Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow.

Thank you all for the amazing responses to this.

In response to the quest reviewer: The reason I kill Malcolm in most of my stories is that, despite the last two seasons portraying him as an anti-hero, Malcolm is a villain. A self-serving, unredeemable villain. When a villain runs their course, there are only two options: prison or death. Since no prison can hold Malcolm, death is the only option, usually.

Diner

Night

"So how are you doing with…Felicity?" Laurel asked Oliver hesitantly as they ate.

"Honestly? At first I was devastated but then I started to feel…relieved. Does that make me a terrible person?" Oliver wondered.

"No. I didn't want to say anything when you two were together but I think she may be the worst thing to ever happen to you," Laurel said and Oliver raised his eyebrows, "When we were together, you weren't perfect, far from it, but at least you had self-respect. You didn't seem to have any self-respect with Felicity; you just stood there and took whatever she threw at you. Felicity was toxic for you."

"…maybe," Oliver conceded, "So how's your dad doing?"

Star City

Same time

Quentin was driving home after dropping Donna off from their date. He appeared outwardly calm; the only thing breaking the illusion was how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel. Quentin glanced up into the rearview mirror and eyed the black Comoro that had been following him for the last ten minutes. The window of the passenger door went down and a man stuck his head out, a gun in his hand, to Quentin's great alarm. The man took aim and fired.

Quentin's back windshield shattered as bullets went through it. One of the bullets grazed his arm and Quentin winced as he tried to regain control of the car. As he struggled for control, he saw headlights shining through the passenger window. Quentin looked over just as a car slammed into the passenger side of his car. It did so with enough force to send Quentin's car sliding in the other direction, the driver's side slamming into a tree.

Laurel and Thea's apartment

Later

"Daddy!" Laurel screamed as she and Oliver ran inside the apartment.

"Hey, we're in here." Thea waved them into the living room.

Thea led them inside and they could see Quentin sitting on the couch, Diggle and Lyla in front of him. Seeing Oliver and Laurel enter the room, Quentin had barely stood up before Laurel tackled him in a hug.

"I'm okay Laurel, just a few cuts and bruises." Quentin assured her.

"Do you have any idea who would want to attack you?" Laurel said as she stepped back.

"Isn't it obvious? It's Hive." Quentin told them grimly.

"But didn't we beat Hive?" Thea asked confused.

"No," Oliver said as he cursed himself for being too caught up in his personal drama to see this, "we just wounded it. And if I've learned anything from my five years away, when you wound something, it usually becomes even more dangerous."

"So what do we do know?" Diggle wondered.

Before anyone could say anything, there was the sound of glass breaking. Quentin was thrown back, shock and pain on his face as an arrow stuck out of his chest, before he fell to the floor. Laurel cried out as she and Thea went to his side, Diggle pulled out his cell phone, and Oliver and Lyla ran to the window, where the glass had broken. From a distance, they could see the shooter: A man dressed in a black uniform that was eerily similar to Oliver's Arrow suit. The figure turned and shot off a line before using it as a zip line to flee.

"We need an ambulance, officer down!" Diggle was shouting into his phone.

Star City Hospital

Later

"Hey, how's he doing?" Lyla got off her phone as Oliver walked over.

"Still in surgery. Lyla, what do you know?" Oliver asked and Lyla tensed, "I saw your face, you looked like you had seen a ghost. What do you know about that archer?"

"…most of Argus doesn't believe he exists, he's a myth, a legend to them. But I know better. He's a mercenary; we don't know who he is. We call Prometheus. He showed up right around the time you came back to Starling after The Undertaking. He shows up so scarcely that most think he doesn't exist."

"Why do you believe he exists?" Oliver asked curiously.

"I was on a mission when he first showed up on our radar. We were after the same target. I interfered in his mission. I paid the price." Lyla lowered her shirt on her shoulder enough that Oliver could see a scar, one made by an arrow.

"Hey," the pair looked over as Thea rounded the corner, "the doctors have news."

Lyla pulled her shirt back up as the trio joined Diggle and Laurel, who were talking to the doctor.

"…we were able to remove the arrow but with the accident from before, combined with his age and heart condition…we could lose him at any moment. I'm very sorry; you may want to say your goodbyes." The doctor told Laurel before walking off.

"Laurel." Diggle said gently.

"I can't do it alone," Laurel said in a trembling voice, "Ollie w-would you…"

"Of course." Oliver said as he walked over.

Oliver led her into the room. Quentin was hooked up to various machines, the beeping of his vitals the only sound in the room Laurel walked up to him, taking his hand as Oliver stood behind her.

"I love you daddy," Laurel's voice caught in her throat, "if you have to go…then go. But just know…you were the best father a girl could have asked for."

There was a piercing beep as Quentin flat lined. Laurel turned and wrapped her arms around Oliver as she broke down. Oliver wrapped his arms around her, putting his head on top of hers as she cried.

"I am so sorry Laurel. More that you'll ever know." Oliver told her.

Hive headquarters

Same time

"Quentin Lance is dead." A Hive head said as he hung up the phone.

"There it's time to move on to the next phase: we need to get Damien." Another said.

Star City Hospital

Later

Oliver watched as the sobbing Laurel was comforted by Lyla and Thea. Diggle stood next to him, neither saying anything.

"There was a time…when I would've thought this was my fault," Oliver said as Diggle looked over at him, "that I brought this darkness down on us. Now I know it's not my fault. It's my…responsibility."

"Responsibility to do what?" Diggle asked.

"To end it. I'm gonna kill him." Oliver growled.

So, what do you think? Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.