As he travels between worlds, Oliver relieves his life. He wakes up on a bed in a cheap apartment, and the Monitor warns him not to interfere. The Monitor explains that he redirected Oliver after he intervened to save Laurel on Earth-2. The alien says that a world being wiped from existence is a herald of what is to come, and informs Oliver that everyone there is no more. The Monitor says that Diggle and Dinah are nearby, and if Oliver fails then all Earths will be destroyed. Oliver insists that he wouldn't let Dinah die again, and the Monitor says that Oliver must obey his orders to save the Multiverse.
Oliver wonders where they are, and the Monitor explains that they're on Earth-1. He tells Oliver to bring Dr. Robert Wong to him and refuses to explain why. The Monitor teleports away as Diggle barges in and says that they have to leave immediately. A gang attacks them and Diggle figures they busted up a deal. The two men take out the gangers, and down the hallway the Earth-2 Dinah uses her sonic scream on another ganger.
The trio go outside and Oliver realizes that they're in Hong Kong. Oliver explains that Earth-2 is gone, but Laurel asks for the breach device so she can go back to Earth-2 and look for survivors. The device is broken, and Oliver says that they have to focus on the mission. Laurel doesn't care about anything except saving the survivors on her Earth, and Oliver tells her that there's no Earth left to save. She points out that the people who died were just copies of the people Oliver loved, but they're real people to her. Once Laurel walks off, Oliver tells Diggle that she's processing her grief and they figure they have to get going on their mission.
2040
At the bunker, Mia says that Connor doesn't know his brother JJ as well as he thinks. Connor points out that JJ could have killed her but didn't, and figures Vasquez gave JJ access codes to the private vault in Vasquez's penthouse. The vault was emptied by the time they got there, and all they found was flash storage for the vault's security monitor. William goes to work deciphering the flash storage, and Mia figures that the Deathstrokes stole valuables to get the cash they need to take over the city. Zoe says that she knows where JJ will go to sell the valuables, and Mia, Connor, and Zoe head there while William works on the flash storage.
Now
Oliver and Diggle go to an ARGUS safehouse, and when Diggle says that "Harbinger" gives her regards, the owner lets them into a secret room. Inside, Diggle says that it's all hands on deck and explains that the machine is hooked up to ARGUS' Intranet. Oliver admits that he ignored the orders of a cosmic being and watched a world disappeared, and suggests they not make the mistake again. Diggle tells Oliver that he shouldn't have blamed himself. Oliver brings up a file on Wong, a renowned biophysicist specializing antibodies and complex proteins. Wong has been missing for a week, and is a professor at Wai Chai University.
As Oliver and Diggle leave, a group of men come in and attack them. As the gangers get the drop on the two men, Tatsu breaks in through the window and kills the remaining gangers. She takes them to her own safehouse and explains that the men were a rival gang. She explains that the Crescent Order put a price on her head after she gave Nyssa the lotus cure. Now Tatsu is defending children in Hong Kong. Oliver explains that they're looking for Wong and they face a coming Crisis. Tatsu as heard of the Monitor as a being who transcends universe, and offers to help. Oliver shows her the photo they have of Wong at the university, and Tatsu recognizes two members of the secret police behind him. They silence enemies of the state, and they go to find out why they're interested in Wong.
Lyla finds Laurel breaking into a building, and Laurel explains that she's looking for David Chin, who knows of a way to return her to Earth-2. Laurel insists that she can handle herself, and Lyla breaks down the door and says that Laurel will need backup. They fight their way in to David's sanctum and Laurel says that she needs his help. Laurel shows him the breach device and says that he has to fix it. Lyla breaks his computers until he agrees to fix it.
2040
Mia, Zoe, and Connor go to a black market bar and Zoe goes to check the back. Connor explains that JJ got shortchanged because Diggle and Lyla spent more time on him, and Mia tells Connor that JJ made his own choices. JJ and two of his men come in and the two sides face off. More Deathstrokes come in with Zoe, and JJ figures that there's a better way to resolve things but he has business to attend. He suggests that he and Connor have a friendly chat, and Connor agrees despite Mia's objections.
Now
Oliver thinks about his past with Felicity, and Tatsu tells him that her contact in the police was afraid when she mentioned Wong. Diggle and Oliver have discovered that Wong was working on a top secret project for the Chinese government, and the secret police put him in protective custody. They have him at a safe house and are going to move him that night, and the trio head there.
At the safehouse, the two secret policemen take Wong out. Arrow, Spartan, and Katana step out of the shadows, and Wong pleads with them not to hurt him. The Triad men Wong pull up and he runs, and Arrow goes after him while Katana and Spartan defend the civilians. China White drops down and fights Arrow, while two of the Triad men grab Wong and ride off on motorcycles. After kicking Arrow back, China drops a gas bomb and escapes in the confusion.
Back at Tatsu's safehouse, Arrow reminds Tatsu that Wong was the priority. He tells her that if she had seen what he has seen, she'd understand. Tatsu isn't impressed by his blind faith, and Oliver says that the stakes are every family in existence. Diggle figures that Wong isn't innocent, and Oliver says that they need to find out what Wong was working on.
Lyla tells Laurel that David is stalling. Laurel asks David what's taking so long, and he says that it's done. The device still doesn't work, and David explains that it should be. He checks his devices and confirms that Earth-2 is gone. Laurel draws a gun on David and says that he's lying, and he insists that he isn't. Lyla tells Laurel that everyone on Earth-2 is gone. An alarm goes off and Lyla grabs the breach device and says that they have to go.
Diggle finds Wong's paper trail leading to the scientist's laboratory. Tatsu says that it's a Pla garrison, and points out the vulnerabilities on the floorplans.
At the garrison, Arrow drops into an elevator and takes out the soldiers inside. He takes the elevator to the sublevel and fights his way through. Tatsu and Diggle are monitoring him from the safehouse, and Arrow starts the upload. Staring at the file, Tatsu realizes that Wong is recreating the Alpha/Omega virus. In the lab, Oliver realizes that Wong has already succeeded.
When Oliver returns to the safehouse, the trio figure the Triad don't have the virus yet. He reveals a canister of the virus and figures that he'll use it as bait to draw China out. Tatsu says that her husband did the same thing, but Oliver notes that Maseo planned to give the virus to China and he isn't. The others don't have a better idea, and Diggle goes to make arrangements.
At the ARGUS safehouse, Lyla tells Laurel that she knows what it's like to lose people. She admits that she doesn’t know what it feels like to know a universe, and Laurel says that all of the people she knew are dead and don't deserve to be gone. Lyla tells her that she's trying to be better, and Laurel wonders if she's where she's supposed to be. Her new teammate says that when she was in Afghanistan, none of her squad members made it back. Lyle used to lie in bed wondering why she didn't die with them, and says that she knows something about survivor's guilt. Laurel asks if it gets any better, and Lyla says that it doesn't and all they can do is move forward by not giving up and doing the right thing. Lyla tells Laurel that they honor the dead by fighting for the living, and Earth-1 needs Laurel as well.
Oliver promises Tatsu that he's not going to let China get the virus. Tatsu reminds him that he failed nine years ago and her son died, and Oliver's guilt over the failure stole his humanity. She wonders if the Monitor will use the virus for something worse than the Triad, and Oliver says that he doesn't have a choice. Tatsu points out that the Monitor doesn't care who gets hurts, and Oliver figures that if he's wrong then everything he's sacrificed is for nothing. Oliver insists that he needs his family to live, which means he needs the plan to work. He figures that there is no other choice, and Tatsu says that there's always a choice.
2040
Connor and JJ sit down for a drink, and JJ says that Connor has a place with the Deathstrokes. Connor talks about how JJ got him out of a gang in high school, and JJ notes that Diggle blamed him. His brother says that to him, JJ is still the kid that would take on men twice his size to protect Connor. JJ insists he's not that kid, and Connor tells him that he knows who he is and it's not too late.
Now
Arrow meets with China, carrying the case with the fake virus. China says that Wong is nearby, and explains that the government bought her silence about the Ghost Initiate by freeing her. Spartan and Katana patrol the perimeter and spots a car coming. Arrow tells China that there is something coming that threatens their entire world, and asks to see Wong. China demands the case, and she opens it.
Katana sees Wong wearing an explosives vest, and Spartan warns Arrow via earbud. China confirms the virus is real and has Wong brought forward. She says that she'll deactivate the vest when she's away safe and they'll meet the next time, and Arrow tells her that there won't be a next time. Katana drops down and attacks the Triad men, and Spartan opens fire from his sniper position. Arrow joins the fight and a Triad man grabs the case with the virus. Spartan goes after him, while more Triads hustle Wong away.
Spartan takes out the Triads with the case. Katana confronts China and they fight. Arrow takes out the Triads taking Wong away, while Lyla saves a Triad coming after Spartan. Arrow radios to Katana that they need the detonator because he can't remove the vest.
Katana gets the upper hand against China and demands the detonator. China hands it over, and stabs Katana in the stomach with a hidden blade. As China prepares to finish off Katana, Black Canary arrives and blasts her unconscious.
Later at the safehouse, Lyla confirms that Tatsu will pull through. Oliver thanks Laurel for coming back and helping them, and Laurel says that she'll help them make sure what happened to her Earth doesn't happen to theirs. Lyla reports that Wong is in a secure location with the virus, and Oliver says that he wants answers from the Monitor before he hands over Wong. He explains that Tatsu told him to be sure he's making the right choice, and he owes it to the people who have died to find out who the Monitor really is. Laurel asks what the plan is, and Oliver says that he has to apologize to a friend.
2040
Connor asks JJ if they can be together, and JJ tells him that it isn't about Connor or Diggle. He says that he has vision, and knew Conner would set up there.
William hacks the flash storage.
JJ tells Connor that Zoe would lead Connor there. He wants to rip the system's heart out.
William realizes that his name is on the flash drive.
Connor says that his men are storming the bunker and will kill William if Mia threatens him. Mia calls William on the radio but gets no response, and JJ says that they're done there. She promises to kill him if he hurts JJ. Connor pleads with JJ, who tells Connor that it was never a mask and leaves.
Now
Oliver approaches Tatsu in the infirmary, and gives her healing herbs. She says that she thought it was her last fight and saw her dead son and husband, but realized it wasn't her time. Oliver apologizes for her almost dying because of him, and says that he's going to make sure the mission is worth the cost. He's going to go to Nanda Parbat to find out more about the Monitor.
Lyla meets with the Monitor and says that Diggle could have been killed on Earth-2. The Monitor says that the world's destruction was a necessary survive, and explains that they have to ensure Oliver is prepared for what is coming. Lyla tells him that she has Wong and the Monitor says that they can proceed.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 23, 2019