Oliver welcomed Diggle and Lyla into his office for a late-night job interview. Oliver had asked Diggle to attend Lyla's interview with her, and while the couple thought that was strange, they agreed to it.
"So Lyla, the interview is more of a formality here at ARGUS, since ARGUS obviously recruits its employees," Oliver told Lyla. "My predecessor didn't do things the way I do. She took the free will out of the employment. Basically, I am saying that the job is yours if you want it".
Lyla nodded. "I'll take the job," Lyla said.
Oliver extended a handshake. "Welcome aboard, assistant director Michaels". Lyla shook his hand. "Before I move on to why John is here, do you have any questions or concerns?"
"Just one question," Lyla said. "Why did ARGUS recruit me?"
"Any recruit is my final decision. Lyla, I want you to cast aside any notion that my hiring you has anything to do with John. The reason John is here is completely separate. I hired you for several reasons, I mean ex-military and climbing the ranks of SCPD in such a short time. Your work on the force is what ultimately made my decision. You care about this city and this country, Lyla. I couldn't ignore that" Oliver said. Lyla smiled. "John, the reason you are here is that I am going on a trip to Corto Maltese to locate an agent that I believe may need help. Agent Mark Shaw"
"What can I do to help?" Diggle asked
Roy and Thea were making out in bed. Roy rolled off of her. "So, are all of us going to Corto Maltese except for Laurel?"
"Who are all of us?" Thea asked.
"Me, you, Oliver, Diggle, you know the team, excluding Felicity," Roy said.
"First of all, I'm not really on your team, secondly, even if I was, Oliver is mostly going because of his job at ARGUS, and third and lastly, did Oliver ask you to go?" Thea asked.
"He mentioned that you asked him to help you figure out what Merlyn is really up to out there, and since that won't be receiving his undivided attention, it will be receiving mine" Roy answered.
"Okay," Thea said. "But is Oliver okay with that?"
"Thea, what kind of vigilante would I be if I acted inside of what other's were okay with?" Roy asked.
Thea smiled. "Who knew vigilantes were so damn hot?" she asked, pulling him back in.
Oliver, Thea, Diggle, and Roy touched down in Corto Maltese. When they exited the plane, Oliver said, "Okay, Dig, find Shaw and get in touch with me when you do. I am going to help Thea find her dad".
"And me?" Roy asked.
"I don't know, Roy," Oliver said. "You're a vigilante. Make your plan".
Roy rolled his eyes. "I'm going with you".
"Oliver, are you sure you don't want to go with John? I mean you told me-" Oliver cut Thea off.
"Thea, you asked for my help," Oliver said.
"Well, now I'm unasking," Thea said and she turned and walked away.
Oliver looked at Roy with question is his eyes. "I'll go after her," Roy said and he left in the same direction and Oliver turned and looked at Diggle.
"Women" Diggle commented. "Speaking of which, I'm gonna call Lyla".
Laurel was sitting in an AA meeting where a young woman explained that her boyfriend's addiction caused him to be violent when he was drunk. The details made Laurel feel sick to her stomach.
When she came to the Arrowcave, she was surprised to see Felicity there with her boss, Ray Palmer. Ray was training, throwing punches at a dummy. Laurel walked up to Felicity. "Does my boyfriend know that he is here?"
"Um, no he doesn't. But that is okay because I told Ray that I couldn't tell him who the Arrow is" Felicity said and Laurel nodded
"Oookay, well fine. I need a favor" Laurel said.
"Yeah, anything" Felicity said.
"I'm looking for somebody," Laurel said.
When Roy caught up to Thea, she had found out Malcolm's location from a gardener. "Thea, please slow down," Roy said.
"Keep up" Thea grumbled.
"C'mon. Why are you mad?" Roy asked.
Thea turned around. "I'm not. I just have to focus on my father. So if you want to help me, then let's go".
Oliver and Diggle had eyes on Shaw. He was paying for lunch at a cafe and getting up to leave. "Alright", Oliver said "We move now". "Mark Shaw" Oliver called out. Shaw turned around, his face flushed completely white.
"Hi," Shaw said. "Are you-?"
"My name is Oliver Queen. I am the director of ARGUS in Starling City" Oliver said.
"I thought that was Amanda-"
"Waller. Yes. Amanda Waller has been relocated to Gotham and I have filled her position in Starling City. Anyway, you've been here in Corto Maltese for a while now, yet the last progress report received by Waller was over two and a half months ago... I came out here because I was actually concerned about your safety" Oliver said.
"Well, I have to be honest, Mr.- uh, director Queen, I learned some troubling information and against my better judgment..." Shaw stopped talking and glanced at his watch and then he looked up. "Would it be alright to meet back here later, director Queen?"
"Somewhere you have to be that is more important?" Oliver asked. "Tell you what, I have some other business to attend to, you meet me back here at 3:30-400pm".
Shaw nodded and hurried away from Oliver and Diggle. Oliver leaned towards Diggle "Follow him" he said.
Thea and Roy found and approached the Merlyn Mansion in Corto Maltese. Few people on the planet knew Malcolm Merlyn was alive, let alone where he was, but now Thea and Roy were two of them. "Find your way in, Roy, I'll distract my father and you look for clues, figure out what he's up to. I think we both know that he isn't just here hiding Ra's Al Ghul".
Thea knocked on the front door. "Malcolm. Malcolm" she called. There was no answer. She knocked again. "It's Thea".
Malcolm answered the door and Thea saw that he had a bow on him. She rolled her eyes. "Your nuts" she muttered.
"Thea, a pleasure to see you, why don't you come inside?" Malcolm asked.
Thea cautiously stepped into her father's home. "How on earth can you afford this place? Isn't Merlyn Global bankrupt?"
"I teach self-defense classes," Malcolm told Thea.
"That isn't going pay you enough for a mansion," Thea said.
"You're right, that's why I have been kidnapping for ransom," Malcolm said and he got a hateful look from his daughter. "I'm kidding, Thea. Sociopath humor".
Roy was just around the corner, standing like a statue against the wall. He heard Malcolm lead Thea towards his kitchen. He had offered to make her tea so they could "catch up". Roy grimaced at what Malcolm could possibly want to catch up about. From what Thea shared with him about Malcolm's training, he did not refrain from intense forms of league training on his own daughter.
He searched around, his most compelling discovery was a hoarder's amount of weapons. More than any person would ever need. Bows and arrows, swords, knives, and many other league styles weapons.
Oliver, as The Arrow was just outside Malcolm's home. He chose to respect that Thea no longer wanted his help with Malcolm, but Oliver couldn't restrain the protective older brother in him. The moment he felt that Thea needed him, he would be there for her.
An arrow flew at Oliver from behind and Oliver turned around and dodged it in time. He saw the person who had fired it was a woman. "Who are you?" she shouted.
"The Arrow" Oliver growled.
"You? You are The Arrow? My father told me you would eventually show up here".
"Black Canary, are you sure you don't want back up out there?" Felicity asked through the comm. "The guy you're after is huge".
"I can see that, I have eyes on him" Laurel replied. Tonight, it was just Black Canary and her bo staff aiming to teach a violent alcoholic boyfriend a lesson.
He was exiting a bar in the Glades, headed for his car which was parked illegally.
Out of the darkness, Black Canary rushed him. "So I hear you like to hit women" Laurel shouted him. She kicked him in his back and he turned around. She used her bo staff to strike him in the face and the shoulder. She lifted the staff to strike again. "How about one who likes to hit back?".
The man grabbed onto her bo staff and the two wrestled over it. Laurel got it away from him and threw it to the side. The man punched Laurel in the face and the ribs, knockingher to the ground. He towered over her and kicked her in her side as hard as he could, leaving a massive bruise. "You're right, it's better when they hit back," The man said, before leaving her there.