Ellie Bishop: No kidding. It really does. Frankly, I'm surprised Carlos has stayed this long, given how the Flash hasn't been good for a long time and Cisco basically became a side character after season two. Yep, there is more. Yep. Spectre Oliver won't play a big role here TBH.

Guest 1: Glad you enjoyed it. Yep. Glad to hear it.

Guest 2: Okay, seriously, your hatred of Felicity is starting to get disturbing. Your repeated reviews to me are one thing, but my friend Aragorn has told me you're going around, posting the same thing on his stories. And I've seen you on a few other stories as well, doing the same thing. Seriously, wanting a character to die so badly you leave reviews on every story you can find asking the author to kill her is just creepy and disturbing. If I wanted that kind of hatred for a character, I'd watch season six of Arrow or go read one of the many many many Team Iron Man stories dedicated to bashing Steve Rogers. I write stories for fun, not because I want to see a character die. Arrow has been over for over a year at this point, its time to move on already. And when I'm telling you that you have taken your hatred of Felicity too far, you need to take a good look at yourself in the mirror.

Safe house

Night

"Oliver?" Moira breathed as she and Thea stared at the cloaked figure in shock.

"Yes and no," he said in that strange, distorted voice. "It's complicated."

"Well uncomplicate it," Thea said, staring at the strange figure who wore her brother's face.

"I was Oliver Queen. But when I died during the Crisis, I became something…more. Some might call me a ghost. A Spectre, one that is in tune with the entire multiverse," he explained.

"You're Oliver...from the original timeline, the one who died," Moira realized and the Spectre nodded. "What-how-"

"It's not important how I'm here. What's important is that I'm here to talk," the Spectre said grimly.

Starling City

Same time

"What are you doing Oliver? Have you lost your mind?" Isabel demanded, finding her hands bound by chains. "Let me go!"

"I know Isabel. I know you're working with him," Oliver said blankly.

Isabel stiffened for a second, surprise in her eyes before the mask was put back on.

"Oliver, I have no idea what you are talking about. You are clearly having some kind of psychotic break, let me-"

She paused as Oliver pulled a flechette out from under his sleeve, pointedly placing it on the table nearby with an assortment of weapons.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way Isabel. While I have no problem torturing you for information, I'd prefer not to. So, you planning on making this difficult?" Oliver asked as he turned around to face her.

"How'd you figure out?" Isabel asked after a few moments, seeing it was pointless to continue the charade.

"Little things here and there made me raise an eyebrow, but it was after Slade showed up at my house where everything became clear. I spent the next few days going over everything that had happened since I came back seven months ago. Slade created The Hoods to draw me back home. He recruited Sebastian Blood to be a proxy and create an army of soldiers just like him. He told China White my identity to recruit her as an ally. All these things happened around the same time. And, as I'm going over it, I realize that something else happened at that time to," Oliver explained.

"Me buying up shares of Queen Consolidated," Isabel noted and Oliver nodded.

"Exactly. I don't believe in coincidences. So, as a precaution, I had the Bratva follow you. And within a few hours, the saw you make contact with Slade," Oliver said as Isabel cursed her carelessness. "Out of curiosity, what was the plan? Gain my trust, hope I was too stupid or distracted by Slade to run the company and then stab me in the back? How am I doing?"

"What do you want Oliver?" Isabel asked, getting right to the point.

"Henry Goodwin. You were the only one who could have told Slade and Emiko about him," Oliver accused and Isabel smirked.

"So your mother told you about your father and I," Isabel said smugly.

"About your affair, yeah," Oliver said and she suddenly sneered.

"Of course she would try to degrade it like that. I was his soulmate!" Isabel snarled.

"I'm sure that's what he told you. That he didn't love my mother, that he was just with her for me and Thea. That you were the only one in his heart. Am I right?" Oliver asked as Isabel looked up at him in surprise. "I said almost the exact same things to the women I cheated on Laurel with. To those who knew her, I promised them the relationship was all but over, that I'd break it off with Laurel soon. My father was a serial cheater and he never meant any of the promises he made you. I know because, before the island, I was just like him. You have spent all this time and all this effort coming after my family…based on lies told to you by a man who didn't think anything of you beyond what he could get from you. It's almost funny."

"Have you looked at what's on the flash drive?" Isabel asked suddenly, smirking as Oliver stiffened. "You haven't then."

"Where is Slade?" Oliver demanded, bypassing the question.

This did not escape Isabel's notice, as her smirk widened. But she allowed the change in subject.

"Don't know, he calls me, tells me where to meet him. And even If I did know, I wouldn't tell you. Torturing me is also a waste of time, Slade trained me on how to withstand torture," Isabel said smugly.

"You sure about that? I was trained by Slade to. I know what kill. What breaks. And what just hurts," Oliver said darkly as he picked up a knife.

"Then go ahead and get on with it," Isabel egged him on.

Oliver stared down at her for a moment, weighing his options. Either she really didn't know anything or she was confident that Oliver couldn't break her. Either way, Oliver knew he only had one option right know. Lowering the knife to the table, Oliver walked over to Isabel and slugged her, hard. Her head was thrown back, seemingly out cold as Oliver stared down at her, knowing what he had to do now.

Safe house

Same time

"I don't understand," Thea said as she and Moira stared at the Spectre. "We've already wiped out the timeline Arsenal and the others were from, right? So shouldn't you cease to exist?"

"It's a bit more complicated than Back to the Future Speedy," The Spectre said with a slight grin. "Think of time like a road. Any changes don't erase the original pathway."

"It just creates a new one, separate from the original," Moira realized and the Spectre nodded.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"This is…interesting and all, but somehow, I don't think you came here to explain time travel to us," Thea said and the Spectre smiled slightly.

"You're right, I didn't," the Spectre agreed as he looked over at Moira. "You doubt your decision to change the timeline."

"Considering everything that's happened, it's hard not to," Moira pointed out and he nodded.

"There have been some negative side effects, but more than a few positive ones as well," her son said, taking her back. "Adrian Chase is dead before he can begin his campaign against me, saving my son's mother. John's true allegiance is exposed, preventing him from poisoning my team against me and from poisoning my own self-image of myself. And with no secrets between us, Slade wasn't able to drive a wedge between the two of us and Thea by telling her the truth about Merlyn."

Thea took only a moment to think of how she had reacted to learning of her true parentage and then shuttered at the thought of how she might have reacted had Slade been the one to tell her. It would not have been pretty, she knew.

"For every change you make to the timeline, there will be a sort of ripple effect, both good and bad. It's unpredictable and messy. But you are the strongest person I know Mom. And you can't doubt yourself or your mission just because it's not going the way you expect," the Spectre said gently as he made his way over to her. "It's gonna be hard, it won't all be rewarding. But the good you do will far outweigh the negative consequences. You have a chance to create a better future, for everyone."

"But not you," Thea said quietly and he smiled sadly.

"No. My path cannot be changed," The Spectre confirmed.

"I'm sorry," Moira said, smiling tearfully as he looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry that you never got to live your life, too busy trying to atone for my and your father's sins."

"And that was my choice. Being your son wasn't a burden Mom, it was a gift. It was because I was Robert and Moira Queen's son that I was strong enough to come home, survive long enough to fulfil my destiny. Inspire people like Roy and Barry, start a whole generation of heroes. There are no stories about the Green Arrow without Robert and Moira Queen," the Spectre said passionately as he took her face in his hands, making her look him in the eye. "You didn't fail me, in this timeline or any other. Never think you have for a moment."

Tearfully, Moira reached out and hugged him for the last time. The Spectre stiffened for a moment. Then, so Thea couldn't hear, he leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"Treasure this week Mom, treat it as though it is your last. Because in my timeline, you die one week from today," he whispered in her ear.

Moira didn't even have time to process this when the Spectre vanished, leaving Moira holding air as Thea stared at the spot where he had vanished, wondering if they had just imagined it.

Queen Consolidated

Later

Oliver was in his office, sitting at his desk as he stared down at the flash drive. He was startled out of his thoughts by a knock on the glass door. Looking up, he saw Laurel standing outside his office. Getting to his feet, Oliver walked over and opened the door.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked as he let her in.

"I wanted to see how you were doing, given the day you've had. And given how you were staring at that flash drive, not well," Laurel noted as she looked over at it on his desk. "What's on it?"

"According to Slade, something that proves the kind of man my father really was. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it though," Oliver said with a sigh.

"Do you wanna see what's on it?" Laurel asked after a moment.

"I don't know," Oliver admitted with a sigh. "Part of me says it's just another one of Slade's head games, that I shouldn't fall for the trap. But the other part…"

"The other part feels like you need to know," Laurel said knowingly and he nodded lowly. "I could…watch it with you if you want."

For a moment, it was silent between them. Then, Oliver walked over to his desk and picked up the flash drive. Looking over at Laurel, he waited until she walked up next to him until he plugged it in. The file opening up, Oliver clicked on it and the two watched as the video began playing.

At a Queen Consolidated construction site, Robert Queen and Henry Goodwin were arguing. Goodwin shoved Robert and the two men grabbed hold of each other. They moved around until they had switched positions. Suddenly, Goodwin lost his footing and fell off the walk way. Robert tried to hold onto him but lost his grip. Goodwin fell into the bat of liquid below. Robert stood horrified for a moment before turning around and looking up, realizing the security camera had just recorded the whole thing. Robert then rushed off and the video ended.

Oliver stared down at the video, feeling sick. It was exactly what his mother had told him, but seeing it was something else entirely. Beside him, he could see Laurel wasn't fairing much better.

"Before he died, my dad told me 'Oliver, I am not the man you think I am'," Oliver said lowly as he turned away from the computer screen. "I should have believed him."

"Ollie, as horrible as this is, it was an accident," Laurel pointed out.

"An accident that he covered up," Oliver argued. "He's a murderer Laurel. I never deluded myself into thinking he was a saint, but to take a man's life, to cover it up…it's like I never him."

"Ollie, this is what Slade wants, to get inside your head," Laurel argued.

"And it's working. Slade knows that I started this crusade to honor my father and he wants to destroy that," Oliver said with a sigh.

"Your father inspired you to help the people in this city. And you have. You have gone so far beyond just trying to honor him. The people in this city are all better off because you decided to put on the hood," Laurel said passionately. "I know who you are in my bones Oliver and you are not your father. So stop defining yourself by him, be your own man."

Oliver frowned, considering her words before his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw Felicity's face flash across the screen and answered.

"Anything on Slade?" Oliver asked in answer.

"Well, the grid at Collins and Main just spiked, drawing a Hell of a lot of power. Which means someone either plugged in the world's largest hair dryer or the biotransfuser just went online. The power cycle on this machine is very specific. You have thirty minutes, forty tops," Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

"Okay, tell Sara and Roy to meet me there," Oliver ordered before hanging up.

"You need to go, don't you?" Laurel asked knowingly.

"We have a location on Slade. Listen, thank you, but you're right, I do need to go," Oliver said regretfully.

"Its fine, go be a hero," Laurel told him.

He nodded in thanks before walking out.

Starling City

Later

Oliver, dressed in his suit, dropped down from the roof access into the main hall. Walking down the hall, he found his worst suspicions confirmed. The Iron Heights prisoners were all hooked up to the Biotransfuser, arranged in a circle as they laid on metal beds, tears of blood on their faces. Spotting a figure he couldn't see on a platform near the device, Oliver walked the steps.

He had been right, he thought sadly as he stared down at Sin. Her skin was pale as she seemed asleep, dressed only in a ratty pair of jeans and a sports bra. Oliver felt for a purse, finding it weak but steady, to his relief. Oliver's hand grasped the wire connecting Sin to the Biotransfuser when a voice spoke up behind him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Oliver whirled around, notching an arrow. Slade walked in, dressed in a business suit, a sword in hand. Behind him was Emiko, dressed in a dark red jumpsuit with quiver on his back and a bow in her hand.

"Removing her mid-cycle will surely end her life," Slade warned him.

"Slade, she's just a kid! She's innocent!" Oliver snarled.

"As were we once brother. But our father saw to that. I'm glad you finally know the truth about him Oliver. Now you know that you were always destined to be a monster," Emiko said gleefully.

"I am not my father Emiko. I'm my own man!" Oliver snarled.

"A man who will soon see everything he cares for turned to ash," Slade said as he raised his sword towards Oliver. "If you could feel the power that is surging through me, you would know that I do not fear an arrow. I am stronger than you can ever imagine." Slade then waved his sword towards the Iron Heights prisoners. "And soon, I will not be alone."

Oliver spun around and fired, his arrow sailing into a nearby fuse box. It sparked as the power went out, shutting down the Biotransfuser. Oliver then whirled around and fired three arrows at Slade, who easily deflected them with his sword. Emiko fired an arrow at Oliver but he pulled out a flechette and tossed it at the arrow. The two projectiles collided in midair before falling harmlessly to the ground.

Emiko moved to notch another arrow when she suddenly turned, catching an arrow, stopping it inches from her face. She looked up and saw Roy in a red hoodie, aiming a bow and arrow at her.

Distracted, she barely noticed as Sara jumped down, whirling her baton. Emiko snapped out of it as Sara rushed her. Emiko whirled her bow, blocking Sara's baton with it. However, Sara sent a well-aimed stick to her knees, causing Emiko to lose her balance. Emiko was unable to block Sara's strike to her head with the baton and she went down, dazed.

At the same time, Slade roared as he rushed forward, tackling Oliver and slamming him into a nearby pillar. Slade then flipped him over onto his back. Although winded, aimed his bow at Slade.

"You can't hurt me kid," Slade said smugly.

In response, Oliver pressed a hidden button on his bow. A pair of bolts fired from the bow and hit Slade in the chest. Slade looked down at them in surprise before they exploded, sending him falling back.

Getting up, Oliver saw Sara was getting Sin from the platform. Something caught Oliver's eye as he moved to join her. A small vial of green liquid was on the Biotransfuser. Mirakuru, he realized as he picked it up. As he joined Sara on the platform, Emiko got up. However, before she could anything, she cried out as she was hit in the shoulder by a re d arrow, falling on her back.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you," Roy said, another arrow trained on her.

As Sara picked up Sin, Oliver saw Slade staggering to his feet. Knowing he couldn't beat him now, Oliver fired a grappling arrow into the ceiling, grabbed Sara, and hit the winch on his bow, drawing the pair into the air and out of Slade's reach.

Safe house

Later

Downstairs, Sin was on a med table, hooked up to a blood bag as Oliver, Sara, Roy, Felicity, Thea and Moira surrounded her.

"She's lost a lot of blood. I don't know what the Biotransfuser did to her, but she's barely breathing. She needs a real doctor," Sara fretted.

"We can't take her to a real doctor. They'll run tests, we need to keep what's in her from getting out," Oliver argued.

"Then let's take her to ARGUS!" Sara argued.

"Calm down and think Sara. We have no idea how deep the Ninth Circle's infiltration of ARGUS goes. Right now, this is the best place for here," Oliver reasoned.

"And we still have a Slade problem. He now has twenty guys who are just like him," Felicity pointed out. "And we have no way to stop him."

"Yes, we do," Oliver said, pulling out the green vial.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sara asked in shock and Oliver nodded.

"Mirakuru," he confirmed.

"Please tell me you weren't planning on taking it," Felicity pleaded.

"No. We're gonna use it to create a cure," Oliver said to the shock of everyone.

"Oliver, we don't even know if it's possible to reverse the effects," Felicity argued.

"Yes we do. Ivo did it," Oliver announced, to Felicity's shock as he exchanged a look with Sara. "He created a solution that would reverse the effects of the Mirakuru. Five years ago, I had a chance to cure Slade. I chose to kill him instead. I made the wrong choice."

The room was silent as Oliver turned away, making his way up the steps.

"Should we go after him?" Roy asked uncertainly.

"It's been a long day. Give him some time," Sara told him.

Later, Oliver sat on the couch, staring down at the flash drive with a tormented look in his eyes. Moira walked up behind him, lingering.

"What's that?" Moira asked after a moment.

"The missing piece Dad left out of his confession. The incident with Goodwin was caught on video by a security camera. Dad covered it up," Oliver said as he put down the drive on the table. "I don't know how to reconcile the man on this video with the man who shot himself in the head to save my life Mom."

"You know better than anyone your father was a complex man Oliver," Moira said gently as she sat down next to him. "He had an equally complex son. The only way to move on is to bury his ghost, for good. It doesn't mean we love him any less. But we need to say goodbye."

"And how do I do that?" Oliver asked lowly.

"By forgiving yourself," Moira and he looked at her confused. "Stop holding yourself accountable for his sins. You are not to blame for the actions of our family. Let the past stay in the past. I think it's what your father would want."

"You are actually not the first person to say that to me today," Oliver said with a weak smile before frowning. "For so long, I have blamed myself for the actions of Dad, believed it was my responsibility to right his wrongs. But…maybe it's time to finally let go, live our own lives."

Moira didn't say anything; simply held his hand as he came to this decision. The warning the Spectre gave was still on her mind. But she would not burden her children with that. If this was to be her last week on earth, she would spend it making sure that both her children would not be defined by her and Robert's mistakes.

Star Labs, next day

Morning

Cisco and Caitlin were packing up equipment in the lab when the door opened. They looked up as Felicity walked in.

"I need you guys to do me a favor," Felicity said as she held out the vial of Mirakuru. "This time, it'll be our secret."

ARGUS base

Same time

Lyla was doing some paperwork when the door to her office opened. She was surprised to see Sara walk in.

"Sara. Has something happened?" Lyla asked as she got to her feet.

"No, well, nothing that can be done now," Sara said. "That's not why I' here."

Sara pulled out a file and placed it on Lyla's desk. Confused, Lyla picked it up and opened it.

"That is a file that Slade left for Roy on his father's murder," Sara said and Lyla looked up at her. "It was covered up."

"And Slade's using it to mess with Roy," Lyla said and Sara nodded. "Did he ask you to bring me this?"

"No. He doesn't even know I'm here. But Roy needs to know who killed his father, I can tell by the look in his eyes," Sara explained and Lyla nodded in understanding.

"I won't promise anything, but I'll see what can find," Lyla assured her.

Queen Consolidated

Same time

"Thank you for coming," Oliver told the press as he stood on the steps of Queen Consolidated, giving a press conference. "I'd like to talk to you about my father.

"The SCPD informed me this morning that they can now say definitively that the allegations made against Robert Queen are true. My father is not here to defend himself. And I cannot find the words to defend his actions. What I can tell you is that, nearly seven years ago, in a moment of - of immense courage, Robert Queen chose to sacrifice himself so that I might live. So that I had the opportunity to leave behind a better legacy than he did. So that I might return and - and one day serve this city. Today, we are taking a step forward. Tomorrow, we'll take another step forward. And the day after, we will take another one because it is time - it truly is time for us to leave the past in the past so that our children might inherit the Starling City we have always dreamed of. The way my father dreamt of a better life for me and my sister. Thank you."

ARGUS base

Same time

In the prison section, Isabel Rochev stood in a cell, an orange jumpsuit as she watched Oliver's speech on the TV on the wall. She stared blankly at it before a dark smirk crossed her face.

Central City

Same time

Diggle sat in a car, watching several people pass on a busy street. Seeing his target, he smiled before getting out of his car. He walked across the street before 'accidently' bumping into a young boy, who dropped his book bag.

"Sorry about that kiddo," Diggle said as he picked up the book bag, handing it over to the boy.

"William, what do you say," his mother said as she saw this from nearby.

"Thank you," William said while Diggle studied him as he handed the book bag to him.

"You have your mother's eyes and hair…but you look more like your father at this age," Diggle noted.

Samantha stiffened as William looked up at him in confusion.

"You know my dad?" William questioned as Diggle smiled.

"I do. You might say we're like family," Diggle said ominously.

Hope I did okay on the scenes with Spectre Oliver.

Isabel is now locked up at ARGUS but we all know things are never that easy.

Bet you didn't see that ending coming did you? The final stages of Slade's plan are being set in motion.