At the Diggle apartment, Andy opens a safe and takes out a gun. Diggle comes in and asks what his brother is doing, and Andy says that he didn't want to wake Sara up. He says that Hive knows that he's alive and Malcolm reached out to him. Andy explains that Malcolm works with Damien know and apologizes for not telling Diggle sooner. He figures that there's some friction between Damien and Hive because they're not breaking him out, and Malcolm wants Andy to help hijack a shipment of DoD Paveway missiles going through Pennytown the next night. He asks Diggle what he does.
At the bunker, Diggle and Andy tell the team what Malcolm is planning. Oliver has put Damien's idol in a glass case, and explains that he saw it before on Lian Yu. Diggle assures him that the security upgrades to the bunker are complete so that Malcolm can't get in, and says that they should keep Andy on the inside. Oliver warns that making Andy a double-agent is putting a lot of pressure on him, and Diggle insists that his brother has it. Ruve texts to request Oliver to attend her acceptance speech, and he says that the loser typically attends.
At Ruve's conference, Ruve says that they all need to work together to make Star City great again. A reporter tells Oliver that 48% of the electorate wrote in Oliver's name, just as Ruve comes over. Oliver assures her that he'll always have the city's best interest at heart, and Ruve says that DA Remz has taken a position as her deputy mayor, and she wants Laurel to succeed him as the new DA.
Five Years Ago
Oliver and Taiana try to work out a way to take out Reiter's armed mercenaries. He says that she has to be ready to kill, and Taiana looks at a photo of her and her brother as children. Taiana insists that the islands makes monsters of them all, and Oliver says that when he arrived on the island he used to look at a photo from his past and it helped. The photo reminded him of the person he used to be. Oliver tells Taiana that person wouldn't survive there now, and neither will Taiana if she focused on the past. The woman picks up her gun and asks how they take the mercenaries out, and Oliver tells her to follow him.
Now
Green Arrow and Diggle watch Damien's people are going to intercept the missiles. As they wait at the bunker, Thea asks Laurel if she's going to accept Ruve's offer. Laurel says that it's considering it, and Thea says that this time she's done with Malcolm. Malcolm arrives with two assassins and tells the women to hand over the idol. Another assassin drops down and attacks the women, and Thea intercepts Malcolm and attacks him.
Andy sends Diggle a signal, and an assassin loyalist leaps onto the truck. Another one joins him and they take out the soldiers, and Spartan pulls the van up to the truck so that Green Arrow can open fire.
In the bunker, Thea continues fighting Malcolm.
Green Arrow takes out the assassins, and one of them reveals that he's Andy. When Andy says that it was easy, Green Arrow realizes that it was too easy.
Thea manages to drop Malcolm and puts her swords to his throat. She hesitates and Malcolm knocks her out. Meanwhile, Laurel takes out the other two assassins and goes to Thea. They realize that Malcolm has escaped with the idol.
Oliver and Diggle return to the bunker and the women tell them what happened. Diggle figures that Malcolm will give Damien the idol, and Thea heads out on the streets to take her frustrations. When Diggle goes to check with Andy, Oliver warns that he doesn't want to compromise him. Diggle insists and Oliver gives in. Once Diggle leaves, Oliver tells Laurel that the hijackers weren't even trying, and suspects that Andy is playing them. Laurel says that Oliver had better be sure before he makes an accusation.
Five Years Ago
Taiana runs screaming back to the mercenaries and says that the king that killed the mercenaries killed Oliver. Two of the three mercenaries go to investigate, and the third one hears gunfire. Taiana shoots him and grabs his gun and the cell door keys. Oliver comes out and takes out two more mercenaries, while Taiana frees the prisoners.
Now
Quentin arranges a meeting with Sara at a Chinese restaurant, and asks how Laurel is going to turn down Ruve's offer. Laurel says that she may not turn it down, and her father points out that the DA is under 24/7 protection so Laurel won't be free to work as Black Canary. Quentin says that he's glad that Laurel is Black Canary, but warns that she will have to retire forever if she becomes DA.
At the bunker, Thea is sharpening her sword. Andy calls Diggle and says that he's traced him to a box factory. The team arrives there and Andy lets them in. They spot Malcolm and chase after him, but a door closes, separating Green Arrow and Andy from the others. An automatic device fires arrows, and Andy leaps in the way to take an arrow meant for Green Arrow. The others get the door open and Andy tells Spartan that Malcolm must be heading to Iron Heights to give Damien the idol.
Malcolm arrives at Damien's cell and reminds him of their terms. Damien assures him that he and Thea will be spared from Genesis, and Malcolm holds up the Khushu Idol. When Damien touches it, he says that the idol is missing a piece, the Ribalvei Stone. He figures Green Arrow must have hid it elsewhere, and tells Malcolm to find it.
As Diggle tends to Andy's wound, Andy warns that Malcolm's men saw Andy with the team. Damien will send his people after Andy, Diggle, Lyla, and Sara. Diggle tells Andy that a piece of the idol is missing and hid it elsewhere, and insists that Damien won't find it. Green Arrow talks to Diggle privately and insists that they need to keep the information as secret as possible. Diggle points out that Andy risked everything for them, and wonders why he doesn't have Green Arrow's trust. Black Canary offers to go the Iron Heights as DA to check Damien's cell for the idol. Green Arrow tells Diggle and Speedy to head back to the bunker and check the CCTV, while he runs down a lead and Andy goes home and gets some rest.
Five Years Ago
More mercenaries arrive and open fire, and Taiana kills one of them. Oliver eliminates the others and tells the prisoners to get the other slaves and heads for the boats. Taiana warns that if Reiter finds the idol then they won't be able to stop him, and Oliver sees some explosives nearby and says that they just need to trap Reiter.
Now
Laurel and her people search Damien's cell. When they find nothing, Laurel has the men search the other cells. Damien feigns innocence and says that Quentin would do anything to protect his daughter. Laurel says that she'll see Damien in court and leaves.
T the Diggle apartment, Andy is searching the place when Green Arrow comes in. He asks Andy what he's looking for, and Andy says that he's checking for surveillance. Green Arrow figures that Andy has been playing them, and Andy insists that he's on his side. He slams Andy against the wall and says that he was wrong to tell Diggle to trust Andy, and demands to know what Malcolm has planned. As he jabs Andy's wounded shoulder, Diggle arrives and Green Arrow says that he's showing him what Andy really is. Diggle draws his gun and says that he knows where to shoot to avoid the Kevlar, and Green Arrow releases Andy. Furious, Diggle orders him out and the hero reluctantly leaves.
Back at the bunker, Diggle confronts Oliver and insists that he had no right. Oliver points out that Malcolm has been one step ahead of them and Andy was involved, but Diggle doesn't believe it. Diggle reminds Oliver that he's the one who said Andy could come back from the darkness like Oliver did, and Oliver says that he failed. Angry, Diggle insists that some men can grow and change, and says that Oliver is stuck in his pity and self-righteousness... and that's why Felicity left him. He says that Andy is his business and Oliver has no right to judge him, and walks out.
Laurel arrives and says that there is no sign of the idol at Iron Heights. Thea has hacked into the prison security system.
Murmur delivers books to the prisoners, heading toward Damien's cell.
Oliver tells Laurel what happened, and she says that she's turning down the promotion because she'd have to leave the team. He says the team is falling apart: Diggle doesn't trust him, Thea is consumed with rage for Malcolm, and Felicity is gone. Oliver points out that Laurel channeled her grief over Sara's death into becoming Black Canary, but Sara isn't dead anymore. He says that Star City needs a hero without a mask: Laurel.
Damien tells Murmur that life is a series of phases. Meanwhile, the prisoners remove weapons from the books that Murmur handed out. Damien takes his book, revealing the idol hidden in the cart. He then walks down the hallway with his men as the prisoners kill the guards.
Thea alerts the others that the prisoners are holding the guards hostage. Laurel says that she can't prosecute Damien unless she gets him back into custody, and that she will become Black Canary one last time.
At Iron Heights, Quentin arrives and an officer reminds him that he's been suspended on Pike's orders. Quentin demands to see Pike and creates a commotion, letting the team slip in. Inside, Andy joins the team and says that he's there to prove himself. The team fans out to hit the prisoners from all side.
Black Canary and Speedy head down the hall, and Murmur and his men attack them.
Spartan and Andy shoot their way in.
Once the women take down the prisoners, Malcolm comes out and Speedy tells Black Canary to get the others.
Damien hears the gunfire and realizes that Green Arrow's team is there. He prepares to have the prisoners kill the hostages, but Green Arrow and the others burst in.
Speedy and Malcolm fight, and Malcolm disarms Speedy. He tells her that she no longer has the drive to kill since she lost the bloodlust, and Speedy can never beat him. Malcolm releases her and walks away.
The team takes out the prisoners, except for one who manages to grab Andy. Damien picks up a discarded gun and threatens to kill Andy unless the team surrenders. After a moment, Spartan surrenders and the others follow suit. Damien then tells Andy to give him the Stone, and Andy holds it over and apologizes to Spartan. He says that he's been tracking the team for months, and all he needed to hear that Diggle hid the stone. Damien tells Diggle that Andy is far beyond his reach.
Speedy arrives and shoots Damien in the choice. The team breaks free and takes out the guards, while Damien pulls out the arrows and puts his bloody hands on the arrow. He tells Andy to do it, and Andy shoots two unconscious prisoners. Damien takes their life force and sacrifices it to the idol, and then freezes the team in place with his restored magical powers. As Malcolm arrives, Damien says that he worked out their secret identities. Green Arrow shoots him, and Damien easily catches it and tells Black Canary to give Quentin a message. He stabs her in the chest with an arrow and says that he's a man of his words, and then walks out with his people. Once he's free of Damien's immobilization spell, Green Arrow picks up Black Canary and carries her out.
Green Arrow arrives at the hospital and begs the doctor to heal her. She tells the hero to leave so she can do her job, and Green Arrow reluctantly leaves.
Five Years Ago
Oliver prepares to blow up the tunnel entrance, and Taiana realizes that he has changed since coming to Lian Yu. She asks if he still looks at his photo, and Oliver hands her the photo of Laurel. He doesn't know what Oliver will think of the man he has become, and Taiana asks Oliver to find her parents and tell them what happened to her and Vlad if she dies. If Oliver doesn't make it, she'll tell Laurel that Oliver saved him all. Oliver agrees and they shake.
As the mercenaries find Reiter and the idol, Oliver seals the entrance. Reiter tells his men that with their deaths, he might yet live. He shoots them dead and takes their life force, recites the incantation, and the tunnel comes down around hm.
Now
At the station, a handcuffed Quentin asks Lopez what happened at the prison after he started the fight. Lopez says that Damien hurt Black Canary. Quentin says that he has to get out of there for something important, and begs Lopez to get Pike on the phone. The lieutenant agrees and goes to the phone.
At the hospital, Thea, Diggle, and Felicity arrive and Felicity hugs Oliver. Thea says that Damien escaped with 50 inmates and Andy. Diggle admits that Oliver told him and he didn't listen, and he'll never forgive himself for what happened to Laurel. The doctors bring Laurel out and her doctor says that she'll be fine, and she's been asking for them. They go into the room and Felicity tells Laurel to focus on getting better. Laurel says that she as going to give up being Black Canary, but she realized that fighting alongside the team makes her feel alive. They says that they love Laurel and go outside to wait except Oliver. He promises to stay at her side, and Laurel has him get a photo of them from her pouch. Laurel explains that she kept it as a reminder of when things were simpler for them, and she's glad that Oliver found Felicity. She hopes that Oliver finds her way back to her, and assures Oliver that he will always be the love of her life. Oliver wonders why she's telling him now, and Laurel says what happened reminded her that anything could happen. She asks Oliver to promise her something.
Thea reaches Quentin and confirms that he's on the way. The doctors run into Laurel's room and find her in convulsions. Laurel flatlines and they're unable to revive her. The doctor calls her death at 11:59. Shocked, Oliver walks out just as Quentin arrives. When Quentin sees Oliver's face, he realizes what happened and collapses in grief.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 7, 2016