Flashback, 6 years ago, Wildcat Gym, Night
Two weeks into her training at the Wildcat Gym, Laurel was throwing a series of punches at her trainer, Ted Grant. She then ducked to avoid his swing and then threw a few jabs at his gut. "That's not bad." Ted complimented her on her technique.
"Yeah. It's better than not bad." Laurel said with a mouthguard. Throwing a few more punches, Ted eventually flipped her on her but in the boxing ring.
"What the hell was that?" Laurel asked agitatedly after removing her mouthguard.
"Today's lesson. Fightings about being surprised and not getting rattled. You looked rattled." Ted commented.
"Try angry." She countered thinking her Dad's drunken absences were getting to her today.
"Second lesson. It's not about you getting knocked to the mat. It's if you get up." He told her holding out his hand as she took it.
"Ok, fine. Let's go again." She said putting up her dukes.
"Alright." He said and swung a few punches but then Laurel got in close and tried to use the same move Ted used on her but it failed and instead Laurel fell down with Ted; on top of him. "Uh, what was that?"
"That was ... me making a fool of myself apparently." She admitted with an embarrassing chuckle. "I thought I could pay you back for that move earlier, but it's trickier than it looks."
"Don't worry. I'll teach it to you." He said with a small smile. Realizing she was still on top of her trainer, Laurel briefly thought to herself that she should get off him but instead, she found herself thinking how it had been over a year since she'd been with someone; not since Ollie. And as she looked at Ted, remembering that she did find him attractive when she first saw him, acting in a spur of the moment she kissed him. As he kissed back, Ted had some doubts about where this was going. "You know, this is probably a bad idea." He admitted in between their kisses.
"Yeah, but I don't care. I have a lot of steam to blow off tonight." She replied and the two fighters continued to make out while removing their boxing gloves. Flipping Laurel on her back, Ted parted her full lips and removed his muscle tank revealing his chiseled physique which his student groped at. Moving to her naval, Ted lifted up her shirt as he planted a series of kisses up to her body; moving her shirt along the way until it came off of her. Pulling at Ted's face from her sports bra-covered chest, Laurel gave her trainer a nice long smooch.
Present, Streets of Starling City, Night
Remembering his nightmares as of late, Roy became absent-minded of where he was currently at. "Roy," Oliver said, snapping Roy back into reality as they were out on patrol. "Where'd you go?" He asked.
"Sorry."
"Get your head in the game." Oliver chastised him. "We're in position," Oliver said pressing his comm-link.
"So is the Culebra Cartel and their Gajillion pounds of Heroin," Felicity said from the Arrowcave, her fingers doing what they do best. "They all showed up about 30 minutes ago and they haven't moved from your location." She told him as she checked the computer screen.
"Got it," Oliver replied.
"No sentries outside," Dig told them as he ran up behind them. "If we're going to do this, we need to do it now." He told them.
"I've got north entrance, Dig's got the south, Roy ..."
"East," Roy answered.
"The roof." Oliver corrected. "You're on overwatch."
"The Culebras get their weapons from the Bratva. All military grade." Dig reminded the kid.
"I've got your backs," Roy told them.
"Let's do this," Oliver said as they split up.
"South is clear." Dig checked the perimeter at gunpoint. "Nobody's home."
Looking around on the rooftop, Roy checked in. "Roof's clear."
"North is empty, too," Oliver said on comms as he walked in.
"That doesn't make sense. They all showed up half an hour ago and never left." Felicity told them. "They are in there somewhere." She told them as she checked satellite imaging of the building.
Looking around, Oliver found the Culebra members. All of them were dead and several were strung up upside down. "Looks like somebody beat us here," Dig noted as he joined Oliver. "There's at least a few million dollars worth of Heroin." He said noticing the drugs; this wasn't a bunch of criminals ripping off other criminals. Looking around, one of the members shot back up startling Dig as he grabbed his leg. Mumbling something in Spanish, Dig almost didn't hear it. "He took Paco." He translated to Oliver.
"Whoever did this ignored the drugs, took a gang member. This was personal." Oliver said reviewing the facts.
"Yeah, more than that. Whoever did this was trying to send a message." Dig said looking around for any clues.
"I think I know what it is," Roy told them as showed up on the scene from the railing on the second floor. Moving to Roy's point of view, Oliver saw that the killer had written the word "Guilty" in gigantic writing; in the blood of his victims.
Arrowcave
"Guilty. Well, yeah. The Culebras are the bloodiest gang in Starling." Felicity commented reviewing the crime scene photos.
"Who's the second bloodiest?" Oliver asked her.
"Culebras have a long-standing rivalry with the Los Halcones," Felicity informed him.
"Thought you said this was personal, not business." Dig remembering Oliver's earlier speculation.
"And Paco?" Oliver asked as Felicity pulled up surveillance photos of the missing Paco.
"There are only 86,000 Pacos in Starling, give or take 5,000 for a few nicknames." Felicity brought up the statistics.
"Something tells me that the Culebra's longstanding rivals will narrow that down for us," Oliver said.
"You know, when we find Paco, he'll be too dead to say anything." Dig pointed out.
"I'm not looking for him. I'm looking for whoever did this." Oliver revealed and Roy went to join him before Oliver stopped him. "I will handle this. Take the rest of the night." He told his protege.
"I'll back you up," Roy said.
"Not dead on your feet, you won't." Oliver pointed out.
"I'm sorry. I know I've been a little out of it recently." Roy tried to explain.
"Don't be sorry. Be rested. I wouldn't be much of a teacher if I let you get killed because your reaction time is slow, ok?" Oliver told him, Roy just nodded as he walked away from him. "Dig." He said getting his former bodyguard's attention.
"There are a lot of Halcones members in Starling City," Dig noted as he grabbed and clocked his Glock. "How about I take the ones north of Tenth street." He said as he and Oliver left.
Wildcat Gym
Holding the heavy bag, Ted braced himself from the force of Laurel's kicks. She must've delivered over two dozen roundhouse kicks in the last minute, Laurel finished with a push kick. "So why do you need to blow off steam tonight?" Ted asked.
"What makes you think I need to blow some off?" She asked then delivered another push kick with her left leg this time.
"Cause after training you for over years, I know the difference in your punches." He reminded her.
"I'm working on kicks right now." She countered.
"Seriously. Everything all right? Is it your dad? Or what's his face." He brought up thinking about Queen, as he had some very strong opinions about him.
"Oliver. And no. Just -" She said, then delivered another push kick. "Lot on my mind right now." She said thinking about her metahuman status.
"Anything I can do to help?" He offered.
"No. Actually ... can we do something other than sparing?" She said exhaling taking off her boxing gloves.
"Good. 'Cause I'm getting hungry." He mentioned as he grabbed his hoodie. Two blocks from here - Korean Tacos." He told her.
"Korean Tacos?" She said with some skepticism as she grabbed her jacket.
"Trust me. They're Heaven. Come on, I'm buying." He offered as Ted turned off the lights as he and Laurel left his gym.
Arrowcave
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Roy asked out of his work clothes.
"You just did," Felicity said pointing out his grammar as she stared at her computer screen. "Kidding. What?" She asked.
"You know how to do a blood test, right?" He asked.
"I know just enough to make me dangerous. And, well, me holding a syringe, well, that makes me more dangerous." She chuckled as she got up from her chair to check her tablet. "Why?"
"I need you to test my blood." He said.
"For what? And don't say STDs. Because that would be crossing a line." She said with a mild threat.
"For Mirakuru."
"I don't need to check you for traces of Mirakuru. You were cured." She reminded him as she walked past him.
"I know, I -"
"If this is about your sleep problems, Mirakuru makes people crazy strong and crazy crazy. It doesn't make it hard for them to get 8 hours." She reminded him thinking that's what this was about.
"Could you just-"
"Are you ok?" She asked. "I mean, besides the whole not sleeping thing."
"Totally. I'm fine." He lied. "I'm just looking for reasons to help me sleep, you know?"
"Ok." She said going to get the equipment as Roy looked on.
Los Halcones Hideout
Finished roughing up some Halcones members, leaving them alive but with arrows in them; Oliver slammed one of them against the stairway railing. "I'm looking for a Culebra member named Paco," Oliver said in a hostile voice to scare him.
"Emilio?" The gang banger asked the vigilante.
"Paco!" Oliver roared.
"That's what they call him, Ese! Paco's his street name!" He clarified.
"Who?!"
"Emilio. Emilio Ortega."
"Thank you," Oliver said showing his gratitude with a punch in the face.
"Felicity, I have a name," Oliver said on comms. "Emilio Ortega."
"Pinging his cells' GPS." Felicity already bringing up his rap sheet. "He's in the Glades. Ninth and Hasen."
Wildcat Gym
Arriving at the scene, Oliver broke in and shined a flashlight. Looking around he saw Paco, hanging upside with the word "Guilty" written in his blood on the floor behind him. As the lights came back on, Oliver quickly notched an arrow and turned around to see Ted Grant; Laurel's old friend and fighting instructor. "Why'd you kill all those men?" Oliver asked Ted.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ted asked cluelessly.
"What are you doing?!" Laurel asked Oliver seeing as the Green Arrow as she joined them.
"Get out of here," Oliver ordered as he moved closer to them.
Quickly, Laurel saw a dead body strung up upside down. "Oh, my god."
"Now, Laurel!" Oliver yelled.
"No! Ted didn't do this. Ted's been with me for the past two hours. He trained with me, and then we went out for dinner. And that ..." She explained looking at the body. "He wasn't here when we left." She finished and Oliver believing her, unnotched his arrow and lowered his bow.
Arrowcave
Turning off the blood analysis machine, the results showed up on Felicity's computer; Roy's blood was negative for Mirakuru. "Ok, that is ten minutes of my life I am never getting back," Felicity said sardonically.
"I'm clean?" Roy asked.
"Your Cholesterol is a little high for someone of your age, but absolutely zero Mirakuru serum. Congratulations." He reassured him with a joke.
"Ahh, thank God." He said breathing a sigh of relief.
"Ok, you're acting like I just told you that the biopsy came back negative. What is going on?" She pressed.
"It's - it's stupid." He admitted.
"You just had me test your blood for a serum you were cured of six months ago. I already knew it was stupid." She reminded him.
"The reason I haven't been sleeping is 'cause I've been having dreams and not normal ones. It was like I was remembering the time I was out, you know? When Slade OD'd me on the Mirakuru." He explained.
"What do you remember?" She asked after freezing slightly, as they still haven't told Roy the truth yet.
"Nothing much. Just a feeling. A feeling of being ... not me. And being strong and out of control, but here's the thing - in those dreams - I killed someone." He revealed.
"This really had you worried."
"Because the dreams they didn't feel like dreams, Felicity. They felt like memories. Crazy, right?"
"Yeah. Crazy." Goes back to the computer screen worried that Roy was starting to remember.
Wildcat Gym
As the cops arrived, the CSIs took Paco's body down and began their investigation. Quentin, who was called by Laurel finished hearing her statement. "So that's it?" He asked.
"I was with him the whole time. You can put me on the box if you'd like." Laurel told her dad.
"If I wanted to give my daughter a polygraph, I'd have it done back when you discovered beer." He said with a chuckle. "So listen, what's the story with you and this guy, anyway?" He asked referring to Ted who was also giving his statement.
"Ted is an old friend and trainer." She told him.
"Who you went to dinner with?"
"As friends. But I know him, and he would never do something like this." She told him.
"Well, we've got to hold him here till the coroner's official findings come back, and then if they're consistent with his story, we'll cut him loose." He explained as Laurel looked at Ted.
Leaving the Wildcat Gym, Laurel looked around and left the police and bystanders watching the building; eventually finding Oliver who lowered his hood as she approached him. "Well ..." He asked.
"Well ... it's like I said. He didn't do it." She told her boyfriend.
"Why would a mass murderer string up a body in his gym?" Oliver pondered.
"Ted caters to a pretty rough clientele. A lot of career criminals, gangbangers. He runs afoul of one every now and again. He thinks someone was trying to send him a message." She listened off the possible alternatives based on Ted's statements.
"Who?"
"He says he doesn't know." She mentioned.
"I want to talk to him." He told her.
"About this case, or me?" She brought it up.
"You've been training with him a lot recently," He brought up.
"So I blow off some steam with Ted instead of you, I'm just spending time with an old friend. Plus it's nice to train somewhere a little less cramped." She said as the Arrowcave could make her feel a little bit claustrophobic at times. "You know, you're starting to sound a little jealous, Ollie."
"I'm not," He denied strongly. "Just - just keep your eyes open to this guy." He suggested.
"He didn't do this." She repeated.
"Just the same." He said heading back to the Foundry.
Arrowcave
"So what do we know about Ted Grant, that we don't already know," Oliver asked his team.
"I saw his title fight on pay per view, they call him Wildcat. He's the real deal." Dig mentioned being a friend of Laurel's trainer as he looked up the files and newspaper articles that Felicity brought up on her screen.
"Body in his gym was strung up the same way that the bodies in the warehouse were. Like punching bags." Oliver realized.
"What if Laurel vouches for him?" Roy spoke up.
"I don't think that Laurel is seeing clearly on this one." Oliver expressed reluctantly.
"If Grant's our doer, he's more than a professional fighter," Dig said.
"I hacked CSU's files on the warehouse murders. The Culebras were armed to the teeth but the killer the psycho mass murder guy, never fired a shot. They were beaten to death by brass knuckles." Felicity revealed.
"It's a pretty specific M.O.," Oliver said.
"It matches one murder from six years ago." Felicity brought up. "Same as tonight. Culebra drug dealer. Blunt force trauma consistent with brass knuckles worn by a left-handed assailant."
"Let me guess - Ted "Wildcat" Grant's a lefty." Roy sighed sarcastically.
"They called him the Starling Southpaw." Dig confirmed.
"Well, SCPD never put that together, because Ted was never arrested," Felicity said and immediately her computer began beeping showing Ted's current location. "He's moving."
"You dinged him with a tracer." Dig realized as Oliver moved out.
"Just because Laurel trusts him doesn't mean I have to. Talk me in." Oliver said as she began her work.
Storage Facility
Making a landing, Oliver began searching for Ted. His search brought him to a local storage facility and after looking around, he found a storage room open. Entering it he saw another body, strung up like a punching bag. Looking around, Oliver saw posters of Ted's days as a pro-boxer and MMA fighter. A custom mask. A newspaper articles about a Vigilante. Various kinds of weapons, including knives, nunchakus, and brass knuckles. Leaning down, Oliver found something on the floor and picked it up but as he did; Ted immediately ambushed him and put him in a headlock.
Rolling to the ground, Ted held the Green Arrow in a grappling position. However, Oliver managed to get out of it and began exchanging blows with him, with Oliver giving him a left swing to push him off. Getting to their feet, Oliver could see that despite being "retired" Ted still had some skill. Delivering some hard punches on his gut, Ted managed to give him a right cross to his face. Pushing him back with a punch of his own, Ted fell on his back with Oliver, and with his foot on Oliver's chest pushed him off causing him to roll on the ground. Seeing a nearby boxing glove, Oliver put one of his arrows in it and fired it directly at Grant's face, knocking him down.
"Second time I've found you with a body!" Oliver angrily accused him through his voice modifier as he stood over Ted.
"I've never killed anybody. I'm being set up." Ted grunted as he slowly got off his back.
"Why should I believe you?!" Oliver yelled.
"Because I used to be a vigilante. I used to be you." Ted revealed.
A few minutes later, Oliver allowed Ted back on his feet and decided to hear him out; for Laurel's sake and out of pure curiosity to be honest. "This city's been hurting long before you showed up," Ted told the Green Arrow who was looking at his wall of weapons and articles.
"I've never heard of another vigilante in Starling," Oliver mentioned.
"It was six years ago. I wasn't news - I stuck to the Glades." Ted told him as he didn't have the Green Arrow's flair.
"And these are supposed to convince me?" Oliver said holding up the masks that Ted presumably used. "Masks are also useful for serial killers."
"Says a guy currently wearing one." Ted witted.
"Who's that?" Oliver said referring to the corpse.
"I don't know. I've never seen him before in my life. But this was hung around the body." Ted said pulling out a chained key from his jacket. "That was found in my gym. The key is to the storage locker. He's leaving me a trail to follow." He said as Oliver took the key from him.
"Who is?"
"Whoever's setting me up," Ted said getting pissed. "Look, I've never killed anyone."
"Except for that drug dealer that you beat to death six years ago." Oliver reminded him.
"That was a mistake. I may have avoided jail but I have lived with the guilt of that man's death. Every single day of my life." Ted expressed. "I gave it up all after that. I locked this place up and I swore I'd never open it again." He revealed.
"Who else knows about the locker?" Oliver questioned.
"No one." Ted lied. "This is where I kept my supplies. A safe place separate from my day job. I'm sure you've got one just like it."
"Mine's bigger." Oliver gruffly cracked.
"Look, we're both trying to find out who the hell's doing this. We could help each other." Ted suggested as Oliver considered.
Streets of Starling City
"His name is Albert Mancini. No criminal record, aside from a few unpaid parking tickets." Laurel said showing Oliver the file of the murder victim found in Ted's storage room.
"Grant says he doesn't know who this guy is," Oliver said.
"Oh, and now you believe him." She accused, annoyed by Oliver's bugging Ted.
"I haven't decided yet!" He shot back. "Do you know that you're training with a vigilante?
"Former, apparently. And no, I didn't." She said but Oliver gave her a suspicious look. "I didn't!"
"So you also didn't know that six years ago, he beat someone to death?" He asked and Laurel looked startled at Ted.
"That's - that can't be true." She uttered.
"Apparently, you don't know him as well as you think. How many more reasons am I going to have to give you before you stay away from this guy?" He said, temper flaring.
"Ok, you know what, are you guys just about finished with your little private chat?" Ted asked frustratedly as he was waiting for the distance.
"The guy from your storage unit, he has no criminal record. He's a magician, a magician's assistant more accurately. He worked with a local act before getting cut loose. Mancini hasn't worked since." She said giving him the police file.
"Culebra Cartel, Magician's Assistant. What's the connection?" Oliver asked.
"Their act was at the Sansa Bar." Ted noticed. "The Sansa Bar's where's the drug dealer was murdered," He revealed.
"You mean the person you beat to death?" Oliver accused as Laurel shot him a look.
"I told you - whoever's doing this is leaving me a trail to follow." Ted reminded him.
"Then we follow it," Laurel told them.
"We need another minute," Oliver told Ted.
"How do you two know each other?" Ted asked.
"Because we work together. I'm the Black Canary." She revealed to Ted, who look surprised but quickly laughed it off as he gave the two, room to talk.
"I can't believe you just did that?" Oliver said pissed at her.
"I trust Ted, okay!" She shot back.
"Despite, everything you obviously didn't know!" He countered and Laurel stayed adamant. "Laurel exactly - how "close" were the two of you?"
"Finally, you get to ask the question you've been dying to ask." She sassed and Oliver waited for her answer. "We hooked up for one night, not long after we first met. Do you want the exact details or are you curious if I've been doing this recently?" She asked her temper getting the better of her considering the irony of their situation.
"That is not what I am suggesting." He said immediately not doubting her faithfulness. "I'm saying that there is something off about Ted and you are not seeing clearly!" He proclaimed.
"I think we both know that I am not the one seeing clearly." She said trying to remain calm as Oliver walked away to Ted.
"Stay here." He told her.
"You cannot be serious." She annoyingly grimaced.
"Very. Let's go." He told Grant.
"What about Laurel?" Ted asked.
"She's not coming." He said to his girlfriend's one-time lover.
Arrowcave
"Oliver has a 20 on our killer," Dig told, Roy and Felicity.
"I thought Oliver was tracking Grant," Roy replied.
"Looks like things have changed. Suit up, he wants us to provide back-up." Dig told him.
"Roy can't go," Felicity sprung up to stop him.
"What?"
"I need to talk to you about something important," Felicity said.
"It can wait," Roy said.
"No, it can't." She said grabbing his arm. "John?" She asked for him to go on his own.
"I'll take care of it," Dig said as he left.
"What the hell was that about?" Roy asked.
"We need to talk."
"Yeah, you made that pretty clear."
"Um," She said after stopping at her computer desk. "Roy ... I don't, don't know how to say this other than just to say it or in this case - show you." She said and pulled up a police file and photo of a cop that looked somewhat familiar to Roy.
"Who's that?" He asked.
"His name is Officer Gabe Vincent." She asked softly. "Did you remember him?"
"No, should I?" He shook his head.
"Yes. Roy you should ... close your eyes." She asked and he gave her a look of surprise. "Please." She asked again and Roy did as she asked and closed his eyes. "Take a breath, and remember. Remember Vincent's face. Your dreams. Six months ago." And as Roy did, his mind flashed back to the night of the time he was out. Of when he stabbed and killed, Officer Vincent. Upon, realizing it, a startled Roy stepped back; horrified by what he realized.
"I killed him." He uttered in horror. "Why didn't you tell me. Any of you!"
"Because you were overdosed on Mirakuru, you didn't remember, and we - Oliver was hoping that you never would. But then you told me about your dreams and I realized ..." She explained 'til Roy cut her off.
"They were memories." He finished for her.
"Yeah." She admitted. "Sometimes, repressed memories can manifest as dreams. These past few weeks, I think you're mind has been trying to tell you that -"
"That I'm a murderer." He mentioned.
"Roy, no."
"I just ... I need to be alone right now," He said walking away from her, as Felicity wondered if she just made a big mistake.
Sansa Bar
Pulling up his van, Dig pressed his comms in his ear. "I'm on site." He told Oliver.
"Copy. Keep watching the perimeter." Oliver ordered as he entered the bar with Ted.
"How many partners do you have, anyway?" Ted inquired.
"The Culebras. The body in your gym, the body in your storage locker. Someone's gone to a lot of trouble to frame you for murders and bring you here." Oliver recounted thinking this killer had a personal grudge against Grant. "Why? What does all this have to do with one killing six years ago?" He pressed.
Immediately, a spotlight popped up. Showing a masked vigilante. "Hello, Ted. I see you got my messages." Isaac addressed him and opened fire on both of them, with Oliver and Ted immediately taking cover behind a pillar. "Arrows. Brass knuckles. I never knew why we couldn't just use a gun the way they did." He said in between the gunshots.
"Because we're better than they are. At least we're supposed to be." Ted reminded his former student.
"That's almost ironic, coming from you. I trusted you!" Isaac accused him.
Moving out of the pillar, Oliver fired an arrow disarming the shooting. Running away, Oliver gave chase but just then Ted heard the police siren and the cops showed up.
"SCPD!" One of the cops said as the rest aimed their guns at Ted. "Ted Grant. You are under arrest for multiple counts of homicide." They said as Oliver watched from the second floor, where the shooter was.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do this." Ted said calmly.
"Yeah? Tell that to the stiff we found in your locker." The cop revealed as she cuffed him. "Let's go." She said walking him out of the bar as Oliver watched on.
Verdant
"Sorry, he got past me. He knew an exit out of the building that wasn't on any of the blueprints that Felicity hooked me up with." Dig explained as he walked in with Oliver, with Laurel waiting for him.
"You had Ted arrested?" Laurel accused.
"Your father's men found him at a crime scene. Another body was found at a storage locker that he owns, along with evidence of past vigilantism." Oliver said reminding her of the facts.
"No. He's an innocent." She firmly believed.
"I know. I saw the person who's doing this." He revealed.
"Who is it?"
"He was wearing Ted's old gear. Full face mask." He said after an exhale. "Let's go."
"Clearly Grant knows who's behind the mask," Oliver said as they entered the Arrowcave, and saw Roy approach him and then slugged him in the face startling both Dig, Laurel, and especially Oliver.
"Roy, what the hell?" Dig exclaimed.
"What was that for?" Oliver asked holding his cheeked.
"I think you know," Roy said trying to control his temper.
"Know what?"
"Oliver, he knows ... about the cop," Felicity revealed reluctantly and Oliver looked at Roy saddened realizing what this was about.
"Roy," He tried to explain.
"Six months! You've been lying to me for six months. All of you!" Roy shouted looking at Dig and Laurel too. "How could you? Any of you?" He said walking past Dig, who then grabbed him by the arm.
"Roy, where do you think you're going?" Dig asked.
"Diggle, let him go," Oliver told him and he did just that as Roy left.
Oliver looked at Felicity who looked saddened. "You told him?" Oliver asked her.
"I'm sorry. He was remembering ... it's why he hasn't been sleeping lately. His memories showing up as dreams. And I couldn't lie to him. Couldn't let him think he was going crazy or something. I'm sorry, Oliver." She said apologetically.
"It's okay, Felicity. This isn't your fault, it's mine." Oliver assured her. Taking a deep sigh, Oliver turned to Laurel. "Listen, Grant knows who's been doing this. I need you to talk him." He asked her and she nodded as she left.
SCPD Interrogation Room
"16 murders," Quentin told Ted as he was handcuffed to the table. "17, counting the one from six years ago. That's more than the Son of Sam, less than Bundy." He informed him. "Probably worth a mini-series, huh? Maybe a book?" Pressing Ted, as he continued to remain silent, however, they both saw Laurel opened the door to interrupt them. "You became a defense attorney?" He asked rhetorically.
"Can I talk to him for a minute?" Laurel asked her dad.
Sighing deeply, Quentin grabbed his file to leave. "You sure can pick 'em." He expressed in a low voice, his daughter's sometimes questionable taste in men.
"You okay?" Ted asked after Laurel shut the door.
"I'm not the one facing a lifetime in prison." She remarked with her usual sass. "Who framed you?"
"I don't know." He lied.
"I can't help you if you're going to keep lying to me. The Green Arrow saw you with him. He knows you know who it is." She told her sulking friend and then took a seat down across from him. "Ted, we've known each other a long time. We're friends. Hell, we even slept together once. And despite all the recent revelations that I didn't know about you, despite the Green Arrow telling me that I'm not seeing straight when comes to you as of late. I know you. I know that you're a good man. And I can get the DA's office to refuse to seek an indictment. But first ... I'm going to need you to be straight with me. Who was the man behind the mask?"
"His name's Isaac Stanzler." He revealed after a slight pause. "Six years ago, the Culebras ran the Glades. I thought it would be a good idea for families to be able to live there without worrying about their kids getting shot. So I decided to do something about." He reminisced.
"You became a vigilante." She finished for him.
"Just like your friend in the green hood - without the green hood." He witted.
"And what about Stanzler?"
"You know the guy the Green Arrow's been running around with lately the one in red? Stanzler was my guy in red. I guess you can call him my apprentice. He was you before I met you. One night, we decided to go after this drug dealer that was pushing Crank near the school. We tracked him all the way to this nightclub." He said thinking back.
"And what happened?"
"That drug dealer ... Isaac got to him first." He revealed.
"That murder from six years ago ... that wasn't you, that was him." She leaned in putting two and two together.
"I hung it up after that." He said with a weary sigh.
"What about Stanzler?" She asked put Ted remained quiet. "What happened to Isaac Stanzler?"
"I told him to get the hell out of Starling. That I never wanted to see his face ever again. I cut him loose. That's why I've been lying to you this whole time, Laurel. Everything that's happening is my fault." He shamefully admitted as Ted did basically the same thing to her, years ago.
Arrowcave
"No word from Laurel?" Oliver asked Felicity.
"Not yet. But according to SCPD email traffic, which I may or may not have hacked into, they are dropping the charges against Ted Grant." Felicity explained.
"Oliver, let me go after Roy," Dig asked.
"And do what exactly?" Oliver asked.
"I don't know, but I don't like where the kid's head is at." Dig expressed his worried. "I'm also worried that we might've made the wrong call since he killed that cop."
"You think we should've been upfront with him from the start?" Oliver asked wondering the same thing himself.
"No, Oliver ... I think should've turned Roy into the authorities after he did." Dig expressed much to Oliver's surprise.
"Are you telling me we should've cut him loose?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"I'm the one who brought Roy into this crusade." Oliver reminded him.
"Oliver this crusade is about justice, right? Where's the justice for Officer Vincent. For his family." Dig pointed out as Oliver considered what he was saying. "Look all I'm saying is that we can't have two sets of rules - one for us and one for the bad guys."
Outside SCPD
Leaving behind the precinct's back door into the alley, Laurel decided to pick Ted's brain. "So what do you think Stanzler's next move is?" Laurel asked.
"Well, framing me didn't work. I'm almost afraid to think of what he might try to do next." Ted admitted.
"What I should have done from the start," Isaac said sneaking up behind the two, jamming his gun into the back of Ted's neck. Turning Ted around, Isaac took his mask off. "After you abandoned me, the Culebra family, they wanted payback for the man they lost. They tortured me for months before I escaped."
"Isaac I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Ted said feeling sympathy for his old student as he then put his gun to his chest. "Come on, let's talk about this."
"Oh, don't worry, we will. There's so much I have to say before I kill you." Isaac told his old mentor as Laurel watched on.
Roads of Starling City
Although Laurel could've probably taken Isaac, Ted asked her not to; wanting to try to reach out to him. Getting into her car, Laurel drove for several blocks with Ted in the passenger's seat and Isaac in the backseat holding his gun against Laurel. "Where are we going?" Laurel asked annoyed.
"Just drive!" Isaac said angrily.
"Hey, your beef is with me. Ok, you got me. Let her go." He pleaded. "Taking innocent people hostage? Man, I taught you better than that."
"They're not people, they're criminals," Isaac argued back and Laurel saw he was distracted having his debate with Ted, made her move.
"Albert Mancini wasn't you still strung him up in that nightclub." Ted reminded him, and Laurel pressed her phone to call Felicity.
"You taught me that there are no innocents when you abandoned me to the Culebras. You gave me direction, purpose, and then when things got tough, when I really needed you, you weren't there.
"It's Laurel," Felicity said seeing her pop up on her phone.
"Put her on speaker," Oliver told her.
"I hated you so much for that," Isaac said over the phone.
"That voice. That's him." Oliver remembered as Felicity began her work.
"I was just a kid. You were supposed to know better." Isaac ranted as Oliver and Felicity listened.
"Call's coming from Laurel's cell phone. Moving fast, 45 miles an hour. They're in her car." Felicity informed him. "They're headed north on route 17."
"Keep that line open." He told her as he went to suit up.
"Isaac I'm sorry. I had no idea!" Ted told him.
"Eyes on the road," Isaac shouted to Laurel, but then the three saw a van, driven by Dig, heading straight for them. Turning the car, Laurel narrowly missed John who quickly pulled a U-Turn to follow after them. "Who was that, huh? Who was it?!" He questioned Ted at gunpoint.
"I don't know," Ted replied but he had his suspicions. "The only friend I ever had was you. Not until, Laurel." He mentioned sadly.
Pulling out on route 17 on his motorcycle, Oliver chased after them. Finding them, Laurel caught sight of Oliver in her mirror but she wasn't the only one. Isaac saw him too and fired his gun shooting through the backseat window. Oliver avoided it, Isaac fired again at left side window but Oliver pulled back on his bike to avoid it. Firing an arrow, it missed Isaac and hit the dashboard.
"Hey, drive!" Isaac shouted at Laurel as grabbed the steering wheel making a hard right which caused the car to hit Oliver's motorcycle causing him to hit the pavement. Fortunately, Roy decided to show up, following them on his motorcycle.
"Another vigilante," Ted noted. "Looks like we started a movement."
As Dig pulled over his van, Oliver got in the passenger's side. "Go, go, go, go, go, go!" Oliver said urgently as Dig followed.
Opening the right side door, Isaac opened fire on the red archer. Seeing her, Laurel jerked her steering wheel causing Isaac to fall out of the car and hit the road. However, as it did the car spun around and eventually crashed into two others. Disorientating Ted and knocking Laurel out, her car caught on fire just as Oliver and Dig pulled over.
"Get Grant," Oliver told Dig as he was trying to crawl out the car's back window.
"Get Laurel," Ted mumbled to the Green Arrow, as Dig pulled him to safety. While Oliver went to get Laurel from her car's back seat.
As Isaac got up, bleeding he saw the red archer. Pulling his gun, Roy immediately performed a tricking kick to Isaac's face which knocked the gun away causing it to fire. Getting back up, Roy avoided and knee Isaac in the stomach and then proceeded to block his boxing strikes with his forearms. As Isaac spun and then swung wildly, Roy blocked it and used a roundhouse kick to his ribcage before grabbing Isaac's wrists and flipped him to the ground.
Finally getting Laurel out of her car, Oliver carried his girlfriend bridal-style away as the car then exploded.
Hitting Roy with a solid right hook, Isaac immediately got around him and put him in a chokehold. "Don't you get it? He's using you?" Isaac told him as he felt that this guy was to the Green Arrow to what he was to Ted at one point. "You're not a human being, man. You were just another weapon in his arsenal. And the second you something wrong, he'll turn his back on you. He will abandon you!" He said as Roy struggled to break free. His words finally pissing him off, Roy used an overhead throw releasing him from Isaac's grip causing him to roll to the ground. As Isaac got up, Roy finished him off with a hard right for a knockout.
"I'm not you," Roy said standing over Isaac and eventually saw Oliver run up to him. "Don't abandon me." He asked.
"Never," Oliver assured him.
Starling General, Morning
Arriving at the hospital, Oliver opened the door to see Laurel putting her jacket back on. "Hey. You okay?"
"I've been through worse. Thankfully, I've built up quite the pain threshold over the years." She said as Oliver gave a small smile. "Hear to give me a ride. And an "I told you so"."
"I didn't think you needed an, "I told you so", after all, you were right about Ted." He mentioned.
"Yeah, but so were you. You were right, there were things about him that I didn't know about Ted and I wasn't seeing clearly with him." She acknowledged.
"Well, you weren't the only one. But it wasn't because I was jealous." He said but Laurel gave him a look of skepticism. "Okay, maybe a little." He admitted as she flashed a smirk. "But mostly it's because ... Laurel, I've learned the hard way that people aren't always who we think they are. I've been blindsided by that more than once in my life, including by my own parents. And every time it's cost me. I guess, maybe I was trying to protect you from that. In case, Ted wasn't what he seemed." He explained.
"I get that." She nodded in understanding. "For the record, Ollie. The reason Ted and I never became more than a one-time thing ... was because of you. I was still pretty messed up over how we ended, the first time; back then I couldn't imagine having a lover much less a boyfriend. And I'm glad I didn't. The fives years, I thought you were dead were the worst years of my life. And Ted was one of the few people, that helped me survive it. I guess - if I wrong about him, I would've blamed myself for not seeing it."
"I definitely know what that's like." He said. "Is it me? Or does this feel very different from the other fights we've had?" He asked with a chuckle.
"I think 'cause we're working together now, it's easy to bring the stuff from home to work; and vice versa." She said sharing his amusement. "Do you think we'll find a way to get around it?"
"I think so. I'm willing to try. I'm always willing to try with you." He said lovingly as cupped her face and softly kissed her.
"Mmm." She said in enjoyment as their lips part. "So, what about Roy? What are you going to do about him?" She asked as Oliver began contemplating what to do.
Arrowcave
"I'm going to miss this. I feel like I was just starting to get good at it." Roy said taking a good long look at his suit.
"You are getting good at it," Oliver assured Roy standing behind him.
"That guy?" Roy said referring to Stanzler. "He said I was just another weapon in your arsenal."
"Well, maybe that's what we should call you, then. Arsenal." Oliver suggested.
"I definitely like that more than Speedy." He remarked. "But doesn't matter anyway, because ... I'm going to be turning myself in."
"Roy ..." Oliver started to say but sighed. "Don't do that. Look, I'm sorry I kept the truth from you; really I am."
"It's fine, Oliver. I get it, I really do. But that doesn't change what I've done ... it doesn't change the fact that I deserve to be punished for what I did."
"It's not that simple, Roy," Oliver told him. "And if it is, maybe I should be in prison too." He reflected taking a seat. "Roy, I know that I haven't told you much about my five years away from Starling."
"And by that, you mean almost nothing at all," Roy sarcastically remarked.
"Well, while I was gone ... I did things to survive. Awful things. Things that I needed to do in order to survive but still awful. Things, I probably should've gone to jail for." Oliver admitted reluctantly. "I told you why I started this right?"
"Your dad, to honor him," Roy remembered.
"Well ... I also think - no, I know also I do this to atone for my sins. For the things that I did before I got stuck on Lian Yu and certainly after. And you can too." Oliver told Roy. "Look, Roy. If you want to turn yourself in ... I won't stop you. But I think it would be a waste because you did something that you had no control of. But if you still feel like you need to atone for what you did to that cop. Then do it by saving this city. Do it as Arsenal." He finished as Roy looked down processing it all. "Either way, I won't lose in faith in you. Ever." Oliver vowed.
Wildcat Gym, Afternoon
Finally getting the chance to clean his gym, Ted began moping the floor to get rid of the victim's blood; when he felt someone watching him. "You planning on hiding in the shadows all day? It's a good trick. I used it once or twice myself back in the day." Ted asked as Laurel then came from the hallway which was completely darkened. "I don't remember teaching it to you though." He said as he stopped moping.
"Sorta, learned on my own," Laurel mentioned. "I thought you might like to know that I made sure your past vigilantism fell under the Statute of Limitations. No new charges will be filled." She said with a bright smile.
"Much obliged." He said going to put the punching bag, where the dead body was previously here. "That the only reason you're here?"
"No. After Lomax, I remembered you saying "you did it again" at the hospital. I always wondered what you meant by that. That was about Isaac, wasn't it?" She asked remembering the events more clearly now.
"Yeah. You know when you first showed up at my gym, it had been a few months since I cut loose Isaac. I guess when you came along ... I was trying to fill the void. Then that stuff with Lomax happened and ... well, I guess I thought I made the same mistake with you that I did with him. I even made the same mistake dealing with it. Apparently, I have a tendency to cut people off when I get pissed." He said acknowledging the flaw.
"You might wanna work on that." She suggested.
"Yeah, yeah I definitely do. Still, I can't help but wondering if Isaac wouldn't end up the way he did if I didn't give up on him or if I didn't train him in the first place." He wondered.
"Well, I can't speak for Isaac but as for me." She said approaching him. "Ted, you helped me for the better. You didn't just teach me to fight, you taught me to survive on my own when I pretty had much had no one. And everything you taught me, I've used to get justice outside of the courtroom." She said gratefully as Ted smiled. "And I'll always be grateful to you for that; for helping me get up off the mat." She said making her leave from the Gym.
"About that, you being the Black Canary." He said causing her to turn around. "Be careful."
"I am and I will."
"No, that's not what I meant." He countered picking her curiosity. "Playing judge and jury, and in the Green Arrow's case sometimes executioner; it messes with people's heads. It messed with Isaac's. Laurel, make sure that you and your friends know where to draw the line. Sometimes you have to go outside the law to get justice but the worse thing that can happen is when you think that you are the law." He advised her from one vigilante to another.
"I'll keep that in mind, see you around Ted." She said leaving the gym as Ted went back to cleaning.
Outside SCPD, Night
Outside of the police precinct, two officers were out on the floor; bruised and in pain. While their prisoner, Isaac Stanzler, was being beaten to death against a wall. As he got punched down in the face, Isaac got up and struck the dude. A bald white dude in a trench coat with a British accent, but his fists and his knee hurt every time he struck him; like he was hitting a brick wall. "What the hell are you?" Isaac asked as this guy wasn't normal.
"The name's Danny Brickwell." He introduced himself. "And I'm the guy who's gonna run things from now on." He said clocking him in the face before he proceeded to beat him to death.
Author's Notes: Supposedly, Ted Grant, was supposed to stay around Arrow for a little longer as a love interest for Laurel before the actor got offered a series regular position on a show called "Power". Considering that and Ted and Laurel's interactions, I sorta believe that they hooked up at least once at some point. In fact, I kinda hoped they did just so that my girl had some fun once in a while.
Couples, fight. It happens. The trick is figuring out a way to resolve their issues in a way that seems realistic or at the very least not melodramatic, and I hope that I did that here with Oliver and Laurel. If not, sorry.
For the sake of the story, I had to change things to how Roy found out about the cop he killed. PS, don't blame Felicity for this one; even though it might be easy too.
Side Note: There might be a brief hiatus as I have some work to do at home and I need time to put together more chapters.