Ellie Bishop: Yeah, Slade is certainly switching things up.

Guest 1: Why is it rushed? With all due respect, there's really not much basis for that theory. Not only has China White never shown herself to possess the same sense of honor as Anatoly, she and Oliver do not share any extended scenes prior to Oliver's identity being revealed to the public to even imply that she knew

Guest 2: Well, you'll see.

Queen Consolidated

Afternoon

"So how are things in Glades Memorial?" Oliver said as he walked down the hall towards his office, talking on his phone with Diggle.

"Bad. Roy's right, this place is standing on its last leg," Diggle said and Oliver frowned. "We need to stop the Triad, quickly."

"We will, once we find China White," Oliver promised before he saw Isabel Rochev storming over to him. "Got a go. I have a pest to deal with."

"How did you do it?" Isabel demanded as she reached him.

"Do what?" Oliver asked, playing innocent.

"The remaining shares of the company went up for auction this morning. My people were on their way to buy them when they were assaulted by three armed men with Russian accents," Isabel said angrily.

"And you think I had something to do with that?" Oliver asked with a straight face. "What connection could I possibly have with Russians?"

"You were involved somehow. I don't know how, but you were involved," Isabel accused.

"And you have proof of this?" Oliver inquired and Isabel was silent, making it difficult for Oliver to fight the smirk that threatened to cross his face. "Well, in any case, I bought the remaining shares of the company. Now, if my math is right, that leaves me with fifty five percent ownership of this company. So, I guess that makes us partners."

"You're not at all what people say about you," Isabel said, seeming to regain control of herself.

"Most people fail to see the real me. Now, I have a lot of work to do, so if you'll excuse me," Oliver said as he made his way into office.

"I quit," Felicity said as he entered his office to find her there. "Not my old job in the IT department, but my new job as your executive assistant you think I am going to accept."

"Felicity, I'm CEO now. The CEO can't head down to the IT department every time we need to discuss how we spend our nights," Oliver pointed out but Felicity was on a roll.

"Did you know I went to MIT? Guess what I majored in? Not the secretarial arts," Felicity said.

"Do you think you are the only one who has had to sacrifice something?!" Oliver finally snapped, making Felicity jump back, startled. "Last year, I put my relationships with everyone I loved, lost my relationship with my best friend, in order to be The Hood. Diggle lost Carly because of it. If you can't find it in yourself to sacrifice anything…maybe we shouldn't work together anymore."

"What?" Felicity asked shocked.

"Since the day you joined up, I've never asked you for anything. Well, I'm giving you a choice now: You can either work with me and Diggle, or you can keep your job in the IT department. I'll give you until tonight to decide," Oliver said as he walked over to his desk. "If you choose your job, don't bother coming to the club tonight."

Unspecified location

Same time

"I look forward to working together," Slade said, sitting at his desk as China White stood in front of it.

"As do I. I look forward to making Oliver Queen suffer," White said with a smirk.

"As do I. But it would be a mistake to underestimate him. So I would advise you to cease and desist your raids of the FEMA trucks," Slade said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Of course," China White said with a smirk. "Anything for a friend."

Verdant

Same time

Roy was putting some boxes of liquor in the storage room when Thea walked in.

"We need to talk," Thea said and Roy sighed.

"Well, can't say I didn't see this coming," Roy said sarcastically as he turned around to face Thea. "You have an issue with me going out at night."

"Yeah, do. I wanted Laurel to arrest you," Thea snapped and Roy was silent, staring at her incredulously.

"So it's okay for your brother to go out at night to save the city, but not me?" Roy asked after a moment.

"That is not the same thing and you know it. He has been trained to do this, you haven't. And even though I know it, every night, I have a pit in my stomach because I'm worried that tonight is the night my brother goes up against someone he can't handle," Thea said emotionally and Roy's eyes softened. "I can't worry about you and him at the same time Roy."

"I'm sorry, I don't like making you worry," Roy said remorsefully.

"Then stop, please," Thea pleaded as she walked up to him.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Roy said and Thea stared at him incredulously. "The Glades, they're my home. I know I don't have Oliver's skills, but if I can help make it a little safer, even just a little bit, then I'm going to do it. This is who I am Thea. I love you…but I love my home to. You can't expect me to just turn my back on it. I will do anything for you…but not that. If you can't accept that…you can't accept me. And I can't be with someone like that."

"Are-are you breaking up with me?" Thea stammered as the room as suddenly filled with a tense silence.

"I don't know," Roy said after a moment. "But I have a few vacation days set up. I'm gonna use them, I need time to think. Please, don't call me…I need space."

Roy then leaned over, kissing her on the cheek before walking out, leaving Thea to wonder what had just happened.

Arrow lair

Night

Oliver was on the computer, looking over something when Diggle walked up behind him.

"Been a while since I saw you sitting there," Diggle noted. "Where's Felicity?"

"FEMA is sending out another shipment of medicine to Glades Memorial tonight," Oliver said, dodging Diggle's question.

"Not if The Triad has anything to say about it," Diggle noted.

"Well, I'm sure The Vigilante has something to say about it," Felicity said as she walked down the stairs.

"You're late," Diggle noted and Felicity nodded.

"I know," Felicity said before looking at Oliver "I'm sorry."

"Honestly wasn't sure you were going to show," Oliver noted.

"Neither was I," Felicity admitted. "But I realized that I was being selfish. It's not about me, it's about the city. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. If there was another way, I wouldn't have asked this of you," Oliver said, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry that you have to give up something that you earned and deserve."

"If I wasn't okay with that, I wouldn't be here," Felicity said and Oliver nodded. "So, are you gonna go be a hero or what?"

Starling City

Later

Two FEMA workers were loading up the truck when two men on motorcycles rode up; opening fire on them. One of the workers was hit, dying from the barrage of bullets. The other took cover between the trucks as the two men got off their motorcycles.

"No, please, don't," the worker begged as they approached him.

"Down!"

Without thought, the worker obeyed, dropping to the ground. Behind him, Oliver fired two arrows, getting the two men in the shoulder.

"Make your delivery," Oliver barked.

The worker didn't need to be told twice, rushing to the truck. However, as he got inside, he was hit with a knife in his throat, killing him almost instantly, to Oliver's horror.

"I feared you'd perished n the quake," Oliver tensed as China White walked into view, twirling a knife. "Denying me my revenge. I'm glad you're still alive…Oliver." she smirked as he tensed. "I'm not sure how I didn't put it together sooner. It's time for you to pay for Hong Kong and your past interference in my business."

"Your business is going under, permanently," Oliver growled, knowing he couldn't let her live now that she knew his secret.

Oliver fired but, at that moment, a dark skinned man with bronze claws jumped down from the roof of the truck, using the claws to glide down. Once on the ground, he used his claws to deflect the arrow.

"I don't think my new partner agrees with you," White said smugly as Oliver stared at them impassively. "Our partnership was easily cemented. You see, I was eager to see you dead and he was eager to kill you."

Angrily, Oliver fired at the clawed man but he used his claws to deflect it before rushing Oliver. Oliver used his bow to deflect the man's claws and they began trading blows as White got in the truck and began driving off. As Oliver manage to back the clawed man against a truck, sirens blared as various police cruisers rolled up. However, rather than going after the truck White had taken, they got out and trained their guns on Oliver and the clawed man.

"Starling City Police, we have you surrounded. Put down your weapons or we will open fire!" Pike ordered.

Oliver and the clawed man froze, both weighing their options. Then the clawed man pushed back against Oliver and he jumped out of the way. The man's claws struck a steam pipe and a mist flowed through the area. The police opened fire and Oliver and the clawed man ran, their feud put aside. Oliver threw down a smoke bomb before firing an arrow with a line, using the smokescreen to get away.

Arrow lair

Later

After extracting the bullets the SCPD had hit him with, Oliver was stitching himself up as Diggle and Felicity watched.

"Does it hurt?" Felicity asked hesitantly.

"Not as much as some things," Oliver said as he finished, remembering his torture aboard the Amazo.

"I love that we live in a city where the police are more interested in catching you than the drug stealing mobsters. Our tax dollars at work," Felicity said disgusted.

"The police have always gone after the vigilante," Diggle pointed out.

"This time was different," Oliver said as they turned their attention back to him. "They got in my way. And that's not the only thing that's bothering me. China White, she knows who I am."

"What?" Felicity yelped as she and Diggle looked stunned.

"How is that possible?" Diggle questioned and Oliver smiled tightly.

"Like I said, she and I have an unpleasant history. I guess I was foolish to think she would never work it out. But I wouldn't put it passed her to go after the people in my life. My mother is safe in Iron Heights, but Thea-"

"I'll keep tabs on her," Diggle promised and Oliver nodded in gratitude.

"Felicity, I want you to keep close to me for now. No one is safe until China White is in the ground," Oliver said grimly.

Triad safe house

Later

The clawed man, Ben Turner, was pacing back and forth as White and some of her men watched.

"I came here because you said he was a hunter, that he'd give me something I always wanted: a challenge," Turner sneered. "But he ran from the police."

"Don't underestimate him," White warned him.

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off when one of her men gasped, a sword suddenly bursting from his chest. Turner, White, and the other man jumped back as Slade removed his blood stained sword and the man fell to the ground, dead.

"She's not wrong," Slade said, his voice muffled slightly by his helmet.

Slade then whirled, cutting the other man across the chest, killing him instantly. Turner rushed him but Slade easily dodged his strikes before swinging his sword, cutting off Turner's hands before Slade him through the chest, killing him. White tried to run before Slade quickly gabbed her, slamming her down onto the floor as he placed is sword, now dripping with blood, at her neck.

"I believe there has been a misunderstanding. When I give you an order, you will follow it," Slade said calmly, his one eyes staring into her terrified eyes. "You disobeyed me and worse, you let Oliver Queen know you know who he is under that hood."

For a moment, White thought he was going to kill her. But then, he stood up, lowering his sword to his side, to her relief.

"You have created a problem Chien Na Wei. I will deal with it. Your disobedience has cost three men their lives. Next time, it will cost you yours. Do not disobey me again," Slade warned her before he left the room, leaving White wondering what she had gotten herself into.

I thought Felicity was pretty good in season two, but this is one of the few times she annoyed me in the season. To an extent, I can understand why she was upset, but it seems like Felicity never thought she'd have to sacrifice anything other than spending her nights behind a computer in the lair. And the fact that she threw a temper tantrum throughout the episode, even dragging Diggle into it, makes it hard for me to have much sympathy for her. In short, she just came off as very selfish.

Now, I'm a big fan of the Roy/Thea relationship, but one thing that has always annoyed me about it is Thea's reaction to Roy going out to fight off thugs in the Glades. The Glades are Roy's home, and I can understand that Thea was worried for Roy's safety, but it's like she just expected Roy to turn his back on his home. And it's worse that the show treats it like Thea is right when she's really not.