Sara knew she had to have been hallucinating. She was injured, shaking due to loss of blood, and sweating from the pain that racked her body. It could not be possible that there was a woman standing in front of her, compound bow raised with a black arrow and red fletching nocked at the ready, waiting to release the bowstring to end her life.

It didn't matter. She could still raise her gun and fire at this odd figment of her imagination. If her mind was going to deceive her into death, she was not going to go without a fight. She held her gun with steadfast precision and kept her eyes sharp before she spoke, "If you're going to kill me, just know that I won't go without getting at least one shot off first."

The woman's eyes were the only part of her face that wasn't covered, and Sara could have sworn she saw amusement in her eyes before the mysterious stranger lowered her bow and removed the tension on the bowstring.

Sara sighed in relief as she too dropped her weapon as her vision began to blur and the world faded to black.

Nyssa watched as the woman lowered her weapon before her eyes fell closed and she was lost to the unconscious world. Nyssa had no intention of harming this person as it was obvious to her that she posed no real threat. She found the woman's statement humorous but admirable. Nyssa detested firearms and knew she could have neutralized the danger with an arrow before the woman finished pulling the trigger.

Still, there was something about this woman that resonated with Nyssa. Despite the fact that the woman was injured and bleeding, there was something in her eyes that spoke to her. They were focused, unwavering and full of determination; belying the fact that she was in a perilous state. Her aim was steady and true, which could not have been an easy feat as her injuries took a toll on her body.

Nyssa and several select members of the league were on their way back to Hong Kong from an assignment in the Philippines when she received a message from her father via encrypted satellite phone. He wanted them to investigate rumors about a doctor on board a freighter called the Amazo searching for Mirakuru amongst a group of islands in the South China Sea. Nyssa diverted the league's yacht from its original course to search through the cluster of small islands. She had only ever heard the tales about Mirakuru, and how it was a serum created by the Japanese during World War II to enhance strength. If her father was sending them to intercept this drug, she knew the existence of Mirakuru was more than just a myth.

Their search came up empty until they saw an explosion within an alcove of one of the islands. By the time they made it to the source, the Amazo was almost completely submerged; the water littered with bodies and debris. Nyssa had decided it would be prudent to take the two smaller motor boats docked on the yacht to shore and investigate further.

When they first reached land, they found a handful of survivors from the Amazo wreckage scattered across the beach. She left a few men behind to gather any relevant intelligence they could while she took a group deeper into the wooded terrain.

As they traversed further inland, they split off to cover more ground. Nyssa came upon the shell of an airplane that had damage indicating it was most likely shot down and crashed. This was where she found the blond haired blue eyed woman waiting to die.

She placed the arrow back in the quiver and slung the bow over her shoulder before carefully approaching the woman. As Nyssa bent down, she placed two fingers on the stranger's neck and found a weak pulse almost immediately. Nyssa felt an immense amount of relief at this fact but the reason behind such a visceral reaction was beyond her understanding.

Without a second thought, she relieved the woman of her weapons before lifting her up in her arms. Logic built from a lifetime of training told her to leave the girl and move on but she found she was not able. Instead of analyzing her actions further, Nyssa took quick but careful steps back to their landing at the beach.

When she arrived, she called out to Al-Owal in Arabic, "Get us back to the yacht."

Al-Owal nodded as he assisted Nyssa with the unknown woman before pushing off into the water.

As Al-Owal sped them closer to their vessel, Nyssa removed her shemagh and hood before giving further instructions, "You will help me get her situated in my quarters and then return to the beach for the others. Bring back any survivors that have intimate knowledge of the Mirakuru and leave the rest."

Al-Owal said nothing but nodded his understanding as they pulled up alongside the boat. The league thrived on keeping a low profile but they still had several yachts, cars, and private jets at their disposal in case common commercial travel was not available or not possible due to the nature of the job Ra's al Ghul assigned them. The mission in the Philippines required a team of ten. They were to execute the leadership of a drug trafficking ring that was trying to push into Taiwanese territory using brutal tactics that were putting innocent civilians at risk. The job relied on a stealth approach, so each league member flew to Hong Kong using several different commercial airlines before boarding the yacht that was in the shipyard at the main port. They sailed across the South China Sea before anchoring their vessel offshore in the Lingayen Gulf, north of Dagupan. Once they were at anchorage, the group used the cover of night to drop into the motor boats docked to the yacht and head to shore. They completed their task with swift and deadly force before they fell back to the ship just before the light of dawn. The assignment had taken weeks of preparation and travel but only hours to execute successfully.

Al-Owal stepped out of the motor boat and boarded the yacht first before he easily lifted the unconscious woman into his arms as Nyssa followed closely behind after tying off their transportation. When they reached her quarters, Al-Owal waited just inside the entrance for Nyssa to issue her next set of orders.

Nyssa urgently barked out commands in Arabic as she moved passed him, grabbing a few blankets, and laying them on the bed, "Place her here, then go get the healing herbs and brew a pot of tea. I need to stave off any infection and try to dull the pain."

Al-Owal quickly laid the injured woman down on the blankets before leaving the quarters to begin fixing the tea Nyssa had requested.

Nyssa pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed before retrieving an extensive first aid kit from the closet that housed the things she packed for this trip.

She sat down and hurriedly unzipped the bag, pulling out gauze, tape, needle, and thread. She placed the items on the table by the bed before she slowly began to remove the woman's dirty, ripped, bloody t-shirt.

Once this was done, Nyssa got up and filled a basin with warm water from the bathroom, returning to her previous spot by the bed when she was done. She took a clean cloth and dipped it into the water before she began to clean the dried blood and dirt gently and meticulously from the woman's pale skin.

Finally, Nyssa cleaned the deep gash in her side and the gunshot wound through her shoulder before stitching them closed and covering them with clean bandages.

Al-Owal returned moments later and placed the tea kettle on the table by the bed before handing Nyssa a cup full of the foul-smelling beverage.

Nyssa accepted the offering before stating, "Head back to the beach and help Shabh, Taghyir, Alnnihaya and Ghyr Maeruf. If there are any survivors that deem helpful in what we need, lock them in the empty crew quarters down below deck."

Al-Owal hesitated causing Nyssa to turn and glare at him in warning. He visibly took a step back before asking, "What about this woman? Who is she that she is not among the rest?"

Nyssa clenched her jaw before she took a deep breath to push down her irritation and answered with an even level tone, "That is none of your concern. Go. Now. Report back once all are onboard."

Al-Owal bowed his head and left, closing the door behind him, knowing better than to question her further.

Nyssa was well aware that her actions seemed out of place to the other league members. To have Al-Owal so opening question her decisions was disturbing, but she didn't have time to dwell on it at the moment. She would most certainly address his insubordination later when time permitted. She was the heir to the Demon and such questions had no place here, no matter how her decisions appeared to the other members. Her father was the only one she had to answer to and her intuition spoke volumes about this woman. Her father would see value here, of this she had very little doubt.

Nyssa sighed and closed her eyes a moment before returning to the task at hand. She gently shook the woman until she was able to rouse her from sleep. Once the girl started to open her eyes, Nyssa tried to help her sit up enough so she could drink the tea without choking. When the blonde finally focused on Nyssa, she smiled before stating, "You're real."

Nyssa nodded as she brought the cup of tea to her lips and urged her to drink, "I am."

The woman took two large swallows of the potent liquid before her face twisted in disgust as she mumbled, "What the hell is that?"

Nyssa held back a smile as she answered, "Tea. It contains herbs that will help you heal faster and prevent infection. It should also help with your pain."

The woman nodded before she looked Nyssa in the eye and responded, "I could've shot you."

Unable to hold back her smirk, Nyssa shot back, "You could have tried. What is your name?"

The woman took another sip before she answered, "Sara."

"My name is Nyssa." She replied to the unspoken question as she continued to help Sara sip the tea.

"Nyssa. That's different. I like it." Sara said as she grimaced when she moved too quickly.

Nyssa placed her free hand on her shoulder to halt her movements, "I cleaned, stitched and bandaged your wounds. I found you sitting on the ground inside the wreckage of a plane, bleeding and semi-conscious. You need rest. Do you think you can finish this tea while I find you a clean shirt to put on?"

Sara nodded and smirked as she took the cup from Nyssa, "So that's why you have me half naked in your bed. I was wondering."

Nyssa cleared her throat and quickly stood up to hide the blush that Sara managed to pull from her. She grabbed the basin that was now filled with blood tinged water and dumped it out in the bathroom sink before she returned to pack the supplies she used back into the medical kit. She took it over to the closet and stowed it on the floor before she found a black tank top and brought it back to the bed. Nyssa took the now empty cup of tea from Sara and placed it on the table by the kettle before she handed her the shirt. She helped Sara carefully pull the tank top on before she collapsed back on the bed from exhaustion.

"You need to rest." Nyssa urged as she again sat down in the chair beside the bed.

Sara shook her head warily, "Where am I?"

"We are on my yacht. You really need your rest Sara." Nyssa almost pleaded as she saw Sara trying to breathe through the pain from her injuries.

Sara's mouth dropped open as she looked around the room, "This is yours?"

Nyssa shook her head as she sighed and supplied an evasive answer, "It belongs to the organization I work for. Now please get some rest. Your body is tired. I will answer your questions later after you have slept. I will bring you some food to help get your strength up. I can see you have not eaten properly in quite some time."

Sara didn't want to sleep even though her body screamed for it. Despite what appeared to be good intentions, Sara didn't know this woman and she long learned that trust was not something she could afford to give so easily. Fyers, Slade and Ivo were just a few reasons why she no longer blindly handed her trust to a complete stranger.

She fought to keep her eyes open as she tried to get a read on Nyssa but it was a futile endeavor. Sara's supposed savior held nothing but a tightly guarded neutral expression. The only thing Sara thought she saw before sleep finally won her over was concern. It seemed to shine from Nyssa's eyes before her own closed against her will.

Nyssa watched as Sara fought against the inevitable. She could understand the reluctance to succumb to sleep when found in a strange place with strange people. Nyssa removed Sara's boots and placed them at the foot of the bed before she pulled the sheets down. She carefully lifted Sara's legs so she could bring the covers up to keep her from getting chilled. As she did so, Nyssa watched as a small leather bound book fell from one of the pockets of Sara's cargo pants and hit the floor with a quiet thud. Once she was sure Sara was comfortable, she leaned down and picked up the item that now lay at her feet.

Nyssa quietly walked out of the bedroom and took a seat at a small table that sat against the port side of the ship. The book had seen better days. The leather was scratched, dirty and stained with blood and water marks. There was a strap attached to the back cover that fit over the front to hold the pages closed.

Nyssa slid the band off and flipped through the book. The paper was smudged with dirt and wrinkled from exposure to water. It appeared to be a journal of some kind.

She glanced back at Sara and found her to be sleeping soundly before bringing her attention back to the item in hand. Upon further inspection, it was apparent that these pages were filled with Sara's writing. Her name, Sara Lance, was written on the inside of the front cover. Nyssa felt a slight twinge of guilt looking into something that was supposed to be private, but she had an overwhelming need to know more about the beautiful stranger.

Nyssa turned to a random page and began reading:

Sleep was impossible last night, not that I've gotten any real sleep since washing up on this stupid island. I'm always hungry and I worry constantly about the mercenaries coming after us. They were able to recapture Yao Fei so what chance do me and Ollie have. I'm worried about Slade and Shado. They haven't come back from checking out the mercenary camp where Yao Fei is being held. They're working on some plan to get him out of that hellhole. They want me and Ollie to help but I don't know what they expect us to do. It's not like me and Ollie are trained for that kind of thing. Shado has been teaching me and Ollie how to use a bow and hunt for game on the island. Ollie is much better at it than I am. Slade has been showing me how to fight with his swords which helps pass the time. He's also showed me and Ollie how to fight without any kind of weapon. Slade always kicks our ass but I guess learning this stuff could be helpful. I can't imagine what me and Ollie would have done without them. They've helped us survive on this God forsaken island and we both owe them our lives. As much as I try not to, I can't help but think back to who I was before we were shipwrecked here. I was so wild and free with no care in the world. My biggest worry was where to score the booze and drugs for the weekend party and how my parents would react when they found out I dropped out of college. I try to tell myself it doesn't matter now because that reality is gone and there is no use thinking about it now. I'm sure my family thinks I'm dead. My mom knew that I snuck away with Ollie on the Queens Gambit. She was the one that convinced me to follow my heart despite what it would do to Laurel. If I'd just known that what I felt for Ollie wasn't the real thing, I could've saved a lot people a lot of heartache. To make things worse, the last memory my sister will have of me is me betraying her trust.

Nyssa flipped to another page further in the journal:

Mirakuru is everything Shado said it would be. It fixed the injuries that Slade got from Ivo sending mortar fire to the island. He seems almost invincible but Slade is a different person now. He's violent, hostile, and angry and his thoughts are twisted. I can see how much it hurts Shado to watch him change into this different person. He's convinced that Ollie and Shado are fucking behind his back. They aren't, but Slade won't listen to any of us. Ollie is still too caught up with Laurel to have any interest in Shado. I watch him sit by the fire every night and stare at the same picture of Laurel when he thinks no one is looking. If only we knew then what we know now. I would've never let myself believe my crush on Ollie was more than what it was. I thought we had some grand love that was written in the stars. I was so stupid….so naïve and love-struck. I'd give almost anything to go back in time and change it. I'm surrounded by people I care about but I've never felt so alone. I guess that's my punishment for being so selfish and self-centered. Maybe this is what I deserve.

Nyssa again moved to another random passage:

I'm sitting in a cell on some freighter called the Amazo and I can't help but wonder who will kill me first. Slade or Ivo. This shithole is where Ivo has been working to duplicate the Mirakuru serum. I try to block out the screams of the prisoners Ivo is experimenting on but I can't get them out of my head. I'm not alone though which helps some. I've been talking to a guy named Thomas. He told me that he was a missionary before he was tricked into boarding the Amazo and became another one of Ivo's prisoners. I've also gotten to know this crazy fucking Russian Anatoly Knyazev. He tells me stories about his days in the KGB and life in the Bratva. I think he's trying to help me keep my hopes up. I can always hear Thomas whisper words of hope to anyone who will listen and Anatoly does his best to make me laugh. I can't help but think of everything that's happened since me and Ollie washed up onshore. Shado's dead. Slade killed her. He was ranting on and on about how she belonged to him and Ollie could never have her. Slade slit her throat and left her to bleed out and die on the ground alone. It made me think about the lives I took while trying to stop Fyers from shooting a plane out of the sky when we were rescuing Yao Fei. I think about the people I killed while we tried to evade Ivo's men as they chased us all over the island. I never understood what people meant when they said that taking a life changes you. I understand it now. I have blood on my hands that'll never come off. I've changed into someone I don't even recognize anymore. I try not to think about it. Sometimes I wish more than anything that we never found the Mirakuru on that sub. Without it, Slade would've died but I think that would've been better than what he's turned into. I guess it doesn't really matter. It's not like we can go back and change it. Even though I regret how much I must've hurt Laurel, it still didn't stop me from sleeping with Ollie a few days ago to try and feel human again or even feel anything at all. I think it was our way of coping with everything that's happened in the last year we've been here. I'm angry that I was stupid enough to let Ivo's men catch me and toss me into this cell even though a small part of me feels like I deserve it. I can't help but wonder if Ollie is still alive or if Slade has killed him. My thoughts keep going around and around. I still think about how happy I was on the Gambit just before the storm wrecked everything and how scared I was when we were swept out to sea when the boat sank. I think I'll always be scared of storms now. I used to love them. My thoughts are so random right now. I remember my sister's face every time she talked about Oliver and how she must have felt when she found out I went behind her back to be with him. I wish I could just see my family one more time and tell them everything I never did when I still had the chance to.

Nyssa closed the journal when she heard a light knock on the door. She knew it had to be Al-Owal reporting back any significant findings from the Amazo survivors. Her father was adamant that they acquire the serum and bring it back to Nanda Parbat. He did not give his reasons and Nyssa was one to never assume or question her father's wishes. After reading a few entries in Sara's journal, she could not help but think that this drug would be dangerous if it made it into the wrong hands.

She stepped outside her of quarters as to not disturb her guest and motioned for Al-Owal to follow her down the corridor to the large kitchen. She wanted to put together a tray of food for herself and Sara. It was obvious Sara had been without a proper meal for quite some time and Nyssa wanted to get her healthy again.

Once they were in kitchen she asked, "What information did you bring back?"

Al-Owal clasped his hands behind his back as he replied, "None of the survivors knew anything of import about the Mirakuru. We have left them all on shore. The rest of us have returned to the ship. Shabh reported seeing a man in a green hood west of where you found the woman. Shabh gave chase but was unable to capture. He stated the man was extremely familiar with the terrain."

Nyssa leaned back against the counter, folding her arms across her chest, "Tell me about the survivors."

Al-Owal nodded, "A few of the men stated they were prisoners aboard the freighter and a man named Ivo kept them locked in cells if he was not performing experiments on them. It seems this Ivo was trying to synthesize the Mirakuru serum. One of the men was a mechanic, brought on to maintain the engines but he claims he did not know what was occurring onboard the ship. Another man stated he was a hired gun but as with the mechanic, he was not privy to the doctor's plans. What shall we do about the man that successfully eluded Shabh?"

"Nothing for the time being. I need to ask my guest a few questions before I decide on the next course of action." Nyssa replied as she moved to start gathering various items to make an early dinner.

Nyssa had not dismissed Al-Owal and she could feel his eyes following her the entire time she was preparing the food.

Once she was finished, she left the tray where it was and turned once again to face her second in command. She took a few steps towards him and spoke with lethal intent, "Al-Owal, I want to make one thing clear in case you have forgotten. If you ever again question my decisions in public or private, I will ensure you never again draw breath from this world. Now go. I have things to attend to in private."

Al-Owal bowed his head before turning and leaving the kitchen. He made no effort to defend is earlier actions as he knew the heir to the Demon would not hesitate to take his life if he stepped out of line.

Satisfied that her one and only warning was taken seriously, she grabbed the tray from the counter and made her way back to her room. She walked silently to where Sara was starting to sleep fitfully and set the tray on the table before sitting in the chair she had placed next to the bed earlier that day.

Nyssa gently placed her hand on Sara's arm as she called her name softly in an attempt wake the woman without startling her. She had to call her name two more times before Sara's eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up in bed. Nyssa used the hand she had on her arm to restrain her movements and Sara relaxed once her gaze settled on Nyssa.

Nyssa helped Sara so she could lean her back against the headboard before she grabbed the tray and laid it across Sara's lap. As she moved to get into a more comfortable position, Nyssa poured more tea as well and handed it over to her guest.

Nyssa pointed at the cup, "Drink that while you eat."

Sara nodded as she took as sip, "It's cold."

Nyssa forced back a smile, "It can be consumed hot or cold. Which do you prefer? I can heat it up if you wish."

Sara shook her head as she set the tea aside, "No no. It's fine. Just surprised me. It tastes just as bad cold as it did hot. So what is this? It looks great and I'm starving."

Nyssa allowed a small smile as she answered, "Kabsa. It is made with rice and chicken and is augmented with almonds and pine nuts."

"Do you mind if I eat while we talk?" Sara asked as she picked up the provided utensils and waited for a reply.

"Of course, I know you have questions and I will try to answer them as best I can. I too have some questions for you." Nyssa replied as she grabbed her plate from the tray.

Sara took a bite and closed her eyes as she hummed in appreciation. She glanced at Nyssa and gave her a small nod to let her know she was ready for whatever Nyssa wanted to say.

Nyssa schooled her features as she set her plate aside, "What were you doing on the island?"

Sara sighed and shook her head as she replied, "Shipwrecked. I was on a yacht with my friend Ollie and his father when a freak storm hit and took down the boat. Me, Ollie and his dad made it to a life raft and we floated aimlessly for days. When Mr. Queen, Ollie's father, noticed that supplies were running low, he pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head before we could stop him. I've got no idea where or why he had a gun but we made it to shore not too long after that. The first thing we did was bury Ollie's dad up on one of the cliffs."

Nyssa said nothing as she continued to eat. She waited and was not surprised when Sara finally spoke, "Not that I'm not grateful but what are you doing here exactly?"

Nyssa studied Sara a moment before she decided the most direct answer would be best, "I was sent here with a small team of people to search for something called Mirakuru. Have you ever heard of it?"

Nyssa was curious as to what Sara's response would be. She was well aware of the answer from what she read in the journal, but she had a desire to see how Sara handled the question. Nyssa saw the fear in Sara's eyes as her body filled with tension and she bit her lower lip, "No. I haven't heard of anything like that."

Nyssa gave her a pointed look, "Do not lie to me Sara. It is not becoming of you."

Sara scowled as she scoffed, "What makes you think I'm lying to you?"

Nyssa stood up and left the room to walk over to the table where she left Sara's journal. She picked it up and brought it back before tossing it on the bed.

Sara stared at it for a moment before she looked back at Nyssa, shock and anger in her voice as she yelled, "You read my journal? What the fuck?"

Nyssa felt that same twinge of guilt but pushed it away in an effort to maintain her composure. She kept any emotion out of her voice as she answered, "Not all of it. You should not write things down that you do not wish others to learn Sara."

Sara scoffed again, glaring as she responded, "Seriously? Fine. Yes. I know about Mirakuru."

Nyssa nodded as she moved back to her seat and sat down again. She waited for Sara to look at her before she asked, "Tell me what happened to you on that island."

It was a statement not a question and they both knew it. Sara finished the last of her dinner and tea before she set the empty items on the tray and handed it back to Nyssa. Nyssa placed her dishes with Sara's before moving the tray out of the way, waiting for Sara to collect her thoughts.

"I already told you I was shipwrecked on that fucking island with my friend Oliver. For a day and a half, we wandered around the island until we came across three other people who were stranded like we were. Slade was Australian ASIS. He and his partner were flying over the island when the mercenary group led by Edward Fyers shot them down. Slade's partner died in the crash and we used their plane as a sort of base camp. That was where you found me. There was a woman named Shado and she came to the island to find her father Yao Fei. Her boat was sunk by Fyers' men the day after she arrived, leaving her stranded. She teamed up with Slade and got his help in saving her father. He was kidnapped and dragged to the island by Fyers."

Sara paused and motioned to the tea kettle, waiting for Nyssa to fill her glass before she continued, "Fyers was planning to blow up a commercial plane that was destined for China in an effort to cause some sort of international incident and damage the Chinese economy. He was going to use Yao Fei as a scapegoat because he was some well-known retired general in the Chinese military. Anyway, Slade and Shado were able to free Yao Fei from Fyers but that only caused more problems. It wasn't long after that when me and Ollie met them while we were lost in the woods. They fed us, gave us water and a place to sleep. It didn't take long for Fyers to send men to try find and bring back Yao Fei. That was when he told us about Fyers plans. Nobody said anything but we all knew that we needed to stop that shit from happening."

Sara finished her tea and set the cup on the table beside the bed, "This tea is nasty but the pain in my side and shoulder doesn't hurt as much as it did before."

Nyssa nodded and gave a small smile, "Indeed it does not have the best flavor though I am glad you are feeling better. You need to drink as much of it as you can. You will be amazed at how quickly you will heal."

Sara chuckled before stopping abruptly. She could not remember the last time she laughed but it felt good to do so. It made her feel lighter somehow. She shook out her thoughts and said, "Well then fill me up if you don't mind. I'd do it myself but I still can't move very much."

Nyssa poured yet another cup of tea, happy that Sara was willing to drink it despite the awful taste. When she heard Sara laugh, even though she had stopped herself, Nyssa couldn't help but think that it was one of the most beautiful sounds she had ever heard. The thought took her by surprise and she tried to push it from her mind.

Nyssa needed a distraction and pushed Sara to continue her story, "You said this Fyers sent men out to search for your friend Yao Fei. What happened?"

Sara settled against her pillows, taking the now full tea cup from Nyssa as she answered, "Fyers men were searching all over the island for Yao Fei. Me and Ollie followed the others while Slade, Shado and her father moved us from place to place trying to avoid getting caught. We just tried to stay out of their way. I mean me and Ollie had no way to fight these men that were chasing us. Back in Starling City my dad is a police detective with SCPD. He made me and my sister Laurel take self-defense classes and taught us how to shoot but it wasn't enough to be any kind of match against these guys."

Nyssa quirked an eyebrow as she asked, "But you did take on these mercenaries?"

Sara rolled her eyes in amusement, "Eventually. For about two weeks we had all managed to stay ahead of Fyers. One day, Yao Fei took me and Ollie out to hunt when we came across a patrol. There was too many of them and the very little skill that me and Ollie had learned so far wasn't enough. Yao Fei practically pushed us to run the opposite direction but then he ended up getting captured again. Me and Ollie made it back to camp and broke the news to Slade and Shado. I was afraid they'd be angry but Shado wasn't. She told us that her father was a protector, and she wouldn't have expected anything less from him. I still felt guilty so I decided to ask Slade and Shado to teach me what they could as fast as possible while we came up with another plan to get her father back."

Nyssa nodded and stood, "It is time to change your bandages."

As Nyssa walked over to the closet to retrieve the medical kit, Sara ran her hands through her hair and down her face before saying, "Can't I take a shower? I would give anything to wash my hair, brush my teeth and spend twenty minutes with a razor."

Nyssa smiled as she unpacked what she needed, "I can get you what you need to brush your teeth but I do not want your stitches to get wet for the next forty-eight hours. The shower will have to wait."

Nyssa couldn't hold back a small laugh as Sara tried not to pout. As Nyssa began removing the old bandages, Sara continued, "Fine. I'll wait if I have to. So anyway, it took a month for Shado and Slade to come up with a plan for the four of us to hit Fyers camp. Me and Ollie learned a lot during that time. We became decent shots with a bow and Ollie really was a natural. Slade had me fighting with batons and his swords, he was showing me how to fight in close quarters without a weapon, we learned how to hunt, prepare food and cover our tracks. Once we saw that Fyers had what he needed to fire a missile at a plane, we knew we couldn't wait any longer. We came at them from four sides. This was the first time I had taken a life. I was defending myself and we were trying to release Yao Fei while stopping something bad from happening but it still tore me up inside. I don't know any other way to put it. I can't really find the words. Anyway, we managed to find Yao Fei and get him free but before we could do anything about the missile launcher, Fyers fired one at a nearby commercial jet."

Nyssa finished applying fresh bandages and packed everything back into the kit before setting it aside to use later.

Sara gently touched her side before pulling the tank top back down to look at Nyssa with wonder in her eyes, "Thanks for taking care of me. I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness."

Nyssa rested back in the chair, smiling softly at Sara, "You are welcome."

Sara stared at her for a few moments, taking in the beauty of the woman that saved her life. From the little interaction that Sara has had with Nyssa, she determined that Nyssa is well spoken, well-educated and reserved. She was anxious to learn more about Nyssa but pushed it off to finish her story, "We knew we only had minutes at best to stop the missile from hitting the plane. Yao Fei didn't even hesitate as he fought his way to the missile launcher and somehow programmed it to redirect the missile back down on the camp. It hit the launcher, blowing it up and killing Yao Fei and the rest of Fyers men. Shado was devastated and distracted and this allowed Fyers to grab her by surprise and hold a gun to her head. He was trying to negotiate his safety but Oliver killed him with an arrow through the throat."

Nyssa placed a hand on Sara's knee to stop her from continuing, "Are you tired? Do you want to stop for now?"

Sara smiled at her concern but waved her off, "I'm fine. Ollie and I spent the rest of that day savaging the camp for guns, ammo, food, and supplies while Slade and Shado buried Yao Fai next to Oliver's father. We spent the next eight or nine months building up our camp out of the wreckage of Slade's plane. Me and Ollie continued to work on getting better at anything and everything Slade and Shado could teach us. We scouted all over the island and it was during this time that Shado came across a very well hidden cave. She found the bones of Japanese soldiers from World War II inside the cave. The bones were deformed and Shado told us about the Mirakuru myth. She said that whoever was injected with it would gain enhanced abilities like super strength and cell regeneration. She found a Hozen that had geo coordinates etched in the stone and we followed it to an area of the island that we hadn't explored yet. That was where we found a freaking Japanese sub stuck in the water."

Sara paused and Nyssa took the opportunity to ask, "Are you still hungry? Is there anything I can get for you?"

Sara sighed contentedly. She was enjoying the way this woman, this stranger was so eager to take care of her. She shook her head, "No. I'm good really. I'll tell you if I need anything."

Nyssa grabbed the tray that had their empty plates and stood up, "I am going to get this out of the way. I will be back."

Sara watched her go and couldn't help but notice how her steps were silent on the wood floor of the cabin. Her moves were graceful and deliberate making Sara blush as an odd desire momentarily rushed through her.

It wasn't long before Nyssa was back at her side, giving Sara her full attention, "The four of us swam out to the sub and Slade was able to get the hatch open. We all went inside and started searching through everything. Me and Shado found a wooden box and inside was about a dozen samples of what we assumed to be Mirakuru. We secured it and brought it back to camp with us. Now that I think about it, the timing between finding the sub and Ivo arriving on the Amazo is a bit fucked up. It wasn't even a week later when we saw the freighter come into the alcove and drop anchor offshore. We had no idea why it was there but all we could think about was this was our ride home. We lit a signal fire that we had set up in case any ships or planes got close enough to the island and then we waited. It didn't take long for Ivo and several armed men to come ashore and approach us on the beach. Ivo was charismatic and passionate when he told us about the miracle serum created by the Japanese. He asked us if we had come across anything like what he was looking for and what we were doing on the island. There was something in his eyes that was off and we lied about the Mirakuru but he didn't believe us."

Sara trailed off lost in thought and Nyssa asked just above a whisper, "Let us stop for tonight."

Sara seemingly snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head adamantly, "No no no. Sorry. I just got lost for a moment. Shado had taken the Hozen she found and turned it into a necklace. Ivo saw it after we told him we had no clue about the Mirakuru. It set him off. He had this wild obsessed look in his eyes. He ordered his men to take us prisoner but we managed to fight them off and circle around back to our camp. Over the next twenty-four hours or so he continued to send men after us but we had no problem fighting them off. Slade decided he wanted to head up to the cliffs and get an overview of the ship. Shado was worried about him so I went with him while her and Ollie stayed behind to deal with any of Ivo's men that might come along. Before we even reached the cliff, we heard a type of boom and then what sounded like explosions. I had no idea what it was but Slade knew right away. He yelled Shado's name and ran off in the direction of our camp. I could barely keep up with him. I asked him what the fuck it was and he said it was mortar fire. When we reached the clearing, the ground was just exploding all around us and shaking from the impact. It was so loud my ears rang and the dirt and smoke burned my eyes. Slade just ran through it and I followed until he was hit almost directly. The last thing I remember was his scream before I hit the ground and passed out."

Nyssa looked at Sara with curiosity, "You survived a shipwreck, mercenaries and mortar fire. You are a fighter Sara. It is an admirable quality."

Sara laughed without humor, "I'm not a fighter and there isn't anything about me that's admirable."

Nyssa shook her head and admonished, "I do not believe that and you certainly should not."

Sara looked away from Nyssa's piercing gaze, "Let's just agree to disagree. Anyway, I woke up inside the plane but I couldn't remember how I got there. Ollie told me he found me unconscious and carried me inside. I was lucky. I only had cuts and bruises. Slade was next to me and he had severe injuries. Shado was mumbling about how she lost her father and now she was going to lose her lover too. We all did our best to make him comfortable but it was obvious he was going to die. I was keeping watched for Ivo's men when I heard Ollie and Shado talking about injecting Slade with Mirakuru. I was against it but they wouldn't listen to me. Shado injected him and his body became rigid before blood started to drip from his eyes and he passed out. He was out the rest of the night and didn't come to until the next morning. Shado stayed by his side while me and Ollie kept watch for Ivo's men. We guessed that he used the mortar fire to try and draw us out. So as the day went on, we could see Slade was getting better. His wounds were healing at an impossible rate and by that evening, he was up and walking around."

Nyssa sighed as she spoke more to herself than Sara, "That is incredible."

Sara snapped at her, "No it isn't! You didn't see what it did to him. He healed physically but he lost his damn mind. We abandoned camp because Ivo kept sending men to take us out or capture us…I have no idea. We moved out of the clearing and deeper into the woods to another camp we set up when we first got to the island. We took what we could carry and left the rest. We noticed Slade's incredible strength right away. He was so fucking strong. The other thing we noticed was the drastic change in his personality. It took nothing for him to get angry, hostile, violent, and paranoid. He was convinced Shado and Ollie were sleeping together behind his back. He would talk to himself and rant about things that made no sense. He started talking to people that weren't really there. He was determined to get revenge on Ivo for attacking the island and turning Shado against him. I was afraid of what he might do to us. I wanted to kill him and I tried, but he just picked me up by the throat with one hand like I was nothing and literally threw me into a tree. That was when Slade became convinced Oliver sent me to kill him so he could have Shado to myself. Before me or Ollie could do anything, Slade grabbed her by the hair, pulled her head back and slit her throat, all while saying that he could have her in death."

Nyssa took a deep breath before she addressed Sara, looking down and away from her, "I did not mean to upset you Sara. I merely meant that the myths I had heard were true."

Sara barked out a laugh and shook her head, "It's fine and I get it so don't worry. So, after Slade killed her, he took off running. Ollie shouted at me to stay there and he went chasing after him. I made the decision in that moment to burn the rest of the Mirakuru. I took the rest of the samples we got from the sub, started a fire, and trashed every single sample one by one. I was stupid though. Starting that fire in the open brought Ivo's men right to me and there were too many for me to fight off. They took me back to the freighter and threw me into Ivo's office or whatever the area was that he was working in. He told me how he'd been trying to synthesize Mirakuru but all his attempts had failed and he needed the real thing. He brought in a prisoner from somewhere on the ship and tied him down while he made me sit and watch as he ran experiments on him. It was awful, the things Ivo did to that man. It gives me nightmares. He told me if I didn't tell him where the Mirakuru was he would do the same thing to me. I spit in face and told him to fuck off. He hit me and then had his men drag me to the lower decks and thrown into a cell."

Sara sat up from her position against the headboard and started to get up out of the bed. Nyssa immediately stood up and tried to stop her.

"What are you doing Sara?" She asked with confusion lacing her voice.

Sara chuckled, "I uh…need to go to the restroom. All that tea has finally made its way through me."

Nyssa nodded as she helped Sara stand from the bed. She slowly walked her to the bathroom door before saying, "There is a new toothbrush for you in the drawer by the sink. If you have any trouble, I will be right outside the door."

Sara smiled and whispered thank you before she entered the bathroom and shut the door. Her muscles were sore and stiff causing her to groan when she moved without Nyssa's assistance. The pain in her shoulder and side flared up from her movement around the restroom but she managed to finish up without help.

When Sara opened the door, Nyssa was by her side almost immediately. She helped Sara get back in bed so she was sitting with her back once again against the headboard.

After Sara was situated, Nyssa sat back down by the bed and waited in silence for Sara to tell her what she needed or to continue her story.

Sara gave Nyssa a grateful smile, "Thanks for the help. I feel so much better just brushing my teeth. I can't wait to take a shower. It's been a whole damn year since I had that luxury. But anyway, I don't know how long I was locked up in that cell on the freighter, but Ivo never did have his men bring me back up to his work area. Other prisoners were taken and I could hear their screams even though a whole deck separated us. Those are sounds that I'll never forget for the rest of my life. One day I woke up just before dawn and saw Ollie approaching the cells. I thought I was seeing things at first but he had actually somehow snuck onboard and started letting all the prisoners out. They all rushed up the stairs to the upper decks but me and Ollie stayed behind. We were going to go after Ivo, destroy his work and figure out a way to use the ship to get us off that fucking island. Before we could do anything else, Slade dropped down from a walkway above us and landed on our level. He told us that while Ollie was playing the hero, he had rigged the Amazo with enough explosives to sink the entire ship. And then as if on cue, the first explosion went off rocking the ship. It threw all three of us off balance and I took that chance to try and get past Slade and up the stairs. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back before he shot me. I fell to my knees in pain and another explosion went off. I looked up and saw that Slade was about to run his sword through me but Ollie slammed against him and he only managed to hit me in the side. Another explosion went off causing part of the upper deck to crash down on top of Slade and pin him down. I stood up and watched Ollie take an arrow and stab Slade through the eye. He was pinned down and no longer moving and I just knew he was going to go down with the ship. Oliver held out his hand to help me but I couldn't reach him because another explosive detonated nearby. This time it almost tore the whole ship in two. I couldn't stay on my feet and I hit the deck and was pulled out into the water."

Sara paused a moment to collect her thoughts and Nyssa watched her intently. She was impressed with Sara's tenacity, and ability to adapt and survive.

Sara let out a slow breath before she continued, "I made it to the surface and swam to shore. The pain was excruciating but I knew if I stopped I'd drown. I slowly made it back to the plane because I figured Ollie would head there if he made it out. I don't know how long I was there until you found me. Did you see him? Is he here?"

Nyssa gave Sara a sympathetic smile, "No, I did not see anyone but you."

Sara started to get anxious and tried to sit up completely, "There had to be survivors from the ship. Maybe he's with them!"

Without thinking, Nyssa moved from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed to keep Sara from aggravating her injuries and attempt to soothe her in some way, "Yes, there are other survivors. I will check and see if your friend is among them but please calm down. I do not want you to rip your stitches."

Sara nodded as she let out the breath she had been holding and laid back in the bed, "Thank you."

Nyssa stood up and moved to leave the room when Sara called out, "When you come back, maybe you can tell me why you're looking for Mirakuru and what you want with it. I have to admit it worries me that you or whatever organization you work for is searching for it. It makes me wonder who you are and what you're into. But if it helps, I can tell you the original stuff was destroyed when I burned it and whatever shit Ivo came up with was sunk with the Amazo."

Nyssa nodded but said nothing as she left to find Al-Owal. It did not take her long to find him out on the deck of the ship watching the shoreline from afar.

When she approached, he straightened his posture and bowed his head to her in respect. Nyssa leaned against the railing as she addressed her old mentor, "I have learned that the original Mirakuru serum was destroyed. The version that this Ivo was working on did not work and was most likely lost when the ship burned and sank. I do not believe there is a reason to pursue this any further. I want you to take Taghyir and Shabh back to the island and check if any of the survivors are Oliver Queen or if they know what has become of him. I would then like you to search the island again to locate the man Shabh had encountered earlier today. Report back to me by daybreak tomorrow. I would like to resume our journey back to Nanda Parbat."

Al-Owal asked, "What do you want us to do if we find this man you seek and what of the others?"

Nyssa was silent for a moment before she replied, "If you find him, bring him back to the ship. As for the others, once we are underway I will make the appropriate calls to have them picked up by authorities. There is no reason to kill them or leave them here. They do not know who we are or pose a threat."

Without waiting for a response, Nyssa turned to start walking back to her quarters. She was nervous and the feeling was foreign to her. She was the best assassin in the league; she did not have the luxury to succumb to such a thing. There was no place for it and it could get even the best of them killed. She was proud of her ability to remain level-headed, disciplined, and efficient while functioning without emotional attachments. She had long ago accepted her place as heir to the Demon and the responsibilities that it entailed. She pushed aside fanciful ideas of love and freedom of choice in her place in this world.

Since Nyssa started training from the age of six, she spent her whole life trying to meet her father's expectations. Ra's al Ghul held her to a different set of standards than that of other league members. He had wanted a son and never hesitated to make it known to her how disappointed he was that he did not have a male heir. This drove Nyssa to train harder and excel faster in hopes of becoming worthy of the title in her father's eyes.

Now she felt a part of herself questioning everything that she worked so hard to achieve and maintain. The moment she laid eyes on Sara Lance, she felt a shift inside herself that she did not understand. She thought that perhaps it was because the girl would have died without her help, despite the fact that her logic dictated she leave her behind. A small part of her knew it was much more than that. As soon as she looked into Sara's expressive blue eyes, she felt something stir within her that went beyond aiding an injured civilian. She wanted to take Sara away from this awful place and keep her safe. She wanted to know even more about her and she wanted to share parts of herself as well. For the first time in her life, she was confused and feared what she was feeling.

She knew Sara had questions and Nyssa had every intention to answer them honestly. She had originally considered lying to her and then sending her away once they arrived in Hong Kong, but there was something about Sara that made her want to be truthful in her responses. The league operated in secret and thrived in maintaining anonymity, when these things were breached, the league did away with the potential threat, no matter who it came from. Nyssa felt Sara had not seen or heard enough to warrant such drastic actions. She knew that once she shared the truth with Sara, she would be limiting Sara's choices. Sara would have to be brought before her father in Nanda Parbat where he would decide her fate. He would either kill her on the spot or have her trained to become a part of the league. Those would be the only two choices and Nyssa once again felt guilt. She knew from Sara's story and journal entries that she had a family in Starling City and if she told Sara the truth, she would never be able to return to them. Nyssa shook her head and decided that she would carefully broach the subject and see what it was that Sara truly wanted.

She quietly entered her quarters before she shut and locked the door. She went straight to the bedroom to find Sara fast asleep, buried under covers and surrounded by pillows.

Nyssa couldn't hold back her smile at the sight as she silently moved around the room and shut off all the lights. She saw Sara's journal on the bed and moved it to the table so it would not get lost. She wanted to read more entries but she refrained. She didn't want to further violate Sara's trust. Those passages were her thoughts and feeling spilled out across the pages. She would wait until the day Sara gave her permission before opening the journal again.

Nyssa grabbed a blanket and pillow from the closet and settled on the couch with one of her favorite books. She loved to read and the words would help her sleep. Her mind was weighed down with thoughts of her father's reaction to their failed attempt at retrieving the Mirakuru and how to handle the situation with Sara.

Nyssa didn't know how long she had been asleep but she woke to the sound of someone moving within her cabin. Her body and mind were trained to react to any and all sound and movement, even while in sleep. She grabbed the knife she had under her pillow and stood up slowly as she strained to hear what had disturbed her sleep.

She remained frozen in place until she heard the sound again. It was muffled and coming from somewhere in the bedroom. She moved into the room with silent steps and found that Sara was no longer in bed. She saw that the bathroom door was halfway open and walked over to it and peered inside. She found Sara curled up on the floor, shaking as she cried. The scene displayed before her tugged at something inside. Nyssa went and placed her knife in the drawer of the bedside table before making her way to Sara's side.

Nyssa crouched down beside her and tentatively brushed Sara's hair from her face. It did not appear that she was awake. Nyssa shook her gently until she saw Sara's eyes snap open wide with fear

Nyssa rested her hand on her back and asked in a soft voice, "What is wrong?"

Sara stared at Nyssa without really seeing her before she whispered, "I hate storms…can't you hear it? I used to love them and how the rain washed everything away but I can't anymore. The rain is so loud now and the lightening consumes everything. It's what tore away the Gambit and sent us into the ocean to die."

Nyssa hummed her understanding. She had not noticed that there was a storm raging outside the confines of her quarters. She ran her hand down Sara's back as she carefully asked, "Will you let me carry you back to bed?"

Sara looked at her for a long moment before she nodded. Nyssa carefully lifted her up, mindful of her injuries and walked her back to bed. She laid Sara down carefully before pulling the covers up to her waist.

Nyssa started to turn to leave when Sara's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

Sara spoke with a small pleading voice, "Please don't leave."

Nyssa thought a moment before she replied, "I will stay. Please give me a moment and I will return."

Sara begrudgingly let Nyssa go and watched her exit the room. Sara didn't have to wait long for Nyssa to return and she carefully tracked Nyssa's movements as she went to sit in the chair she left by the bed.

Nyssa spoke softly to Sara, "This is one of my favorite books. One Thousand and One Nights."

Nyssa gave Sara a small reassuring smile before she started reading to her quietly in Arabic. Sara didn't question it. She just reached out and held Nyssa's free hand as she watched the woman read to her. It didn't take long before her eyes grew heavy and sleep took her over once more, the storm outside long forgotten.