Queen Mansion, Night
The partners of Queen Consolidated, Oliver Queen and Isabel Rochev were throwing a party to attract potential investors to the company. As like most parties at the estate, they were lavish and crowded, however, Oliver Queen failed to show up. Isabel was becoming increasingly annoyed with her business partner's absence, Oliver's secretary arrived to speak with her.
"Mr. Queen's going to be a bit late, he's um extremely sorry. It couldn't be helped." Felicity informed Isabel.
"Where is he?" Isabel asked.
"Um?" Felicity said trying to find a response. "He just ... got a little holdup. You know, tying up loose ends, I am actually in direct contact with him right now. Let me check." She said stepping away to call Oliver, but only heard the sound of gunfire much to her worry.
Streets of Star City
The gunfire that Felicity was the sound of automatic rifles firing at the Green Arrow, who was quick enough to gain cover to avoid the barrage of bullets.
"Shoot him." One of the thugs said.
"Where man? Another asked.
"Anywhere!" He shouted.
Suddenly, a high pitched sound came from Black Canary's sonic device. The sheer pain caused the three goons to drop their rifles to cover their ears, seeing the Black Canary had arrived; Oliver took advantage of this opportunity and shot three arrows rapidly, one going into each thug. Jumping down from the railing, Oliver then walked towards the blonde vigilante; unaffected by her sonic device
"Does it get any louder?" Oliver asked loudly and snidely.
Turning off the device, Laurel took noticed her sonic weapon wasn't affecting him. "Earplugs? They must be good ones if you can handle a 150 decibels of glass shattering power." Laurel commented. "You came prepared."
"I try and I didn't need your help just now!" He replied.
"Probably not, but I think we can both agree that the faster you knock someone down the better." She stated.
"So why haven't you tried to knock me down? Last time I checked, you said this city needs to be saved from me?" He reminded her of her earlier statements.
Laurel paused for a moment gathering her thoughts, she had that coming. "I ... heard about the Dollmaker, how you had him dead to rights and you didn't kill him. The man you were several months ago, the man I thought you were would have killed a monster like that without a second thought." She told him then picked up one of the rifles to examine it. "M4A1 assault rifles, these guys are the second group I've seen with them. With weapons like these in the hands of every gangbanger out there, people are gonna be too afraid to walk down the streets anymore."
"I'm still trying to figure out who's distributing them. I've got no leads yet, you?" He asked.
"Sorry, no dice. Listen, I just came by to tell you I'll be staying out your way ... as long as you stay of mine." She told him.
"I can't do that, I don't know who you are and given my previous experience with other vigilantes; when one shows up things get bloody." He explained.
"You know that you fit that category too. Look, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that your not the killer I thought you were, least you could do is give me that same benefit that I'm not like the other vigilantes you've come across before." She explained and Oliver felt she had a point, she was different from the others but still.
"If you come across anything will you let me know?" He asked.
"Maybe." She said with a coy smile.
"Well, where can I meet you if you decide you're feeling generous?" He questioned.
"Where I kicked your ass." She said with a cocky smile, then parkour upwards to get away from him.
Surprisingly smiling at her comment, Oliver then received a call from Felicity on his commlink. "Um Oliver, hi. Hate to interrupt, but you have a party to attend to here and a business partner who be looking for your head in a minute." She said and Oliver immediately fired a grappling arrow knowing he was going to be in trouble once he arrived.
Queen Mansion
Oliver arrived at the party, finally, and greeted Isabel. "Sorry, I'm late." He apologized.
"This party is meant to attract new investors to the company. Being fashionably late might do well on the club circuit but it does not inspire confidence on Wall Street." Isabel said coldly, then looked at him oddly. "Is that blood on your face.
Feeling his face, he felt it and quickly realized it must have been from tonight's thugs. "Oh, you must have cut yourself shaving, how do you even take of yourself," Felicity said covering for him.
Shrugging his comments off, Isabel walked away to the crowd. Oliver was about to join the party himself until he caught a glimpse at Laurel and followed her as she got herself a drink. "Hey." He greeted her as she turned around.
"Please don't ask me if I'm okay, I've had enough of people asking if I'm okay," Laurel said visibly agitated.
"I would never do that to you." He said.
"Thank you." She replied.
"You okay?" He asked which annoyed her.
"The Dollmaker was just your garden variety traumatic experience. You'd think after the Quake and Tommy I'd be used to them." She said trying to brush the experience off.
"I've had a few of those. You never get used to them." He said recalling his own traumas.
"Do you mind if I ask how you got through them?" She asked.
"Mostly, I just found something to focus on. That's what works for me." He admitted.
"Huh, that's actually what I'm trying to do right now, at the DA's office and this "extracurricular" I've been doing." She said before leaving to go to mingle.
"So hey what kept you?" Felicity asked as she approached.
"Guns," Oliver stated.
"Guns, Mr. Queen." Sebastian Blood said walking up to Oliver and Felicity. "I was just talking to some of my constituents about guns. What's your take on the matter?"
"Never used one myself." Oliver lied.
"Gun violence in the Glades has gotten increasingly out of control. Everyone at the DA's office is working overtime to try and stop it." Blood explained.
"Well, I'm sure you, the DA, and the SCPD are doing everything in your power to catch the one bringing these guns into the Glades," Oliver stated.
"We are. We even know who's been supplying the gangs with these new armaments." Blood confirmed.
"Really, who?" Oliver asked.
"Some gang lord who calls himself "The Mayor". Thinks he's the one to save our city." Blood answered. "The Mayor only cares about spreading anarchy and chaos, all from the barrel of a gun." Blood said with disgust.
"Sounds terrible," Oliver commented.
"You have no idea." Blood replied as he left.
Arrowcave Bunker
"Any luck finding this Mayor?" Oliver asked Felicity.
"Can't exactly search for a guy by such a broad alias, Oliver," Felicity replied. "Did your new girlfriend give you anything we could use to find him?" She said referring to the Black Canary.
"None, she seems to be in the dark as much as we are," Oliver replied ignoring the "girlfriend" comment.
"Oliver, explain something to me man why didn't just take her down like you have every other vigilante you've come across? Especially since she seems to think your the real problem in this city." Dig asked.
"From what I saw tonight, it seems like she's willing to give me a chance that I might be different. Least I could do is return the favor." Oliver answered.
"So, this isn't history repeating itself again ... like with Helena?" Dig asked.
"This isn't like that Diggle. Besides as far as we know the Black Canary hasn't killed anyone yet." Oliver reminded.
"That we know of," Felicity said joining in on the topic at hand. "Besides, Dig has a point about how you don't show the best judgment when it comes to gorgeous ass-kicking females."
"How do you she's gorgeous?" Oliver asked.
"You just answered your own question," Felicity replied in a cheeky manner.
"Are you two done? Because last I checked this city has a major gun-runner problem and we need a lead." He reminded them both.
"Well, you two get to some sleep. I'm gonna see a contact of mine, let you know if anything pans out." Dig said before leaving.
Streets of Star City
"We've got to stop meeting like this." Lyla Michaels said to her ex-husband. "What would your girlfriend think, Johnny?"
"Lyla, I am checking the box marked "single" these days." Dig clarified.
"Sorry to hear it. What happened?" She asked.
"Well, another man came between us," He answered.
"Deadshot." She said knowing the answer. "You're getting in the bad habit of letting him ruin your life."
"So I've been repeatedly told. Anything on those stolen army weapons?" He asked wanting to get back to business.
"A crate of 12 M4A1s went missing from Camp Kirby two months ago." She informed him.
"Yeah, I think I know where they went." He guessed.
"Every crate was fitted with a GPS system so they could be remotely tracked. I tried pulling it up but it's not receiving." She mentioned. "Must have been deactivated."
"Thanks, Lyla." He said about leave.
"And your interest in this is what?" She asked.
"Lyla, you and I went to Afghanistan to try to bring law and order to a country overrun by warlords with weapons, right? Should we do any less for our own cities?" He said and she just gave a familiar look that he recalled. "Thanks again."
"Hey, Johnny."
"Yeah?"
"These days, I check the box marked single, too." She mentioned as she left, causing Dig to smile.
Queen Consolidated, Morning
Oliver walked into his office and saw Sebastian Blood talking to Isabel, this made him rather nervous. "Alderman." He greeting the man. "I see you met Ms. Rochev. She's my-."
"Superior," Isabel said cutting him off.
"Partner." He corrected her.
"On paper." She stated.
"Is that why you asked me to come down here Mr. Queen, to mediate your job title?" Blood asked.
"You and I have gotten off on the wrong foot, repeatedly," Oliver stated, causing Blood to chuckle at the comment.
"Seems to be your superpower." Blood mentioned.
"I was inspired by what you said about gun violence in the Glades and I had an idea that might help," Oliver mentioned.
"Really?" Blood said with skepticism. "Another party at your stately manner?"
"No. I want to sponsor a Cash for Guns event. I give you the money and you get your constituents to lay down their arms." Oliver explained. "Everybody wins."
"Especially you. Trying to repair your family's tainted name by ridding the Glades of guns." Blood realized.
"You just get the money Alderman. I don't want my family's name involved." Oliver told him.
"Mr. Queen, may I have a word with you." Isabel interrupted both of them.
"Let me think it over." Blood said leaving the office.
"We are not sponsoring that event," Isabel told Oliver.
"I know, I am," Oliver told her.
"With what money? Your invested party cost QC fifty grand and no one invested a dime." She reminded them of their draining funds. "I will not continue to authorize cooperate funds just so you can keep pretending that you are the CEO."
Oliver sighed. "Fine, I'll pay for it myself." Causing his partner to laugh a little.
"Maybe you haven't noticed. But your personal trust fund isn't exactly what it used to be and this company isn't either." She reminded him once again. "As much as I'd love to make this city a safer place, my first obligation is to Queen Consolidated; and yours is too." Isabel then left the room and just stood there knowing he was once again not getting anything done.
Streets of the Glades, Night
Laurel had just left the office, rather awkwardly because her boss, Adam Donner, basically asked her out. She turned him down flatly, besides after Tommy and Oliver, Laurel had very little interest in dating at the moment. Hitting the streets in her mask and leather jacket, she came across three guys holding up a licker store. Getting a look at their guns, these guys had the same firearms as the other guys from last night. Laurel turned on her sonic device, shattering the store's windows and several bottles of alcohol; if she wasn't so concerned with saving the vendor's life she would be concerned about the property damage she just caused. The thugs were still in pain, so she quickly rushed one and disarmed him of the rifle knocking him out with it. She then kicked the other in front of her before knocking him out with her tonfa. Turning around, she took her attention to the final man, a big guy at least 6'2 and built like a football player. And, like a football player, he tackled her towards the wall and she heard glass shatter. Holding her with his superior size and strength, he punched her several times in the face.
"Shouldn't have messed with me, bitch." The thug said, taking the opportunity he gave her, Laurel delivered an open-handed strike on his throat causing a gag reflex which leads him to lose hold of her. Which she then delivered an elbow strike to his head, repeatedly till he fell on his knees. Grabbing her tonfa, Laurel swung it like a baseball bat and knocked him out cold.
"Who's the bitch now?" She asked the unconscious thug. Feeling the blood in the back of her head, Laurel decided it was time to pay Sin a visit.
Arrowcave Bunker
"I need some good news," Oliver said coming in the bunker.
"Bad news first, somehow the Mayor did get his hands on a crate of military-grade weapons from Camp Kirby," Dig told him.
"And the good news?" Oliver asked.
"If he kept the crate we might be able to find out where he's hiding," Felicity explained joining the conversation, the walked over to a device on the table. "This is the same make and model of a tracking system the army installed on its weapons crates. If they lose a crate, they send out a remote signal that activates the beacon."
"The Mayor's clever. He deactivated the beacon. Sent out a signal, nothing came back." Dig informed him.
"You both need to work on your definition of good news," Oliver stated.
"Ok, how's this? Guess which company designed the tracking system the army uses." Felicity made him guessed. "I'll give you a hint, their CEO, always late." She teased.
"Queen Consolidated." Oliver correctly guessed. "Nice."
"I pulled up the original specs from the QC mainframe. Turns out there's a design flaw, the beacon is still susceptible to a subform wave even when it's deactivated." She explained.
"The Mayor turned it off Oliver, but we can turn it back on," Dig said.
A few seconds of typing, Felicity then brought up the exact location of the missing crate. "I believe you ordered the crate of stolen weapons Mr. Queen." She jested.
The Mayor's Hideout
At the Mayor's hideout, the Mayor himself looked at the crate filled with weapons and he saw a blinking red light in it. "I thought you deactivated the tracker!" He said yelling at his subordinates.
While the Mayor's lackey just looked confused, the Mayor himself then smashed the tracker. An arrow flew across the room and the Mayor saw the Green Arrow, which his men then immediately fired on. Running on the balcony, Oliver then started returning fire and eventually rolled on the ground before letting go of an arrow that took a man down. Oliver then leaped from the balcony, shooting down another enemy. Oliver then noticed the Mayor trying to escape.
"Cover me!" The Mayor shouted. Oliver got to the ground floor just as the Mayor left his hideout. Getting out of his cover, Oliver looked around and saw that the crates were still there.
"Weapons are secure," Oliver said on his comm.
"And the Mayor?" John asked.
"Still in office," Oliver replied.
Sin's place
Sin arrived at her trashy apartment and saw Laurel there, checking herself in the mirror. "You know you could have just called instead of breaking into my place, again." She asked the vigilante lawyer.
"Sorry for busting in but I need your help, again," Laurel said.
"What's the damage?" Sin asked and Laurel turned around where Sin saw a deep cut in the back of her head. "Yeesh, how did you get this one?"
"A big guy slammed me into a glass window while he was robbing a licker store," Laurel answered and felt Sin's hands examing her head. "Any glass in it?"
"No, wait, yeah tiny little piece." Sin replied, pouring alcohol on some tweezers and her friend's head she then pulled the shard out. "There, all gone."
"Thanks," Laurel replied then felt the thread and needle going through head.
"It's not like you to get wailed on by one guy." Sin said curiously.
"He was a ... very big guy, plus first thing I learned about fighting, "real fighting" it's all about surprise." Laurel answered. "Hey, you find out anything you can about the Mayor?"
"Nothing, sorry." Sin replied. "Maybe the Green Arrow knows something."
"Maybe, I actually had a conversation with him recently," Laurel said.
"How did it go?" Sin asked finishing the sutures.
"Well, we didn't try to kill each other if that's what you mean," Laurel answered.
"Really, you seem pretty gung-ho about taking him down what changed? Was it the Dollmaker?" She asked.
"Yeah, actually. When I first met him, he nearly killed a man right in front of me. He was trying to save my life but still, I was willing to ignore that because he was trying to help people in his own way. Then the Quake happened, and my view about him changed, a lot of my views changed I guess." Laurel reminisced as Sin finished. "Anyway, thanks for patchwork. But I gotta leave." She said getting her jacket and wig, ready to leave.
"Hey, you eaten?" Sin asked. "I got plenty of extra food."
"What the hell, one night of Big Belly Burger won't kill me," Laurel said going over to her friend.
"If anything you could put on a few pounds." Sin snarked at her friend's skinny-model body.
"I'll have you know that I'm not starving myself, this is all-muscle," Laurel said flexing her right arm and then grabbed some curly fries with her other.
Streets of the Glades, Morning
Eventually, Oliver had managed to start his "Guns for Cash" event which was proving to be successful. Oliver, saw Roy and Thea there talking to that girl named Sin who was connected to the Black Canary; watching everything, Oliver then noticed Blood coming up to him. "You don't show up when you say you will and when you promise not to, here you are." The alderman commented.
"Is it going well?" Oliver asked.
"Last I checked, we've taken in over 200 guns in only 3 hours." Blood answered and noticed that Oliver didn't look pleased. "Try not to look too happy about it."
"Lot on my mind Alderman," Oliver replied.
Blood sighed before speaking up. "My job is to help the people of this city with their problems." He said.
Turning his face to him, Oliver decided to open up. "I know it may not seem like Alderman, but I am trying to help this city, my company, my family, and my friends. But the problem is lately I feel like I'm not getting enough done, worst of all I feel like the people I want to help don't want me to help at all. I'm struggling to find a way to reach them."
"Sooner or later though, we all go through a crucible. Most people believe that there are two types of people who go through a crucible. The ones that grow stronger from that experience and survive it; and the ones who die. But there is a third type. The ones who learn to love the fire, they choose to stay in their crucible because it's easier for them to embrace when it's all you know anymore." Blood explained. "Tell me Mr. Queen, which are you?"
"I beg your pardon," Oliver asked.
"That island, that was your crucible wasn't it?" Blood asked and Oliver nodded slightly. "Tell me are you stronger because of that experience or are you someone who knows how to only live in the fire?" Oliver just stood in silence unable to ask because he was unsure. "Well, you figure that out, as for me I'm always on clock to help this city before it becomes used to living like this."
"Living is not for the weak," Oliver commented and Blood looked surprised at him. "An old friend of mine once told me that."
"That's a wise friend." Blood remarked.
Suddenly, a big truck recklessly drove up to the event, clearly causing a commotion. It was the Mayor with a couple of his cronies, using their machines guns they fired randomly into the crowd causing the bystanders to duck for cover. As the truck ran over the police barrier, the Mayor himself got out on the top of the truck to addressed the crowd once the truck came to a stop. "Listen up people! This is the Mayor speaking, now I don't recall this here event being sanctioned. What happens in the Glades only happens if I allow it!"
"You're not the leader of this community!" Blood shout, walking up to the crime lord. "You don't speak for these people!"
"And neither do you, not anymore." The Mayor replied. Giving his men the signal to fire, Oliver reacted fast and pulled him out of the way as the bullets flew through the air as they then hit several bystanders nearby. Pointlessly, the police fired at the Mayor's truck doing no damage; eventually, the Mayor and his goons drove away. Oliver went over to check on Thea and Roy.
"Hey! Are you ok? Are you hit?" He asked them.
"No," Thea replied but then saw Sin was injured.
"Hey, Sin are you alright?" Roy asked.
"All good." Sin lied as she then revealed her blood-soaked hand.
Star City General, Night
Roy and just stood there looking at an unconscious Sin laying down in a hospital bed, she was going to be fine but still, they worried. "Hey, I'm gonna stick around in case she wakes up," Roy said to Thea.
"Is it okay if I stick around with you?" Thea asked. "I mean ... you saved her life, Roy. Guess you can't stop being a hero."
Unbeknownst to the two young lovers, they were being watched by the Black Canary. As Laurel was looking at Sin, she grew angry and just like her father she wanted some payback.
Arrowcave Bunker
Oliver, Dig, and Felicity all watched the news footage of the Mayor's attack. "The coward finally decided to show his face," Dig remarked.
"Vanity is gonna cost him," Oliver replied.
"I "burrowed" the FBI's facial recognition software. Got a match. Xavier Reed." Felicity said once the scan was completed.
"Did Reed serve in the military?" Oliver asked.
"No military history." She answered.
"Family member?" He pressed.
"Reed was in and out of foster care his whole life. Wait, hold on ... in 1996 Reed spent three years with a foster family and their son, Ezra Barnes." She reported, then checked something online to confirm her suspicions. "He served three tours in Iraq, he's stateside now."
"20 bucks says that he was stationed at Camp Kirby." Dig speculated.
"Pay the man. The Mayor's foster brother is assigned to a weapon's convoy that carries SCAR 16s by truck. The convoy's scheduled to come through Starling ... Star City tonight." She explained.
"FN SCAR 16s are military assault weapons with grenade launchers. The Mayor gets a hold of these Oliver, it's game over." Dig told the archer.
"He won't," Oliver replied. Suddenly, an alarm went off and Felicity checked the security cameras it was the Black Canary.
"Looks like our sultry siren triggered our alarm system," Felicity stated.
"I'm gonna go pay her visit," Oliver said.
"Sure this is the best time for a booty call?" She remarked.
"I think she has something else in mind." He replied remembering his last conversation with her.
Rooftop in the Glades
Laurel stood on the rooftop where she first tried to capture the Green Arrow, she noticed the motion sensors that he must have placed there and was waiting for him to arrive.
"Surprised you noticed my little system," Oliver said arriving out the shadows.
"I figured you had this place rigged up when I mentioned it. A friend of mine was hurt tonight. You might know her as Sin." She said to him.
"I heard, I've got a lead on the Mayor now. If we don't stop him tonight, this city will be overrun with military assault rifles with grenade launchers." He filled her in.
"We? I thought you didn't play well with other vigilantes." She sassed.
"He has too many men and too much firepower. Besides, you said weren't like the other vigilantes I've met, here's your chance to prove it to me." He stated.
"Let's go kick the Mayor out of office." She mentioned.
The Mayor's Location
The convoy carrying the Mayor's new weapons had just arrived pulled towards the crime lord. As Reed walked up to the cargo, his foster brother got out and two happily greeted each other. One of Ezra's men gave Reed an assault rifle, holding it with menacing delight. "With toys like these, you and I are gonna own this town." He stated. Then an arrow flew through the air taking Barnes down immediately.
"Drop your weapons and surrender," Oliver ordered. The gangbangers ignored his warning and immediately began opening fire to which Oliver immediately took cover. Laurel then threw her Sonic Device on the ground with its noise immediately effecting they shooters, Oliver protected because of his earplugs began to shooting his shooters, while on the other end Laurel knocked the other gangbangers out with her tonfa one after another. Eventually, the two made their way to each other just as the sonic weapon started shutting down. As they finished with the lackeys, the two vigilantes noticed their boss wasn't there.
"Old school weapons, respect," Reed said as the two took notice of him with an assault rifle. "But can your arrows do this?"
Reed fired a grenade and in that split-second, Oliver fired an arrow at it. As the two collided, the explosion pushed both the Green Arrow and the Black Canary on the ground. The Mayor's men coming towards him, Oliver saw the Black Canary's tonfa on the ground. Using the weapon he knocked the weapons out their hands before knocking them out into submission. Oliver did not see Ezra Barnes about to take a shot him but before he could, a suppressed noise hit the air. It was the Black Canary with a gun pointed at the now incapacitated Barnes and Oliver's compound bow in her other hand.
"Wanna trade," Laurel spoke as they traded weapons.
"You know you don't seem like the type to favor guns," Oliver replied.
"Dart gun." She said showing the weapon clearly. "Range is for crap but it does less damage than those arrows." She sassed and he smiled surprisingly.
Reed had run to the nearest weapon's crate. "Come on, where are you?" He said, then found an assault rifle, immediately afterward he was disarmed by a flying arrow causing him to turn around and see the Green Arrow but then missed the Black Canary standing behind him. She then proceeded to hit him in the head with her tonfa and then began choking him with it.
"Tell me do you feel weak? Do you feel helpless? Good, because that's how you've been making the people in this city you've terrorized feel." Laurel said angrily thinking about Sin lying on a hospital bed.
"Canary, enough!" Oliver ordered and gradually she stopped, she was angry but unlike Helena, she could temper her rage Oliver thought to himself.
"Bitch I knew you didn't have it in you!" Reed said as he began to catch his breath and afterward she knocked him out cold.
"Whose the bitch now?" She replied.
As the polices came by to finally arrest the Mayor; Oliver and the Black Canary doubled back to a building rooftop a few blocks away, the female vigilante insisted on watching the police arrest Reed and confiscate the weapons. "We should get going. Police could still arrest us." Oliver stated.
"You should take a moment to enjoy this. It's moments like this that make me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something." Laurel said then walked over to the Green Arrow. "You and I, we made a pretty good team."
"I suppose we did. I appreciated your help tonight." He replied.
"Well, I did owe you for earlier." She said referring to attacking him the first time.
"Why did you by the way? Something tells me it's more than about my previous "methods"." He asked and the Black Canary paused for a moment before speaking up.
"When the earthquake happened ... I lost someone ... and I blamed you for it. I blamed you because, because I didn't want to blame myself. Being this ... I guess I'm trying to honor him and do more for this city than I was before. God, I sound lame." She explained.
"Not to me. Someone recently talked to me about crucibles, that ... those who suffer them and survive come out of it stronger than before; I think that's what happened to you." He responded.
"What about you? Did you go through one too?" She asked.
"Yeah. Although, I'm not sure if it made me stronger. I wonder if it revealed me to weaker than actually am, someone who can only live in pain and suffering because it's what I've known for so long that I can't live without it." He admitted although he had no idea why he was telling her this.
"Well, I hope that's not the case, be seeing you Arrow." She said walking away.
"You know I actually just wanted to be called the Arrow." He told her with a smile.
"I actually just wanted to be called the Canary, guess someone in the media thought color coding was catchier." She replied smiling at him before jumping off the roof.
Queen Consolidated, Noon
The next day in his office, Oliver was watching the news report about yesterday's event and despite the Mayor's actions, it was a success with no one knowing that Oliver was the benefactor behind it. Oliver then saw Sebastian enter his office. "I guess it's true what they say, one man can change the world."
"I"ll leave changing the world to you Alderman," Oliver responded.
"I'm only in the world because of you." Blood said extended his hand in friendship. "Thank you."
Oliver wasted no time and shook it. "I was just acting on instinct," Oliver told him.
"It wasn't instinct, it was strength." Blood said strongly.
"You know I've seen signs and the graffiti. Blood for Mayor. Now that the Mayor is in jail, maybe you should run." Oliver stated with a smile.
"There is more than one way to save a city." Blood replied as he left the office, leaving Oliver grinning satisfaction over the recent events over the last few days.
Unknown Location
Reed was confused, he had a bag taken off from his head and he was strapped down to a chair and noticed a cop standing in front of him. "What the hell is this? This ain't a police station." He said.
The officer left the room just as a stranger in a skull mask entered. "Hello brother. Are you ready to serve?" The man in the skull mask said in a demonic voice.
"Why are you wearing that mask?" Reed asked.
"This city is in chains and I'm going to free it." The masked man said ignoring the question. "But to do that I'm going to need an army. An army of the strong." He said as he revealed a syringe approaching Reed.
"Whoa! What's in that thing?" Reed asked as the needle entered his arm.
"A miracle." The skull mask answered as he injected the substance into him.
"Hey get that off me!"
Are you ready to serve?" He asked and Reed started to breathe heavily and then started shaking before screaming in pain until his eyes began to bleed until he finally died. Taking off his mask revealing the face of Sebastian Blood who was clearly irritated.
"Bring me another one." Blood ordered.
"Yes, Brother Blood." The cop replied.
Author's Notes: For those of you wondering the next chapter will explore Laurel's origins as the Black Canary during Oliver's exile on Lian Yu. About the third type of crucible affecting Oliver, I think that does apply to him and not just Sara. As there are times especially in Season 3, were Oliver prefers living as a vigilante which can be "painful" than actually living as himself.