The club was packed with people as I arrived that night, it's popularity no doubt due to the fame Oliver and Tommy had.

'What a great turnout,' I said as Oliver met me by the bar, already preparing a cocktail for me.

'I guess the people want Verdant,' he claimed confidently.

'You named it Verdant?' I raised my eyebrows at him. 'You do know that means the colour green, right?'

Why did Oliver have to be so ironic? He was supposed to use the club as a cover for the Arrowcave, not drop clues about the link between himself and The Hood.

'Hey, Aria,' Tommy joined us, finally getting away from the crowds of people. 'How are... You enjoying the new club?'

'It's great,' I answered politely, pushing my thoughts aside.

I was stuck between the two I was conflicted with, and there was no way I could get myself out of the situation. I felt torn, not sure who to focus on in case the other got the wrong idea.

'I could really use a drink, Ollie,' Tommy commented with a fake look of stress on his face. 'I'll have what Aria's on?'

'Here,' I passed my glass to Tommy quickly. 'Take mine, I'm not really in the mood to drink.'

'You can just tell me if my cocktails aren't all that great,' Oliver grinned sarcastically.

The truth was that I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of them, as I always tended to express my emotions when I became intoxicated. And that night, I wasn't ready to tell any of the two men all of my extraordinary, heavy problems I had recently, or that I had fallen for them. Both of them.

'I'm gonna go talk with the Fireman's Relief Association over there,' Tommy announced, pointing to a few firemen at a small table, who were currently being served Champagne in expensive flute glasses.

'Chief Raynes is over there too,' Oliver noticed. 'He's the guy I talked to about the Fireflies, and he seemed pretty pissed off at me mentioning the Nodell Fire.'

'Do you think he has anything to do with the attacks?' I wondered.

'The only thing he's done is anger Linz,' Oliver explained. 'I think he feels guilty about leaving him in the fire to die.'

Automatically scanning the room like I always did when I was on SCPD business, I spotted Laurel walk in and meet Tommy with a kiss. They looked very in love, and I was determined not to be the one to break that. The only worry was if Tommy ruined their relationship himself.

Oliver left the bar and beckoned me to follow him, I obliging.

'Excuse me,' Oliver interrupted Tommy and Laurel's kissing session whilst I stood there awkwardly. 'Can I borrow Laurel for a second?'

'Absolutely,' Tommy grinned, Oliver and Laurel leaving us together.

'I'm still... Surprised that you managed to organise all this,' I said to Tommy as I attempted conversation.

'You must have a pretty low opinion of me, then,' Tommy smirked with a long drawl, causing me to laugh.

'No, I just didn't expect that you would be working here,' I shook my head, rolling my eyes at him. 'You have money, and lots of it. You don't really need to work to make a living.'

'I'm just helping a friend out,' Tommy tried to sound sincere. 'But actually I needed the money. My dad cut me off, completely. That's why I've been at Laurel's lately.'

'Why on earth did he do that for?' I inquired, astonished. 'What did you do?'

'He said it was because of my 'laid back attitude',' Tommy repeated with a grin, as if he found the whole situation humorous now. 'But I got a job, and here we are now.'

'Surely your dad would've realised that was because you didn't need to work?' I pointed out. 'And that he raised you so you could rely on your trust funds and be 'laid back'?'

'If you want to argue it out with my dad, you're more than welcome to,' Tommy put his hands up, almost suggesting he couldn't argue with his father's decisions.

Before I myself could argue any further, screams suddenly erupted from our left, towards where Oliver and Laurel had gone off to 'talk'. Heat flared up throughout the club, a man concealing his identity in a full fireman uniform lighting the place up.

'Linz,' I breathed as pandemonium spread with the flames, Tommy taking my hand as we ran to safety.

But I couldn't just stand back and watch as others tried to get out, desperately crying out for help.

'Tommy, we need to get these people out of here,' I told him bravely.

'Laurel and Ollie are still in there,' a look of dread veiled his face.

'I'll go find them while you help get your customers to safety,' I instructed him, Tommy surprisingly following my orders.

Darting through the stampede, I found where Oliver and Laurel were situated. They were with Chief Raynes, being confronted by Linz. Oliver shouted something and Laurel fled the scene, not soon later Oliver doing the same but running towards the Arrowcave.

He was going to put Linz to justice.

'Laurel!' I heard Tommy's voice travel through the room, the fire muffling his voice.

'Tommy, stay back!' I shouted back to him, not wanting him to get hurt, but I soon heard he and Laurel reuniting.

'Aria!' Diggle was now looking for me, worry laced in his voice. 'Aria!'

'I'm here!' I replied, him finding me near the heart of the fire.

'What the hell are you doing out here?' Diggle questioned me immediately. 'We need to get out of here, now!'

'I was looking for Oliver, but he's gone to the Arrowcave,' I explained to him quickly. 'But Chief Raynes, one of the Firefly fighters, is alone and with Linz. He's going to kill him, Diggle.'

Linz was spraying what I guessed was gasoline onto Raynes, and had a lighter in his hand, ready for the inevitable.

'He's gonna set fire to the Chief,' Diggle realised, pulling his gun out of his pocket at once.

'I wish I'd brought mine,' I added as Diggle lined up the barrel to Linz. 'Wait.'

Oliver had reappeared as The Hood, his bow at the ready as he shot the lighter straight out of Linz's hand.

'You don't need to do anything, Diggle,' I turned to the bodyguard quickly. 'Oliver's got it. Now we need to get out of here.'

'If Oliver doesn't succeed, he'll be fried like Chief Raynes,' Diggle stated, eye on the target. 'I won't let Oliver die, Aria.'

Before Oliver could do anything else, Linz simply stuck his arms out and walked through the fire, burning right in front of us.

'He's a lost cause,' I said, bowing my head, starting to feel sorry for our criminal.

He was a troubled man, and we hadn't been able to save him.

---

That week, the media would decide to portray The Hood as an unlikely hero instead of his usual cold-blooded-murderer image. Oliver looked pleased as his efforts were praised for once, his public return as The Hood being successful.

'Did Laurel's friend get the justice she wanted?' I asked Oliver as I returned to the Arrowcave after a few days of solid training with Leyla.

'Yes, she did,' Oliver nodded. 'But it wasn't all because of me. You helped a lot, Aria. Without you, I probably would've just let the case slip. But you motivated me to put my hood back on and go out there.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' I smiled at Oliver's praise of me. 'How is your mum coping now that she has been appointed CEO of Queen Consolidated?'

Due to the company's economic decline since Walter's departure and hence the need of a strong lead, Moira had taken his position, becoming her own boss.

'She's a lot better,' Oliver said happily. 'I think this new job's taking her mind of Walter and helping her cope with... Loss.'

'And what are your plans, Ollie?' I asked him. 'You haven't taken down anyone since the fire at the club.'

'I'm going to take on The List again,' he declared, sounding very sure of himself. 'I'm going to make sure the corrupt in this city get what they deserve.'

The first victim he took on was a man named Ted Gaynor, but this had its problems. Gaynor was a good friend of Diggle's and also was his old commanding officer in Afganistan, so naturally, Diggle was strongly against Oliver taking him down.

But I had more pressing matters at hand. Leyla and I were preparing for our showdown with Malcolm Merlyn for one last night.

'Can you believe we're actually going to do this?' I pondered aloud at Leyla's hideout. 'We're actually going to defeat Merlyn, and for good this time.'

'Are you still one hundred percent certain you want to go through with this?' Leyla checked, having last-minute doubts. 'We can not go back from this. Not ever.'

'I'm sure,' I confirmed my decision. 'Isaac didn't die for me not to carry on protecting this city. His city. If I take out Merlyn, I'm doing the right thing.'

'I know I was adamant on Mr Merlyn's defeat, but I've grown to know you, Aria,' Leyla slowly discussed her opinions. 'I knew you were a good person ever since we were small, but I've seen a strength in you like no other. You're special, I can sense it, and I'm not sure that having blood on your hands will go in your favour. Everyone seems to think you're destined for great things, and now I too can see what they mean.'

'Yeah, killing Merlyn is a great thing,' I scoffed, not listening to my sister's advice. 'And I'm 'special' because I wasn't supposed to be alive still! That's why my entire existence doesn't seem right. I'm a blip, an error, a mistake. But finally I'm going to prove myself worthy of my existence. I'm going to kill Malcolm Merlyn, whether you still agree with it or not.'

'Time travellers even advised you not to!' Leyla argued, really backing out of our agreement now. 'I thought you cared for Tommy. What will he think when he finds out you murdered his own father?'

'I thought you believed Merlyn was better off dead?' I contested her, annoyed that even my sister wasn't on my side anymore. 'I trusted that you would support me, but instead you tell me all of this!'

'Oh, no, I do think Mr Merlyn deserves to die for all his crimes,' Leyla finally agreed with me on something. 'But I'm putting all my beliefs aside for your own sake, Aria. You do not want to kill this man, it will most likely come back to haunt you in an awful way. If travellers from the future are warning you of the consequences, something terrible must come from it.'

'I already know what the consequences probably are,' I told her quietly. 'They told me all about these Time Masters who will deal with me if I end Merlyn. They're like, the SCPD of time.'

'Then why are you still going through with your crusade?' Leyla questioned me aptly.

So it was true - it was only my crusade now. I was alone, in the whole situation, and Leyla could not even bear for me to carry out the 'unspeakable'.

'Well, maybe I want to face justice,' I retaliated as I started changing into my vigilante suit once again. 'Maybe I don't care anymore, about anything. I already messed up time itself; I think I need to pay for my crimes.'

'Aria, please-' Leyla did her best to persuade me to stop what I was doing, but I ignored her.

'I'm going out there, onto the roof of the Merlyn Global Group building, and you can do nothing to stop me,' I interrupted my sister. 'Of course, you're more than welcome to come along and support me from the crowd.'

'Stop,' Leyla uttered forcefully, blocking the exit from her hideout after I had finished preparing for my final battle.

'No,' I answered back just as curtly.

'I won't let you out until you tell me you won't turn up at Merlyn Global Group,' Leyla proclaimed.

'And just how are you going to do that?' I challenged my sister. 'You can't stop me.'

Leyla went to knock me from my feet, but I was quicker, twisting her arm so she dared not to attack again.

'I'm glad we cleared that up,' I smirked. 'I'm sorry you're in pain, but it was for the best. I have to do this, Leyla. You of all people should understand; he's wronged our family too many times.'

I took a look at the wall clock hanging opposite to the door, it's minute hand nearly on the hour. I had only a mere half hour until Merlyn would be at his most vulnerable, so if I wanted to make it in time, I had to set off at once. Luckily, our location was a part of the Glades nearby to the city centre, where Merlyn Global Group was based.

I had no time to lose.

---

Finding a corrugated flight of stairs running along the side of the Merlyn Global Group skyscraper that appeared to be installed for fire exits, I swung from banister to banister, as though I was gathering speed and courage from hiding my identity. My vigilante alter-ego was supposed to be fearless, yet I felt oddly queasy under all the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I soon found Merlyn, alone and unprotected.

He turned my way, a look of surprise on his face.

'Why are you paying me a visit?' He inquired, eyeing me up as a way to demand an answer from me. 'You and your... Friends stopped protecting this city years ago!'

'Do you really not know who I am?' I asked, lightly laughing at Merlyn's obliviousness.

'Aria?' He wondered aloud, astounded. 'You were that vigilante? I had a feeling you were her, but I never knew I was right. You and your friends were always so good at covering your tracks and hiding from plain sight.'

'That's not only why we were good,' I started, reacting negatively to his words. 'We were just. We were helping the city, unlike you who brings pain and destruction wherever he goes.'

'Just get to the point,' Merlyn huffed impatiently. 'You're obviously here for some reason. Have you come to settle who the best fighter is? Because if so, you know I'm the one who will win.'

'I guess you could say that,' I agreed with Merlyn's guesses. 'But don't just assume you're going to win.'

I walked closer to my opponent, my stance ready to attack.

'What are you doing?' Merlyn quickly realised my intentions.

'You've put me and the people around me through enough pain,' I told him bitterly. 'You've only changed this city for the worse, and I think it's time you deserved the same treatment back.'

I struck first, using Malcolm's signature kick move against him, which even Isaac had noted about in his files. Merlyn was immediately taken aback, a look of surprise across his face as he ducked away just in time. However, it had made him lose both his balance and confidence, giving me a large advantage.

'Having trouble?' I remarked snarkily as Merlyn threw a sad excuse for a punch.

'I'm just getting started,' he leered with the little arrogance he had left.

We continued to fight, Merlyn's hand-to-hand combat seeming to only include Karate Kid punches and dramatics leg flicks, but he was still good at defending himself. I had to be stealthy and cunning; the only way I was to defeat him would be to overpower him when he slacked for only a second, but unfortunately my opponent was growing more powerful in our battle with time. I needed to up my game.

Throwing a false start, the assassin fell for my trickery, kicking at me with all his might. I had reduced him to the very edge of the roof, his balance well and truly nonexistent now.

As I neared towards him even more, I could tell he was regaining his strength and I would soon have to fight him for an age until he gave in. Maybe I should metaphorically tip him over the edge, I thought, but I needed something to do that.

And then I remembered that bestowing Merlyn the knowledge of one subject Isaac had found out would do just that.

'All I ever did was bring you here to protect Tommy,' Merlyn tried to make me look like the bad guy, not daring to move. 'I made you the person you are today. Without me, you would be just another dull astrophysicist with no purpose. I made you.'

'No, you made me despise you,' I hissed at him with pure contempt. 'I thought you'd want to be a good man, set a good example as a father. If your children knew about the truth about their father, they'd be mortified.'

'Tommy will never know about this,' Merlyn growled at my insolence.

'Oh, you, you don't know?' I said with a completely over-the-top tone, pretending to be in utter shock.

'I don't know what, Aria?' Merlyn questioned me, tetchy and itching to know the truth.

'You don't only have a son, but a daughter too!' I exclaimed slowly, acting like I was happy for him. 'And that daughter is someone Oliver and Moira hold very dear to their hearts. Your daughter is Thea Queen.'

'I always had a suspicion, but it's... True?' Merlyn looked like he had just heard about the birth of his newborn daughter. 'Is that why you came here, to tell me this? I knew you found it hard to just talk to me, we always end up fighting-'

'You are so, so wrong,' I laughed sadistically, taking my gun from my blue holster and pointing it at Malcolm's forehead. 'I just wanted to give you a little... Push.'

The assassin was now hanging over the roof's edge, his body trembling as he constantly tried to steady himself and not fall to a certain death.

I had been waiting for this moment for so many years, but now it was time, I felt numb to my actions. It was as if I was watching myself start to pull the trigger from afar, as if I was the lead in the dramatic, penultimate scene in a deadly stage play.

'Wait!' Leyla's voice interrupted behind me, my ears just picking up the sound. 'Don't do this, Aria!'

'How did you get up here?' I shouted back irritably, not daring to turn my back from my target. 'Get out of here, Leyla!'

'I followed you here,' Leyla yelled back. 'I am truly sorry I didn't listen to you, Aria, but you need to stop what you are doing. You will regret this. Trust me, sister.'

'How can I trust you?' I hissed. 'You claimed you were all for this, for my plan, but you just decided to betray me right at the end of our crusade!'

'Please, Aria,' Leyla was now just behind me, laying a hand on my aiming arm, steadying my shaking limbs.

'It wasn't supposed to end like this,' I started to sob, lowering my right arm. 'We were supposed to defend this city, together.'

'I wanted to, honestly,' Leyla admitted. 'I would've killed Mr Merlyn in a heartbeat too; I had every intention to do so. But I could never let you face the Time Masters, whoever they are. You do not deserve justice for existing, but instead, your life should be celebrated. You are going to be a great vigilante, and a saviour for this city. The Starling Saviour. You can't be that if you murder Merlyn, how awful he may be.'

'I would prefer to not be insulted,' Merlyn suddenly piped up.

I'd forgotten he was still there.

'All I can say is, thank you for not killing me, both of you,' Merlyn continued, looking particularly delighted.

'Don't even think about it,' Leyla took a gun out of her jacket pocket and pointed it at Merlyn, protecting us both.

'Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you or your sister,' Merlyn smirked, mildly entertained by our show.

'You aren't going to kill me?' I asked, utterly shocked at his generosity.

'I guess we're even,' Merlyn shrugged. 'After all, I have tried to kill you and your friends, and your family, countless times. In fact, I feel proud that you've come so far.'

Well, Merlyn was on a whole other level than anyone else I had ever met. He was past strange; rather like a fifth-dimensional thinker.

'... Thanks,' I didn't know how quite to answer the assassin.

'You better get out of here before anyone realises what you were about to do,' Merlyn suggested aptly. 'The Hood likes to patrol the city at night.'

'Good point,' Leyla nodded, and we swiftly left into the night.