Chapter 33

"The strange saga of Oliver Queen over the last eighteen months has concluded, when the Star City Millionaire has been found slaughtered in Russia. Why Oliver Queen arrived in Russia and what he was doing there, remained a mystery? Not to mention who killed him."

Lex poured a glass of champagne and kicked back to relax. It appeared Oliver did finally track down his sister, and she was not too happy to see them.

"Mr. Luthor, you have a call from Russia," a voice buzzed in.

"I'll take it, Miss Tessmacher," Lex said. "Well, what do you have…."

"Mr. Luthor, she's...she's escaped," the man said urgently.

Lex raised his eyebrow. He did not raise his voice although his hand clutched around the champagne glass.

"What?" Lex asked. "I thought you had her under control."

"We conditioned her to want to kill all those who wronged her, and she did so, killing Oliver Queen and Malcolm Merlyn, but the after that was done, she killed all of them, I just barely, barely got away," the man said, coughing and sounding a bit terrified. "But, there's one person she blames most of all for her situation. I don't know how she remembers, but she remembers, the ordeal which you…."

"I understand," Lex said. "I'm disappointed you couldn't contain her and you couldn't properly condition her. It's unfortunate how this program has fallen since it's glory days."

Lex hung up the phone. So Arsenal, she was heading here to murder him. Well, Lex would see about that. The Billionaire rose to his feet and pulled back a bust of Alexander the Great which was on his shelf to step into a secret passageway behind his office.

Black Widow scaled the wall of LexCorp. She skillfully navigated around the security blind spots. Agent Carter, wrapping her arms around Superman's neck, had been hovered outside.

"Lex will have prepared for Kryptonians," Superman said.

"Yes, and I have no doubt he would have prepared for something like this," Peggy replied.

Natasha moved through the grate and downstairs. She knew where the main security was and how to scramble it so they could slip inside. Black Canary and Red Arrow had been waiting for them in the parking garage and waiting for their trip inside of the building.

The Black Widow stopped and noticed the main junction box tampered with. A quick scan of the box showed the Black Widow all she needed to know and more importantly showed her someone tampered with that box. She hitched in a deep breath, frowning.

"They...they're here," Black Widow muttered under her breath. "Arsenal made it in...there's an entry point one floor above. I'll meet you there."

Black Widow ensured there was nothing. However, Arsenal shut down Lex's first level security and was already inside. Natasha prepared to face the latest experiment straight out of the Red Room program. A program she thought had been shut down years ago.

A program which would force Natasha to face her personal demons.

Two security guards had been downed on the ground. They had no chance. Natasha crouched over the man.

Superman and Agent Carter slipped inside of the room to get a good look around. The moment they arrived, Superman caught the darkness swimming in Natasha's eyes.

"She's here," Superman said.

"Yes," Black Widow said.

"Black Canary, Red Arrow, underground parking garage is clear to go. But, Arsenal's, she's one step ahead of us again."

"Are we really going to save Luthor?" Red Arrow asked quietly.

Harry did not have answer for this question. If it was just Luthor who was in danger, he might struggle not to leave Arsenal to it. However, it was not just Luthor in danger. Who knew who else Arsenal blamed for it? Members of the League could be next on her target list, which included Clara. Harry knew shutting her down before she got too out of control and hopefully talking some sense into her would be there.

Before it was too late. Red Arrow and Black Canary moved in one direction. Harry joined Natasha and Peggy and moved in through the other direction.

Images flashed through Arsenal's mind. She had found the LexCorp shipment and had been about ready to call it in, only to feel something pierce through her arm. She struggled, fighting against guards who beat her down and dragged her off. She saw Lex's face, who bent down.

"I have a use for you," the distorted image of Lex.

The pain of having her arm cut off at the Cadmus facility, being harvested for DNA to create a second Thea to infiltrate the team. The imposter, would be on her list next. Oliver failed to save her, and he was fooled by some cheap duplicate, thinking that she was his sister. Oh, Arsenal remembered it all, remembered the pain and she would make him suffer.

"Stop right there."

The voice of the guard brought Arsenal back into reality. Once again, these guards came back onto her. Lead by Otis, Lex's trusted head of security. Arsenal dove forward and grabbed Otis around the throat before hurling him halfway across the garage.

The guards fired on Arsenal. Arsenal dropped down and swept the legs of the guards out from underneath them. Twisting the man's arm around, Arsenal slammed him down. The force which he knocked down to the ground.

They withdrew stun guns at her. Arsenal avoided the attacks and also avoided another bullet before putting her arm through the stomach of one of the guards. Two more guards, necks snapped, fell down to the ground.

The red dots at the back of her head caused Arsenal to hold her arm out, only to release a blinding blast of gas from the hand.

She swooped up and drove the guard down across the back of the head, dropped down to the ground. All of the guards, except for one, remained standing.

"Tell me where Lex is," she said.

"I don't know…..argggh!"

Arsenal electrocuted the man with his own stun gun and caused him to drop, spasming in absolute agony. She slammed the man down onto the ground.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a beaten, but still breathing, Otis, drag his way to the elevator. Arsenal dropped the security guard she was torturing and rushed after Otis.

She would be lead all the way to Lex Luthor.

Lex came down, accompanied by Mercy and Miss Tessmacher. Black Canary and Red Arrow faced them. Red Arrow withdrew her bow and pointed it at Lex, who looked back at her nonplussed. Mercy took a step to defend her boss.

"I won't hesitate to go through her to get to you," Red Arrow said. "You are a murdering bastard who deserves everything he gets from her."

"And yet, here you are," Lex said. "I'm much less afraid of what you could do to me, my dear, then I am her. We intended to make a weapon, but it appears that there's a really good reason why the Red Room Program did not take girls past a certain age. And teenager's….angst is too deep."

"She's in the building, Lex," Black Canary said. "She won't stop until she would kills her."

Or vice versa, although Dinah could not bring herself to say it.

"Then, I believe the fabled Justice League will have to do their job and protect me, as a civilian," Lex said.

Black Canary put a hand on Red Arrow's shoulder, who was giving a look.

"There's a stairwell up there, which should take us to the roof and an elevator," Lex said.

"Lead the way, and this better not be one of your tricks," Red Arrow said.

Lex stepped forward, with Miss Tessmacher and Mercy offering a shield. Miss Tessmacher looked a bit terrified, especially when she picked up a screen to check the security.

"She slaughtered them all," she said.

"Be strong, we're almost to the exit," Lex said. "Only one more flight of steps."

Red Arrow wanted him dead, and yet she had been protecting him from rightful justice. She hated this.

"Keep close to him, she'll come to you," Harry said.

Okay, using Lex as bait for Arsenal, that made Red Arrow feel slightly better, although at least she could stomach protecting that bastard a little bit more. Black Canary and Red Arrow looked, but so far, there had been no Arsenal, not yet, and that fact unsettled both women.

Lex moved to the keypad and performed a retinal scan to open up the hatch to the roof. Only a scramble from someone up the steps stopped him from proceeding.

"Mr. Lew-Thor, she's coming!" Otis yelled.

Lex did not have any time to react before Otis had been taken down to the ground, the disgusting sound of vertebrae cracking.

"Mercy, you know what to do!"

Mercy nodded and rushed towards Arsenal, her arm cannon blazing. Arsenal blocked Mercy's best attack and the two beams interlocked before Arsenal sliced off Mercy's arm. The cybernetic woman groaned and Arsenal slammed her into the wall to take her out of the count.

Black Canary hopped down in front of Arsenal to block her.

"Thea, please, come with us, we can get you help…."

"Dinah, I don't wish you hurt you."

Arsenal released a device which snapped around Black Canary's neck and also gagged her Canary Cry. A non-lethal, but still painful dose of electricity fired.

Red Arrow had been smacked down by an Afterthought, leaving Lex and Miss Tessmacher all alone. Lex grabbed Miss Tessmacher while backing closer towards the exit point.

"Lex, Lex, what are you doing?" Miss Tessmacher asked before she screamed.

Lex hurled Miss Tessmacher into the arms of Arsenal and bolted to the rooftop as fast as he could. Arsenal caught the secretary and threw her over the ledge leading down to the lower levels before.

Eve Tessmacher screamed as she saw her entire life flash before her. She was going to hit bottom. This is not the way she wanted to die.

Suddenly, a figure swooped down and caught Eve in his arms before she smacked down onto the ground. Eve blinked, breathing heavily, her heart racing a million miles a minute. She turned her attention to a man, and it was not just a man who saved her, but rather, a Superman who rescued her.

Eve's long sigh followed with Superman putting her down.

"Arsenal?" Superman asked.

"Yeah, she's...she's...she took out Mercy, she took out Otis, and she even took out Black Canary and Red Arrow, you should...she's going to kill Lex!" Eve yelled.

Superman just nodded and hit. Eve watched him go, with a smile on her face.

A small group of private security guards met Lex on the roof. Of course, Arsenal came on up to rush him. The guards pointed their weapons at her.

"No, stand down," Lex said. "I'll handle this."

"You're a dead man, Luthor," Arsenal said.

"I think not," Lex said. "Prometheus."

That one word caused Arsenal's eyes to flicker over and she stood, still as a statue. Lex walked around Arsenal and smiled, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You thought you had me on the run, didn't you, Thea?" Lex asked. "A wise man once said, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. And this time, you're doomed to repeat it. You're going back on ice."

Arsenal's eyes flashed as she struggled to fight the conditioning. She hated Lex, wanted to murder him.

"No, you're not taking her back."

Red Arrow arrived on the rooftop. She pointed an arrow straight towards Lex's heart.

"Very good, Lex, you made her your puppet, just like you and the Light did me," Red Arrow said. "But, unlike before, there's no strings on me."

Red Arrow point an arrow into Lex's shoulder and dropped the man down. She pierced him with a second arrow and Lex turned to Arsenal.

"She stole your life, she's living it now," Lex said. "How does that make you feel?"

Red Arrow just barely avoided getting her head taken off by Arsenal's blast. Arsenal turned her rage on her, blasting away at Red Arrow. Red Arrow's best arrow shots did absolutely nothing to phase the woman who moved forward like a terminator, only one goal in mind.

"You're stronger, you don't have to do this," Red Arrow said.

"I have to kill you. You stole my life!"

The anger in her eyes, oh Red Arrow had been there before. A huge kick to the ribs sent her flying back. Red Arrow avoided the attack, almost getting ripped apart. She tried to fire a shot only for Arsenal to destroy the bow she was carrying and knock her back off of the roof.

"He's playing you and you're letting him," Red Arrow gasped.

No words seemed to penetrate Arsenal's ears. She had one mission, to kill, to maim, to destroy, just edging into the back of her mind.

Two electric batons caught Arsenal about the edge of the shoulders. Arsenal turned around and blocked a kick from the Black Widow. Black Widow electrified the ground and sent Arsenal flying.

Arsenal caused a miniature explosion to rock them on the rooftop. She rose up and hurled two throwing daggers at Black Widow. Black Widow evaded both of the moves and put herself behind Arsenal. An attempt to stab her directly in the neck with a sedative had been undone with Arsenal grabbing Black Widow and taking her down to the ground.

Red Arrow hurled her remaining arrow with her bare hand and struck Arsenal in the face mask. The impact cracked it. She dove at Arsenal and stabbed her in the side of her neck with the syringe. Arsenal wrapped her hands around Red Arrow's neck and the two of them hurled over the side of the building down below.

They flew several stories down, with Arsenal choking Red Arrow almost unconscious as the sedative worked through her body.

From the skies, came Superman, catching the two of them before they hit the bottom. Arsenal's hands slid off of Red Arrow's throat as she blacked out.

"Oh, there you are," Red Arrow said.

"I was getting the device which she put on Black Canary off," Superman said. "Black Widow handled it well, as did you."

Peggy arrived, with medical staff to check the two downed Thea Queens. Arsenal had been restrained and strapped to a gurney before being loaded.

On the rooftop, Lex, with a damaged arm, from Red Arrow's attack, staggered. Harry dropped down in front of him and grabbed Lex painfully by his good arm.

"Eve Tessmacher is still alive," Harry said. "No thanks to you."

"I would not have put her in Arsenal's grip if she was in any danger," Lex said. "And if I didn't know you were there to catch her."

"You deserve to rot in prison for all that you've done," Harry said.

Lex just smiled.

"Unfortunately, you don't decide that," Lex said. "I know you're well versed in the legal system and innocent until proven guilty, it's what makes this nation so great. And I would suggest you take your hands off of me."

Harry took his hands off of Lex by shoving him to the ground. His eyes flashed with fire until Black Canary and Black Widow stood behind him.

"Not worth it," Black Widow said. "His day will come."

Lex could not stand, due to one arm being damaged by an arrow, and the other arm being sore. He did look up.

"Ms. Sullivan's recovery is going admirable, isn't it?" Lex asked. "Tell her I send her the very best."

And now, Harry wished he hurled Lex off of the building and took his chances with the fallout afterwards. Still, he calmed himself, joining Black Canary and Black Widow to check on the situation on the ground.

The younger, original, version of Thea Queen sat in a cell, rocking back and forth. Dinah, Harry, Natasha, and Thea stood watching the younger girl moving back and forth.

"It's going to be a long road before she recovers," Dinah said.

"Will she recover?" Harry asked Natasha.

"I don't know,' Natasha said. "But, I think we can agree she's too dangerous to be left around unmonitored."

Harry agreed with that. He looked at the younger girl and also to the Thea he knew. The older Thea put her hand on his and sighed.

"I have a funeral to help plan," Thea said. "And...we have a company to prevent falling in Lex's hands as well."

"Don't worry, Karen and Lena are ready," Harry told her. "And anything you need…."

"Thanks," Thea said. "I know you and him didn't see eye to eye on a lot, but still….he was my brother, technically speaking."

Harry and Thea walked past the original Speedy, inside of the cell. She did not even acknowledge their presence.

Natasha stood for ten long seconds after everyone else. She sympathized with the demons plaguing the young girl. She would have to live with the murders she committed for a very long time. Arsenal killing her brother and father, that would stick, no question about it.

Peggy came at the end of the hallway to meet Harry, Thea, and Dinah.

"All of Lex's contacts in Russia are dead, and any evidence of his wrong doing was only obtained by Ms. Smoak under legally questionable means," Peggy said. "So, we have nothing to hold him."

"Should have put him down why I had the chance," Red Arrow said.

"Well, you were too preoccupied getting keeping Arsenal from taking your head off," Harry said. "That smug bastard, we'll get him."

Lex ramped up his security even more and likely may have called in some favors from some of his Light friends to get even more. Vandal Savage and Ra's al Ghul had the resources in particular which would make sure Lex would stay protected.

Harry got a text message.

"This is private," Harry murmured.

"Oh, someone send you a naughty photo?" Thea asked, trying to interject some humor into a dire situation.

"No, nothing like that," Harry said.

Harry walked off to get the message off of his Red Sun.

'Lex scrubbed everything. I'll keep digging.'

'E'

Harry turned off the phone and without a word, walked with Thea and Dinah out of the facility. They had to meet with both of the Team and the League after the events of today.