AN at the end. For the time line, this can take place anywhere after 5x20.
Diggle's apartment
Afternoon
Diggle stared in stunned disbelief at the form his wife had just handed him. His mind was having trouble processing as the big, bold words at the top jumped out at him.
Petition for divorce
Diggle looked at Lyla, who was staring at him blankly.
"I-I don't understand Lyla. Why?" Diggle asked, honestly confused and Lyla gave him a look that practically screamed 'Are you kidding me? Are you really that clueless?' at him.
"Do you really have to ask that Johnny? You looked down on me from your moral high horse, judging me for things you yourself have done." Lyla snapped.
"You were holding a man without due process Lyla." Diggle protested.
"Barry and his team have their own pipeline prison," Lyla snapped, "the conditions of which are inhumane. I doubt you are suddenly going to turn on them."
Diggle had no response for that, looking away as he knew she had a point. But Lyla wasn't done.
"But you know Johnny, I think we could have worked passed all that...but then you threatened me," Lyla said and Diggle winced, "I have more self respect than to stay with a man who threatens me. I don't know what this is John, but this isn't a marriage...not anymore. Somewhere along the way, you forget who you were. You prioritized Felicity Smoak above everyone else, even above Oliver and especially above me. Maybe one day, after you remember who you are again, I can be there for you...but only as a friend."
"You're sure this is what you want?" Diggle asked lowly.
"As sure as anything else." Lyla said and Diggle nodded slowly.
Diggle picked up the pen on the table and stared at the paper. He read it through before signing. He put the pen down, feeling as though he had done something which couldn't be undone as Lyla picked up the paper.
"Goodbye Johnny." Lyla said softly before walking out, leaving Diggle in the apartment that suddenly seemed much bigger.
So, this was something I decided to do after the ordeal of watching 5x20 again for research for the latest chapters of Sara's Aberration. Even just watching it brought up all the bad feelings about it I originally had. The concept of the episode is good, Oliver and Felicity trapped in the bunker with no way out and everyone trying to save them could have been a great episode, a high paced, thriller of an episode. But it was ruined by FeFe worship, Olicity pandering and, what created this story, Diggle being a self righteous, hypocritical Jackass.
Diggle did not have a problem with no due process when it was Oliver locking up Slade Wilson or Digger Harkness. And Barry has his own pipeline prison, the conditions of which are inhumane. The prison on Lian Yu is more humane, and Diggle never said a word, despite the fact the people there are basically just high powered common criminals. But the point in which I was done with Diggle as a character was when he threatened Lyla. So, Felicity can betray you, become a terrorist and commit treason, you don't say a word about that, but it is apparently crossing the line to take and modify your tech? I see how it is Diggle.
Anyway, at that point, I would not have blamed Lyla if she divorced Diggle. He's not the man she married anymore, he's not the man we knew. If this was the character first introduced, Oliver would not have recruited him. Lyla deserves better.