The End of Laurel Lance

AN – While I'm clearly Team Arrow/ Olicity this isn't strictly Laurel bashing (despite the title which is actually a play on words). This is my attempt to use the current S3 setting to "realistically" write Laurel out of Starling City! There are S3 SPOILERS so read at your own risk. There's also a MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH so again read at your own risk!

DISCLAIMER – Nope, I have no claim on Laurel (thankfully) but unfortunately I also no claim on CW's Arrow.

Laurel Lance stood on a mountain top hundreds of miles from Starling City. She was tired, bruised and yet the fire still burned bright and angry within her. Sara's murderer had been avenged, but her own father had lost his life in the process. She could still picture that scene and she knew that it was burned forever in her brain.

Her father lying on the floor of the empty warehouse - blood pouring from the arrow wounds as Felicity cradled his head in her lap and Roy tried to treat the fatal injuries.

Tears blurred Laurel's vision as she remembered her father clutching Felicity's hand and whispering something. Roy and Felicity had looked at each other before they had turned to look at her. She had met her father's eyes and watched as he tried to smile at her just before his last breath left his body.

Laurel now gasped on a half sob as she forced her mind away from that image. Fortunately, or not, there were a multitude of other memories swirling in her mind from that whole damned week.

Ra's al Ghul had arrived in Starling City for Malcolm Merlyn mere weeks after Nyssa had left. He gave Ollie a chance, but Ollie still chose Thea over Sara and continued to protect the murderer. Chaos erupted in the city as Nyssa's father made it clear that his wrath extended past Malcolm to the whole city. Ollie and his team worked hard to take down the League assassins and turn them over to the SCPD but it wasn't enough.

Amanda Waller had quickly appeared on the scene with ARGUS troops. Laurel hadn't even known who she was; however, she knew that Ollie hadn't been happy about her appearance. More men and more guns but still Malcolm Merlyn had continued to live, still Ra's al Ghul had continued to wreak havoc.

The angry fire that had burned bright in Laurel since Sara's death suddenly burst free. Without telling her father or Ollie as she knew they would not approve or understand, she took to the streets to help their fight. She took to the streets to exact vengeance for her sister's death. She would have died there too if Nyssa hadn't saved her.

Nyssa killed the League assassins herself to save her. Laurel remembered recognizing the fire burning in the other woman's eyes afterward and she remembered smiling. She hadn't smiled much since Sara's death, but she had smiled that night.

Like an avenging angel, Nyssa had stood with her. Sara's lover had the strength and skill to kill Malcolm Merlyn and she was willing to do it. Laurel felt such a bond with the assassin - much more than she had ever felt with Ollie's team who still excluded her, just as Ollie did, just as her father did. She gladly followed Nyssa's plan to kill Malcolm.

She hadn't known that Nyssa also planned to take out her own father though. She hadn't known just what their choices would cost her either.

Nyssa hadn't told her everything. She hadn't told her that she believed Ra's al Ghul had been responsible for Sara's death. It wouldn't have mattered though. Laurel still wanted them both dead.

Much like it had when Slade had attacked the city, open warfare erupted on the streets one dark night. Malcolm Merlyn still owned many in Starling City and his allies hid him and his tracks. Ra's al Ghul thought nothing of collateral damage as he and his assassins tore the city apart to find Merlyn. Ollie and his team were working against both trying so save not just innocent lives but Merlyn's as well – Laurel knew Ollie was on the wrong side but her words fell on deaf ears.

Ollie still believed that killing wasn't the answer. Laurel had known even then that it was. He told her again that it wouldn't bring Sara back, that it wouldn't ease her pain, but Laurel hadn't believed him.

The game had to end sometime though, somewhere. The where was an abandoned warehouse in the Glades. Merlyn was there, almost unrecognizable in his full gear. He looked nothing like Tommy's father and Laurel felt more anger heat her blood on sight of him. Ra's al Ghul was triumphant over Malcolm until Nyssa had stepped from the shadows and accused him of killing Sara.

Laurel had been shocked and angry. She had stood frozen as all hell broke loose around her.

Everything happened so fast - arrows flying, bodies falling, screams even filled the night. Laurel remained frozen in the shadows until she saw her father and Felicity on the other side of the battle. She hadn't understood then why her dad was there, but she had known that she had to get to him. However, before she moved, she was forced to watch him cover Felicity with his own body as arrows slammed them into the ground.

Her memories blurred then as a red haze had filled her vision. Somehow she had made it closer while the battle had raged on. Then suddenly there was an eerie silence and unnatural stillness which caused even Laurel to stop. The struggle had simply ended abruptly once Nyssa had killed her father. The League assassins fled without a sound just as Merlyn had.

Malcolm Merlyn continued to live even as blood flowed freely from her father's wounds.

Silence had continued to reign while Laurel watched her father die just as she had watched her sister die. The fire inside her again burst free – angry, hot, destructive – as she moved to confront Oliver.

"This is your fault, Ollie! I asked you how many others had to die before you'd kill Malcolm! I begged you to stop him but you didn't and now my father is dead!" Laurel had screamed the words and raised her hand to strike but Oliver had stopped her. There was no sympathy in his gaze now as the fire burned bright in him too.

"There's a lot of blood on my hands Laurel, but your father's blood is on your hands. You choose to play at revenge without any understanding of what it does to you and your loved ones. Vengeance and killing always exact a price – your father paid it for you. Your choices brought him here, not mine."

"No!" Laurel had screamed her denial even as she rushed to her father's side, pushing Felicity out of her way as she turned her wrath on the other woman. "He died trying to save you! Why are you even here?"

With tear tracks wet on her face, Felicity had met her eyes with sympathy, but Laurel hadn't want sympathy she wanted revenge.

"Merlyn took down our communications and all cell phones in the area…Lance was…he was concerned when he couldn't reach you and he was desperate to get to you. He had heard that Sara had been killed and I couldn't, I couldn't not tell him what was going on here. I'm so sorry Laurel."

Laurel again drew her fist back to strike, but Oliver moved to protect Felicity even as Nyssa moved forward to protect her. They were at a stalemate with the lines clearly drawn. Laurel and Nyssa stood on one side of Lance's body with Oliver, Felicity, Diggle and Roy on the other.

"Your father loved you Laurel – he wanted me to tell you that he always loved you. He also wanted you let him go." Felicity's voice was soft, pleading but Laurel felt nothing except the fire inside her.

No more words were spoken but when Nyssa turned away and pushed Laurel forward she went without a backward glance.

"Laurel, if you let the fire keep burning, you'll only end up with ashes."

Oliver's quiet voice pierced her heart even as Laurel felt the fire rage inside her. It was then she understood Nyssa's words about the strongest steel being forged in the hottest fire. Suddenly she knew what she needed to do. She stopped and turned back to face Oliver for the last time.

"Good bye Oliver."

She had left Starling City that very moment – she had left without fear or remorse. The fire continued to burn in her but she no longer tried to get rid of it. Now she welcomed it.

"We are both orphans now."

Pulled from her memories, Laurel turned to look at the other woman. She still looked like an avenging angel and the fire still burned in her eyes. Laurel welcomed the sight and even smiled as she nodded her agreement just as Nyssa continued.

"Malcolm Merlyn still lives though."

The fire exploded within her and Laurel closed her eyes as she tried to embrace it. She opened her eyes to find Nyssa smiling - there was no sweetness in her expression, instead she appeared both smug and challenging. Understanding again hit Laurel suddenly and she smiled as she accepted and welcomed the challenge.

"I want to kill him. You have to teach him how to kill him."

"I can do that but it will not be easy nor will it be quick. You have come far but you have much further to go."

"I don't care. I want to learn." Laurel realized that she truly didn't care, she had nothing left to care about as her father and sister were dead. She wanted the fire to consume her.

"You must choose a new name. Laurel Lance is no more."