Later after Laurel returned home, Oliver reconvened with Diggle and Felicity to find out what happened.
"We tried going through all the security footage at the city archives to see if anyone swiped the file over the last few days." She told him.
"Did you see anyone?" Oliver asked.
"Just this."
Felicity then showed Oliver the footage. It seemed normal at first, but then then complete static.
"It's all been erased." She lamented.
"So what happened when you reversed the footprint to see who hacked in before you?" Oliver inquired.
"Struck out again." Felicity replied. "Must have been an inside job."
"Could Sebastian be responsible for this?" Oliver asked.
"Well as a city Alderman, Blood would have access to the files." Felicity admitted.
"So would anyone on city payroll." Diggle interjected.
"Why are so against me looking into this?" Oliver asked. "Black Canary is finally taking a chance with me and you're pushing me away from it."
Diggle let out a breath before responding.
"I just don't want you making her into another blind spot." Diggle told him. "You've bad experiences with those in the past."
"Look, I'm not trusting her blindly," Oliver insisted. "I'm just looking into a possible lead. Besides, Blood is running for Mayor. One mention of him killing his father and his political career is dead in the water. Doesn't that sound just a little bit suspicious to you?"
Diggle held his hands up in defeat.
"I just think you should give Blood the benefit of the doubt before nailing him as some criminal mastermind." Diggle insisted.
"I think I will," Oliver agreed, starting to head out. "In the meantime, keep digging into Blood's past, see if there's anything that could help us."
"On it." Felicity called back.
…
The next day at Sebastian's campaign office, Oliver popped by to talk with the soon to be Mayor.
"Looking for me?" Sebastian asked, walking up behind him.
Oliver turned around to see his friend standing before him.
"Hey, good to see you." Oliver greeted, shaking his hand.
"You too man." Sebastian replied. "Sorry, but I am in the middle of a polling snafu at the moment."
"I'll be quick." He told him. "It's just… someone was asking me about you the other day."
"Really?" Sebastian replied as they entered into his office. "Who?"
Oliver paused for a moment before responding.
"Laurel." He finally replied.
"Laurel?" Sebastian repeated, seemingly surprised. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm not sure." Oliver admitted. "She came to see me the other day and seemed off. Everything ok between you tow?"
"I'm not sure." Sebastian answered. "We've traded phone calls but… I've been campaigning, she's been busy with her job, we just haven't had time to connect."
"So nothing happened between you two?" Oliver inquired. "No fight or anything?"
"Oliver, if I didn't know any better I'd say it sounded like you were coming to me like a jealous ex-boyfriend." Sebastian jeered.
Oliver just chuckled in response.
"Just looking out for a friend." Oliver reassured. "And I hope you'll do the same."
"Of course." Sebastian confirmed. "Don't worry, I'll take care of Laurel."
With that, Sebastian went out ready to fulfill his promise to take care of Laurel, any way possible.
…
While all that was going on, Roy and Sin had found a criminal for them to take down. A man known as the Starling Slasher, a killer of prostitutes. After a bit of work, including a reluctant makeover from Thea and standing out in the cold night for who knows how long, a car finally pulled up. Eying Sin.
"You're new." He told her.
"Gotta start somewhere, right?" She replied, leaning on the open window.
"Get in." he told her.
She obliged and the two drove off.
…
A little bit later, the two pulled into a parking garage where the slasher parked.
"Romantic." Sin commented.
"You're pretty." He told her.
"You're disgusting." She remarked.
"I see you like to play rough." He noted, pulling out a knife.
Before he got the chance to use it though, Roy showed up, tearing the car door off and throwing the guy across the floor. Roy walked over to him as he tried to get back on his feet.
"Wait," he pleaded. "I have money."
"Keep it." Roy told him, kicking him in the stomach.
The kick sent him hurdling over the car, cracking the windshield, and colliding with a column. Roy went over and just kept kicking him in the stomach over and over again, with no sign of stopping. Sin saw Roy losing himself and ran over to stop him.
"Roy, stop it!" Sin yelled. "You're killing him!"
Without thinking, Roy smacked her away, sending her flying back. Finally snapping out of his haze, he ran over to check on her.
"Sin," he let out. "Sin I'm sorry."
"We have to call an ambulance." Sin told him.
…
Across town on a rooftop, Green Arrow found Black Canary again and went to inform her of all that had happened.
"How's the hunt going?" Canary asked.
"Not so good." Arrow admitted. "The file you directed me to was empty. We're back to square one."
"Damn." She let out. "Now what?"
"We need a new lead on his father's murder." Arrow told her.
"We may need to take a more direct approach." Canary suggested. "Checking his campaign office, his home phone records-"
"Hold it." Arrow interrupted. "We can't rush into things or take drastic actions recklessly."
"Then maybe we should go straight to the source." Canary suggested. "One of your patented intimidation visits might get a confession out of him."
"A forced confession." Arrow retorted. "Which would be completely useless."
"Well we have to try something!" Canary practically yelled. "The longer we wait, the more chance Blood has to hurt someone else."
"I know what he's capable of." Arrow responded sternly. "More than you could imagine."
"Then we should stop talking and take some action." Canary insisted about to walk past him.
Arrow then grabbed her by the arm, much to her surprise.
"Not if its going off half cocked without a plan." Arrow told her.
"Let me go." She demanded, pulling her arm free.
"You asked me to help you on this." Arrow reminded. "Now I'm asking you to trust me here."
"Well maybe I should handle this on my own after all." Canary retorted.
"I can't let you do that if you're going to do something drastic." Arrow warned.
The two stared each other down for a few moments. Canary then quickly kicked Arrow's bow out of his hands before spinning around and trying to elbow him in the face. Arrow grabbed the elbow and shoved her back. Canary turned back around and let loose several punches and kicks to Arrow, but he was able to block most of them. She then got a lucky kick in the stomach, causing him to stumble back a bit. She took advantage of his off balance state and spin kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Arrow quickly rolled on the ground before taking out one of his flachettes and threw it at Black Canary, slicing her on the arm. Canary clenched her arm in pain and dropped to her knee as Green Arrow got back to his feet.
"That's enough." Arrow declared as he got closer to her.
Before he could make another move, Canary turned towards him and let out a canary cry, launching him across the roof before landing on the ground. As he picked himself up, he saw that Black Canary was nowhere to be found.
…
Back at Sebastian's campaign office, Sebastian walked through the empty building before seeing someone in his office chair. That someone being Slade Wilson looking at a very particular file.
"Point blank range." He read off. "Single shot to the heart from a low angle. Obviously, the handiwork of someone quite scared… and very small. How come the police didn't arrest you?"
"I knew how to cover my tracks." Blood replied hesitantly.
"A skill you've obviously lost since you've gotten bigger." Slade remarked. "You know how close you came, to allowing the Green Arrow to destroy everything?"
"Someone spoke out of term." Sebastian insisted. "I've taken care of the problem."
Slade slammed his fist on the table before getting out of the chair and walking towards him.
"Your mother was not our problem." Slade told him. "Laurel Lance is."
"You were the one who told me to get close to her." Sebastian reminded. "You said that it was part of the plan to hurt the vigilante."
"It is, but you being sloppy isn't." Slade told him before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the doorway. "Fix this, Mr. Blood. You don't want me to fix it for you."
Slade then released Blood and left the office. Blood decided to take immediate action and called on an old associate.
…
Rubbing the cut on her arm, Laurel walked down the hall towards her apartment. As she opened the door however, she saw that the place was ransacked. Fearing the worst, she walked through the apartment looking for the guilty party.
"Whoever you are," Laurel called out. "I'm calling the police!"
"No need to." A voice called back.
Laurel turned around to see Officer Daley standing behind her.
"Remember me?"
"Officer Daley, right?" Laurel responded. "What's this all about? What are you doing in my apartment?"
"I have a warrant." He told her.
Laurel was taken aback by this.
"A warrant for what?" She asked.
"Found these in the bedroom." Another officer reported, walking up with a plastic bag holding a container of pills.
"Those pills aren't prescribed to you, Ms. Lance." Daley told her. "That's a felony."
Laurel was so dumbstruck by the sight, she barely registered the cuffs being placed on her wrists.
"Ms. Lance, you're under arrest for possession of a controlled substance." Daley told her.
…
Laurel sat alone in the interrogation room waiting for someone to come in. she was both surprised and irritated by the evening's events. Finally, the door opened. Laurel turned to see, of all people, her father entering the room.
"I know how this looks," Laurel spoke, getting up and walking over to him. "But you have to listen to me. This whole thing is because of Sebastian Blood. He's trying to set me up. He knows I'm onto him, so he's trying to frame me."
"So he placed the drugs in your apartment?" Quinten asked.
"… Look just forget about the drugs." Laurel tried to insist. "The point is Sebastian is behind this witch hunt."
"Sebastian called your boss." Quinten told her. "He's worried about you."
"No, he… he wasn't worried about me." Laurel persisted. "He's trying to discredit me. Don't you see what's happening?"
"I see that you've tested positive for opiates." Quinten told her.
"What?" Laurel let out. "No, I-"
"I see that you've been lying to me," He continued, taking out the pills and slamming them on the table. "and I see that you've been stealing from me."
Laurel stared at the pills for a moment.
"I can explain." She told him. "I hadn't touched those in months."
"So you admit you took them." Quinten deduced.
"Yes, but-"
"The paranoia, you looking like hell," Quinten listed off. "You got a problem Laurel. It's addiction."
"No." Laurel denied.
"It runs in the family." Quinten told her. "You can't pin it on Sebastian Blood."
"Dad, please!" Laurel pleaded as Quinten started walking away. "You have to believe me!"
Quinten turned back to his daughter and seeing the rising sadness in her eyes.
"Please." She let out.
"I'm sorry baby," He told her. "But I don't."
Quinten then exited the room, leaving Laurel devastated and furious.
Outside the interrogation room, Quinten walked past Oliver, who was there to check up on her.
"How is she?" Oliver asked.
"…I don't know." Quinten admitted. "Honestly, I don't know anything anymore."
"I'll… I'll get her home." Oliver offered.
"Thanks." Quinten replied before walking off.
Oliver turned back towards the interrogation room as Laurel was being led out by one of the guards. As she was walking, she holding her arm in discomfort. Oliver took note of the exact place her arm hurt and began to put some pieces together. He then pulled out his phone and dialed Felicity.
"Felicity?"
"Hey, what's up?" Felicity replied. "How's Laurel?"
"Not sure yet." Oliver admitted. "I need a favor from you. Can you check all Laurel's financial records from after the Undertaking? Travel expenses? Train tickets?"
"Yeah… but why?"
"Call it a hunch."
…
At Starling City General, Roy and Sin just watched helplessly as the Starling Slasher laid comatose in a hospital bed. Finally, the doctor came out.
"How's he doing?" Roy asked.
"The damage to his head and lower abdomen is severe, he ruptured his spleen, and he has massive swelling in his brain." The doctor listed off. "Thankfully he got medical attention quickly so he's got a shot. You did a good thing here, Roy."
As the doctor walked off, Roy and Sin looked back in full of guilt and regret.
"What happened to you out there?" Sin asked.
"I don't know." Roy admitted.
"We nearly killed that guy." Sin reminded.
"Roy?" Thea's voice called out.
The two turned to see her walking up towards them.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"What are you doing here?" Roy questioned.
"Sin called me." Thea told him.
"Why did you do that?" Roy asked.
"Cause she was worried about you." Thea said before looking into the hospital room. "Who is that guy?"
"He was my date." Sin told her. "We put him there."
Thea was caught off guard by that last part.
"You… you did this?" She let out.
"Just drop it." Roy insisted. "Please."
Roy, something is happening to you." Thea told him. "I'm not judging you. I'm not angry with you. I'm on your side. I just wanna help you."
"You can't." Roy responded. "I… I got to go."
With that, Roy took off, leaving Thea in the dust.
"Roy!" She called out, to no avail.
After rounding the corner, Roy dropped to the ground and cried, unable to fully process what he had done or how to deal with it.
…
Back at Laurel's apartment, Oliver was helping Laurel clean up the mess the cops left when searching the place. Oliver said little to nothing the entire time, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Laurel.
"You haven't said much." Laurel noted. "If you're working on your lecture, my dad had a few choice words for me already."
"I… I wasn't gonna lecture you." Oliver insisted.
"But you think I was wrong about Sebastian?" Laurel guessed.
"I think…that you've been fooling everyone." Oliver told her. "That none of this affects you, that you can take on the world all by yourself. That you don't need anyone's help."
"Well maybe this once, I don't." Laurel countered, standing up.
"Except you do!" Oliver replied, sternly. "I know you Laurel, and this, this isn't you."
Laurel sighed in response.
"So much for no lectures." She remarked. "I just… I need a glass of water. Do you mind?"
Oliver nodded as he went off to get some water. As he came back with the glass, he was knocked out by a masked assailant. Laurel snapped to attention as the glass hit the floor. As she tried to move towards Oliver, two more men came up from behind and grabbed her. As she struggled, the man in the skull mask stepped forward.
"Hello Laurel." He greeted.
Finally, Laurel managed to get an arm free so she could elbow one of the goons in the face before grabbing the other guys arm and flipping him onto the ground. As she ran up to the man in the skull mask, he pulled out a needle and managed to inject it into Laurel's neck. It was a powerful sedative that managed to knock her out almost immediately.
…
Some time later, Oliver regained consciousness and sat up immediately. He looked around the apartment, but found no sign of her, or the attackers. What he did find though, was a message on the wall saying "Tell Green Arrow Starling Cannery". He quickly took out his phone and dialed Felicity.
"It's me. Someone came after Laurel."
"Do you know where they took her?"
"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea." Oliver replied before bolting out the door.
…
At the cannery, Laurel regained consciousness herself, slowly getting to her feet. Surprised she wasn't bound in anyway, she walked around looking for any sign of her kidnapper. As she looked, she caught a glimpse of the man's signature skull mask lurking in the shadows.
"If that mask is supposed to scare me, it's not working." Laurel told him, walking towards him. "All it's doing is confirming what I've known for a while now."
As she rounded the corner, she was surprised to see no sign of the masked man.
"You're one sick son of a bitch, Sebastian." She called out, moving further into the cannery.
"30,000 years ago, masks invested their wearers with authority." The man informed. "Like a god."
"You're insane." She remarked.
"I'm not the one making drug-addled, unsubstantiated accusations against Starling's favorite son." He mocked.
"My accusations are anything but unsubstantiated, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Laurel threw back. "I know the truth, and others will to. I promise you that."
"You found out nothing. "The skull masked man retorted, grabbing her by the neck from behind. "You know nothing."
Just then, an arrow zoomed past them, imbedding itself in the wall.
"Get away from her!" Green Arrow yelled. "Or I will put. You. Down."
The two turned to see Green Arrow standing on a ledge over them with an arrow aimed at the masked man.
"Ah, the hero coming to save the day." He joked. "And to think a few short months ago, you were trying to have him arrested."
"You wanted me here." Arrow reminded. "I'm here. "Now let. Her go."
"No." He decided, tossing Laurel aside and drawing his gun. "I think she should witness this."
Arrow quickly shot the gun out of his hands before leaping down and duking it out with him. The fought relentlessly as they continued down a hallway. Despite Arrow having the superior skill, the masked man still put up an effort, blocking a few of Arrows attacks and even landing a few hits of his own. However, it still wasn't enough to keep the Emerald Archer at bay, as he easily kicked the masked man into some pipes before leaping into the air and bringing his bow down on him, sending him stumbling back. The two continued their fight, with Arrow seemingly coming out superior as he landed more hits that he took. After dodging a punch from the masked man, Arrow spun around ready to strike him, only for the masked man to have vanished.
Arrow quickly took off down the hallway in search of him. As he searched, the masked man sprung from behind and tackled him to the ground. The masked man then grabbed hold of Arrow's arm and tried to twist it. Thinking fast, Arrow pulled out an arrow from his quiver and stabbed the masked man in the leg. As he cried out in pain, Green Arrow punched him in the face and rolled over to his bow. As he picked it up and got to his feet, the masked man pulled out a second gun from a leg holster and aimed it at Arrow. Before he could fire though, someone shot him from behind. He dropped to the ground, revealing Laurel holding the discarded gun from earlier. She walked over to Green Arrow as they stood over the man's dying body.
"Take off his mask." She requested. "I have to know for sure."
Arrow obliged as he knelt over and removed his mask, revealing him to be, of all people, Officer Daley. Laurel was shocked, barely believing how off base she really was. Daley let out a small sick grin before finally breathing his last breath, leaving two shocked and confused heroes in his wake.
…
Later that night, Laurel was back at the SCPD, giving her statement on everything that had happened. As she sat with a blanket around her shoulders and a cup of coffee in her hand, her father came up to her.
"Hey, Sweetheart." He said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You alright?"
"Yeah." Laurel let out. "Guess I was wrong. Daley was behind the whole thing."
"Makes sense." Quinten replied. "Son of a bitch volunteered for the raid that got Hilton killed. And we found the accelerant that he used to torch the Langford Institute in his apartment."
"I was… so sure it was Sebastian." Laurel lamented.
"Yeah well, that's the thing." Quinten told her. "The thing that dulls the pain, can also cloud the judgement."
Laurel turned towards her father in masked irritation, knowing she couldn't convince him of the truth.
"Can we have a minute?" Adam asked as he stood behind them.
"Yeah." Quinten replied before walking off, leaving the two alone.
Adam leaned against a wall as the two looked at each other in silence.
"Are you here to say I told you so?" Laurel asked.
"We're dropping the possession charges." He informed. "And you won't be charged with Daley's shooting. It was clearly self-defense."
"You don't seem that thrilled." Laurel noted.
Adam sighed before speaking again.
"The DA's office has a generous severance package." Adam told her.
"What?!" She let out, standing up. "Wait, let me explain this to DA Spencer, I can tell her everything!"
"This isn't coming from Spencer." He told her. "This is me. I'm the one who hired you. I'm sorry, but you're done."
With that, he left, leaving Laurel more devastated and defeated than she'd ever been before.
…
Back at the Arrow Cave, Oliver walked past Diggle and Felicity as he put his bow away.
"You ok, man?" Diggle asked.
Oliver paused a bit before answering.
"I don't know." Oliver finally replied. "It's this thing that's happening with Laurel."
"I heard." Diggle said. "Must be hard to believe what she's going through."
"You're right John, it is." Oliver confirmed, turning towards him. "I can't accept that Laurel's accusations were because of some drug filled fit."
"What do you mean by that?" Diggle asked.
"I was starting to think that Laurel was… something else." Oliver told him.
"And you might be right." Felicity chimed in. "I looked into Laurel's finances like you asked, nothing interesting at first, until I saw she bought a train ticket to Central City not long after the Undertaking."
"So?" Diggle asked. "Laurel's mother lives out in Central City. Nothing strange about that."
"That's what I thought," Felicity responded. "Until I noticed the date. Three days before the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator exploded."
The news was a surprise to both of them, despite Oliver's suspicions.
"So… Laurel's a metahuman?" Diggle asked.
"So it seems." Oliver replied. "I and I have a pretty good idea on which one."
…
Back at her apartment, Laurel sat alone in the dark, frustrated with everything that had happened. Finally, she decided that a night of patrolling the town would help alleviate her foul mood. As she went to her room, she was shocked to see Green Arrow standing there.
"Hello Laurel." He greeted.
"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Come to tell me I'm crazy too?"
"I don't think you're crazy, Laurel." Arrow replied. "I think you're something else. Or rather, 'someone' else."
Laurel raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?" She questioned.
"I mean, I know you were in Central City the night the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator exploded," Arrow told her. "I know you dropped out of the anti-vigilante task force at the same time the Black Canary agreed to work with me-"
"Wait, you think I'm her?" Laurel. "What would make you think-"
"I know about the cut on your arm." Arrow continued. "The same one I gave to her."
Laurel fought the urge to clench her arm and continued to stand her ground.
"So I cut my arm, that doesn't mean I'm some… vigilante." Laurel continued. "And even if I were, you really gonna judge me?"
"I didn't come here to judge you, Laurel." Arrow insisted.
"Good, cause I can take it from my father, and from Oliver, but I won't take it from you!" Laurel told him. "Because despite all we've been through, you don't know me. Not really."
Arrow was taken slightly a back by Laurel's verbal assault s Laurel turned his back to him. After a bit of silence, he came to a decision before speaking again.
"I know you better than you think Laurel." He said, his voice no longer distorted.
Laurel perked up upon hearing the voice, recognizing it all too well. She turned back around to see Green Arrow still standing there, but now with his mask off and his hood pulled back, revealing the last person she expected to see wearing that hood.
"Ollie?" She let out.
…
Not that much later, Oliver and Laurel were in the arrow cave, with Laurel still in awe of the recent revelation.
"All this time," She let out, looking around the cave. "I never even thought…"
"I went to a lot of lengths to keep my secret." Oliver admitted.
"But you were gonna tell me, weren't you?" Laurel realized. "The night of the Undertaking?"
"I wanted to tell you for a lot of nights." Oliver admitted.
"Did… Tommy know?" Laurel asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Oliver confirmed. "I was with him when he died."
Laurel let out a breath in response.
"I'm happy for that…" She replied. "And I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Oliver asked, confused.
"For blaming you." Laurel answered.
Oliver then pieced it together.
"That's what you were after me, wasn't it?" Oliver replied. "Because I couldn't get to Tommy in time?"
"Yeah, but it was just an excuse for my guilt." Laurel told him. "You told me to get out of the Glades, but I didn't listen. I went back to CNRI to get some stupid files. Tommy got me out, but got stuck inside when the building came down. I went back inside, and saw him lying there on the ground. And I saw you too, leaving. I blamed myself for Tommy and I took it out on you."
"You know I'd trade my life for his in an instant." Oliver reassured.
"I know, I know." Laurel quickly replied.
"So… how'd you become the Black Canary?" Oliver inquired. "I know you got that scream from the Particle Accelerator, but why go to Central City in the first place?"
Laurel paused for a moment before responding.
"After the Undertaking, the world just seemed to be falling apart." Laurel explained. "Tommy died, CNRI was destroyed, even you left. I tried to make the pain go away any way I could…"
"Including taking your Dad's pills?" Oliver guessed.
"One time!" Laurel insisted. "And I felt like crap the next morning anyway. I felt like I had to get away from everything. So, I went to Central City for a while, to get my life straightened out. Ironically enough, I ended up at a bar one night. Then this… bright light washed through the building, breaking glass and shaking everything. So I screamed… and that scream brought down the wall."
Oliver was completely taken in by the story being told to him.
"Once I realized what I could do, I thought I could put it to some good use." Laurel continued. "try to help people. Kinda hypocritical I admit. I criticize your work as a vigilante, yet turn right around and do the same thing as the Black Canary."
"I never saw it that way." Oliver replied.
"I'm not even that great a hero." Laurel dismissed. "I was wrong about Sebastian Blood, and I pretty much just killed my career and reputation."
"I don't think that-"
Oliver was cut off by Diggle and Felicity entering into the cave, both of which shocked to see Laurel in there with him.
"Oh." Felicity let out. "I didn't realize we had company."
"Neither did I." Diggle remarked.
"Guys, it's ok." Oliver insisted. "Laurel can be trusted. We were right about her."
"She's a meta human?" Felicity asked.
"I'm the Black Canary." Laurel answered.
"Oh." Felicity let out. "Wow. That's… pretty cool."
As Felicity walked over to Laurel to talk, Oliver walked over to Diggle.
"I knew you wanted to follow up on Laurel, but inviting her down here?" Diggle spoke up.
"It was an on the spot decision." Oliver admitted. "But I still stand by it. You were right though."
"About what?" Diggle asked.
"I do have a blind spot when it comes to Laurel." Oliver relented. "I always have, and I probably always will."
"Maybe." Diggle replied. "But I guess that's why we fight alongside friends."
"To watch our blind spots." Oliver finished. "Thanks for having my back."
"Always glad to have it." Diggle replied happily. "So what do we do now? Daley's dead and the threat's over."
"I don't think so." Oliver voiced.
"What do you mean?" Laurel asked, turning to him.
"I mean that I think it's a little suspect that Daley went after you were digging into Blood's past." Oliver responded. "And that Laurel's tests gave back positive despite not taking drugs in months."
"You think Blood's still the man in the skull mask?" Felicity pieced together.
"At this point, I'm having a hard time believing it myself." Laurel admitted.
"Maybe, but I still think the man in the skull mask is still out there." Oliver responded. "Meaning we haven't seen the end of the Mirakuru threat."
"Mirakuru?" Laurel asked.
"Japanese super soldier serum." Felicity answered. "Gives people unbelievable strength."
"That's what turned Cyrus Gold into that monster." Laurel realized. "Has anyone else been affected by it?"
"Just one." Oliver answered, turning to a monitor screen and seeing Roy Harper.
…
In the club, Roy was taking out some excess beer as Oliver walked up.
"Hey," He said. "Slow night?"
Roy just ignored him as he walked past.
"Something I said?" he asked.
"Don't take it personally." Thea replied, sitting in one of the booths. "He won't even make eye contact with me."
"Something happen?" Oliver inquired.
"He… put a guy in the hospital." Thea told him.
Oliver was caught off guard by that revelation as he walked closer to her.
"He's a little stingy with the details, but…" Thea continued. "You should have seen him. I don't understand how any human could have done that to another. Each day he becomes more and more like somebody… I don't even know. He won't even listen to me."
"I think I know someone he'll listen to." Oliver reassured.
…
In Sebastian Blood's office, he and a few of his men walked inside to inform Slade of their progress.
"It's done!" he called out. "They think it was all Daley. He sacrificed himself for our cause."
"A good start." Slade replied from seemingly nowhere. "but the magnitude of your negligence requires a greater sacrifice."
Just then, an unseen force came out of nowhere and kicked Blood across the room. A blade then sprung out and sliced through his men's legs and throats, killing them instantly. As Blood tried to get up, a sword was placed at his neck, holding it was someone in massive body armor with grenades on a belt across the chest, and an orange and black mask with tassels on the end and an eyehole on the orange side.
"Your incompetence has now cost you four lives, alderman." He told him, before taking off his helmet and revealing himself to be Slade. "Fail me again, and yours will be the fifth."
Slade then pulled the blade away, causing Sebastian to drop to the ground as Slade walked out.
…
In the back alley of Verdant, Roy just finished placing his last barrel in a pile when suddenly, a familiar flechette imbedded itself in the wall behind him. He turned around and walked over to it.
"If that was supposed to go through my other leg, you missed." Roy remarked.
"You seem to be healing pretty well." Arrow noted, walking over to him.
Roy then spun around and tried to punch him, only for Arrow to dodge the attack. Roy then barreled at him, only for Arrow to move out of the way and Roy to punch clean through a brick wall.
"You're stronger, you heal faster, but you're not in control." Arrow listed off. "The serum you were exposed to changes your body, but it also warps your mind."
"How do you know so much about it?" Roy asked.
"I've seen it before." Arrow answered. "It twists men. Turns them into someone they don't recognize. Someone dangerous."
Roy shuddered at the thought.
"Maybe you should put another arrow through me." Roy suggested. "This time through my heart."
"There's another way, Roy." Arrow suggested. "I can teach you…to control your new ability… and to control yourself. Let me help you"
Roy paused for a moment before responding.
"When do we start?"
What? You thought I had forgotten this story? Hardly. I've just been distracted with other projects and stories that this one kinda got lost in the shuffle. Don't worry, I am still dedicated to this story and plan to finish it, especially now that Laurel is part of Team Arrow. I know some people wanted Laurel to unmask Oliver first, and while that would have been cool, it's just not how it played out in my story. She was too preoccupied with Blood and that mystery. Still, now that all cards are on the table, I suspect interesting things about to happen.