Chapter 28

An Unexpected Calling

"The purpose of life is to find your mission and fulfill it"

-Mother Teresa


When Katie pulled up to the address, she let out a sigh as she stepped out of her car. At the sound of footsteps, she turned to see Nyssa and Thea, both changed and walking toward her.

"You're late," Nyssa remarked, and Katie rolled her eyes.

"You do know my husband is the Mayor, right?" Katie said, gesturing to the bar. "If someone sees me in there…"

"Trust me, no one will care about your husband in there," Nyssa replied, moving past her to head inside.

Katie took a step forward, but Thea quickly grabbed her hand.

"If she keeps it up, I won't be practicing restraint," Katie muttered, nodding toward the entrance. "Let's do this."

Inside the bar, they noticed the patrons were all women. Thea glanced around before turning back to Nyssa.

"Now I see why you didn't want the boys to come," Thea whispered.

"That's Tigressa," Nyssa said, looking across the bar at a caramel-skinned woman with a row of shots lined up in front of her.

"Looks like the only thing she knows how to kill is vodka," Thea quipped before glancing at Katie, who was scanning the room. "Did you know her too?"

"No," Katie replied.

"Tigressa has over 200 confirmed kills, one of them being her own brother because he met her quota," Nyssa explained, walking over to greet the woman.

Thea grabbed Katie's hand, tugging her along. "You need to calm down," Thea muttered. "No one's going to jump out and grab me in the middle of this bar."

"I've seen stranger things," Katie replied as they reached the table.

"Al Ghul, I should take your hand for what you did to Al Sa-Her," Tigressa said, staring down at her drinks, tracing the rim of her glass with a finger.

"I never understood your affection for Merlyn, Tigressa, but I always respected it," Nyssa replied, nodding toward Thea. "This is his—"

"Spawn. You think I wouldn't recognize Malcolm's own blood?" Tigressa interrupted, her eyes flicking to Thea before settling on Katie. "Or the blood of your cousin, Nura."

"Nura is dead," Katie replied firmly. "Now that the greetings are out of the way, how about we get to why we're here?"

Tigressa's attention returned to Thea. "Your father had much faith in you."

"Yeah, well, with that new League he created running around, I can't say the same for him," Thea replied dryly.

"So you've met Athena. She's not the leader your father desired," Tigressa glanced at Thea again. "You are."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure death cured him of his disappointment. Look, the only reason we're here is because Athena thinks I can open some map for her."

"With good reason. Your father ensured you were the only one who could unlock its secrets."

"Of course he did."

"And that's why Athena needs you," Tigressa said, grabbing a napkin and pen from a passing waitress. She scribbled something and handed it to Thea. "Your father hid the map."

"And why didn't you take it yourself?" Thea asked, frowning.

"I rejected the path of the League of Assassins a long time ago," Tigressa replied, turning to Katie again. "Because of you, actually. You have no idea how many of us you inspired when you left."

"That wasn't my intention, but you're welcome," Katie said, turning to Thea and Nyssa. "Let's go."

"Thank you for this," Thea said to Tigressa.

"When you find it, you may not be so grateful," Tigressa replied.

"I was being polite," Thea muttered as they headed for the door.

"You should contact your brother," Nyssa said to Thea as they stepped outside. "There's safety in numbers." She turned to Katie, who was still scanning the area. "The last time you and I saw each other, you were sitting out of battles," Nyssa said. "I assume you've moved past that?"

Katie didn't say anything as she crossed the street back to her car. Thea sighed, glancing over at Nyssa for a moment before following her.

At the bunker, the team was suited up and ready to head out to find the map. Most of the team anyway.

Everyone was already in the van when Oliver came back inside. He glanced to Felicity, who was digging through a bag of chips. She nudged her head toward the right.

Oliver headed over and found Katie dressed in her Guardian suit, her hair pulled back into a ponytail under her hood. She was at the weapons cache, retrieving her katanas from the display and sliding them into the harnesses on her back.

When she turned and saw him standing there, she walked over.

"By now we'd be sleeping," Katie said, brushing past him.

A smile pulled at Oliver's lips as he caught up.

"Nope, five," he said.

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Five, seriously? Were you planning on me not being able to walk tomorrow?"

The address they were headed to was one of the many old, abandoned warehouses in the city. While the team made their way there, Felicity kept her eyes on the monitor to make sure they weren't walking into a trap.

She jumped when her phone rang, seeing Bruce's name flash on the screen. She sighed. Since that day in Gotham, she hadn't spoken to him—or more accurately, she hadn't answered his calls. But that didn't seem to deter him.

After a moment of hesitation, Felicity picked up.

"You're persistent," she said, skipping the greeting. "One would think you'd get the hint from the silent treatment."

"I got it, but I called on the off chance you'd answer and put me out of my misery," Bruce replied. "So, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Felicity said curtly. "Was that all?"

"Felicity, you have every right to be mad at me—"

"Please don't," Felicity cut him off. "Don't tell me what I have the right to feel. You called for a reason, Bruce. So what is it?"

The line was silent for a moment, and Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Look, I'm in the middle of something, so if there's nothing else—"

"We're having a baby," Bruce finally said. "And I really, really wanted this moment to be different."

Felicity sighed, her hand instinctively brushing over her stomach. "You're not the only one."

"Felicity—

"I get it," she said. "I know what Joker means to you, and I understand why you need to stop him. But I miss you, Bruce. I miss Damian."

"You have no idea how much I miss you," Bruce replied. "And despite what Damian said the last time he saw you, he misses you too. He wants to apologize—if you'll let him. But I told him the rule: no apologies over the phone."

As she heard the sound of the elevator, Felicity frowned, walking over to see Damian standing there.

"Damian? What—" She raised the phone back to her ear. "Damian's here."

"Yeah, we talked. I need to focus on stopping Joker, and I don't have time to teach him the way he needs right now. Plus, I told him you're carrying his little brother or sister, and you need someone to take care of you until I can finish this."

"Then finish it," Felicity said, walking toward Damian. "We'll be here waiting. I love you."

"I love you too."

Felicity ended the call and looked down at Damian, who stared back at her.

"So, scale of one to ten—are you ten excited to be here, or one, planning on getting revenge on your father for sending you?"

Damian turned away for a moment, then back to her. "Six," he replied. "But I do plan on replacing his shampoo with shaving cream."

"That's a good one," Felicity said with a smile. "But you could take it a step further—maybe put some pink hair dye in his shampoo?"

Damian laughed. "I'm sorry for what I said before."

"Damian, don't apologize. I'm not trying to replace your mother."

"I know that. But you're the person who lets me make pancakes, stays with me when I have nightmares, and yells at my father when you think he's putting me in danger. I don't know what that's called, but 'mother' feels close enough. So… I'm sorry."

Felicity held back tears as she pulled him into a hug.

"Overwatch?" Oliver's voice came through the comms. "We're here."

Felicity pulled back from Damian. "Come on, you can be Overwatch with me." She grabbed his hand, leading him over to the computers.

"Are we alone?" Oliver asked, scanning their surroundings.

"Uh, yeah. No other souls for two blocks," Felicity replied, glancing down at the heat signatures of the team.

"Who are they going after?" Damian whispered, eyes fixed on the monitors.

"A map."

Katie couldn't shake the feeling that something was off as they walked into the warehouse. She thought about the shirt she'd planned to get Oliver—something about this place felt like she needed it now more than ever. Even though Felicity had confirmed there was no one else in sight, Katie's instincts were telling her otherwise.

"Everyone, heads on swivels," Katie called out from the rear. "This may be some off-brand league team, but the rules are the same. They can hide from Overwatch's tech. Let's find this thing and get out of here."

"Be cautious," Nyssa warned from her position up ahead, leading the group. "Merlyn would have laid traps to protect this place."

"What kind of traps are we talking?" Felicity chimed in. "'Raiders' or 'Temple of Doom' kind of traps?"

Katie stopped for a moment, glancing back. The uneasy feeling that they weren't alone grew stronger. The team was moving further ahead without her.

"Guardian, you need to stay with the team," Felicity's voice came through her earpiece.

Katie rolled her eyes.

"And yes, even though I can't see you, I know you just rolled your eyes. No solo missions. Go be a team player."

Katie sighed and rushed to catch up, stopping behind Oliver. He glanced over at her, but before he could say anything, arrows came flying out of nowhere. Oliver grabbed her arm and yanked her back just as Nyssa shouted a warning.

"Get down, a trap!" Nyssa ordered. The team scrambled for cover, waiting for the next wave of attacks. But after a tense few moments, nothing else came.

"Excellent," Nyssa said calmly.

"Excellent?" John echoed, looking at her like she'd lost it.

"It means we're close," Nyssa replied, resuming her path forward.

Katie was about to follow, but she felt Oliver's grip on her arm. She turned to face him.

"Absolutely not," she whispered.

"Do not disappear," he said firmly before letting go and moving ahead of her.

"Do not disappear," she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes again.

"Thermal imaging shows we've hit a dead end," John said, scanning the hall with his helmet. "No hallways, no doors."

"Malcolm had a secret chamber in his office," Oliver said. "Maybe he has something similar here."

"Clever," Nyssa remarked, tossing a small flash bomb onto the ground. Smoke curled into the air before getting sucked into a tiny crack in the floor.

"Iodine dixonium," Nyssa explained, "a component magnetically attracted to the same type of steel my father used to encase relics."

"Nyssa, just open the damn thing," Katie grumbled.

Nyssa shot her a glare before kneeling down and slicing into the floor with her blade. After a few moments, she pulled out a gold cube with symbols etched all over it.

"That's not a map," Thea said, frowning at the device.

"The map is inside," Nyssa corrected, turning the object over in her hands. "It's an ancient League cipher."

"Does it need a code?" Roy asked.

"Try my birthday," Thea suggested.

"There are 18 digits across three alphabets," Nyssa replied dryly, "so no, not your birthday."

Just then, they heard the unmistakable sound of dripping water. The team immediately stiffened, eyes darting around the room. Suddenly, a body dropped from the ceiling.

"Tigressa," Nyssa muttered, locking eyes with Katie.

Katie reached back, unsheathing one of her katanas.

"Guys, about being the only souls for two blocks," Felicity's voice crackled through the comlink, "funny thing about those ninjas…"

At the sound of approaching footsteps, the group turned to see Athena stepping into view, blade already drawn.

"I want Al Sa-Her's daughter and the map," she declared, her tone icy. "I'm always merciful when I get what I want."

"Yeah, but I'm not," Katie retorted, pointing her blade directly at Athena.

"Stand down!" Oliver ordered, his eyes never leaving Athena. "Not going to ask twice."

More of Athena's assassins emerged from the shadows, surrounding the team.

"Come with us, and we will let your friends continue to draw breath," Athena said, her gaze shifting to Thea. "Stay, and blood will be shed."

"I'll go with shedding blood," Thea shot back. "Only it'll be yours."

"Get the cube and go, Speedy," Katie ordered. She rushed forward, taking her place beside Nyssa as they faced Athena together.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Nura?" Athena taunted. "I never thought I'd see the day the two of you would be fighting on the same side."

"That's the power of a shared enemy you both want to beat the shit out of, you crazy psycho," Katie growled.

Without another word, the fight erupted. Blades clashed, the sound of metal ringing through the warehouse as Katie and Nyssa battled Athena. Every move was calculated, every blow a test of skill and endurance. Athena was strong, but the two women fought with a synchronicity honed through years of training.

At one point, Athena grabbed Nyssa's arm, throwing her to the ground with brutal force.

"You've had the same footwork since you were eight years old," Athena sneered down at her before turning, only to find the tip of Katie's blade inches from her throat.

"A true child of the demon would not be hesitating," Athena taunted, stepping forward fearlessly. "You know, there have been rumors about how great a warrior you were. But I saw it. You were always weak, whiny, like a baby. And your time away has only made it worse. You—"

Katie swung her sword backward, blocking the blow from an assassin creeping up behind her.

"Impressive," Athena said, her smile cold, before turning and disappearing into the shadows.

Katie would have followed, but now one assassin had turned into three, surrounding her. She inched closer to Nyssa, grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet before reaching behind her to unsheathe her second sword.

"I can't believe you let her kick your ass," Katie said, handing the sword to Nyssa.

"I can't believe you let her get away because of this pathetic group," Nyssa shot back, swinging the sword before charging forward to attack, Katie right behind her.

Malcolm's booby-trapped warehouse worked in their favor this time. Thea managed to trigger another trap, allowing her and Roy to grab the map and escape. Once the rest of the team received word, they headed out as well.

When they returned to the bunker, they finally caught their breath after the fight. They piled into the elevator and filed out once the doors opened.

Felicity was waiting, eager to see the map puzzle. Thea brought it directly to her.

"Thank you very much," Felicity said, glancing over her shoulder. "Hopefully, my little helper will take a break from eating party snacks to actually help me!"

They all looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Damian round the corner and come into view.

"I told you I'd be picking up your dinner soon. Don't spoil it with chips," Felicity said before turning to the team. "Oh, yeah, Damian's back, and—" she stopped when she noticed Nyssa's gaze fixed on the boy and his eyes on her.

"'Eama.' Aunt," Damian said, and a smile crossed Nyssa's face as she walked over to him.

"'Aibn al'akh.' Nephew," she replied, placing a hand on top of his head.

"Oh-Kay, uh, Damian—" Felicity said, and the boy turned to her as she held up the cube. "Did you still want to help?"

"Uh, yeah, I—" He turned back to Nyssa and nodded before following behind Felicity.

Katie found herself in the medical area, away from the rest of the group. She pulled off her mask and tossed it on the table before laying her swords down beside it. She looked at the bloodstains on the blades for a moment before turning away, letting out a deep breath.

Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the excitement and adrenaline the fight had ignited in her. The familiarity of the sword in her hand and the calculated steps and swings of her blade caused her pulse to race.

"Hey."

Katie turned to see Oliver standing there, concern etched on his face.

"Are you okay?"

She should tell him the truth, but she was afraid of how he would react. Dropping her gaze, she nodded, then lifted her eyes back to his.

"Yeah, just—I should see if anyone needs something bandaged." She walked to leave, but Oliver stepped in her way.

"Damn your husband spidey senses," she sighed, resting her head against his chest. "I just want to tell myself I'm fine so the universe will make it so." She lifted her eyes to his. "Do you need something bandaged?"

"No, I'm fine. When you're ready to talk about what you're really feeling right now, I'll be here to listen." He kissed her lips before stepping aside to let her pass.

"You can't—ugh—you can't go out there by yourself, not with Athena's assassins looking for you."

Thea's voice interrupted as she approached Nyssa.

"She said that's what she wanted to do, Thea," Roy added.

"What's going on?" Katie asked, and Thea turned to her.

"Nyssa wants to take the cube by herself, but it's too dangerous."

"The words 'too dangerous' aren't in Nyssa's vocabulary. It's why she constantly antagonizes me, knowing I'll stab her at any given moment. She'll be fine," Katie said.

"It's just not what I want," Thea replied.

"Speedy?" Oliver said.

"You made it clear once I acquired the map you'd have no interest in your father or the League," Nyssa said.

"And you made it clear that this map leads to something ancient and powerful," Thea replied. "You cannot take this on by yourself." She gestured to the group. "Plus, we have the world's greatest mathematician right here and the protection you're going to need to keep that thing safe while you try to open it."

Katie stood off to the side, watching the moment unfold. Thea seemed to do the one thing Katie didn't want her to do, pulling herself deeper into this League nonsense when she had an out. She glanced over at Roy, who shared her concern.

Taking a step back as the conversation continued, unnoticed, she slipped away.

On the roof, Katie closed her eyes and let the spring air blow past her. When she heard the door open behind her, she didn't move. She needed this moment of quiet—figuratively and literally—because if she let herself think about it too much, she was going to go crazy.

"I came up here to be alone, Nyssa."

Katie opened her eyes and turned to see the woman.

"How did you find me?"

"You usually skulk away when you're upset," Nyssa replied, looking out at the city. "You do not agree with Thea's decision to help me."

"It doesn't matter what I think," Katie shrugged, turning back around. "I think I'm realizing that. I try to shield them from danger, but they have this sense of duty, this divine purpose, and they run right for it."

"Twinkie—"

Katie turned to see Thea and sighed, shaking her head.

"This is seriously the worst place to hide," she muttered, heading for the door to go back downstairs.

"Please, just don't walk away," Thea pleaded, stopping her. "Just let me explain."

"You don't have to, Speedy. You never have to explain." She placed a hand on Thea's arm before moving around her.

"She has a way about her, doesn't she?" Nyssa said, and Thea looked over at her.

"This thing that makes you not want to disappoint her. You haven't, you know. She's not disappointed in you. She's disappointed in herself."

"Why?"

"That I haven't figured out yet," Nyssa replied, heading back inside.

While they waited for Felicity to solve the code on the cube, they all mulled about. Oliver couldn't help but search for Katie again. He sensed something deeper was going on with her and hoped she'd talk to him about it.

Instead, he found Nyssa, who was staring at the coffee pods in confusion with Damian beside her. He grabbed a coffee pod from her hand and put it in the machine. They exchanged a few words in Arabic that Oliver didn't catch.

"Nyssa?"

"Husband."

"You really have to stop that. It wasn't funny in the beginning, and it's not funny now. I'm pretty sure Katie will stab you if you keep it up."

"I'm afraid you're right, but it truly is entertaining to annoy her," Nyssa replied, glancing over at him.

Oliver looked at Damian. "I think Felicity was looking for you. Your food's here."

The boy turned back to Nyssa, said something, then ran off.

"Maybe you should keep your distance from him," Oliver suggested, and Nyssa turned to him with a furrowed brow.

"Or at least keep your interactions with him while Felicity is around."

"He is my sister's son, my blood, so I will speak with him whenever I want," Nyssa replied, looking away. "I'm unsure why Midrab sent him to stay with Felicity anyway. It shows a great lack of judgment."

"She is his mother," Oliver countered. Nyssa lifted her gaze to him. "Right now, she's the only mother he has, so I'm assuming he's here because that's what he needs." He walked closer to her. "Thea might want you to stay, but it doesn't mean you have to."

"Her point about Felicity's utility was well taken," Nyssa replied.

"So was her point about wanting nothing to do with Malcolm."

"It is her life, and she must find her own truth."

"I think her truth is a new life that she's earned."

"She's earned your support for her actions, whatever those may be."

Oliver sighed; this conversation was going in circles, and he was getting annoyed.

"I can understand why she would be conflicted with Malcolm. He was her father," he said, frustration evident in his tone. "I am not conflicted. He was evil, and Thea should not be charged with righting his wrongs."

"My father was also evil, and I've dedicated my life to righting his wrongs." Nyssa countered. "From what I understand, you've done the same."

"But my father asked me to. With his dying wish, he asked me."

"Back on Lian Yu, Merlyn gave up his life for Thea just as your father did for you," Nyssa replied. "I believe Thea owes him the same debt."

"Well, it's convenient for you to believe that because Thea gets you closer to what you want. So do not pretend that you're selflessly supporting her, and never lecture me on what I owe my sister." Oliver replied, stalking off.

He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed to walk away before he said or did something he might regret. He found himself in the training area, slowing his pace when he spotted Katie.

"I'm having zero luck finding a place to hide in this damn bunker," she said, sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest, eyes closed.

"What are you hiding from?" Oliver asked, sliding down to sit beside her.

"My own delusion," she muttered, dropping her head to his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"A few months ago, I had this epiphany. Life wasn't just this path put in front of me that I had to follow. I could control my fate. So I decided I would walk away from the mask and the dangers that came with it. I wanted to protect my family from it too. And I really thought it was working. I—"

"Nailed it!" they heard Felicity's voice, and they both turned their heads.

Katie lifted her head from Oliver's shoulder and sighed. "Twinkie—"

"Later," she interrupted, casting a glance at him. "You should go see what Felicity's discovered."

"Are you really going to stay here alone?"

"I'm not interested in the map or what it leads to. I only came here to make sure Thea had a way out, and now she seems to be headed in the opposite direction. So now, I'm just here to fight league assholes and then go home to my kids." She closed her eyes again and dropped her head back against the wall.

Oliver placed a kiss on her cheek and rested his forehead against hers for a moment. "We'd be asleep by now, right?" She asked, lifting her eyes to his.

"Yeah, for an hour or two." He placed another kiss on her cheek. "We'll talk later, I promise." He stood to his feet. "You're also coming with me. No more hiding."

Katie groaned as she opened her eyes and looked up at the man who was holding out his hand. "I'm going to find a better hiding spot," she muttered.

Oliver just laughed as he placed a kiss on her head. "And I will still find you." Together, they headed to see what Felicity had to show them.

When they found the rest of the group, Thea was sitting in front of the group, and they figured Felicity must have figured out how to open it.

"You know how to open it?" Oliver asked, and Felicity turned to him and nodded.

"The Fibonacci sequence," she replied. Oliver looked at her in confusion.

"Very old math," Katie said, placing a hand on Oliver's arm. He nodded slowly. "So the sequence is the key?"

"Yes, we were just about to start." Felicity replied. "The Fibonacci sequence: every number is the sum of the two previous numbers, so finding the two starting ones—that's the tricky part."

"What are the starting numbers?" Oliver asked.

"10 and 13," Nyssa suddenly said, and they turned to her.

"Is she right?" Roy asked.

"1013 is the year the league was founded," Nyssa replied.

"And Malcolm's birthday," Thea said before turning to the cube and sitting.

They watched as she moved the pieces according to the sequence. When she was done, something started happening. The cube began moving until the top lifted. Thea removed the lid and reached inside, grabbing the map, only for Nyssa to take it from her hands.

"What does it say?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing," Nyssa replied, looking down at the blank scroll.

"Nothing?" Felicity took the paper from Nyssa's hand and held it up to the light, but there was nothing.

Felicity didn't like unsolved puzzles, which was why she couldn't let this go. She was determined to figure this out. So they were once again forced to wait.

Felicity sighed as she stood looking down at the map. She'd tried every trick she could think of. She glanced over at Damian, who was standing beside her.

"This is probably not the excitement you were hoping for," she said. "You've gone from jumping across buildings as Robin to sitting here with me, trying to solve some league puzzle."

"Well, this is important too," Damian replied, looking over at her. "Boring, but important. Whatever is hidden on that map must be really significant if Merlyn went through so much trouble to hide it."

"You know Malcolm Merlyn?" Felicity asked, furrowing her brow.

"Not really. My mother usually kept me away from people like him." He shook his head as his eyes dropped down to the scroll. "Which makes no sense, since she was probably worse than him."

"Yeah, but she was still your mother," Felicity replied, and he turned to her. "And a mother will always protect her child." She placed a hand on top of his head before turning back to the map. "Now, do you have any ideas?"

Katie was once again alone. She found herself back in the medical area, sitting in front of one of the computers. She let out a sigh before reaching forward and pressing a button to play the video.

"Alright, Ben, you are not getting out of paying your check that easily."

Katie watched as she began making the incision into the man's neck. There were whispers and gasps that she didn't remember. In that moment, she forgot that there were people watching her.

"Keep talking to him, Hannah," she said, her focus still on the man's neck. But she was also aware of his daughter. "He's still in there, and he needs to hear your voice."

She dropped the knife down on the floor beside her before reaching out a hand toward Thea, who handed her the straw.

Katie turned at the sound of footsteps, now realizing Nyssa had once again found her.

"Why do you keep looking for me, Nyssa?" Katie replied, turning back to the video and pausing it.

"Honestly, you're the most interesting person in this entire place." Nyssa walked over and pointed to the computer. "I saw that video. It was playing on a television when I arrived in the city, and people watched, quite impressed."

Katie didn't say anything as she slid back in the chair, looking over at the paused video.

"Maybe I was impressed as well," Nyssa replied, and Katie turned to her. "I've seen my father tear a person down until they were nothing, just so he could build them back up into whatever he wanted. It's what he tried to do with you, and yet, he just couldn't. I think a part of me was envious that you wouldn't bend to him, while I bent so easily."

"For some reason, this is what they see when they look at me," Katie suddenly said, gesturing to the paused video. She turned to Nyssa. "And I don't get it. Because I may not have bent to your father, but he pushed me far enough that if they knew, they'd take back that award." She shook her head, turning back to the screen. "I thought I could be…her. That I could tear myself from that stain of darkness and distance myself from everything that feeds it. I thought I could be someone else—a parent my kids could depend on, like I never had. A wife my husband didn't have to look at with worry." She turned away. "Somehow, some way, I just ended up right back where I started."

Oliver wandered around the bunker as they waited for news. This time, he happened upon Thea, who was changing out of her gear and packing it away.

"Think you might take that thing with you?" he asked.

"100% no," Thea replied, turning to him.

"You okay?" He knew this whole thing wasn't easy for her.

"And why wouldn't I be?" she asked sarcastically. "I mean, Roy only thinks I'm going to leave him, and a bunch of crazy assassins my dead dad organized are trying to kill me, so my life is just great."

"You know, Thea, you don't have to do this," Oliver said, walking over to her. "You don't have to leave everything to Nyssa. John, Felicity, Katie, and I will stop Athena." He let out a chuckle. "She actually told me that's the only reason she's here—to fight this fight so you don't have to. You can go. You can live your happily ever after with Roy."

"Here I thought you were supposed to go live yours," Thea replied. "I know you stopped being the Green Arrow."

"Yeah." Oliver dropped his eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "That was the plan. Life interfered."

"John got hurt."

"He did."

"He's not hurt anymore," Thea countered, and Oliver nodded.

"I worry he'd be in over his head going up against Diaz alone," Oliver replied, justifying what he'd been telling himself.

"I don't think anything's over John's head," Thea chuckled.

"You might be right," Oliver shook his head. "I don't know. I gave it up because I wanted to be a better father and husband. I didn't want them to worry." He turned away again. "Then John got hurt, and I had no other choice. But now, Ari and Will are fine with it, and Twinkie—" A smile pulled at his lips as he turned to his sister. "She understands, and she's being supportive." He shrugged. "Plus I don't want to give it up. I don't know why."

"I do," Thea replied. "Because being the Green Arrow is what makes you feel complete."

Oliver nodded, pondering her words. He knew they were true. "For some reason, when you put that hood on, it enables you to become the best version of yourself."

"We're supposed to be talking about you," Oliver said with a smile.

"Maybe we are. I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe that's why I can't seem to give this life up. I'm hoping to find my own version of myself, whoever she is."

Just then, John walked over. "Athena's group of assassins—found them," he said.

Oliver and Thea followed him to where Felicity, Damian, Nyssa, and Roy stood watching a video. As they got closer, they could see it was a surveillance video of Athena's assassins attacking city workers.

"Do we know where they are?" Oliver asked, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Star City gas plant," Felicity replied.

"They could cut off the city's entire supply," John said, shaking his head.

"Or worse, they could blow it up," Roy added.

"Why? That's not their M.O.," Thea said.

"It is if they're using the plant to leverage us into giving up the map," Oliver replied, turning to the rest of the team. As the words left his mouth, he knew he wasn't the first to think of it. He glanced around the bunker, scanning the faces of his teammates.

"Oh no," Felicity said. Oliver turned to her. "I might have told Katie what was happening. She said she was going to get you and Thea, but when you never came, that's when John went."

"We have to go," Thea said, her expression resolute. "She's only there so I won't have to do this, but I'm not letting her face them alone." She turned and grabbed the map.

"You can't give in to them," Nyssa warned.

"I can't let them hold the city hostage, okay?" Thea replied, glancing at Nyssa. "This is still my home." She turned to the others. "So what, am I going alone?"

This was stupid, Katie thought as she arrived at the plant. Yet, she knew she would do it again if given the choice. This was the kind of reckless move she would scold Oliver for: venturing off alone into a fight with so many unknowns.

She realized that the League aspect of the fight was making her irrational. She didn't know why; this wasn't Ra's or Malcolm. It was an off-brand team of idiots calling themselves the League of Assassins. And yet she felt responsible for stopping them.

The League, in all its forms, had entered their lives because of her—because her father had an idea of who she was supposed to be. He was gone now, and she was all that remained to clean up his mess.

As she stepped inside, she could sense their presence. They were hiding but not invisible. Memories of lessons from the demon flooded her mind.

"You came alone," Athena's voice echoed from somewhere in the room. "You know, Nura, I still can't decide if you're a cunning opponent or just plain foolish. You're outnumbered. Why are you here?"

"The demon used to say, 'Failure is never an option; there is always a way to win.' I think a part of me knows that's bullshit. You can fail, and you can lose, but I don't think that was the point of his words. It took me a while to figure that out." Katie reached down, grabbing three daggers and sliding them between her fingers as she walked deeper into the shadows. "The words weren't meant to be taken literally; they were meant to be motivation." She quickly tossed a dagger into the darkness, hearing a grunt of pain followed by a thud. "Because if you tell yourself you will not fail—" she tossed another dagger, striking another assassin. "—and you tell yourself you will win, then part of you starts to believe it." She pointed the last dagger in front of her as Athena stepped into the light. "I hear ticking. Did you and your pals set a bomb?"

"We're only here for the map. Once we have it, we'll leave this atrocious city."

"You didn't answer my question," Katie replied, throwing the dagger to her right as one of Athena's assassins rushed to attack. She let out a sigh before turning back to Athena. "I could give a shit about some map or whatever it leads to. But you brought innocent people into a fight that should've been settled with just two."

"You're here for me?" Athena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"God no. You're not worth the effort." Katie shook her head. "I came here alone, but I'm pretty sure my friends have figured out where I am and are on their way. I was hoping to make this an easy fight. You're down three idiots, so…" Katie tilted her head and tossed a dagger upward, striking a hidden assassin who fell with a hard thud. "Make that down four."

"Kill her!" Athena ordered.

"Hey!" Thea's voice echoed. "You want your map so bad? Come out!"

"Looks like our fun is over," Katie replied, lifting her arm. She shot a grappling line from her sleeve to the rafter above, lifting her off the ground.

As Katie ascended to the second level, she could hear the chaos of the fight between her team and the assassins, but her focus was on finding the bomb.

"Where are you?" she muttered, closing her eyes and spinning around.

Her powers usually came in handy in situations like this; she could sense energy and let it guide her. But now, her abilities felt dulled and weak. There was something, though—like a faint tickle she had to concentrate on.

With her eyes still closed, she began to walk, following that thread that tugged at her. When the sensation grew stronger, she opened her eyes and spotted a small explosive device.

"Don't touch that!"

Katie lifted her eyes to see Roy running over. His gaze fell to the bomb before shifting back to Katie.

"Felicity told me to say that," he said, glancing down at the device again.

"Don't worry; the ole magic battery is still pretty drained," Katie replied. "Does Overwatch have a way to disarm this?"

"Uh, she says it's a collapsible circuit," Roy said, turning away. "Wait, I could freeze it. I've done it before." His head snapped up when Felicity yelled. "Okay, so it's a Mercury switch bomb. No freezing."

"We have to short-circuit it," Katie said. Roy looked over at her and nodded.

"She agrees," Roy replied, pointing to the comlink in his ear. "Problem is, I'm kind of out of electricity arrows at the moment."

"She's going to call the Green Arrow," Katie said, standing up and walking forward. She saw Oliver turn, point, and shoot an arrow. At just the right moment, she quickly grabbed it and handed it to Roy. "Since no one trusts me with bombs right now, how about you do the honors?"

She lifted her eyes to see one of the assassins heading their way and moved to block his attack.

"You should've stayed down there," she said, throwing a punch that hit him in the jaw before grabbing his shoulders and jerking her knee up into his groin, tossing him back down to the lower level.

"Thea!" Roy yelled.

Katie turned to see him looking down, and when she followed his gaze, she watched the fight between Athena and Thea. It was the confrontation she knew would happen eventually.

Roy hopped over the railing and jumped down to the lower level to check on Thea. Katie grabbed the railing, about to follow suit, but then she stopped. Reality finally caught up to her. She paused, looking down at the fight happening between a team of heroes and a league of assassins.

At that moment, she questioned every single choice she made that led her here, to this gas plant, to this fight. The internal battle reared its ugly head again, prompting her to wonder who she truly was and what she stood for, realizing that what she told herself and what she actually did were two completely different things.

Eventually, the fighting came to an end. Katie released the railing and stepped back before turning to find a way out.

When she arrived at the bunker, Felicity and Damian both looked up when the elevator opened, neither expecting the team back so soon.

"Katie?" Felicity shook her head before reaching forward. "Guardian is here and safe."

She notified the team, who had just noticed her absence, before jumping to her feet and hurrying over to the woman. "What the hell was that?!" Felicity exclaimed, watching Katie as she disarmed, reaching back to pull out her swords and place them back in the weapons cache. "First, going off to the gas plant alone to face Athena and her flunkies with no backup was beyond stupid, then leaving at the end without a word."

Katie was silent as she unclasped her harness of daggers and hung them back up in their place. She turned and walked over to the wall of guns.

"Are you listening to me?" Felicity asked.

She watched as Katie pulled the glocks from her thigh holsters and hung them back on the wall before turning as if to walk away. Felicity quickly stepped forward to block her.

"No, not this time. You don't get to ignore me, and you don't get to just say nothing. You don't disappear!" she pointed a finger at the woman. "Because the last time you did, you nearly got yourself killed. So I need to understand this. I need to understand how you could be so thoughtless!"

Suddenly, they heard the elevator again, and Felicity glanced back to see the rest of the team before turning back to see Katie walk away.

She was about to go after her, but Oliver hurried forward, dropping his quiver and bow on a table as he followed behind his wife.

Katie found herself walking toward a dead end, with nowhere to hide. When she heard heavy footsteps nearby, she dropped her head and closed her eyes. His steps stopped, but he didn't say anything.

"It was stupid," Katie finally spoke, turning to face him. "Right now, I'm recounting every time I've yelled at you for pulling something like that. At the time, I didn't get it. But now I see just how quickly your brain can just shut off and stop thinking clearly. When I walked out of here, I wasn't thinking about you, the kids, or the team." She turned away. "I saw the video of Athena's league attacking those workers, and I followed the thread back to where it started: from her, to Malcolm, to the demon." She thumped a finger on her forehead. "Just like that, he was back in my head. I thought I buried that voice, but I didn't." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. It will not happen again. I'm going to take this thing off and burn it," she gestured to him. "Now you can yell at me."

"I'm not going to yell at you," Oliver replied, walking over to stand in front of her. "I should—I—You disappeared, and I—"

He shook his head before placing his hands on her shoulders and leaning forward to press his lips to hers. He pulled back slightly.

"You've always been the rule breaker of the team, which has always been odd because you always hold me to them. I'm going to ask this one more time, and if something like this happens again, I—" He pulled back a little more, making sure she saw the seriousness in his gaze. "We all have to follow the same basic set of rules. Ditching the team to go rogue is dangerous, not only for you, but for the rest of us. Because we will not leave you behind. I will not leave you behind. And tonight, when the mission was supposed to be to stop Athena and her league, we now had another distraction when you disappeared, and we didn't know if you were safe. So I need to make this clear, and I need you to hear me: if you do anything like this again—"

He couldn't find it in himself to say the words he knew he had to say.

She dropped her eyes from his and nodded.

"Off the team," she replied, lifting her gaze back to his, and he silently nodded. "Okay," she said, stepping back. "I'm going to get changed and then head home." She turned to walk away.

"Twinkie, wait, don't—"

"I'm not mad," she said, turning back to him. "Not at you anyway. This is your team, and it is your responsibility to ensure everyone makes it home safely. I broke the rules, so I'm on my second strike, and I blame no one but myself." She turned once again.

"Don't burn the suit," he said, and Katie sighed, turning back to him. "I may not always agree with the Guardian's methods, and she can sometimes be a bit stubborn, but she puts her family first and this city first, always, even before herself. And when it gets that far, I have to stop you, because I kind of like you. Like a lot."

"I kind of like you too," she replied with a smile. She nudged her head. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to finish getting yelled at by Smoaks."

Katie turned and walked back over to the team, who all turned their eyes to her.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking between their faces before turning to Felicity. "You asked me a question: 'How could I be so thoughtless?' and the answer is that I wasn't. I was thinking." She looked between their faces. "Probably overthinking." She turned back to Felicity. "But it wasn't rational thinking—not logical or strategic. It was… emotion." She turned her look to Thea and then to Nyssa. "I heard a voice in my head that I hadn't heard in a long time, and going after Athena and her team was my foolish way of trying to stop it." She turned to Felicity. "Oliver has given a compelling lecture, and believe it or not, I have been put on notice. So in the future, the Guardian will hold on a bit tighter to the rails." She nudged her head. "I'm going to get changed and then head home to my kids." Katie turned to leave.

"Wait, the map," Thea said, and Katie turned to her, unfolding the map that seemed to no longer be hidden since her blood touched it. "Aren't you going to stay to see what this was all about?"

"No, I seriously wasn't here to figure out that mysterious map," Katie replied, looking over at Thea. "If you were doing this, then I was going to make sure you made it out of the other end in one piece." She smiled and nodded. "And you have, so my job is done. Goodnight, everyone." She glanced over at Oliver. "I will see you at home, where you will more than likely find me with one or all of my emotional support puppies." She waved before heading off.

"I should—" Felicity walked over to Thea, who handed her the map. "I'll let you know what I find." Felicity walked back over to her computers as the team dispersed while they waited.

Oliver found himself still waiting in the same spot, his eyes fixed on the door to the bunker where Katie had just stepped behind to get changed.

"You were worried about her," Nyssa suddenly said. Oliver turned to her, brow furrowed. "I, on the other hand, was annoyed." She sighed as she placed her weapon down. "She took down only four of Athena's assassins before we got there when she had the capability to end them all."

Oliver didn't respond, his gaze returning to the door.

"And I think you already knew that." Nyssa glanced at the door as well. "The voice in her head wasn't my father's. If it were, that plant would have been painted with their blood before we arrived. No, that voice was her own, the Guardian. Like my father, you'll learn that no matter what you say to her, she'll never bend to your desires if her own are greater."

"I refuse to let her get herself killed doing this," Oliver replied. "I don't care how good she is. If there's even the slightest chance someone else is better, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she comes home to our children."

The door finally opened, and Katie emerged, placing her folded Guardian suit on a nearby table before meeting Oliver's eyes. She winked at him before walking over to the elevator.

The next morning, Katie woke first. Her dreams were a blurry mess of past, present, and a future that terrified her. She turned her head, a smile tugging at her lips at the sight of her sleeping husband. Leaning forward, she pressed the gentlest kiss to his lips to avoid waking him before slipping out of bed.

It was still early, and the kids had a bit more time before they needed to be up, so she headed downstairs. After starting the coffee, she glanced out the window into the backyard and turned at the sound of jingling to see Harriet.

"You're up early too, huh, girl?" Katie nudged her head. "You want to go outside?"

She stepped outside, letting the cool breeze brush against her skin. Glancing down at her fingers, she let out a sigh. At the sound of footsteps, she turned to see Thea walking around the house.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Katie asked, walking over to her. "It's super early."

"I know; I didn't get much sleep. Just a lot on my mind, you know?" Thea replied, smiling as she watched Harry run around the yard.

"Want some coffee?" Katie asked, and Thea turned to her, smiling.

"Yes, please."

Soon, the two were sitting at the kitchen table, staring into their mugs of coffee in silence. Katie lifted her eyes to Thea, who seemed slightly nervous. She suspected she knew why.

"You can just say it, you know," Katie said, and Thea looked at her, brow furrowed. "That Queen brain—I've become very familiar with how you all make your decisions."

"I know you aren't really that interested, but Nyssa thinks the map was showing the location of three Lazarus Pits my father discovered." Thea said, and Katie turned away. "There's no way we can let Athena or any other assassins find them. And I know what you're going to say—"

"No, I'm not." Katie replied, turning back to her. "I think I'm done telling the Queen siblings what I think they should do because you never listen."

"We listen," Thea said with a smile. "We just take our own way, but we keep your words with us while we do it. So never stop." She reached over and took Katie's hand. "The other day, in that restaurant when you were saving that guy's life, I remember being so amazed. You were totally in your element. I think I've been trying to find something that gives me that feeling. My calling—I think this could be it." She squeezed Katie's hand. "And I really don't want you to be disappointed in me for doing this instead of sailing off to live happily ever after with Roy."

"There's nothing you could do to disappoint me, Speedy," Katie replied, giving Thea's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm just really going to miss you. You were always my favorite Queen sibling."

"That's not funny," Oliver said as he walked into the kitchen to find his wife and sister.

"Yes, it is," Katie replied, standing to her feet and walking over to him to press a kiss to his cheek. "Go on; your sister has to talk to you. I'm going to wake up our herd."

Oliver watched her leave before turning to his sister.

"Speedy?"

"I was hoping for one final Oliver Queen waffle breakfast," Thea said, pulling off her jacket and turning to him. "We can talk while I help."

Day turned to night far too quickly. Soon, Oliver and Katie stood before Thea, Roy, and Nyssa, saying their goodbyes. Oliver lingered a bit in the hug with his sister, reluctant to watch her leave.

"Just be careful, alright?" He pulled back from the hug. "And if you need anything—or if you don't need anything—call me."

"Call me first," Katie said, and Thea laughed at the look on Oliver's face as he shook his head.

Katie stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Thea, telling herself not to cry. She had cried enough before they came here, and she didn't want to start again.

"Don't take it easy on him," Thea said, pulling back from the hug and glancing at her brother. "And don't take it easy on her," she added, nodding toward Katie. "What you two have is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So do whatever you have to do to hold onto it, okay?"

Katie turned to Oliver, who reached over to take her hand before they faced Thea and nodded.

"Keep her safe," Oliver said to Roy.

"You know I will," he replied.

Oliver and Katie turned to Nyssa, who silently observed their farewells.

"You drew her back into this, Nyssa," Oliver said. "That carries a certain responsibility."

"She has less need of protection than you think," Nyssa replied, walking over to Oliver and Katie, holding up a gold dagger. "This is a Horchis dagger. In the League of Assassins, it symbolizes the cutting of marital bonds." She held it out to Oliver. "I hereby annul our marriage."

Katie scoffed, shaking her head at the woman.

"Nyssa, as wedding gifts go, this is two years too late but isn't half bad," Oliver replied, taking the dagger.

"Be well, Oliver," Nyssa said before turning to Katie. "You know, cousin, I find myself becoming more and more tolerant of your presence."

"Seriously? Because I was realizing the exact same thing. It was freaking me out," Katie said, walking over and slipping a piece of paper from her pocket, handing it to her. "This is from your former pupil."

Nyssa took the paper and looked down at Ari's handwriting.

"Don't worry; she knows why you didn't visit," Katie said, and Nyssa looked back up into her eyes. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but if you run into any trouble, call, and I'll be there." She reached down, taking Nyssa's hand. "I'm glad you didn't make me stab you."

"You know I could just take the dagger back," Nyssa replied.

"What good would that do? I'd probably just end up stabbing you with it," Katie replied, waving to the woman. "Wadaea abn eamin." Goodbye, cousin.

A faint smile pulled at Nyssa's lips as she nodded before walking over to get into the car.

Katie pulled Roy into a hug before he climbed into the car next. Soon, it was just Oliver, Katie, and Thea standing there, and Katie figured this final moment should be for the two of them.

"Ah, I should let you two have your Queen sibling moment," Katie said, waving to Thea before heading over to wait by Oliver's motorcycle.

She watched from a distance as Oliver and Thea shared their final words before Thea slid into the car. They stood there, watching the vehicle speed away, taking their Speedy with it, the bittersweet feeling lingering in the air.

After a moment, Oliver walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her.

"What do you say we keep the night going, Twinkie?" Oliver said. "The kids are at Felicity's catching up with Damian, and we've found ourselves with a rare moment of free time. I don't think we should waste it."

She laughed, her mood lifting a bit. "What do you have in mind?"

He gestured to the bike. "How about a ride? Just you and me, the open road."

Her eyes lit up with excitement as she looked up at him. "That sounds like a fine plan, Liver."

With a whispered "come here," he pulled her in for a kiss, soft and electric. The chaos of the last couple of days faded away as they melted into each other.

When they finally parted, breathless, he smiled. "So if you had to estimate, how much do you think you'd need to walk tomorrow?"

She smiled at the question and its implications. "Just wanted to see how much of our hypothetical evening we can make a reality."

He gave her waist a squeeze before sliding onto the bike, and she climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Oliver revved the engine, the sound filling the night air with a thrilling promise of freedom.

With one last glance at the street where Thea had driven off, they rode into the night, the wind rushing past them. The road stretched ahead, filled with possibilities.


Author's Note

Sorry for the wait!

Review Replies

Adela: Thank you!

As this story winds down, I have to reiterate just how much I appreciate the support. Thanks!

Sneak Peek

Martin nodded, a shadow crossing his face. He let out a small sigh. "I hate to admit it, but that's not my only reason for stopping by." He hesitated, then added, "Alice Hayworth..."

"Martin, I already told you-"

"I know, but her condition has worsened, and he doctor has says she only has days." he shook his head. "I'm just afraid that if you don't see her, if you don't truly close this chapter, it's always haunt you."

Katie looked at him for a moment, thinking about his words and she knows their true. The nightmares weren't going away, and she's not sure what to do for them to stop. Maybe she did need closure and maybe she'd get it from this conversation.

"Ok." she relented. "I'll stop by later, see what this is all about."