Oliver, Felicity, and William are making breakfast for supper, and Felicity glares at Oliver. William excuses himself, and Felicity says that Diaz is still out there and Oliver is scrambling eggs. Oliver tells her that he's going to stop Diaz, and he just wanted one night to remind himself what he's fighting for.
Schwartz checks Diggle and says that his nerve damage is gone. Lyla looks on, and once Schwartz leaves, she kisses her husband.
Curtis shows Nick around the lab where he and Felicity are working, and Nick says that they're going to be late for their reservation.
Rene and Zoe are in their apartment watching hockey on TV.
Black Canary confronts one of Diaz's men and beats him for information.
Oliver and his family sit down and eat, and the phone rings. Felicity tells Oliver to get it, and he finally answers. It's Anatoly, and Oliver realizes that it's a warning. Gunmen drop down via lines onto the balcony and open fire. Oliver tells the others to get down and has them run while he attacks the shooters. He takes them out and goes the bedroom where Felicity and William are hiding.
Diggle gets a text from Oliver saying that they're coming or him. He hears gunfire out in the hallway and goes to investigate.
Curtis gets Oliver's warning and tells Nick that they've got trouble as gunmen open fire on them.
Diaz's men break into Rene's apartment and open fire.
Black Canary takes out Diaz's men, and gunmen open fire on her as she realizes that the man was just the bait.
Diggle and Lyla fight their way through the corridors.
Curtis uses a T-sphere to take out the gunmen. Nick is wounded by a shot.
Rene and Zoe take cover, and Rene grabs a gun and takes out the gunmen.
Black Canary bounces a sonic scream off the wall in front of her, taking the gunmen out.
Raisa arrives in response to Oliver's call, and she looks at the destruction. Felicity calls the others and confirms that everyone is okay except for Nick, and Lyla is taking him to an ARGUS facility. Oliver tells William that they're going to put him into ARGUS custody with Raisa and Felicity, and Felicity says that she isn't going. She tells Oliver that it's her fight as well as his, and Oliver tells William that he's taken out other people that have done terrible things and is still alive. Oliver says that nothing will take him away from William, and William tells his father to kick Diaz's ass.
The vigilantes arrive at the Outsiders' base because the bunker is compromised, and felicity taps into the bunker surveillance cameras and confirms that Diaz's men are tearing up the place. Lyla says that their family members are heading to a NORAD bunker.
Diaz tells his men over the phone to torch the bunker.
The surveillance feed goes dead, and Oliver says that they will make their move carefully and precisely... and end it that night. Lyla says that they can't count on backup from ARGUS because they're not chartered for law enforcement. Curtis arrives and says that Nick is resting in post-op, and it was bad but he'll pull through. Felicity goes to get intel on Diaz's location, and Lyla says that ARGUS can provide them with heavy ordinance. Oliver says that Diaz has planned for everything and has an army, and Oliver says that Anatoly might be the one person Diaz didn't see coming. He asks the others to stand down and trust him until he can meet with Anatoly and get some useful intel.
Later, Oliver meets with Anatoly and thanks him for the warning. Anatoly warns that the SCPD has instructions to kill the team's family on site, and Oliver admits that Diaz's base is too secure to move on him without losing people. The Russian says that he will try to think of something to motivate Diaz into moving so they can attack him in transit and leaves.
Lydia complains to Diaz that he's turned the city into a war zone going after Team Arrow, and points out that he's cone from precise to messy. She walks out, and Anatoly comes in and says that Diaz underestimated Oliver and the others. Diaz figures that they'll come after him, and Anatoly warns that it's not secure.
Once Diaz agree, Anatoly calls Oliver and tells him. Oliver tells the others, and they wonder what to do with Diaz when they do capture him since he controls the police. Curtis tells everyone to suit up.
Diaz and his entourage are heading across town, and a construction worker waves them to a halt. The forklift at the site rams into the cab of the van Diaz and Anatoly are in, and the "worker" shoots the driver. Diaz sends his men out to deal with it and tells Anatoly to go as well. The team is taking on Diaz's people, and Diaz runs for it. Mr. Terrific goes after him, knocks him down, and starts beating him. Diaz shoves him off, beats him, and then stabs him in the side with a knife. Green Arrow arrives and Diaz goes to grab a necklace that he lost in the struggle.
Lydia and her men arrive with Diaz's SCPD officers, and the team is forced to retreat.
Back at the base, Dinah tells the others that Curtis is resting. Oliver tells them about the necklace, and Felicity confirms that it's a flash drive with heavy encryption. She figures that it's important, and says that if she can get close enough with her electronic sniffer, she can read it. Lyla suggests that she go into the police station where Diaz is hiding out, figuring that even though he knows ARGUS is working with them, the police will have to keep up appearances. Oliver warns that it's a big gamble, but Diggle figures that it's their only shot and asks if the others agree.
At the station, Diaz orders extra security around the perimeter and gives the flash drive to an ID tech, Crosby. Diaz tells Crosby make sure what is on the flash drive is still intact without Crosby looking at the data… and the life of Crosby's grandmother depends on it. Crosby goes to work, and Diaz meets privately with Anatoly. He then grabs Anatoly by the throat and yells that they knew that he was moving, and asks who could have told them. Diaz figures that Anatoly and Oliver go back, and Anatoly says that's why Oliver's betrayal hurts so much. Apparently convinced, Diaz wonders who did tell them and Anatoly suggests that Lydia was involved. He says that Lydia wanted leverage over Diaz, a tactic he used when he was in the Bratva.
Oliver checks on Felicity as she programs the sniffer, and asks if it has to be done on-site. Felicity confirms that it does, and points out that she's been in the field before. Oliver says that was before she was a parent, and Felicity points out that Lyla is the one going in and she's a parent. Felicity assures him that she's not going to do anything stupid and asks if they have a problem, and Oliver says that they didn't.
Later, Felicity and Lyla drive to the police station and Felicity tells Lyla how to use the sniffer. She'll monitor the transfer from the car, and confirms that the others are in position. Felicity says that Lyla and Diggle are always in sync when working in the field, and asks how they do it. She tells Lyla that Oliver doesn't want her there, and Lyla says that they knew their lives would be high-risk and they accepted that enjoying their time together was more important.
Lyla goes in and tells the desk sergeant that she needs to see him comstat report because ARGUS is investigating Diaz. Once the sergeant goes to get instructions, Lyla plants the sniffer and Felicity goes to work.
Crosby tells Diaz that the data on the flash drive is intact. A warning on his computer goes off, and Diaz tells him to determine what's wrong.
Felicity determines that the encryption is Corto Maltese, and tells the others that the files may be Diaz's financial records.
Crosby tells Diaz that the data is being cloned, and the sergeant comes in and tells Diaz that Lyla is there. Diaz figures Lyla is responsible for the data cloning.
Felicity tells Lyla that that they have the information and she can get out. Diaz and his officer come after her, and Diggle tells Lyla to get out without the sniffer. More officers cut off her route out, and Lyla draws her guns and tells Diggle over the radio to get in there.
Arrow and Diggle go in and attack the officers, and Felicity hears the gunshots and goes in. She grabs the sniffer, throws a stapler at Crosby, apologizes, and runs. As Diaz prepares to shoot her, Arrow sees him and fires an explosion arrow, then grabs Felicity and helps her out.
Back at the HQ, Felicity tells the others about the shootout and says that she can decrypt the data. Oliver asks to speak to her privately, and points out that she charged into a firefight. Felicity says that they got what they wanted, the list of everyone in the city that Diaz controls. When Oliver says that he started working alone to not put her at risk, Felicity says that it isn't the right move because they're married and supposed to be each other's strengths.
Curtis returns to the HQ and tells Dinah that he's there to help Felicity. She warns that Curtis is in no condition to proceed, but Curtis tells her that Diaz almost killed his men. Dinah reminds him that Diaz had Vince killed, and tells Curtis not to do what she did. She assures Curtis that they've got it and he should be with Nick.
Diaz calls Lydia in, and she says that she has no reason to tip off Arrow and then save Diaz from him. Crosby comes in and says that he backtraced Felicity to her location and they can get there before she decrypts the data. Diaz says that they're going to war, and Lydia tells him that he's out of control. He grabs her by the neck and strangles her, and tells his men to clean up the mess.
Diggle approaches Oliver and says that they should come up with a backup plan in case Felicity can't decrypt the data. He says that everyone can see the tension between Oliver and Felicity, and Oliver says that things have changed since Diaz attacked his family in their home. Oliver explains that he made some changes but Felicity split his attention. Diggle tells his friend that Oliver was there for Felicity just like she's been there for him in the past, and he didn’t intend for Oliver to drive off everyone who gives him strength. A proximity alarm goes off warning them that Diaz and his men are there.
Diaz and Anatoly watch as the SCPD officers start pumping gas in. Rene says that Curtis rigged up a self-destruct, and Felicity says that she's not going until the decryption is done. Oliver tells everyone else to go, and Rene gives him the trigger for the self-destruct. The others fight their way out, taking down anyone in their path. When Diggle's gun jams, Lyla spins him out of the way and shoots an approaching thug.
Felicity tells Oliver that it will take five more minutes, and Oliver warns that they don't have it. She asks Oliver to let her stay because it's their last chance to stop Diaz, and Oliver says that they'll find another way. After a moment, Felicity takes Oliver's hand and the two of them leave.
Diggle and Lyla join Wild Dog and Black Canary outside, and they realize that Oliver and Felicity are still in the building.
Oliver and Felicity take the stairway to the roof, and Oliver is forced to carry Felicity when she collapses from the gas. A gas-masked Diaz finds them and Oliver attacks him, but Diaz kicks the weakened vigilante back down the stairs. Felicity tells Oliver to do it, and Oliver triggers the self-destruct trigger. The explosion knocks Diaz away, and Oliver gets Felicity outside as the building blows up.
The next day at ARGUS, Dinah offers her condolences to Lyla for her men who died in the explosion. Rene wants to go back and confirm that Diaz is dead, and Lyla says that she sent in a forensic team and Diaz wasn't there. Without the encryption, Diggle says that they've got nothing.
Oliver calls William and tells him that he and Felicity are safe. Once Oliver hangs up, he apologizes to Felicity for pushing her away and not trusting her to keep herself safe. Felicity wonders they do, and Oliver says that he has an idea.
At the station, Diaz calls in two of the Quadrant members and wonders if he can trust them. He says that he realized being a Quadrant member isn't enough, and admits that he wants to control the organization. Diaz kills one of the two members and tells the other one that all he needs is loyalty. The member nervously shakes his hand and Diaz walks away.
Oliver tells Agent Watson that Diaz controls the city and has aligned himself with the Quadrant. He asks Watson for her help, and she asks if he's speaking as Oliver Queen or as the mayor. The agent says that she'll need Oliver to admit that he's Arrow, and hesitates before saying the other thing she needs.
Written by Gadfly on May 11, 2018