Darhk

"It was an Oliver Queen campaign Holiday party. There was gunfire. The security that we had onsite was killed. And then he walked in." Diggle answered.

He pointed to me.

"Let the record reflect that the witness is pointing to the defendant." Laurel requested.

"And why did the defendant walk into Oliver Queen's campaign office?" She questioned.

"He was the leader of the gunmen. He took myself, Thea Queen, and Felicity Smoak hostage."

"And while you were held hostage-"

"Damien Darhk- Or whatever he calls himself- Was there calling the shots the entire time."

"Pass the witness."

Fitzmartin stood up.

He cleared his throat.

"This, uh... Holiday party. Were you, uh... Were you there as a guest?"

"No, sir. I work security- Personal security for Mr. Oliver Queen. And I have been for the past three plus years."

"Even after Mr. Queen lost his job as CEO of Queen Consolidated? I mean..."

Fitzmartin scoffed.

"How much does he pay you? 10 cents an hour?"

"Objection. Relevance?"

"Sustained. Move faster, Mr. Fitzmartin."

"Of course, Your Honor. Alright. Well, let's, uh... Talk about your alleged co-Captain, Thea Queen."

He pulled a sheet out.

"Isn't it true that five months ago, you helped her buy 74,000 worth of Cocaine?"

The observers murmured.

"I was pregnant five months ago. I wasn't taking drugs."

"I know."

"That's crazy."

"And before you answer that, you should know that I have a signed affidavit from Miss. Queen's dealer right here."

"Which means nothing because it is irrelevant." Laurel argued.

"Isn't this case below the DA?"

"Special exception."

"Well, it goes to credibility, Your Honor. Oliver Queen publicly slandered my client by accusing him of ordering a terrorist drone strike."

I looked back at Oliver.

"Now, if- If Mr. Diggle can work for Mr. Queen for free to help Miss. Queen buy illegal drugs, I mean, is it really that much of a stretch to believe that he'd also perjure himself in support of Mr. Queen's campaign of character assassination?"

"You watched me swear an oath."

"And then I saw you break it."

Thea was pissed.

"Do not get on that stand like that. Go outside. Take a deep breath. Calm the hell down."

Thea was breathing deeply.

She calmed down.

Thea got on the stand.

"Please raise your left hand."

She raised her left hand.

A ring was on Thea's left ring finger.

She smirked.

"Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do."

Thea lowered her hand.

Laurel stood up.

"You are the vigilante known as Speedy? The Archer in red?"

"Yes. I go out with Team Arrow almost every night."

"And it's true you are pregnant?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Were you pregnant-"

"I was pregnant when Damien Darhk stabbed me with an arrow."

Laurel held up an evidence bag.

"And this is that very arrow. You will find three sets of prints on it. Green Arrow's, Miss. Queen's, and the defendant's."

She put it on the table.

"And before you say anything. Green Arrow's arrows are customary. Just like Speedy's arrows are customary."

Fitzmartin shut his mouth.

"Can you just tell us what happened the night of Oliver Queen's holiday party?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"I was there to support my brother. I was there as a guest. And then Damien Darhk walked in."

"And what happened when he walked in?"

"Everybody moved. Because they were scared of him."

"Okay."

"He grabbed John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, and myself."

"Can you tell us what happened while you were held hostage?"

"Um... Felicity, John, and me were put in one of those old gas chambers. He was trying to kill us."

"Let's talk about Iron Heights."

She nodded her head.

"How did you end up there?"

"Um... I had hacked into the Prison surveillance system to be able to monitor things. Because my father was acting and doing crazy things."

Laurel kept a serious face.

"Damien Darhk had taken the guards hostage. So, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Spartan, and me were going there to help out. I had fought with my father, Malcolm Merlyn while the others were fighting Inmates."

"Isn't Malcolm Merlyn dead?"

"No. My father is very much alive. The Hood shoved an arrow through his chest but didn't manage to kill him."

"What happened after your fight ended?"

"Um... I headed to the Mess Hall. I saw all of them fighting. I joined in. I shot Damien Darhk to the wall with my arrows."

She laughed.

She had cracked a smile.

"Um... He put John Diggle and Oliver Queen in a frozen State with the Khushu Idols' powers. Darhk was trying to stab Black Canary. But I stepped in front of her at the last second."

"Did anything else happen at Iron Heights?"

"I was also shot at. The bullet pierced through my Kevlar suit. Went into my chest. It traveled up into my trachea."

"Pass the witness."

"Miss. Queen, how long has it been since your mother's death?"

"Two years in a month."

"And how were you with her death?"

"It rocked my world. The same way I acted when my Dad died on that boat."

"The cocaine? Why?"

"It was for a mission. To lure somebody out. I- I didn't smoke it. I was pregnant at the time."

"And who's the father of your baby?"

Thea crossed her arms against her chest.

She stared up at him.

"Objection."

"Sustained. Paternity of baby doesn't matter."

"You claimed my client stabbed you?"

"He did."

"Do you have proof?"

"The arrow."

"But you say he wasn't aiming for you? He was aiming for Black Canary?"

"I protect my family and team at all costs. Even if it'll cost my life."

"I don't understand. How did you get all the way across the Mess Hall while being shot at?"

"I was trained to ignore pain. So, I have a high tolerance for it."

"Is it true you know the identities of the rest of Team Arrow?"

"Yes. And I will not be disclosing who they are."

"Part of the prosecution's deal to get her to testify. She will not reveal the names of Team Green Arrow and full immunity is granted to her. And the whole Green Arrow team will be deputized."

Laurel handed the agreement to Sakow.

"It's legal. Move on, Mr. Fitzmartin."

"Are any of them in this Courtroom right now?"

"I've been sworn to secrecy. I will not be answering that."

"My client already did for me."

Fitzmartin looked at Laurel.

"She was protecting you, wasn't she?"

"Why don't you stop harassing people?' Laurel suggested.

"Why don't you answer the question?"

"I'm not the one on the stand."

"Maybe you should be!"

"No. I'm not The Black Canary."

"Is that true, Miss. Queen?"

"Yeah. Another person is The Black Canary."

"No further questions, Your Honor."

Laurel

"I don't have a law degree, but I don't think that went well." Dig commented.

"It could have been worse. If Fitzmartin kept pulling on those threads, then everything that we've done for this City could have been exposed."

"It'd be worth it to put Darhk away." Ollie commented.

"Except it wouldn't put him away." Dad told him.

"Vigilantes don't make good witnesses?" Thea questioned.

"No. But they make excellent Inmates."

"Yeah."

"Okay. So, where does this leave us?" Dig inquired.

"We can't just let Darhk walk." Ollie answered.

"Well, unless they come up with a witness who Fitzmartin can't tear apart, then that's what's gonna happen."

"Then put me on the stand. I don't have a secret identity. And I could testify about Darhk and his connection to HIVE." Dad volunteered.

"And spend the rest of your life in Jail."

"If it's a cell next to Darhk, it'd be worth it."

"No. We'll find another way."

Later

I was in my office.

"So, how did the rest of the day in Court go?" Dad questioned.

"If it went well, I wouldn't be here still doing this."

He sighed.

"Listen. I was thinking. What about all the rest of the people at the Holiday party, right? Cause they all saw Darhk."

"Yeah. That's probably why they're all too frightened to testify."

"Well, you could subpoena them."

"I did that this afternoon. One lied, one in Jail because they refused to testify, and one actually tried pleading the fifth."

I stood up.

"Well, I told you there's one guy willing to take the stand."

I sighed.

"It's the only way to bring him down, honey. For what he's done to Thea."

"Okay. Okay. If we do this, you will also testify that you acted under duress. That Damien threatened my life."

"Yeah. Cause that way, I get to say on record how much I love my baby girl."

"Okay."

Darhk

"Well, last August, Darhk asked me for the vacation plans for the Chief of the Fire Department."

"Objection." Fitzmartin objected.

"Darhk. Bender. Whatever he wants to call himself."

I was amused.

"I told him where Chief Reynolds was staying. The next day, the place blows up."

"Objection. Conjecture." He objected.

"Something you're free to challenge on cross-examination. Continue, Miss. Lance." Sakow ruled.

"What else did you do for the defendant?"

"He wanted me to give him access to the SCPD computer network. I did it. He wanted me to give him the departmental patrol schedules. I did that. He wanted me to break into a Federal server farm to install a computer virus. And I did that. He wanted me to give him information on the City's leadership. And I... I did that. And three days later, the City leadership were all dead."

"You did all of these things for the defendant?"

"The defendant and the organization he works for. HIVE."

"Objection." Fitzmartin objected.

He stood up.

"Your Honor, it's hearsay."

"Statement against interest, Your Honor." Laurel argued.

"Overruled."

Fitzmartin looked down.

He sat back down.

"Captain Lance, why would you do these things?"

"At first, I didn't know his intentions. Like with the Fire Chief. But then when I confronted Darhk about it, he told me that if I didn't do everything he asked-- Everything he told me to do-- He'd have you killed."

She looked down.

The observers whispered.

"No more questions, Your Honor."

"Mr. Fitzmartin, your witness."

Fitzmartin stood up.

"Captain Lance, have you ever personally witnessed my client commit any illegal act?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that threatening the daughter of a Police Captain isn't legal, Counselor."

"Objection."

"Overruled."

"You know, the fact of the matter is, I've seen your client in his little hidey-hole with his little men. Ghosts he calls them. And I've heard him say repeatedly how he wants to destroy this City and that if I didn't help him do it, then he'd kill my daughter. By saying these things, I'm setting a match to my career and maybe my life. So, why would I be doing that if everything I'm saying isn't true?"

Laurel was surprised Lance got Fitzmartin to shut up.