Oliver walked into City Hall and noticed quickly that everybody there was staring at him. The DA, Sam Armand walked to Oliver and slammed a manilla folder against his chest. Oliver let it fall against his arm, shocked the DA's bold attitude, and then he flipped it open. His eyes widened. The first thing Oliver saw was a photo of himself donning The Green Arrow costume. He looked up and he cleared his throat.
"Before you speak, you should look through the rest of that folder" Sam scowled. Oliver fingered through the folder and found much-gathered evidence seemingly proving he was guilty of his night-time activities. There was an even a statement from Felicity. He rolled his eyes and he held up the first photo. "I can explain all of this".
"The photo was the work of photoshop. People could take any head they wanted, and put it on The Green Arrow's body with today's technology" he chuckled. This was not the first time he had been suspected as the man in the hood, though admittedly, things were different now, and there was more at stake than there was more at stake than there ever had been. The safety of his wife, his son, and the city facing new threats daily.
But especially Diaz. There was about Diaz that was different than Chase, or Merlyn, or even Darhk and Slade Wilson. Oliver couldn't put his finger on it, but he had some kind of feeling. That feeling that one has when there is a secret and they are the last to know. Oliver hated that feeling because he was in control. Of his body, of his team, of his city, and even his family in certain ways (like being the dominator in him and Laurel's bedroom activities).
Oliver continued. "It would be highly suggested for all of you disregard anything that has to say about me. Ms. Smoak and I were in a very public and toxic relationship from 2015 to 2016. I am openly regretful of that relationship though do not intend to shade-" At that very moment, an employee marched right up to Oliver and butted his head into Oliver's nose with force.
"I want to fight The Green Arrow!" The employee screamed.
Oliver took a step back, if it were 5 or 6 years ago, Oliver may not have been able to control himself. He took a firm hold of his employee's hand and shook it. "No thank you!" he responded calmly "I am a husband and a father. I think that proves I am manly enough. And I am not The Green Arrow".
Quentin walked out of Oliver's office and pulled Oliver away from the of city councilmen. "We have news" Quentin announced.
"Gee, I hope it is good news" Oliver sighed.
"Well, it could be worse" Quentin admitted. "You are under inditement, but you probably know that already. The other news is... I would not call it good or bad... but Caden James turned himself in this morning, so you have to go talk to him about getting the 70 million dollars he stole from our city back".
"Okay," Oliver said. "That is weird, but Diaz is in control and he has been since everything started, so Caden surrendering and turning himself in must have always been part of his plan. Our next step," Oliver lowered his voice just above a whisper "and I mean my teams next step, is to figure out what Ricardo wants. What his plan is. By any chance, Quentin, do you know who walked this into City Hall?"
"DA Armand. He made a big scene like 25 minutes prior to your arrival this morning" Quentin disclosed.
"Okay, thank you," Oliver said and he walked back toward the lobby and called Diggle for a ride.
Caden James sat quietly and cooperatively in the interrogation room. The door swung open and Caden was expecting to see Oliver Queen but instead, he saw Ricardo Diaz.
"This is stupid, Mr. Diaz. You had me turn myself in for what exactly? And now, you just walk in here? I don't understand. They are not just going to let you take me, Mr. Diaz. Besides, how did you get in here?" Caden inquired.
Ricardo chuckled menacingly. "Well Mr. James, to answer your last question, this is my city. Captain Hill and DA Armand don't work for Oliver Queen, they work for me. And I am not here to take you with me when I leave because, by the time I leave you, you will be somewhere else".
"You're really going to let Star City send me to prison, or worse, after everything I have done for you?" Caden growled.
"No, I would never do that, Mr. James" Ricardo replied in monotone. "You have earned your freedom" Ricardo walked behind Caden now, where he couldn't see him. "They say the truth will set you free, so here it is. Mr. James, I killed your kid" Ricardo lightly placed his hand on Caden's left shoulder. "Promise me you'll say hi when you two are reunited". Before Caden could speak another word, Ricardo used a pocket-blade to slice Caden's throat, killing him.
A moment later, Captain Hill knocked on the door and she had a team of policemen and crime scene workers with her. "Are you done?" Captain Hill asked Ricardo politely. "Oliver Queen will be here soon".
"I am all done, sweetheart" Ricardo spat. The police officer picked up Caden's corpse and carried it down the hallway. "Tell me again how the "prison transfer" will go down" Ricardo taunted. He knew that Captain Hill wanted to be doing the right thing.
She cleared her throat. "We are putting the corpse in the prison transfer van and they will get rid of it along the way. I will handle Oliver Queen when he get's here".
"Good girl!" Ricardo exclaimed. "Do you how getting Mr. Queen under inditement went for Mr. Armand?"
"Well, the last time Mr. Armand and I spoke, he had just presented the evidence he worked so hard gathering to the mayoral staff" Captain Hill, disclosed.
An officer poked her head into the interrogation room. "I hate to interrupt but Mayor Queen is here".
Ricardo sneered at the officer "Remember who this city belongs to, baby"
Captain Hill walked out to Oliver. "Hello, Mayor Queen" she greeted in a dreary monotone.
"Hi" Oliver replied, slowly and suspiciously. "Caden James, is he in the interrogation room?"
"No, he was successfully transferred to prison, where he will be placed into solitary confinement until his trial' Captain Hill said shortly.
"Why?" Oliver asked. "You know that you were supposed to wait".
"It's fine, Mayor Queen" Captain Hill snapped. "We couldn't wait all day, you were late and I can't imagine why!" Captain Hill walked quickly away from Oliver.
Oliver sat in the back of Diggle car, on the phone with Quentin. "I need you to do as much digging as you can into the SCPD. Find all of the good cops that we can trust for the time being. I have a bad feeling about most of the SCPD being on Diaz's payroll".
"Will do" Quentin promised. "and I have a bad feeling about all of Star City's leadership. Maybe you should get my daughter in on the DA's office to do some other digging".
"Yeah," Oliver said, "I am trying to give Laurel a break after what Diaz did to her". Oliver and Laurel had told Quentin what happened and the only thing stopping the deputy mayor from executing Diaz himself was because Diaz was a different kind of criminal. Only time and meticulous planning would lead to the end of Diaz's reign of terror.
"You take care of her, Oliver. You put her first, even with everything that is on your plate, do you understand?" Quentin warned his son-in-law.
"I do" Oliver replied. "I am always looking out for Laurel. She is the best thing that ever happened to me and I will not let anybody abuse or stifle her again".
He hung up the phone when Diggle pulled up to his house. "Thanks, Dig," Oliver said warmly. "You are always there for me".
"We are brothers" Diggle simply replied and pulled away.
Oliver's nostrils were greeted upon entering his home with the smell of something sweet in the oven. "Hi, Ollie!" Oliver's beautiful wife greeted him with a passionate kiss on the lips. "William is learning all about chemical reactions in science class, I thought it would benefit him if to see a real-life example".
"And also, we really wanted to make cookies, it's fun" William added. "Hi, dad".
"Hey buddy" Oliver chuckled. "Is it okay if talk to Laurel by herself, for a few minutes?"
"Yeah, that'll be okay" Willaim agreed, leaving his father and step-mother to talk.
Oliver smiled and he said "Having you in my life has made everything in my crazy life feel easy. You are my sunshine, Dinah Laurel Lance".
"You are a very sweet, sweet man" Laurel pointed out.
"Baby, I need your help. You and I are going to go down to the DA's office tomorrow and we are going get Laurel Lance her job back and once we do, I'll explain the rest" Oliver told Laurel.
Laurel took a deep breath. "Babe, you know that always want to help you whether it is in the field, or in the office, and even co-parenting. But I- I don't know anything about law or practicing law".
Oliver tightened his lips. "Didn't you practice law on earth 2?" he challenged. "Didn't we agree that at your core, you are still MY Laurel? Who did I marry?"
"Oliver, you're losing your temper. STOP, right now" Laurel growled in response.
"No" Oliver shouted shattering their wedding plate by smashing it against the edge of the countertop. "I depend on you, Laurel. You are my partner. I could always depend on my Laurel. She was always there. She came through. She put me first. Do you even know what I am going through? Have you asked me?"
"Have you asked me what my life on earth 2 was like, Ollie?" Laurel cried.
"Yeah. I know what your life was like. You lost your father, and your boyfriend and you know what you were until you met me... huh, YOU WERE A HEARTLESS, VICIOUS BITCH!" Oliver screamed.
Laurel's voice dropped dangerously low in tone. "I lost my innocence too, Ollie. I was raped. I was a rape victim on Earth 2. And I was raped on this earth too. Only a little over a week ago. But all you can fucking focus on is yourself which is forcing me to internalize my pain which I've always had to do!"
Oliver growled, "Then you should be used to it".
"My Oliver would never treat me like this" Laurel persisted. "He would just be there for me, put me first just like I put him first, and HE would give me the proper time heal".
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU GO KILL YOURSELF SO YOU CAN BE WITH HIM BECAUSE HE SEEMS TO MAKE YOU SO MUCH FUCKING HAPPIER THAN I DO!" Oliver screamed, venomously. He lowered the volume of his voice drastically and finished his statement "Besides, you are of no use to me".
Laurel's forehead turned hot and her lips tightened. She was holding back her tears like her life depended on it. "Do you really mean that?" she asked him, how close she was to crying was evident in her voice.
Oliver drew in a breath to answer her but Laurel shook her head as the first of many tears escaped and took the plunge down her cheek and she sucked in some air...
"Laurel, WAIT-" Oliver cried out but Laurel let an intense cry send Oliver head over heels towards the sectional sofa.
"You're a pathetic fucking husband" Laurel yelled but the sound was muted in Oliver's damaged ears. She walked past him and door slammed hard on her way out.
