Pre-Chapter Note: Before you begin reading the chapter, I need to get something off my chest. One of my biggest pet peeves is a reader trying to tell me what to write. I hate it, and I'm pretty sure other writers hate it too. For the record, this is a hobby and I'm writing this for my own enjoyment — I'm sharing it with all of you because I want to, not because I have to. After all, I'm not getting paid for this.

Now, in the last chapter, a few people complained about me making this a Villain!Felicity story. In no way did I ever suggest this. Felicity is not tagged as a character in any way on the AO3 version or the FFN version (the only reference to her is the 'No Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak' tag on AO3), and I didn't reference what happened to Felicity in the notes. The whole thing about her getting arrested was just a way to write her out and to show that Laurel being on the Gambit has caused serious changes to canon. She's only got one more appearance in the story before she's gone completely. As for the comments the other characters made about her, those were just jabs on how she acted in the later seasons of the show, and at her first meeting with Walter in Season 1. If you rewatch that scene, Felicity made that same exact claim about being essential to QC's success when meeting Walter under the assumption she was going to be fired. Normally, making a comment like that would be enough to fire you anyway.

Yet one particular commenter assumed that I was 'punishing her' and tried to convince me to insert some kind of redemption arc for her because they liked the character. Well, I don't, and I'm not going to change my plans just because you didn't like what happened to her in my story. I guess I'm being really particular about this, but this really annoyed me and I don't want it to happen again.

Besides, even if Felicity were to become a bigger character in this AU, it's highly unlikely it would be as a villain. Laurel isn't the reason she got arrested — Felicity's dad is the reason she got arrested. He's the one who sold her out to lessen his sentence, and the only reason he was in a position to do that was because he was using her program to rob banks. It doesn't matter who caught him because Noah was going to sell Felicity down the river either way. So if Felicity was going to hate anyone, it would be him.

Alright. Now that's done, onto the chapter.

Central City

Central City was a vibrant midwestern city that has been serving as the main hub of America's ever-growing scientific and technological development. Several of the most brilliant minds in the world made their home in this city, among them Harrison Wells, Tina McGee, and many more. Some even called it the Science Capital of the World.

But to best friends Barry Allen and Iris West, it was simply their home. The two had grown up in Central City all their lives, through the best and worst of times. Neither could ever imagine living anywhere else.

Which was rather unfortunate, as Central City had a rather high crime rate.

"Hurry up!"

"We are, we are!" Barry shouted back, hand stretched outwardly in a defensive gesture as Iris hurriedly rummaged through her purse for her wallet. The shining barrel of a gun was directed at them, and the prospective CSI tried his best not to shiver at the sight.

God, how had tonight gone so wrong? Just several minutes ago, Iris and he had been exiting the movie theater, discussing the latest Marvel film that had come out. With Captain America: The First Avenger finally on the books, that meant all the major players were established for the upcoming Avengers movie. He had been waxing on about all the craziness that might happen in the movie, who the villain might be, when this guy with ragged hair and a nasty expression on his face had shown up in front of them, out of the blue, pointing a gun and demanding money.

Barry had already given him his wallet, which just left Iris's. But considering how nervously she was rifling through her purse, the mugger might just cut his losses and take the entire thing with him. He knew she had some pepper spray in there — was she debating whether or not to use it?

"Alright, that's it!"

It seemed like Barry was an oracle. The mugger did exactly that, releasing a groan as he nabbed Iris's purse out of her hands. "Hey!" Iris shouted, only to hiss and back off when the gun was again leveled at her.

"Don't follow me," the mugger ordered, and turned around to leave…

…only to be sent hurtling back by an unexpected force. The best friends blinked as their attacker landed on the ground with a loud splat!, moaning in pain. A woman with platinum blonde hair came into view, dressed in a skin-tight black and yellow suit and wearing a mask on her face. It took them a second for both of them to recognize her: the Black Canary.

Black Canary didn't pay much attention to them at first, instead concerned with kicking their attacker in the head and knocking him out. She picked up their things along with the gun, dismantling the weapon and tossing away its parts in a nearby dumpster before handing them back their wallet and purse, respectively. "You two make a cute couple," she noted, tilting her head.

Almost immediately, Barry and Iris had a collective blush. "Oh no," Barry rushed in. "We're not a couple."

"Just best friends," Iris added.

That didn't discourage the vigilante at all. Instead, it made her smile. "Those tend to make the best kinds of relationships," Black Canary told them. She gave one last glance to the mugger, before drawing out her grappling hook. "You better call the police to pick this guy up. Stay safe."

With that, she launched the grappling hook and zipped up to the nearest roof. Her two rescuees watched her sail upwards in awe.

"Did that really just happen?" Barry wondered.

"Yeah, Bar," Iris replied, clutching her purse to her chest. "It did."

"Sorry boys," Laurel declared as she finished tying up a pair of thieves who had just been in the process of committing armed robbery when she got involved. According to the files Babs sent over, they were Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, two career criminals who had prominent reputations in Central City's local criminal underground. She had been tracking them ever since arriving in the city, having heard rumors of their latest heist and wanting to shut it down before heading on her way. "Better luck next time."

Rory tried to swear at her, not that he could with his mouth gagged. By comparison, Snart was far more composed, and Laurel would dare say she saw a hint of respect in his eyes. When she went to leave, she gave them a wave goodbye on the way out, one that Snart returned with a nod. Meanwhile, Rory just tried to swear louder as he futilely struggled to get out of his bonds.

Laurel was already several blocks down the streets by the time the sounds of police sirens neared the bank. She was heading south, towards the direction of her temporary base. About two weeks since her arrival to Central City, she only had a few more days left here before she would have to leave for the next city on the list. It had been several months since Black Canary had become a nationally-known entity, and she had been slowly combing her way through the country, going east to west, but never staying in one place for too long. The risk was too great.

That being said, traveling had been good for her. Laurel had a few vacations here or there, and of course, there was her time in the League, but never really lived 'life on the road', so to speak. It was a refreshing experience — she got to see other parts of the country, experience life from a different perspective than what she was used to, and meet all sorts of different people. And help them as well. Children, the elderly, the poor, the disabled — even the wealthy. It seemed it didn't matter where you fell on the socioeconomic strata. All were troubled by society's ills.

It made her scowl just thinking about it. If there was one consistent theme, it was that the powerful loved taking advantage of the weak. Corporations stepping down on local farmers and small businesses, corrupt executives and managers abusing immigrant workers, and biker gangs harassing poor towns with ill-equipped law enforcement, it was all the same in the end. Most of the time, she dealt with blue-collar crime, but sometimes there was a white-collar crime too great to ignore. It was just so easy to overlook since the damage it caused was so subtle, less obvious, yet omnipresent. Laurel wished she could tackle more of it, but she simply didn't have the time anymore. She had to be back in Starling by the date Bruce and her decided on, or else she would never get anything done. She was only one person, after all.

Finally, she made it to her base. Laurel changed out of her suit and back into her civvies, removing her wig and putting her blue contacts back in. She was opting for light brunette for her hair this time around, making her appearance look a touch like it was before the Gambit, but different enough to make anyone who might recognize her overlook her at a distant glance. Once she left Central, she would have to change it up again.

For now, it was time to head back to her safe house. She had a nice, warm bed waiting for her.

Starling City

"Okay, this is it," Oliver said, holding the fateful letter in his hands. All around him were his closest loved ones — his mother and sister, and his two best friends — along with his mentor Walter Steele. "My first choice." He picked up the letter cutter, plugged it into the top of the envelope, and sliced through.

Once he had a solid opening, he pulled out the letter and began to read. His eyes slowly widened with each word he read, and after he was done, he slowly lowered the letter, mouth slightly agape, staring into nothing. "Well?" Thea prompted, looking about as eager as everyone else.

"…I got in."

There was a brief moment of silence as those words sunk in, and then a collective cheer. Oliver was nearly bowled over as his little sister threw her arms around him, yelling joyfully and a little incoherently. Tommy and Sara were giving him congratulatory slaps while his mother kissed him on the cheek. Even Walter had forgone British propriety in favor of squeezing his shoulder in a proud, almost fatherly gesture.

Oliver himself accepted their praise with grace, a smile slowly crossing his face as the realization sunk in. He got in… he got in! The Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington wasn't quite Harvard or Stanford, but it was still a relatively prestigious school with its own fair share of famous alumni. And more importantly, it was close enough to Starling that he didn't have to move.

"I'm proud of you sweetheart," Moira said, curling an arm around her son and giving him another kiss on the cheek. "Not only are you graduating from college, you're starting on your master's! Oh, if only your father were here."

"Indeed, Moira," Walter concurred. "Wherever he is up there, I'm sure Robert is over the moon."

He adopted a more thoughtful look. "In fact, perhaps this is a sign that it's time for you to join the company officially, Oliver. Nothing big, of course, like leading an entire division, but perhaps a small management position will help you get your feet wet for when it's time for you to fully immerse yourself into the corporate world."

The younger man rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, Walter. I'll consider it once I get a better idea of what my schedule will be." His mentor nodded at that, pleased with the response.

"You suck, Ollie," Tommy mock-complained. "Now that you're graduating from college and going for your Masters, my own dad is definitely going to get on my case about being more responsible and stuff again."

Sara jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Knock it off, Tommy, and tell him how proud you are," she chided lately. She turned to Oliver herself and gave him her own small smile. "Congrats, Ollie. I'm sure if Laurel were here she'd say the same."

Oliver smiled back. Sara had been a little down ever since her breakup with Alex a few months ago. The support of her friends and family after finally coming out as bisexual had prevented the worst, but there was still a slight air of sorrow surrounding her. He was sure that with more time she'd be back to her old self, but for now, her smiles were rare and precious.

The celebration continued on for the rest of the morning and through lunch. After the meal, the group dispersed, with Sara, Tommy, and Walter all preparing to leave. As they were saying their goodbyes, Oliver found a moment to himself next to the family pictures. He glanced at them, zeroing in on a picture of his father, before taking out his wallet to look at his own personal picture of Laurel. The one she gave him before she went on that boat.

He sighed. "Well, Dad, Laurel, it looks like I'm finally growing up. I'm sure that wherever the two of you are, you're probably saying that it's about time," Oliver joked to himself, giving a bittersweet chuckle.

The following day, he headed down to Starling University to pick up some last-minute paperwork. Now that his application to graduate school had been accepted, it was time to begin the actual enrollment process. Transcripts, theses, financial documents — he wanted to cover all his bases.

It wasn't until he was exiting the admissions office that the trip went awry. Oliver was walking past the gates, near a group of students. Or so it seemed — one of them broke off and started calling out his name. "Hey, hey!"

Oliver sighed and turned around. "Yes?"

It was a young man with brunette hair, a few years his junior. He was scowling. "You're Oliver Queen, right? Do you know who I am?"

"Should I?"

"Name's Teddy Reston," Teddy introduced himself. He was glaring at Oliver. "My dad used to work at your company's old steel mill before yours shut it down."

Oh. "Well, I'm sorry for that, but what does that have to do with me?"

His accuser stared at him for a long time before bursting into mirthless laughter. "What does it have to do with you? What does it have to do with you?" Teddy threw his hands into the air in a helpless gesture. "It has everything to do with you! Where else did you get the money to flunk out of college for four years before finally getting your act together? Meanwhile, I had top marks and a scholarship but was forced to drop out because my family could no longer afford tuition, thanks to your dad swindling mine and the rest of his coworkers out of their rightful compensation! The same compensation you're probably wining and dining on right now!"

Wait, what? "No," Oliver immediately denied. "There's no way my father would ever do something like that."

That was the wrong thing to say. Teddy snarled at that statement before trying to throw himself at him, only to be restrained by campus security and pulled away. Their little confrontation had attracted a crowd, and someone had sensed the possibility of violence and had called in the appropriate authorities.

Even so, Oliver was shaken. His mind was elsewhere, even as he gave his statement to the police and was sent along his way. As he slid into his car, only one thought crossed his mind.

Walter. I need to talk to Walter.

Elsewhere…

Laurel peered out the window of the sleeper bus she was riding in, watching the city concrete gradually bleed into a forest with each passing second. She had once again mixed up her appearance, going for black hair and black eyes and decidedly gothic-like makeup — from nondescript to distinct and distracting, and completely separate from the Dinah Laurel Lance her loved ones knew. The bus was leaving Central City behind and heading to her next chosen destination: the Windy City, better known as Chicago.

Having already passed through most of the east coast, she was closing in on finishing the Midwest before heading down south. After the south was the west, where she would work her way up to Starling. The current plan was that she wouldn't make an appearance in her hometown just yet. Instead, she'd hook up with Selina and trade places with her before heading back to Lian Yu to stay there for three months and sell the castaway story. The older woman had owed them a favor and had agreed to fill in as Black Canary, making appearances in Starling to further divorce the idea of Laurel being her vigilante alter-ego.

It was an efficient little plan, and Laurel felt her chest tighten like it always did whenever she thought of it. Just six or so more months, and she'd be home. Her family, her friends, Ollie… she'd see all of them for the first time in five years. How would they react when they saw her again, when they learned she was alive? Would they see past her walls and find the old her, or someone they no longer recognized? Laurel was prepared for rejection, even though she knew that, intellectually, it was unlikely to happen.

Just as night was beginning to fall and they were closing in on Chicago, she felt a buzz in her pocket. Laurel took out her burner to find that Bruce had texted her, instructing her to contact him once she arrived in the city. She didn't even bother wondering how he knew where she was going. Bruce was going to be Bruce, after all. It was his way of showing that he cared.

The bus pulled into Chicago not long after. Laurel got off the bus and hailed a cab, having it drop her off near the safe house. Once she was fully settled in, she took out her newest burner (the old one shattered by her boot and tossed it into a dumpster next to the bus station) and called a number that she knew by heart. "Hey, B. How's Gotham doing?"

"We have intel for you," Bruce replied, never one to beat around the bush. "The Penguin has been getting weapons shipments overseas, and one of his usual dealers is currently in Chicago, plying his trade."

Laurel rolled her eyes. "You want me to take him down."

"Yes. But not just that. There's something else, something important to you."

"What is it?" the younger vigilante asked, frowning.

"He's on the List," her mentor answered, causing her to gasp. "Leo Mueller, a German arms dealer. This is your chance, Laurel — if you can get him to talk, then maybe you can find out more about the List. Where it came from, who possibly authored it. It would be invaluable information for when it's time for you to return to Starling."

Indeed, it would be. She would have a starting point to get to the bottom of the conspiracy, rather than just running through one name after the other hoping to shake something loose from the tree. Whatever they were planning, if they were planning something, she'd be able to stop before it could get off the ground — provided it hadn't already gone down.

"Thanks, Bruce," Laurel said. "Talk to you soon?"

His response was to hang up the call, to her complete non-surprise. Laurel rolled her eyes again, setting the burner down on the nearby table. Typical Batman.

She went to sleep not long after that, deciding that Black Canary could make her debut in Chicago the following night. The next day was spent stocking up the fridge with fresh food and taking in some of the sights, trying to get a feel of the city. Laurel allowed herself a short training session, followed by another long nap, before suiting up. When she was done, she found an address in another text from Bruce and memorized it.

Alright, Chicago, Laurel thought to herself as she climbed out her window and to the roof. Here I come.

A little shorter than usual, but I'm just setting the scene for the rest of this year. I've got a lot of fun stuff planned, including a new character that I've been waiting to write for this story and who's going to play a pivotal part throughout not just this year, but all three seasons after. They'll make their debut next chapter, and boy, is it going to be fun.

Next Chapter: Laurel takes on Chicago.