I don't know why I tortured myself with finishing this at 5:00 in the morning. I think it's because I was too excited to stop and because it's now Saturday morning and I can sleep the rest of the day away if I so choose.

Anyway . . . here you guys go! It's Dark Team Arrow against the Outsiders and the aftermath that follows.

Enjoy!

***

Laurel paced the living area of the cabin anxiously, already feeling adrenaline pump through her veins. She had never fought former allies before. She didn't count Prometheus, as she hadn't actually fought him. That had been all Kara. But this was Rene, Curtis, and Dinah, the people she, Malcolm, and Slade had replaced on Oliver's team. They were also the trio who thought of Evelyn one way and refused to see any other way, and they had just tried to disable a piece of technology that would hinder another teammate just so they could find out where they were.

That made this much easier.

"Relax," a voice cut through her anxiety, and Laurel spun on her heel to see Malcolm sitting at the table, examining an arrowhead. "We don't have anything to worry about."

"I admire your confidence," Laurel muttered.

Malcolm looked up from his work, raising an eyebrow. "You don't have any?"

"I do," Laurel assured him. "That doesn't make me less restless."

"Touché," he conceded.

Laurel got another look at the arrowhead. "Sonic dampener arrow?"

"Yeah," Malcolm nodded, standing up and twirling the arrow around in his hand. "From Oliver's quiver. I don't think he ever thought it would be used against Dinah, though."

"Six months ago, I never would have thought so, either," Laurel shook her head.

Malcolm looked up at her. "You'll be fine if I use this, right?"

Laurel gave him a dubious look. "This isn't a Worldkiller, Malcolm."

Malcolm held up his hands placatingly. "I'm simply looking out for you," he said.

"I'm not worried about Dinah," Laurel shook her head. "We're matched evenly. It's getting hit by another bullet that's my main concern right now."

"And that's why the mercenary with the bulletproof armor is going to be facing Rene," Malcolm smirked. "If Rene gets past Slade, I'll eat my sword."

Laurel snorted. "That's a pretty image. So you can handle Curtis?"

"Don't worry about me," Malcolm told her. "Worry about yourself first."

Laurel licked her lips. "I can't help it."

Malcolm quirked an eyebrow. "So the Siren has feelings after all."

Laurel ground her teeth together. "Oh, why did I bother?" she huffed, turning to go.

Malcolm's cybernetic hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Hey," he said quietly, and Laurel turned to look up at him, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. "Curtis isn't going to be a match for me. It's you I'm more worried about, too."

Laurel bit her lip. "I'll watch your back if you watch mine?"

Malcolm smirked. "Just like always, right?"

Laurel grinned back. "Just like always."

***

Oliver watched Kara speak quietly with Evelyn, explaining how the breaches worked, then shook his head. "I don't like this."

"What part, kid?" Slade asked as he checked his gun over. "Not fighting these three, or leaving and not knowing what'll happen?"

Oliver huffed. "Yes."

Slade clicked the magazine in place, then pushed off the wall. "Kid, if anyone deserves to go up against these three, it's you," he said. "But all circumstances considered, someone Evelyn is comfortable with needs to be with her on Earth-38. Right now, that's you and Kara." He smirked. "Not the three of when we're way north of pissed off."

Oliver nodded absently. "Something just feels . . . wrong."

"I feel it, too," Dig admitted.

"About what we're about to do?" Slade raised an eyebrow. "Or the small detail that the three we're up against are Curtis, Dinah, and Rene?"

"I don't know," Dig huffed. "I just can't help but wonder . . . would we be doing this if the person they were after didn't look like Evelyn?"

"That depends," Slade shrugged.

"On what?" Dig challenged.

"If the person who didn't look like Evelyn had done anything that could lead to her having a second chance," Slade answered at once.

"I think all three of us can agree these circumstances aren't exactly ideal," Oliver interrupted the two of them. "But these are the circumstances we've been dealt. If anyone has a better alternative idea, I'm listening."

Dig sighed. "Man, I would back any call you make, Oliver, always have, always will . . . but we should acknowledge the fact that going after our former teammates is maybe a line we can never uncross."

"I agree," Oliver nodded.

"I suppose it's good that the wizard, Siren, and I are crossing it for you," Slade mused, taking the safety off his gun and sliding it into its holster. "But John . . . I consider that line crossed when they attempted to hack into your implant."

Dig's gaze lowered, then heels clicked on the floor. "Oliver," Kara's tense voice said.

The one name made everyone else stiffen to attention as the blonde stood and looked at the archer. "Less than a minute."

Slade was the first to respond. "Positions," he told Malcolm and Laurel.

They nodded, Malcolm grabbing his bow from the table as Laurel went over to Evelyn. "See you in National City," she told her.

"Promise?" Evelyn asked quietly.

"Promise," Laurel winked. She gave Evelyn a quick hug, then Kara, then walked up to Oliver. "Take care of her," she said quietly.

"I won't stop now," Oliver nodded.

Laurel nodded back. "Good."

"Good luck," Quentin wished.

Laurel smiled, then vanished out the door without a sound. "Don't do anything too stupid," Thea muttered, giving her father a glare with no heat behind it.

Malcolm smirked. "I don't think I could be anywhere near as stupid as them, but request noted."

Thea gave him a quick hug, and Malcolm kissed the top of her head, doing the same to Kara. "Make sure Curtis knows not to try that again," Felicity requested.

Malcolm gave her a small salute, heading out the door. Oliver took a deep breath, turning to look at Slade. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Thank us when these three are dealt with," Slade shook his head.

Oliver smiled despite the tense situation. "Take care, Slade."

Slade nodded, clasping Oliver's hand. "I will. You, too, kid."

Oliver nodded, watching Slade follow Malcolm and Laurel out the door, then took a deep breath, twisting his extrapolator around in his hand as Quentin and Thea left as well. "Here we go."

***

"Take your car to the main road," Slade ordered. "No matter what happens, don't turn back."

"Copy that," Thea hurried to the passenger's side.

"What about the three of you?" Quentin asked.

Laurel tilted her head, seeing headlights turn off by the forest. "We may steal theirs just for fun."

Quentin snorted in amusement. "Yeah, you would," he muttered, climbing in the driver's side.

The trio watched the car peel away, then Malcolm turned back to see the other vigilantes come out of the trees. "This may be more satisfying than our Nazi doppelgängers were," he remarked.

"Oh," Slade growled. "I'm counting on it."

The trio knew the exact moment the other three saw them; their footsteps actually faltered before they sped up their walking. "It's funny," Malcolm called so they could hear him. "I don't remember the three of you being invited."

"It's so weird how many people you recognize when you go camping, though, isn't it?" Laurel tilted her head innocently.

"I agree," Slade smirked.

"Where is she?" Dinah growled.

"Oh, so we're skipping the small talk," Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

"Well, since we're the only ones here, please," Laurel smiled sarcastically. "How can we help the three of you?"

"You know exactly why we're here!" Dinah yelled.

"Actually, all I heard was 'where is she?'" Laurel retorted. "I'm gonna need more details than that."

"Because there's Kara," Malcolm listed off.

"She was not happy about being bugged," Slade glared at Rene.

He received a nasty glare in return that did nothing to make him back down. "And Thea," Malcolm continued. "And Felicity . . . am I missing anyone?"

"Evelyn!" Dinah snapped. "Where is Evelyn?"

"Oh, she's gone," Malcolm shrugged.

Slade tilted his head, hearing the hissing inside the cabin stop. "She is now," he pointed towards the now dark cabin. "The breach to Earth-38 just closed."

"She's with the others, heading to National City, most likely the D.E.O.," Malcolm nodded.

"Guess you're not gonna be able to get her after all," Laurel smirked.

"You let her go?" Curtis protested. "Do you know how seriously you just hurt the city?"

"Just like how you seriously could have hurt John?" Malcolm snapped, shifting so he and Curtis were facing each other. "Surprise, Mr. Terrific . . . your hack didn't work. Brainiac 5 intercepted it. Guess you're not so terrific after all."

"And no harm's been done to the city," Laurel added, looking at Dinah. "Because actions speak louder than words."

"Yeah, your actions of letting Evelyn go speak wonders," Dinah spat. "The city needs its money!"

"Which we have," Laurel smirked. "Turns out, talking does wonders if someone's willing to listen. Evelyn told us where all seventy million dollars were."

Dinah's face burned almost as red as Barry Allen's suit. "That doesn't excuse what she did to Vince!"

"Maybe not," Slade conceded. "But there's nothing you can do to get to her now."

"Unless that breach was just a trick," Dinah scowled. "For all we know, she could still be in there, and you're trying to throw us off!"

Slade stared blankly at her, then snorted loudly. Laurel didn't even bother hiding her laughter. "I'm beginning to truly wonder what the kid was thinking when he found you," Slade told her. 

Very funny," Rene stepped forward.

Slade's gun was drawn and aimed at Rene in less than a second. "Not one more step," he warned.

Rene's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "You won't shoot me."

"I won't?" Slade tilted his head. "Do you think you know me so well?"

"None of you know us," Laurel looked at the three opposing vigilantes. "You never trained with us aside from an occasional helping hand. You never really knew what made us tick."

"We know you're trying to set yourselves straight," Dinah smirked. "You're not gonna sacrifice Oliver's and Kara's trust by harming us."

"You pissed Kara off," Slade deadpanned. "And Oliver agreed that the three of you wouldn't stop unless you were stopped."

"Guess who volunteered to stop you," Malcolm added for good measure.

"You're not getting Evelyn," Laurel declared. "This ends tonight. Right here, right now."

"Last chance," Slade warned.

"And be glad we're offering that," Laurel glared.

Rene drew one of his guns, and faster than any of their eyes could see, Malcolm drew, sighted, and shot an arrow. Rene's gun went flying, and as Dinah opened her mouth to scream, Laurel slid in front of the archer, screaming before she could. Dinah was flung backwards, and Laurel charged after her. "Well," Malcolm turned to face Curtis as Slade faced down Rene. "Don't say we didn't warn you." Curtis flung two T-spheres into the air, and Malcolm eyed them before snorting. "Cute. Real cute."

Rene lunged for his gun, but Slade's boot stepped down on his fingers, making Rene hiss. "Be glad I'm not on mirakuru," the Aussie sneered. "I wouldn't have even given you one chance." He kicked Rene's gun further away and reached up, drawing his sword. "Especially not to a betrayer."

"You're protecting a betrayer!" Rene protested, rolling into a crouch.

"The difference between you and Evelyn is that Evelyn is doing what she can to rectify her mistakes," Slade countered. "Time spent since her betrayal has started turning her better. For you . . . worse."

Rene yelled angrily and charged Slade, but the Aussie swerved to the side, dodging with ease. Rene caught himself and turned, but Slade ducked low and grabbed Rene's arm, flipping the man over his shoulder and to the ground.

A few feet away, Curtis watched Malcolm fire arrows at his T-spheres, then snorted. "That is cute. You're wasting arrows."

Malcolm smirked. "Am I?" He fired another arrow, this time when the spheres were closer together, and both exploded, the blast knocking Curtis back and to the ground. "That's cute," he countered smugly.

Laurel approached Dinah with a scowl on her face, Dinah twirling her staff in what would be a threatening manner to those without combat experience. "Your move, Canary," the blonde metahuman sneered the name like it was trash.

Dinah sped forward, swinging quickly. Laurel leaned backwards to avoid the swing, and as Dinah entered a spin to hit her again, she dropped to one knee, lowering her head. She felt the wind rush above her, then screamed at Dinah's feet. The scream bounced off the ground and smacked Dinah like an uppercut, knocking her backwards. Laurel drew a knife from her boot, slowly standing. "You see, we could have just talked this out," she said, walking towards Dinah. "But instead, you just chose more aggression. And you deliver aggression? You'll get aggression right back."

Curtis scrambled to his feet, but Malcolm swung with his bow and drew his sword in the same motion. Curtis deflected the bow with his arm, but yelped when Malcolm's sword sliced across his other arm. He staggered backwards, reaching for another sphere, but Malcolm spun on the spot in a circle, kicking out with his foot and swiping with both weapons. He knocked Curtis's feet out from under him, sliced across Curtis's shoulder, and brought his bow hard into Curtis's head. The man collapsed to the ground, winded, and Malcolm pressed his sword to Curtis's throat. "Stop!" Curtis held his hands up, wincing.

"Would you have stopped if Evelyn asked you to?" Malcolm asked coldly.

"I never wanted to kill her!"

"That didn't answer my question!"

"Yes!" Curtis finally burst out. "I would have!"

"Good enough," Malcolm smirked, pressing his sword closer. "Stay down." When he stepped back, Curtis slumped, panting for breath. "Good. Guess one of you finally knows when it's time to stop."

"You want aggression?" Dinah growled. "Fine!"

Laurel opened her mouth to scream, but Dinah ran at her faster than she expected, and Laurel stumbled back, caught off guard enough that Dinah's swing hit her hard across the shoulder. Laurel lurched violently to the side, knife falling to the ground as she lost her grip. Dinah was on a warpath now, swinging like a berserker, Laurel having to keep constantly moving just to avoid being hit. She couldn't stop and scream even if she tried.

Dinah suddenly swung with one hand and hit her with a left hook with the other, and Laurel's head whipped to the side, a pained cry escaping her mouth. Then Dinah's staff went around her neck, and Laurel retched, grabbing at the metal cutting off her air. "You won't stop me," the brunette meta hissed.

"Oliver said you were killing people when he found you," Laurel choked out. "Guess you haven't changed a bit."

Dinah growled and opened her mouth, then gasped in her ear. The grip around her went slack, and Laurel stumbled away as Dinah's staff fell to the ground. She turned to see the dampening collar around Dinah's neck and a tranquilizer arrow between her shoulder blades. Laurel watched Dinah topple to the ground, her eyes sliding closed, and she absently reached up, rubbing her own throat. "You all right?" Malcolm asked, walking up.

"Yeah," Laurel nodded, looking up at him. "Thanks."

"You'd have done the same for me," Malcolm shook his head.

Laurel smiled, then reached up and kissed his cheek. "I know I would have."

The brawl between Slade and Rene was still going on, though it was clear who was more experienced and who still had the strength to continue. Slade had backed Rene up to a wood pile, and the Aussie watched Rene grab the axe from the stump. He tilted his head, then tightened his grip on his sword. "Curtis and Dinah are down," he warned. "Stand down, Rene. Final warning."

"No way!" Rene charged, axe up to bear.

Malcolm tensed, but Laurel held up a hand. "This is Slade's fight," she told him. "You wouldn't want interference if Rene had done what he did to Thea instead of Oliver." Malcolm bristled, but understood the point, stepping back to watch sparks fly as Slade's sword met the blade of the axe Rene was swinging.

It looked like it took no effort for Slade to swing just right and nick Rene's arm, causing him to drop the axe like it was burning hot. Slade swung again, and Rene cried out in pain as Slade's blade connected with his legs. He crumbled to the ground, and Slade growled lowly, walking up and putting a foot on Rene's back, keeping him pinned. "What do you want to bet that all of that swinging possibly caused your stitches to reopen?" he asked casually, seeing Rene's eyes widen through his mask. "And I gave you another chance to stop. You weren't even worth my time. You're not a fighter compared to Oliver. You wouldn't have stood a chance against him . . . and I'm the one who taught him how to fight." He swung the hilt of his sword, hitting Rene in the head and knocking him out. Rene collapsed to the ground, and Slade removed his foot, backing up to join Malcolm and Laurel. "Any difficulty?" he asked.

"None," Malcolm shook his head, looking over at where Curtis was glaring at them, but staying down like he was told. "I felt like I was facing a rookie in Nanda Parbat."

"I managed," Laurel put her hands on her hips. "With a helping hand."

"So what do we do with the three of them?" Malcolm raised an eyebrow, looking around.

Slade looked away from Curtis to where Dinah was out cold on the ground, Malcolm's tranquilizer arrow still in her back, then down to where Rene was in a heap on the ground. "Call the Legionnaires," he finally said. "They can handle them."

"Will do," Malcolm nodded.

"Meanwhile," Slade turned around, "we have a call to make."

Laurel smirked, following after him as they headed towards the car they had drove in to arrive. "Yes, we do."

***

"Thank you for the tour, Director J'onzz," Evelyn smiled shyly as she, J'onn, and Kara walked down the steps at the D.E.O. "I . . . didn't think you'd trust me to see it all."

"Well, that was the basics of the building," J'onn shook his head. "I think you'll find that the majority of the Earth-1ers bunk here. You might as well know the general layout."

"We've got incoming!" Winn suddenly shouted from the main area.

Kara's head shot up, and she hurried down the stairs as Felicity and Winn stood from their chairs, Oliver, Dig, Imra, and James coming from where they were conversing as a breach hissed open. It had barely formed before Slade, Malcolm, and Laurel jumped out. "Not a scratch," Malcolm smirked triumphantly.

"Yes!" Kara cheered in relief, running forward and hugging him. "Oh, thank God!"

"Oh, good to see you three," Oliver sighed.

"Good to be away from those three," Slade snorted, giving his brother a hug.

"What happened?" Evelyn asked, hurrying up to Evelyn.

"Well, they learned a very valuable lesson after they continually decided not to stand down despite many warnings," Laurel answered, folding her arms and smiling. "They don't mess with the three of us unless they want to get beaten up very badly."

"How bad are we talking about?" Winn asked, sounding a bit nervous.

"Well, I got Curtis on his arm and shoulder and gave him a bow to the head," Malcolm shrugged. "Dinah got a dampener collar and a tranquilizer in the back, and whatever hell Laurel rained on her."

"Rene was cut in the arm and the legs," Slade answered. "And considering the axe swinging he attempted when he refused to stand down the last time I asked him to, the wound from when he was shot most likely reopened."

"Whoa," Kara swallowed hard. "That's . . . a lot."

"We warned them multiple times, almas," Malcolm told her. "It's their fault they didn't listen."

"We tried to talk, they used aggression," Laurel nodded. "So we used aggression right back."

"Which I highly doubt they will want to revisit any time soon," Slade added dryly.

Evelyn licked her lips. "So I'm safe?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Yes," Laurel smiled. "You're safe."

Evelyn let out a small sob of relief, hand covering her mouth, and Kara hurried over to give her a hug, Laurel joining her. Oliver watched them with a fond smile, then looked back at the others. "Now's when you're going to tell me you left them out there, isn't it?"

"Of course not, kid," Slade shook his head. "We contacted the Legionnaires to get them."

Oliver snorted. "Of course you did."

"We'd wasted enough time on them," Slade snorted. "But speaking of time, kid . . . don't you have somewhere to be?"

Oliver smiled. "That I do."

***

Oliver walked out of the elevator at City Hall, seeing Quentin and Thea waiting for him. "City reps are all waiting," Thea reported, a smile on her face. "They know nothing."

"It's all there?" Oliver asked.

"All there," Quentin nodded. "Evelyn came through."

"That is what I needed to hear after the last forty-eight hours," Oliver relaxed. "Shall we?"

"After you," Thea held out a hand to the conference room.

As soon as Oliver stepped inside, the shouting began. This time, it only took Oliver raising a hand for them to quiet down, and he took a seat, Thea on his right, Quentin on his left. "Thank you," he said, looking around the table. "Now, it is my pleasure to inform everyone that the money extorted from us by the cyber terrorist Cayden James has been recovered thanks to an anonymous source. All seventy million dollars have been returned to Star City where they belong."

***

"The news isn't good," Dr. Schwartz told Dinah and Rene as they stood from their chairs in the waiting room, Dinah standing up stiffly, Curtis more slowly and rubbing his head. "Mr. Ramirez suffered a traumatic hemothorax. We were able to stop the bleeding in his chest, but the injury also caused his lung to recollapse. Now, given the severity of your friend's injuries, I'm recommending he be transferred to a facility that can provide the care he needs outside of Star City." Curtis nodded, biting his lip as Dinah sighed and closed her eyes. "Mr. Ramirez is resting now. You and your friends will have to wait to see him."

"What friends?" Curtis frowned.

"We thought Rene would be here," Felicity's voice answered.

Dinah tensed, turning around, scoffing when she saw Dig and Felicity were there, as were Alex and Mon-El. "Well, of course he's here," she said, jerking her chin out at Mon-El. "He saw what Slade did to him."

"So something Slade did caused the wound to reopen?" Mon-El raised an eyebrow. "Slade said he gave Rene repeated warnings, which he ignored."

"He would say that," Dinah huffed.

"How's Rene doing?" Dig cut in.

"You've lost the right to ask that question," Curtis snapped.

"You four need to leave," Dinah agreed.

"No," Felicity shook her head. "No, not until you tell us if Rene's OK. This is not – "

"No, no, Felicity," Alex shook her head, holding out her hand. "You see, you'll just keep encouraging them to tantrum."

"Excuse me?" Curtis gawked at her, bristling. "We are not – !"

"John lost the right to that question?" Alex got right in his face. "Really? I guess that means you lost the right to even be within walking distance. We were there with Brainy when he intercepted your hack. The one that would have disabled the implant in his arm, brought the tremor back."

"John is the reason Rene was shot!" Curtis protested.

"And I'm pretty sure Rene forgave him for that, and you volunteered to help find a way to fix the tremor that caused the shot," Alex raised an eyebrow. "Or did all of that change when you got this vendetta against Evelyn because of Vincent?"

"Do not – !" Dinah snarled, stepping forward.

"And don't you start," Alex pointed at her. "You wear that badge, you say you stand for justice. How is killing a teenager for actions that weren't of her own will justice?" She scoffed in disgust, backing up. "I don't even recognize you anymore."

Mon-El watched Alex storm down the hall, then looked back at them. "You're welcome for getting you here, by the way," he added, starting to back up as well.

"Let's go," Dig nudged Felicity gently.

"Yeah," she nodded weakly, stepping back.

"Those three did this to us," Dinah sneered, gesturing to the white of a bandage peeking out under Curtis's collar, to her own back. "Those three you trust? That Kara calls siblings? People like them don't change. They did this without mercy!"

Felicity flinched and sped up her pace, Dig giving the two one last look before following her.

***

William looked up from his homework, brightening when he saw Oliver enter. "Dad!" he greeted happily, standing up. "They said in school that we didn't have to close!"

"Nothing's closing, buddy," Oliver smiled. "Not by a long shot."

"Good," William smiled, seeing Kara walk in, too. "How did you – "

He cut off when he saw the dark-haired girl who slipped in behind Kara, a duffel bag over her shoulder. "Hi," she smiled shyly.

William blinked a few times. "Hi," he finally managed to say as well, looking between his dad and Kara.

"Evelyn got the money," Kara explained. "And she's cut ties with everyone she worked with before."

"And no offense to Slade, Malcolm, and Laurel, but the place they stay at is good for the three of them, not including Evelyn," Oliver added.

"I'm sorry for everything I did that affected you," Evelyn hesitantly stepped forward. "I'll stay out of your way while I'm here, if that's what you want."

William looked at her for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. "We have a few extra homemade cookies," he offered. "If you want one, that is."

Evelyn blinked, clearly surprised by the offer, before a grin formed on her face. "I'd love one."

"Dad?" William looked at Oliver.

"Go on," Oliver chuckled.

William grinned, and Evelyn gave him a quick smile and a mouthed "thank you" before following William to one of the cupboards. "So we're going with the housing excuse and not the 'he may be a good influence on her' reason?" Kara asked quietly, linking their fingers together.

"He may figure that out on his own," Oliver smiled.

Kara sighed, watching William and Evelyn each pick a cookie, Evelyn's eyes brightening in delight. "I can't believe this ended so well. I mean, save for Rene being in the hospital. But all seventy million dollars is back, Evelyn is safe . . . "

"I know," Oliver nodded, though his smile faded slightly. "Everything worked out."

So why did he have the same uneasy feeling he had had back at the cabin?

***

Laurel pulled her cap down tighter over her head, shadowing her face as she walked back towards the apartment she shared with the guys, watching the news report of Oliver's speech on her phone. "How about that, Cayden," she chuckled. "You can't win, even when you're dead."

She rounded the corner, and for the first time the entire time she had ever walked the route, she found someone standing in her path. Laurel slowed her steps, giving the man standing there a long look before going to walk around him. The man shifted, standing in her path.

Heart sinking, Laurel turned around to head back the way she had come, only to find the path blocked from behind as well, this time by two people. She swallowed hard, slipping her phone into her pocket. "So that's how it's gonna be," she muttered, taking a deep breath and opening her mouth.

No sound came out, and heart thumping wildly, Laurel reached up to her throat. Where was her cry? One of the men chuckled, pointing upwards, and Laurel looked up, swallowing when she saw a familiar device in the shadows of one of the fire escapes. Sonic dampener. "Lose your voice?" he taunted.

Laurel took a deep breath. "Just turn away and leave," she said, hoping to hide the tremble in her voice. "No one has to get hurt."

"The thing is, Laurel," the man who originally blocked her said, making Laurel blanch, "you do."

The three charged at the same time, and Laurel yanked her knife from its sheath on her belt. She stabbed the first in the neck, tossing the gurgling man into one of the others and snap kicking the third, knocking him back with all her might. A clatter from the fire escape made her look up, and she blanched, seeing three more men jump down. Panicking, she raced towards the entrance of the alley, just barely stopping before she ran into the four men slinking into view. Laurel gulped, readjusting her grip on her knife, then did the first thing she could think of. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and smashed it on the ground, stabbing it through with her knife as well. Chances were if this was going to end how she feared it would, she did not want that phone to trace to anyone.

The next minutes were a blur to her as she swerved and ducked and dodged and swung, but even she had her limits against thugs that seemed to pour from nowhere. She remembered being struck in the back of the head and again in the face, bruising her left side and getting blood in her eye. Then there was searing pain in her left side, and Laurel collapsed with a thud, groaning in pain.

She could have been unconscious for an unknown amount of time, but then she heard the wail of a police siren, and she jerked, groaning when pain came from everywhere on her body. "No," she gasped weakly. "No . . . please, no – "

"She just appeared out of nowhere," a man's voice from just above her said as doors slammed. "She said she was kidnapped two years ago, and then she just collapsed!"

"Ma'am," a calm voice said above her. "What's your name?"

"No," Laurel slurred, her vision blurring again. "No . . . "

"Wait," another voice said, this one sounding shocked. "I know that voice."

"Ma'am," the first calm voice said again. "What's your name?"

Laurel closed her eyes, defeated. Quentin, forgive me. "Laurel," she whispered. "My name is Laurel Lance."

***

And cue the Canary theme! I seem to torture Laurel a lot, don't I? Poor girl . . . she didn't exactly choose to have this happen to her.

How did you all like the fight? Malcolm and Slade would have theirs in the bag, but I figured since Dinah was the most motivated out of all of them, she would give Siren a bit of a run for her money. Good thing Malcolm can help her out, right?

So after this rush of updates, no promises on when "Doppelganger" will begin, but hey - you guys have Roy to look forward to next time! :D