Back at the arrow cave, Oliver had already begun the process of stitching up his wounds.
"Does it hurt?" Felicity asked concerned.
"Not as much as some things." Oliver responded.
"So the woman you fought," Diggle interrupted. "Any idea what she wanted?"
"She said she wants to save the city." Oliver responded. "From me."
"Another vigilante." Diggle asked.
"Maybe," Oliver answered. "But certainly different from the hoods. She wore a mask and had a sonic… scream."
"Sonic scream?" Felicity asked. "Could you be a bit more specific?"
"She screamed, it made my ears hurt and shot me half was across the rooftop." Oliver clarified.
"Ah. Well it's still crazy that she and the police are more interested in catching you then the drug stealing mobsters." Felicity commented. "Our tax dollars at work."
"The authorities have always gone after the vigilante." Diggle reminded.
"This time was different." Oliver retorted.
"Why because you got your ass kicked by some female vigilante?" Diggle asked.
"Because she got in my way, Dig." Oliver countered getting up out of the chair. "They got in my way. I can't make things better as Oliver Queen, and now I can't make things better as Green Arrow!"
"Hey!" Felicity called. "Go easy on him!"
"It's alright Felicity." Diggle said trying to call off.
"No, it's not." Felicity interrupted before turning back to Oliver. "You don't get to jump down his throat because you happen to be having a lousy week. Ok, you're pissed I get it, but you're not the only one with problems right now!"
"Felicity…" Diggle called again.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you keep bringing up Carly but you're so involved with yourself that you don't realize the look he gets every time you do."
Carly was Diggle's late brother's wife. Some time back Diggle had tried striking up a romance between the two of them, but it seemed things have altered since Oliver was last in town.
"What is she talking about?" Oliver asked turning to Diggle.
"Me and Carly are pulling the pin." He finally admitted. "It happened while you were gone. Truth is it's been happening for a while now."
"Being the vigilante's wingman was a strain." Felicity added, earning a look from Diggle. "He needs to hear this."
"This wasn't just about what we were doing Oliver." Diggle resumed. "This isn't just about you man. I couldn't separate what's going on with me and Carly, and… What went on with my brother."
"Deadshot." Oliver surmised.
Deadshot, AKA Floyd Lotten, was the man who killed Diggle's brother. Ever since learning he was alive after Oliver supposedly killed him, he had wanted to finish him.
"He's still out there." Diggle pressed on. "My brother's killer. Still breathing. And I, uh, guess I couldn't hate him and love her at the same time."
A brief silence filled the room as Oliver processed what his friend had told him.
"See?" Diggle asked. "You are not the only one having trouble reconciling two sides of himself."
With that Diggle left the room, Felicity left shortly after, leaving Oliver alone to contemplate what had been shared with him.
….
At Verdant, Roy was sweeping up the place when Thea came up to him, looking very put off by something.
"Great crowd tonight." Roy noted.
"Now that we're closed, you gonna be starting your second shift?" Thea asked earning a confused look from Roy. "Suicide by Chinese street thugs."
"Do you really want to talk about this again?" Roy asked.
"We never finished talking about it." Thea retorted.
Roy just returned to sweeping.
"I wanted Laurel to arrest you." Thea admitted, causing Roy to look up in surprise.
"You know you're not the first girlfriend to say that to me." Roy scoffed as he got back to sweeping.
"She said I couldn't change you," She continued. "So I'm not going to try to.
Shen then handed him a paycheck and an arrow head. He took both looking confused.
"What, so you're giving me money and a rock?" he asked.
"The check is two week's severance from the club." She explained. "Just because I can't change you doesn't mean I have to let you be in my life until you get yourself killed."
"Roy just scoffed again.
"And my brother gave me that when he came back from the dead." She continued. "He said it was a hosen, some Buddhist thing that symbolizes reconnecting. If you want to reconnect with me, keep the hosen and tear up that check."
"I don't do too well with ultimatums." Roy countered.
"A I don't do all that great with people I love getting hurt. And worse."
With that, she left. Leaving Roy alone facing a near impossible choice.
….
The next day at Queen Consolidated, Oliver sat at his desk awaiting a special guest.
"Your 4:00 is here." Felicity informed walking into his office. "Although I'm not entirely sure why you invited him up to your office."
"Because I need to fix this situation, and there are no cameras or people to throw things at me in here." Oliver answered walking over to greet his guest. "Alderman, thank you for coming."
"Mr. Queen." Sebastian greeted back walking past him towards the window. "This is some view. How small the rest of us must look from up here."
"Ms. Smoak." Oliver called out.
"Yes?" Felicity responded.
"Would you get my guest and I some coffee." He asked.
"You know I would Mr. Queen, but it seems that someone's broken our coffeemaker." Felicity informed before walking out of the room whispering, "violently." Towards Oliver as she left.
"I was surprised you wanted to meet." Blood admitted earning the attention of Oliver.
"As surprised as I was when you turned a frenzied mob on me?" Oliver retorted, sitting down.
"Oh that shouldn't have been too surprising." Blood responded. "My constituents have a lot of anger towards your family."
"They have a right to." Oliver admitted as Sebastian took a seat. "My mother was involved in something…unspeakable. But I'm my own man. And I'm not your enemy."
"You're not a friend." Blood countered. "To me, or the people of the Glades."
"I am hoping to prove otherwise." Oliver offered.
"Mr. Queen, not every problem can be solved with money." Blood spoke. "Real change will never happen until your elitist friends realize that it is morally unacceptable to allow thousands of its fellow citizens to live right down the street but in a third world."
"Then let's show them." Oliver interjected. "I'll host a benefit. Invite some of my 'elitist friends' and then you and I can help them see what needs to be done."
Blood paused, considering his offer.
"People seeing you…" Blood started. "Seeing you stand up, the CEO of Queen Consolidated, taking responsibility and being this cause's public face. That would make a difference."
Oliver then stood up and extended his hand to Blood.
"Then let's make a difference."
Blood then stood up and shook Oliver's hand.
"Listen," Blood then spoke. "I am truly sorry for what happened outside that hospital. Sometimes my emotions get the better of me."
With that, Blood left, leaving Oliver with a sense of accomplishment, feeling that he was finally making things better for the city.
….
The benefit seemed to have been a rousing success. Countless members of Starling Cities elite had shown up to show their support for the people of the glades. Even Laurel Lance had made an appearance. She was walking around the room when Sebastian came up behind her.
"You look like a woman who's looking for someone." He observed as she turned around.
"A friend of mine." She answered turning back around walking forward. "He's throwing this benefit."
"Ah. Oliver Queen." Sebastian let out as he walked with her. "Didn't realize you were friends."
"Very old friends. So you can imagine how I feel about you putting him in the crosshairs of the public opinion."
"For what it's worth I apologized to Oliver for my rhetorical excessiveness. In fact it is that detant which brings us all here tonight."
"So where's Oliver?" Laurel asked looking around the room.
"That is the question I'm asking myself." Sebastian answered taking a sip of his drink.
….
In the elevator, Oliver and Diggle were going up towards where the party was being held.
"We're late." Oliver noted looking at his watch.
"Good news is at least you get to make a dramatic entrance." Diggle joked.
"Oh I'm just lucky that Oliver Queen has a reputation for not showing up on time."
Diggle paused for a second before speaking next.
"You know I've been meaning to tell you it really weirds me out to no end the way you refer to yourself in the third person like that." He told them as the elevator reached its destination.
As the two got out Oliver's cell phone started buzzing. When he saw it was Felicity, he answered it.
"Tell me." He told her walking out of the elevator.
"I got good news and bad news." Felicity informed. "I hacked into Fema's server, yet another federal offense thank you very much, and was able to find out when the next shipment of pharmaceuticals is taking place."
"When?"
"Well that's the bad news. Five minutes ago"
This was not good news for Oliver.
"I know this is the definition of sucky timing, but… which suit are you planning on wearing tonight?"
Oliver hated to admit it, but he knew which suit he would wear tonight, it just wouldn't win favor from the city.
…
Sebastian looked at his watch again coming to the conclusion that Oliver wasn't going to show up tonight.
"Doesn't seem Mr. Queen is going to honor us with his presence this evening." Sebastian noted.
"So where are you going?" Laurel asked as Sebastian started towards the podium.
"To address his guests." Sebastian answered. "It's time they realize what kind of man their host is."
"You're just going to crucify him in the media again?" Laurel questioned in disbelief.
"Crucifixion has such … a bad reputation." Sebastian countered. "The Romans used it to punish people who acted against the public good."
"Alderman…" Laurel said trying to stop him.
Sebastian however just stepped up to the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he addressed.
Everyone applauded at his presence.
"Thank you," he replied. "Thank you. But you should hold your applause for Oliver Queen. This evenings charity was his brain child. As such, you can be forgiven for why Mr. Queen isn't with us tonight."
As he kept talking, he walked around to the other side of the podium
"And the answer, I'm afraid, is painfully apparent."
…
Oliver meanwhile was suiting up in his Green Arrow garb and heading out to stop the triad.
…
"He doesn't care. I told Mr. Queen that this city's problems cannot be solved with his money;"
While he was speaking, Laurel decided to step out, unable to hear anymore.
"That he needed to stand up and be counted as someone who cares. So where is he now?"
…
"Lieutenant." An officer called out getting Lieutenant Pike's attention. "We got a hood sight, heading down Lemire Avenue."
"Let's go!" Pike called out.
…
"I don't know where Oliver Queen is, All I know is he isn't here."
…
As the FEMA truck cruised down the street, three figures on motorcycles revved up along side trying to seize it.
…
"This city is dying, and it needs someone to stand up and breathe new hope into it.
…
As the police cars cruised down the street towards where Green Arrow had been sighted, the woman in black that confronted him the other night took note of the direction the cops were heading and followed.
…
"And tonight it is painfully obvious, that that person is not Oliver Queen."
…
After China White, Bronze Tiger, and two goons stopped the truck, they tied up the guard and threw him to the ground.
"If anyone gets in your way," China White addressed the goons in Chinese. "Mow them down."
The goons nodded and made their way to the truck. That's when Green Arrow came riding up on his motorcycle. Arrow then fired one Arrow at the goon getting into the truck, causing a flash bang that made him fall as he rode up to the other three. He drove past them and near a partially repaired building.
"Go!" China White called out to the other goon.
Green Arrow then walked out as his two adversaries came up to him.
"I told you," she said to Bronze Tiger. "On time to die."
…
"Closing in on the vigilante's position." A officer replied over radio.
Several police cars pulled up to a building where Green Arrow was sighted. The woman in black perched herself on a rooftop across from them. Both she and the officers were surprised to find no one there.
"This doesn't make any sense." One officer said walking up to Pike with a tablet in his hand. "This is supposed to be live surveillance."
Pike looked at the footage of Arrow riding past a building.
"Then what the hell is that building doing here?" Pike asked pointing at the building in question. "It was destroyed in the quake."
"Who the hell could be feeding us year old surveillance?"
While the woman in black couldn't hear what they were saying, their body language showed they were upset about something. And she had a pretty good idea why. The Hood wasn't here."
"Damn." She cursed.
…
Back with Green Arrow, he was feeling a bit overpowered having China White and Bronze Tiger circling him. Bonze Tiger struck first from behind. Arrow quickly ducked under it and retaliated. China White then quickly attacked as well, but Arrow deflected that one too. From there it was a barrage of attacks from both parties at him. Arrow was quick enough however to block all of them.
While they were going at it, the other goon was making his way to the truck. Before he could get in though, Diggle in a ski mask came up and slammed the door on him. The goon then got up and tried to fight him off, but Diggle just blocked his attacks and threw him into a dumpster behind dim.
"Healthcare has enough problems without you punks." Diggle joked before climbing into the truck.
Arrow was still fending off China White and Bronze Tiger. He managed to knock China White aside and into a wall so he could focus on Bronze Tiger. Bronze Tiger was able to grab hold of Green Arrow just as Diggle was driving towards them in the truck.
"You're not the only one allowed to bring a friend!" Arrow informed as he broke free and he and Bronze Tiger moved out of the way of the truck.
Seeing her prize getting away, China White sprinted towards the truck and climbed onto the back. Thinking he was safe, Diggle pulled back his mask and called in to his partner.
"I'm clear." He reported.
…
Arrow slowly got up to respond
"That makes one of us." Arrow replied as he saw Bronze Tiger flee into a condemned building.
He then wasted no time going after him. He entered the building slowly, not sure where his opponent would strike from. Everywhere he turned he expected to see him, but only saw the plastic tarps that graced the support beams and walls. Bronze Tiger then struck from behind slicing at Green Arrow before bolting away. Green Arrow reached for his quiver but saw nothing. He then moved out in pursuit.
…
Back on the truck, Diggle kept driving when China White came up on the driver's side window and tried attacking Diggle. Diggle however wouldn't go down so easily and fought back as best as he could while driving. He then was forced to crash into a large pile of garbage, causing China White to fly off.
…
Back with Green Arrow, he continued searching for Bronze Tiger. Tiger quickly came up alongside Arrow and sliced him on the arm, causing him to cry out in pain before he disappeared again. Arrow then pressed on but stopped for a second to gain better understanding of his surroundings. He then quickly spun around, pulling an arrow from his quiver, and fired. Bronze Tiger quickly sliced that arrow to pieces before it touched him.
"Go ahead," he called out. "Waste your arrows."
Arrow continued firing at him as he came closer. One actually made it into his shoulder, but it wasn't enough to stop him from tackling him into a box.
"That hurt," Tiger admitted. "But it won't stop me."
Bronze Tiger then drew his claw back, but Arrow pressed a button on his bow causing the arrow to generate hundreds of volts of electricity through his body before falling to the ground.
"That will." Arrow countered before calling Diggle. "Dig?"
…
"Diggle!"
Diggle had just pulled himself out of the truck after crashing it with his gun drawn, but he had no sight of his opponent. China White then struck up from behind and tried to attack, but Dig was quick to block. China kept trying to slice at him, but he kept dodging. Diggle then tried to attack himself, but they were quickly deflected. Diggle tried bunching her put she ducked under it and she quickly punched him in the stomach causing him to kneel over. She then brought her knife overhead ready to finish him off. That's when Green Arrow came riding up on his motorcycle and shot an arrow at her, releasing a rope tying her to a pole. As he pulled up to them, he got off his bike and walked over to them.
"You've changed." She noted. "You would've killed me by now if you hadn't."
"The police can take the shipment the rest of the way." Arrow told Dig as the two started walking away.
"They still won't see you as anything more than the enemy." China told him, causing him to stop and turn around. "You'll never be anything but a criminal to them. Which means you'll never be a hero."
"As long as the city is safe," Arrow finally replied. "It doesn't matter."
With that, Green Arrow left as the police began to arrive to arrest China White and take the shipment to its destination.
…
The following night, Oliver and Diggle were in Oliver's office watching a news report on China White's capture.
"You know I was about to make my move on her," Diggle told him. "Didn't need one of your trick arrows getting in the way."
"Couldn't risk it." Oliver replied. "Where would I be without my 'black driver'?"
Diggle chuckled at that remark as he made his way out the door.
"Diggle." Oliver called out. "I'm sorry about you and Carly."
"Yeah well, couples break up." Diggle told him. "Not everything that happens in Starling City is your responsibility."
"I'm learning that. What I meant was, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, because I should have been. Guess I got wrapped up in my own suffering and… I forgot some other people might be suffering to."
Dig just nodded in response and Oliver simply nodded right back.
"You know we're getting dangerously close to hug territory," Diggle remarked. "So I'm going to fall back. You need a ride?"
"It turns out that being CEO, I actually have some work to do." Oliver reported. "I'll find my own way."
"You always do." Diggle told him before heading out.
As Diggle left, the news kept playing and an interview with Sebastian Blood was playing. Needless to say, he had no kind words for Oliver.
"Oliver Queen's failure to show up to his own benefit shouldn't surprise anyone." Blood stated. "He's no different than the rest of the Starling City elite who failed to show up when it comes to ending the suffering of those devastated in the glades. Oliver Queen is not a friend of the people of this city"
It was at that moment when Felicity placed a coffee cup on Oliver's desk. Oliver looked up to see his new secretary's surprise act.
"One." She mouthed before walking off, leaving him sitting there smiling.
…
Later that night, Roy was taking the recycling out to the dumpster. As he did so, he couldn't help but feel he was being watched. On instinct, he spun around and threw his flechette, only for it to be caught by Green Arrow.
"Nice throw." He remarked.
Roy was shocked to see the source of inspiration to fight crime in the Glades standing in front of him.
"I've been looking for you." He told him.
"You need to stop." Arrow ordered.
"You saved my life!" Roy yelled. "Made me realize it… wasn't much of a life. But I could do what others couldn't, or too afraid to do. I could help you save the city."
"I appreciate it, but you're untrained." Arrow informed.
"I can fight." Roy insisted.
"You can take a beating," Arrow corrected. "There's a difference."
"Then teach me!" Roy practically pleaded. "Let me help you."
Arrow was a bit surprised by Roy's insistence of helping him in his crusade. He couldn't let the kid get hurt, but then thought of an alternative.
"Ok." he relented. "You can help me, but not by taking on the Triads of the cops."
"Then how?" Roy asked.
"To do what I do I need intel," Arrow explained. "You can be my eyes and ears in the Glades. That's how you can save the city. And I know how you can start."
"How?"
"There's someone new in town. A woman in black, wears a mask."
His description reminded Roy of someone who looked like that who saved him a week ago.
"Yeah I've seen her around." Roy replied.
"Find out what you can about her." Arrow instructed.
"How do I contact you?" Roy asked.
"Leave that in the alley wall," Arrow replied tossing the flechette back. "And I'll know to contact you."
With that, Arrow turned and left, leaving Roy in the alley. He then picked up the miniature arrow that had been discarded.
"You sure it's alright that I keep this?" Roy asked, only to look up and see the vigilante gone.
…
Inside the club, Roy placed the hosen on the counter in front of Thea
If I want to be with you do I keep that or give it back?" Roy asked trying to recall her instructions. "You were a little unclear."
Needless to say, Thea was a little surprised by this.
"You mean it?" She asked.
"No more fighting." Roy confirmed. "If it's a choice between life with you or life without you, life with you will win every single time. I'm done trying to be a hero."
Thea just replied by kissing him and hugging him, happy that this seemed to be past them. Unaware of the chance Roy had been given to help the Green Arrow save the city, which was soon to face its darkest days yet.