The two members of the Hive Council, Phaedra Nixon and Milo Armitage, meet with Damien. While they wait, they discuss what to do with Damien now that he's escaped. Milo insists that he's created a contingency, just as Damien arrives with Malcolm, Damien, and Murmur. Damien points out that Malcolm has told him what the Council did to him, and he says that he had a lot of time to consider things. He asks if his imprisonment delayed Genesis, and Milo assures him that it didn't. Satisfied, Damien asks why he needs them. Milo fires at him, and Damien magically catches the bullet and sends it back into Milo's head. Damien kills Phaedra and tells the members watching on the cameras that it's time to begin Genesis.
Later, Felicity informs the team that the SCPD found the two dead Council members and they figure Damien is cleaning house. Oliver refuses to engage him until they find a way to counteract his magic. Constantine has put him on to someone who can teach him how to defend against Damien's magic. It's dangerous so he'll learn it on his own, and will be going to Hub City for a day or two. Thea asks if she can take the weekend with Alex, and Oliver suggests that everyone take some time off.
Later, Diggle meets with Lyla at an ARGUS secure semi. He explains what Oliver is doing, and says that Oliver thinks that it's too dangerous for any of them to go after Damien or Andy. Lyla realizes that her husband isn't thrilled to be sitting on his hands, and Diggle reminds her that Andy has been close to all of them. As he checks on Sara, Lyla admits that Oliver is right and asks Diggle to get some diapers while he's out.
At the bunker, Oliver is preparing to leave when Felicity asks for more details about his tutors. He says that the magic Damien is using has taken good people and turn them dark, and worries that he's already there. Felicity doesn't believe it, and Oliver says that he'll do anything to avenge Laurel and stop Damien. When she says that she's coming with him, Oliver realizes that it's pointless to argue and give sin.
Diggle is leaving the store when Andy calls him. Following the signal, Diggle breaks into a building and finds a homeless man. He points to where Andy is, and Diggle orders him out. Moving on, Diggle finds a bucket with burning papers. Andy shoots at him from down the hallway and Diggle takes cover before shooting back. His brother runs and Diggle fires at him but misses. As he chases Andy down, Lyla calls to say that satellite track has picked up Andy. Diggle explains what is going on and calls for backup at the Grammercy Power Plant where Andy has gone to ground. Lyla says that her men won't be there for at least five minutes, and Diggle says that he can't wait. His wife warns him that his judgement is compromised by Diggle goes after Andy.
Oliver and Felicity go to an underground casino and sit down at a blackjack table where Constantine referred them to wait until the teacher, Fortuna, arrived.
Thea wakes up and discovers that Alex isn't in bed with her. She looks for him and finds him cooking in the kitchen. Thea admits that she's tired, and Alex says that they both needed the break before they kiss.
Felicity plays and wins, and the other player, Esrin, considers going home before she loses everything. After Felicity loans her some chips, Esrin explains that she's Oliver's tutor and Constantine still owes her money.
Diggle enters the plant and corners Andy. A Hive ghost knocks Diggle down from behind, and Andy says that everything worked out just as he planned before knocking his brother out.
Later, Andy throws water in Diggle's face to wake him up. Diggle is chained to the ceiling and Andy says that Damien is on his way. Damien wants Andy to prep Diggle. Diggle insists that Damien is a liar and a monster, but Andy doesn't believe him. When Diggle wonders how he could betray them again, Andy says that he left his family long ago. Diggle reminds him that Carly and Andy Jr. were his family, and Andy insists that Hive is his family before ramming an icepick into Diggle's side.
Esrin explains that she's an immortal shaman, and leads Oliver and Felicity to a back room. Beyond is a large candlelit chamber and Esrin explains that they've moved to another plane of existence. It's a nexus just like Lian Yu and Star City, and Esrin says that she knows of Damien. She has never tried to kill him because immortals stay out of the affairs of men. The chamber contains an idol similar to the one Damien has, and Esrin explains that it channels the power of death into Damien. All things have their opposite, and Esrin explains that Oliver has to call on light and hope to oppose Damien. However, she warns that if the darkness inside Oliver outweighs the light, then his darkness will fuel Damien and make him more powerful.
Thea and Alex go for a walk, and Thea discovers that she can't get a signal when she tries to call Oliver. She points out that the neighborhood they're in seems too perfect, and suspects that everything she's hearing seems to be on a loop. Alex tells her to let it go and be happy.
Andy has his men unfasten Diggle, and Diggle takes them out. He shoves one of them at Andy and disarms his brother, and handcuffs him to a pillar. Andy tells Diggle to shoot him for Laurel, and Diggle lowers the gun. Disgusted, Andy says that Laurel would be disappointed in Diggle, and Diggle says that Andy is only breathing because one of them is still human.
Esrin prepares to hit Oliver with a low dose of dark magic. The tattoo that Constantine gave Oliver will let him channel light magic. Esrin advises Felicity to stand to the side, and releases the dark magic. Oliver manages to dissipate it, and Esrin fires a more powerful blast. Oliver imagines fighting Damien and Deathstroke, and he hears Esrin telling him not to give in. Concentrating, Oliver remembers everything that he's fighting for, but also everything that he's lost. Esrin says that Oliver isn't ready and never will be, and asks what she can teach him that will change what he saw. Oliver can't answer, and Esrin walks away.
Back at Alex's house, Thea points out that it's 8 in the evening but it isn't getting dark. Alex isn't concerned, and Thea returns to the chirps and barks repeating themselves. Thea predicts when the dog barks next, and Alex takes out a bottle of Hive's pills to take one. He says that Ruve gave him the "vitamins" to stay healthy, and Thea wonders if Alex drugged her. She storms out as Alex calls to her.
Diggle returns to Lyla and says that he couldn't stand down after what Andy did. Sara starts crying, and Lyla tells Diggle that he's not seeing straight. Diggle says that Andy is his brother and Laurel was like a sister. Lyla tells him that he's acting like the man she divorced, and Diggle insists that he wants to bring Andy back. She tells him to bring Andy to justice but to do it the right away, and Diggle agrees.
Back in the casino, Oliver tells Felicity that Esrin was right about him. He points out that Esrin didn't approach them until Felicity offered the chips, and says that Felicity is the one who brings the light. Esrin showed him who he really is, and Oliver figures that he'll always revert to the person he was on Lian Yu. Felicity tells him that none of them are perfect, but anyone can change.
Damien finds Andy and assures him that his performance was perfect. As he frees himself, Andy confirms that the tracker is in place and they've locked onto its location.
The semi is on the road, and Lyla tends to Diggle's wounds. As Diggle wonders why Andy didn't just kill him, the proximity alarm goes off. Ghosts pull up in a hummer and fire a missile, hitting the trailer. It keeps going, and Lyla calls for Michaels. The Ghosts open fire on the trailer and motorcycles move in. Lyla releases a shock, knocking one of the Ghosts away. Diggle figures that Andy tagged him with a tracker, and Lyla realizes that Hive is attacking ARGUS headquarters. Her husband is unable to contact his team, and warns that they're on their own.
Damien steps out on the road ahead of the semi and stops it with his magic. Diggle prepares to draw Damien out, but Lyla points out that Damien wanted Diggle to lead him to her. When he refuses to leave her, Lyla warns that she'll give them whatever they want to keep Diggle and Sara safe. Diggle drives out on a motorcycle, and Damien tells Andy to get him. As Andy goes after him, Lyla tosses a grenade out and then opens fire on the Ghosts. Damien immobilizes her with his magic but discovers that Diggle escaped with Sara.
Andy and a Hive vehicle cut off Diggle and corner him. Felicity drives up in a van and rams the Ghosts. She tells Diggle that Oliver is with Lyla, and Diggle goes after Andy.
At the ARGUS semi, Damien grabs Lyla's wrist and starts burning through her arm with magic. Green Arrow shoots him in the back with a line arrow, but Damien blasts him away and pulls out the arrow. When he promises to kill all of Oliver's friends, Green Arrow says never again.
Diggle runs Andy to ground and prepares to shoot him. When he hesitates, Andy asks what he's going to do and Diggle picks him up.
Damien grabs Green Arrow and starts draining his life force. However, Green Arrow's eye glow with energy and Damien is blasted back. By the time Green Arrow recovers, Damien is gone.
Diggle aims the gun at Andy's head, and Andy says that he got out before and will get out again. He threatens Sara and points out that Diggle can't watch Lyla 24/7. Andy says that it's war and Genesis is coming, and millions of mothers and children will die. He says that Diggle doesn't have the guts to do what's necessary to protect his wife and child. Diggle shoots him and Andy stares at him for a moment and then collapses, dead.
Green Arrow finds Diggle with Andy's corpse, and tells his friend that Lyla is fine but Damien escaped. He asks what happened, and Diggle says that Andy was never going to back off.
Later at the bunker, Felicity tells Oliver that she hasn't been able to reach Thea yet. Oliver says that he was able to repel Damien's magic. When he did, he heard Felicity in his head reminding him of all the good things in his life. He heard all of his friends, including Laurel, telling him to keep fighting and have hope.
Lyla wakes up at a safehouse and Diggle tells her that Sara is fine. He explains that he put Andy down, and Lyla says that he wasn't a brother in the ways that really matter. Suddenly Lyla realizes that Damien took the implant in her arm.
At the bunker, Lyla explains that she had Rubicon implanted in her arm for security reasons. She tells them that Rubicon is a ballistic launch override protocol that prevents any country from firing nuclear missiles.
Thea runs down the street.
Lyla tells the others that with the right expertise, Rubicon could be used to launch missiles. Felicity wonders Damien wants after destroying the world, and Diggle repeats what Andy said about Genesis coming.
Ghosts close in on Thea and she runs to a field. She hits something and bounces back, and realizes that the town "exterior" is a hologram disguising the inside of a vast underground dome.
Written by Gadfly on May 5, 2016