Oliver demonstrates how he keeps himself sharp to Mia, shooting at tennis balls. She has him toss a tennis ball and she pins it to the wall. Oliver fires more, and then shows her his specialty arrows. Mia is soon out in the field, using the arrows, and Oliver tells her the point of the arrows is to end a fight before it begins.
Later, Oliver and Mia spar with jo sticks, and William tells Oliver that Mia doesn't need a break because she's a machine. She shows them his facial recognition algorithm to find General Alexi Burov in Russia. Burov was working on a pulse wave generator before he disappeared, and William warns that they need plutonium to power the generator. Diggle comes in and says they can get it in Bialya, and he has someone in mind to go with him to get it. Oliver asks Mia and William to come with him to Russia and they agree.
Once Mia and William leaves, Diggle asks Oliver if Russia is a good place for him to show Mia and William how they operate in the field. Oliver says that he's a better man then he was in Russia years ago, but Diggle isn't convinced.
Lyla meets Laurel and says that she's working with the Monitor. Laurel reminds her that the Monitor destroyed her world, and Lyla insists that he's saving worlds. She says that Laurel needs to get the weapon before Oliver does, and says that it's bigger than her friendships. Lyla insists that she's doing it to protect them, and tells Laurel to contact her when it's done.
Diggle goes to an automotive shop and finds "Jason": Roy. Outside, Diggle explains that William found Roy, and asks for his help. Roy says that he's not a hero anymore with his condition, and explains that he walked out on Thea because they both needed a fresh start. As Roy goes back to the shop, Diggle tells him the Crisis is bigger than anything they've ever faced and they need Roy. Roy informs him that his help will be a one-time thing, and Diggle reveals that he brought an Arsenal costume.
Oliver, Laurel, Mia, and William arrive in Russia and go to a bar, and Anatoly steps out. He and Oliver embrace, and then he pours drinks for everyone. They explain that Mia and William are Oliver's children, and Oliver figures that Anatoly got bored so he came back to Russia to become a bar owner. Anatoly says that he has friends in the Bratva he can call to find Burov, and Oliver tells Mia that they're not friends and they should keep it in the family.
In Bialya, Spartan and Arsenal enter a military storehouse to steal the plutonium. There's a shipment coming in that night, and Spartan says that they'll steal the plutonium before it gets inside. Spartan talks about how Connor is his future son and an agent of Knightwatch, and Arsenal figures Spartan didn't need him. His teammate tells Arsenal that he can only atone by joining the game. Arsenal insists that there's no way to control his bloodlust and that once they're done, he's going to disappear where no one can find him.
Anatoly tells the team that he found Burov. However, he frequents a fight club, the Bloodbath. Mia says that she fought in a similar ring, and Oliver says that he, Anatoly, and Laurel will go to the club while Mia and William stay there. When Mia objects, Oliver says that they're children when he looks at them and he's not going to put them up against the Bratva.
At the Bloodbath, Anatoly points out Burov watching the fight ring from above. Burov complains that it's boring, and the trio approach him. Oliver says that they want Burov's expertise with something, and Burov agrees to hear them out. On the floor below, several men watch them.
In an office, Burov says that the pulse wave generator was too unpredictable and wonders why he should give it to them. he wants Oliver as his fighter to upset the favorite so he won't be bored. Once Burov leaves, Laurel warns Oliver that the champion is twice his side, but Oliver isn't impressed.
Oliver enters the ring, and he and the champion prepare to fight. Meanwhile, Anatoly tells Laurel that he's not so sure that she's a hero. Laurel tells him to worry about Oliver while she sweeps the perimeter. The fight begins and the champion knocks Oliver to the floor. Mia and William, arrive, and watch as Oliver takes down the champion with a series of vicious blows. Burov applauds while the crowd boos Oliver, and Mia stares at her father, impressed. Laurel tells Anatoly to get the car ready, and Oliver leaves the ring and walks away.
Burov congratulates Oliver and starts to give him the hard drive with the plans to the generator. One of the men, Oleg, comes in with his men holding Mia at gunpoint. Oleg knows who Oliver is, and Oliver says that they have no fight with the Bratva and they're going. Unimpressed, Oleg shoots Burov, and his men taser Oliver unconscious and knock out Mia.
Oliver and Mia wake up tied to chairs, and Oliver figures they're in a Bratva hideous. He wonders what Mia was doing ignoring his orders, and finally explains that he was a member of the Bratva. Oliver didn't want Mia or William involved in it, and Oleg comes in and says that they couldn't penetrate the encryption on the drive. He figures that it's worth a great deal, and Oliver refuses to tell him what it is. Oleg points a gun at Mia's head, and Oliver says that the drive has plans for a weapon that Burov is building. A Bratva soldier takes out a knife and Oleg says that they're moving onto the next phase.
At Anatoly's bar, Anatoly tells William that the Bratva would have destroyed Oliver and Mia's phones. William prepares to hack the Russian CCTV system with Laurel's help.
As Spartan and Arsenal weight for the shipment, Spartan says that Connor told him William finds Connor on Lian Yu in self-imposed exile. He explains that in the future, Roy helps the kids save the city and controls his bloodlust by being part of a team. Arsenal is impressed despite himself.
The Bratva soldier cuts Mia free, and Oleg orders her to stand on a line. She does so despite Oliver's objections, and Oleg tells her that she has 60 seconds to get to a bell across the room. Mia fights her way through the soldiers to get to a bell, but fails by seconds. Oleg fires the gun but it's empty, and he says that he needed to be sure Oliver wasn't lying about the drive.
William locates Oliver and Mia, and they go to rescue them.
The Bratva tie Mia up again, and Oliver dislocates his thumbs and first frees himself and then Mia. Black Siren and Anatoly break in to rescue them.
Back at the bar, Anatoly tells Mia that she did well. Mia says that Oliver shouldn't have told Oleg about what was on the drive, and Oliver figures that they need to find where Oleg is selling the drive. He tells Mia and William that they're going home. They refuse, and Oliver says that it's his primary job in the world to protect them. Mia reminds him that they saved Star City in the future, and Oliver explains that he had to leave them to protect them. He made a promise to Felicity to keep them safe and he refuses to break it. Angry, Mia walks out and William takes a drink.
The shipment arrives, and Spartan and Arsenal attack the men with it. An alarm goes off and Arsenal shoots down the soldiers as they arrive in response to the alarm. He beats one man until Arsenal pulls him away, saying that he's all right, and they leave with the plutonium.
Anatoly offers Oliver a drink and says that he's moody. He asks if Oliver thinks that Mia and William can't handle the Bratva, and figures Oliver want to keep them away from his Bratva past. Anatoly notes that Oliver did some important things and it's important his children see them. Oliver wonders why he should want his children see his mistakes, and Anatoly says that his children aren't weak and aren't children. He figures that whatever Oliver has to say, they can handle it. The two men share a toast.
In a side room, Mia is practicing her knife throwing when Laurel comes in. Mia says that Oliver doesn't want her there, and in the future Black Siren saves her once. She admits that every times she tries to prove she can do what the other heroes do, she fails. Laurel tells her that Oliver isn't any better, and advises Mia not to try living up to them. She warns that they're all flawed, especially her, and all Mia can do is live up to herself. Laurel asks Mia if she's the kind of person who gives up.
Mia, William, and Laurel go back to the bar and say that they're not leaving. Oliver says that he needs their help, and Anatoly's contact discovers that Oleg is selling the drive during the Bloodbath that night. While Oliver and Mia go into the ring as fighters, Laurel and William will use the distraction to steal the drive. Mia agrees to fight with Oliver, and they suit up.
Later at the Bloodbath, William brings a hooded Oliver and Mia in. The Bratva woman in charge refuses to let William pay to get Oliver and Mia in, and he offers to have them fight six men. The woman gives in, and William tells his father and sister not to die. Anatoly and Laurel are in the crowd, and William warns them that they have five minutes.
Oliver tells Mia to trust her instincts as they enter the ring. They remove their hoods and Oliver says that he's Kapushin. The fight begins and the six Russians attack Oliver and Mia. Meanwhile, Oleg receives word that the buyers have arrived. he says that they'll kill Oliver and Mia first... if they survive.
Anatoly and Laurel move in.
One fighter gets Mia in a chokehold, and another one knocks Oliver down. A Bratva soldier slips one fighter a knife, and Oliver sees him and knocks him back. Meanwhile, Laurel enters the lounge above. Oleg gets the drop on her, and Anatoly shoots Oleg from behind. Once Laurel gets the drive from Oleg's dead hand, she says that it's time to move.
William signals to Mia to wrap it up. As they drop their men, Bratva soldiers arrive with guns. Father and daughter toss down smoke grenades and disappear, and William walks off.
Later at the bar, Anatoly offers Mia his congratulations. Diggle has called Oliver and said that he got the plutonium. Oliver proposes a toast to Mia and William, and Oliver asks for a moment alone with his children. Once Anatoly and Laurel leave, Oliver tells Mia and William that there were things in Russia he did that he's not proud of. He's realized that shielding them from the bad isn't going to do their relationships any good. Oliver tells them that anything they want to ask him is fair game. Mia asks him about Lian Yu, and Oliver tells the story of his past.
At the bunker, Diggle thanks Roy for his help. Roy says that he's going to stick around for a while, and says that Oliver gave him a purpose and a team.
The group say their goodbyes to Anatoly, and Oliver thanks his friend. Anatoly says that from now on they should be brothers. He tells Oliver that being a father suits him, and they hug. As Laurel goes, Anatoly apologizes for doubting her.
Back in Star City, Laurel meets with Lyla. She says that she's decided not to help the Monitor. When Laurel says that she's not going back to the person she was, and advises Lyla to tell her family the truth. When she refuses, Diggle and Oliver step out. Diggle stares at Lyla in shock, and then someone shoots the two men with tranq darts.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 20, 2019