Two men bring a manacled and drugged girl. As they discuss her price, the lights go out and a figure moves through the shadows. He targets them with infrared vision and shoots the traffickers. They fire blindly into the darkness and when the lights come up, the figure cuts the girl free and tell her to run.
An officer leaves the SCPD station and finds two of the traffickers tied up from a lamppost dead, with Vs cut into their faces.
At the bunker, the recruits spar. Rory goes over to where Oliver is staring at a computer screen. Oliver says that they have to find Prometheus before he executes the next phase of his plan. Felicity tells them that two men have turned up outside. She shows the team the video and says that the SCPD believes that it's the work of a different vigilante than Prometheus, and Felicity and Rene both wonder if they have to stop the new vigilante. Oliver tells them that they can't afford to have another psycho loose in Star City.
Five Years Ago
Kovar has Oliver brought to his dinner table and his men cut Oliver free. The crime lord invites Oliver to eat, and says that Oliver has become a fascination to him. He wants answers from Oliver, aware that he's become Bratva, and points out that Oliver hasn't broken after a week of torture. A maid, Galina, brings in flowers and he chats with her. Once Galina leaves, Kovar says that Taiana was her daughter. He says that Galina came to her a year ago and said that both of her children disappeared. Kovar gave her a job until they returned, and Galina has been with him ever since.
Now
Oliver goes to his office where Susan is waiting. She knows about the two traffickers, and Oliver asks her to leave it alone for the time being. Susan agrees and says that he looks like he could use a drink. Oliver points out all of Star City's recent problems, and wonders if what he's doing has any positive effect. The reporter invites him to a bar that night, and says that he might need a friend even more.
Quentin meets with Thea in her office and says that he's not okay. She asks if he fell off the wagon, and Quentin insists that he's not drunk. Offended, he walks out and Thea discovers that he left a letter of resignation.
At the Star City National Bank, robbers wearing monster masks blast their way in through the back wall. Felicity gets a report and notifies the team, and they head in. The team clears the room and finds one of the robbers on the floor, bleeding out. He says that "Vigilante" did it.
Back at the bunker, Felicity tells the team that the gang's leader is Eric Dunn, and he did the same thing back in 2011. He was paroled and formed a new crew, but Vigilante beat the team there. Felicity brings up the bank's CCTV with an image of Vigilante. Oliver says that they're going to deal with him, but the recruits point out that they're on the same side. Surprised, Oliver points out that they objected when they found out he was a vigilante, and they're going to find Eric and Vigilante.
Five Years Ago
Kovar says that the world is a complex place, and one of his men pus a file in front of Oliver. There's a picture of the money man that Oliver killed, and Kovar knows that the Bratva told Oliver he was connected to Kovar so they could steal his business. He says that the Bratva control Oliver and truth is a matter of perspective. Oliver grabs a fork, pins Kovar's hand to the wall, puts a knife to his throat, and says that he's going to get him out.
Now
Thea goes to see at his office, and he says that he can't talk her out of resigning as he pours himself a drink. She says that Quentin is like family to them and she's worried about him. Quentin says that he's been blacking out recently, and he woke up a week ago with blood on his hands. He shows her the throwing star and explains that it he found it.
Curtis goes to a gun shop and says that he needs 5.52 AP rounds. When the owner says that he can't help him, Rene comes in and repeats Curtis' question. Spartan storms in and demands answers, and Rene tells him that they had it handled him. The owner says that the buyer always wears a mask and he's scarier than Spartan.
Evelyn is walking down the street wearing a skimpy dress. A man hits on her and she ducks into an alleyway. When the man goes in after her, Ragman steps out of the shadows and says that they have a few questions.
Diggle and the others go out to their van, and Curtis and Rene wonder if Diggle is losing it. Diggle tells them to forget about it, but Curtis persists and Diggle says that it's his son's second birthday and he missed the party because the U.S. Marshals have the house under surveillance.
The man says that he lost touch with Eric, and Ragman slams him against the wall. He tells them that Eric picks banks further away from police stations, and begs them to let him go.
Eric and his man run out of a bank, shooting a guard. Vigilante opens fire on them a nearby roof, and ducks out of sight when they return fire. He circles around and takes out one of the robbers, just as the team arrive. Ragman shields the others from Vigilante's bullets, and Vigilante says that he's not there for them. Eric makes a run for it and Spartan goes after him. Vigilante kneecaps one robber and prepares to kill him, and Green Arrow arrives and knocks him back. Vigilante insists that they're on the same side and Arrow hasn't been able to save it. He warns that if they're no with him then they're against him, and shoots the van's engine. When it explodes, he takes advantage of the distraction to escape.
Back at the bunker, Oliver tells Felicity and Diggle that Vigilante is out there because they're not getting the job done. He wonders if none of what they're doing is working.
Five Years Ago
Oliver has Kovar tell his men to drop their guns, and Oliver takes him out into the hallway. Kovar tells Oliver to think about what he's doing, and explains made a deal with the Bratva. They will stop attacking him in return for a percentage of his casino profits. Oliver doesn't believe him, but is distracted long enough that Kovar can disarm him.
Now
Thea has Quentin repeat his story again. He's confirmed that the throwing star is consistent with the ones that Prometheus uses. Quentin admits that he doesn't think he's Prometheus, but he's resigning because he lied to her. Now Prometheus is targeting him, and Quentin figures that he's damaged goods.
At the station, Adrian talks to Laura, the robber who Vigilante kneecapped. As Oliver watches through the one-way mirror, Adrian tries to get Laura to turn on Eric. When she refuses, he says that he's been to hell and that makes him someone she doesn't want to screw with it. Scared, Laura tells him to try the Papp Hotel. Oliver talks to Adrian afterward and admits that his performance was impressive, and the mayor tells him to get a warrant because they have to beat Vigilante there.
At the hotel, Eric is putting ice on his injuries when Arrow bursts in. Eric says that Vigilante has him marked and he's already dead, and says that the first time he was arrested, he was innocent. The DA pinned the crime on him anyway, and he spent two years in Iron heights. Vigilante fires through the window and Arrow gets Eric to cover. Arrow shoots a cloth over the window, blocking Vigilante's line of sight, and then gets Eric out just as Vigilante fires a grenade into the room.
Later at the bunker, the team watches a newscast about Vigilante killing three bystanders when he attacked Eric. They wonder how they find Vigilante, and Oliver says that they'll work the problem. He explains that he's meeting Susan at a bar for "mayor's office stuff," but no one believes that.
Thea drives Quentin to New Oasis, a rehab clinic. Quentin insists that it isn't the right time, but Thea figures that he's still grieving over Laurel's death. She assures him that Laurel wouldn’t be ashamed of him, but concerned like she is. Quentin tells Thea that Moira would be proud of her, and she tells him to go inside and make Laurel proud of him. He thanks her for everything, and Thea tells him to thank her by getting better.
Oliver arrives at the bar and finds Susan playing pool. They drink and Oliver tells Susan that the job has proven to be more difficult than he expected. He talks about how there's someone out there more extreme than he is, making him question if he's doing things right. Susan tells Oliver that it's all Star City has, and he just needs to keep doing things the right way even if it takes longer. She assures him that the city will know, and takes his hand. Oliver's phone rings and he steps away to take it. It's Diggle, who says that they should draw Vigilante out by robbing a bank.
Later, Diggle, Felicity, Rory, and Rene break into a bank wearing the same masks as Eric's gang. Felicity cuts the CCTV lines to the SCPD, and Diggle contacts Artemis and Mr. Terrific outside on watch. They say that it's all quiet... unaware that Vigilante is near them in the shadows. Once he captures them, he takes Terrific inside and tells the others to call Arrow because they need to talk.
Arrow steps out and Vigilante says that it's between them. Rene and Rory leave, and Vigilante says that Artemis is still breathing. He says that he wants to be left alone so that he can deal with criminals. Vigilante dismisses the people at the hotel as collateral damage and says that maybe Arrow doesn't know that it's a war.
Rory and Rene go back to Diggle and Felicity, and Diggle figures that Arrow has it.
Vigilante tells Arrow that he's not getting the job seriously because he hasn't lost anyone. Arrow says that he's lost people, but Vigilante figures that he needs a push. He prepares to shoot Terrific, but Arrow disarms him and then attacks him in hand-to-hand. The two men fight until Vigilante grabs his gun and fires. Arrow ducks behind the counter and then shoots a bolo arrow, tying Vigilante to a pillar. He says that it is a war and he's going to fight it the right way because he's all the city has. As Arrow reaches for Vigilante's mask, a small explosive charge goes off. When the smoke clears, Vigilante is gone. Arrow makes sure Terrific is okay and they realize that their opponent has escaped.
Later, Arrow drops Dunn off at the police station... alive.
The next morning, Thea meets with Oliver and shows him the throwing star that Quentin found. She explains that Quentin has been blacking out but he's in rehab. Thea wonders why someone would target him, and they figure that Prometheus knows that Oliver is Arrow.
Five Years Ago
Oliver challenges Kovar to attack him, and Kovar accepts. He easily beats Oliver, and Gregor comes in. Gregor reminds Kovar that they have a deal, and Kovar says that he was trying to convince Oliver he was telling the truth. Kovar asks Oliver if he believes him now, insisting that truth is a matter of perspective.
Now
Diggle is taking out his frustrations on a punching bag when Rene comes in. He blows a party favor and Marie brings in J.J. She says that they sent the U.S. Marshals on a wild goose chase and Diggle tells J.J. to get some cake. He then thanks Rene for his help.
Oliver is heading out when Susan approaches him and admits that she has an inside man on his detail. He thanks her for the other night, and Susan says that he owes her a drink. Oliver tells her that they should go.
Artemis is up on a rooftop when Prometheus approaches her. She tells him that the others don’t suspect a thing.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 17, 2016