Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow.
I know I really don't do much with this chapter but most of the subplots of this episode revolved around Sara and Laurel's downward spiral, which didn't happen in this story, so I didn't have a lot to work with here. Next chapter will not have this weakness, as it introduces that arc I told you about at the beginning of this story.
Queen Mansion
Night
"Isobel, so glad you could make it." Oliver said with a tight smile as his business partner entered his childhood home.
"I'm surprised that you held the party here. Don't you have a home of your own?" Isobel asked blankly.
"The loft is a bit small for a party like this. Since my family still owns this place, it saved us the trouble of renting a new location." Oliver said smoothly, not telling her the real reason was because he and Sara would rather cut off their own arms then allow her around Shado.
"And where is your wife?" Isobel asked as she looked around for Sara.
"She got held up, she'll be here shortly." Oliver said smoothly.
Starling City
Same time
As gunmen fired at her, The Canary threw knives at them. The knives hit the gunmen in the shoulder, causing them all to fall on their back as they dropped the guns. One of them looked up to see The Canary standing in front of them, her baton out.
"Where are you getting the guns?" She demanded.
"If you're gonna kill me, get it over with." He sneered before she wacked him with her baton, rendering him unconscious.
"Dig, I just took out two more gangbangers," Canary said over the comms, "they were armed with fully automatic M4A1 assault rifles."
"M4A1s are military grade weapons. Stolen most likely." Diggle assessed.
"Stolen from where?" Canary asked.
"I don't know, but you're late." Diggle reminded her.
Queen Mansion
Not long after
"Mrs. Queen, so glad you could grace us with your presence." Isobel snapped as Sara walked over to her and Oliver.
"Clearly you're not a parent; otherwise you'd know how much time they take up." Sara said coolly as she and Oliver walked away from her.
The pair makes their way through the crowd and come upon Laurel, talking to Sabastian Blood. This caused Oliver to raise an eyebrow, as he remembered Laurel begging him not to leave her alone with Blood.
"Oliver, good to see you. And this must be your wife." Blood flashed a charming smile that Sara just stared at.
"Alderman." Sara said blankly.
"Laurel, Alderman, good to see. What were you talking about?" Oliver said smoothly, seeing that Sara was still angry at Blood for sicking a mob on him.
"The gun epidemic in The Glades." Laurel explained patiently.
"well, I'm sure the police are doing whatever they can to catch whoever's bringing guns into The Glades," Sara said and noticed Blood's amused smile, "did I say something funny?"
"They know who's bringing the guns: The Mayor." Laurel said pointedly.
"Didn't The Hoods kill the mayor?" Oliver asked confused.
"Not the actual mayor, a local gang lord that calls himself The Mayor. He thinks he's the man to save the city." Blood explained.
"But that position has already been filled hasn't it?" Laurel asked in a voice that bordered on flirtatious.
"No, this mayor has only one goal: to create chaos so he can rule The Glades by the barrel of a gun." Blood explained.
Blood wondered off and Oliver looked at Laurel with a curious expression.
"So, first you don't want to be in his company now you're flirting with him?" Oliver deadpanned.
"You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Laurel said coyly before she walked off.
"Well, at least we know what our next mission is." Sara said even as she stared after Laurel in concern.
North China Sea, five years ago
Night
Oliver stared stonily as the captain of the ship attempted to interrogate and threaten him into giving up information on the others. Oliver stood up and looked the captain in the eye before speaking.
"Go to tell." Oliver said firmly.
"Can't, we're already there." The captain said before pulling out a gun and shooting Oliver.
Oliver screamed as he fell to the floor. The captain walked away as Oliver groaned in pain, staring at the wound in his side.
Oliver and Sara's loft, next day
Afternoon
"I've set up the cash for guns event with Blood." Oliver said as walked into to see Sara watching a television program, Shado asleep in her lap.
"Do you trust Blood?" Sara asked suddenly.
"He seems sincere in his intentions, but Laurel's right, there's something…off about him. We need to keep an eye on him." Oliver admitted.
"Then we keep an eye on him when Laurel doesn't." Sara said and Oliver nodded.
Arrow Lair
Night
"So what do you have?" Oliver demanded as he and Sara walked down the stairs.
"Somehow, The Mayor did get his hands on military grade weapons from Camp Kirby." Diggle them and Oliver and Sara exchanged a grim look.
"Anything else?" Sara asked.
"If he got the crate, we might be able to find him," Felicity pointed to the tracer by the computers, "this is the same make and model as the tracking system the US army installs on all of its weapons crate. If they lose a crate, they can send out a remote signal that activates the beacon."
The mayors clever, he deactivated the beacon. Send a signal, nothing comes back." Diggle said.
"So we're back to square one then." Oliver said dismayed.
"Not exactly. Guess which company designed the tracking system the army uses? Here's a hint: you're CEO." Felicity said and Oliver began to smile, "I pulled up the original plans from the QC mainframe, there's a design flaw. The beacon is still susceptible to a sub form wave even if it's been deactivated."
"The mayor turned it off, we can turn it back on." Diggle said.
Felicity began typing at the computer and a map of The Glades was pulled up. Oliver and Sara smirked as they saw the location of the weapons.
The Mayor's hideout
Later
The Arrow and Canary burst through the top floor, The Arrow knocking the guard out with a well-placed jab to the head. But they had drawn attention to themselves and the gangbangers opened fire on them. The Hood fired arrow and The Canary threw knives at them. As they fought, most of the gang retreated, including the mayor. The two vigilantes ran down towards the crate of weapons, checking it over. They were glad that the weapons were off the street, but…
"Weapons are secure." The Arrow said.
"And The Mayor?" Diggle inquired.
"Still in office." Canary growled.
North China Sea, five years ago
Night
Oliver was howling in pain from his bullet wound when he spotted something. Just outside his cell, within his reach, was a surgical dish with a pair of pliers and what he would need to stitch himself up.
"Why-why'd the do this?" Oliver asked the man in the cell next to him as he breathed against the pain.
"They make all of us do this," He said in a Russian accent, "supposed to show prochnost. It's Russian, for strength."
"They did this to see if I'm strong?!" Oliver demanded angry.
"To see if you survive," the man corrected, "living…is not for the weak."
Oliver stared at the man before reaching through the cell and picking up the trey. Bring it inside the cell; Oliver used the pliers to start to dig out the bullet, even as he screamed.
Later, Oliver woke up in his cell after hearing the door open. He looked over to see the captain kneeling down in front of his cell.
"Sewing is not your strong suit." The captain said as Oliver let the bullet drop from his hand onto the floor, "now we can talk. For two years, my men and I have been looking for a grave site."
Oliver pulled himself into a sitting position and looked over at the captain.
"Did you find the graves? Where are the bodies? Were the bones old and misshapen?" the captain asked and Oliver's silence was all he needed as he pulled himself to his feet and pulled out a walkie-talkie, "this is the island."
The Glades, next day
Afternoon
Oliver and Sara watched as Roy gave up all his guns. Sara couldn't help the smile as Thea walked over to him.
"How's he doing in training?" Oliver asked Sara.
"Good, he's nothing like we were. In a few weeks, I think he'll be ready for archery training." Sara said before freezing s she saw someone walk up to Roy and Thea.
"What, what is it?" Oliver asked but she didn't answer.
Taking out her wallet, Sara took out a picture, old and warren. Looking back and forth between the new female and the picture, Sara gulped.
"Oliver, Sara, good to see you," Blood said as he walked over to them, we've taken in over three-hundred guns in three hours."
"That's great." Oliver smiled.
"You know, The Undertaking was a tragedy, but maybe it was what this city needed to wake up," Blood said and the Queens looked at him surprised, "in the wake of tragedy, we can rebuild. Now that tragedy has come and passed, now we can rebuild this city, stronger than ever."
"I like the sound of that," Sara said as she pocketed her wallet, "a better city, a safer city for my daughter to grow up in."
Suddenly, the air was pierced by the sound of gunfire. Trucks drove in, breaking the police barricades. The Queens and Blood stared in shock as The Mayor stood up out of his pickup truck, an assault rifle in hand.
"Listen up people; this is your mayor speaking. I don't recall this here event being sanctioned. What happens in The Glades only happens if I allow it." The Mayor said arrogantly.
"You're not the leader of this community! You don't speak for these people!" Blood bravely stepped forward.
"And neither do you. Not anymore." The Mayor signaled to two of his men.
As they took aim, Sara tackled blood out of the way. The two of them and Oliver took cover behind a police car as the gangbangers opened fire. The police returned fire and it was a fire fight before The Mayor and his crew drove off. Oliver shot up and ran towards Roy and Thea, kneeling down and checking them over.
"You two alright?" Sara asked as she ran up.
"Yeah, we're fine." Roy said and the Queens rushed up to check on everyone else.
Arrow Lair
Night
Felicity paused the news footage, spacing The Mayor's face with her software.
"Coward finally decided to show his face." Diggle spat disgusted.
"Vanity is gonna cost him." Sara vowed.
"I borrowed the FBI's facial recognition software," Felicity paused as the program ran The Mayor's face through a database, "got a match. Xavier Reed."
"Did Mr. Reed serve in the military?" Oliver demanded.
"No military history." Felicity said after a moment.
"What about family members?" Sara asked.
"He was in and out of foster care his whole life. Wait a minute, in 1996, Reed spent three years with a foster family and their son, Ezra Barnes. He served three tours in Iraq and he's state side now." Felicity said.
"Twenty bucks says he was stationed in Camp Kirby." Diggle said.
"Pay the ma. MR. Barnes is assigned to a weapons convoy that carries SCAR sixteens by truck. It's scheduled to come through Starling City tonight." Felicity said horrified.
"FN SCAR sixteens is military assault weapons with grenade launchers. If The Mayor gets a hold of these, it's game over." Diggle warned.
"Not if we have anything to say about it." Sara growled.
The Glades
Later
The Mayor and Barnes were talking when suddenly The Canary appeared behind them, her Baton out. Before they could reach, she moved in, fighting off gangbangers and soldiers. Two arrows flew out and struck two soldiers in the shoulder, sending them down to the ground. Within moments, the two had taken out all the gangbangers and soldiers, but The Mayor was noticeable absent.
"Old school weapons," They turned around to see The Mayor aiming a Scar assault rifle at them, "respect. But can your arrow do this?"
He fired and The Arrow fired an arrow moments later. The arrow hit the grenade and it exploded, knocking the two vigilantes to the ground and disarming them. The Arrow picked up his partners baton and started to attack the recovering gangbangers as they rushed him. One was struck by an arrow from behind and he fell to reveal The Canary holding his bow. They traded weapons and moved towards The Mayor. Within moments, The Canary got behind him and put her baton to his throat, knocking his rifle out of his hands.
"You endangered our family today," She hissed n his ear, "no one hurts our family and lives. No one."
She then used her baton to snap his neck and dropped his body.
Starling General Hospital
Later
"Sin?" Sara called out and Sin looked up from her bed at the woman walking into her room.
"Who are you?" Sin asked curiously.
"I' m a friend of your fathers." Sara sat down next her and Sin looked at her surprised.
"My dad?" Sin asked in a surprisingly vulnerable voice.
"My husband and I were stranded on an island once. His plane crashed. We tried to save him but it was too late. He had this o n him when he died." Sara handed the picture of a younger Sin and her father to the younger woman.
"Thank you," Sin said tearfully as she fingered the photo, "I always wondered why he didn't come home…now I know."
Sara nodded before rising from the chair and leaving the young woman to her thoughts.
So, what do you guys think? Please leave any thoughts or comments in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.