Ancient Egypt: The Middle Kingdom
Prince Khufu brings tribute to his father Ramesses II and their patron deity, Horus. His father praises him, but Priestess Chayara says that Khufu's offering is naïve. She warns that Horus won't be appeased by trifles, and the celestial rocks fall far more often. Hath-Set--Vandal--comes in and warns Ramesses that the sky rocks pose a great threat to the Pharaoh's court. Afterward, Khufu approaches Chayara and kisses her... while Vandal watches from the shadows.
Now
As the two teams of heroes drive to a farmhouse near Central city, Carter asks Kendra if she's okay. She claims that she can't remember. They arrive and Oliver points out that they need someone secure since STAR Labs isn't secure. He explains that Vandal can sense Kendra and Carter's presence, so they need to leave the city. Barry arrives late with Cisco, and he admits that he couldn't lay hands on Vandal through the Staff of Horus. Caitlin, Cisco, and Felicity start coming up with a way to bypass the Staff's force field. Diggle, Laurel, and Thea start checking their sources for Vandal's history, and Oliver wants to use Kendra's abilities to their advantage. Carter offers to train Kendra, and Oliver tells Felicity that he has to run something down. She follows him out and wonders if he's okay, and Oliver says that he'll tell her all about it once he knows what he's dealing with.
Cisco approaches Kendra outside and she wants to talk about what happened. He figures that she has enough on her plate and can't afford a distraction. Carter comes over and tells Kendra that it's time to train, and that it's private. Cisco takes the hint and leaves, and Carter tells Kendra to open a trunk that he's brought. She wonders why, and he explains that they've had to track down the contents together or apart in each of their reincarnated lives. Inside is Kendra's hawk-shaped battle helm, and Carter explains that pieces of her previous lives will slowly return to her. Kendra served as a warrior priestess when she was Chayara,
Oliver drives to the home of Samantha and her son William. As they're come out, Samantha sees Oliver and comes over. Oliver says that he saw her, and William is 9... and 9 years ago they broke up. Samantha says that she met Oliver's father two months after they broke up, and goes over to take William to his baseball game. As she goes, Oliver secretly palms a strand of William's hair from Samantha's jacket. Malcolm calls Oliver and says that he's arranged a meeting between Vandal, Oliver, and Barry. He warns that Vandal will decimate Central City to get what he wants, and negotiation is the only way.
That night, Flash speeds to the rendezvous and briefly ghosts, seeing an image of himself. Green Arrow and Malcolm are waiting when he gets there. Malcolm warns that he knows nothing about Vandal, just as Vandal arrives. He explains that he wants not to die, and if he takes the life force from Khufu and Chayara then he can live on. Green Arrow shoots him with an arrow, and Vandal pulls it out and explains that he taught Robin Hood how to shoot. The immoral says that the only way they live will be to give him what he wants within 24 hours. If he doesn't, he will kill their loved ones and lay waste to their cities. Vandal wonders why they would waste their lives for two strangers, and tells them to bring the couple to Jurgens Industrial. Once he leaves, Green Arrow insists that they won't give up Carter and Kendra. Malcolm warns that the cycle has played out for 4,000 years, and that he will come for Green Arrow if he gets Thea killed.
At the farmhouse, Oliver tells the others about Vandal's threat. Carter notes that Vandal once killed almost two million people to get to them. Kendra insists that her life isn't worth millions of people and walks out, and Carter tells Cisco that he'll talk to her. Cisco finds Barry outside, and Barry suspects that he's going to time travel. Cisco doesn't want to discuss it for fear of changing history,
Carter approaches Kendra and she asks if they ever kill themselves to deny Vandal his immortality. She doesn't want the others to die protecting them, and Carter admires their nobility. He tells Kendra to be the warrior she was meant to be and always has been, and no one will have to die. Carter then tells Kendra to try and hit him. She finally takes a swing and Carter easily knocks her to the ground and tells her to come at him again. She finally sprouts her wings and tackles him, and Carter asks if she feels the rage. Felicity comes out and says that the others are back and they've got something.
The trio goes inside and Diggle has a Betamax tape from a conspiracy theory group interested in Vandal. Dr. Aldus Boardman made the tape in April 1975 and talks about the urban legend of Vandal Savage. Boardman warns that Vandal will be the death of the world, but he knows Vandal's immortality is the result of an unearthly calamity in ancient Egypt. Any objet associated with the calamity can reverse Vandal's immortality and kill him. Once the tape ends, Carter says that he doesn't recall a calamity. Kendra remembers that Vandal had the Staff in Egypt, and figures that they can use it to kill Vandal.
At the Central City police station, Oliver and Barry meet and Barry runs an analysis on the hair and blood that Oliver gave him. Oliver stares at the results in shock, and swears Barry to secrecy. Felicity comes in and Barry superspeeds the report into his pocket. She notices and demands to see it, and Felicity realizes what it is.
Samantha and William are at home when Oliver arrives. She sends her son in and Oliver says that he knows William is his son. Samantha explains that Moira paid her $1 million to tell Oliver that she miscarried. They go inside and Samantha shows him the check Moira wrote her. She never cashed it and admits that she didn't want William to grow up near Moira... or Oliver. Oliver insists that he isn't that person anymore, but Samantha points out that Oliver's world is still crazy. He wants an opportunity to know his son, but Samantha says that William is happy and well-adjusted. She doesn't want anyone to know that William is Oliver's son, even Felicity, and Oliver has no choice but to agree if he wants to see William.
That night, Oliver returns to the farmhouse and Felicity meets him outside. She shows him the DNA report and knows that it's a paternity test. Oliver says that it's more complicated than he can explain, and Felicity is furious that he lied to her about having a child. She asks when he was going to tell her, and Oliver admits that he doesn't know. Felicity says that telling her wouldn't be a burden if he trusted her. She figures that he never will and can't be with someone who doesn't trust her. As she walks off, Barry comes out and hears the tail end of the conversation. Oliver insists that he's fine and refuses to discuss it, and they go inside. Cisco says that the gauntlets are ready, and they'll have Kendra attack with the element of surprise now that she has her fighting abilities. He'll provide cover fire, and Barry will speed in and grab the Staff. As for the others, Oliver sys that they have it and he's not going to risk any more lives.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl don their battle gear and the group goes to Jurgens Industries. Vandal is holding the staff and is surprised that they're giving in so easily. He tells Green Arrow and Flash bring them in. Vandal calls Kendra "his love" and she says that he will never be her love. He understands and says that it always makes the culling harder. Green Arrow attacks him, and he blasts Flash back when he charges in wearing the gauntlets. Hawkman sprouts his wings and tells Hawkgirl to move in, but she freezes. Vandal knocks Oliver down and throws two knives into Hawkman's chest. Furious, Kendra charges him and Vandal stabs her in the chest, absorbing her life force. Flash grabs the Staff and blasts Vandal back, and Green Arrow ells him to get it away. The speedster refuses to abandon him, and Green Arrow knocks him back. Vandal grabs the Staff and slams it down, vaporizing Green Arrow.
Flash speeds ahead of the blast wave as it sweeps through the city, incinerating everything in its paths. It hits the farmhouse and incinerates the others, and Flash finds himself running next to his earlier self. He arrives at the meeting 24 hours earlier, and the meeting with Vandal continues as it did in the original timeline. Once Green Arrow and Flash return to the farmhouse, Flash explains that he's from 24 hours in the future. Green Arrow suggests that they use their foreknowledge to their advantage, but Flash warns that messing with time doesn't end well. Despite that, Barry agrees and says that Oliver's head isn't in the game. He tells his friend that Oliver and Felicity had a fight after he analyzed the hair sample, and the fight was about Oliver being a father. Barry goes on to explain that Kendra can't access her powers and the gauntlets don't work, and Oliver says that he's doing things differently.
Later, Oliver tells Cisco to triple-check the gauntlets. He then asks Cisco to talk to Kendra because what Carter is doing won't work. Cisco figures that Carter and Kendra are soulmates and have to be together, but Oliver says that Kendra needs a guy who is in love with her to help her with accepting who she is. Cisco reluctantly agrees and goes to the field. He sends Carter away and tells Kendra she as to focus on the priestess, not the warrior. Cisco is sure that she's resisting what Carter is trying to teach her, and Kendra admits that she's been lying to Carter about what she's remembered. She doesn't want to accept that she's a reincarnated Egyptian priestess, and Cisco says that her powers are a gift. He has Kendra close her eyes and let herself remember.
Chayara wakes up next to Khufu, who asks her to stay a little longer. She says that she can't, just as Vandal comes in and points out that the clergy is forbidden to lie with royalty. The penalty for the transgression is death, and Khufu attacks him. Vandal easily knocks him down and tells Chayara that soon the skyrocks will decimate the kingdom. Khufu tackles him and when Vandal beats him, Chayara stabs him in the back with a knife. Vandal grabs the knife and stabs Khufu, and then Chayara. The two of them lay dying while the skyrocks slam down. Vandal promises that his hate will follow them from life to life, and the dying Chayara prays to Horus. Khufu says that he will wait for an eternity and asks Chayara to come back to him... and they die as the roof collapses.
Kendra tells Cisco that she knows how to beat Vandal. They go back inside and Cisco admits that the gauntlets are missing a critical element. Kendra explains that she remembered their first death--something that Carter has never been able to remember--and says that they skyrocks destroyed the palace. The meteors glowed, and the Staff has two gemstones made of the same material. There's a sample of the meteorite at the Keystone City Museum, and Barry speeds there and brings it back in seconds. Cisco says that he can synthesize an isotope--Nth Metal-- to cover the gauntlets, and Oliver tells his team to suit up.
Later at Jurgens Industries, everyone takes their positions. Green Arrow wonders what could happen that is worse than the original timeline, and Flash admits that he doesn't know. They take Hawkman and Hawkgirl inside and Vandal draws his knife. This time Kendra accesses her abilities, and Diggle and the others drive in and attack Vandal as well. Flash speeds in with the gauntlets and grabs the Staff, and the Hawks fly to safety as the gauntlets work. Green Arrow grabs the Staff and together the two heroes blast Vandal into dust. The Staff disappears, and Hawkman assures Hawkgirl that he knew all along that she could do it.
The next day, Cisco wonders if Savage is dead and they are immortal. Carter admits that he doesn't know because they've never defeated Vandal before, and Kendra figures that they can help people... in the city of St. Roch. Kendra talks to Cisco privately and he points out that she doesn't seem to like Carter. She admits that it's a complicated relationship, but she wants to find out what her life can be. As a parting gift, Cisco gives her a hawk medallion made out of Nth metal with a GPS chip embedded in it. Kendra kisses him and says that it's for being him, and walks away.
Oliver congratulates Barry on saving everyone, and Barry advises him to tell Felicity the truth. Oliver wonders if William would be better off away from him, and Barry says that he grew up without his father. He figures that the best thing for William is if Oliver is part of his life.
Later, Oliver meets with Samantha and they have the same conversation where she tells him that no one can know he's William's father. Oliver says that he won't tell Felicity, and Samantha reminds Oliver that as far as William is concerned, he's just her friend. Oliver goes in and finds William playing with his Flash toys. He says that he's met Flash and he's one of the best guys that he knows, and introduces himself. As they play action figures, Oliver asks if he can come by and say hello. William agrees.
Back in Star City, Oliver and Felicity return to their loft. Felicity asks if she's ready to tell him his secret, and reminds him that they're a team. She can't help him fix his problem if she doesn't know what it is, and Oliver tells her that it's over and he's with her.
At the warehouse, Malcolm collects Vandal's ashes and puts them in an urn, and says that he owes him one.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 3, 2015