm on the screen, and the door started to open.

"A scream," asked Oliver in disbelief. The man hoped that he was wrong, Barry had told him about Earth Two, about how they had doppelgangers on that Earth who were the evil versions of themselves; Caitlin was Killer Frost, Firestorm was Deathstorm, Cisco was Reverb, and so on. So when Caitlin mentioned that a building was brought down by a scream, Oliver's mind clicked into place the reason that Team Flash needed the Lances in STAR Labs, why they wanted Thea to know what she was getting into since the most dangerous Meat-humans would be held in the pipeline to protect the public. Oliver looked at Detective Lance, who was just behind him, as the door opened, and he watched him take a step back in shock. He then glanced at Thea and Felicity who had their hands over their mouths stifling the gasps that escaped, and that was how Oliver knew. He turned towards the cell as Joe rushed passed him and held onto Detective Lance who was holding onto the wall while grasping his chest at the sight before him.

A woman wearing an all black outfit smirking at all of them.

"No," said Felicity shaking her eyes, tears in her eyes.

"H.. how?" asked Thea as she glared at Cisco and Caitlin, and then she turned to her brother whose face was emotionless. But his eyes and fists gave away what he was really feeling; he was angry. But before she could say anything, Oliver was the one who spoke first.

"Who are you?" he asked while looking at the woman in black. He was telling himself that this wasn't his Laurel Lance; he kept on repeating that while being engaged at how cruel the universe was being at that moment.

"What.. what are you saying?" asked Detective Lance as he, enraged, jerked away from Joe and strode towards the smirking young woman behind the glass cell, "it's Laurel… get her out of there now!"

"Detective," growled Oliver as he looked at the anger in the man's eyes, "that is not Laurel."

"What are you saying?" asked Thea as she approached the screen on the wall, looking for a way to open the cell door, just as Caitlin placed her hand on the female archer's shoulder and asked her to calm down, "this.. this is… why?! Get her out, and…"

"Daddy," screamed Laurel as she slammed her fists against the cell. The thuds of her fists banging on the glass getting attention of the group, "help me! Get me out of here!"

"Get her out!" screamed Detective Lance as he pointed at Cisco, "get her out now, or…"

"Daddy!" screamed Laurel her face twisted in fear, although internally she was laughing at the doppelganger of her father, "I.. I was brought back. I don't remember how… just… please! Help me, Daddy!"

Oliver heard everyone speaking over the others, all wanting to be heard at the same time with Team Arrow demanding that Laurel be let out.. that how could they do this to a friend; while Team Flash was saying that this wasn't their Laurel. Not the one that they knew and loved.

"Shut up!" screamed Oliver as he looked around at everyone, and then glared at Laurel again. He could see right through her deception; he had seen those eyes before on Deathstroke and all the others who harmed his friends and family.

"That is not Laurel," reiterated Joe as he held back Detective Lance, "not the one you know."

"She's a poor imitation," said Cisco at Thea before looking back at Laurel whose fearful face turned to a smirk, and then a smile.

"Daddy dearest," said Laurel, "hi."

"Laurel?" said Detective Lance as his voice slightly broke.

"Who are you?" asked Oliver his hands rolled into fists.

"Ollie, Ollie, Ollie," said Laurel shaking her head, "I see you're still alive. You're just lucky that I didn't come to Starling once I arrived on this Earth. I would have ripped your throat out for what you did with my sister before you died."

"Oli?" asked Thea, "what's going on?"

"Meet Black Siren," said Caitlin as she glared at the menacing smile on Laurel's face, "a Meta-human from Earth Two… the one who used her powers to cause the buildings to collapse."

"Oh dear God," said Felicity.

"You… I don't know," said Laurel while tilting her head at Felicity, and then at Thea, "hello Thea, did you know that your father's alive on my Earth. Let me go? And I'll force them to…"

"Shut up," said Thea in disbelief while shaking her head.

"Laurel," said Detective Lance as he gently pushed away Joe, and walked towards the opening to the inside of the Pipe line, "why.. why are you… what happened?"

"I'm not going to tell you my life story, daddy," Lauren hissed the word 'daddy' causing a stabbing pain in Detective Lance's chest, "how about you tell me how the little birdie died? Were you there? Or did you miss it? How about you Oliver? You see the Birdie-Canary die?"

"She.. she's going to here the entire time?" asked Thea softly while she stared at Laurel.

"I not going anywhere, little princess," mocked Laurel while she stared at Thea, and then a smile formed, "you planning to visit me every day? Aww… that's real sweet."

"Close it off," demanded Oliver as he and Laurel stared at each other "close it up, now".

"You were the start, Ollie!" screamed Laurel as she slammed her fists on the glass before jumping back and releasing a sonic scream. The scream was absorbed by the cell, and then laurel slammed her hand against the glass cell door while the pipeline doorway slid slowly down, "you made me fall! Face me! You're the reason I exist! FACE ME, Ollie! FACE ME! I will get out of here and do what I should have done! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

With the door sliding shut, Laurel's voice vanished as her cell retreated back into the particle accelerator housing.

'Yeah," Cisco answered Thea's question as he turned around, before whispering, "we wanted you to know everything before you made a decision."

"There… there has to be something…" begged Detective Lance.

"Were you guys going to hide her from us?" asked a stunned Felicity as she looked at Team Flash, "even Barry was involved in hiding her?"

"All of us agreed," said Caitlin as she approached Felicity, "she's not our Laurel, Felicity. Our Lauren was light, she was love, she was brave. Black Siren in the opposite… she's everything that our Laurel was not."

"Thea," said Oliver as he looked at his stunned sister, "this is your decision."

"On one condition," said Thea looking at her brother, and then at Cisco and the others, "I get to talk to Lau… Black Siren. I have to believe she's not beyond redemption, I… I have to."

"But only from the Cortex," said Joe, and Thea nodded her head in agreement.

"And… and I'd like to talk to her too," whispered Detective Lance, "please."

"From the Cortex, detective," said Joe gently.

"Cisco," whispered Oliver, his voice suddenly sounding tired, "maybe… maybe we could have some coffee before… before we continue?"

"Yeah," agreed Cisco, "umm… this way."

TBC