Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow.
Starling City
Late morning
Sara sat with Shado in her lap, the four year old looking confused about what was happening. They sat in the front row with Thea and Walter, a seat between her relatives and herself that was reserved for Oliver. Who hadn't shown up. Laurel and Quentin sat behind them in the next row and Diggle and Felicity behind them. After a moment, Walter stood up and placed the pink rose on Moira's casket with Laurel and Quentin following his example.
Sara picked up the rose from Oliver's seat and stood up with Shado in her arms. She offered a hand to Thea who, after a moment, took it. The three walked over to the casket and Sara put both her and Oliver's roses on the casket. Thea put hers on it and after another moment, Shado gently put her rose on her grandmother's casket.
Queen mansion
Afternoon
"How's she doing?" Diggle asked Sara as they and Felicity watched Laurel hug Thea.
"Not good, I don't know what can be expected after what Slade did." Sara said grimly and Diggle nodded.
"Here." Diggle handed a handkerchief to a crying Felicity.
" Thanks. I don't even know why I'm crying," Felicity said as she started to dry her eyes with the cloth, "I didn't even like Moira. Awful thing to say about someone who's dead but she was not nice. She was diabolical."
"That is Oliver and Thea's mother you are talking about," Sara growled as they looked over at her startled, "this is her wake at her house. Show some respect Felicity."
"Momma," Shado tugged on Sara's dress and Sara looked down at her daughter, "is Grandma Moira up in heaven with Uncle Tommy?"
"Yes she is baby." Sara said as she picked her daughter up and wrapped her arms around her.
"You sure about that?" Startled, Team Arrow whirled around to see Isabel standing before them, "soon enough, you'll all be rotting in hell."
Isabel stalked past her and the three exchanged glances. Laurel walked up to them, a stunned look on her face.
"Guys, I think Sabastian Blood had something to do with Moira's death." Laurel said in a low voice and they turned to her startled.
"Laurel, we've been down this road before." Diggle reminded her.
"Now wait a minute Dig. What makes you think that?" Sara inquired curiously.
"It just occurred to me that the only reason he's mayor is because Slade killed Moira." Laurel said and Sara paused thoughtfully.
"Where is my brother?" Team Arrow turned around to see Thea standing behind them.
"Thea, we're not sure-" Diggle began.
"I know." Thea interrupted.
"Know what?" Sara asked curiously.
"Sara, I know." Thea gave her a significant look and Sara figured it out before the others.
"How?" Sara asked lowly.
"Slade, probably thought it would turn me against Ollie. Big mistake. Now where is he?" Thea demanded.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
"This sub is over sixty years old." Anatoly noted as he, Oliver, Sara, and Peter climbed down the latter into the submarine.
"It was carrying the Mirakuru during the war when it went aground." Sara explained as they moved further inside, shinning flashlights.
"Blood." Peter noted as the lights picked up a blood stain on the metal.
"Slade's," Oliver told him as he remembered, "he was bleeding out, dying…until we decided to give him the Mirakuru to save him."
"Not one of your better idea." Anatoli noted.
"What about our idea for you to fix the sub? You were in the navy." Sara noted as she sensed Oliver becoming annoyed.
"Russian Navy. They taught us how to sink Japanese sub, not pilot them." Anatoli argued.
"Anatoli, please. I know it's a long shot but if we can get the sub moving, we can blow Slade and the Mirakuru right out of the water and get the hell off this island. Unless you have a better idea, this is our only chance of getting home." Oliver reminded him.
"Okay…I try." Anatoli promised.
Backup lair
Later in the afternoon
"I can't believe Thea knows." Felicity said stunned as she, Sara, and Diggle stood in the lair.
"More importantly, we're running out of snake venom." Diggle noted worriedly.
"We have bigger problems: Isabel was injected with Mirakuru." Sara said and they both turned to her.
"How do you know?" Diggle asked.
"Because the look she had in her eyes was the same one Slade had on the island after the Mirakuru drove him insane." Sara said bitterly.
"We need Oliver." Diggle said grimly.
"If he's still alive." Felicity said worriedly.
"He's alive. If he wasn't, I'd know. If only because Slade would make it a point to let me know." Sara said darkly.
"Well, there's only one person left we can ask for help." Diggle told them pointedly.
Argus base
Later in the afternoon
"Johnny, what are you doing here?" Lyla asked as she walked into her office to see Team Arrow waiting for.
"I need you do something Lyla." Diggle told her.
"No, I do," Sara said and Lyla turned to her, "I need you to find my husband for me."
"Everyone, we have a Queen Alert." Lyla said into her comms as she turned around and led Team Arrow into the command room.
"Queen Alert?" Diggle asked.
"Waller was particularly interested in Oliver and Sara. Whenever they went off the grid, it was called a Queen Alert." Lyla explained as they walked into the room.
"Déjà vu." Sara noted as she looked at the place that resembled where she had first met John.
"Some of this stuff doesn't even exist yet. How could you not like working here?" Felicity asked Sara star struck.
"I was pregnant and being used as leverage against Ollie to keep him in line." Sara deadpanned and Felicity flinched.
"Right, forgot about that part. Sorry." Felicity apologized.
"So, bring me up to speed. What's the status on Slade?" Lyla demanded as she walked over.
"He has an army of men just like him, enough to lay waste to the city." Sara said and Lyla looked at her horrified.
Starling City Police Department
Later in the afternoon
"Is it working?" Laurel asked the SCPD tech regarding the bug she had placed on Blood's computer earlier.
"I'm getting access to everything on his computer." The tech confirmed.
"You ever get tired of practicing law, you and your sister would make great spies." Quentin quipped and Laurel rolled her eyes.
"You two have a warrant for this right?" The tech asked.
"Just…" Quentin uncomfortably gestured to the computer and the tech sighed.
"Terrific, can you at least tell me whose computer you bugged?" He asked just before the seal of the city mayor came on the screen, "you're kidding me. I voted for him!"
"Yeah." Quentin said lowly.
"I need to know if there's anything incriminating in Blood's files." Laurel said and the tech sighed before searching.
"What the hell, this is a dead job anyway. It all looks pretty benign. Lots of policy papers, old documents transferred from his campaign office, draft press releases…"
"Wait, go back." Laurel demanded and the tech went back to the previous document, "for immediate release. 'My thoughts and prayers are with the Queen Family in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy.'"
"So he whipped up a press release after Moira was killed." Quentin shrugged.
"No, he did it a day early." Laurel said stunned.
"She's right, look at the time stamp." The tech said stunned as he gestured to it.
"My god." Quentin breathed as he stared at it.
"Sabastian knew that Slade was going to kill Moira." Laurel pieced together.
Argus base
Same time
"Felicity," Sara pulled back the younger blonde, "I realize this is your idea of a heaven. But you are distracting them from finding Oliver. Lyla will give you a tour after we stop Slade, so calm down."
"We have something." one of the techs said as he walked up and handed Lyla a tablet.
"He's in his lair." Lyla said as she looked up.
"We've already been to both lairs." Diggle said confused.
"She means the third one." Sara said slowly as Diggle and Felicity looked over at her.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
"Like riding bicycle," Anatoli said as he got the sub to come online, "underwater."
Anatoli then turned and walked to the others. He pulled on a lever and a sound that didn't exactly inspire confidence erupted through the sub.
"What's that?" Sara demanded.
"We are stuck," Anatoli tried to move the steering wheel but it barely budged, "like Japanese were."
"The Japanese had torpedoes, right? Can we blast our way out?" Oliver demanded.
"I can see why you two are made for each other: you like your explosions." Anatoli walked over to a station and picked up a tube.
Bringing it back to the table, Anatoli unrolled it and the four of them looked down at it. As they studied it, Anatoli said something in Russian. Judging by his voice, it wasn't good.
"What?" Oliver asked.
"These are Kaiten torpedoes. Manually operated. Someone needs to steer from inside." Anatoli explained.
"Then how do they get away from the explosion?" Oliver asked with a sinking feeling.
"They do not." Anatoli said and the four of them exchanged grim looks.
Third Arrow lair
Later in the afternoon
Sara led Diggle and Felicity down into the lair and the two looked around. It didn't take long for them to spot Oliver leaning against a stone pillar, his back to them.
"Ollie." Sara called out.
"How'd you find me?" Oliver demanded not turning to them.
"Lyla." Diggle said simply.
"We were worried about you." Felicity added.
"You missed your mom's funeral." Sara pointed out.
"I left for the cemetery but I ended up here." Oliver explained still not facing them.
"Here is?" Felicity asked.
"It's a third lair in case both the foundry and backup lair was compromised." Sara explained.
"But it became just a place for me to think," Oliver pulled himself to his feet, "my mother is dead because of me."
"Ollie-" Sara began.
"Five years ago, you and I had a chance to cure Slade," Oliver said as he looked at Sara, "now; everyone we care about is in his crosshairs. It ends tonight."
"What do you mean by that?" Sara demanded.
"I turn myself over to Slade and it all stops." Oliver said and they all stared at him shocked.
"Oliver, you think this ends when you turn yourself over to Slade?" Diggle asked in disbelief.
"Yes I do. After she was gone, Slade said one more person has to die before all this can end. This ends for Slade when he kills me." Oliver explained.
"Ollie, you can't just accept that. I do not accept that," Sara shouted as she stormed over to him, "if we had accepted that our fate was to die, we would never have made it off the island or out of Hong Kong or Russia! We do not just accept things!"
"Someone once told us the essence of heroism is to die so others can live." Oliver reminded her.
"We both know that is not what Peter meant!" Sara snapped.
"Slade's mission was to take everything from me, he's almost done so. The only thing left is you and Shado. By giving myself up, I save the two of you." Oliver said as he walked passed his wife.
"There has to be another way!" Felicity protested.
"There isn't." Oliver said as he walked out.
"There has to be something we can do to change his mind." Diggle said desperately.
"There isn't. We can't change his mind...but I know someone who can." Sara said as Diggle and Felicity turned to her.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
"I'll do it." Peter said and they turned to him.
"Peter you'll die." Sara pointed out.
"I'm already dead," Peter said as he pulled up his shirt to reveal black skin, like Ivo's had been, "Radiation poisoning. Ivo's little gift. He said he needed to find out if Mirakuru could cure cancer. Guess we'll never find out."
"Peter…" Sara trailed off.
"Ivo said the essence of heroism is to die so that others could live. I held onto that, it's the only thing that gave me hope. So I'll go. I may not be saving millions of lives, but I'll be saving yours." Peter said as he looked over at Oliver.
Oliver nodded, silent thanks in his eyes.
Starling pier
Almost sunset
Oliver stared out at the ocean, thinking. Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was Slade and started talking.
"This is where it all started," Oliver began, "Sara and I got on the Queen's Gambit right over there. I should have died on that boat; if I had none of this would have happened. I never would have met you. Shado and my mother would still be alive," he sighed, "no one else is gonna die because of me."
Oliver started to turn around when he felt something hit him in the neck. Feeling weak, he went down and within moments, he was out.
Arrow lair
Later
Oliver woke up and lifted his head off the desk, his vision blurry. As his vision came into focus, he saw Sara, Diggle, and Felicity standing in front of him.
"What the hell…" Oliver trailed off as he saw Thea standing behind them.
"Slade, he told me who you are." Thea said by way of explanation.
"Thea-" Oliver said as he stood up.
"Sara told me what you're planning n doing," Thea said as she walked over to her brother, "I knew you were acting weird at the Mansion earlier, but I thought you were saying goodbye in case you didn't make it."
"I have to Thea." Oliver told her lowly.
"Let's give them a minute." Sara said as she, Diggle, and Felicity turned and walked out of the lair.
Thea turned and walked towards the case that held Oliver's suit in it. There was silence in the lair for a moment.
"All those times I got so mad at you…for being a flack or telling me something I knew was a lie…you were saving someone's life." Thea said as she stared at the suit.
"Not a day went by that I didn't want to tell you." Oliver told her.
"Why didn't you?" Thea turned around and Oliver avoided her eyes, "Tommy knew, didn't he? You were with him, in the end."
"Yes." Oliver admitted slowly, "I couldn't save him, or mom. But I can save you. And Sara, Shado, Laurel, the city. I can save you all if this ends tonight."
"No," Thea rushed up and hugged him, "I can't lose you again."
"You'll be alive." Oliver said numbly.
"I know you Ollie. The brother that I know doesn't give up!" Thea shouted at him.
"She's right Ollie," they looked up as Sara reentered the room, "you don't give up, you always find another way."
"Not this time." Oliver said.
"Ollie, you want to save the City? Then stop Slade! By stopping Sabastian Blood!" Sara shouted and the two siblings looked at her confused, "Blood is in league with Slade. Laurel has proof."
"What?" Thea asked stunned.
"Think about it: Slade killed your mother so that Blood could become mayor." Sara told them and Oliver paused, his mind racing.
"Laurel was right about him…we were right about him all along," Oliver said lowly as he walked away from Thea, "the man in the skull mask works for Slade…and this entire time it was Sabastian."
"What's happening is bigger than our history with Slade Ollie. The city needs The Arrow and Canary." Sara told her husband.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
"What's this?" Sara asked as Oliver handed her a radio.
"I don't want you to be in here." Oliver told her.
"Ollie-" Sara began angrily.
"If this doesn't work, I need you to be safe. We will come for you when it's over." Oliver said firmly.
There was a tense moment of silence before Sara leaned up, kissing him. Then Sara pulled back and walked out. Oliver turned and walked towards Peter and Anatoli.
"Do you know how the torpedo works?" Oliver asked Peter.
"I get in, he fires, I steer, you pray." Peter listed.
"Peter. What you're doing is-"
"Practical. My time's already up." Peter reminded him.
"Brave," Oliver finished, "you need to know that. I don't think I could-"
"You already have. What you did, coming back to the boat, freeing us-"
"I was trying to go home. I wasn't thinking about saving anyone, it's not who I am." Oliver admitted with a slight grin.
"Maybe not yet." Peter conceded.
Peter offered his hand and Oliver shook it. Once they let go, Peter turned and climbed inside the tube. Oliver closed it and ran back up to the bridge.
"Launch?" Anatoli inquired.
"Is Sara clear?" Oliver demanded.
"Yes." Anatoli told him.
Anatoli fired and Oliver ran up to the periscope as Anatoli braced himself. Oliver watched as the torpedo suddenly changed course and turned back to the ship. It hit the rocks under the ship. Oliver and Anatoli both fell down as the ship shook.
Starling City
Later
"Sabastian, may I join you for dinner?" Oliver asked tonelessly, already at the mayor's table.
"Sure," Blood said, putting on a polite smile as he sat down across from Oliver, "you weren't at your mother's memorial service. I wanted to offer my condolences."
"You're the mayor. Congratulations," Oliver said with a tight smile, "you always wanted that."
"Believe me, I wish it had happened a different way. Your mother and I , we didn't agree on much, but we both wanted to help this city. I will help this city find its heart again, I promise you that." Blood told him.
"Do you really think that he will let that happen? Slade Wilson." Oliver clarified and wasn't disappointed as Blood paled.
"How do you know I've been working with Slade Wilson?" Blood demanded.
"Because I'm The Arrow," Oliver said and Blood gapped at him, "you know, from the start, I always thought there was something off about you. But I never imagined this. Do you really think that there will be a city left to be saved after Slade unleashes his Mirakuru army?"
"They'll only cause enough damage so that the city will be ready." Blood told him.
"Ready for your leadership?" Oliver scoffed.
"Ready for my vision. For what this city needs to be, what it could be. After the storm, the people of Starling will follow me to that city." Blood told him.
"Whatever Slade promised you, he will not deliver. He wants to hurt me, you are a pawn in a much larger game." Oliver warned him.
"Slade promised me City Hall. And he delivered. He makes good on his promises. I understand he made you a promise to," Blood noted and Oliver picked at the steak knife in front of him, "what are you gonna do? You gonna stab the mayor in a restaurant full of people?"
Oliver said nothing and Blood stood up.
"It's a new day in Starling City Oliver. And there's nothing you can do to stop it." Blood said as he turned around.
"I want you to give Slade a message," Oliver said and Blood stopped, "Tell him that I will not stop fighting until I am dead."
Arrow lair
Later
"Slade has more men than we thought," Oliver said as Team Arrow prepared, "Laurel, I want you to get Thea out of the city."
"Ollie-" Thea protested.
"I can't rule out that Slade will try to use you again. Get her out of the city," Laurel nodded and Oliver turned to the others, "Felicity?"
"Slade's men are underground; he'll probably be at Water Street. Based on the information we got from Blood's guard." Felicity said and he nodded.
"Let's go." Oliver ordered.
Starling City
Later
The Arrow moved through the underground sewer system until he spotted what he was looking for: Brother Blood was addressing his army, all of which had the same mask as Slade on. The archer shivered as he watched the scene.
"I have eyes on Blood's army." He announced through the comms.
"Got it," Felicity said through the comms, "I'm forwarding Dig your ping along with the semantics of Topside Avenue…Follow the route I laid out on the blueprints. You'll see the structural joints in the concrete, blow them all and Blood gets buried."
"Got it." Diggle replied through the comms.
"Oliver, Sara, are you sure about this?" Felicity asked uncertainly.
"Yes." Husband and Wife replied simultaneously.
The Arrow turned around and swore mentally. A member of Blood's army was marching towards him.
"Have Diggle blow the charges as soon as he's ready." The Arrow ordered as he readied his bow.
The archer rushed towards the masked man and fired. His arrow exploded into a net which tied itself around the masked man's hand and tied it to a pipe. The man easily broke free as The Arrow rushed him. The Mirakuru soldier grabbed the archer and easily threw him down. The Arrow jumped up and blocked the punch from the soldier. However, the soldier grabbed the vigilantes arm and punched his, sending the archer to his knees. As the soldier got behind him and put The Arrow in a chokehold, The Canary jumped out and struck The soldier from the back with her baton. As the soldier let go of The Arrow and turned to deal with The Canary, The Arrow jumped back up. Notching an arrow, he fired at the solider. The arrow hit and it exploded into sparks, sending him down.
"Let's go." The Arrow ordered and she nodded as they ran off.
Starling train station
Same time
Laurel and Thea were sitting at the train station, waiting for their train. Then a man stood up and walked passed them. As he did, he put on a mask that Thea realized was the exact same on Slade had worn. He approached the guard and broke his arm. As the guard screamed in pain, the masked man took his gun and fired several times into the air, causing panic.
Below Starling City
Same time
"There!" The Arrow shouted and led his partner into a room.
Only it was a dead end. The two vigilantes turned around as the army of Mirakuru Soldier's approached them.
"We can't fight them all off." The Canary told him grimly.
"We're not going to." The Arrow said grimly.
He notched an arrow and fired at the ceiling above the soldiers. The moment the arrow hit its target, it exploded and the ceiling started coming down on them.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Early morning day break
"Turn the wheel!" Anatoli ordered as he and Oliver climbed to their feet.
"What direction?" Oliver asked.
"It does not matter." Anatoli told him as Oliver put his hands on the wheel and tried to turn.
"I can't." Oliver grunted after a few seconds of no success.
"That is not an option!" Anatoli shouted as he rushed over.
Anatoli joined Oliver in his efforts and, together, the wheel started to turn. The sub shook and they felt the small ship start to move.
"We're moving!" Oliver said with a bright smile.
"Good, good!" Anatoli said jovially as Oliver pulled out the radio.
"Sara, we did it," Oliver's smile vanished as his girlfriend didn't respond, "Sara?!"
"Oliver!" Sara shouted and Oliver's blood ran cold at the fear in her voice.
So, what do you think? Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.