Laurel arrived at the hospital after her boss informed another businessman had been targeted by a shooter. Somebody who knew and associated with Burke and Kauffman. "So let's start with the obvious. Why would somebody want to kill you?" Laurel asked.
Elrich Kelso looked at Laurel like she was speaking to him in another language. "I have no idea. This whole thing it's-it's insane".
"Mr. Kelso, despite what you may have heard, homicides, especially at the hands of a stranger are incredibly rare" Laurel turn to him, almost using her mom eyes, that scared the shit out of William. "Imagine how rare homicides by bow and arrow are".
"Yeah, the guy was a sicko" Kelso replied.
"And you're a liar" Laurel accused.
"I'm the victim here" Kelso growled.
"You're also a witness. My witness" Laurel persisted "and you better give me something useful, otherwise, you are gonna be facing an obstruction charge" Laurel crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"You know, I think I want to talk to your boss because you can't treat people like this" Kelso spat at her.
"Oh really, you want to talk to my boss?" Laurel said. She caught Kelso off guard, seizing his injured arm. She yanked it upward and pulled on it, before smashing it back down on the hard sidebar of his hospital bed. "How's your arm feeling?" Laurel shouted.
"What're you doing?" Kelso asked, in great pain.
Laurel pulled on the injured arm, causing Kelso to cry out. She grabbed his shoulder and dug her nails in. "John Burke and Tim Kauffman, they were also shot dead with arrows, and they're too dead to tell me why".
"C-can't" Kelso breathed, only to have his arm violently smashed again.
"Burke and Kauffman" Laurel screamed. "What do the two of them have to do with you?"
Kelso caved, thinking he couldn't handle any more pain. "We were working on a deal. Nobody was supposed to know about it". Laurel released Kelso's arm and he moaned in relief.
"What kind of deal?" Laurel asked.
"An oil pipeline... for Ameritech" was all Kelso had the chance to reveal before an arrow smashed through the hospital room's window and landed in the middle of his chest. Laurel quickly took Kelso's pulse, but unfortunately, he had died instantly. Laurel ran to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the archer.
Laurel came home, feeling frustrated. She would deafen somebody for a drink. Oliver was sitting at the kitchen counter on his computer. "Ollie?" Laurel asked.
Oliver turned around and looked at Laurel. "Hey, baby. How was work? You look sad"
"I'm not sad," she said walking towards him. She allowed him to take her into his embrace. "I'm shaken up. The man I was interrogating was killed, murdered, with a bow and arrow in his hospital bed".
Oliver's facial expression hardened. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but I could've been hit," Laurel said. "I think the shooter hit his intended target though... because I saw him and I'm sure he saw me, but he didn't try to take me out," Laurel said. "But, in terms of what my father told you, we still don't know who killed Burke or Kauffman and Elrich Kelso... I mean, baby, who could be next... Ray Palmer"
"Of course not," Oliver said. "We won't let that happen because we are going to get this guy. Look, I've been chatting with Felicity online. She found somebody I can talk to. I'll get some information out of him"
"Are you going now?" Laurel asked.
"Yes, but first, I'm gonna tuck you in," Oliver said.
"Ollie, I'm not a little girl" Laurel argued.
"You aren't, but I love you and I am gonna do what I want," Oliver said and Laurel gave in.
Oliver was getting somewhere. "I'm losing patience" he announced. "And as one of The Glades resident lowlifes, that should scare you" The Arrow growled.
"Please, scared of you?" the drug dealer scoffed. Oliver shot an arrow at his knee and grabbed his shin and twisted it. "Alright," the man shouted. "I'll tell you what I know and then you let me run away"
"Fine," The Arrow said.
"The shooter's name is Simon Lacroix, you can also identify him by his street name, Komodo".
"Is there anything else? Do you why he is doing it?" The Arrow shouted.
"No" shouted the drug dealer. "That's all I know, it's really not my business". Oliver cut the man loose and he stumbled away. He made it far away enough that he thought he was in the clear, but Arsenal dropped down in front of him. "Crap" the young criminal uttered.
Oliver spoke into his comm, jumping on his bike. "Overwatch," he asked.
"Nope" He heard Laurel's voice on the other end.
"What?" Oliver asked.
"Felicity had to go home because Barry had Flash business to attend to so she called me. The kids are being watched by Iris, don't worry. Felicity and I are messaging so I should be able to get you what you need" Laurel explained to her boyfriend.
"Okay, well what I need is the location of Simon Lacroix, or Komodo" Oliver said.
"Okay," Laurel said and turned off her comm. "Shit," she said under her breath and began frantically texting Felicity.
Felicity ended up being able to locate him from home. Laurel came back on the comm. "Babe, it turns out, you aren't far," Laurel said and received no response from Oliver. "Babe?" Laurel asked. "Arrow?" she questioned with more tension in her voice.
She pulled up the camera feed of Oliver's location and she saw his bike lying on its side with the motor running and Oliver lying a few feet from it. Laurel ran to suit up.
When Oliver woke up, he was in the Arrowcave with Laurel and John. "Did I get Komodo?" was the first thing he asked and Laurel shook her head.
"All you got was seriously hurt," Laurel said as Roy walked in.
"But the dealer who gave you Lacroix's name in custody, so at least Team Arrow accomplished some good tonight". Roy pulled a needle and thread. He looked at Oliver's wounds. "John and Laurel stopped the bleeding but these wounds are at high risk of infection," Roy said. "I'll close them up".
"I have to go," Laurel said. "I can't leave the kids with Iris all night".
"Wait" Oliver called and Laurel walked over to him.
"What is it?" Laurel asked.
"Are you mad at me?" Oliver asked.
"No, Ollie, today has just been extreme and I am really tired" Laurel admitted.
"It's late already, babe," Oliver said. "Stay here with me, The West house is huge and I am sure that Iris and Joe are sleeping already and the kids are fine".
"Okay," Laurel said and sighed as she laid down on the cot.
"I'll join you when Roy is done sewing me up" Oliver said and Laurel mumbled some response.
Oliver woke up the next morning to not Laurel, but Felicity. "I know who Lacroix is hitting next" was the first words he heard. Oliver rubbed his eyes. He tried to sit up at first, but it was too painful, so he laid down.
"Uh, what do you mean? Where is Laurel?" Oliver asked.
"Laurel went to work" Felicity answered. "And what I mean is Komodo's next target is my new boss"
"Ray?" Oliver asked in shock.
"Yes," Felicity confirmed.
"You're sure?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, Oliver," Felicity said. "Please trust me"
"Okay, I do," Oliver said. "When should I be prepared to intervene?"
"Tonight" Felicity replied.
Ray stood in front of Queen Consolidated, having just given a speech to let the press and all of Starling City know Palmer Tech had purchased the multi-billion dollar company. He was taking questions.
"I truly believe that this investment Palmer tech made is going to better our city he explained.
"Mr. Palmer" voice called out just as one of Komodo's arrows came soaring towards Ray.
Black Canary appeared just in time to block the arrow's path with the use of her baton. All of a sudden, Arsenal and Spartan were on either side of Ray.
"What is happening?" Ray called out nervously. Arsenal and Spartan were dragging Ray along. Ray felt dizzy from his life flashing before his eyes.
"What is happening is you aren't safe" Diggle shouted.
"Where's Komodo?" Black Canary said into her comm.
"The only way he could've taken Palmer down is if he was inside QC" The Arrow replied. "I'm already there".
Oliver suspected that Komodo was on one of the upper floors and he found him just as he fired a cable arrow to getaway. "Simon Lacroix. You have failed this city" Oliver boomed.
Komodo turned around and quickly shot an arrow, which Oliver dodged. Oliver and Lacroix fired arrows and traded blows before Oliver covered his ears and Laurel used her cry. She kicked Simon in his groin and he groaned. "What do you want?" Simon asked in agony.
"Why are you doing this?" Black Canary demanded.
"Why does anyone go to work? To get paid" Simon said.
"Who hired you?" Oliver growled.
"That is none of your business," Simon said.
"Who?" Oliver growled only for Lacroix to shoot a flashbang arrow, temporarily blinding The Arrow and Black Canary and he made his escape. Oliver launched his own cable arrow. "C'mon. We're going after him" Oliver said and Laurel grabbed onto Oliver and the two of them were lifted into the air.
The following morning, Felicity was sitting in her office, texting Oliver. Ray was not in, and Felicity couldn't blame him. She couldn't imagine how Ray must've been feeling. She wished she could tell him the truth. She knew The Arrow and she knew The Flash.
Speaking of The Flash, things between Barry and Felicity were not at all smooth-sailing and honestly Felicity was not happy and she was texting Oliver about that. She heard somebody clear their throat. "Felicity, I really hope that I'm not interrupting" Felicity looked up and saw Ray.
"Ray, oh my god, no, no, you aren't interrupting. Hey, how are you? Are you okay?" Felicity asked.
"Not really" Ray confessed.
"I'm sorry," Felicity said.
"It's not your fault," Ray said. "Felicity, I want to show you something".
Ray led Felicity to his office. "What is it?" Felicity asked and when Ray revealed what he had been working on, Felicity's eyes widened.
Ray smiled. "Ever read the Iron Man comics?"
"I am not much a comic book girl," Felicity said, looking at it. "So, you want to be Iron Man?"
"I'm not sure actually... the suit doesn't do anything yet. I'm in a very experimental phase of the project" Ray said.
"No offense, Ray, I mean, the science is incredible but why are you doing this?" Felicity asked.
"At first, just for fun" Ray admitted. "But last night, everything changed. I want to help Starling City so people feel safe here".
"Like The Arrow and The Flash are doing," Felicity said.
"Yeah, I know Starling has a lot of heroes already, but Felicity..." Ray's voice trailed off.
"I'm listening, Ray" Felicity encouraged.
"My fiance, Anna, died in the city. She was killed by one of Slade Wilson's junkie soldiers" Ray confessed, feeling his eyes instantly fill with tears. "Sorry," he said.
"No, Ray, don't apologize. I'm sorry. I didn't know" Felicity said.
"It's alright. I just, I feel like I could've, should've done more. If Anna were here, she would've told me it's never too late. Felicity, I have to do this. I have to make Anna proud" Ray explained.
Felicity nodded. "Yes, you do".
Oliver was sitting alone in the Arrow-cave when he heard somebody who he assumed was John or Laurel enter. He was surprised to see Thea approaching him. "What're you doing here?" she asked him.
"Hey," Oliver said. "What are you doing here?"
"The club upstairs, I run it, remember?" Thea said. "But you have other responsibilities. Remember, ARGUS?"
"Yes," Oliver said. "And I am working right now. An agent of mine was sent to Corto Maltese a long time ago and he hasn't reported anything for a very long time. He could be in trouble so I am planning to go there".
"To Corto Maltese... as The Arrow?" Thea asked.
"No, as Director Queen," Oliver said. "As heavy as the responsibility of being The Arrow weighs on me, I need to take back some of my life as Oliver. Have my job and my family".
Thea nodded. "I never realized you saw The Arrow that way"
"What way?" Oliver asked.
"Like he takes from you. Like he is stealing from Oliver Queen" Thea replied.
"Not that way, no" Oliver said. "But obviously I am thinking about the upcoming fight against Ra's and if I die, I want Oliver Queen to have made the world a better and safer place. Not just The Arrow. I will never be completely without him, I don't think, but I know that I don't want to die down here, Thea".
Thea nodded and remained silent for a few minutes. "I respect that, Oliver" she finally said. "And you are not going to die down here. But, when you go to Corto Maltese, I am going to need your help with something"