Tommy in a dark blue business suit stood in the middle of his office at Merlyn Global. He had finally got a haircut and shaved his beard and looked like his old self again. It has been a week since he took out the Hood imposters and he has continued to do small acts to gain more attention to the new Hood. While everyone was wondering about the new vigilante Tommy Merlyn was able to slip back in without commotion. He has yet to talk to anyone he was once close to since he got back but it will only be a matter of time before they hear he was back in town. He had plans to use the company and help the city but he was going to have to play the part for now. He knows the major crime bosses will hear he is back and will want to seek him out for support in their operations. Tommy feels the main reason Starling isn't in the hole right now is because Merlyn Global hasn't done business with others since the night of the Undertaking. Not because there former head was the mastermind behind it but because Tommy has final say in all decisions and refused. He was able to run the company without needing to be here but he doesn't know who in his staff can be trusted. Any number of them can be taking orders from criminals

He was going to have to see who he can trust and who he can't. Right now the Hood didn't need allies but Tommy Merlyn. He knows he can count on Laurel and bringing her closer could help keep her safe. She was already a target for thugs and she has knowledge of what's been going on here. Her father could be of help to considering he was one of the few good cops left. Another ally could be found in Ray Palmer who absorbed Queen Consolidated a year after the Undertaking. He was a business man who was trying to help the people. He has a track record so clean that you would think he was sent from the heavens. A boy scout. That could be helpful for Tommy reestablishing his image.

Tommy sat in his chair taking a deep breath. He knew this wasn't going to be easy but he is finally starting to feel the weight of what he is trying to do. How did Oliver not go crazy under all this pressure?

Laurel sat in her apartment watching the news that has been doing story after story on the new Hood. She has yet to get a lead on him and no one seems to know where he came from. She sipped on her glass of wine when something on the TV caught her eye. The headlines scrolling across the screen.

"Tommy Merlyn returns to Starling?" she read out loud. She grabbed her laptop popping in open doing a quick search and found a few articles but not as many as there should be. She guessed with all the new Hood coverage it's no wonder this got overshadowed.

"Tommy Merlyn returns to city nearly destroyed by father. We have yet to get in contact with the young millionaire who is heading Merlyn Global but sources say he is here to stay," Laurel continued to read the rest even though she has seen all this before. The article went into how the company faced a drop in stock and the bad PR kept people from working with them.

A knock from the door startled her as she walked over opening it. Her father Quentin Lance standing there with his hands in his pocket.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Laurel asked.

"Well since you didn't want to show up for breakfast I thought I will bring it to you," he said holding up a bag of food.

"We were supposed to meet this morning," Laurel rubbed her head. "I totally forgot."

"It's okay sweetheart," Quentin handed his daughter the food and kissed her on the head. "I need to get to work. Mister Palmer likes to go for early morning runs."

"Do you really need that job? He's a great guy dad but he has a very huge target on his back and not just from rival companies."

"He's the only one I know in Starling that is still trying to make a difference along with his wife Anna."

"Just be careful," Laurel said hugging her dad. "There good people but you know as well as I do that good people don't last long here anymore."

He began to walk away but snapped his fingers turning as if he just remembered something. "Oh yeah, did you hear Tommy was back in town? Have you talked to him?"

"No, I haven't."

Tommy sat in his office doing a lot of thinking. He had so many plays to make he wasn't sure where he wanted to start. He currently sat in the conference of his company as he saw as one after the other of his directors walked in. He was never really involved with the company before sol he wasn't too close to any of these people which means he couldn't trust them. They all took seats around the table with a Tommy at the head.

"I just want to say its good to have you home Tommy," one of the directors said.

"It's good to be back," Tommy acknowledged. "I have tried to stay in the loop the best way I can being gone but I'm sure you all can explain things better now that I'm here in person."

"Yes sir what would you like to discuss."

"Whatever projects we have on the table."

They one by one began to go over plans and projects that Tommy listened to very carefully. He wanted them think he was just listening to their individual plans seeing which one would be the best move for the company but what Tommy was listening for was who he could trust. Depending on the project he could get an idea who he could trust and who here has motives related to crime. He analyzed each person as the meeting went on and the room seemed to get darker as it continued as Tommy suddenly stood up.

"I think that's enough for today. Please leave a copy of everything we covered and I'll loo k it over."

Tommy walked out the room leaving the board in silence.

Slade was at his little home in the cemetery where he was looking in the mirror shaving his beard down. The years of hair fell from his face hitting the floor as he took off more and more. He then took scissors to his long hair. He grabbed a razor edging it up. He rubbed his hands through his dark hair that had grey on the sides. He then stripped out of the baggy clothes he was wearing as he opened op a door hidden in his floor pulling out a black metal case. Opening it he felt a since of purpose return as he looked down at an orange and black mask. He reached in the case pulling out a sword drawing its blade out he waved it around slicing through the air.

"You're slower."

"Still fast enough to beat you kid," Slade said to Oliver who was standing behind him. "I may be out of practice but the mirakuru has kept me strong. I trained you so remember your palce."

"Beating a couple idiots at the bar is not the same," Oliver said.

"You're just scared that I'm finally going to get my revenge. You should have stayed in hiding because I'm coming for you."

The moon was above Starling as Tommy in his Hood persona was crouched on top of a building. He had a device in his ear feeding him police chatter. A lot of it was meaningless considering the city has lost faith in its police force. What Tommy used it for was listening for drop points for weapon shipments. Having the cops paid off and working for them some of the gangs use the 911 line to send coded messages to informants. Tommy found one and it was going to be a drop right in the heart of Brickwell territory. Good. Tommy can give Brickwell a taste of what's to come. He can hit an operation to scare him and then cut his white collar investors.

Tommy scaled down the building landing on a black bike taking off in the middle of the streets. He sped across the Starling streets swerving pass other cars going across the streets. He passed a cop car with two officers inside.

"That was him," one of them said. "The Hood is actually back."

"Well he won't be for long," the other cop said pulling out a phone. "Hey, tell Brickwell the bait worked."

Tommy came to a stop at a building a few blocks away from the drop. He climbed a building to get a bird's eye view of everything. He spotted the transaction going down in the back of ally. There were quite a few guys but Tommy came prepared. He pulled out an arrow with a white glowing light on it. He waited for the right moment and fired the bolt. When it hit the ground a cloud of smoke dispersed blinding the thugs. Tommy made it to the ground grabbing the closes man by the legs and dragged him behind the car knocking him out. He jumped over the car tackling the next guy and slammed his head against the car. He fired bolts into others hitting their legs. A few started firing randomly into the cloud of smoke. Tommy kept low taking them down by one till he felt something grab his foot. He was suddenly flung across the ally and hit a brick wall. He got up to see a man he already knew very well from his research.

"Brickwell," Tommy growled getting.

"Thought I would go ahead and take care of this problem now before it gets out of hand.

"Guess I'll take care of you now."

Tommy jumped at Brickwell hitting him across the face with his fist and then followed with many punches to his torso. Brickwell laughed backhanding Tommy across the face sending him to the ground. Brickwell lifted him off the ground and punched him across the face making him fall to the ground.

"Thought you would put up more of a fight," Brickwell said lifting him back up. Tommy brought his arms down making Brickwell release his grip and delivered a swift attack filled with kicks and punches that Brickwell just brushed off. "Yeah you're not as fun as the last vigilante I killed." The smoke cleared and Brickwell's men surrounded Tommy. "Go on boys, get your licks in."

All the gang members grouped up and began to beat Tommy all over. He tried to fight them off but had no luck. Was getting hit from all sides as they kicked him to the ground. He was beginning to blackout when she saw a body of one of the thugs fall next to him and then another. Right before he fell unconscious he saw a man in an orange and black mask wielding a sword fighting the thugs.

Tommy's eyes fluttered open as he felt a sharp pain all over his body. He sat up to see he was in some tower looking over the city. He looked down to see he was bandaged up and his wounds treated. He heard footsteps coming as a young girl walked in with short black hair.

"He's up!" she yelled as Tommy heard more footsteps coming.

Tommy shot up standing ignoring the pain because the shock was greater as he saw who walked into the room.

"Sara?"