AN: Wow, this is easily the fastest response one of my stories has ever gotten. I guess it's not too surprising, since I figure the Flash crew had to be deliberately throwing the fanfic writers a bone with that mention that Robert Queen was the Hood on Earth 2. Hope you all continue to like it.

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The person at the door of the Queen mansion was one that Robert had been dreading. Patty Spivot had been dating Oliver for a few years before the shipwreck, but for whatever reason, his son had left her behind in favor of Laurel Lance, the black sheep of one of the town's most respectable families. So how was he supposed to deal with the woman now?

Luckily, she made the first move. "I'm sorry I haven't come sooner. I just needed to take a while to get my feelings under control."

Robert nodded. "I can understand that. You must have been hurt pretty badly by what my son did."

"Yeah, you got that right. But how am I supposed to deal with that now? It was bad enough with just the possibility that he was gone, but…" she covered her mouth as she realized what she was saying.

Robert tried not to take it too hard. His son had treated this woman terribly, and the fact that he was gone now couldn't just magically erase that, no matter how much it pained him. "And I guess you thought talking to me might help?"

Patty shrugged. "I guess it seems kind of stupid now. And kind of cruel, too. But these past five years I've just been desperate to understand why he did it. Please, can you tell me anything?"

Robert sighed. What he was about to say was even harder than what he'd told Moira and Ray. "They say to never speak ill of the dead, but Oliver…well, he had his problems. And a lot of it was my fault. I didn't raise him as well as I could have, or he never would have treated you like that. So truly, I'm sorry for everything." He gave her a quite awkward hug on both their parts, and saw she was crying as he let go.

"I can't imagine how hard that was. So thank you. It might not be quite what I've been hoping for all these years, but I know it was the truth. And that's all I really wanted." As she walked away, Robert wondered if he would ever see her again.

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The murder of Lewis Snart would have been front page news all on its own, but two other things pushed it even further into the public eye. One was the files Robert had released to the press detailing his sordid business dealings, and the other was the description his son had given of the killer. The media dubbed him the Hood, and social media was exploding, split pretty much half and half between people condemning the murder and others proclaiming it justified. Somehow, both sides had settled on calling the mysterious killer "the Hood." Robert gave a little chuckle as he watched it all unfold; he'd never taken much interest in the likes of Facebook and Twitter before, but they certainly helped him stay on top of his reputation. He'd expected it to take a little longer for word of what he was doing to get out, but Leonard Snart may have done him a favor in spilling the beans right away. Now he had an active barometer of what the public thought of him, which should come in handy if he wanted to stay on any kind of moral high ground.

His target tonight was quite similar to Lewis, thanks to his decision to start at the bottom and work his way up. He had snuck into another office, and didn't have to wait long for its owner to arrive. As soon as he entered, Robert pulled out his bow and said, "Malcolm Merlyn, you have failed this city."

Malcolm's reaction was far different than that first experience. Pure terror filled his eyes as he stammered out, "You're the one who killed Lewis Snart, aren't you? But what do you want with me? Please, tell me there's something I can do to stop this. I have a wife, a son!"

Robert winced at that. He had actually been friends with Malcolm once. That changed when he started suspecting Moira of having an affair with him. He ended up confronting them both in a drunken stupor, and both firmly denied it, ripping his pitiful detective work to shreds as the product of a paranoid, unstable mind. That incident got Robert to stop his drinking, utterly ashamed of himself, but the friendship never recovered. Still, that didn't mean he could take any pleasure in what he was doing now.

"You're part of something that is going to destroy this city," he said, hoping the cheap voice distorter he'd gotten his hands on would help with someone who knew him so well. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow that."

That got Malcolm standing a little straighter. "I think I know what you're talking about. And believe me, I don't want to be part of it. The people in charge, they threatened my family if I didn't help them."

That was something Robert hadn't been expecting. "How can I trust you on that?"

Malcolm blinked back the tears that had been forming. "Look at my face. Listen to my tone. Do I really strike you as that good an actor?"

Robert thought it over for a couple seconds, then put down the bow. He hadn't been looking forward to doing this to Malcolm anyway, and if he didn't have to, he had to take the chance. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm going to believe you for now. And I'll trust it means you want to stop them."

Malcolm nodded vigorously. "Oh god, yes. Maybe even more than you, whatever you're doing this for. I can help you. I can get you information on them."

Robert's eyes narrowed. "You'd really be willing to take that risk?"

Malcolm's terror didn't keep him from a tiny scoff. "If the other choice is dying right now? Definitely."

Robert lowered the bow. "Then it's a deal."

Malcolm slumped in relief, and actually seemed to almost faint. "I might not be able to get the best stuff regularly, you understand. But I did overhear some of them recently, talking about a guy in Central City who's making something big for them. His name's Jay Garrick."

Robert nodded. "Then I guess that's my next stop. And when I get back, I'll know just how seriously you're taking this."

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"And there you have it," said Felicity. Leonard just nodded, still in awe at what his girlfriend had managed to pull off. Reasoning that the Hood would have a recognizable pattern in selecting his victims, she'd managed to hack into the cameras in the personal offices of any other local businessmen of the same level as his father, keeping an eye out for wherever he . She had made no bones about how illegal it all was, but insisted that helping him with something so important was worth the risk to her. Now she turned to him and said, "I suppose we're going to Central City too?"

Leonard shook his head. "You're already in this too deep for my comfort. I can't ask you to face this guy with me."

Felicity sighed. "When are you going to get this? I'm in this with you all the way. You're not getting rid of me."

Leonard knew well that there was no point arguing further when she got like this, and said, "Then it's a good thing I've already got us a place to stay." He dialed on his phone and then said, "Lisa, Felicity and I will be coming to town soon."