Emiko lies sleeping on a bed. She wakes up and exercises, and as she makes breakfast sees a news report about Oliver going to a gala that night after a week staying out of the public eye. Emiko puts on archer gear and prepares to go out.
At home, Oliver is showering and he hears someone outside. He yanks the curtain away and discovers that it's Felicity. Once he gets dressed, he apologizes and says that he's still getting used to being out of prison. Felicity says that she misses William and felicity agrees, and Oliver says that he's going to sit out the gala. His wife tells him that the gala is to celebrate him as a hero and people will see him for who he really is without a mask. Oliver gives in and says that she will always be the best part of him for the rest of his life. They wish each other a happy anniversary, Chris, and make love.
The Future
William, Zoe, and Dinah arrive at a fight club and Dinah explains that the Canary network learned that Blackstar frequents the club. They don't know if Blackstar was helping Felicity or killed her. At the bar, Dinah asks to see Blackstar and the bartender points out the female fighter in the arena. Blackstar defeats her opponent after a brutal fight, and the spectators cheer.
Now
At the gala, Rene and Dinah are watching the crowd, and Rene complains that the rich people there don't care about prison reform. Oliver and Felicity arrive and the reports question him. Felicity gives a brief statement saying that Oliver is glad to be home with his family, and they go inside. Max Fuller approaches Oliver, and Oliver points out that Max had his men beat up Oliver and Tommy at his club. They move on and meet with the team, and Rene asks if Oliver plans to go out as Arrow. Dinah says that they don't do that anymore, and Oliver says that he'll do something else to help the city. Laurel joins them and Felicity points out that Laurel got Oliver out of prison. Oliver thanks Laurel for her help, and Laurel says that Felicity was ruthless.
Mayor Pollard calls Oliver to the podium and everyone applauds. Oliver gives a speech about justice and how he learned the truth in prison that their institutions have a long way to go before they achieve justice. Someone fire arrows at the stage, killing a man named Hutchinson, and Oliver studies one of the green arrows.
Pollard gives a speech to the press defending an anti-vigilante act. The others meet and Rene insists that it wasn't the new Green Arrow. Oliver says that he wants to be sure that the new GA isn't the killer, and offers to consult with the police. Dinah agrees and tells the others to go home and let the police work the scene.
The next day, Oliver meets with Rene and goes over all of the files Dinah has on GA. Rene admits that he helped GA, and says that he's disciplined and precise and is almost as skilled an archer as Oliver. Dinah arrives and says that forensics confirmed the arrows are consistent with GA. Olive confirms that the arrows are handmade and would be difficult to replicate. They go over the security footage and Oliver confirms that the shooter was targeting Clayton Ford, a rich man who financed a clinic in the Glades. Rene admits that he was in contact with GA one time, and Dinah says that they just need to talk to him one time and Oliver agrees.
At ARGUS, Diggle meets with Lyla in her office. She has him shut the door and explains that the Dante painting is being used as an identification protocol within terrorist circles. Lyle says that she found a common account with the one they traced in Geneva, and they all lead to a consulting firm that's a cover for the Longbow Hunters.
That night, Rene, Dinah, and Oliver go to the rendezvous GA has designated. Oliver and Dinah hide, and spot motion detectors. GA appears on a nearby cargo container, and Oliver and Dinah step out. Olive advises him to cooperate, saying that most of the people think GA is a killer. He asks if he is, and GA runs off. The trio follow, Olive taking to the catwalks. GA gets clear on a zipline and then drives off on a motorcycle.
The next day, the press question Oliver as he arrives at the station house to help the vigilante. Dinah tells them that they're not allowed in the station house, and Rene tells the press that the vigilante isn't the killer. Once they meet privately, Dinah says that they found Clayton dead the same time they chased GA. Clayton was skipping town when he was killed. Pollard comes over and asks why Oliver and Rene are there, and complains that Dinah hasn't brought GA to justice. She threatens to bring in a new police chief if Dinah can't. Oliver notes that both victims were members of the same facility at Yale. Max was a member, and Oliver will talk to him and get some intel.
The Future
Ben and the others approach Blackstar at the bar and pay her to talk with them. They go to her apartment and she says that they have five minutes, and admits that she worked with Felicity occasionally. Blackstar knows that Dinah is Canary and says that at least she's not a vigilante. Dinah tells Blackstar that she's part of why Star City is in the shape it is. Zoe says that once they have their information, they'll leave. Blackstar says that Felicity asked her to find a firing mechanism and a couple of transmitters to trigger a bomb. As they go, Blackstar warns them that asking questions about Felicity won't end well for anyone.
Now
Oliver goes to Max's club and Max shows him around the place and then takes him to his office. Max figures that Oliver is pissed seeing a copycat screw up his reputation. Oliver says that the last two murders aren't connected to GA, and asks Max how well he knew Clayton and Hutchinson as members of the Yale club. Max says that there were rumors that the two men had business dealings with the Triads, and Oliver thanks him. As he goes, Max wonders why Oliver cares about any of it and Oliver tells him that it's old habits.
When Oliver returns home, he tells Felicity that Max is hiding something and asks if she could look into it. She realizes that none of the security measures triggered, just as an archer blasts open the door and attacks them. Olive engages the killer in hand-to-hand and they fight and Olive takes him down. Felicity draws a gun and shoots the killer in the shoulder when he tries to run. Oliver punches the man unconscious and stares at Felicity in shock.
After Dinah and her men take the wounded killer away, Oliver asks Felicity where she got the gun. She says that Anatoly gave it to her, and that's it's her because of him. He was the one who decided on his own that he would sacrifice himself, leaving his family unprotected against Diaz. Felicity says that she had to figure out how to survive and she's glad that she did, and the old Felicity was weak. Oliver tells her that the old Felicity is the one he fell in love, and Felicity says that she's gone and isn't coming back.
The Future
William is drinking in the bar, and Dinah joins him. He says that he's going home, figuring that he doesn't care about Felicity because she was going to blow up the city. Dinah shows her a tattoo on her arm and says that it's the Mark of four, and Oliver created it to symbolize the four pillars of heroism: courage, compassion, selflessness, and loyalty. Roy came with William back to Star city because he saw the symbol on Oliver's bow, and that's why Dinah is helping them. She decided to help them because she saw the best parts of Oliver in William. William insists that he isn't, but Dinah tells him that Oliver had a way of seeing things beyond the evidence. She asks William what his gut tells him about Blackstar. William figures that Blackstar isn't telling them the whole story, and they off to find out what she's hiding.
Now
Rene brings takeout to Dinah at the station, and Dinah wonders how effective she can be with Pollard undercutting her. He says that the city needs her, just as Oliver comes in. Dinah has the killer's ID from ARGUS: Frank Cassaday, aka The Mirror, who specializes in copycat killings. There's a flash drive in Cassaday's belongings, and Oliver recognizes it from Max's club. He figures Max paid Cassaday to kill Hutchinson, Courtney, and then Oliver when he got too close. Oliver figures the two men were going to cut Max out so he hired Cassaday to pull them back. Dinah wants to send SWAT in, but Oliver warns that Max has heavy security and it could get risky. Rene suggests that Oliver goes in as Arrow. Oliver refuses to risk separating himself from the family. Dinah says that there might be a way and half the city hopes that Oliver is the vigilante, and now they don't have to hope. Oliver agrees but says that he needs to make a pit stop first.
Oliver and Diggle go to the bunker and Diggle brings Oliver his spare suit. Diggle wonders if Oliver has changed his mind about breaking the cycle of violence. Oliver says that he can't burden William with it, but it's about accountability. He figures that if Star City wants to hate Arrow, then they'll have to hate him as well. Oliver turns down Diggle's offer to go out with him, and deliberately leaves without his mask.
The unhooded Oliver goes to Max's club and goes in via the rooftop.
Max leaves a voice message for Cassaday and then puts his guard son high alert.
Oliver radios Dinah, who is waiting outside. He tells her to keep her men out until he's into position. Oliver then attacks the guards. Max, watching on the monitors, sees the shots and realizes that Oliver is there. Meanwhile, Oliver fights his way through the guards. Max makes his way through the dance floor and Oliver spots him. More guards arrive, and Oliver jumps down to the floor and goes after Max. Max takes a hostage, but Oliver shoots the gun out of his hand. Max says that Oliver doesn't have the authority to arrest him. Dinah and her men arrive and put Max under arrest for the murders, while everyone stares at Oliver.
Dinah takes Max to the station and Oliver goes with them. Pollard is waiting in Dinah's office, and Dinah and Oliver go in together. The mayor wants Oliver booked, and Dinah refuses. Pollard demands Dinah's resignation, and Dinah says that Oliver is officially working for the SCPD and is no longer a vigilante. When Pollard says that she'll get that tossed, Dinah says that Laurel will side with her. Pollard tells Oliver that it's not over and leaves.
Diggle and Lyla go to a secure prison, and Diggle admits that keeping a secret from Oliver and Felicity bothers him. they go in and meet with Diaz. Diggle tells him that they need his help.
The Future
The trio break into Blackstar's rooms and search the place. William finds the same bomb schematics that they found in Felicity's hideout, and Zoe suggest that Felicity got cold feet so Blackstar killed her. Dinah suggests that Blackstar still plans to go through with the plans, and Zoe warns that the SCPD cops would be happy to see the Glades explode. When Dinah suggests that they go to the Glades to get resources and they'll welcome Zoe, Zoe agrees to pay her father a visit.
Now
At home, Oliver is watching a newscast about how he's working with the SCPD. Felicity asks if he could imagine working with the cops seven years ago, and Oliver says that a lot has changed. He tells Felicity that not an hour went by at Slabside when he didn't think of getting his life back. Felicity says that he did, and he asks her what has changed. She tells him that they moved in different directions, and Oliver wonders how they go in the same direction again. Felicity says that she wants to, but she's changed more than he knows. She admits that she would have killed Diaz if Laurel hadn't stopped him, and while he was gone she had to learn how to protect herself. Olive apologizes for putting her in that position, and Felicity says that it isn't on him. She just doesn’t know if what's best for her is the same as what's best for them.
Emiko goes to the grave of her father—Robert Queen--and says that Oliver is more like her than she thought, but she's not giving up.
On Earth-90, dozens of heroes' bodies lie scattered around. Flash crawls to a tome, but a caped figure picks it up and tells Flash that he failed. Flash asks why the figure is doing it, and the figure says that he did it to himself and now all of them will perish. He opens the tome, and Flash speeds away.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 4, 2018