Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.

AN1: Thank you so much for the support. You really have no idea how much it means to me. ESPECIALLY, thank you to all those who still care about this story.

Not long Sin said that she has gotten a lead, Thea and Oliver hurry into the main area of the Clock Tower.

"Oliver, you're awake," Roy says, looking relieved as he is pretty sure that Oliver is the best chance they have at getting Laurel back.

"How you feel, Man?" Diggle asks curious.

"I've felt worse," Oliver responds, as he makes his way towards the computer.

"From what I understand that isn't much of a comfort," Ted comments, and Oliver just gives him an annoyed look, feeling that he will deal with his feelings about Ted, and Ted knowing his secret, once Laurel is safe.

"Sin, what have you found?" Oliver asks curious.

"So, when Laurel first entered the warehouse we don't have images, but that is okay because we heard what happened through the coms," Sin comments.

"What do we have?" Thea asks curious as she knows her friend well enough to know that she looks hopeful and so she must have found something.

"This," Sin says, pressing play, and as she does they watch what happens after Quinten was knocked out. They watch as they Laurel is taken, and as they do Oliver sees something familiar about how they move.

"Sin, can you rewind that, play it in slow motion," Oliver requests, as he moves forward, closer to the screen.

"Sure," Sin responds and she does exactly what Oliver asked.

"What do you see?" Diggle asks curious as he has been working with Oliver well enough to know when Oliver has realised something that no one else has.

"They way they move, I know it," Oliver reveals, looking at Diggle. "it's ARGUS,"

"What's ARGUS?" Thea asks, looking between Oliver and Diggle, while Roy and Sin look just as curious.

"Government Agency, secret, black ops right?" Ted asks, as he has heard rumours, but can't be sure.

"Very secret," Diggle admits as Oliver is surprised that Ted has heard of ARGUS.

"What would a black ops group want with Laurel?" Roy asks, as everything he can think of tells him that it cannot mean anything good for Laurel.

"Nothing good," Oliver comments, feeling like this just got so much worse.

"Then we have to find where Laurel is, get her back," Sin says, sounding worried about what might happen to Laurel as finding some answers doesn't help, it just makes her feel more worried, as Thea takes her hand and Roy puts a comforting hand on each of Thea and Sin's shoulders.

"I might just be able to help with that," Diggle comments, causing everyone to look at him. "My ex-wife is an ARGUS agent," Diggle explains.

"You were married," Thea says surprised, as everyone but Oliver looks surprised by what Diggle just revealed, confirming what Diggle suspected which is that Oliver looked into him.

"Yeah,"

"Make the call, please," Oliver requests as he while he knows he will likely have to play Waller a visit he would rather have some idea of what is going on before he does that.

"Sure," Diggle says, walking away from the others, to the other side of the room and calling Lyla.

As he calls his ex-wife Diggle isn't sure she is going to answer at first, as she takes a while to, but that is only because, unknown to Dig, she stepped away from Laurel.

"Jonny, it's been a while," Lyla comments, as she answers her call.

"It has," Dig confirms.

"Look, I would love to catch up, but I am in the middle of something," Lyla says, being sure that she cannot talk for long on the phone.

"Well, I'll keep this quick then. Does ARGUS have Laurel Lance?" Diggle asks as he knows there is no subtle way to ask what he needs to know.

"You know I can't answer that," Lyla responds, and that tells Diggle everything he needs to know.

"You just did," Diggle says. "Thanks," Diggle reveals.

"Any time, Jonny," Lyla responds. "When we get back into the country we'll talk," Lyla says, purposely giving a hint to Diggle, what he realises.

"I'd like that," Diggle responds, before hanging up and walking back over to the others.

"Could your ex-wife tell you anything?" Roy asks, feeling that that conversation was too short for Diggle to find out much information.

"Not a lot. When I asked her if ARGUS has Laurel she told me that she couldn't answer that, which is a conformation," Diggle reveals, looking at Oliver.

"Anything else?" Oliver asks, feeling that a visit to Waller is becoming a necessity.

"Lyla said that when 'we' get back into the country that she and I should talk," Diggle explains, putting a slight stress on we.

"You think your ex is with Laurel," Sin realises, wondering if that is a good or bad thing.

"It definitely would be Waller style, using an agent who Laurel could relate to, who she had a personal connection to," Oliver says, feeling like Waller hasn't changed much.

"Who's Waller?" Ted asks curious.

"The Director of ARGUS," Oliver explains.

"How do you know the Director of a Government Black Ops Agency?" Thea asks confused, looking at her brother.

"Long story," Oliver responds.

"Are you ever going to tell me your Long Stories?" Thea asks curious, a slight annoyed edge to her voice.

"Maybe one day. Right now, I'm going to go pay Waller a visit," Oliver reveals.

"It's the middle of the day. Are you going to break into a government building?" Roy questions, feeling that that would not be easy, and a really bad idea.

"I wouldn't exactly consider it breaking in," Oliver admits, as he has other ways to get to Waller.

"Then I'm coming with you," Thea reveals.

"No," Oliver says, without hesitation.

"Ollie, if this Waller is the one who took Laurel then I need to go with you. I need to look her in the eyes and ask why, ask her if Laurel is okay" Thea explains.

"Speedy, I have met a lot of people in the last five years, Amanda Waller is one of the most dangerous," Oliver reveals, and Dig has to guess that that says a lot. "Laurel turned herself over to protect her family, that's you, Speedy. You need to stay here. All three of you do," Oliver says, looking between Thea, Roy, and Sin, as they are all the family Laurel is trying to protect.

"This chick is the director of a government agency, what makes you think she won't be able to get past our security?" Sin asks curious.

"She probably could, which is exactly why Dig and Ted are going to stay with you," Oliver reveals. "I know you put a lot of hidden escape methods in this Tower," Oliver says, looking at Ted. "Any sign that this place has been compromised, get out, stick together and get somewhere off the grid," Oliver says, looking between Dig and Ted, clearly showing that he is asking them to make sure the others are safe.

"You got it," Diggle says, and Ted nods.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Oliver says, heading to the trap door.

"Ollie," Thea says. "You just woke up from being unconscious, please be careful," Thea requests, really not wanting anything to happen to her brother.

"I will," Oliver assures his sister, before heading out, knowing that he needs to get changed first.

"Hey," Sin says, and Thea looks at her. "He'll be okay," Sin assures her friend.

"I hope so,"

After leaving Thea, and the others, Oliver heads out of the Clocktower by Motorbike. As he didn't wants to hide where he came from, Oliver purposely took the longest way to ARGUS. As he really doesn't want to wait until it will be easy to break into ARGUS Oliver just uses the main entrance.

"Tell Amanda Waller that Oliver Queen is here to see her, and I'm not going anywhere," Oliver says, loudly, to the Agents, and he watches as several hurry to make a phone call.

For a few minutes Oliver waits, until finally Waller walks into the lobby, with several more agents.

"Oliver Queen, I figured I would be seeing you soon," Waller comments, as she walks towards him.

"You came after someone who matters to me. I thought you were smarter than that," Oliver says angrily, knowing all to well that Waller knows just what Laurel means to him.

"Let's talk," Waller says, signalling to her personnel to let Oliver pass, and once she does the two of them head deeper into ARGUS, Waller knowing that Oliver is smart enough not to try and kill her now.

In Corto Maltese Laurel and Lyla have both gotten changed into their clothes for the party, both of them are wearing suit jackets and pants, as it will be easier for both of them to move in.

Arriving at the party, Laurel and Lyla have been thoroughly searched, making it clear that neither of them would have succeeded in hiding a weapon, and let into the party.

"We mingle, then we make our move," Lyla whisper to Laurel, who nods and the two of them split up so that they can mingle. Thanks to Laurel's experience of attending fancy parties where she knows no one, with Oliver, Tommy, and Thea, Laurel is perfectly able to blend in, look like she perfectly belongs.

At ARGUS, both Oliver and Waller have gone to a private meeting area, alone. Even though he would very much like to Oliver knows that if he does anything to Waller he will not make it out of ARGUS, and he won't get any answers about what is going on with Laurel.

"Where is Laurel, what have you done to her?" Oliver asks, the second the door is closed.

"Miss Lance is on an assignment," Waller explains. "There is an item, one which only the Black Canary, with her special ability, can destroy," Waller explains, telling Oliver something he had hopped she didn't know.

"How do you even know about Laurel?" Oliver asks, as from what he has observed it would be hard to figure out that Laurel is the Black Canary.

"You underestimate me, Mr Queen. I was informed about the Hero known as the Black Canary working out of the Glades, it wasn't difficult to realise who she was," Waller explains, and Oliver knows he will have to figure out who tipped ARGUS off as he knows that for someone to know enough to even know about ARGUS argue, and use the agency to get Laurel out of the way, then they can't be up to any good.

"Where is she?" Oliver once again asks.

"Where she needs to be," Waller explains. "But don't worry Mr Queen, Laurel will be back soon, and she isn't alone. Mr Diggle's ex wife is with her," Amanda explains.

"If anything happens to Laurel, you'll be seeing me again, and it won't be a pleasant conversation," Oliver says, realising he won't get anything else from Waller, before leaving, feeling like he is going to have Sin hack ARGUS so that he can find out where Laurel is.

After mingling for a little while both Laurel and Lyla meet at the way downstairs. Within seconds Lyla manages to pick the lock to the basic door, and they both head down to the lower level.

To neither's surprise Laurel and Lyla find no less than five heavily armed guards in the corridor that lead to the room where the weapon is being kept. Exchanging a look both Laurel and Lyla start to fight, with ease they manage to disarm the first people. While Lyla uses one of the bad guys as a shield Laurel knocks him out, and proceeds to fight another, and within a minute Laurel has knocked out two of the bad guys while Lyla has killed the other three.

Once the guards are dealt with Laurel and Lyla, both knowing that they don't have long now, hurry towards the door.

"There is definitely going to be more guards behind this door," Laurel says, reaching it.

"Without a doubt, but I'll deal with them. You need to focus on destroying the weapon," Lyla reveals, and Laurel nods. "You're up," Lyla says, giving Laurel a look which says, 'you've got this'.

Taking a breath Laurel pauses and then lets out a cry which she has carefully controlled. After reading the file Laurel uses a cry that is just strong enough to destroy the door, and no more. The second the door is destroyed Laurel and Lyla hurry in.

While Lyla heads over to the three guards and starts to fire Laurel heads to where the Weapon is being kept behind a protective glass. From a glance Laurel can tell that the glass isn't going to be easy to get through and so she decides to go with a two-step process. Knowing that she doesn't have much time Laurel lets out a canary cry which is about the same strength as the cry she used on the door and destroys the glass.

Once the glass is destroyed Laurel prepares herself, and once more breaths, and while she focuses on all the people her action will save Laurel uses all her strength and uses the strongest Canary Cry she has ever let loose to destroy the weapon.

"I did it," Laurel says, feeling relieved, as alarms go off. As she turns to look at Lyla Laurel sees that she is still fighting and so wanting to give her a hand, Laurel hurries over and while the people are distracted by Lyla, Laurel works quickly and knocks the people out.

"We've got to move," Lyla says, Laurel nods in response, and they both go running out of the room, and head upstairs.

Getting to the upper level Laurel and Lyla find that most of the guests have left, leading just guards. As Lyla knows it is their only way to get to freedom, and Laurel knows it is the only way to get back to her kids they both hurry forward and start to fight. As they fight Lyla is willing to kill if necessary while Laurel doesn't even consider killing, on instinct she fights back in a very controlled way, and just disables the people they are attaching.

After a few minutes of pretty intense fighting Laurel has made it out of the building and is one step closer to getting back to her kids, but as she looks around she realises that Lyla hasn't made it outside. Even though she knows they have mere minutes to the extraction leaves, Laurel doesn't hesitate before running back into the building, after Lyla.

Getting into the building Laurel sees Lyla on the ground, fighting several people. Reacting fast Laurel uses her Cry to send all the people and into a wall, because of the force she used the people are knocked out but not seriously wounded.

Once the people are dealt with Laurel hurries over to her friend and helps Lyla onto her feet.

"Thank you," Lyla says, looking relieved.

"You don't have to thank me," Laurel assures Lyla, and the two of them exchange understanding looks.

"We've got to go. The extraction will leave any minute," Lyla says, and the both start to run.

Over the next few minutes both Laurel and Lyla run as fast as they can until they get to where the extraction team is supposed to leave from, just in time to see their extraction leave without them.

"What do we do now?" Laurel asks, as she watches her hope for getting back to her kids fly away.