The Day Is My Enemy

The Spark that Started a Fire

                                                                                    LAUREL

I'd rather be in leather. I'd prefer sneaking around as Black Canary than wearing heels and a short, black dress.

When Nyssa told me about Frank Ledger and his ties to the Bertinelli's, I felt the all-too-familiar rush I got when I was suiting up as Black Canary. Then Nyssa dropped the catch: we would have to go undercover. No masks. No weapons. I had to beg Nyssa to let me wear the Canary Cry. Nyssa agreed, so long as it was hidden from sight until needed.

"You look nice." A voice said behind me. 

I looked around and almost couldn't believe the woman I was staring at was Nyssa al Ghul. Nyssa had lost the leather and satin of her League robes. Instead, she was wearing a flowing red dress that clung to her body like a second skin. Her hair was up in the sexiest ponytail I had ever seen. My mouth went dry and my heart started doing flips in my chest. 

"Th...thanks." I stammered, unable to tear my eyes from her body. "Y...you look beautiful also." I realized how bad that sounded. "More beautiful. Than normal. I mean, you're beautiful normally..."I bit my tongue to shut up. God, is this what it's like to be Felicity? I thought to myself.

Nyssa laughed. "Thank you." She offered me her hand. "So we don't draw attention." She explained.

"In that dress, you're drawing plenty of attention." I joked, taking her hand anyways.

The first place we visited was the open bar. That's when I saw him.

"Nyssa, ten o'clock." I said, taking a sip of my soda. I didn't want to chance alcohol. I had been doing real good remaining sober since Sara's death. I wanted to keep it that way.

Nyssa looked over and pretended to wave to somebody. "That's him, alright."

"What's the plan?" I asked, watching as Ledger walked to the auction room.

"We follow." Nyssa set her drink down. We started towards the door, blending in with crowds to avoid security We reached the auction room, where all the items were stored. 

We could hear voices. Frank Ledger and from the sound of it, fifteen to twenty Bertinelli associates.

"...attorney." Frank was saying. "She has some broad in a red dress with her, probably a whore or something."

So Frank and his friends were clearly talking about Nyssa and I.

"We have other problems than a horny DA." Somebody said. "Gabriel Sin was ambushed at the docks last week by the Black Canary and some Hood wannabe." There was a rustling sound, water dripping, and a wet squelching noise. I peeked around the corner to see Frank back away from a head that had been sliced off. "That's not Gabriel."

"No, but he was with him."

They said more, but I didn't hear what it was. Frank Ledger had brought his hands up to stop himself from vomiting. Gleaming on his finger was a black ring with the outline of a bird on it. A canary. Only one person had a ring like that. Sara.

Nyssa apparently noticed the ring at the same time I did. She nodded and I put on my Canary Cry. These bastards killed Sara. They had to pay.

I stepped around the corner and screamed, sending Frank and company to their knees. Nyssa grabbed a katana from a display case and put the blade to Frank's throat.

"ANYBODY MOVES AND I CUT HIS FUCKING TONGUE OUT!"

Nobody moved. Nyssa grabbed Frank's hand, the one with the ring. "Where did you find this?" She demanded.

I kept an eye on the others to make sure they wouldn't try to run. Or, more importantly, that they didn't hurt Nyssa. While Nyssa was interrogating and I was watching, I didn't hear the man behind me until he attacked.

I heard the click of a switchblade and spun around. The man, who was wearing a mask, stabbed me in the shoulder. I screamed in pain, causing Nyssa to look up, concerned. One of the Bertinelli's pulled out a gun and shot Nyssa in the leg. Nyssa fell, stabbing Frank Ledger. 

I kicked my stabber in his groin, then screamed, sending him flying back onto a display of swords. He knocked the display to the ground.

Nyssa grabbed a type of chain and swung it around. Despite her leg injury, she moved as agile as ever. She strangled three people before the chain snapped. She then switched to her hands, with me following her example. 

Together, we punched and fought as if we had been working together our entire lives. I screamed to stun the enemies. She proceeded to kick in their tracheas or snap their necks. 

Once we had taken care of everyone, we left through a back exit and limped back to my apartment. I prayed Thea was running around with Ollie tonight so she wouldn't see me like this.