Oliver and his team review the auditorium where the debate will be held between him and Ruve. Ruve comes in and Oliver asks about her husband. He points out that she has been in the shadows until now, and says that the people destroying star City needs to be brought out of the shadows. Once she leaves, Oliver confirms that his team hasn't found anything out on her background, Before Oliver goes, Felicity asks Oliver to check the engagement party invites that Donn has ordered
As Ruve leaves with her security detail, Oliver, Diggle, and Thea head out and Overwatch coordinates them from her laptop. Black Canary is watching Ruve is watching from the rooftops, and they hope that Ruve will lead them to Damien. Her limo heads away from her home, and Speedy takes up trailing her on motorcycle. Green Arrow takes over and follows the limo to an underpass... and it disappears. Overwatch has lost her as well. Ruve steps out of the shadows and says that Damien has something to say about Green Arrow stalking his wife. Ghosts emerge from the shadow sand open fire, and Diggle and Speedy attack the men. Once they take out the ghosts, the team realizes that Ruve has escaped again.
Back at the bunker, Diggle warns Oliver that Damien has gone to ground and they won't find him. Oliver figures that Damien has a larger plan in mind then just destroying Star City.
Ruve meets with Damien, and she says that they're going to take Oliver out of the game. Damien explains that Malcolm gave him an early birthday present and they meet with Malcolm and the HIVE Council. Armitage points out that Phase 5 requires control of City Hall and they are currently mired in a political race with Oliver. When another councilman, Tomas, points out over the video conferencing that they are counting on Ruve's expertise, Damien looks on as his Ghosts kill Tomas. Once they're done, Malcolm confirms that Quentin is helping Green Arrow, and Damien assures the council that they're dealing with him.
Laurel visits Quentin at his office and admits that she's worried that Damien will come at him He's sure that the police can protect him, and gets a 602 call. Laurel insists on going with him, and Quentin says that he has dinner plans with Donna. His daughter is happy to meet her.
Oliver and Felicity return to the apartment and discover that Donna has put up hundreds of balloons for the engagement party. She's happy to be planning everything. Thea comes in with a file on Ruve, and Oliver quickly excuses himself. She says that Alex found information on Oliver. Homeland Security did a tax audit in 2013 and turned up a million-dollar check that Moira wrote. The check was never cashed, and Oliver says that he doesn't see the point in Thea investigating Samantha further.
Five Years Ago
Reiter has Oliver excavate an underground doorway and tells him that they have much to accomplish together. Once Reiter leaves, one of the other prisoners says that they know Oliver killed Vlad. He figures that Reiter's men don't care what they do to Oliver, and Conklin leads his men off.
Now
Quentin pulls up to an abandoned hotel and tells Laurel that he's checking out the 602 because the police are short-handed. He goes inside, gun drawn, but finds no one. As he calls dispatch, the building starts coming down, knocking Quentin to the floor. Laurel runs in and helps Quentin up, as the building continues collapsing. They get out just in time and watch as the building comes crashing down.
Laurel takes Quentin to the bunk errand Diggle treats his wounds. They figure that Damien is responsible and tell Quentin to stay there while they check it out. Felicity backtracks the call to dispatch, and Thea insists that Oliver work on his debate prep.
Five Years Ago
Taiana insists that Oliver kept her alive at great risk to himself, and insists that he's their best chance of going home. She admits that Oliver killed Vlad, and tells Oliver to explain. Oliver says that Conklin put Vlad up to it, and tells the prisoners that all he wants to do is stop Reiter and get everyone out. The head prisoner tells him to prove it by killing Conklin, and Taiana privately asks Oliver if he's killed before. Oliver says that he tortured a man in Hong Kong and it made him a monster. She figures that Oliver is concerned about becoming a monster again, and it takes a monster to fight monsters.
Now
The next day, Quentin calls Donna into his office and realizes that he's hurt. She fusses over him until he says that Donna has to stay away from him for a while. He claims that some bookies ae after him, but Donna says that she can handle them. Quentin refuses to involve her, and Donna realizes that he's lying. She makes it clear that Quentin has to tell her the truth, and walks out when he doesn't. Felicity comes in and asks what Quentin did, and says that she found something.
At the bunker, Felicity tells Oliver and Quentin that someone faked the 602 dispatch. She traces the call and confirms that several other calls came from there. The team goes there and splits up to search the factory. Diggle finds two people discussing their screw-up failing to kill Quentin. Diggle The team bursts in and the woman fires a high-power nail-gun. The man with her comes after Diggle with a sledge hammer. A third man activates the explosives charges on the computer, and the others escape. Diggle's opponent knocks him out and leaves, and Black Canary realizes that they're demoing the factory just like they did the hotel. Speedy tells the others to go while she gets the attackers' laptop. Green Arrow and Black Canary get Diggle out, while Speedy grabs the laptop and runs as the factory collapses around her. She leaps out the window and the factory comes down behind her.
Later at the bunker, Felicity examines the nail-ridden laptop and warns that the hard drive was damaged. Diggle checks with Andy and learns that their opponents call themselves the Demolition Team, and now they work for HIVE. Laurel says that she got a glimpse of the screen and there were blueprints on it, and the team figures that the Demolition Team is going to destroy another building. As Laurel works up a list of potential targets, Felicity gets a call from Donna and goes off to take it personally. Oliver asks Quentin what's going on, and he says that Donna called it quits.
Five Years Ago
A guard brings Oliver to see Reiter, and Reiter insists that Oliver has a destiny. He says that the map conceals deeper truths and he couldn't decipher them until Oliver brought him the topographic map from the freighter. Reiter deciphered the inscriptions on the stone, and says that legends tell of a device that contains untold power. The quest to find it requires one who has been granted passage by the gods, and Reiter believes that Oliver is that person.
Conklin comes in and Reiter tells him to watch Oliver. Oliver uses a hidden blade to cut through his bonds, and then attacks Conklin. Conklin draws his knife and promises to enjoy seeing Oliver die.
Now
At the apartment, Donna tells Felicity that she didn't want to bother her. Crying, she thought she had found a man who wouldn't lie to her. Donna apologizes for going pushing the engagement party and says that she's been living vicariously through Felicity. She tells her daughter that Oliver and Felicity are a couple that don't lie to each other, and assures Felicity that Oliver will be the best father in the world when they have a child. Felicity says that Quentin is such a man for Donna. She tells Donna that she has to return Quentin's love with some trust.
In the campaign office, Oliver and Thea finish his debate prep. She finally asks him about Samantha, and Oliver says that he was with Samantha while he was with Laurel. He's not proud of it, so he never mentioned it. Thea says that she ran a background check on Samantha and discovered that she has a son named William who is as old as Moira's check. She realizes that William is Oliver's son, and Oliver explains that he hasn't told anyone because Samantha forced him to if he wanted to see William. Oliver admits that since Thea brought up the check, he's wondering if he can marry Felicity when he's lying to her. Thea insists that it's not a lie but a promise Oliver is keeping, and figures that Samantha is doing the right thing by making sure no one learns that William is Oliver's son. She tells her brother to do the right thing for his son no matter how hard it is for him.
Diggle calls Oliver and says that Andy did some digging and discovered that the Demolition Team uses a specialized acid that weakens building structures. There's only one warehouse in Star City that has it, and Oliver tells Thea to stay there while he checks it out. Before he goes, Oliver thanks his sister for saying what he needed to hear.
Green arrow and Diggle arrive at the warehouse and find two dead security guards. A hundred gallons of the acid is missing, and they realize that the Team is planning to take down something massive.
At Palmer Tech, Curtis hastily hides data on his computer when Felicity comes in. He admits that he's working on her wedding present, and felicity asks him to check the laptop using the mainframe because her computer doesn't have enough power.
In the bunker, Oliver is putting on his suit and reminds Quentin that he's the one who told him that he needs to fight Damien in the light of day. Quentin wonders how Oliver kept his secrets for four years, and Oliver says that he's not that person anymore. He points out that Quentin is trying to keep Donna safe, and says that sometimes a lie isn't wrong if it's for the good of someone they love.
Five Years Ago
Conklin promises to gut the slaves once he kills Oliver, and Oliver vows that the mercenary will never kill anyone again. They fight and Oliver finally drives the knife into Conklin's chest. Dying, Conklin says that Reiter will kill everyone no matter what Oliver does.
Now
In the debate auditorium, Thea gives Oliver last-minute advice on the debate because Alex is with his hospitalized mother. Donna is there applying makeup to Felicity for reaction shots, sand Curtis calls Felicity to say that he got a set of blueprints from the laptop. He sends them to Felicity, and she tells Oliver that HIVE is going to take down the debate auditorium. Oliver has Felicity start to hack the fire alarm, but Thea sets it off manually and people start getting out while Oliver and Thea put on their costumes.
As she goes, Ruve calls the Demolition Team and tells them not to let Oliver leave the building alive.
Quentin arrives outside and tells Donna and Felicity to stay out of the building, and then goes in to help.
The team finds the bombs but no signs of the Team. They have thirteen minutes until demolition, and Diggle applies a neutralization chemical to his bomb. A booby-trap goes off and Sledge-Hammer attacks him. Diggle repels the hammer with a magnetic charge, while Speedy shoves Black Canary out of the way of a booby trap. She goes over the balcony, and the nail-gun woman, Rosie, opens fire on Black Canary.
Green Arrow fights the fourth man in the auditorium.
Black Canary attacks Rosie and Speedy climbs up and joins in. Diggle takes his man down with his own sledge hammer, and Black Canary and Speedy take out Rosie. They defuse their bombs, and Quentin arrives to take out Green Arrow's opponent. Green Arrow defuses the bombs, and leaps down to the stage. He then removes his costume and joins Donna and Felicity. As he goes to the debate, Quentin leads the Team out. Donna sees him and Felicity tells Donna to go to him.
Oliver and Ruve step out on stage and Oliver makes a secret comment to Ruve about bringing the house down. They go to their podiums and begin the debate.
Later, most pundits declare Oliver the winner. Oliver meets Felicity and Donna at the apartment.
Five Years Later
The guards put Oliver in his cell, and Oliver claims that Conklin attacked him. Reiter warns Oliver not to test him again and leaves, and Taiana realizes that Oliver did it. She kisses him on the cheek and thanks him, and Oliver tells her what Conklin him about Reiter's plans... and warns that they don't have much time.
At the engagement party, Oliver and Felicity talk with their old neighbor Laura. Quentin comes in and asks to talk to Donna privately, and Felicity quickly excuses herself and Oliver. He tells Donna that he lied to her because he was worried about how she would react to the truth: that HIVE is after him. Quentin admits that he was working with Damien and is glad that Damien came after him and Laurel. Donna is happy that Quentin was protecting Laurel--and her--and kisses him.
Oliver and Felicity have champagne just as Curtis and Paul come in. Curtis gives Felicity his gift: a microchip and explains that it's an implantable biostimulant so that she can walk again. He figures that she should be able to walk in time for her wedding, and once he solved the Power Cell he was able to finish the chip. Felicity breaks into tears and Oliver thanks Curtis.
Damien brings William in to see his daughter Nora and says that they'll be looking after him for a while.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 18, 2016