Thea and Jean Loring come into Oliver's office and Jean says that she can get the case against Olvier dismissed. She explains that the FBI leveraged Rene to testify against surveillance leaked by Cayden. If the source of the evidence is tainted, then Rene's testimony is illegal. Quentin comes in and says that they have an emergency at the SCPD: Laurel just walked in telling them that she's their Laurel.
As the trio arrives at the SCPD, they figure that Laurel is protecting herself from Dinah. Laurel is already talking to the press, claiming that someone held her prisoner for two years since the real Laurel's supposed death. Felicity and Diggle are at the bunker watching the broadcast. Laurel suggests that Damien held her prisoner to torture Oliver, and hugs Oliver when he comes over. She then goes to Quentin and embraces her "father", secretly smiling. A reporter asks Oliver about his outing Laurel as Black Canary at her funeral, and Oliver says that Green Arrow told him about Black Canary's death. The press asks Laurel if Oliver is Arrow, but she remains silent.
Once the group goes to a private room, Oliver asks Laurel what she has planned. She says that someone cleaned out the extortion money where she stashed it. Oliver figures that Laurel is afraid of who manipulated Cayden into thinking that Oliver killed Owen. Laurel points out that Owen was killed when she was incarcerated at ARGUS. She refuses to say who did kill Cayden, and says that the Thea on Earth-2 isn't as pathetically naïve as their Thea. Laurel tells them that they're going to protect her by going along with her story, and if they don't then eventually she'll tell the press that Oliver is Arrow. Angry, he walks out.
Hill talks to Oliver privately and says that she has an idea to buy them time. She suggests that they auction off confiscated evidence that has cleared the courts and raise as much as $30 million. As Oliver leaves, Dinah comes in and convinces Hill to give her Laurel's case.
Curt goes to Rene's apartment and tells Zoe that her father is going to be okay but was badly hurt.
Jean, Oliver, and Sam meet with Judge McGarvey the judge in private at Sam's request. Sam says that Rene wasn't there only witness, and he's someone with enemies on both sides of the law. He finally says that Roy Harper is the second witness.
Oliver and Thea go to the bunker and tells Felicity and Diggle what's going on. Thea assures them that she didn't give Sam the information, and figures that he's not cooperating voluntarily. Oliver says that they need to learn where Roy is and what he's going to say in court, and figures that either Diaz or Anatoly were responsible. Felicity learns that the DA has rented out several floors of a downtown hotel, and Oliver says that they'll wait until dark and then do recon.
After Schwartz finishes checking Laurel, Quentin talks to her privately and tells Laurel that she'd better get used to passing for the other Laurel. Dinah is watching through the window, and Quentin draws the curtain as she changes clothing. Meanwhile, Dinah talks to Schwartz, who admits that anything is possible. The doctor says that the DNA tests will confirm if Laurel is real. Once she leaves, Quentin meets with Dinah and warns that Laurel has said she'll have no compunctions about outing anyone. He explains that he's been making progress with Laurel, but Dinah says that Quentin is delusional if he thinks she can change her. Quentin asks for the chance to doing what he has been, and Dinah realizes that Laurel is taking too long to change. She goes in and discovers that Laurel is gone. A nurse is changing the bed and says that a police officer took Laurel to a safehouse. Dinah figures that Quentin arranged Laurel's escape, but Quentin tells her that he wants to find Laurel as well.
Outside, the crooked officer puts Laurel into a car and says that he's taking her to see Diaz.
Arrow and Spartan go to a rooftop across the hotel and see men beating Roy. There are men on the balcony, and Arrow points out that Roy sacrificed himself for him. Spartan did the same thing, and he points out that Arrow hasn't let him put the suit back on since Spartan recovered. Ignoring him, Arrow spots a way in.
When she's taken to Anatoly, Laurel tells him that Diaz manipulated both of them and killed Cayden. Anatoly doesn't care as long as he gets money and revenge against Oliver. Laurel points out that the Bratva cast Anatoly out, and he concedes the point.
Oliver and Diggle return to the bunker and explain their plan. Thea insists on coming with them and Oliver warns that she hasn't been field-ready since she got out of the coma. Undeterred, Thea goes to get her suit and the go to the rooftop. Arrow fires a firework arrow into the sky as a distraction, then fires a line arrow across the street. Speedy goes across and enters the HVAC vent that Arrow spotted earlier.
The officers continue beating Roy, asking if he's going to testify. They beat him without leaving marks, and Speedy watches from the AC vent and sending video to Overwatch. Overwatch takes their badge numbers while Arrow tells Speedy to hold her position because she's outnumbered. The officers leave to get some food, and Speedy drops in and kisses Roy as she cuts him free. He says that he isn't with anyone, and explains that the Star City cops tased him and threw him in a van. They knew all about Olvier and Roy faking his death.
Felicity spots cops incoming and warns Speedy. She takes him out the window, refusing to leave Roy behind. She prepares to shoot at the cops coming through the door, and Arrow nailed speedy with a line arrow and yanks her back. The police come in and Roy claims that he was just getting some air. Meanwhile, Arrow tells Speedy that they will rescue Roy but there were too many cops.
Back at the bunker, Felicity tells the others that the police have increased security. She's pulled financials on the police that were beating Roy, and they received stock payoffs from Diaz's duty. They believe all of the officers are working for Diaz. Oliver tells Thea that he had to pull her out or they all would have been killed, including Roy. Thea explains that knowing Roy was out there and okay has made her life easier for the last two years. She'll do whatever it takes to make sure Roy is safe.
Felicity discovers that the SCPD has requisitioned a van to move Roy to a new safehouse. Diggle says that there's something else.
The next morning, Dinah tries to track down Laurel. Quentin swears that it isn't him, and Oliver calls both of them into an interrogation room to talk privately. He explains that Diaz murdered Cayden and the SCPD covered it up. Oliver asks them to work together to find out how deep the corruption goes, and Dinah to put her vendetta on hold. She agrees and Quentin says that they can work out of his place.
At a run-down casino, Laurel wonders why Anatoly trusts Diaz. He says that it's better to control the city then blow it up. Diaz is sparring with a man when Laurel and Anatoly arrive. Once Diaz wins, he welcomes the man to the team and gives him a wad of money. Diaz tells Anatoly that he's building a family people who rely on each other. He points at Laurel and says one person betrayed them. He tells everyone else to clear out, and Diaz tells Laurel that their business hasn't concluded. Diaz knows that Dinah is after Laurel and Cayden and Laurel are just smaller pieces of a bigger puzzle. Laurel wants to get out of Star City, and Diaz tells her not to worry about any of the heroes. He asks if controlling the city is something worth staying.
Diggle talks to Felicity about taking back the hood. She says that too much is going on, just as an alert comes in that they're moving Roy. The team move in and Speedy takes out the engine. Arrow shoots open the van's doors only to discover that Roy isn't there and it's a decoy.
Diaz has Roy brought to him.
The team returns to the bunker and Felicity figures that they switched Roy when they were underground out of satellite surveillance. Diggle contacts ARGUS, and Felicity figures that Oliver is blaming himself instead of Diaz. Oliver worries that he couldn’t bear the responsibility of leaving Roy in the hotel room if something went wrong, and Felicity tells him not to blame himself. He says what Diggle said about not giving the hood back, and admits that he doesn't know the reason.
Diaz invites Roy to join his team, and says that he knows other ways to cause pain. He asks how Speedy is, and points out that she came out of retirement. Diaz figures that the real question is who does he have to bring the pain to: Roy or Thea.
Quentin and Dinah go over the police files, and Quentin thanks Dinah for backing off Laurel. She says that it's temporary, just as there's a knock at the door. It's Laurel, who says that she's there about Diaz.
At the bunker, Oliver tells Thea that Felicity and ARGUS are working on finding Roy. He says that when they find Roy, Thea should go with him. Oliver doesn't want her to go, but she deserves the same kind of happiness Oliver has found with Felicity. Diggle comes in and says that Laurel went to Quentin's apartment and has info on Diaz.
At the apartment, Laurel explains that Diaz has a plan to take over the city. She heard that Roy was taken to a run-down casino, and offers to take them there. Dinah figures that it's a trap, but Thea says that they need the chance. Quentin wonders why Laurel turned against Diaz, and Laurel says that she figured she should start acting like their Laurel. Oliver calls Diggle and says that they're going in, but tells Dinah that they don't trust each other and he'd rather go into the field short-handed.
Arrow, Spartan, and Speedy into the casino and realize that there are only two guards. Spartan points out that they should go after Diaz and Arrow agrees. As they go in, Overwatch warns that she's hacking the firewalls to find Roy but it will tip off Diaz.
Diaz tells Roy and Anatoly that the heroes have shown up and it's time to move out.
Arrow fires an explosive arrow into the main door, blowing it open. He then flanks the men on the other side. Overwatch uses thermals to direct them.
An officer finds two of the guards outside, arrows in them, and calls it in.
The vigilantes confront Diaz and order him to surrender. He tells his men to open fire but leave them alive, and his men open fire. Speedy runs off despite orders to go after Roy, and Arrow joins her while Spartan provides cover fire. Arrow takes down Anatoly. Overwatch reports that one of Diaz's cops notified the SCPD that Arrow is there.
Diaz and his man get to a van and load the unconscious Roy in. Speedy arrives and takes out the man, and Diaz attacks her.
Arrow tells Anatoly that he's just a hired hand, and Spartan tells him to go after Speedy.
Diaz manages to pin Speedy, and Arrow arrives and knocks him away. Both of them train arrows on Diaz, who says that the cops on his payroll find the antivigilante bill motivating. Arrow tells Speedy to drive away with Roy. Once she leaves, Diaz says that Arrow can't take him off and that's why he let speedy drive off. As the police arrive, Arrow swings off.
Back at the bunker, Diggle tends to Roy's injuries and tells him to take it easy. The SCPD took Anatoly, and Quentin and Dinah are still working on the corruption. Oliver figures that they'll add witness-tampering to the list of charges against him, but doesn't care. He says that he would have done the same for any of them.
Oliver goes to Quentin's apartment to talk to Laurel. He points out that she didn't set them up so he came by to thank her. Oliver tells her that she's not their Laurel no matter what she tells the press. Laurel says that she's willing to try if they give her the space. Oliver admits that it's fair, and Laurel says that Quentin offered her his couch. Once Oliver leaves, Laurel gets a text from Diaz wishing her luck.
Thea takes Roy to her apartment to stay, and wonders about their relationship. They kiss and fall onto the bed. Across the street, a League assassin watches from a rooftop. She then calls and says that she's located Ra's al Ghul's heir.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 9, 2018