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Chapter Text

"I'm done asking." Gregor said, pointing his gun at Oliver, who was restrained to the chair. "Follow me or die."

Suddenly, gunshots rang out as Gregor and his men looked upstairs.

"Find out what's happening." Gregor said as his two henchmen went upstairs. A moment later, gunshots rang out and sounds of beating as Gregor decided to run, when he looked upstairs and paled at the sight, widening his eyes in horror. "Chernaya vdova."

Oliver was slowly passing out from the pain as he saw a red-haired woman enter before his vision faded to black.

When Oliver came to, he was in bed as he noticed that he was in some kind of a hotel room. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere, where you can rest, Mr. Queen." The red-haired woman said as Oliver groaned and got up. "I must say, I'd never expect an American playboy to be a part of the Bratva as well."

"Who are you?" Oliver demanded as he sat down, turning to the woman.

"Let's just say I have some unfinished business with Gregor and Mr. Kovar. And seeing that you're a capable man, I suppose our interests are aligned. I've been watching you for a while now." The woman said. "But what I'd like to know is, how did someone like you get into Bratva and what are you doing with them and why are you not back home in the U.S."

"You tell me, who you are, I might explain myself." Oliver said.

"My name is Natasha. Natasha Romanoff." The woman said and Oliver's eyes lit up in recognition, remembering rumors about her from A.R.G.U.S. and Bratva.

Chapter Text

"The Black Widow…" Oliver whispered, the realization hitting him, once he sat down.

"So you've heard of me." Natasha smirked.

"Why… why did you help me?" Oliver demanded, being wary around her.

"Like I've said, our interests are aligned. Konstantin Kovar and Ishmael Gregor." Natasha said. "Let's just say that Kovar has wronged someone I care about in the past and I've come to settle an old debt. And I've been watching you for a while now. And going to such lengths over a promise to a slave girl… impressive."

"I have to get back to the Bratva." Oliver said, trying to get up before Natasha held him down.

"If I were you, I'd rest. Besides, right now, the situation in Bratva has become more complicated." Natasha said.

Oliver groaned as he got up.

"I have… friends in A.R.G.U.S., Mr. Queen. And I've done my homework. Edward Fyers, Slade Wilson, Alpha/Omega and Shadowspire… well, you've certainly come a long way." Natasha said as she handed him a folder which contained information on him as Oliver was disturbed by how much did she know about him.

"What do you want from me?" Oliver asked, worried.

"Calm down, if I was going to hurt you, we wouldn't be talking." Natasha assured him. "And I think I know why you didn't come home, when you had a chance. That look in your eyes, I've seen it before. You believe you're so deep in the darkness, you're beyond redemption and that you'll eventually hurt everyone you love, so that's why you don't want to face your family or Laurel or Tommy—"

"Don't pretend like you know anything about me." Oliver snapped, grabbing Natasha by her arm but Natasha slammed Oliver to the desk before he freed herself from her grip.

"I know that you believe that you have so much darkness inside you that you think you don't deserve to be anywhere around the people you care about." Natasha said. "I've been where you're at. And I know a good person, when I see one."

Oliver considered as he stared at her. "Why would you help me?"

Natasha sighed. "Let's just say I've spent my time in darkness and didn't think I deserved something like family or friends. And someone else helped me pull back from that edge. You could say that you're not the only one looking for redemption. I have red in my ledger. And I need to wipe it out. And you and I both want to take down Kovar. What do you say?"

Oliver considered as he took a breath. "What do you propose?"

Later at night, Oliver and Natasha went out on the street as she handed him a compound bow as he was wearing a quiver of arrows.

"Where did you get this?" Oliver asked.

"Let's just say I have a friend, who's very good at archery." Natasha said.

"What's the plan?" Oliver asked.

"That depends. Want to take on Yurievich yourself?" Natasha challenged as Oliver considered briefly before nodding. "I'll take on his guards."

Yurievich was giving orders to his men as gunshots rang out and they were shot down. Yurievich ran into his car to hide before Oliver went out from his cover and fired arrows, shooting down Yurievich's men. Two of them rushed at Oliver as Oliver hit one of them in the face with his bow and another one in the abdomen, beating them both up at once before he knocked them down. Oliver kicked another thug back as he crashed against the car.

Natasha went out from her cover and pulled out a garotte, restraining hands of one of the thugs and kicking another one back before she punched the thug she had restrained, kicked him in the chest and threw him down. Natasha then did a hurricanrana as she jumped at the other thug and knocked him down.

Oliver entered the car, aiming at Yurievich, who raised his hands in surrender and looked frightened.

"Please. Whatever you want. Money. Girls. Name it." Yurievich begged in Russian.

Oliver glared before he proceeded to beat Yurievich up as his face was bloodied before Natasha held him.

"Hey. Enough." Natasha said, waking Oliver up from his haze of rage as he panted out before she measured Yurievich's heartbeat as she stared at Oliver.

Later, back in Natasha's apartment, Oliver stared as Natasha helped him clean the blood off his face.

"Why did you do that?" Oliver wondered.

"Do what?" Natasha questioned.

"Why did you stop me? You've seen what I've become." Oliver said.

"To show you that this darkness you have that you're afraid of, it doesn't have to define you. That no matter how deep in you might be, you can find your way back. I've been there." Natasha said.

"I'm not the man that my father raised! Not anymore." Oliver snapped as he whirled on her. "How do you know how I'm feeling?"

Natasha sighed. "Like I've said, there was a time I was so deep in the darkness, I was ready to die. But a good person saw something in me that I didn't think I had in me anymore. And he helped me find my way back. Maybe that's exactly what you need too."

"Why would you do this for me?" Oliver wondered.

"Right now our paths are aligned. Isn't that enough to see it through?" Natasha pointed out. "There may be darkness inside of you but it doesn't have to define you. Let me help you find your way."

Oliver considered. "What next?"

Kovar was in his office in his estate as his henchman entered. "Sir. There is a problem. Chernaya Vdova. She's here."

Kovar smirked. "Ah. Little Natalia. Looks like we have some score to settle." He dialed a number.

"She's here in Russia? Excellent." The Asian woman said before hanging up as she put on green kimono and sheathed a pair of sais. "It's time for payback, Widow."

Chapter Text

"Where did your father get that exactly?" Natasha inquired as she went over the List.

"He left it to me, explaining to me that by taking down all of the people on that list, I could save my city." Oliver said. "But… I'm not sure if I am the man my Dad wants me to be."

"He asked you to redeem your family's name." Natasha realized. "But you're not sure you can redeem yourself either."

Oliver nodded.

"Maybe you need someone to help you find your way back." Natasha said.

"What exactly is your history with Kovar?" Oliver asked as Natasha took a breath and Oliver saw in her eyes that she was reliving the pain.

"Kovar used to work for KGB, until he went rogue. It's a long story but someone I cared about, was later assigned to kill Kovar but…"

"…Kovar killed him." Oliver realized as Natasha nodded.

"Like I told you, our interests are aligned. I know about that girl to whom you made a promise. And you're not the only one looking for redemption. You're looking for a way back from that darkness and right your father's wrongs. I want to… fix some mistakes I had made in the past." Natasha said.

"What makes you think I can do it?" Oliver wondered.

"I don't know. But I do know there's one way to find out." Natasha said. "So, what do you say?"

Sometime later, after training with Natasha and honing his skills, Oliver returned to the Bratva club, only to learn that Anatoly was in the infirmary, beaten up and lying on a stretcher as Oliver sat next to him, while Anatoly was barely conscious.

"Anatoly." Oliver said, shaking Anatoly gently as he came to.

"Oliver… is that you?" Anatoly asked.

"Yeah." Oliver nodded. "What happened?"

"Gregor." Anatoly explained. "I questioned his deal with Kovar. He did this to me. You were right about him. His loyalty lies with Kovar but Gregor is Pakhan. There is nothing we can do."

"That's not true." Oliver assured Anatoly. "We can kill him."

Anatoly raised his brow as Oliver nodded. "You are my brother, Oliver. Oleg said that you needed to tell me something."

"It can wait." Oliver assured Anatoly as he held his shoulder. Later, he found blueprints of a bathhouse where Gregor most likely was going to be.

"He has men here and here and here." Oliver said before Anatoly stopped him.

"No, no, no, no." Anatoly interrupted Oliver.

"'No' what?" Oliver inquired.

"Bathhouse is Gregor's turf. You cannot do it on your own. We need army." Anatoly argued as Oliver sighed and wiped his face.

"Well, then, who can we trust, Anatoly? Because we're basically talking about a coup." Oliver pointed out.

"Lying here with my ass hanging out like a baby." Anatoly said as he lied down before Oliver narrowed his eyes as an orderly passed by. "Don't worry about my men. They are loyal to me."

"So am I and look. I am gonna stay here until we take out Gregor and we protect the Bratva. And I think I know someone, who can help." Oliver said.

"Ty skazal, 'stay'?" Anatoly asked. "Were you going to leave?"

"Look, Anatoly, I realized I have to get back to my life but then I saw what Gregor did to you because of me." Oliver explained.

"You are sin-eater, Oliver." Anatoly realized. "In some cultures is guy, who lives on the edge of the village and, uh, when somebody dies, they put body there and cover with fruits and vegetables and he eats that."

"He eats their sins?" Oliver realized.

"Yes." Anatoly nodded. "So they go on to the afterlife, if he takes their sins as his own. You… you are very much…" He stopped as he noticed that Oliver kept staring at the corridor. "What?"

"For the past ten minutes, I've seen the same orderly pass by five times with an empty stretcher." Oliver said as the realization hit Anatoly.

"Could be one of Gregor's men. At any rate, they know you're back." Anatoly said.

"Or they're just here to finish the job on you." Oliver argued. "Either way—"

Anatoly got up. "It is time for me to stretch my legs."

"All right. Come on." Oliver helped Anatoly on his feet.

"Thank you." Anatoly said.

Oliver and Anatoly were hiding in the storage area behind some crates before gunshots rang out as they heard Gregor's men scream.

Oliver peeked out to see Natasha holding Gregor at gunpoint and Anatoly widened his eyes.

"Chernaya vdova." Anatoly whispered.

"If I were you, I'd leave them alone." Natasha warned as Gregor froze in fear. "What are you and Kovar up to?"

"Shlyuka." Gregor growled as Natasha whacked him in the head, knocking him out.

Later, Gregor was restrained to a chair somewhere else as Natasha punched him in the face.

"What are you and Kovar up to?" Natasha demanded.

Gregor said something in Russian that made Natasha glare before she jammed a knife into his leg as Gregor screamed in pain as she twisted the knife.

"This can go either quickly or very slowly and painfully." Natasha said and it didn't take long for Gregor to break, not wanting to be tortured by her.

Later, in Kovar's estate, his guards were scouring the corridors, hearing an alarm tripped, wondering if it was a false alarm as Oliver and Natasha jumped down from above.

"Do you know where Kovar's office is?" Natasha asked as Oliver nodded. They went down the hallway and entered Kovar's office and found a laptop containing invoices.

Later, in the club, Oliver showed Viktor the laptop as Viktor sighed as they turned to the beaten up Gregor.

"We have a new Pakhan." Viktor said as most of the captains sided with Anatoly.

"Good. I was bored."

Most of the captains gasped and Natasha glared as a Vietnamese woman in green kimono, with steel claw weapons and sheathed sais entered.

"Hello, Natasha. It's been a while."

"Jade…" Natasha glared.

Chapter Text

Natasha drew her gun and fired as Jade took cover behind a table, while Gregor's men and followers opened fire at Oliver, Anatoly, Viktor and other Bratva captains.

Oliver and Anatoly took cover behind a bar and Viktor took cover behind a pillar as Natasha fired at Gregor's men as well before and kneecapped Gregor before he could run. Natasha then picked a stool and blocked as Jade attacked her with her steel claws. Natasha twisted the chair and disarmed Jade of her weapons and kicked her back and Oliver, Anatoly and Viktor continued shooting down Gregor's men.

Oliver tackled to a couch a thug, who was about to shoot Viktor from behind and disarmed him and shot him.

"Thank you." Viktor told Oliver in Russian.

Natasha and Jade traded blows, engaging in hand-to-hand fight.

Natasha blocked Jade's punch and hit her in the chest. Natasha spun around and attempted to hit Jade in the head with her elbow but Jade dodged and threw Natasha over her shoulder, knocking her down.

Natasha kicked Jade in her midsection, sending her stumbling back. Natasha got up on her feet but Jade had recovered her steel claws, scratching Natasha across her abdomen and Natasha groaned and immediately felt dizzy, realizing that the claws were poison-laced.

Before Jade could land another blow, Oliver grabbed Jade and slammed her face to the table and then she got up as she, alongside with Gregor's men retreated, leaving him behind and not wanting to take on the Black Widow.

"Natasha. Are you alright?" Oliver asked and Natasha panted out.

"Poison. Poison-laced claws…" Natasha whispered as Anatoly and Viktor and their men glared at Gregor, who was bleeding out as he seethed.

"Just hold on." Oliver said as Natasha's breathing became erratic.

In Bratva's infirmary, Natasha was on bed, with bandaged abdomen as she drank from the bowl and looked disgusted.

"I've tasted disgusting medicine before but what the hell is that?" Natasha demanded.

"A mixture from herbs on Lian Yu. A friend of mine taught me how to make a medicine from it." Oliver said.

"Shado?" Natasha inquired and she had her answer, when she noticed the solemn look in Oliver's eyes. "It never gets any easier, when you lose good people you care about, who taught you good things. I've lost my share of them. Nothing good in my life has lasted forever."

"What kept you going?" Oliver asked.

"Let's just say someone reminded me that there are still things worth living and fighting for, even if you think you don't deserve them. You saved me. I guess we're even now." Natasha said.

"Don't worry about it." Oliver said before she gave him a serious look.

"Oliver, I need a straight answer from you now. I know you were wary of me, when we met, so I need you to be honest with me, when I ask you this." Natasha said and Oliver nodded. "If it was the other way around and it was down to me to save your life, be honest with me, would you trust me?"

Oliver considered for a moment. "If I didn't trust you before, I would now. And if I'm being honest, I wasn't sure what to make of you before but you could've bailed on us but you stood by us. And I've learned a while back that actions speak louder than words."

"Well, you seem pretty chipper, considering how things just went down." Natasha teased.

"I guess I just got used to the fact that things rarely go the way I'd like them to." Oliver said and neither of them noticed that they had been holding their hands the whole time as Anatoly entered.

"Have you recovered?" Anatoly asked.

"Tell us what is Kovar up to." Oliver demanded as Gregor was restrained to the chair as he pulled out a knife. "Or I'll make this very painful."

"Go to hell." Gregor sneered.

Oliver jammed the knife into Gregor's knee as Gregor screamed in agony.

"Oliver! What are you doing?" Anatoly demanded.

"Stop! That's enough!" Natasha pulled Oliver's hand with the knife away. "Listen, I understand you want to make him talk but if you put him through that much pain, he'll be useless to us."

Oliver breathed out and nodded, shivering as he remembered what he had done to General Shrieve back in Hong Kong.

"Does this have something to do with your deal with Kovar?" Anatoly demanded.

"Samovolshtina. If you knew what it was or what is coming, you will beg Kovar to spare you." Gregor murmured before turning to Oliver. "And you… are no one's hero. Everything… and everyone that you love… will wither… and die at your touch."

Oliver felt a devastating feeling in his heart as Natasha felt a lot of sympathy for him before Gregor passed out from the pain.

"Is he dead?" Viktor asked as he entered.

"Nyet." Anatoly said.

"He'll face our justice later." Viktor said.

"With Gregor out, a new one is elected by seniority, is that correct?" Natasha asked as Viktor and Anatoly nodded.

Gregor was later sentenced to death and executed by the captains as they nominated Anatoly as the new Pakhan as Viktor cut into Anatoly's hand and shook hand.

"What are we going to do now, Oliver?" Natasha asked. "You've been in Kovar's mansion before. Any suggestions?"

"Galina. Kovar's maid. Remember when I mentioned Taiana?" Oliver asked as Natasha nodded. "Galina's her mother."

Kovar pulled out his phone. "Gregor is dead. Jade failed. Looks like Natalia is more resilient than we had thought."

"Do not worry. We will take care of her. We'll call in our asset."

A cryochamber opened as a man with long brown hair, wearing a mask and black suit and had left metal arm with a star opened his eyes, while a man in Soviet uniform opened a red book and started to read as the man with long brown hair was restrained to a chair, with pads attached to the temples of his head, electricity surging through them as he screamed in pain.

"Longing. Rusted. Furnace. Daybreak. Seventeen. Benign. Nine. Homecoming. One. Freight car." The man in Soviet uniform read. "Good afternoon, Soldier."

"Ready to comply." The Winter Soldier said.

Chapter Text

Oliver and Natasha went down the plaza.

"How do you know she won't rat us out to Kovar?" Natasha asked as she and Oliver searched for Galina.

"I don't but it's a risk we have to take." Oliver said.

"You're really want to see this through, do you?" Natasha pointed out.

"What would you have me do, Natasha? Turn my back on everyone here? Especially now? I've come too far to walk away." Oliver argued.

"I didn't say that. What I meant to say is that how much of your soul are you willing to sacrifice to stop Kovar?" Natasha asked and Oliver stopped, considering. "Look, as someone, who's been there, don't let revenge consume you. If you do, you'll keep losing your soul, piece by piece, until there's nothing left but darkness inside you and you become someone you don't even recognize anymore."

Oliver took a breath and nodded. "I'm trying. But it's not easy."

"No one ever said it would be. But is it that hard to keep trying?" Natasha asked. "If we stop Kovar, what happens next?"

"I'll probably return to the island. Try to stage a rescue. It's easier for everyone…"

"…to believe that you've been marooned on Lian Yu for five years than have them ask questions that you can't answers. I get that." Natasha nodded.

"What about you?" Oliver asked as Natasha considered.

"I'm probably going to report to my superiors. After that, I guess our paths are going to separate from there." Natasha said.

"Do they have to?" Oliver argued as Natasha stopped and considered. "Look, you saved my life and… I don't know how can I thank you. And to be honest—"

"Let me stop you right there." Natasha interrupted him. "If you're thinking there could be something between us, don't." She took a breath. "Don't get me wrong, Oliver, I like you but frankly… these kinds of things have never worked out for me. And trust me, I'm not someone with who you want to start something."

"That's what I thought about myself too." Oliver said, remembering Shado and Sara. "But… you said that the darkness that we carry, doesn't have to define us. All I'm saying is that we don't know where we might end up, so why not try to see it through?"

Natasha considered, knowing Oliver had a point but considering how her last relationship ended, she wasn't sure…

"There she is." Oliver said suddenly before he approached Galina, who was picking some apples from a shop. "Try the green ones. They're fresher." Oliver said in Russian.

Galina sniffed one of the green apples and smiled. "Thank you. I'm baking a pie for my boss."

"You mean Konstantin Kovar, is that right?" Natasha asked.

Galina turned to Oliver and Natasha, alarmed as she recognized the former. "He said you were enemy."

"No, no, no—" Oliver tried to calm her down.

"A bad man."

"No, no, no. I'm friends with Taiana." Oliver explained.

"My precious Taiana?" Galina demanded, smiling hopefully.

"Well… we're friends and I… I could use your help with something." Oliver said.

"This American troubling you, Galina?" One of Kovar's bodyguards asked in Russian as he approached her.

"It's alright." Galina tried to assure him before the bodyguard recognized both Oliver and Natasha as he drew his gun.

"Wait, you're—"

Oliver tackled the bodyguard and slammed him towards a table with food as they both wrestled for the gun before Oliver shot the bodyguard in the chest as he fell down and screams followed as people panicked and Galina sobbed.

"It's alright. It's alright." Natasha calmed Galina down, holding her hands.

"We're not gonna hurt you. Listen to us, when Kovar hears about this, you cannot say that you saw us, do you understand?" Oliver said. "If you say you saw either of us, he'll hurt you. All right?"

Galina nodded, still in shock as Oliver and Natasha left.

Later, Oliver and Natasha met Anatoly back in the bar as Anatoly had returned from his meeting with Kovar.

"OK, what does that mean?" Oliver asked as Anatoly filled them in, while drinking his vodka.

"It means Kovar is planning something very big and very terrible." Anatoly explained.

"What is he planning?" Natasha asked as Anatoly finished drinking from his glass.

"Oliver, maybe time is best for you to go back to America." Anatoly argued. "Maybe Miss Romanoff can take it from here."

"Anatoly, we're brothers." Oliver countered as he sat down. "What's happening to you is happening to me."

"Kovar is going to overthrow Russian government." Anatoly said. "Samovolshtina is a coup."

"He just told you this?" Natasha inquired.

"Before I got there, he was making deal with American businessman, some secret sensitive shipment." Anatoly explained.

"You think it's a weapon?" Oliver asked.

"Kovar has many men but not enough for a coup." Anatoly argued. "But, with weapon… luckily, I got a chance to see the file they're working on. Orekhovo Zuyevo. It's a shipyard in Moscow."

"Then we'll intercept the shipment before Kovar can retrieve it." Natasha suggested.

"Seeing you take a bullet out of Gregor, I saw him again, the face of the monster." Anatoly said, worried before he turned to Natasha. "And to be blunt, I'm not sure I can trust you."

"If I wanted to betray you, you wouldn't see it coming. I want Kovar taken down as much as any of you." Natasha argued, not affected by the look Anatoly was giving her.

"And this isn't over for me. I'm not going to stand by while Kovar murders you all." Oliver said as Anatoly nodded as he shook his hand with Natasha and Oliver.

"So be it… brother." Anatoly said.

In the shipyard, Anatoly and Viktor loaded up the tanks with sarin gas as Oliver and Natasha were on lookout on the rooftop as Oliver put on Yao Fei's hood.

"We have incoming." Oliver called out as Kovar and his men arrived.

The Hood fired an arrow at the barrels nearby, causing for them to explode, while one of Kovar's vehicles skidded towards the roadblock. Kovar and his henchmen pulled out their guns and fired, shooting down Bratva's men.

Natasha jumped down from above, shooting down some of Kovar's men as Kovar turned to her and smiled, while she glared at him.

"Little Natalia." Kovar smiled.

Oliver jumped at two of Kovar's men and did hurricanrana, knocking them both down, while shooting down two more of Kovar's men. Kovar ran towards the truck as Natasha took cover behind a roadblock, while his men opened fire at her. Natasha shot down Kovar's henchmen and Anatoly hid behind a truck, covering his nose and mouth.

"Good evening, Pakhan." Kovar said suddenly as he got behind Anatoly and whacked him in the face with his gun, knocking him down. Kovar threw Anatoly away, while Oliver shot down another thug. Natasha dodged as another thug opened fire at her before she threw down some disc that suddenly electrocuted the thug, incapacitating him as he fell down.

Kovar entered the truck and drove away, much to Oliver's, Viktor's, Anatoly's and Natasha's horror.

"The truck!" Anatoly yelled.

"Bozhe moi…" Natasha whispered, horrified.

"Kovar has the sarin gas." Oliver said.

"Then we are all going to be dead men." Anatoly paled.

Oliver entered the bar as he saw Viktor sitting on the chair.

"How's Anatoly?" Oliver asked.

"Recovering, which is more than I can say for our men." Viktor said as he got up.

"The sarin gas get them?" Oliver inquired.

"Da. Where were you? With Chernaya vdova?" Viktor snapped.

"I was keeping overwatch, like Anatoly ordered." Oliver said, noticing the look Viktor was giving him as Oliver crossed his arms. "You have something to say to me, Viktor, so just say it."

"It was your idea to go against Gregor. Because of Kovar with your vendetta against him. Now look at the mess we're in." Viktor said.

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Oliver shot back.

"We should be honoring Gregor's pact with Kovar, not this." Viktor argued.

"The moment that Kovar overthrows the government, he is gonna wipe out the entire Bratva." Oliver said, tapping himself on the head, to point out how stupid Viktor was as he turned around.

"Where are you going?" Viktor demanded.

"We have one of Kovar's men. And we need to know where the gas is gonna be used." Oliver said.

"Why would he tell you anything?" Viktor argued. "Or is he going to tell your new friend something? You cannot trust her!"

"She saved me. The least I owe her is this." Oliver said.

The thug was hanging upside down as the blood was pumping to his head, skin going red as Natasha had cold look in her eyes, which… unnerved Oliver to say the least. And here he thought he had inner darkness he needed to deal with.

"In two minutes, your eyeballs are about to pop out of your head. That's even worse than dying or any kind of torture I could put you through." Natasha said in Russian.

"Which means you don't have long to tell us what your boss is planning." Oliver added as the man panted out.

"I don't know anything." The man said.

"Oh. In that case, will be alright, if we'll watch your eyes burst out?" Natasha asked rhetorically and the man was terrified, screaming as terror and pain overtook him from the blood flowing to his head.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" The man screamed and as soon as he said everything, Natasha punched him, knocking him out and cutting him loose.

Oliver and Natasha met with Anatoly and Viktor in the bar as they sat down.

"Kovar is inviting key members of the government. Politicians and military mostly, to the opening of his casino." Oliver explained.

"Then kill them with sarin gas, even the innocents? It's not good for business." Viktor laughed humorlessly.

"Yes, but being in charge of the whole country is good for business." Anatoly pointed out.

"Especially, when there's no one to oppose you." Natasha nodded.

"We need to get into that casino and we need to stop the attack before it happens." Oliver said.

"The place will be fortress, increased security for president and generals." Anatoly said. "Impossible to break in."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Viktor asked.

"We sneak in." Anatoly suggested.

"Without the help of someone working for Kovar?" Viktor pointed out.

"I know someone." Oliver said.

"Well, if you're thinking about house lady, last time it did not go so well." Anatoly argued.

"Give me a second chance." Oliver said.

"And if second chance doesn't work?" Viktor challenged.

In the marketplace, Oliver dragged Galina into an alley as she yelped.

"Miss Venediktov, don't scream." Oliver said in Russian.

"My bodyguard—"

"He's fine." Oliver assured her in English. "Well, he's unconscious but he… look, I'm sorry that I scared you the other night. I just… I need to speak with you, I, well, it's like I said, I knew your children, Taiana and Vlad."

"My children…" Galina sighed in relief. "Do you know what happened to them?"

Oliver looked sad and guilty as he avoided looking into Galina's eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry. They're… they're dead."

"But Mr. Kovar say he's still looking for them." Galina said, confused as her eyes were getting wet.

"Kovar is lying. Before she died, Taiana, well, she told me that he was a monster." Oliver said. "And she made me promise, she made me swear, that I would bring him to justice."

Galina nodded. "Even what you say is true, what could I do?"

"Taiana told me that the same hammer that shatters glass, forges steel." Oliver said as Galina's eyes lit up in recognition.

"I say to her as a child to make her grow up strong." Galina nodded.

"Well, she did." Oliver smiled before looking sad again. "Eh… and she helped me grow strong, too. Would you please, please help me keep my promise to her?"

Galina nodded. "I believe you." She reached inside her purse and handed him the keycard. "This gets me into Mr. Kovar's buildings."

"Thank you." Oliver nodded, smiling.

"Make it right for them." Galina requested, making a gesture of a cross. Oliver was about to leave before she spoke up again. "Uh, tell me, who killed my children?"

Oliver looked sad and guilty before telling her the truth. "A monster."

Natasha and the Hood snuck into the casino with Galina's keycard, knocking out one of the guards.

In the security room, one of the guards went out as he saw a cart with a tray of food, covering with lid. As he picked the lid, underneath it was revealed a small device that exploded in sparks, knocking him down. The Hood entered and threw the other guard, shooting him with an arrow as Natasha shot down the guard, who had been knocked down earlier.

Oliver and Natasha approached the monitors.

"Canisters are in a storeroom, southwest corner, second floor."

"Copy that. OK, if you would be so kind and let us in now, please." Anatoly requested as Oliver opened the door for Anatoly, Viktor and the Bratva men.

"I'll meet you at the target." Oliver said.

"Da." Anatoly said before Oliver froze as he saw Galina in Kovar's office, frightened, seeing Kovar interrogating her.

"Oliver, don't." Natasha grabbed Oliver as he was about to run.

"I can't let her—"

"We don't have time, there is nothing you can do for her and she knew what was she getting herself into." Natasha pointed out.

Viktor was leading Anatoly and his men down the corridor before they faced Kovar's men as Anatoly realized that Viktor had betrayed them.

Oliver and Natasha burst into Kovar's office to see Galina leaning onto the chair with a glassy look and bloodied face as he measured her pulse and looked sad before Oliver closed Galina's eyes.

Natasha sighed. "I'm sorry, Oliver. But we don't have time, we need to find Kovar before—"

"Oliver. Natalia. We've been betrayed Viktor, he—" Anatoly grunted suddenly as Oliver's blood boiled.

"Chert." Natasha swore.

Natasha and Oliver went out as they shot down the guards. They went into the basement area to see that the gas was being released into the air ducts as Natasha pulled out her gun and shot Kovar's thugs and Oliver shut the valve to stop the gas from being released.

They heard a rifle cock as Kovar and his men entered.

"Natalia. And the Kapiushion. It's too late. The gas has already done its work." Kovar said as he put down his mask. "Kill them."

Natasha pulled out her gun and shot down Kovar's men before Oliver dropped his bow and rushed at Kovar. Kovar blocked Oliver's blows before grabbing him in chokehold and ripping his hood off as Oliver freed himself from Kovar's grip, facing him.

"Oliver Queen. Who could have imagined? And with Natalia, of all people." Kovar smiled.

"You're going down. Ivan failed to take you out. I won't miss." Natasha sneered.

"Take your shot." Kovar taunted before Oliver and Natasha rushed at him. Kovar blocked their blows and threw Natasha away before he grabbed Oliver by his neck and pinned him to the shelf of bottles. "When you see Taiana in afterlife, give her a kiss for me." He taunted.

Oliver glared and kicked Kovar in the chest, freeing himself from Kovar's grip as he slammed Kovar to the shelf and threw him down on the floor. Kovar got up as Natasha engaged him and they both traded blows. Natasha kicked Kovar in the chest as he stumbled back but Kovar grabbed her leg before she could land another kick and threw her down. Oliver rushed at Kovar as they continued to exchange blows before Oliver knocked Kovar down as they burst into the casino area and the people started to run before they would suffocate because of the gas.

"I'm going to finish this." Anatoly said as he and Natasha stepped up.

"No!" Oliver shouted.

"Are you going to let your Pakhan or Natalia finish this for you, Mr. Queen, eh?" Kovar taunted.

"You don't have to do this, Oliver." Anatoly pleaded.

"We both know that I do." Oliver said.

Oliver engaged Kovar, both men trading punches. Kovar blocked Oliver's kick and slammed him to a table. Oliver freed himself from Kovar's grip and got up as Kovar blocked Oliver's punches before grabbing him by his arm and throwing him down. Kovar grabbed Oliver's leg but Oliver kicked him with his other leg in the face, causing for Kovar to let Oliver go. Oliver blocked Kovar's punches and grabbed him by his head and kicked him in the face. Oliver jumped at Kovar and spun around, throwing Kovar as he crashed towards a table.

Anatoly and Natasha looked with intrigued, impressed by how Oliver had managed to improve his fighting skills over such a short time.

Kovar picked a knife as they resumed their fight. Kovar managed to stab Oliver in the leg before they traded blows again. Kovar stabbed Oliver in the arm as Oliver stepped back in pain, holding his wound. Oliver dodged as Kovar tried to stab him again but Oliver grabbed his arm, both men wrestling for the knife before Oliver knocked Kovar down.

"You don't have to, Oliver. The man will face justice, I promise." Anatoly said.

"Don't do this. Don't let yourself become like him or you're really as lost as you're afraid you are." Natasha pleaded and Oliver considered, staring.

"Do it. Finish it." Kovar gloated.

Oliver seethed… but he would not allow himself to give into the darkness again as he punched Kovar, knocking him out.

"I know some people who will want their pound of flesh on Kovar." Natasha said as Kovar was led in chains into the car. "Who knows how far his reach goes and who helped him."

"Why did you stop me?" Oliver asked as Natasha took a breath.

"Revenge is not an answer. Trust me. It's not going to make it any easier. It's only going to make you just as bad as them." Natasha said. "You could come with me. I know some people, who might want to use your skills."

"After A.R.G.U.S.? No, thank you." Oliver snorted.

"Trust me, the people I work with, might be shady but they're good people and they have their moral compass, unlike her." Natasha said before she saw the tattoo on Oliver's chest. "Kapitan. It suits you."

"Thanks." Oliver smiled. "So… where do we go from here?"

"I don't know." Natasha took a breath. "But honestly, I'm willing to see it through. Besides, you saved my life. It's only fair of me to help you."

"I can take that." Oliver nodded and their lips touched for a brief moment as Anatoly entered.

Kovar seethed, in chains as they were in an SUV, while one of Natasha's associates was driving.

"You're going to tell us who helped you and who your associates are. One way or another." Natasha said.

"For all your strength and bluster, to me you'll still be the little girl from Red Room. I remember how scared you were of the final test. Did she tell you, Mr. Queen?" Kovar gloated as he glanced towards Oliver, who saw how shocked was Natasha for a brief second before getting ahold of herself. "Be careful around her. Nothing good can end up, if you stick around—"

Suddenly, a metal arm burst in through the window, yanking Kovar out and throwing him in the way an incoming truck in the opposite direction, killing him.

Anatoly hit the brakes as from the rooftop jumped down on the road a man with long brown hair, a black mask, an Uzi and a gun on his belt and Anatoly, Natasha and Oliver stared in horror, looking into the man's cold, emotionless eyes.

Chapter Text

"Oh, shit!" Natasha swore.

Oliver stared at the man with metal arm, wondering why did he look familiar as Anatoly paled, horrified. "Is that—"

"Oliver, Anatoly, run! Get out of here, now!" Natasha ordered.

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Oliver protested.

"Oliver, if you want to live, we need to move!" Anatoly said.

The Winter Soldier pulled out his Uzi as Oliver, Natasha and Anatoly went out.

"Run! Get out of here!" Natasha ordered as Anatoly ran down the street.

Oliver and Natasha took cover behind cars as the Winter Soldier fired before they both jumped off the road, with Oliver using a grapnel arrow and Natasha using a grapnel hook to descend.

Natasha ran down the road as the Soldier fired at her until he jumped down onto a car as the roof crash, looking for Natasha. The Winter Soldier went down the road as the civilians ran in panic as he listened with his heightened scenes and heard Natasha's voice behind a nearby car, requesting for backup.

"…rendezvous in two minutes. Civilians threatened."

The Winter Soldier knelt down and threw a grenade that rolled down the road towards the car, when it turned out it was actually a phone turning on a recording with Natasha's voice as it exploded.

Suddenly, Natasha jumped at the Soldier from behind and used a garotte, wrapping it around the Soldier's neck. The Soldier rushed backwards, slamming Natasha towards a car and throwing her onto another one.

The Winter Soldier picked up his rifle but Natasha threw a disk that hit the Soldier's metal arm, short-circuiting it and disabling it as she ran. The Winter Soldier pulled the disk out and was about to shoot Natasha, when an arrow disarmed him of his rifle and the Winter Soldier turned his head to face Oliver, now wearing his green hood and holding in his hand his bow.

"Get away from her." Oliver said.

The Winter Soldier glared as Oliver fired another arrow but the Soldier blocked it with his metal arm. Oliver rushed at the Winter Soldier but he kicked Oliver, sending him crashing against a car. Oliver rolled away as the Winter Soldier pulled out an Uzi, while Oliver took cover behind a car. Oliver jumped over the hood of the car and kicked the Uzi off the Winter Soldier's hand. The Soldier grabbed Oliver's bow but Oliver flipped back, freeing himself from the Soldier's grip before the Soldier punched Oliver in the chest, knocking him down and Oliver groaned in pain, realizing that the Soldier was much stronger and faster than he seemed to be.

Oliver got up as the Winter Soldier pulled out a knife, twirling it. Oliver blocked with his bow as the Soldier attempted to stab him but then he realized that the Winter Soldier was much faster and stronger than he seemed to be as Oliver barely managed to block the Winter Soldier's attacks before the Soldier scratched him in the abdomen as Oliver hissed. As Oliver's bow crossed with the Winter Soldier's knife once more, Oliver stared into his cold, emotionless eyes but the Soldier then suddenly sent a powerful kick at Oliver's chest, sending him flying back as Oliver crashed against a hood of a car and groaned in pain, realizing he was in a great disadvantage, while he coughed out blood, realizing he must have broken at least a rib or two.

Oliver rolled away as the Winter Soldier jumped at him and the Soldier punched through the road, cracking it. The Winter Soldier suddenly jumped as a giant truck attempted to run him down and Anatoly jumped out from the truck as the Winter Soldier jumped onto the roof of the truck as it fell into the river.

"Oliver, are you alright?" Anatoly asked as he helped Oliver on his feet before Anatoly saw the wound on Oliver's abdomen. "You're bleeding out."

"I'll be fine." Oliver assured him, trying to catch a breath before he looked around. "Nat?"

"Oliver." Natasha approached Oliver as he leaned onto both her and Anatoly, panting out as she looked at the road. "I doubt it's going to stop him."

"Was that the Winter Soldier?" Oliver asked, remembering the rumors from A.R.G.U.S. as Natasha nodded. "I thought he was a ghost."

"No. He's very real. I ran into him once. I was supposed to escort a nuclear engineer from Iran but the Winter Soldier assassinated him. He shot him straight through me." Natasha lifted her shirt and showed a scar on her hip. "Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye-bye, bikinis."

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Oliver wondered as Anatoly and Natasha laughed.

"Going after the Winter Soldier? You'll have better luck with trying to get water out of a well with string bag." Anatoly said.

"Why would he kill Kovar?" Oliver asked.

"To make sure he wouldn't tell us who his associates are." Natasha said. "Speaking of which, my superiors might want to debrief you."

Sometime later

Oliver was in some kind of an interrogation room as he saw the symbol on the wall. S.H.I.E.L.D. Oliver had heard of them from A.R.G.U.S. Frankly, he would have preferred if he had been found by Nick Fury, instead of Amanda Waller, as he was sitting down and waiting.

"How long am I going to be here, agent Coulson?" Oliver asked.

"That depends." Coulson said before a blonde woman with green eyes entered, holding in her hand a notepad and a pen.

"Mr. Queen. My name is Bobbi Morse. I'm here to debrief you. So, why don't you tell me what were you doing in Russia?" Bobbi asked as she sat down.

"…and that's when Natasha saved me from the Soldier." Oliver finished as Bobbi stopped writing.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Queen." Bobbi said.

"If you won't mind—"

"You'd like to return home, would you, now, Mr. Queen?" A black man with an eyepatch on his right eye and wearing a black leather coat, said as he entered and Oliver could tell he was a hard-ass, just by looking at him. "Proper introductions are probably in order. Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury offered his hand.

"Director." Oliver shook his hand with Fury, looking at him with guarded eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm not like Amanda Waller. In fact, she and I've been busting heads for years. You're not the only one, who'd like make a dent in the Wall." Fury said as he and Oliver chuckled. "I owe you a thanks. You saved the life of one of my best agents."

"I only did what I thought was right." Oliver said.

"If I may ask, what were you planning to do, after Kovar was gone?" Fury asked and Oliver sighed.

"Go home." Oliver said and Fury nodded.

"Agent Romanoff told me what you've been through back in Russia." Fury put his hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Look, kid, stuff like that is never easy. But I can tell you're a good person, who just needs the right guidance to deal with what you're struggling."

"You're offering to help me?" Oliver questioned.

"I'm offering to help you find a path. So, let's make a deal. Quid pro quo. I'm assigning Miss Romanoff onto a mission today and you're more than welcome to tag along with her." Fury said. "Who knows, perhaps you'll find what you're looking for. If you think this will help you, I'll arrange a safe travel for you back to Starling City. What do you say?"

Oliver considered. He wasn't sure whether to trust Fury after what he had been through with Waller and General Shrieve… but what other options did he have?

Later

Oliver was flying the plane as Natasha was sitting next to him.

"Weather's getting worse. Means we're close." Oliver said.

"Where did you learn to fly a plane?" Natasha wondered.

"My Dad loved vintage planes. He would take me up all the time. One of my last happy memories." Oliver said, smiling.

"I'm sorry he wasn't who you thought he was." Natasha said as she went over the List. "I wonder where did he get this."

"Me too." Oliver said.

"I can't imagine how hard it has to be for you." Natasha said, looking down onto Lian Yu. "Coming back here." She then turned to him. "For what it's worth, in case our paths are gonna separate after this… thank you. For saving my life."

Oliver nodded. "Thank you too. For making me realize that I don't have to be afraid of… who I am."

They landed on the shore as they went out, picking their gear before Natasha kissed Oliver.

"What was that for?" Oliver asked, confused.

"To wish you 'good luck'." Natasha said, smiling.

A soldier watched Oliver and Natasha with his goggles as he pulled out his radio and started to speak French.

"Call Batroc. We have an intruder."

Chapter Text

"You know this island. Any ideas where to start?" Natasha asked as they walked down the beach as Oliver remembered where Fyers and Reiter later had their encampment.

"You might want to be careful." Oliver said. "There are landmines here. Left over from World War II."

"And why do you want to be later found here, so to speak?" Natasha asked.

"To do what I do, no one can know what I've been through." Oliver said as she nodded.

"Anywhere besides here, you mean. Russia, Hong Kong, Coast City…" Natasha listed as Oliver nodded. "You can't have people ask too many questions, like 'Why didn't you come back home sooner?' I know the feeling."

"Do you have any family?" Oliver asked. "Someone to go back to?"

Natasha stared sadly into the forest. "I had. A lifetime ago. But… they don't matter. Not anymore."

Oliver saw the look in her eyes, that was the same as Maseo's and Tatsu's after they lost Akio. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I've moved on long ago." Natasha said. "You know how I mentioned that one of our best agents is an excellent archer, like you?" Oliver nodded. "That bow I gave you, it's one of ours that he uses too. And he's like my best friend. My brother.

Probably the closest thing to the family I can get. We've helped each through thick and thin. Saved each other's lives more times than I can count. I'd go through heaven and hell to save him and he'd do the same for me. He helped me find my way back, when I was in a very dark place. He saw something in me I didn't think I could see in myself. And I guess that's the same reason I'm helping you."

Oliver nodded before he found a black and orange balaclava on the ground as he paled as he picked it up.

"What is it?" Natasha asked as she looked closely at the mask before realizing what it was. "A.S.I.S. Was that…"

Oliver nodded. "He was my friend."

"Sometimes, those you call 'friends' can turn your backs on you very easily." Natasha said.

"Well, this washed up on the shore like some kind of sign." Oliver said, dread filling him at remembering Slade as he dropped it.

"You know what Fury says? 'Keep both eyes open.'" Natasha said. "I know you're scared but right now we should focus on why we came here. There's nothing wrong with being on alert but you can't let your fear get to you. According to the satellite imaging, Batroc's camp is deeper in the forest in the northern part of the island."

"Follow me." Oliver said.

Natasha followed Oliver to the graves, where Robert, Yao Fei, Shado and Taiana as they stood at them to pay their respect.

"Hospodin, pomiluy." Natasha said in Russian, praying for the dead. "Taiana. She's the one you killed Kovar for, am I right?"

Oliver nodded before turning to Robert's grave. "That's my father. He's the reason I have to go back the way I have to go back."

"To save your city." Natasha realized. "That video you showed me. But doing that as the man in the hood. Are you sure about this?"

"I can't save my city as Oliver Queen. You told me that." Oliver reminded.

"But that doesn't mean that the hood can protect the people you love." Natasha pointed out. "I've seen it before. It doesn't matter, whether you try to live by two identities or one, no matter what you do, one way or another, the people you care about, will become targets, because of who you are. Those that we love, will pay the price for our sins. I've lost friends and colleagues. I never knew my father but I know he wasn't a good man. The people, who adopted me, weren't good people either. And who they were, it scarred me for life. You are paying for your father's sins, Oliver. The question is, who's going to pay for yours?"

Oliver stared at her and considered.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Oliver wondered.

"Find a way to make up for them. And you shouldn't have to feel responsible for everyone around you." Natasha said. "I'm not saying that you need to push them away… but not everything is your fault. It took me a while to realize that I shouldn't blame myself."

"How did you deal with it?" Oliver asked.

"Some things you need to let go of." Natasha said. "Find a way to move on. Forgive yourself. Earn redemption."

Oliver and Natasha snuck through the forest as they saw soldiers on patrol.

"What is the Black Widow and Oliver Queen doing here? I thought he was dead."

"They know about us." Oliver said as he and Natasha hid in the bushes.

"We must be careful. Who knows what is Batroc up to here." Natasha said.

Oliver saw one of the soldiers nearing them and Oliver grabbed him in chokehold, hiding in the bushes and knocking him out as Natasha rushed at another one and slammed him to the ground, knocking him out too.

Oliver and Natasha spotted some trucks on which the mercenaries were loading some crates as Natasha pulled out her goggles.

"Weapons. Military equipment. Looks like Lian Yu is their smuggler nest." Natasha said.

"I think we should shut them down." Oliver suggested.

"Yeah. I agree." Natasha nodded.

Natasha snuck upon a truck and jumped, knocking down two mercenaries. One of them got up but Natasha blocked his punch and kicked him in the chest as he staggered back. Natasha used a garotte to wrap his hand in it as he attempted to punch her again. Natasha kicked him in the chest again and slammed him to the ground before she rolled back and kicked the other mercenary in the face, knocking him out.

Oliver fired three arrows, shooting down the mercenaries as he took cover behind a tree as they opened fire at him. Oliver notched and fired another arrow, shooting down the mercenary on a sentry tower. Oliver rushed at a truck and jumped, catching the railing and kicking down two mercenaries before he hit one of them in the face with his bow, knocking him out.

Oliver notched an arrow and aimed it at the other mercenary.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Oliver demanded.

"Screw you." The mercenary sneered.

Oliver shot him in the shoulder as the mercenary screamed before Oliver twisted the arrow as the mercenary groaned in pain. "Tell me!"

"Weapons! Weapons! That's all! We're just the middle men!"

"Who hired you?" Oliver snarled.

"We didn't ask. The boss knows." The mercenary said.

"Who's your boss?" Oliver demanded.

"Batroc. It's Batroc." The mercenary said and Oliver wondered where did he hear the name before.

"Georges Batroc? He's here?" Natasha asked.

The mercenary nodded.

"Thank you." Oliver said before he knocked the mercenary out as he turned to Natasha. "Who's Batroc?"

"A mercenary. One of the most wanted." Natasha said.

"Former DGSE." Oliver remembered. "Maximum casualties in his missions."

"Yeah. We should shut him down and take him down." Natasha nodded. "And figure out who is he working for."

Oliver and Natasha took cover as the mercenaries opened fire as Oliver fired arrows and Natasha fired from her guns.

Some of the mercenaries were shot down and retreated. Oliver dodged as one of the mercenaries rushed at him but Oliver slammed his bow in his face and then slammed him to the ground and stabbed him with an arrow in the throat.

Natasha rolled away as a mercenary attacked her with a knife and blocked as he attempted to stab her before she kicked him in the chest as he stumbled back and then jammed the knife in his chest, killing him before she used him as a human shield as the mercenaries shot at her.

Oliver fired an arrow, shooting one of them down as they retreated.

"Batroc! We have a problem!" One of the mercenaries said in French as he entered Batroc's tent.

"What is it? There are just two of them!" Batroc said.

"Yeah but those two are kicking our asses!" The mercenary said.

"Idiots. Must I do everything myself?" Batroc groaned. "Take everything away. We're leaving."

"Is that the last of them?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." Oliver said before suddenly, Batroc tackled Oliver as they fell down the steep.

"Oliver!" Natasha cried out.

Oliver and Batroc rolled down until they both got up, groaning in pain. Batroc kicked Oliver in the chest as he rolled back but quickly recovered and dodged as Batroc attempted to flip forward and kick him.

Oliver blocked Batroc's kick and dodged before blocking as Batroc threw punches and kicks, realizing that Batroc was fast and skilled until Oliver managed to grab Batroc's arm and throw him over his shoulder.

Batroc got up and kicked Oliver, making him stagger. Oliver blocked Batroc's kicks and attempted to throw punches but Batroc blocked with his arms. Oliver dodged as Batroc did a left hook as they traded blows before Oliver punched him in the face as Batroc stumbled back.

Batroc did a roundhouse kick, knocking Oliver down. Batroc attempted to finish Oliver off but Oliver kicked Batroc in the face as Batroc staggered before Oliver recovered.

They rushed at each other, trading blows again as Batroc landed a punch at Oliver's face and the chest. Batroc blocked Oliver's punches but Oliver tackled him to the ground. As they both got up, Oliver dodged Batroc's kick and kicked him in the chest as Batroc stumbled back. Batroc grabbed Oliver's arm, attempting to throw him but Oliver grabbed onto him as they rolled down before Batroc fell into the river, washed away by the water.

Oliver sighed, frustrated that Batroc escaped but at least they shut him down.

"Are you alright? Where's Batroc?" Natasha asked.

"He got away." Oliver said and Natasha sighed.

"Don't worry, we'll get him next time. At least we shut him down." Natasha said.

"You're bleeding." Oliver said, noticing she was holding her wound on her hip.

"I'm fine." Natasha said.

"We should take a look at it though." Oliver said.

In the fuselage of Slade's plane, Oliver used the medicine left behind by Shado and the first aid kid as he disinfected Natasha's wound and removed the bullet before stitching her up.

"Thanks." Natasha said.

"You helped me. It's the least I could do." Oliver said as he considered, looking around as it hit Natasha.

"You lived here for a while, did you?" Natasha asked.

"With Slade and Shado." Oliver nodded, feeling sad.

"What happened to them… you can't blame yourself." Natasha said.

"I chose Sara over her. And I could've cured Slade but I…" Oliver sighed.

"Just because you made a choice, doesn't make you responsible for what happened. It might well could've been Sara who died or Slade would've died even if you injected him with Mirakuru. You shouldn't have to feel responsible for every bad thing around you. Trust me, that's only going to tear you up from the inside." Natasha said.

"I'm not sure how to do that." Oliver said.

"Start trying to find a way to forgive yourself. To redeem yourself for what you've done. We both have red in our ledgers. And we both are trying to wipe it out. So, trust me." Natasha said. "Redemption is not easy. But it's worth trying."

"When is extraction coming?" Oliver wondered.

"First thing in the morning." Natasha said. "I guess this is it, right?"

"Maybe. But it doesn't have to be." Oliver said as Natasha sighed.

"Oliver, look… I know you're struggling and believe me, when I tell you I want to help you but… I'm not sure…"

"Neither am I. But would it hurt to see it through?" Oliver asked as Natasha considered as she looked up at the stars.

"It's beautiful." Natasha said.

"Yeah. It can be." Oliver nodded as they held their hands and neither of them was sure who moved first but next thing they knew, they laid down on bed as Oliver took off Natasha's top and unclipped her bra as she removed Oliver's shirt as they were making out and kissing fiercely.

Chapter Text

"Oliver Queen is alive." Marrett Green announced on the news. "The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China sea five days ago, five years after he was missing and was presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed 'The Queen's Gambit.' Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi."

"20% of his body is covered in scar tissue, second-degree burns on his back and arms, X-rays show at least twelve fractures that never properly healed." Lamb explained.

"Has he said anything about what happened to him?" Moira asked.

"No. He's barely said anything." Lamb shook his head. "Moira. I'd like you to prepare yourself. The Oliver you lost might not be the one that returned."

Moira was silent before she entered the hospital room. "Oliver."

Oliver turned around, mix of emotions on his face. "Mom." He said after a moment.

"Oh, my beautiful boy…" Moira sobbed as they hugged each other.

Later, Queen Manor

"Your room is exactly as you left it." Moira said as she accompanied Oliver into the manor. "I never had the heart to change a thing."

"Oliver. It's damn good to see you." A black man with a British accent said as Oliver faced him, surprised to see him. "It's Walter. Walter Steele."

"You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company." Moira said but Oliver ignored them both as a maid entered and Oliver greeted her.

"It's good to see you, Raisa." Oliver said.

"Welcome home, Mr. Oliver." Raisa said warmly. "Mr. Merlyn phoned. He wants to join you for dinner."

"Wonderful." Moira said.

Oliver heard the door slam as he approached Thea upstairs.

"Hey, sis." Oliver said.

"I knew it. I knew you were alive!" Thea jumped towards Oliver, as they hugged each other. "I missed you so much."

"You were with me the whole time." Oliver smiled at her.

Oliver stared at the photo of his younger self and Robert before he heard the door open.

"What did I tell you? Yachts suck."

"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver said, hugging his best friend as Tommy hugged him back.

"I missed you, buddy." Tommy said.

The whole family and Tommy were later sitting around the dining room table.

"OK, what else did you miss? Super Bowl winners Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. A black president, that's new. Oh, and 'Lost', they were all dead, I think." Tommy said.

"What was it like there?" Thea blurted out and suddenly there was silence as everyone turned to look at Oliver, who smiled.

"Cold." Oliver said after a moment, making it clear he did not want to talk about it.

"Tomorrow, you and me, we're doing the city." Tommy said, trying to change the subject. "You've got a lot to catch up on."

"That sounds like a great idea." Moira agreed.

"Good. Then I was hoping to swing by the office." Oliver said.

Walter and Moira glanced at each other. "Well, there's plenty of time for all that." Walter said. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Raisa then entered with a bowl of pears but she tripped on the rug and stumbled before Oliver caught her and the bowl.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver." Raisa said before Oliver smiled at her and spoke with her in Russian, shocking everyone.

"Dude, you speak Russian?" Tommy demanded.

"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Oliver." Walter said, surprised.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Oliver replied bluntly as silence consumed the room and Walter and Moira glanced at each other awkwardly before turning to Oliver, who seemed to have indifferent, passive expression on his face, no sign of anger, surprise, happiness, disappointment or such.

"I didn't say anything." Thea said quickly.

"She didn't have to." Oliver replied.

Moira took Walter's hand as she nodded. "Oliver, Walter and I are married. And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh, well, gone." Walter explained nervously.

"It's fine. May I be excused?" Oliver said as Moira nodded, while Oliver got up from his seat and left.

"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow, buddy." Tommy called out as Oliver left before glancing at Thea as Moira and Thea looked at him sadly, realizing that while Oliver may have been home, he still wasn't back yet.

"Sara!"

"Oliver!"

"Sara! Sara!"

"She's not there, Oliver. She's gone."

"Oliver, wake up."

On instinct, Oliver grabbed Moira's arm and pinned her to the floor.

"Oliver!" Walter shouted as Oliver reached for Moira's neck before he stopped and then Oliver came to his senses, realizing what was he doing as he stared in horror.

"I'm so… I'm so sorry…"

Walter helped Moira get up as they both hugged Oliver. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"No, it's OK, Oliver." Moira assured him. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're home. You're home."

Later, morning

"Ollie." Thea smiled as Oliver chuckled as he entered.

"No one's called me that in a while, Speedy." Oliver said as Thea rolled her eyes.

"Worst nickname ever." Thea said.

"What, always chasing after me as a kid? I though it fit pretty well. Maybe it still does." Oliver replied.

"See you at school, Speedy." Margo, Thea's classmate said, as she picked up her bag and left.

"Sorry about her." Thea said.

"I have something for you." Oliver said as he showed Thea a stone shaped like an arrowhead, with Chinese carved into it and Thea smiled.

"You did not come back from a deserted island with a souvenir." Thea teased.

"It's a Hozen." Oliver explained. "And in Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting.

"A rock. That is sweet." Tommy teased as he entered. "You know, I want one of those T-shirts that say 'My friend was a castaway, and all I got, was this crappy shirt'."

Thea smiled at Tommy's antics before turning to Oliver. "Don't let him get you into too much trouble. You just got back. Take it slow."

Tommy cleared his throat. "The city awakes." He and Oliver left the room. "Have you noticed how hot your sister has gotten?" He then noticed the glare Oliver was shooting him. "Because I have not." Tommy said quickly.

Later, the Glades

"Your funeral blew." Tommy said as he drove Oliver.

"Did you get lucky?" Oliver asked as they both laughed at their antics.

"Fish in a barrel. They were so sad." Tommy said.

"No." Oliver joked.

"And huggy. And I am counting on another target rich environment for your welcome home bash."

"At my what?" Oliver asked, confused.

"You came back from the dead. This calls for a party." Tommy said. "You tell me where and when. I'll take care of everything." Then they noticed the old abandoned Queen steel mill and several homeless people. "Your dad sold his factory just in time. Why'd you want to drive through this neighborhood anyway?"

"No reason." Oliver said after a moment.

"So, what'd you miss the most? Steaks at the Palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?"

"Laurel." Oliver said before the temperature suddenly dropped in the car.

"Everyone is happy that you're alive. You want to see the one person, who isn't?" Tommy questioned.

CNRI

Laurel was talking with her best friend, Joanna before Laurel froze upon seeing Oliver by her desk. "Hello, Laurel."

Oliver and Laurel went outside, walking down the plaza.

"You went to law school. You said you would." Oliver said.

"Yeah. Everyone's proud." Laurel said.

"Adam Hunt's a heavy hitter. You sure you want to get in the ring with him?" Oliver pointed out.

"Five years and you want to talk about Adam Hunt?" Laurel questioned as Oliver shook his head.

"No. Not really." Oliver said and Laurel sighed as Oliver faced her.

"Why are you here, Ollie?" Laurel asked.

"To apologize. It was my fault. I wanted to ask you not to blame her.' Oliver said.

"For what? Falling under your spell? How could I possibly blame her for doing the same things that I did?" Laurel demanded.

"I never meant to—"

"She was my sister. I couldn't be angry because she was dead. I couldn't grieve because I was so angry. That's what happens, when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend." Laurel sneered angrily. "We buried an empty coffin because her body was at the bottom of the ocean, where you left her. It should have been you."

Oliver looked hurt at hearing Laurel's words but didn't blame her for how she felt. "I know that it's too late to say this but I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too. I'd hoped that you'd rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years." Laurel said angrily as she was about to go back to CNRI as she faced Tommy. "How did you think that was gonna go, Tommy?"

"About like that." Tommy said.

"OK, so we took care of that." Tommy said as he and Oliver were going back to Tommy's car. "Good call. Now we can make up for lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models and eat sushi all day. What do you say?"

Suddenly, two men in demon masks and black hoodies showed up out of nowhere, shooting both Oliver and Tommy with tranquilizer darts as they both passed out.

When Oliver came to, one of the men in demon masks pulled the bag up from over his head, showing Oliver a Taser.

"Mr. Queen? Mr. Queen! Did your father survive the accident?" The man with a Taser demanded as Oliver saw unconscious Tommy. Oliver then looked around saw three armed men as the man shocked him again as Oliver groaned with clenched teeth. "Did he make it to the island? Did he tell you anything?"

Oliver groaned as the man shocked him again before looking him in the eye. "Yes, he did." Oliver said.

"What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?" The man demanded.

"He told me I'm gonna kill you." Oliver said coldly and all men laughed in amusement.

"You're delusional. You're zip-cuffed to that chair." The man said before Oliver showed him his now-freed hands.

"Not anymore." Oliver said. The man immediately attempted to punch Oliver but he dodged and grabbed the chair and used it to block the man's punch before slamming it in his face as he jammed the wooden stake into the chest of another one and jammed the Taser under the jaw of another abductor before using him as a human shield as one of the thugs shot at him with a submachine gun.

Oliver touched Tommy's neck, measuring his pulse before he went after the kidnapper, chasing him and dodging as the man fired at him again as he climbed to the upper level. Oliver chased the man on the rooftops as he slid down to avoid gunfire. Oliver jumped down as the man ran downstairs and followed him into another warehouse as Oliver dodged the gunfire and jumped on the chains, swinging around as he got the kidnapper in neck lock.

"You killed that man." Oliver said.

"You don't have to do this." The abductor choked out.

"Yes, I do. Nobody can know my secret." Oliver said as he snapped the man's neck.

Later, Queen Manor

"So that's your story. A guy in a green hood flew in and singlehandedly took out three armed kidnappers." Quentin said as he and Hilton interrogated Oliver and Tommy. "I mean, who is he? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. Find him and you can ask."

"Yeah." Quentin said before turning to Tommy. "What about you? You see the Hood guy?"

"I saw…" Tommy paused as he glanced at Oliver before turning to Quentin again. "…just movement. Everything blurry. I was kind of out of it."

"Yeah. It's funny, isn't it? One day back and already someone's gunning for you. Aren't you popular?"

"Were you able to identify the men?" Moira questioned.

"Scrubbed identities. Untraceable weapons. These were pros." Hilton said.

"Yeah, well, they probably figured you'd pay a king's ransom to get your boy back. Or a Queen's ransom, as it were." Quentin said before turning to Oliver. "After all, a parent would do anything to keep their child safe."

"If you had acted this way in the military towards your commanding officer, or towards your Lieutenant, Detective Lance, you might lose your badge for that."

They all turned around to see a red-haired woman as Quentin looked surprised.

"I'm sorry, you are…"

"Natalie. Natalie Rushman. I'm here to take care of the legalities regarding Mr. Queen's return." Natasha smirked, in her hand a folder of documents as she had white shirt and black skirt.

Chapter Text

"Ah." Moira nodded.

"I see I've come in an inappropriate time, perhaps we can reschedule?" Natasha said.

"No need, we're done here." Walter said as he got up. "If Oliver can think of anything else, he'll be in touch. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming."

Quentin shot Natasha a glare as he chuckled at Walter and Moira, putting his folder back to his bag as he got up. "Your luck never seems to run out, does it?"

Quentin and Hilton left as Natasha shook her hand with Oliver.

"Well, just to be clear, this is just preliminary and officially, your court date is next week…"

"Did Fury send you here to keep an eye on me?" Oliver asked as he and Natasha were in private in his bedroom.

"If I said 'no', would you believe me?" Natasha challenged and Oliver chuckled. "Well, not exactly. I'm here on a mission."

"Which is?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know who helped Kovar with attempting to kill off the Russian government but the trail leads to Starling. Whoever helped him, was from here. Some businessman." Natasha said. "I'd like to find out who. And considering what you're planning, Fury thought it might be best to keep an eye on you."

"What, he intends to recruit me into this initiative of his?" Oliver asked as Natasha shrugged.

"Let's just say you've piqued his interest. And it's not like Task Force X." Natasha said.

Oliver nodded after a consideration. "Is that the only reason you came here?"

Natasha chuckled for a moment before masking her feelings again. "Look, Oliver, I'll be honest, I'm not the person you should start something with but… I'm willing to see this through. And besides, you saved my life. It's only fair of me to repay that debt."

Oliver nodded.

"So, any plans already, now that you're back in town?" Natasha asked as Oliver showed her Robert's notebook as he started to research Adam Hunt.

Oliver went out before Moira stopped him as behind her was an Afro-American in early 40s in a suit and black coat as Moira introduced them. "Oliver, I want to introduce you to someone. John Diggle. He'll be accompanying you from now on."

"I don't need a babysitter." Oliver protested.

"Darling, Oliver is a grown man." Walter interrupted. "If he doesn't feel he needs armed protection—"

"You know, I understand but this is something I need." Moira said as Oliver glanced at Diggle.

"So, what do I call you?" Oliver asked as Diggle drove him down the city.

"Diggle's good. Dig, if you want." Diggle said.

"You-re ex-military?" Oliver inquired.

"Yes, sir. 105th Airborne out of Kandahar. Retired." Diggle replied. "Been in the private sector a little more than four years now. And Fury thought it might be best to keep a closer eye on you."

Oliver raised his brows.

"To be clear, I'm not S.H.I.E.L.D. I owe him one and that's it." Diggle said and Oliver nodded. "But if you need something, if I can help with it…"

"The Queen steel mill in the Glades." Oliver said and Diggle nodded, driving to the Glades.

Later, the Foundry

Oliver entered the abandoned steel factory in the Glades as he began knocking down walls, breaking the floor and setting up several tables, computers, equipment, weapons and files before starting to exercise on salmon ladder, crunches and so on as he then approached the crate he had from Lian Yu and picked his bow, training archery with tennis balls.

Starling City

Adam Hunt ordered Eric Gitter, the boss of CNRI, to take care of Laurel Lance as the lights started to explode and the guards drew out their guns, only for one of them to be shot down by arrows and Hunt rushed into his limo, hiding.

Another guard looked around and taunted. "Hey, you missed!"

He got a reply in form of a whooshing arrow flying right through his chest as he dropped dead.

Hunt sat in his limo in panic as a window shattered suddenly and the next thing he knew, he was yanked out through the window out of his limo as he faced a man in green hood standing on his car, with a bow and quiver as he scrambled back in panic and the archer aimed the arrow right at his chest.

"What the… just tell me what do you want!"

The archer jumped down from the car as he kept his gaze locked at the businessman, getting him up on his feet. "You're gonna transfer $40 million into Starling City bank account 1141 by 10 p.m. tomorrow night."

"Or what?" Hunt taunted.

"Or I'm gonna take it and you won't like how." The Hood warned before walking away and Hunt took a moment to get a hold of himself.

"If I see you again, you're dead!"

A moment later, an arrow flied right into the back window of his limo and Hunt turned around in shock and as he looked back, the Hood disappeared.

Later at night

Oliver entered the nightclub as Tommy and the partygoers celebrated his return, while "We Are the Champions" from Queen sounded off throughout the club.

"Everybody, hey! Man of the hour!" Tommy called out as people cheered.

"Thank you much, everybody!" Oliver said as he got on the stage, while Tommy handed him a shot of tequila.

"Ollie." Tommy said before they all toasted.

"I missed tequila!" Oliver called out as people cheered before they all started to celebrate Oliver's return.

Later, Oliver mingled with the guests as Tommy approached him. "Now, by my rough estimate, you have not had sex in 1,839 days. As your wingman, I highly recommend Carmen Golden."

"Which one is she?" Oliver asked as Tommy showed him the three girls not far away from them dancing onstage.

"The one that looks like the chick from 'Twilight'." Tommy said.

"What's 'Twilight'?" Oliver asked, not understanding.

"You're so better off not knowing." Tommy said.

"So, how is a castaway playboy enjoying his return home?" Natasha asked as she approached them, wearing a black dress.

"Miss Rushman." Oliver and Tommy greeted her.

"Natalie's fine. Or Nat." Natasha said. "I must say, this isn't… exactly my type of scenery."

"Frankly, I'm not feeling myself in it either now." Oliver admitted before he spotted Thea with her friends, who were handing her a packet of drugs as Oliver narrowed his eyes. "Back in a minute."

"Oh, boy…" Natasha muttered.

"Ollie, hey! This party is sick!" Thea smiled as Oliver approached her and dragged her aside.

"Who let you in here?" Oliver asked.

"I believe it was the person, who said 'Right this way, Miss Queen.'" Thea said.

"Well, you shouldn't be here." Oliver argued.

"Oh, I'm not twelve anymore." Thea protested.

"No, you're seventeen." Oliver pointed out.

"Ollie, I love you but you can't come back here and judge me." Thea said. "Especially for being just like you."

"I know that it couldn't have been easy for you, when I was away." Oliver said.

"Away? No, you died. My brother and my father died." Thea scoffed. "I went to your funerals."

"I know." Oliver said with a forced calm tone.

"No, you don't." Thea argued. "Mom had Walter and I had no one. Now, you guys act like it's cool, let's forget about the last five years. Well, I can't. For me, it's kind of permanent in there. So, I'm sorry if I've turned out some major disappointment but this, me, is the best I could do with what I had to work with." She walked away with Margo as Oliver looked disappointed. "Let's bounce."

Thea then checked her purse, not realizing that Oliver had snatched the drugs and threw them into the trash bin. Oliver was about to walk away before he bumped into Laurel

"You're here." Oliver said.

"Tommy." Laurel explained. "He made the point that we have too many years between us to leave things the way we left them. Is there some place quieter that we could go?"

"Yeah." Oliver nodded as he and Laurel left to talk in private.

"I'm sorry about saying that you should've been the one, who died. That was wrong." Laurel said.

"If I could trade places with her, I would." Oliver admitted.

"About Sara… there's something that I've been afraid to ask but I need to know." Laurel said as they both stopped.

"OK." Oliver nodded.

"When she died, did she suffer?" Laurel asked as in Oliver's mind flashed Sara getting sucked out of the yacht.

"No." Oliver lied.

"I think about her every day." Laurel said.

"Me too." Oliver nodded, both of them mourning.

"I guess we still have one thing in common, then." Laurel nodded. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this but if you need someone to talk to about what happened to you, I'm here."

Oliver's phone went off as he pulled it out and noticed that Hunt had not transferred the money.

"Something wrong?" Laurel asked.

"I asked someone to do something. They didn't do it." Oliver said. "Laurel…" He looked away for a moment. "Right now, that's what you're doing. Looking at me and you're wondering if that island changed me somehow, if it made me a better person. It didn't. Stay away from me. Otherwise, I'm just gonna hurt you again. But this time, it'll be worse." Laurel looked shocked at Oliver's honesty as he was walking away. "Gotta roll. I got five years of debauchery to catch up on."

"You know what, Oliver?" Laurel said as she neared him. "You're wrong, that island did change you. At least now you're honest." She walked away, leaving Oliver hurt.

Later, Hunt Multinational

The lights went off in the corridor as Hunt, his chief of security Constantine Drakon and the guards were on alert. The elevator dinged and one of the guards was shot with an arrow as the door opened.

The Hood hit two guards in their faces with his bow and threw one of them down, knocking them both out before throwing the bow at another guard, knocking him down. The Hood then jumped off a pillar, knocking down another guard before picking up his bow and taking cover as another guard opened fire.

The Hood threw the guard into Hunt's office as another guard shot him on instinct. The Hood then entered, shooting the guard, while hitting another one in the face and in the throat as he choked out and fell down. The Hood then notched an arrow and fired at the wall inches away from Hunt.

"You missed." Hunt taunted.

"Really?" The Hood asked sarcastically.

Drakon suddenly disarmed the Hood of his bow and both men traded blows as Hunt ran away and alerted Quentin. Drakon slammed the Hood to the table as it crashed but the Hood wrapped his legs around Drakon before both men recovered, getting up on their feet. The Hood kicked Drakon in the face as Drakon staggered back. The Hood then jumped over a couch and wrapped his legs around Drakon's head, knocking him down.

Drakon quickly recovered as he pulled out his knife but the Hood knocked him against a vase as it shattered. The Hood blocked Drakon's knife and hit him in the face, quickly gaining the upper hand until Drakon grabbed the Uzi from the floor, forcing the Hood to take cover behind a table as the Hood threw a fletchette, hitting Drakon in the chest as he fell down, dead.

The Hood passed out as he hit the floor before he quickly recovered as Quentin, Hilton and the SCPD burst in. The Hood jumped out from the window as Quentin fired at him as Quentin and Hilton stared at seeing the Hood zipline to the opposite building.

"Tell me you saw that." Hilton said, both him and Quentin perplexed.

Later

Quentin, Hilton and the police interrupted the party as Quentin angrily confronted Oliver, lashing out on him regarding Sara before Hilton dragged him out, while Oliver warned Tommy to just be glad you're alive.

"Hmm. Robin Hood robbing Adam Hunt. Why do I have the feeling I know who it was?" Natasha teased as Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I'm not Robin Hood." Oliver said.

Later, the Foundry

"So, what, you're going to be my babysitter for Fury now?" Oliver asked Diggle and Natasha.

"Oliver, you don't know how the war scrapes off little pieces of you and you need someone to remind you who you are and not what you're becoming." Diggle said.

"Besides, I think that our business is not yet finished. Someone from Starling City helped Kovar. And Kovar killed my friend, when he was supposed to take him out. I think that our interests are still aligned." Natasha said as she went over the list.

Chapter Text

At night on a rooftop, the Hood engaged six armed guards, taking them down with precise punches, kicks and strikes from his bow and as he disposed of the last of them, he grabbed the businessman from the helicopter platform onto an air conditioning unit, a few inches away from the spinning fan blades.

"Whoa, whoa, easy, wait, no, please—"

"Marcus Redman, you have failed this city!" The archer snarled, with his voice changer on.

"Please, don't!" Redman begged as the Hood neared him.

"Cell phone, inside pocket, call your partner. Tell him to give those pensioners back their money. Do it now."

"OK!" The man complied as the Hood let him go.

Later, morning, Queen Manor

Oliver entered the living room as Moira, Thea and Walter were watching the news report regarding Marcus Redman.

"Over the past 15 years, Mr. Redman has withdrawn more than $30 million from the plan's account. Mr. Redman claims refunding the Halcyon pension plan has always been his intent. But sources say Redman was coerced by the vigilante."

"This guy gets more airtime than the Kardashians, right?" Oliver drawled as Moira, Walter and Thea were watching the same news report on TV.

Thea shot her brother an amused look. "Five years on an island and you still know who they are."

Oliver chuckled. "I've been catching up, it's nice to see how much our culture has improved while I was away."

"But the city used to be different. People used to feel safe." Moira murmured in response.

"Aw, what's the matter, mom?" Thea asked sarcastically. "Afraid we're gonna be next?"

"Do you have any questions today, Oliver?" Walter asked. "It's a simple proof-of-life declaration. Just read out a brief, prepared statement to the judge and then your death-in-absentia judgement will be voided."

Oliver chuckled. "It's fine, Walter, I've been in a courtroom before."

"Four times by my estimate." Tommy said upon entering. "You know, there was the DUI, the assault on that paparazzi douchebag, stealing that taxi, which was just awesome by the way and who could forget peeing on the cop?"

Oliver blushed lightly in embarrassment as Moira looked annoyed, while Walter helped her put her coat on. "I wish everyone could."

"I'd hang but we're headed to court." Oliver said with a smile.

"I know, that's why I'm here, my best friend is getting legally resurrected; I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Right." Oliver sighed before turning to Thea. "What about you?"

"Oh, I think the first four times of you in court was enough for me." Thea said sarcastically, walking out of the room.

"Fair enough." Oliver sighed sadly.

"Mr. Queen? Car's ready." Diggle said as he entered, while he, Moira, Walter and Tommy accompanied Oliver out.

"Mr. Queen." Natasha greeted with a smile on her face, wearing white shirt and black skirt. "Ready to be legally declared alive again?"

Oliver chuckled back as they entered the limo.

Starling City

As Oliver made his way past the reporters bombarding him with questions, he entered the courtroom, giving his statement. "There was a storm. The boat went down. I was the only survivor." Oliver's mind flashed back to the Gambit sinking, Robert committing suicide. "I almost died, I… I thought that I had because I spent so many days on that life raft before I saw land. When I reached it, I knew… I knew that I was gonna have to live for both of us. And in those five years, it was that one thought that kept me going."

Oliver's attorney got up from her seat as she spoke up. "Your Honor, we move to vacate the death-in-absentia filed after Oliver's disappearance at sea aboard the Queen's Gambit five years ago. Unfortunately, we will not be requesting that the declaration of death filed for the petitioner's father, Robert Queen, be rescinced. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle, I'm afraid."

"Now onto the offices." Moira said as she, Walter, Natasha and Tommy accompanied Oliver outside the courtroom. "Everyone is waiting to meet you there."

"Uh, mom." Oliver said, causing for them to stop. "That was a little bit heavier than I was expecting it to be. Can we do that tomorrow? Please?"

Moira and Walter, looked at each other as Walter nodded.

"Of course." Moira smiled at Oliver as she gave in.

"Thank you." Oliver nodded as Moira and Walter walked down the stairs and Tommy looked at Oliver perplexed.

"If there's anything you need, I'll be at your disposal, Mr. Queen." Natasha handed Oliver her card as they both smiled at each other before she walked away.

"Last week, you couldn't wait to get to the company." Tommy reminded as they both walked down the stairs, while he eyed Natasha. "And I'm guessing you are back to… old habits, I see?"

"Tommy, I'd just spent five years away from civilization. I wasn't exactly thinking straight." Oliver said. "Hi." He said suddenly as he suddenly faced Laurel, Joanna and a young girl with them.

"What are you doing here?" Laurel asked apprehensively.

"Oh." Oliver gapped. "Uh, they were bringing me back from the dead. Legally speaking. What are you doing here?"

"My job." Laurel answered bluntly.

"Right." Oliver nodded.

"More like the D.A.'s." Joanna corrected, as there was an awkward pause.

"Hi. Oliver Queen." Oliver said, shaking his hand with the young girl next to Laurel.

"Emily Nocenti." She introduced herself.

"Oliver just got back from five years on an uncharted island. Before that, he was cheating on me with my sister." Laurel said acidly. "He was with her, when she died. And last week, he told me to stay away from him. It was really good advice. Excuse me."

Laurel moved past Oliver, who bit his lip, feeling uncomfortable and Tommy as Natasha shot her a glare.

"I understand that she is angry at you but I think it is quite inappropriate to speak about such things with someone, who has no business to know about it." Natasha pointed out. "Someone should tell her to rein her anger in."

"I'll talk to her." Tommy nodded, knowing Natasha had a point as there was a brief awkward silent pause in the air.

"It was nice to meet you." Emily said, breaking the awkward silence as Joanna led her away.

"Come on, buddy, shake it off, let's go." Tommy said, accompanying Oliver outside as they saw Martin Somers being stormed by the reporters.

"I don't know what I've done to earn this witch hunt from Miss Lance and her bosses at the CNRI. But I can tell you this, I am an honest businessman and I will fight this slander to my last dime and breath. That's all I have to say. Thank you." Somers said before he walked away, followed by the reporters, while some of them then surrounded Oliver, bombarding him with questions as Oliver attempted to move past them, while Tommy and Diggle fended off the reporters.

Later, the Foundry

"Somers. He might have connections to the Triad." Natasha said as she researched him, while Oliver was training with a pair of escrima sticks. "And S.H.I.E.L.D. could use some answers regarding them."

"Laurel's targeted the worst of Starling City, so it's no surprise his name is on my father's list. The city's police and the D.A. can't stop him. Or won't. Laurel thinks she's the only one willing to bring him to justice. She's wrong." Oliver said.

Later, Starling Docks

"You, listen up!" Somers yelled at his attorney in anger. "The longer this goes on, the more likely the media is gonna crucify me. You shut this trial down, do you understand me?"

Suddenly, the lights went off as the sound of three arrows whooshing through the air went off and when they turned on again, his attorney and his two bodyguards were lying on the ground. "What the hell?" Somers muttered before someone grabbed him from behind into the shadows.

When Somers came to, he realized he was hanging upside down, swinging from one side to another like a pendulum as in front of him stood the archer in green hood.

"Martin Somers, you have failed this city!" The Hood shouted as he fired an arrow as it nearly missed Somers's face.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Somers yelled in panic.

"You're gonna testify in that trial. You're gonna confess to having Victor Nocenti killed." The Hood said in a menacing tone. "There won't be a second warning." He fired another arrow that scratched Somers's face and as he looked up again, the vigilante vanished.

The next morning, Starling City Docks

Quentin was interrogating Martin Somers about the last night, that according to the latter, did not happen.

"Well, I owe you an apology, Mr. Somers." Quentin said as he approached Somers's table and noticed the hole in it, fingering it. "We come all the way down to your docks, and it turns out, you don't need the police after all."

"Which is exactly what I've been saying." Somers said calmly.

"Yeah." Quentin snorted as one of the officers handed him an evidence bag with a green metal arrow inside. "Well, you know, I'd be very much inclined to believe an honest, upstanding businessman like yourself, except, well, one of my men found this at your docks." Somers stayed calm as Quentin neared him. "You see, there's this vigilante running around." Quentin said as he returned to the businessman's table. "He thinks he's some kind of Robin Hood. He's robbing the rich, he's trying to teach them a lesson I guess. I don't know but the point is, the man's a killer. And nothing, and no one, is going to stop me from bringing him down." He said as he placed the arrow in the hole in the desk, where it conveniently fit, to no one's surprise before turning his attention to Somers again with a smile on his face. "But like you said, clearly, nothing happened here last night."

Somers returned the hot gaze to the policeman. "Isn't this a conflict of interest, detective? After all, your daughter is suing me."

"I'm pretty good at keeping my emotions in check." Quentin replied calmly.

Somers got up on his feet, sneering at the detective as his face was slowly burning up with rage. "I'm not. You and your daughter don't want to find out what I'm capable of when I get emotional."

Quentin growled and the only thing keeping him from filling the businessman with bullets was the law he swore to uphold as he gave him a hostile glare and growled as he walked away.

Later, Queen Consolidated

Moira and Walter gave Oliver a tour through the Queen Consolidated before they told him that they wanted him to take a leadership position in the company, much to Oliver's surprise.

"No. I don't want to lead anything." Oliver declined before turning to Walter. "Besides, Walter is doing a very good job here."

"You said that you wanted to be a different person and you are Robert Queen's son." Moira insisted.

"I don't need to be reminded of that." Oliver protested.

"Well, obviously you do." Moira argued

Walter stepped up as he put his hand on Moira's back, trying to assure her. "Everyone here understands that this transition is really difficult for you." Walter said calmly.

"Thank you, Walter." Oliver said with a forced calm tone as he was starting to lose his patience, anger rising in his voice. "Which part, though? Everyone fantasizing that I got my MBA, while I was on the island? Or the fact that my father's CFO now sleeps down the hall from me?"

Diggle cleared his throat. "Miss Queen, Mr. Steele, if you won't mind, may I have a word with you two for a moment?"

Moira and Walter approached Diggle as he lowered his voice.

"Look, I know this is none of my business but I'd just like to point out that Mr. Queen had been through a five-year long traumatic experience. I understand that you want to treat him the same way you did before the Gambit but you should understand that Mr. Queen was through quite a serious ordeal, which had changed him in ways that you can't even imagine." Diggle said. "I've heard about the scars. All I'm saying is that you should stop treating him as the man you expect him to be, because considering what Mr. Queen has been through, that is not going to help. Instead of trying to change him, you should accept who he is and find a way to help him."

Moira and Walter turned to each other, considering before nodding, understanding that Diggle had a point.

Moira sighed as she turned to Oliver.

"If you think you're not ready, I will understand. And I'm not going to push you into something you do not want to do. But, Oliver, you know I'm trying, right?" Moira asked.

Oliver nodded as Moira and Walter left before Oliver turned to Diggle.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Diggle nodded.

Later, Queen Manor

In his bedroom, Oliver was watching the news report about Martin Somers as he was putting on his shirt before Thea gapped upon seeing his scars.

"Wait, how did you get those?" Thea demanded.

"Don't you knock?" Oliver groaned as he was buttoning up his shirt.

"No, wait, Mom said that there were scars but…" Thea rushed towards Oliver and pulled away the edges of his shirt before she gasped and stared in shock at seeing the scars on Oliver's chest. "Uh, I… Oliver, what happened to you out there?"

Oliver got ahold of himself before he buttoned up his shirt, reliving the pain. "I don't want to talk about it."

Thea scoffed. "Of course you don't. You never want to talk with me about anything, except for my social life." She crossed her arms, about to leave before Oliver spoke up.

"Wait." Oliver said, causing for her to stop as Thea sighed. "Where are you going?"

"Why should I tell you?" Thea asked defensively.

"I'm sorry, Thea." Oliver said. "I need to get better at talking about what happened to me there. But I'm not ready yet, OK?"

"Do you have a second?" Thea asked after a moment.

"Yeah." Oliver replied.

"Good." Thea nodded. "I wanna show you something out back."

Oliver picked his jacket and followed Thea to the backyard of the manor, where were two headstones, one with Robert's name carved in and the other one with Oliver's as she brushed off the leaves.

"Sometimes, when I felt… whatever, I'd come here. About a month after the funerals, Mom stopped going out. Pretty soon, she stopped talking altogether. The house got so quiet, so I'd come here." She pointed at Oliver's gravestone, on verge of tears. "To talk to you. I mean, stupid stuff. Like what was I doing that day, what boy I had a crush on. And then, sometimes, I'd ask you, beg you, to find your way home to me." She turned to Oliver again. "Now, here you are. And the truth is, I felt closer to you, when you were dead. Look, I know it was hell, where you were but it was hell here too. You gotta let me in, Ollie." Thea pleaded. "You gotta let someone in."

Thea walked away, leaving Oliver to consider what she had said.

Later, Laurel's Apartment

Laurel was going over her case on Victor Nocenti when a knock at her door startled her as she checked through the peephole and sighed as she opened the door.

"Hi." Oliver said timidly as he held a brown paper bag in his hand. "Are you OK? There are two cops outside."

"How am I supposed to stay away from you if you won't stay away from me?" Laurel asked sarcastically. "What are you doing here, Ollie?"

"My sister took." Oliver admitted. "She pointed out to me that I have been distant since I got back and that it would probably be a good idea if I let somebody in."

"So, you thought you'd start with the first person you pushed away." Laurel said sarcastically.

"I did that to protect you." Oliver reasoned. "And then I saw you yesterday and I realized that I hurt you." Laurel frowned but let him into her apartment. "Thank you." Oliver looked around. "Wow, this place hasn't changed in five years."

"I haven't really had time to redecorate." Laurel said dryly.

"I'm a jerk. Before that island, I was a jerk and now I'm just a… I'm a damaged jerk." Oliver said as Laurel faced him and couldn't help but feel sorry for her ex-boyfriend.

"What's in the bag?" She asked.

Oliver reached out for it with a smile. "I thought about many things on the island but there was one thing that I thought about every day." He said with a smile. "I actually dreamed about it and I promised myself that if I ever got a chance to do it again, I'd do it with you." He said as he pulled from the small paper bag in his hand a tub of chocolate ice cream. "Eat ice cream."

Laurel smiled as she started to eat it with her ex-boyfriend. "This is as good as I remember. My mother wants me to join the company." She raised her brows. "Yeah, take my rightful place."

"I can't exactly picture you as master of the universe." Laurel pointed out honestly.

Oliver smiled. "You know, after five years, I have plans, I have things that I have to do, I can't do that if I'm… I don't know… attending board meetings and stockholder briefings."

"Oliver?" Laurel asked. "You're an adult. You can say 'no'."

"Oh, I tried. Didn't take."

"Well, then don't tell her. Show her. Be the person you want her to see you as. Trust me, I have plenty of experience with disapproving parents."

"I have been on the receiving end of your father's disapproval." Oliver nodded, the guilt about cheating on his ex-girlfriend with her own sister building up.

"He blames himself more than he blames you." Laurel said suddenly, surprising Oliver as she leaned back into the couch. "He thinks that, you know, maybe if he and Sara were closer, she would have told him about the boat trip. And he could have stopped her from going with you."

Oliver looked at her with guilt in his eyes. "I am sorry."

"You apologized already."

"And it will never be enough." Oliver then turned to the window, his instincts turning on. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Laurel asked, confused as Oliver grabbed the kitchen knife.

"There's someone on the fire escape." Oliver stood up slowly before grabbing Laurel's hand. "Hey, come on."

"What?" Laurel asked as Oliver dragged him, when a large Asian man with a gun burst in and started to shoot and Oliver and Laurel took cover while an Asian woman with stark white hair and a pair of karambit knives in her hands entered before Diggle entered, shooting both of the hitmen down and engaging China White, and though he was able to strip her of one of her knives, she was too fast as she knocked him on the floor and was about to stab him before Oliver threw a kitchen knife to her direction, knocking the blade out of the assassin's hand as she looked up in surprise and then rushed out from the apartment.

"You both OK?" Diggle asked as he scrambled up on his feet as Oliver nodded.

A short time later, Quentin ran in, checking in on Laurel as he embraced her tightly.

"Daddy!" Laurel cried out.

"Oh, thank God." Quentin sighed in relief. "Thank God, are you alright?"

"I'm OK." She assured him, then asked the question she didn't want to know the answer to. "Those cops that you put on me…"

"They…" Quentin paused before turning to Diggle, who replied in his place.

"I went outside to ask for a light and they were both dead in the squad car."

Quentin looked at the bodyguard gratefully. "Mr. Diggle, thank you. Feel free to run as many red lights in the city as you want."

"I was just doing my job, sir." Diggle assured him as the detective shook his head.

"No, your job is to protect him." Quentin neared Oliver, shooting him a death glare. "It seems like whenever you're with one of my daughters, people die." He snarled. "You stay away from Laurel, or I swear the next time you disappear, it will be permanent."

"Dad!" Laurel yelled, protesting.

Quentin turned to her as the phrase 'if looks could kill' came to mind. "No, Laurel—"

"It's OK." Oliver intervened. "I understand."

"Yeah." Quentin snorted, feeling small satisfaction as he left the apartment.

Later, the Lair

"Chen Na Wei?" Natasha asked as Oliver was gearing up. "I've read the reports from A.R.G.U.S. I'm guessing she escaped their custody, after you took her down two years ago."

"Somers went after Laurel. He just made his last mistake." Oliver growled.

"I'm coming with you." Natasha said.

The Docks

"That bitch screwed the hit on Lance." Somers growled as he was packing the money up. "Now, the Triad is gonna erase every ounce of evidence of their smuggling operation, including me. Except that's not gonna happen." He closed up the case and looked back to his man. "Tell Wallace to get the boat ready. I'm leaving tonight."

"Wallace? Wallace, do you copy?" The thug called into the radio. "Wallace?"

"Wallace isn't here but I am." The mysterious voice said and Somers paled, instantly recognizing it from the other night.

"We need to move. Now!" Somers ordered as he left.

"Sir. We've got six men out there…"

"It's not enough, move it!" Somers ordered, leaving the office.

The Hood shot down one of the guards before he jumped over the railing of the walkway, and descended down before he shot another guard above. The Hood jumped down again as another guard shot at him from around the corner before the guard was shot down as Natasha was on a crane, providing cover for Oliver with a sniper rifle before Oliver rushed down the stairs of the crane, shooting down two more guards before he saw a man running into a building.

"Somers!" The Hood yelled as he jumped down and fired an arrow, pinning Somers to a crate.

"Oh, God, no, no, no…" Somers cried out as the Hood notched another arrow.

"He can't help you." The archer growled. "I want the truth about Victor Nocenti." He demanded as the arrow pinned the businessman's right shoulder to the crate.

"I can't!" Somers exclaimed. "The Triad will kill me!"

"The Triad's not your concern right now!" The Hood snarled and as Somers did not reply, he fired another arrow below Somers' crotch.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Somers cried out. "It wasn't me that killed him, it was the Triad!"

"Acting on whose instructions?" The Hood demanded before shooting another arrow right above Somers's head. "Whose?!"

"Alright, alright, it was mine!" He confessed. "It was mine, alright? Nocenti said he was gonna testify against me." Suddenly, Somers paled as China White appeared behind the archer.

"Move away from him." She ordered in Chinese.

"Make me." The Hood replied in the same language as she attacked him with her knives. The Hood blocked with his bow and retreated before he jumped back and dodged White's kick but White managed to knock the Hood down. The Hood got up, blocking White's strikes with his bow again before she knocked him down once more, while the Hood again parried her knives before White knocked him down again.

The Hood scrambled on his feet as they heard sirens blare as he ran away.

"Oliver, get out of there, now!" Natasha ordered.

"This is the police, we have you surrounded! Put your weapons down or we will open fire! I repeat, lay down your weapons!"

The Hood rushed out but stopped as Quentin neared him with his gun ready.

"Freeze! You twitch and you're dead. Bow down, hands up."

The Hood threw a fletchette, disarming Quentin of his gun, pinning it to the shipping container behind him as a green light bleeped on it. As Quentin looked up, the Hood had managed to escape before Quentin approached the fletchette and turned on the device on it as he heard Somers's voice.

"It was mine! It was mine, alright? Nocent said he was gonna testify against me!"

"Son of a bitch…" Quentin whispered.

The next day, Queen Manor

Oliver entered and saw that Moira and Walter were on the couch as they turned to him.

"Is everything OK, Mom?" Oliver asked.

"Honey, Walter and I have been talking and we've been thinking about it. You're right. We should not force you to be someone you apparently are not ready to be, considering what you've been through. But I hope you understand that we would not want to see you to fall back to your… old habits too much." Moira said.

"Don't worry about me, Mom." Oliver assured her.

"I'll always worry about you, honey." Moira explained. "But I hope you have become more responsible since the Gambit."

"Actually. I've been thinking about opening a business. A nightclub." Oliver said.

Moira and Walter turned to each other briefly before turning to Oliver. "If you're sure about this—"

"Mom, I'm not a businessman and I might never will be. This is more familiar to me." Oliver said as Moira and Walter considered before nodding, understanding Oliver's point.

Later, the Foundry

"Do you know anything about Kovar?" Oliver asked as Natasha was at the computer.

"I have a lead. I don't know the name but whoever helped Kovar, he wanted information about Unidac Industries." Natasha said. "I don't know why would someone be interested in a research company but if they went to Kovar because of this, it can only mean that they're up to nothing good. And I'm gonna stop them."

"Alone?" Oliver questioned as Natasha took a breath.

"Oliver, you have your mission, I have mine. If you need help, I'll be there. But I can't ask you to follow me onto this." Natasha said.

"The thing is, you don't have to ask." Oliver said. "I'm offering. As far as I'm concerned, right now, we're in this together."

Natasha smiled as he held her hand before the tension started to rise as they both kissed.

Starling City

China White had put her weapons back into the stand before suddenly, a memory hit her as she recognized Oliver in Laurel's apartment and then later, the same night seeing the archer in green and then she remembered Hong Kong as all the pieces fell together, as she smirked.

Yes, her vengeance would be so sweet. But not just yet…

Chapter Text

James Holder was gloating, in his bathrobe, talking to a business associate over the phone about Unidac Industries before hanging up and putting the phone on a couch, taking a bottle of beer, only for it to be shattered by an arrow a moment later as the businessman turned around to face the archer in green hood.

"I have armed security outside; all I have to do is call out."

"Go ahead." The Hood smirked. "They can't hear you." He tossed two pistols on the floor as Holder paled, realizing there was no one around to save him.

"What the hell do you want?" Holder asked, frightened.

"How many people died in those fires?" The Hood growled. "How many?! The courts say you don't owe your victims anything; I disagree. James Holder, you—"

He was interrupted when a gunshot rang through the air and on Holder's chest suddenly appeared a red spot, right where his heart was before his lifeless body fell into the water. The Hood quickly turned around, firing arrows towards the approximate position of the shooter while taking cover behind a wooden wall but one bullet managed to graze his arm before everything went silent and the Hood looked down at his wound as soon as he was sure area was secure.

Later, the Lair

"A sniper?" Natasha asked as Oliver filled her in, while examining his wound and crossing Holder's name off the list.

"It's no surprise a man as corrupt as James Holder has more than one enemy." Oliver said.

"Makes sense. Then the question would be, who hired him? It obviously must have been a hitman." Natasha mused before Oliver stumbled and staggered onto the table. "Oliver. Are you alright?"

"The bullet… poison…" Oliver whispered and Natasha's eyes widened, realizing what happened. "The crate… herbs…"

Natasha quickly realized what did he mean as she opened a box, pulling out a leather pouch with herbs and forcing the herbs into Oliver's mouth before picking up a bottle of water, forcing Oliver to drink it before he passed out.

Later in the morning, Oliver came to on bed as he saw Natasha examining the bullet.

"I see you're awake." Natasha said.

"What… what happened?" Oliver asked.

"I went back to where Holder was killed. You were right. The bullet was laced with poison." Natasha said as she put the bullet into a tray. "It's curare. I know the M.O. His name is Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot. A hired hitman, who's killed dozens of people all over the world. S.H.I.E.L.D. has a file on him."

"Someone hired him to kill Holder." Oliver realized and Natasha nodded.

"And he also murdered John's brother Andy two years ago, when he was assigned to protect a client." Natasha said. "I think we have another target."

Later, the Foundry

In the morning, Oliver led Diggle and Tommy through the upper level of the Queen's steel factory.

"So, what do you think? Great spot for a nightclub or what?" Oliver asked.

"Sweet." Tommy said. "Though, I gotta tell you, man, if you're thinking about calling it "Queens", I don't think you're gonna get the clientele that you were hoping for."

"Private office." Oliver said, while pointing towards the former foreman's offices in the upper level.

"For the private one-on-one meetings, I would imagine." Tommy mused.

"Hopefully the occasional two-on-one meetings." Oliver cracked.

"Man, are you sure about this?" Tommy asked. "It's not like you really have any experience in running a… well, running anything." Oliver shot him a look as Tommy patted him on the back. "How about tomorrow night the two of us, we go and scope out the competition? Or you can invite your new assistant with you. There's a new club opening downtown. It's called 'Poison'. Max Fuller owns it."

"Max Fuller?" Oliver asked.

"Mm-hmm." Tommy nodded.

"I slept with his fiancée." Oliver said.

"Yeah, before the wedding." Tommy shrugged.

"It was at the rehearsal dinner." Oliver reminded.

"The rehearsal dinner is technically before the wedding, right?" Tommy pointed out as both men laughed. "And besides, who stays mad at a castaway?"

Tommy's phone went off as he looked at it briefly. "Ah, damn it, I gotta roll. Anyway, I'll see you later, man. Good place."

"See ya." Oliver said as Tommy patted Diggle on the back, while leaving.

"A cover?" Diggle asked as Oliver shrugged. "Clever."

Starling City

"I'm looking for Alexi Leonov." Oliver said in Russian as he entered a Russian auto repair shop.

"There is no one here by that name." A bald man replied in the same language as he stared at Oliver, who shook his head.

"Not in your garage; in the basement underneath."

A man then went from underneath a car, pointing a gun at Oliver, who disarmed him without breaking a sweat as he put down the collar of his shirt, revealing a tattoo on his chest. "I'm Bratva." The man Oliver had subdued got up on his feet as he went behind the bald man. "I'm looking for Alexi Leonov." Oliver asked again.

"Pleased to meet you." The bald man approached Oliver as he bowed and spoke in English as Oliver nodded. "I apologize; we mean no disrespect to a captain; particularly an American one." He approached the desk as he poured two glasses of vodka. "So, how can I be of assistance."

"I'm in the market for a hired gun. Someone the organization's used before. His calling card is a 7.62-millimeter gun laced with curare."

"I know no man who uses such tools." Alexi shook his head.

"But you can find out who does."

Alexi handed Oliver his glass. "First, we will drink to each other's health, then I will look into the identity of the man you seek." He drank his glass before speaking up again. "I will also confirm that you are really a Bratva captain. Should this not be the case, I will send my mechanic here to find you and kill you and your family."

Later, Poison

"This is going to be killer!" Tommy said, enthusiastic as Oliver, Natasha and Diggle followed him.

"If Max Fuller sees me here, I agree." Oliver deadpanned.

"If you're going to run a business, you gotta take a few risks." Tommy said.

"Well, when you said this is gonna be fun, I expected a dinner." Natasha teased Oliver.

"Sometimes you gotta let loose, Miss Rushman." Tommy quipped.

"Technically, I'm not working now, you may as well call me "Nat"." Natasha chuckled.

"Then you can call me "Tommy". Tommy said and Oliver cleared his throat, stopping Tommy from his antics before they spotted Laurel at the bar. "Ow, wow!" Tommy called out as Laurel shook her head. "Doesn't you going out and having fun violate some kind of law, you know, like the ones that are carved on a stone tablet?"

"That's cute, Tommy." Laurel said with a pointed look.

"Thanks." Tommy said.

"Aren't you the woman, who was with Oliver last week in the courthouse?" Laurel asked, turning to Natasha.

"Natalie Rushman." Natasha nodded, not helping herself but shooting Laurel a glare for what happened the other day. "And I know this is not any of my business but as for your little meltdown the other day, I understand that you're angry at Mr. Queen but talking about such things in public, with someone, who has no business knowing about it, is quite inappropriate."

Laurel winced, knowing she was right before turning to Oliver. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Oliver assured her before they saw Thea, who was obviously heavily drunk, stumbling upon them.

"Big brother! Oh, I am so wasted now. There is… there is two of you." Thea said.

"I thought you were grounded." Oliver reminded as Laurel, Tommy and Natasha suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"I am. And thank you for that, by the way." Thea said sarcastically.

Oliver neared Thea, glaring. "You're done for the night."

Natasha slowly snuck past them.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Tell Mom?" Thea scoffed.

"Thea!" Oliver clenched his jaw, running out of patience. "You are hanging with the wrong people." He said slowly with a forced calm tone.

"You're the one to talk." Thea said. "How much do you know about your so-called friends over here."

"OK, Thea, maybe you should—"

"Tommy, I think your BFF has a right to know." Thea cut Tommy off.

"Thea, let's go." Oliver said, about to lead her away.

"Well, I guess they never told you that they've been screwing, while you were gone." Thea sneered, shooting a look at Laurel and Tommy, who felt uncomfortable, when suddenly, a bouncer approached her.

"I need you to come with me. And show me your real ID. Miss Queen." The bouncer said with a pointed look and Thea paled as the bouncer dragged her aside.

Oliver, Laurel and Tommy looked puzzled at what happened, when Natasha neared Oliver.

"Well, I guess someone tipped a bouncer off about an underage girl in the nightclub. Oops." Natasha quipped with a smirk on her face.

"Nice." Tommy smiled.

"Thank you." Oliver said and Laurel winced, remembering what she had done to Sara.

"Well, well. Look at this. Oliver Queen." A new male voice suddenly called out as Oliver turned his head to face…

"Max Fuller. How you've been?" Oliver asked, noticing the two bodyguards accompanying Max.

"Happy you drowned." Max said as the bouncers accompanied Oliver to the area behind the curtains and Oliver realized what was going to happen next.

"Hey, Max—" Oliver was cut off when Max punched him, knocking him down.

"Get him up!" Max ordered as the bouncers forced Oliver up on his feet.

"Let him go! Let him go! Hey! I said, let him go!" Tommy shouted as he burst in.

"Told you he was gonna be pissed." Oliver said.

"Back off, Merlyn, this isn't your problem." Max warned.

"You wanna get to him? You gotta go through me." Tommy said before eying the bouncers, realizing he got himself in over his head as he turned to Oliver. "Wow. They are probably gonna get through me."

One of the bouncers tried to grab Tommy but Tommy punched him in the face before he was thrown to a corner, while the remaining bouncers started to beat Oliver up.

Suddenly, Laurel burst in, punching Max twice in the kidney, then in the knee before she flipped him to the ground as the bouncers turned to her. "So is this over, Max? Or are you gonna have your boys pound on me next?"

Max staggered on his feet and left, pointing at them as Natasha entered. "You four consider yourselves banned for life. Get the hell out of my place!"

"Your club sucks anyway." Tommy shot back.

"You guys OK?" Laurel asked.

"Where'd you learn that?" Oliver asked.

"Cop dad, remember? He made me take self-defense classes." Laurel reminded as she was about to leave.

"Laurel, what Thea said—"

"Oliver, Tommy and I don't need your blessing. And I don't need your forgiveness." Laurel sneered as she turned to him briefly before leaving.

Natasha glared, shaking her head. "She really needs to set herself straight."

Later, the Lair

"Are you OK?" Natasha asked.

Oliver turned to her, looking disappointed. "Honestly… I'm trying to keep it together. Tommy and Laurel, I can understand but Thea—" He stopped, when his phone went off as he answered the call.

"1700 Broadway Pell Hotel, room 52. You'll leave us out of this, yes? Assuming Mr. Lawton doesn't kill you first." Alexi said.

Later, Pell Hotel

The Hood burst in, firing as Deadshot dodged and took cover behind his bed, grabbing a wrist gun and firing while the archer took cover and as Deadshot was reloading, two arrows were flying, causing for the marksman to take cover behind the bed as he fired again from his wrist gun before jumping out of the window and as the sirens blared, the Hood took the hitman's destroyed laptop and quickly left the hotel.

Later, the Lair

"This isn't going to be easy. But I think I can find out something useful out of this." Natasha said as she looked at the laptop filled with bullets and opened it.

"Thanks." Oliver said.

Later at night, SCPD

Quentin was walking to his cruiser as he suddenly found himself being pinned to the hood of a car as the Hood restrained him.

"Ah, you son of a bitch!"

"Detective, quiet!" The Hood whispered.

"You've got a pair on you, pulling this right outside the police station!" Quentin snarled.

"Floyd Lawton's the one targeting the buyers interested in Unidac Industries, Interpol calls him 'Deadshot' because he never misses; you can look this up, after I go."

"Yeah, and stop chasing you, I suppose?" Quentin asked sarcastically as the Hood tightened his hold while the detective grunted.

"Warren Patel hired Lawton." The Hood continued. "I can't be sure who they're targeting, it might be all the buyers and I can't protect them in a space that big, I need your help."

"Yeah, professional help." Quentin scoffed.

"Lawton laces his bullets with curare, tell your men to wear Kevlar." The Hood advised.

"I'll tell them to shoot you—"

The arrow flying on the hood of his car right next to Quentin's head interrupted him as the archer let the detective go and as he got up, the Hood disappeared and on his car was lying a laptop.

Later, Exchange Building

Moira and Walter were musing each other as Thea entered in a beautiful blue dress and Oliver and Diggle saw Detective Hilton arresting Warren Patel.

"This isn't over yet." Diggle said.

"If Lawton makes a move, get my family safe, I'll handle him." Oliver ordered and Diggle nodded.

"Just make sure—"

"He's not getting away this time, Dig." Oliver promised. Then he saw Quentin tackle Walter to the ground as a bullet missed him and took down a waiter instead and then he turned to Diggle.

"Walter, Mom and Thea—"

"Got it!" Diggle said as he approached Oliver's family, while he went to suit up.

Starling City

The Hood jumped in through the window as Lawton continued shooting and dodged and took cover behind a pillar as Lawton fired at him from his wrist gun. Lawton dodged and took cover as the Hood fired two arrows before Lawton scoured the area.

Suddenly, Natasha jumped at him from above as they traded blows before she knocked Lawton down. Natasha rolled away as Lawton fired at her with his wrist gun before the Hood kicked him back as Lawton crashed against a table.

Lawton got up and the Hood blocked his punches with his bow before hitting him with his bow and pinning him to the scaffolding, his bow on Lawton's neck as Lawton choked. Lawton punched the Hood and threw his bow away before the Hood threw him away and both him and Natasha took cover as Lawton fired again.

"Drop your guns!" The Hood yelled as he hid behind a pillar.

"I admire your work." Deadshot replied. "Guess you won't be extending me any professional courtesy."

"We're not in the same line of work!" The Hood retorted. "Your profession is murder."

"You've taken lives!" Lawton said.

"For the good of others. You're out for yourself." The Hood said.

Lawton replied with a scoff before filling the pillar behind which was the archer, with bullets and as soon as he emptied the magazine, the Hood went out and fired an arrow and took cover again before he heard a 'thud' and as he peeked out, he saw Lawton lying on the floor, with an arrow sticking out of his targeting eyepiece.

Later, the Lair

"Well, pity. Fury would've liked to take him back alive." Natasha shrugged.

"I did what I had to." Oliver said.

"I guess this is going to happen a lot, is it?" Natasha asked. "Both of us watching each other's back?" Oliver just stared back as she sighed. "Oliver… you and I both know this is not going to work out in long-term. Once I find whoever helped Kovar, I'm leaving."

"Do you really have to?" Oliver asked.

"This is your city. Not mine. I don't have a home. Not anymore." Natasha shook her head. "If you need my help, I will help you. But don't ask me for something I can't give you."

"I'm only asking you to see where is this going to go. It's not that much, is it?" Oliver pleaded, holding her hand.

"Maybe not." Natasha said, smiling as she sighed. "It's been a long night."

"The night is still young." Oliver said. "I know a great restaurant downtown."

"Oliver Jonas Queen, are you asking me out?" Natasha teased.

"If I am, what would you say?" Oliver asked.

"Well, there's a chance one of us might be in the wrong business. But I'm willing to see it through." Natasha chuckled as they went out.

Chapter Text

"Honestly, Oliver, do you ever wish that you could show them that you're not who they expect you to be?" Natasha asked Oliver as they ate in the nearby restaurant.

"Every day." Oliver said. "But if I stop this façade and show them who I really am…"

"You're afraid they'd cast you out. I know the feeling." Natasha said. "Sometimes, it's hard to decide who you should be. Whether… what you had become or how you would like people to see you, despite what you've been through. You know, there was a time when I second-guessed myself at every step, when working for KGB. But they have these… methods of indoctrination, something like Bratva. No relationships, no distractions and…"

"No family?" Oliver asked, remembering the vows of Bratva.

"I have no family. I have no home. I have no name. Ya Bratva."

"There was this program. We called it 'Red Room'. Young girls training since childhood to become dangerous assassins. I was one of their best students." Natasha said as Oliver could see the pain in her eyes. "To make sure we would focus solely on our missions with no distractions, every recruit, who finished their training, they…" She took a breath. "I can't have children, Oliver."

Oliver looked taken aback and suddenly felt a lot of sympathy for her. "Nat…"

"At first, I didn't regret it. I have a very specific skill set. Didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar in a bad way and they sent an agent to kill me. Remember, when I told you that someone pulled me back from the edge?" Natasha asked and Oliver nodded. "That agent, who was assigned to kill me, made a different call. Decided to recruit me to S.H.I.E.L.D. We've been best friends since then. That bow I gave you, it's one of his."

"That's why you wanted to help me?" Oliver realized. "You saw a bit of yourself in me?"

Natasha nodded. "I guess I didn't want to see someone else go down the wrong path. I just… I need to believe in second chances. Otherwise, what is this all for?"

Oliver nodded in understanding. "Do you have any family?"

Natasha sighed. "Not really… but I still have people that matter to me a lot."

Suddenly, a waiter approached them with a cellphone on a tray. "Miss Romanoff?"

Oliver and Natasha narrowed their eyes, wondering how did the waiter know her real name. "You have a phone call."

Natasha cautiously picked the phone. "Hello?" Then she narrowed her eyes. "Tonight? I see." She hung up and sighed.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Something personal that I need to deal with." Natasha said.

"Do you need—"

"No. Just me. Just… trust me on this one, OK? Besides, you have other things to worry about." Natasha interrupted Oliver as she got up and Oliver nodded.

Later, Hub City

"Are you sure they're here?" Natasha asked Clint as they watched an alley from a rooftop.

"They might know something, Nat." Clint said as he turned to her. "I heard you gave that Robin Hood kid one of my bows."

"Come on, it's not like you have just one." Natasha quipped.

"I'm pretty sure I can kick Queen's ass." Clint said.

"Well, I've been sparring with him lately, so chances are 50/50." Natasha said and Clint looked offended.

"Ouch. Now I'm hurt." Clint said with feigned hurt as Natasha chuckled.

Guards were on a patrol in an alley, when the lights suddenly went off.

"What the—"

Natasha slammed one of the guards to a nearby table, knocking him out before she jumped at another one, wrapping her legs around him and knocking him down.

From a distance, Clint fired two arrows as more guards ran to the alley and the arrows exploded in a net, ensnaring them. "I got you covered, Nat."

Natasha kicked the door in as four men were at a makeshift table playing poker. The men pulled out guns but Natasha threw in a small disk thar exploded in smoke, blinding them. Natasha engaged them and swiftly took them out before she grabbed one of them by his throat.

"Your buddies helped Konstantin Kovar in Russia and helped smuggle sarin gas. For who?"

"Screw you." The man sneered and Natasha slammed his face to the window as it crashed. "OK. OK. Lukin. Alexander Lukin."

"The weapons dealer?" Natasha asked and the man nodded. "Where is he now?"

"If I tell you…" The man stopped as Natasha was about to toss him out through the window. "OK, OK! I'll talk!"

"Nat, that place is a small fortress. Getting in will not be easy." Clint said as they eyed the villa with goggles.

"Where's the fun in that?" Natasha smirked.

Natasha threw a rock towards a car as an alarm blared. Some of the guards at the main gate approached the car, attracted to the noise. Natasha used the distraction to rush to a nearby pipe and climb up before she entered through the window.

Natasha hid behind a glass case with a mask as a guard was on patrol before he neared her and from around the corner, she kicked him in the stomach and slammed him to the floor before punching him in the face, knocking him out. She snuck down the corridor before from around a corner, two guards spotted her.

"Hey!"

Natasha reacted quickly, throwing two disks that slid down the floor and exploded in smoke, blinding them. Natasha rushed at one of them and kicked him in the face before punching the other guard repeatedly. She beat the guards up swiftly and knocked them out.

"Easy peasy." Natasha quipped.

"I'm not hearing anything." Lukin said.

"Something's wrong." Another guard said. "I think we need to check it out."

Natasha snuck in through the window, when a guard spotted her. "Hey!"

Natasha rolled down the floor and took cover behind a couch as the guards opened fire. Natasha rolled towards a stand with a vase as it shattered before she pulled out a gun and fired, shooting down two guards. The remaining guards took cover and Natasha fired at a chandelier above that fell down on them, crushing some of them.

One of the guards threw a grenade and Natasha jumped away but the explosion sent her flying as her ears ringed and she felt dazed. Before the guards could finish her off, Clint kicked the door in and fired arrows, shooting down the guards.

Natasha then neared Lukin, who raised his hands before Natasha kicked him and was about to throw him over the ledge.

"Alexander Lukin. You provided Kovar the sarin gas, didn't you?" Natasha asked.

"I can't tell you! All you can do, is kill me!" Lukin croaked.

Natasha glared and slammed his face to the window as Lukin groaned. "Wanna try that again?"

"I was just the middle man! They never gave me a name, OK? I delivered it to Russia, they never told me who they were!" Lukin said.

"You must know something! Tell me!" Natasha demanded.

"If I tell you, I'm a dead man." Lukin paled.

"I'm gonna make you wish you were dead." Natasha said as she threw him off the window and Lukin screamed before his fall stopped midair, with his leg tied to a rope.

"OK, OK! Tempest! That's all I know, OK? They called themselves "Tempest"! They had a middle man! Some archer in black! An enforcer! He threatened to kill me! I was supposed to help deliver sarin gas to Kovar! He would trade it for information about Unidac Industries!" Lukin shouted.

"Who are they?" Natasha said.

"I swear, I told you everything I know!" Lukin begged.

A bit later, Natasha and Clint were talking in a nearby bar.

"Do you think it's possible Walter Steele helped Kovar?" Clint asked, considering that Walter was interested in Unidac Industries.

"No. I don't think it was him." Natasha shook her head. "But the lead definitely leads back to Starling."

"Is there anything else I can do?" Clint asked.

"Well, I'm not—" Natasha paused, when they saw the news bulletin about Quentin arresting on suspicion of Oliver being the Hood.

Chapter Text

SCPD

"This is a mistake." Oliver said as he faced Quentin, in cuffs in the interrogation room as Quentin was taking down notes.

"I'll be asking you a few questions, standard stuff for the report. Have you been arrested before? That's OK, I know the answer to that, plenty of times." Quentin said sarcastically.

"Like I said, this is a mistake." Oliver insisted.

"As far as I can tell, the only mistake I made was not shooting you down at the docks, when I had the chance." Quentin glared.

"I am not who you think I am." Oliver protested.

"Oh, you're exactly who I think you are. You're a dangerous menace who doesn't care about who he hurts, except now you're doing it with bows and arrows instead of trust funds and yacht." Quentin sneered.

"Detective, you hate me. I get it. But that doesn't make me a vigilante." Oliver shook his head.

"No. The security camera footage of you at the Unidac auction with a green good does that pretty well."

"And as I said again, I ran into the stairwell, once I heard the shooting." Oliver said. "I saw a duffel bag that I thought maybe belonged to the shooter. I grabbed, looked inside and saw a hood."

"And what, you took it home with you? Because we can't find it." Quentin said, seeing through Oliver's lie. "And what about harassing Adam Hunt? That just happened to take place right across the street from your little homecoming bash."

"Those were coincidences." Oliver said.

"No. When they pile up like that, it becomes evidence." Quentin said.

A patrolman entered as Quentin looked at the forms again. "His parents are here." The patrolman said.

"Tell them to wait." Quentin ordered.

"I want to see my son." Moira demanded as she burst in with Walter and Natasha.

"Do you know that what you are doing, is not legal at all, Detective? You have no grounds to arrest Mr. Queen." Natasha said as she and Moira glared at Quentin.

"I have solid grounds and I have evidence." Quentin said coldly.

"That you're more than welcome to show Mr. Queen's attorney, once he arrives." Natasha sneered.

"Until then, this interrogation is over, Detective." Walter finished.

After a moment, Quentin gave in. "Sure. You have 15 minutes." He left the room and closed the door.

"Detective Lance appears to be on some personal vendetta." Walter said.

"He is." Oliver said as he turned to Walter. "He blames me for the death of his daughter. He also thinks that I dress up in a green hood and shoot people with arrows."

"I know someone. He's a friend, I worked with him in San Francisco. He's a good lawyer. He'll help." Natasha said.

"Miss Rushman, we appreciate what you're trying to do but our attorneys are—"

"Can you trust me? Please?" Natasha insisted.

Moira and Walter turned to each other before turning to Natasha once more.

"Is he a good attorney?" Walter asked.

"Good enough to help Mr. Queen, I am sure of it." Natasha promised.

"We appreciate your offer but our attorneys are good enough." Moira said gently. "And I mean no offense and I know you mean well but I do not like the idea of trusting a lawyer we've never heard of or did a background check on, especially one outside our family."

Natasha sighed and nodded. "I understand."

Later, Starling City Courthouse

"Docket 81941, People vs. Oliver Queen." The bailiff said as Oliver was at the defendants table in the courtroom. "Murder. Aggravated assault. Assault with intent. Menacing and trespassing."

Judge Moss looked at Oliver, noticing something. "Where's your attorney, Mr. Queen?"

"I'm representing myself, Judge." Oliver said as he got up.

"I'm not sure that's the wisest course, Mr. Queen." Moss said.

"I think it is. I'm innocent." Oliver argued.

"Then we'll consider that your plea." Moss said.

"Thank you." Oliver said as he sat down.

"Now, as to your bail—"

"Your Honor, Mr. Queen's family owns a pair of private jets…" District Attorney Kate Spencer said as she got up. "And, well, on the subject of their wealth, I would point out that there is virtually no bail amount that can guarantee his presence at trial."

"Considering how circumstantial the case is, it would be shocking, if the defendant needed the bail." The people turned to a man with a cane and red glasses and combed hair, who was apparently blind. "Forgive my delay. Matthew Murdock. From Nelson & Murdock."

"Could you please explain, Mr. Murdock?" Moss requested.

"Certainly. First of all, Detective Lance's only possible proof so far has been one image of Mr. Queen pulling out a bag with a hood from a trash can and later putting it onto a dumpster, which is a circumstantial evidence at best. And considering that said item has most likely been destroyed in a trash compactor, given that this has happened weeks ago, the remaining accusations are nothing but baseless theories and yet Detective Lance burst into the Queen Manor and arrested my client without a warrant." Matt said as Quentin shot him a glare.

"Second of all, Detective Lance arrested Mr. Queen with no solid grounds, except for the aforementioned circumstantial evidence and given that Detective Lance himself verbally lashed out on Thea Queen at Thomas Merlyn's party two years ago under the influence of alcohol due to his misplaced hatred for the death of his younger daughter, I think the evidence provided, do not have exactly solid grounds and the fact that we are all standing here right now, is nothing but a ridiculous farce." Matt summed up. "Is there any substantiated evidence untouched by Quentin Lance that give solid ground for my client's arrest, Miss Spencer?"

The courtroom was silent for a moment as Quentin glared at the attorney, not that it had any point, considering that Matt was blind.

"No." Spencer said as Judge Moss considered.

"Very well. If within 48 hours no substantiated evidence not touched by Detective Lance is provided, all charges shall be dismissed. Until then, Mr. Queen shall be placed under home confinement and electronic monitoring through the wearing of a UKG45 administered ankle device." Judge Moss said as she banged the gavel.

Oliver, Moira and Walter looked puzzled before turning to Natasha.

"I understand if you're angry at me—"

"In the end you did help, so that matters a lot. Thank you." Moira assured Natasha.

Matt left as Natasha accompanied him outside. "I guess we're even."

"Until next time." Natasha quipped.

Later, Queen Manor

"I'm confined to this house for the foreseeable future, I might as well make the most of it." Oliver said as he turned to Tommy, while wearing his ankle monitor. "I'm thinking prison, uh, burning man meets Shawshank Redemption. The invite says 'Come before Oliver Queen gets off'."

"Maybe a party's not the best of taste, you know, considering the circumstances." Tommy argued, trying to reason.

"Tommy, the circumstances are why we're having the party in the first place. I want people to know that I'm not worried about any of this.' Oliver said.

"Well, that makes one of us." Moira said dryly.

"Thanks." Oliver said as Natasha entered the bedroom as he was researching Leo Mueller.

"You're lucky I have some good friends with good skills." Natasha said.

"How did you even meet Murdock? I heard about him." Oliver inquired. "He's a good lawyer."

"We've crossed paths. Let's just say he owed me one." Natasha explained. "Sooner or later, someone would put the two and two together about you. But don't you think you should consider how much your family is worried about you? I get you're focused but that doesn't mean you should push your mother and sister away."

Oliver widened his eyes as he realized how he had been neglecting Moira and Thea.

"Just be there with them, I'll handle this." Natasha said as Oliver went downstairs.

"Thanks."

Later, SCPD

"Thank you both for coming." Spencer said as Oliver entered with Matt the interrogation room.

"No, thank you. It's nice to get out of the house." Oliver said dryly.

"I'll cut right through it." Spencer said. "Detective Lance arrested your client without consulting my office first. So congratulations. I am willing to consider a plea in this case."

"No. I'll take a polygraph." Oliver said.

"They are inadmissible, if I'm correct." Matt pointed out.

"In front of the jury. I'll take a polygraph in front of him. He's the one I need to convince." Oliver argued.

Later, Queen Manor

In the manor the workers were preparing the party decorations as outside at the garden Oliver saw Thea sitting on a chair, staring at the Hozen he had given her.

"Hey, Speedy. One of the workers left a keg too far from the bar, can you ask them to move it, please? I got the ankle thingie." Oliver pointed at his leg. "I don't want to set off a SWAT invasion." Thea stared as he neared her. "Hey. All this stuff, it's gonna be fine, I promise."

"Yeah, well, when you and Dad left on the yacht, you promised I'd see you in a few days. Which didn't happen." Thea pointed out.

"This is different than that. I didn't do any of this stuff, you know that. Right?" Oliver asked, noticing how Thea seemed unsure.

"You're out all the time, you have those scars and since you've been back, you've been acting weird." Thea elaborated.

"None of this makes me some Robin Hood wannabe." Oliver argued.

"And you get me this. I mean, it's an arrowhead." Thea said as she showed him the Hozen.

"Oh, man." Oliver realized where was she going with this. "Thea, I bought that in the gift shop of the Beijing airport. Now I'm sort of happy I didn't buy you the shot glass with the panda on it, 'cause then you'd be worried I was a panda man."

Thea chuckled. "You know, I knew you couldn't be this person. I… I just… I can't lose you again."

"Deal." Oliver said.

Later, SCPD

In the interrogation room, the technician was setting up the polygraph as Oliver was being hooked up to it, with Matt next to Oliver and Laurel observed outside through the one-way mirror.

"Is your name Oliver Queen?" Quentin asked.

"You don't know who I am, Detective?" Oliver joked.

"The questions are to calibrate the polygraph. Is your name "Oliver Queen"?" Quentin demanded.

"Yes."

"Were you born in Starling City May 16th, 1985?"

"Yes."

"Is your hair blue?"

"No."

"Have you ever been to Iron Heights prison?" Quentin questioned.

"No." Oliver said as Laurel looked at him in surprise, remembering they went into the prison on a field trip once.

"Are you the man in this picture?" Quentin asked as he showed Oliver the sketch of the Hood.

"No." Oliver denied.

"You steal $40 million from Adam Hunt?"

"No, I didn't."

"Were you marooned on an island called Lian Yu for five years?"

"Yes."

"Detective, these questions are not relevant to—"

"I don't need to show relevance but since you asked, whatever happened to your client on that island turned him into a cold-blooded killer." Quentin snapped, glaring. "The physician that examined you, reported that 20% of your body is covered in scar tissue."

Laurel stared, stunned and shocked, having no idea about the scars as she stared from the other side.

"Detective, you did not ask my client a question." Matt reminded.

"Did that happen to you there?" Quentin asked bluntly.

"Yes." Oliver said, reliving the torture.

"When you came back, you told everyone that you were alone on that island, are you claiming that your scars were self-inflicted?"

"No. I wasn't alone. I didn't want to talk about what happened to me on that island." Oliver said.

"Why not?" Quentin asked.

"Because the people, that were there, tortured me." Oliver said as Laurel stared in shock from the mirror.

"Have you killed anyone?" Quentin asked. There was a long pause before Oliver swallowed and turned to Quentin.

"Yes." Oliver said as Quentin looked satisfied. "When I asked your daughter Sara to come on my father's yacht with me. I killed your daughter."

Laurel breathed out and deflated, finally moving past herself and realizing that Oliver was not responsible for what happened to her sister as Oliver took off the sensors from his arm as Quentin glared at him, while Oliver left.

"Detective, I hope you are satisfied." Matt said as he got up. "Because you just might get a lawsuit for this inexcusable behavior and forcing my client to relive his traumatic experiences."

Quentin just scoffed as Matt left.

Later, Queen Manor

Oliver was at a bar before Laurel approached him and he accompanied her to his bedroom, talking privately.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time that I've been in this room." Laurel said as she looked around.

"I can. Halloween, 2005, we were getting ready for Tommy's party." Oliver said.

"Ah, yes, I wore those horrible fishnets." Laurel said.

"I thought you looked good." Oliver said as he closed the door, while Laurel turned to face him.

"Listen, I just want to come by and apologize for my father's behavior at the polygraph. He has a right to feel any way that he wants." Oliver said.

"It wasn't just Sara, Ollie." Laurel said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"After Sara died, my father threw himself into his work. I think that's part of the reason I'm an attorney. He ran to the law and I followed. But my mother couldn't." Laurel explained. "So she left him. Left us." Laurel sighed as she neared him. "Look, I'm not trying to tell you this to make you feel bad, or worse. I just… I really want you to understand him."

"Why don't you hate me? You should." Oliver pointed out.

"I did." Laurel admitted. "For so long, I did, after today, I realized that I was so focused on what happened to my family that I didn't even stop and wonder what could have happened to you." She breathed out. "I didn't know about the torture, or your happened to you on that island was far more than you deserved. And I was wrong that I didn't ask you before, but I'm asking you now. I need to know. I need to see."

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked.

"Yes." Laurel said.

Oliver unbuttoned his shirt but he could not bring himself to open it. Instead, Laurel, somewhat hesitantly, gently opened the shirt and gasped upon seeing the scars on his chest.

"How did you survive this?" Laurel asked, staring in shock.

"There were times, when I wanted to die." Oliver admitted as Laurel realized how badly she had been treating him as she felt guilty.

"Ollie, I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Laurel said. "I… if I had known—"

"Laurel, it's OK." Oliver assured her before the door knocked.

"Oliver? Come down, come on!" One of the partygoers said.

"I… I should—"

"Yeah." Laurel said as they both left.

The Docks

Leo Mueller was selling his weapons to some gangsters before the lights went off and they started to flee the scene. Suddenly, arrows shot down Mueller's men and Mueller pulled out his gun but the Hood fired an arrow, disarming him before he shot a bola arrow, restraining Mueller.

The Hood then left as he tapped his comms. "Mission accomplished. Hope Queen was worth it."

Queen Manor

"Thanks, Clint." Natasha hung up as she turned to Oliver. "Distraction successful."

Oliver nodded before they heard someone call out.

"Mr. Queen. If you're entertaining guests upstairs, should I have some drinks sent up?"

"No. It's just me and my assistant." Oliver said.

He opened the door as a man dressed up as a bartender drew his gun. On instinct, Oliver grabbed his gun and punched him and disarmed him and kicked him in the leg and playing her act, Natasha screamed. The man tried to reach for his gun but Oliver knocked him down, sending him crashing against a table and wrapped his legs around him, knocking him down. Oliver punched him again as the man tried to reach for his gun but as he got up, Quentin shot him from behind as he entered.

Oliver stared, while Natasha played the act of a frightened woman as she breathed out.

"This would not have happened, if you had not publicly accused Mr. Queen of being the vigilante." Natasha scolded Quentin.

"She's right, by accusing my son publicly, you've made him a target." Moira said, snarling at Quentin.

"Do you have any idea, who attacked Oliver?" Walter inquired.

"We haven't identified him. Though it must be someone with a grudge against the Hood, obviously." Quentin said as he removed Oliver's ankle monitor.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked.

"I got a call from my lieutenant. An arms dealer was attacked and apprehended by the vigilante tonight." Quentin said reluctantly as he turned to Moira. "Multiple witnesses put him there. In light of that, all charges against your son are being dropped."

"I'm truly sorry for what's happened to your family, Quentin but would you kindly get the hell out of my house?" Moira practically ordered as she glared at Quentin.

"Mr. Lance. Thank you." Oliver told Quentin, who nodded before leaving.

"So you decided to push Laurel away?" Natasha asked as she saw Laurel leave, when she had confronted Oliver about the scars and polygraph.

"She was getting too close." Oliver said.

"Oliver… I know how hard it can be to lie and hurt the people you care about. Sometimes, it's the hardest thing in the world." Natasha said as she had her hand on his shoulder. "But if you ever need to be honest with someone, I'm here for you."

"How do you do that? Lie to those you care about?" Oliver asked, turning to her.

"It doesn't make it any easier… but deep down you know you're protecting them. It's a miracle, if you afford to be honest about those you love." Natasha said.

Later, SCPD

After Oliver had been cleared of the charges regarding being the Hood and his house arrest was no longer in effect, Lieutenant Pike called Quentin into his office as Quentin had the decency to look ashamed.

"Sit down, Quentin." Pike ordered as Quentin took a breath.

"Frank, before you say anything, I know I made a mistake—"

"Mistake? That's what you call it?" Pike scoffed. "Thanks to you, the entire department is now laughing stock of the city!" He shouted and Quentin could feel himself shrink, knowing full well it was his fault.

"I had to follow every lead and I was sure—"

"No. What you did, was pursuing a vendetta. I should've done this after your meltdown at Tommy Merlyn's party two years ago, your obsession and hatred for Oliver for Sara has gone too far." Pike scolded.

"If it hadn't been for him, my little—"

"That's what I'm talking about. Your constantly blaming him. That does it. Miss Queen wanted you to face consequences for putting her son in danger, since if it hadn't been for your unsubstantiated accusations, this wouldn't have happened!" Pike interrupted Quentin, who pouted. "Asides from the footage, which isn't much of a proof and coincidences, you have nothing that proves that Oliver Queen is the vigilante. Hand over your badge and gun. You're assigned to desk duty with no pay for a month, plus mandated therapy. Laurel and the Queens agreed with it."

"Frank—" Quentin tried to protest.

"You made your bed, now sleep in it, Quentin. End of discussion." Pike said with the tone that left no room to argue. "And so help me, if you as much as even shoot a glare at Oliver Queen until the end of the therapy, then I swear to God, maybe a month in a cell here will help you sober up."

After a moment of absorbing and realizing that this was a fight he would not win, Quentin, reluctantly, put his gun and badge on Pike's desk, glowering but had enough decency to look ashamed.

Chapter Text

In the Foundry, Oliver and Natasha were sparring, using escrima sticks. Oliver dodged as Natasha attempted to strike him before she blocked as he aimed at her face.

"Interesting technique. A.S.I.S.?" Natasha asked.

"Slade." Oliver said and Natasha nodded.

"I read about what happened. I'm sorry about how things turned out in the end." She said sympathetically.

Oliver looked remorseful before suddenly, Natasha attacked, catching Oliver off-guard as she hit him in the leg, forcing him on his knees.

"You lowered your guard. You should be careful." Natasha teased as Oliver smirked.

"Oliver, you might want to take a look at this." Diggle said as he approached the laptop and showed him a news article about the bank robbery. "These guys started at Keystone three years ago, then began moving west, hitting banks along the way. This morning, they hit Starling City Trust. Shot an off-duty cop. He's in a coma and the doctors are saying it's a coin toss whether he'll make it."

"If he's a cop, SCPD will be all over it." Oliver pointed out, about to focus on his next target as he pulled up a profile on Scott Morgan.

Diggle frowned. "Overwhelmed? Underfunded?"

"I think what John is trying to say is that there may be more than one way to save the city." Natasha said as Oliver turned to her. "Three years ago, I was supposed to eliminate a warlord in Libya. The people there were running out of supplies, food, because the warlord had gathered it all for himself. I was focused on taking out the warlord but one of my partners said wanted to help the people by providing them at least some food from the convoy that was supposed to get to the warlord.

So, my partner decided to help them, despite my objections. And he disobeyed our orders. He helped them and I took out the warlord. And you know what happened later?" Oliver narrowed his eyes. "I expected Fury to either demote him or fire him but he was happy that the people there got better and that in the end, everything worked out well, since because he helped them, the people prospered. What I'm trying to say is, sometimes, one small good deed can change a lot. There's more than one way to finish your mission."

"Maybe there's more than one way to save this city and honor your father." Diggle summed up.

"Not for me." Oliver protested. "Crime happens in this city every day. What do you want me to do, stop all of it?"

"It sounds like you have a narrow definition of being a hero." Diggle said, passing by Oliver.

"I'm not a hero." Oliver whispered.

"Maybe not." Natasha said. "But what I'm trying to say is, there are other ways to help." Oliver considered as Natasha held his hand. "I used to be a lot like you. Had a single-minded focus. But, Oliver, you need to consider other options too. Otherwise, in the end, what difference are you really making?"

Oliver considered. "What, you want to help fight street crime now?" Oliver asked as she chuckled.

"As much as entertaining the idea is, I've got other plans for tonight." Natasha said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"I might have another lead on whoever helped Kovar." Natasha said.

Unidac Industries

"You know, don't you think it's possible that Walter Steele helped Kovar?" Clint suggested as they were on a stakeout. "Considering that he himself was interested in…"

"No." Natasha shook her head. "Steele's clean and besides, Warren Patel was the one, who hired Lawton to take out other bidders. Steele's not dirty."

"The list hasn't exactly been narrowed down regarding who helped Kovar in exchange for the info on Unidac." Clint pointed out. "Looks like someone tripled their security." He zoomed in. "Blackhawk."

"Ted Gaynor's company." Natasha nodded. "We should be careful."

Clint opened the trunk of the car as he and Natasha picked their gear. They climbed over the fence, bypassing the security checkpoint.

"How do we get in?" Natasha asked.

"There's an industrial air changer on the side of the building. It should take us to the security room setup downstairs and help us access the camera feed." Clint said as they climbed up the side of the building onto the pipes and entered the ventilation shaft before climbing onto some pipes as they saw the Blackhawk operatives on patrol.

Clint and Natasha then entered the security room through the hatch, knocking the guards out.

"Why would an R&D company hire PMCs? What are they working on?" Natasha wondered as she tapped into the security feed.

"Armed guards and an archer in black? I didn't sign up for this." One of the scientists grumbled.

"You want to tell them that?" Another scientist asked as they were working on the device.

"My employer is getting impatient by the snail pace this is going." An archer in black hood said upon entering as he fired an arrow, grazing the scientist in the face.

"We're working as fast as we can. This isn't an easy task." Another scientist protested.

"Then move faster." The archer said. "Otherwise, my employer is going to have to be more extreme."

The archer then walked away.

"Who the hell was that?" Clint wondered.

"Probably the same archer Lukin told us about." Natasha said.

"Who is he working for?" Clint said.

"Probably for the same guy, who helped Kovar. But that outfit…" Natasha trailed off.

"It does look familiar." Clint nodded as they saw some Blackhawk operatives enter, scaring the scientists.

"We should find the main computer and see what are they working on." Natasha said.

Natasha and Clint entered the labs as they hid behind the windows. Clint shot down some of Blackhawk operatives as Natasha pulled out her gun, shooting more of them.

"Don't kill me, please." The scientist said.

"Answer my question and we'll see." Natasha said. "What are you working on that requires this kind of lockdown?"

"Seismic research. A device that can trigger a seismic reaction." The scientist said.

"Why? For who?" Clint inquired.

"I don't know, it's all project-driven and need-to-know. Dr. Markov was in charge." The scientist said.

"Did you see an archer in black?" Natasha asked as the scientist nodded.

"I don't know who he is but he's intimidating. He's the one overseeing the project." The scientist said. "And whoever our employer is, they also hired Blackhawk to make sure everything 'works smoothly'."

"Do you know where can we access the database?" Clint asked.

Natasha and Clint climbed onto a ledge as Clint slammed the face of a guard to the wall, knocking him out. Natasha threw a disk onto the floor, electrocuting another guard as he fell down.

They then approached a computer as Natasha plugged in a flash drive before an alarm bleeped.

"Uh-oh." Clint muttered.

"Should've known this wasn't gonna be that easy." Natasha said.

The door opened as Blackhawk operatives entered but Clint fired an explosive arrow on the floor, sending them flying back. Natasha took cover as more of them entered, opening fire. Natasha grabbed the rifle of one of them nearing her as she hit him in the face and in the chest, knocking him down. Natasha then jumped over a counter, kicking one of them in the face and punching him, knocking him down.

"We should get out here. Now." Clint said.

"What about the data—"

"Forget it, we don't have time!" Clint ordered.

"Damn it." Natasha snapped as she pulled the flash drive out and jumped out of the window with Clint.

"What were they working on?" Clint asked as Natasha went over the data she had copied.

"Not sure. Seismic data. How to trigger an earthquake. It didn't manage to copy a lot." Natasha said. "But luckily, I managed to upload a virus and fry their security feed. We were never there."

"Nice." Clint chuckled as he saw Natasha contemplating. "What is it?"

"Do you think Walter Steele is behind this? I mean, I know people aren't who they seem to be but Oliver's family…"

Clint sighed. "I think it's too soon to come to any conclusions. And Nat, tell me honestly, why are you helping Queen? And don't tell me it's because he saved you, I know when you hold something back."

Natasha sighed. "He feels lost. Just like I once was. I could see it in his eyes." She said as Clint saw the look in her eyes and nodded. "You helped me find my way. I just… I can't turn my back on him."

Clint nodded in understanding. "Is that all there is to it? Nat. You know you can talk to me."

"Look, Clint, if you're asking me if I have feelings for him—"

"I'm not judging you. Just help me understand." Clint pleaded.

Natasha sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm feeling. But I want to see this through, wherever it may take us."

Clint nodded as Natasha drove away. "I hope you know what you're doing, Nat."

"You're not the only one." Natasha said as her phone rang and she answered the call. "What is it, John?"

Later, the Foundry

"John told me what happened." Natasha said as she saw Oliver sitting down and contemplating in the aftermath of his encounter with the Restons. "Don't blame yourself."

"I never said I was." Oliver said, turning to her.

"You gave Derek Reston a chance, which was more than he deserved. I'm sure your father would be proud of you." Natasha said. "Still think there's only one way to save this city?"

"Maybe not." Oliver said after a moment.

"Oliver, at least you tried to help. That has to count for something." Natasha pointed out.

"But what if I can't help?" Oliver argued.

"So you're just going to roll over and give up, when you fail?" Natasha asked. "Look, Oliver, it may not be easy but—"

"There's no giving up." Oliver said, remembering Slade's advice.

"People do their best, when it's far easier for them to do their worst. You did your best. Kyle did his worst." Natasha said. "So, maybe there is more than one way to save Starling?"

"Maybe." Oliver said after a moment.

"Oliver, if you ever need to talk, you know I'm here for you." Natasha said, holding his hand. "Look, I know what it's like to not sure which path to take. When you second-guess every decision you make."

"You're kinder than I deserve." Oliver said.

"I had a friend, who was there for me too, when I struggled. Maybe that's what you need." Natasha said.

The tension between them started to become stronger and neither of them knew, who moved first but the next thing either of them knew, they started to kiss as they laid down on bed as Oliver took off Natasha's top, while she took off his hood, both of them lost in each other.

Chapter Text

Oliver slowly opened his eyes and turned his head as Natasha was sleeping next to him peacefully. He gently combed her hair with his fingers as Natasha smiled, not opening her eyes.

"Looks like you enjoyed last night even more than I did." Natasha said.

"I'm just wondering… what we did… what did it mean?" Oliver asked.

"You know, we might need to try this a couple more times to find out." Natasha said, opening her eyes as she looked at Oliver. "I just…" She sighed. "Last time I've committed to someone, it didn't end so well for me."

"What happened?" Oliver asked, seeing that Natasha was reliving the pain as she sighed.

"Let's just say that for some people it's easier to go over the edge than let someone pull them back. And I didn't want to see you go down this path either." Natasha said. "It's a long story."

"Maybe we should both let go of what happened and look to what awaits us." Oliver said.

"There are days, when it's easy to forget all the losses I've been through. And sometimes…" Natasha paused.

"It's like you were through that pain just yesterday." Oliver nodded, knowing full well what was she going through. "Maybe one day it gets easier. But if you need me there, I'll be there."

Natasha smiled as they looked at each other. Oliver moved her hair away from her eyes, both of them staring before nearing for another kiss as his phone then went off.

"Crap. I almost forgot." Oliver said.

Later, Starling City

Oliver drove his bike in front of Queen Consolidated before answering his phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom said I'm supposed to remind you to pick her up for lunch." Thea said over the line.

"Was I supposed to have lunch with her today?" Oliver asked.

"She said she left you like five messages. Just bite the bullet and have a cobb salad with the woman."

"You know, Thea, sometimes it's difficult to remember which one of you is my mother." Oliver turned off his headset as he saw his mother exiting the building with another man but his instincts turned on after waving at his mother as he noticed another bike, with a rider in black jumping the curb and shooting at Moira's direction as Oliver rushed at her, tackling her to the ground, while the man was shot to death. "Get down!" He looked at his mother, concerned. "Mom, are you OK?"

"I'm alright." Moira assured him.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I… I…" She stared in shock at the dead man.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure you're fine?" Oliver asked as Moira nodded, and he turned to the nearby security guard. "Call 911!"

He ran to his bike, chasing the rider down the street as they made a turn to a side road, with him grabbing a metal pole in a dumpster, using it as a spear, damaging the bike's rear tire and as he was about to catch up, a lorry cut him off, allowing the shooter to escape.

Starling General

Oliver and Thea entered the room as he moved next to his mother. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine." Moira assured him before turning to Thea. "Did you reach Walter?

"No, I'm sorry." She said apologetically.

"As I was telling your mother and sister, the CAT scan showed a grade two concussion. She can go home so long as someone stays with her just to make sure there are no after-effects."

"Thank you." Oliver said as the doctor left before looking at Moira. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you, I thought you were fine."

"What did you think were you doing anyway?" Moira asked as Oliver took a breath.

"Yeah, I wanted to get the license plate of the guy, who took a shot at you." Oliver lied as Moira shot him a glare.

"Well, that was foolish."

"Yeah." Oliver agreed before hugging his mother and going out of the room with Thea.

"So, did you get the license plate?" Thea asked, upset.

"No, he got away." Oliver lied.

"Maybe you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero; you're obviously not very good at it." Thea said scornfully as Oliver let out a fake smile.

"That's cute."

"I wasn't trying to be." Thea snapped. "You left her on the street, alone and hurt. In the street." She said with a scoff. "To get a license plate?"

"You don't believe me?"

"I love you, Mom loves you but it's getting hard when you won't be truthful with us." She returned back to the room, slamming the door in Oliver's face as the guilt flooded through him and as he was about to leave, Hilton approached him.

"Detective. Do you have any leads on the shooter?" Oliver asked politely.

"Not yet." Hilton said. "Did you get a good look at him?"

"No, he was wearing a helmet." Oliver admitted.

"Don't worry, we'll find him." Hilton assured him.

"Where's Detective Lance?" Oliver inquired.

"Currently suspended and in court-mandated therapy, considering recent events." Hilton explained and Oliver nodded. "Oliver, for what it's worth, I never wanted things to go down this—"

"It's alright, it was all a misunderstanding." Oliver said and Hilton nodded, glad that Oliver held no ill towards Quentin as Oliver moved past him.

Later, the Foundry

Oliver was training with the Muay Thai dummy as Natasha was researching the shooting, while Diggle entered.

"Oliver, your mom was nearly killed, I think you can take a day off from training." Diggle said.

"My mother wasn't the target." Oliver said as he pulled away from the dummy.

"The guy that got shot. Paul Copani. He works for Bertinelli Construction. He was trying to close a deal with Miss Queen, when they were shot at." Natasha said.

"The mob boss." Diggle said.

"And Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew, who's been hit." Oliver supplied. "Bertinelli has a lot of enemies. The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organization is to get inside of it."

"Are you sure you want to infiltrate a mob organization, just when your mother was shot at?" Natasha pointed out. "I think you should focus on your family—"

"I tried that today with Thea." Oliver said, frustrated. "She told me I wasn't being honest with her and she's right. I can't very well explain to her that I left our mother alone and bleeding on the pavement because I'm fast enough to almost run down the attacker. But what I can do is protect my family." He got up. "And when I find out who this guy is, he's a dead man."

Later, Bertinelli residence

"Thea still being hard on you?" Natasha asked, her hair tied to a bun and in her hand a bag, seeing how frustrated Oliver was.

"Yeah." Oliver nodded.

"It's hard for people to realize that you're not the same person, who were years ago. Give her time." Natasha said as Oliver rang the doorbell.

A moment later, a man opened the door as Oliver and Natasha let out a polite smile.

"Mr. Bertinelli." Oliver smiled.

"Call me Frank." Frank replied.

"Call me Oliver. My assistant, Natalie Rushman." Oliver turned to her as they shook hands before Frank led them in.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me at my home." Frank said.

"My father used to say that living rooms make the best conference rooms." Oliver quipped.

"Oh, I'm gonna steal that." Frank chuckled before turning to his associate. "Nick Salvati, my associate."

"How do you do?" Oliver asked as he and Natasha shook hand with him and Natasha could tell that Nick was dangerous.

"Let's have a drink." Frank offered as they noticed a brunette woman walking upstairs, not taking their eyes off her, knowing there was something off about her.

Oliver and Natasha sat down with Frank and Nick.

"So, Oliver, I'll be honest with you." Frank said. "It was my impression from the local news that you weren't going to be involved with your family's business."

"The press is rarely accurate, from what I understand." Natasha pointed out.

"Oh, I know a thing or two about that." Frank nodded, while Nick got up, answering a phone call. "So, Oliver, I'll be blunt. I want the contract to build Queen Consolidated's new Applied Sciences Division."

"And I am inclined to give it to you." Oliver replied.

"Your mother wasn't quite so enthusiastic." Frank pointed out. "How is she, by the way?"

"She's recuperating at home." Oliver said. "Thank you."

"What a terrible thing that happened." Frank said honestly as Oliver and Natasha nodded.

"And we're terribly sorry to hear about Paul Copani, Mr. Bertinelli." Natasha said.

"Paul was a good friend. He was a good man." Frank rubbed his eyes, obviously acting to earn their trust as he sighed and took a sip from his glass. "The violence in this city. You know, sometimes I wonder why I stay."

"I've had the same thought." Oliver admitted.

"So why did you come back? After that island, you could have settled anywhere in the world." Frank said.

"Because Starling City is my home." Oliver explained.

"Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa, va finire." A brunette woman in purple dress said upon entering and Natasha narrowed her eyes at her. There was something off about her. "'No matter which way you go or turn, you always end up at home.'"

"This is my daughter Helena." Frank introduced her as they got up from their seats.

"Good evening."

"Hello." Oliver and Natasha said as they shared a polite smile with her.

"Nice to meet you." Helena said before turning to Frank. "I'm heading out."

"Alright. Take one of the guys with you." Frank ordered.

"I can take care of myself." Helena protested.

"I wasn't asking, sweetie." Frank insisted, holding Helena's chin gently as she looked away, reluctant.

"Frank. The meeting that you requested. They can do it. Now." Nick said upon entering.

"I can come back another time—"

"No, no, no." Frank interrupted Oliver. "Just… just excuse us for a moment, would you?" Thank you."

Frank dragged Helena away as Natasha narrowed her eyes. "There is something off about her." She whispered to Oliver.

"How can you tell?" Oliver asked.

"That look in her eyes, when she was talking with her father." Natasha said. "I don't know, Oliver, but I think we should be really careful with her. She's not what she seems."

Oliver considered before nodding as they both went into the foyer.

"Oliver, Miss Rushman, I'm so sorry, something has come up. But Helena would love to take you to dinner and discuss the deal later." Frank offered.

"Oh. I was hoping to speak with you." Oliver said, disappointed.

"Well, as you speak for your family, my daughter also speaks for ours." Frank said.

"It… it's really not necessary." Oliver declined.

"It would be my pleasure." Helena said.

Oliver took a breath. "I think you can take a night off, Natalie."

"Are you sure, Mr. Queen?" Natasha asked, not hiding her concern.

"I'll handle it tonight." Oliver said and Natasha nodded.

Later, Russo's restaurant

Oliver and Helena sat across each other at the table as Mr. Russo offered them the menus.

"I heard your mother's accident. Is she going to be OK?" Helena asked.

"She's gonna be fine. Thanks." Oliver smiled as he picked his menu.

"I'm glad." Helena said as they looked at their menus before she suddenly spoke up. "So, why would you go into business with my father? You know who he is and how he made his money."

"You don't approve of your family's enterprise?" Oliver asked.

"We share a name and that name defines us whether we want it or not." Helena smiled. "You've already made judgements about me, just like I've already made judgements about you."

"Right. I'm the rich man's Lindsay Lohan." Oliver said, being able to overhear Frank's and Helena's conversation.

"Sorry." Helena said, looking apologetic.

"That's OK." Oliver assured her.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Helena asked suddenly.

"Yeah." Oliver said.

"I know it must have been hell for you, alone on that island for five years but I'm—"

"But what?" Oliver asked, curious.

"But was there ever a day, when you were just… happy to be away from everything? No pressure from your family, no need to be the person everyone expects you to be. Was there ever a day…"

"…when I didn't feel lost and I felt free?" Oliver finished as she nodded. "More than one. And… those are the days that I miss."

Helena smiled as she drank from her glass.

"People are always asking me, what did I miss the most? Air conditioning. Satellite radio. Tagliet… uh… ta…"

"Tagliatelle?" Helena asked as Oliver nodded.

"Right. But those are the answers that I give people because those are the answers they're expecting." Oliver said.

"Why can't you just be truthful?" Helena asked.

"I don't know how truthful I can be." Oliver admitted.

"You've been through a crucible and it changed you. How can it not?" Helena challenged and Oliver was hesitant to reply before he noticed the necklace on her neck.

"That's beautiful. Your cross." Oliver said.

Helena breathed out, looking grim. "It's a gift. From my fiancé."

"Fiancé." Oliver repeated as Helena nodded. "I didn't know you were engaged."

"I'm not anymore. He died." Helena explained.

"I'm sorry." Oliver said, sympathetic.

"Me too. That was my crucible." Helena said before Oliver's phone went off.

"Excuse me." Oliver said as he picked up his phone and left the table. "Yes?"

"Oliver. I did a research on Helena. Her fiancé Michael Stanton was gunned down three years ago. After that, she went off-the-grid. And I knew there was something off about her." Natasha said as it hit Oliver.

"Her father had her fiancé murdered." Oliver said.

"There were sightings of Helena in Italy and she was hanging around a Sicilian group of assassins, called 'La Morte Sussurrata'. In Italian, it means, 'The Whispered Death'. I'm sure she trained with them, in order to find a way to take her father down. Oliver, be really careful around her, she's not what she seems. And you should move out. Dig called me. Salvati's on his way there to collect protection money." Natasha explained.

"Got it." Oliver said as he hung up before turning to the table. "Helena, I have to go. It's about my mother, otherwise I would… I would stay."

"And I would like that." Helena admitted.

"I have a confession. I didn't want to go with you tonight." Oliver said.

"That makes two of us." Helena chuckled.

"But I'm really glad we did." Oliver added.

"That makes two of us." Helena said before speaking up as Oliver was about to leave. "Oliver. Be careful with my father."

Few moments later after Oliver and Helena left, Salvati and his henchmen entered, smashing some bottles on the bar and about to beat up Mr. Russo and his daughter before an arrow hit a fuse box and the restaurant went dark. The Hood entered, engaging Salvati's men before a figure in black leather jacket, wearing a biker helmet, entered, shooting with her pistol as Salvati ran.

The Hood engaged the figure in black, disarming the shooter of the gun. They both exchanged blows, seeming equally matched before the Hood slammed the shooter towards a table as a vase fell down. The Hood smashed the helmet's visor and took off the helmet to reveal Helena's face. Stunned to do anything else, Helena ran out before she was hit with a dart in the neck, passing out.

Later

"What are we going to do with her?" Oliver wondered.

"She's angry and out for blood. That never ends well." Natasha said. "We need to find a way to take down her father. I made some calls. The FBI was in contact with a mole within Bertinelli's organization, who offered them evidence. But they never got it. Around the same time, her fiancé was murdered."

"You think her fiancé was going to take down her father?" Oliver asked.

"It looks that way. I'll sneak into the house and see if we can find the evidence." Natasha offered.

Later, Queen Manor

Oliver was watching TV about Frank's and Salvati's arrest before he heard the doorbell ring.

Oliver opened the door and met an Indian man wearing a suit, who showed his badge.

"Can I help you?" Oliver asked.

"Special Agent Ray Nadeem, Federal Bureau of Investigation." Ray said, showing his badge. "Do you have a minute, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver nodded, letting Ray in.

"Last night, witnesses spotted you with Helena Bertinelli, daughter of Mr. Frank Bertinelli, right before the vigilante showed up." Ray asked. "Mind telling me what were you doing with her?"

"Business. That's all." Oliver said.

Ray considered before nodding. "Look, Mr. Queen, just an advice to the future, you need to be careful about who you're hanging around with. Otherwise, this is not going to end well for you. People like her bring trouble. Luckily, we brought her in for questioning."

Oliver nodded. "Got it. Thank you, agent Nadeem."

Ray nodded as he left.

Starling City

Quentin, now suspended, sat across the therapist, Leslie Thompkins.

"Good day, Mr. Lance." Leslie said.

"Might as well call me Quentin." Quentin grumbled, considering how he was going to spend the following weeks.

"So, just to get right to the topic, can you tell me about your issues?" Leslie asked.

Quentin scoffed. "My main issue. Oliver Queen. He seduces girls. Wrecks houses. Gets the girls killed by sinking boats."

"Are you saying Oliver Queen murdered Sara Lance? How exactly did he do that? Did he predict the storm was going to happen? Did he intentionally bring your daughter into danger?" Leslie asked and Quentin opened his mouth and closed it several times but no sound came out. "Asides from the fact that he brought her onto Gambit, can you say that it was his fault, what happened to her? I think you should deeply consider why are you blaming Mr. Queen for something he had no control over."

Quentin was silent and considered.

Chapter Text

Adam Hunt drank alone in his apartment, newspapers articles scattered around while speaking to his associate on his cellphone, drinking scotch until he saw a shadow of a man wearing a hood covering him as he turned around.

"What?" Hunt scoffed as he stretched his arms. "You've come for another pound of flesh? You're going to be disappointed, pal, thanks to you I'm—"

His eyes suddenly widened while he fell dead on the floor, his chest full of arrows as the Dark Archer walked away.

The Foundry

"How's looking for who hired Kovar, doing?" Oliver asked as Natasha was holding in her hands the sketch of the archer she had seen in Unidac Industries.

"I've seen that outfit before but I can't place it." Natasha said.

"Do you think he's working with whoever helped Kovar?" Oliver asked.

"It's unlikely that it's a coincidence." Natasha pointed out. "Although, I wonder where is he from. He's trained and skilled, that much I can tell. Maybe as good as the Winter Solider."

Diggle put on his jacket, about to go out. "Gonna take my nephew over to the mall, so he can let Santa know what he wants for Christmas."

Oliver looked taken aback as he remembered. "Christmas. I didn't even realize."

"That was because you've been focused on the List." Diggle pointed out.

Oliver gave him an unamused look. "I mean, there were no holidays on the island. Every day was, 'How do I stay alive?'. To do that, you had to forget things, like Christmas. My dad threw a party every year and he would put a Christmas tree in every room. The whole mansion smelled like…" He took a breath, lost in thoughts. "It smelled like Christmas."

"Maybe you should focus on your family for now." Natasha pointed out. "The least you deserve is to spend some time with those you care about."

"What about you? Do you have someone—"

Natasha sighed. "Kind of, yeah but… they can survive the Christmas without me."

Later, Queen Manor

Oliver entered the manor as he saw Thea walk out and kissed her on her cheek. "Hey. You look very pretty. What's the occasion?"

"Mom and Walter are having a dinner party with some big muckety-mucks. Best day of my life." Thea said sarcastically.

"Thea, why aren't there any decorations up in the house?" Oliver asked, catching her off-guard.

"What do you mean?" Thea asked.

"No wreaths, no trees." Oliver explained.

"Everyone has just been really busy lately. I'm sure they haven't gotten around to it yet." Thea dodged.

"Does Mom at least have some of those boxes of candy canes? Remember we used to race to see who'd finish first?" Oliver asked as they both smiled.

"Yeah, I always won." Thea replied.

"No. You cheated." Oliver corrected.

"Well, she went sugar-free last year, so I doubt you'll be seeing any of those around." Thea said before walking off as she sighed.

Oliver sighed before entering the dining room, where Moira and Walter were talking with Malcolm Merlyn and police commissioner Brian Nudocerdo, among other guests.

"The thing that people forget is that Robin Hood was a criminal." Commissioner Nudocerdo said as Oliver sat down.

"And stealing from rich to give to the poor is really the job of the Democrats." Another guest pointed out jokingly.

"All joking aside, Commissioner, crime is down for the first time in five years." Malcolm said.

"That's because of the changes my department has implemented." Nudocerdo pointed out.

"Or perhaps it's because the vigilante's activities have had a chilling effect on the city's criminals." Walter said as some of the guests murmured in agreement before turning to Oliver. "What are your thoughts, Oliver?"

"I think the vigilante needs a better codename than 'The Hood' or 'The Hood guy'." Oliver said as everyone laughed.

"I agree. How about 'Green Arrow'?" Malcolm suggested.

"Lame." Oliver protested.

Walter's phone went off as he went aside. "Excuse me."

Later, the Lair

"Who would want to kill Adam Hunt with an arrow? I mean, other than you." Diggle said as Natasha was lost in thoughts.

"You know something, Nat?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not sure. When I went investigate Unidac Industries, there was an archer in black there giving orders to them." Natasha said. "I'm not sure who he is, though. He erased all traces before I could find anything. But I got this."

She showed Oliver a sketch of the archer in black.

"Never seen this before." Oliver said.

"Me either but other people might have. I've been asking around my contacts if there's an archer donning this outfit." Natasha said.

"Any luck?" Oliver asked.

"Well, they might have seen that outfit before but I don't have anything solid yet." Natasha said. "Whoever he is, he's a professional archer."

"So someone, who would be particular about his choice of arrows." Diggle said as Oliver and Natasha caught up onto his thoughts.

"We get an arrow…"

"…we can find where he got them."

SCPD

"Quentin Lance?" The officer asked, approaching Quentin's desk with an envelope and a clipboard. "Sign here, please." Quentin did so and handed the board back as the officer gave him the envelope.

"Thanks." Quentin sat back down, opening the envelope to find a cellphone inside as it rang, with a blocked number calling and Quentin answered. "Lance."

"I didn't kill Adam Hunt." The distorted voice said as Quentin's blood suddenly boiled.

"You—"

"You call me 'The Hood'. That's not a good nickname. You told Commissioner Nudocerdo that you might be dealing with a copycat, another archer, which makes me your best bet to take him down. But I need your help. I need one of the arrows from his murder."

"Yeah, we're pretty good at pulling down leads off evidence. Thanks."

"Not like I do. I can do things police can, go places they won't."

"Like I said, I don't even know who—"

"If this archer doesn't stop with Adam Hunt, we both have a problem. Think about it, then call me. Number's programmed in."

Quentin hung up, staring at the phone in consideration.

Later, the Lair

"Teflon coated titanium blade serrated to split the bone, shaft is some sort of specialized polymer, which is stronger than a typical carbon fiber. This… this is a custom job." Oliver said as he was examining the arrow under the magnifier.

"So Lance gave in after the other archer dropped another body." Diggle said.

"Nelson Ravich." Oliver nodded.

"Didn't you go after him last week?" Natasha asked as Oliver nodded again.

"Is this guy trying to frame you or call you out?" Diggle asked.

"Either way, I need to find him." Oliver decided.

"We need to find him. Can I take a look at this?" Natasha reached for the arrow as Oliver let her examine it. "There's a stamp on it. It's patented. Look."

Oliver took a look as Natasha pointed at the stamp. "You're right." He reached for the computer. "The company that made the arrow is called Sagittarius. It's Latin for 'archer'. And it was a part of a bundle shipment sent to a warehouse in the Glades."

"That was easy." Diggle said.

"Too easy." Natasha nodded. "Look, Oliver, it feels like this guy wanted you to find him. I don't like it, he might be leading you into a trap."

"If he is, I'll be ready." Oliver said.

Later, Starling City

The Hood snuck into the building where he tracked down the arrows. While going into the abandoned room, he saw a black arrow on the floor, when the door behind him suddenly closed, making him realize this was a trap.

The Hood heard sounds of circuit shorting out and of something liquid streaming when he turned around and saw a device with tubes attached to it, filling with some kind of liquid while over the machine were sparks going on and off. Wasting no time, he rushed to the door and fired an explosive arrow, blasting his way out right before the machine exploded, turning the building into ruins.

Queen Manor

Oliver approached Tommy and Laurel, hugging them both.

"Merry Christmas, man."

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

"Hi." The trio stared at each other awkwardly and quietly before Tommy spoke up.

"So, how long do you guys think it'll be till this isn't so weird? You know, the three of us."

"It's not weird at all." Oliver said calmly as they all laughed, breaking the tension.

The Foundry

Natasha was researching the database of S.H.I.E.L.D. as she was looking into the archer before she turned to the TV, seeing the news.

On the TV was a woman, clearly terrified, her face stained from makeup wettened by her tears, behind her hostages.

"Happy holidays, Starling City." She read from a paper, apparently forced by her kidnapper. "For the past three months, this city has been laid siege by a vigilante. But the police have been unable to bring him to justice because they lack the will to do what justice demands. I will kill one hostage every hour in the name of this vigilante until he surrenders himself to my authority."

"Oh, no…" Natasha paled, realizing Oliver was about to get himself in over his head.

Later, Starling City

The Hood ziplined into the building, jumping down from upper window, pulling out a fletchette and freeing the hostages.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know." One of the hostages cried out, frightened.

"It's gonna be OK, follow me." The Hood ordered as he accompanied the hostages to a stairwell. "Get up on the roof."

"What about—"

"I'll handle him. Move!" The Hood insisted. He walked back down the hall before turning around, facing the mysterious archer.

"Thank you for coming." The Dark Archer said. "After that warehouse, I knew I had to do something more dramatic to get your attention."

"What do you want from me?" The Hood demanded.

"What any archer wants. To see who's better."

They both started a shooting contest, firing at each other and dodging before the Hood made a run to the corridor leading back to the room with the hostages. The Dark Archer followed him, notching an arrow. He looked around before he saw a reflection of the Hood on the rafters on a mirror shard on the ground.

The Dark Archer spun around and fired, causing for the Hood to drop his bow. The Hood jumped at a hanging light but another arrow hit him in his leg, causing for him to fall. The Hood narrowly dodged another arrow and grabbed his bow from the floor, firing at the Dark Archer, who dodged and hid in the shadows.

The Hood scoured the room, only for the Dark Archer to ambush him from the shadows, shooting two arrows at his back and kicking him forward as a wooden wall collapsed and the Hood screamed out in pain. The Dark Archer kicked him again through another wooden wall as the Hood fell on the ground and the Dark Archer twisted his hand, punched him in his face and kicked him relentlessly.

"First Hunt, then Ravich and now you! I know about the List and the man who authored it wants you dead!" The Dark Archer kicked the Hood again as he was about to kneel down. "They call you the Hood. Let's see how you look like without it."

Suddenly, gunshots rang out as Dark Archer scoured around before deciding to retreat.

Natasha descended from above as she helped Oliver get out.

Later, Starling General

"Oliver, what were you thinking, going after him alone like that?" Natasha demanded as Oliver came to in his room.

"I thought I could take him." Oliver said.

"I wanted to tell you, he's very dangerous. And I think I know where he's from. A contact of mine reached out." Natasha said before Oliver's family burst in, relieved that Oliver was alright.

Merlyn Global Group

"Are you certain?" Malcolm asked as he put down his mask, still in his Dark Archer outfit, while talking on the phone.

"Natalia went after Kovar. And she's investigating you."

"Good to know. Thank you." Malcolm smirked as he hung up, remembering Oliver's new assistant. So, the legendary Black Widow was after him. She wants to play games? Good. And she's using Oliver to get to him? Well, she has no idea who is she messing with.

Chapter Text

With Natasha's help, Oliver was working out to recover from his encounter with the Dark Archer, while exercising was going smoothly, when he tried to practice his archery skills, he missed the tennis ball he tossed in the air.

"I guess he got into your head." Natasha said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"Until now you've been able to win but then you got taken down. It's hard to swallow, when there's someone out there better than you, isn't it?" Natasha pointed out as Oliver considered.

"How you doing? Rehab going good?" Diggle asked.

Oliver stared at Diggle briefly before speaking up. "Any news on Walter?"

"Nothing from my contacts." Natasha shook her head.

"My contact at the Bureau struck out, same with my guy at Interpol." Diggle shook his head. "They're both saying the same thing."

"Either my stepfather doesn't want to be found or someone doesn't want to be found." Oliver sighed.

"It's been six weeks, Oliver; no contact from the kidnappers, no ransom demand, no proof of life. I hate to sound—"

"Dig." Oliver interrupted him. "We know he's more than likely dead."

"What are you going to do?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." Oliver sighed. "Even my contacts in the Bratva can't dig up a lead."

"I wasn't talking about Walter." Diggle picked the notebook from the table. "Back at fighting weight, looks like. And last I checked, there were more than a few names to cross off in this book."

"These people aren't going anywhere." Oliver said. "With Walter missing, my family needs me right now. And your leads on Kovar?"

"Mr. Steele was one of my suspects but with him gone… I guess I hit a dead end. I'm still checking his last known whereabouts." Natasha said.

CNRI

"And Judge Hinkle is ready to grant them another continuance! So, I said, hell, no, this trial starts now." Joanna said happily.

"That a girl." Laurel praised.

"Thanks." Joanna said before Quentin entered, approaching Laurel.

"Dad." Laurel smiled. "What brings you by?"

"I need to talk to Jo." Quentin said seriously as Joanna turned to him.

"Is everything OK, Mr. Lance?" She asked.

"No." Quentin said grimly as Chief Raynes showed up behind him in full uniform.

"What's happening?" Laurel asked, not liking what was going on.

"No." Joanna said, in denial.

"Her brother Danny; he was killed on duty last night."

Joanna started to panic as Raynes and Laurel approached her, consoling her.

Queen Manor

Moira was in her room, looking at family photo as Oliver entered.

"Mom."

"Hey."

"I stopped by Big Belly Burger. I thought that maybe you and me and Thea could have some take-out, watch a DVD." Oliver offered optimistically.

"Thank you, sweetheart; I'm not very hungry." Moira declined.

Oliver nodded in understanding. "If you change your mind." He glanced to the next door as Moira nodded.

"I've seen that movie before." Thea said as Oliver pulled out a Blu-Ray from a box.

"Cut me some slack; I've been gone for awhile and apparently I missed the cinematic genius that is Zac… Galafinakis?"

"I mean with Mom, when you and Dad disappeared, she spent all the time at home; eventually, she stopped going out altogether." Thea explained.

"What snapped her out of it that time?" Oliver asked.

"Walter." Thea said simply, smiling. "One morning, he showed up and you know, when he gets all British and stern-like." She emphasized with British accent. "Moira, get dressed. We're going out for lunch." She smiled at the memory. "And I mean, it worked." Oliver considered. "You know, I've been thinking, maybe Walter wasn't abducted. Maybe he's having some mid-life crisis and he's with some stewardess in Bora Bora and he's too ashamed to call home and say that he's OK." Oliver turned to TV, still in thoughts. "Just because we haven't heard from him, doesn't mean that… he's gone, right?"

"Right." Oliver nodded before he and Thea watched the news report about the vigilante going missing.

Laurel's Apartment

Laurel and Tommy were in awkward stand-off about having a drawer when Joanna knocked on the door.

"I need your help." Joanna begged.

"Jo, come in." Laurel let her best friend into the apartment as she sat right in front of her and Tommy.

"I… don't think what happened to Danny was an accident, I think he might have been murdered."

Laurel took a breath. "Jo. Do you remember…" She paused, not wanting to say it. "When I lost Sara? I did all this research to try find an explanation for why the boat went down. I needed to believe that it wasn't just an accident."

"That's not what I'm doing, Laurel." Joanna denied, pulling out a folder from her bag. "I once handled a case in the Coroner's Office; he passed me a copy of the incident report." She passed the report to Laurel. "It said that Danny's turnout coat was doused in turpentine. But I checked and the plant owner said that there wasn't any in the factory." Laurel went over the report, conceding Joanna's point. "A turnout is supposed to withstand temperatures in excess of five hundred degrees. But the coroner said that the fire did not exceed two-hundred and fifty." Laurel glanced at Tommy, considering. "How did my brother burn hotter than the fire that supposedly killed him?" Laurel and Tommy looked at each other, then back at Jo, seeing her point.

SCPD

"Laurel, a fireman died fighting a fire." Quentin said as they walked back to his desk. "I'm not sure I see the crime."

"I did some digging." Laurel pressed on. "Last week, another firefighter, Leo Barnes, was killed in action, same circumstances. Traces of turpentine, and ignition temperatures hotter than the actual fire." They stopped at his desk. "Do you think that you could talk to the fire marshal? You know, encourage him to pursue this?"

"Well, the fire department has its own investigative unit." Quentin pointed out. "They don't answer to the police."

Kelton approached Quentin, handing him the Hood's burner phone. "Sorry it takes so long with the detectives. CSU's been really backed up."

"Well, did you find anything?" Quentin asked as Laurel observed.

"The only prints on it are yours, the tech inside is military grade. I can't even trace the manufacturer. Forensics-wise, it's a dead end."

Quentin sighed in frustration.

"Another case?" Laurel asked.

"Vigilante." Quentin answered, tossing the phone on his desk. "The phone belongs to him."

"Where'd you get it? I… does he answer?" Laurel asked as an idea formed in her head.

"Well, like Kelton said, it's a dead end." Quentin said as he grabbed his files from the desk. "Listen, kiddo, I feel for Jo and her family I really do, but, um, there's not a lot I can do this end." He quickly downed the rest of his coffee, then grabbed his keys and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I got to go. I love you." Quentin and Hilton left. Laurel looked at the phone as an idea clicked in her mind.

The Foundry

Oliver was exercising as his phone buzzed and he picked it up, scowling in surprise to hear Laurel's voice. "Hello? I need your help."

Later, Laurel's Apartment

Laurel was going over the files as the lights flickered and went off and she realized quickly what was going on as the Hood entered.

"I didn't trust you would come; no one's seen you in a while. Where have you been?" Laurel asked.

"You said it was important." The Hood said as he turned on his voice changer.

"My best friend's brother." Laurel explained as she showed the folder. "He died two days ago fighting a fire. The police and fire department say that he died in the line of duty but my friend thinks she was murdered."

"So you're asking one killer to find another." The Hood said and Laurel had the decency to look ashamed from how she had accused him of being a killer. "I heard what you said to your father about me; that I'm a killer. That I have no remorse."

"Do you?" Laurel asked hopefully as she held in her hand the folder. "Take a look at the file. If Danny de la Vega was murdered, then we have to bring his killer to justice."

The Hood approached Laurel, his face covered in shadow as he grabbed the file. "I'll look into it."

The Hood then left Laurel's apartment.

Later, the Foundry

"What is this?" Natasha asked as Oliver was looking into the file.

"Laurel gave it to me. The vigilante." Oliver explained and Natasha raised her brows.

"I thought you said you scared her—"

"She thinks somebody's killing firemen." Oliver interrupted her.

"I don't know, this seems more like the fire investigations department's job but it might be worth looking into." Natasha said as she went over the file.

"If you get any leads, tip the police." Oliver said.

"The police?" Natasha asked, perplexed. "Sounds like you've got a bit of a crisis of faith, Oliver." Oliver raised his brows as Natasha turned to him. "Look, Oliver, what I'm trying to say is, everyone gets taken down sometimes. It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down. It matters how many hits you can take and still get back up on your feet."

CNRI

"Can I talk to you, please?" Quentin asked as Laurel was talking with Jo and she followed him to the entrance. "Where is it?" He demanded.

"Where's what?" Laurel dodged.

"The phone." Quentin said harshly.

Laurel sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have."

"It's stolen evidence!" Quentin snapped. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't have! What are you—"

"I had to do something!" Laurel shot back.

"The man's a killer." Quentin scoffed.

"Then why did he give you his phone?"

"Give me the phone."

"He took it back."

"You were with him?" Quentin stared in shock.

"When Sara died, if someone could have done something to give you even just a little bit of closure, don't you wish that they would have done it?" Laurel asked.

"If it meant breaking the law, lying to the people closest to them? No." Quentin snorted.

Queen Manor

Oliver and Moira were in an argument about taking over Queen Consolidated when Diggle showed up.

"Eyewitnesses place a '72 Ford pickup scene at the scene of Danny de la Vega's fire." Diggle explained as they walked down the hall.

"OK."

"Stagg Chemicals lit up ten minutes ago. I hacked into Stagg's video security feeds. Parked right on the street running along the plant?"

"Same pickup." Oliver realized.

"I got your gear in the car." Diggle said and sighed as Oliver stopped. "Oliver, by the time I get someone on the phone who will even listen to me, at least one of those firemen are going to be dead. They need the man in the hood."

Stagg Chemicals

A fireman was walking to the exit before another one whacked him in the head with the butt of his axe as the helmet fell off and he flipped over the railing, catching the rail with one hand as he tried to reach out and his attacker grabbed his other hand as the first one slipped. The firefighter looked at the man who had attacked him, in fear.

"Who are you?!"

The Hood jumped down and slid down the pillar, too late to the rescue as he attacked the murderer, engaging him but was knocked down on the floor as the man pulled out some small device that beeped and the Hood noticed a firefly tattoo on his burned hand. The man was about to drop the device before Natasha knocked him out from behind.

Later, the Foundry

"Are you alright, Oliver?" Natasha asked as she patched Oliver up.

"I'm fine." Oliver dodged.

"Didn't seem that way from where I watched." Natasha pointed out.

"I'm fine." Oliver retorted and Natasha attempted to punch him but Oliver blocked and grabbed her by her arm but she anticipated the move as she pinned him to the desk and Oliver replied by quick turn as Natasha was on the desk instead of him as he let her go.

"What did that prove?" Oliver growled as Natasha got up.

"That your problem is psychological, not physical." Natasha said.

"I never said I—"

"You didn't have to say anything." Natasha said.

Oliver took a breath. "It's just that… I've been close to death… on the island, more time than I can remember and I never feared it because I had nothing to lose. But when that archer almost killed me… when I stared death in the face then, I thought of all the people who I'd let into my life since I've been back. You… my family… Laurel… Tommy… and that made me afraid. Afraid of what would happen to those people if they lost me. Again. And for the first time in so long, I had something to lose."

"You really believe that letting someone in is taking away your edge?" Natasha asked rhetorically. "One thing I've learned, the more people you have close to you, the more you have to live and fight for. And that's what makes us stronger."

Oliver considered before turning to the computer.

"Well, at least we caught the guy. It was Garfield Lynns. A fireman. Presumed dead." Oliver said.

"At least now he gets the help he needs." Natasha said as she looked at the file. "Poor man."

Oliver smiled as he turned to her. "Thanks, Nat."

"You don't need to thank me." Natasha said.

"No… it's just that… it's been a while since I've let someone in like that and… I'm trying. But it's not easy." Oliver said.

"No one said it would ever be." Natasha said as she held his hand as they smiled at each other.

SCPD

"We good?" Quentin asked Kelton after handing Laurel the Hood's cellphone.

"I got a strong signal from crystal VHF transmitter you hid in the speaker and it can't be backtraced."

"Talk to me like I'm a third-grader, please." Quentin grumbled.

"Next time your daughter calls the vigilante, we'll be able to listen to every word." Kelton promised.

Elsewhere in Starling City

A man around 30 years old with short beard was walking out from the airport, with a duffel bag as he dialed a number from his phone.

"I'm here. Who's the target?"

An image of Natasha appeared on his phone before the man spoke up again. "Usually I take more direct approach."

"Don't kill her. Not yet. Find out what she knows. If she gets too close, take her out, Mr. Russo."

"Understood." The man said as he hung up.

Chapter Text

Queen Manor

"Tahitian green or midnight black, what do you think?" Thea asked Oliver.

"I think that you've been dropping hints all week, Thea, and Mom still isn't buying you a car for your birthday."

"I could not have said it better myself." Moira said upon entering.

"Oliver got a car, when he turned eighteen." Thea pointed out.

"Yeah, but I could back it out of the driveway without hitting a tree." Oliver reminded.

"That's true. But I do remember you taking the paint off the side of your Dad's Maserati." Tommy reminded as he entered with some blueprints in his hands.

"Thea, the party planner's waiting." Moira said before kissing Tommy on his cheek. "Sorry to run off like this."

"Don't we have a convertible to go buy?" Thea asked.

"Good luck." Oliver told Moira as they left.

"How's she holding up?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, she's OK. Thea thinks she's actually a little bit too OK." Oliver said, a bit confused.

"What do you mean?" Tommy wondered.

"Just behaving erratically. Shut-in one minute, running the company the next." Oliver explained.

"Well, her husband is missing and presumed who-knows-what." Tommy pointed out. "If anyone had an excuse to be erratic, it's your Mom."

"That's what I told Thea." Oliver said as they saw Quentin on TV, while Oliver picked up the remote and turned up the volume

"The department has got the same comment about this heist as it did the other two. No comment." Quentin said on screen.

"The SCPD may not be willing to go on the record but traffic cameras got the entire heist in this exclusive. The $2.3 million heist is like a scene out of the movies." The anchor explained.

"That's why you keep all your money offshore." Tommy noted.

Later, the Lair

"I've seen this before." Natasha noted as Oliver showed her the news report of the armored car heist.

"With all the guys working up top, you might want to think about a side entrance for your, uh, Arrowcave." Diggle suggested upon entering.

"Just put one in." Oliver said. "South alleyway. Something I want to show you."

Diggle looked at the computer as he saw the footage of the heist. "Yeah, I read about it, this is the third truck to be hit this month, I saw it on the news this morning."

"Saw it on the news this morning. I couldn't figure out why it seemed so familiar. Then I remembered this." Oliver said as he showed Diggle a thermal imaged footage of an ambush of a truck. "Kandahar '09, when the marines took out a Taliban transport vehicle."

"Yeah. Well, there's a reason why it looks so similar, these guys are running the same swarming technique. Where did you find this?" Diggle inquired.

"We were researching someone." Natasha said as she showed a file. "Blackhawk Squad Protection Group. Ted Gaynor."

Diggle was stunned before he spoke up. "Guys, Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer on my first tour in Afghanistan."

"Dig, I'm sorry. Gaynor's on the List." Oliver explained, looking sympathetic.

"Gaynor's a few hundred thousand dollars short of making your list." Diggle argued.

"I understand you don't want to believe this, John but you haven't known him in a long time. Plus, whoever was Kovar's associate, he hired Blackhawk and this other archer to force the Unidac Industries into building something. All I'm saying is that you haven't known him in a long time." Natasha pointed out.

"Nat, this guy saved my life. Received a commendation for it." Diggle said before turning to Oliver. "I don't care what your book says, he's not a stick-up man."

"You haven't known him in a long time, Diggle." Oliver said.

"We both kept in contact with each other since he got stateside. Six months ago, he even offered me a job at Blackhawk. Now, trust me, you don't know this man like I do." Diggle said.

"I know in Afghanistan his training specialty was M32 multiple grenade launcher. The exact same weapon used in these heists and not exactly something you find at your local sporting goods." Oliver said.

"Two months ago, we found out this wasn't even your father's book; that it was written by whoever hired the other archer. Doesn't that kind of beg the question what else you could be wrong about?" Diggle argued.

"Wrong or not, you can't ask him to ignore the facts and the clues because you still trust Gaynor." Natasha pointed out. "Look, we're going to take a look at Blackhawk and check him out. If we're wrong, we're wrong and then you can say 'I told you so'."

Diggle sighed before nodding.

Later, Blackhawk Security

The Hood made his way through the building, shooting down the guards with tranquilizer arrows before he saw Gaynor in his office pull out an USB drive from a laptop. The Hood kicked Gaynor as he fell down.

"Ted Gaynor, we're gonna have a conversation. You make a move, go for a gun, anything, things will end badly for you." The Hood growled.

"Let him go."

The Hood whirled around to see a man with a beard and combed hair aiming at him. "Drop your bow and let him go." The man said.

The Hood narrowed his eyes before firing an arrow, disarming the man. The Hood attempted to fire another arrow but the man dodged and kicked his bow off his hand. They bot exchanged blows before the man pulled out a wrist blade. The Hood dodged as it cut his hood and kicked him back, realizing the man was skilled before more guards entered and the Hood decided to retreat as he stole Gaynor's flash drive.

Later, the Lair

"Was that him?" Natasha asked as Oliver described the man for her and she pulled out a photo.

"Yeah." Oliver said.

"I know him." Diggle said as he looked closer. "That's Billy Russo."

"Former U.S. Marine Corps." Natasha nodded. "Recently he started a PMC company called Anvil Security. Maybe he was there on business. I've read he might be shady but we've never found a solid lead."

"Maybe Russo was behind it?" Diggle wondered.

"Don't know." Natasha said.

"I think I need to talk with Mr. Gaynor again later." Oliver said.

"I'm not gonna let you William Tell an innocent man!" Diggle immediately protested.

"Gaynor isn't innocent, Diggle." Oliver snapped back.

"You seem to think that mainly because of what's in your damn book, which you apparently trust more than me!" Diggle sneered.

"I trust my father. And he explained to me that every name on that list has a reason to be there." Oliver said.

"I thought you took that book off your father's body." Diggle stared, processing the new information as Natasha looked at him in sympathy.

"A few years ago, I found a message he left me, explaining the List." Oliver explained.

"Oliver, how is this possible? You were on a deserted island." Diggle argued.

"I didn't say that I found it on the island!" Oliver snapped as Diggle looked at him in confusion. "Diggle, for the past four months I have lied to, hurt and hid things from all the people that I care about. Do you really think I would do all of this if I wasn't sure?" Oliver asked.

Diggle looked at Oliver for a few moments, considering. "Oliver, listen. Gaynor got me into Blackhawk and I'm gonna prove he's innocent." He holstered his gun.

"And if he isn't?" Oliver asked.

"If he's not, I'll be the one to take him down myself. You owe me that. You owe at least that." Diggle hissed as he left the foundry.

"What do you think?" Oliver turned to Natasha.

"I think he's letting how he feels about Gaynor get in the way of the facts." Natasha said and Oliver nodded in agreement before she picked the flash drive. "I'll see if I can break through the encryption. With any luck, I'll have another lead on who hired them to force Unidac into building whatever it was."

Later, Starling City

Three men, wearing gas masks and tactical equipment and military grade weapons had surrounded the car before the Hood shot the mask off one of the men from the roof as the remaining robbers opened fire on him. The Hood used the vehicle to take cover from the gunfire before disarming one of the men with an arrow.

"Behind you!" Natasha said as the Hood saw one of them pick up a grenade launcher. The Hood picked up a trash can lid and used it as a shield as the grenade sent him flying against a pile of garbage bags, while the vans drove off.

"They got away." Oliver groaned.

"We'll get them next time." Natasha said. She was walking down the rooftop but then she sensed something and dodged as gunshots went off from a sniper rifle.

Russo, wearing a mask, was on the other side, aiming at her through the gunsight. "Come out, come out."

Russo saw movements of a shadow as he fired but the shadow dodged his shots as it jumped down.

"Damn you." Russo swore. He was about to switch vantage points but Natasha had managed to sneak up on him and throw his rifle away.

Russo glared, pulling out his wrist blade and a knife. Natasha dodged as Russo scratched her suit, while they exchanged blows. Natasha kicked Russo back and jumped at him, wrapping her legs around him and knocking him down.

Russo blocked Natasha's punch and kicked her in the face as she groaned before he got up. Natasha kneed Russo three times and sent him flying back with an uppercut to his chin. Natasha disarmed him of his wrist blade and knife and was about to scratch him in the face as she attempted to drive it across his cheek.

Russo glared, not wanting to have his face ruined, knocking the knife off her hand and shoving her back as he realized she was more skilled than him. Natasha jumped at him as they rolled down the ground before Russo fell off the roof and retreated, realizing he was in over his head.

"Screw this." Russo muttered.

Later, Queen Manor

"I heard that the Hood foiled an armored car heist tonight." Diggle quipped as Oliver approached him.

"Gaynor wasn't holding the rocket launcher." Oliver admitted.

"I know, I was with him the whole time it was going down." Diggle said.

"It looks like I was wrong." Oliver admitted as Diggle nodded, accepting the unspoken apology.

"Listen, if someone in Blackhawk is on it, I'd put my money on Knox; he started right before the heists began and he has military training." Diggle noted as Oliver nodded, considering the suggestion.

"OK, I injured one; he was bleeding pretty badly when they made off in the van."

"OK, so if any of Knox's blood is on one of the motor pool vans, we'll know for sure." Diggle surmised.

"I'm going with you." Oliver said before Diggle stopped him.

"No, no, listen. You have this part. And I told you I would handle this." Diggle reminded. "If there's any problem, you're just a phone call away." He assured Oliver and left before Oliver stopped him, discreetly putting a tracker in his jacket.

"Hey. Head on a swivel."

"That's the way I was born, man." Diggle smiled.

Later, Starling City

Later that night, Diggle, coerced by Gaynor, walked out in the middle of the road with a grenade launcher, wearing a gas mask, aiming the weapon and thinking about his sister-in-law but in the end, his conscience would not let him do it as he stepped aside to let the truck pass.

The three men walked out of the truck, dragging Carly with them.

"You shouldn't have done that, Dig." Knox said. "Now you gotta watch us kill your pretty little girlfriend."

"No, please, don't!" Carly begged, full of tears.

"You're forgetting one thing, guys!" Diggle snapped.

"Yeah, what's that?" Gaynor asked.

"I'm the one with the grenade launcher!" Diggle fired on the road, sending Gaynor, Knox and Cavanaugh flying in the air.

"Carly, get out of here!" He yelled at his sister-in-law who didn't need to be told twice as she ran.

Gaynor fired at her but missed as Diggle followed him, in the meantime he ripped the mask off Cavanaugh and grabbed his gun. Knox had managed to recover and picked up his weapon, aiming at Diggle, only for an arrow to disarm him. The Hood engaged Knox, blocking his knife and baton before grabbing him in chokehold and snapping his neck.

"Freeze!" Diggle roared as Gaynor stopped. "Drop it, Ted, or I swear—"

"Don't posture." Gaynor mocked as he turned around to face his former comrade. "You're not gonna do it. You can't. I can see it in your eyes." He pulled out his gun before suddenly an arrow stuck out from his chest as Gaynor dropped dead on the ground as the Hood approached Diggle.

"You're late." Diggle said, staring sadly at the corpse of his former friend.

"You knew I was coming?" The Hood asked.

Diggle pulled the tracker out of his jacket. "Next time you plant a bug on someone, be more subtle about it. I wish you'd trust me though."

"I trusted you, Diggle." The Hood assured him before glancing at Gaynor's corpse. "But them; never."

"You should get out of here." Diggle said as they heard the sirens blaring.

Later, the Lair

"I screwed up. Obviously, Gaynor wasn't who I thought he was. I was wrong." Diggle admitted reluctantly after he had explained everything to the police about being forced under duress.

"Yeah but you were right, too." Oliver said as he showed him the notebook. "When you told me that I trusted the List more than I trusted you, Diggle, the truth is, after what happened to me on the island… it's difficult for me to trust… anything. But you do." Oliver turned to Natasha and Diggle. "You see the best in people and you know when to trust someone or not."

Oliver handed Diggle the List and the pen as Diggle crossed Gaynor's name off.

"I learned something, too. Until you tell me, I'll never want to know what other names are in this book." Diggle said.

Later, Merlyn Global Group

"I never expected you to back out, Mr. Russo." Malcolm said over the phone.

"She was a bigger bite than I could chew. Frankly, you need to do better than that. She's not worth it." Russo said as he hung up.

Malcolm considered as he narrowed his eyes. Black Widow cannot be underestimated… but let's see if a different tactic is going to work on her.

Later, Starling General

Oliver was accompanying Thea, who was just discharged.

"She promised me she's not cheating on Walter." Oliver said.

"Like I would trust anything that woman says." Thea scoffed.

Two officers approached Thea as they walked down the corridor. "Miss Queen. Thea Queen?"

"Is there a problem?" Oliver inquired.

"We received a call from your doctor." One of the officers said as he turned to Thea. "In the event of a vehicular accident, they're required to report a result of the driver's tox screen." Thea sighed and paled. "Miss Queen tested positive for a narcotic called Vertigo."

Oliver looked at Thea incredulously. "The drug they're using in the Glades?"

Thea looked away in shame as the officer started to read her Miranda rights. "Thea Queen, you're under arrest for driving under narcotics…"

Chapter Text

A drug dealer was running down an alley as the Hood chased him from above on the rooftops as he tried to climb on a fire escape, only for his sleeve to be pinned by an arrow as he was hanging on the ledge. "Come on, man, I'm just trying to get an honest living!" He moaned.

"There's nothing honest about what you do!" The Hood snarled. "Who supplies the Vertigo? Tell me now and you live!"

"Please, they'll kill me!" The dealer begged.

"Whoever you fear, fear me more!" The Hood notched an arrow, ready to fire.

"OK, OK! They call him 'The Count'! That's all I know! I swear to God!" The man covered his eyes, ready to die but when he opened his eyes, the Hood vanished as he was still hanging from the railing but then something else occurred to him. "Hey, get me down from here!"

Later, the Foundry

"Found what you were looking for?" Diggle asked.

"I took down three Vertigo pushers tonight. Last one finally knew a name. The Count." Oliver informed as he put the bow on the table.

"The Count? That's worse than 'The Hood'." Diggle deadpanned as Oliver approached the computer. "You're not going back out?"

"I'm not done for tonight." Oliver looked at Diggle and Natasha. "Whoever this Count is, he has a lot of blood on his hands and it is long past time he started paying."

"Oliver, haven't you forgotten something?" Natasha reminded, giving Oliver a look as he remembered.

"Thea." Oliver said, remembering why was he after the Count in the first place.

"Her hearing's in a few hours." Diggle reminded. "You think she cares more about some drug lord getting his 'just desserts', or you being by her side, when she needs you the most?"

Oliver nodded.

Later, Starling City

Oliver tried to shield Thea on the way to the courtroom as the paparazzi were shooting pictures of her.

"Docket ending 1-10-5-6. People vs. Thea Dearden Queen. Possession of a controlled substance, driving under influence of a controlled substance." Judge Brackett was given the trial sheet from the bailiff who read it out loudly.

"Counselors, I understand you have reached a plea agreement."

"We have, your honor." Thea's attorney spoke up. "Given that my client is a juvenile, the people have generously agreed to probation."

"Juvenile?" Brackett asked, surprised as he looked at the sheet again. "It says she's eighteen."

"Yes, she is eighteen now, Your Honor but at the time of arrest she was still two days shy of her eighteenth birthday. Miss Queen has no priors." The attorney said in Thea's defense.

"Just because Ms. Queen's family sweeps her priors under the rug does not mean they don't exist." The judge countered. "You get your client off and you help your boss avoid dealing with a drug that's sweeping across our city like a plague. Everyone wins except us: the people of Starling City."

"Your Honor, with all due respect—"

"Miss Queen, like it or not, you are now the poster child for this menace. Maybe if people see that the Queen family cannot get away with using Vertigo, they'll think twice about using it themselves. The plea arrangement is denied." The judge banged the gavel. "This case will proceed to trial." Thea turned around to Oliver, Moira and Natasha, worried about what happens next, just as much concerned as they were, if not more.

Later, Queen Manor

"How did it go?" Natasha asked, once their attorney left.

"It's not looking good. And what's worse, Thea actually doesn't want any defense, she wants to go to prison." Oliver said.

"What? Why?" Natasha asked.

"I'm not sure what's going on but she's angry at Mom for some reason." Oliver said.

"Maybe I should've called Matt." Natasha said.

"No. I think we need to try things a little differently." Oliver said.

Later, SCPD

"Hi. I'm looking for Detective Hall. I was told he works in the Vice." Oliver told the officer as a young Indian woman turned around.

"Oliver?" The woman called out as Oliver turned to her and recognized her.

"McKenna Hall." Oliver said.

"Hi." McKenna smiled.

"Here I was expecting a middle-aged guy in a bad suit… and I got McKenna Hall." Oliver said, approaching her.

"I live to surprise." McKenna chuckled as they hugged each other.

"Well, I remember. What was that club that you got us kicked out of? The Club DeVille?" Oliver asked.

"In my defense, there was no sign that specifically said you had to keep your clothes on." McKenna said.

"So, a cop? I guess you're not hitting the party circuit anymore." Oliver said, following her, while she put some files into the cabinet.

"I still go to raves. I just go undercover now." McKenna explained. "And I have to dress slightly more appropriately to hide my badge and gun."

"Right." Oliver nodded.

"So, what do you need with a vice cop, Oliver?" McKenna asked.

"Vertigo." Oliver said and McKenna looked sad, realizing what was it about.

"Right. I saw your sister on TV. I'm sorry." McKenna said as he flowed her.

"The judge is trying to make an example of her. So, I was thinking, if you could find the person selling the drugs, it might take some heat off Thea." Oliver said.

"Easier said than done." McKenna pointed out.

"Did some digging and came up with a name. The Count?" Oliver said.

McKenna stopped and turned around to face him. "Oliver, we've known about the Count for months."

"Oh." Oliver said, a bit surprised.

McKenna picked a file from the desk, handing it to him. "I wish this was thicker but really don't have much on him. Love to say we're going to catch him before your sister's trial but it's highly unlikely." She then looked at her watch. "Oh, I am late for my shift."

"Well, if you hear anything about thus guy, just… let me know?" Oliver asked as she smiled.

"I always loved how much you cared about your sister but leave the policing to the police, OK?"

"OK." Oliver nodded as he was about to leave before Quentin called out.

"Oliver." Quentin spoke up as Oliver turned around to face him.

"Detective." Oliver said politely, ready for Quentin's hostility though.

"Look, I just… since you've been back… I've been pretty harsh on you. And, recently, Laurel gave me the talk and I've been thinking about my actions towards you since you came back and… I…" He hesitated as Oliver raised his hands.

"Mr. Lance, you don't have to—"

"Oh, I do." Quentin assured him. "When you and Sara went off on your Dad's boat, you were just a kid, both of you were. And… she made her own choice and… you didn't cause the storm. What I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and your family since you've been back in town."

Oliver nodded before he shook his hands with Quentin.

Elsewhere in Starling City

Oliver and Diggle were walking into Alexi's car shop as Oliver held two duffle bags.

"I've seen a fair amount of Cyrillic back in Afghanistan left over by Soviets. This is Russian?" Diggle asked.

"This is the not so hidden headquarters for the Starling City chapter of the Bratva." Oliver explained before turning to his bodyguard. "Diggle… whatever I say, whatever goes down, just go with it." He said as he approached Alexi, greeting him in Russian.

"Good to see you. Long time." Alexi said. "Particularly for Bratva captain."

"I was trying to figure out where to put my interests." Oliver explained. "I decided on pharmaceuticals." He put the duffel bags at Alexi's feet. "I don't mean aspirin."

"A wise choice." Alexi noted. "Mefedrone would be a good investment for you. It's the newest thing."

"Actually, I was thinking Vertigo." Oliver corrected. "Newer thing."

"Tough market, Vertigo. Only one seller." Alexi warned.

"I know. I was hoping you could do me a favor and arrange a meeting."

"He's a difficult man and he doesn't like new friends."

Diggle handed Oliver a file who handed it to Alexi. "This is everything that the police has on him. Tell him it's a gift."

Alexi examined the file before looking at Oliver. "I will see what I can do. Provided you do a favor for me."

"Anything." Oliver replied in Russian as Alexi turned to his henchman who nodded and left for a moment.

"It is unusual for an American to hold such a position of esteem in our organization… Mr. Queen." Oliver nodded, acknowledging that Alexi knew who he was. "Anatoly Knyazev. He speaks very highly of you."

"He should. I saved his life." Oliver pointed out as Alexi's henchman dragged in a man who apparently has been through a beating. "What did he do?"

"Something I told him not to." Alexi said simply before looking briefly at the man. "Now the favor; kill this man for me and I will believe that your interest in our organization is genuine. And then I will arrange a meeting with the Count."

Oliver considered for a moment before grabbing the man in tight chokehold as Diggle stared. "Oliver—"

"Hey, shut up!" Oliver snapped at him as he held the man in chokehold as he struggled, groaning before Oliver apparently strangled him to death as he dropped him on the floor. The henchman checked the pulse as he acknowledged that he was dead.

Alexi said something to Oliver in Russian as he nodded. "What are friends for?"

"I can't believe you just killed that guy." Diggle said, exasperated as Oliver carried the man he had choked to death on his shoulder.

"You really have a low opinion of me." Oliver scoffed. Diggle opened the trunk as Oliver put the man in and as he checked that no one was looking, he touched the man's neck as he suddenly came to, very much alive.

"Whoa, that's a neat trick, you're gonna teach me that one day?" Diggle asked, impressed.

Oliver knocked the man out as he looked at Diggle. "No."

"What are you doing?" Diggle asked as Oliver closed the trunk.

"You need to arrange a new identity for this guy; get him out of the city."

"Right, so your Ruskie pal draws out the Count; the vigilante takes him down." Diggle concluded as he and Oliver were entering the car.

"No, Diggle, because then the Bratva would know that I used them and that relationship is too valuable." Oliver explained. "I do the meet with the Count as myself, let him leave, then we follow him to his hideout."

"Just that easy, huh?" Diggle asked sarcastically.

"Well, I will still need my trustworthy bodyguard." Oliver quipped.

"Fantastic. Looking forward to my new exciting career as a drug dealer." Diggle deadpanned.

Later at night, Diggle and Oliver were doing a meeting with the Count but the unexpected arrival of SCPD caused for the drug dealers to bolt and as Oliver attempted to chase the Count down, the drug lord stuck two syringes of Vertigo in his chest as Oliver groaned, collapsing on the floor.

"No witnesses." The Count hissed and Diggle ran to Oliver, getting him out from the garage.

The Count was about to enter his car but then an explosion went off from the floor, blinding him before Natasha, in black hood, approached the Count, knocking him out. As she heard footsteps, she ran off, while SCPD apprehended him.

Later, the Lair

Natasha and Diggle put Oliver on the table as Oliver was groaning in pain. Diggle opened the crate Oliver had from Lian Yu and mixed the herbs in the bowl, while trying to force-feed them to Oliver. Oliver grabbed Diggle by his throat, while groaning as Diggle and Natasha were trying to restrain him.

"Oliver. Hold on. It's gonna be OK." Natasha assured him, while Diggle forced the mixture into Oliver's mouth as Oliver screamed in agony before passing out.

When Oliver came to, he noticed that he had been cuffed to the table.

"Morning. How you feeling?" Diggle asked.

"I feel like I'm having the worst hangover of my life." Oliver said.

"Which should say something." Natasha said.

"You think you can uncuff me? I'm not gonna kill either of you. I promise." Oliver said as he got up, groaning in pain.

"One would've thought you had been injected with Red Death. It's a special KGB drug. You don't want to get injected with it, trust me." Natasha said as Oliver was barely able to stand.

"The Count." Oliver remembered.

"I knocked him out and made sure SCPD would take him in. They didn't even know I was there." Natasha said.

"I should check in on Thea." Oliver said as he went out.

Starling City

Natasha went out on the walk before her senses turned on and she whirled around but then she was hit in the neck with a dart as she groaned and her vision blurred as she staggered.

"Natalia Romanova, please, stay down. You don't want to know where I got that rose or that ribbon." The man said as Natasha realized that his voice was familiar.

She attempted to punch the man but she was becoming slower because of the drug affecting her as the man slammed her to the ground and hit her in the chest, breaking her ribs as she spat out blood and found herself unable to move because of the drug.

The man pulled out a knife and cut into her abdomen before pulling out of her abdomen some microchip. "I know you can hear me, Natalia. Forgive me for not giving you enough to ease the pain." Natasha panted out, getting paler from the blood loss. "But we both know that pain shall pass with time and I remember that you were stronger. Maybe you still are. Come find me… when you can."

The man dropped a red rose as Natasha's world faded into black.

"Ma'am?"

"Careful, when you lift her."

"Ma'am, if you can hear me…"

"God, her pulse…"

"I see it…"

"She's lost too much blood, we need more!"

"What the hell did they give her?"

"I still have one more section to examine the damage."

"Whoever did this, was careful and precise, they knew what they were doing."

Merlyn Global Group

"Is it done?" Malcolm asked over the phone.

"Thank you for letting me know where she is."

"Hope you'll get your revenge." Malcolm smirked as he hung up. That was one problem taken care of. Now, just to find out who the Hood was…

Chapter Text

"You don't remember who attacked you, Miss Rushman?" Quentin asked as Natasha came to, resting in the hospital room, feeling sharp pain in her abdomen.

"No. It… it all happened quickly. They stabbed me and then I passed out and that's all I remember." Natasha lied, acting as if she was in shock, still weak from the surgery. "What happened?"

"Someone saw that creep stab you and try to mug you." Hilton explained. "At the crime scene was found this." He showed Natasha a red rose in the evidence bag. "Any idea what does that mean?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes. There was someone with this calling card but she could not let them know that. "I… I'm not sure."

"Witnesses say he left that rose next to you before he bolted." Quentin said.

"Did you find him?" Natasha asked, although she knew that was unlikely.

"We're working on it. If you remember something that might help us identify…"

"I will. Thank you." Natasha nodded as Quentin and Hilton left and she sighed and clenched her fists.

Natasha was resting in her room, seemingly asleep as a nurse came to gave her sedatives before Natasha came to, knocking the nurse out and taking her clothes, disguising herself as she left the hospital room but she still felt a bit weak because of her injuries.

Natasha then went out, dialing a number from a phone booth as she breathed out.

"This is Black Widow. Code Red. Identification 3-8 Alpha." Natasha said.

"Status report?" Coulson asked.

"I might have been made. Someone's onto me." Natasha said.

"Barton and Morse are on their way. Lay low, Natasha." Coulson said.

"No. I can handle this alone." Natasha protested.

"Nat—"

Natasha hung up before Coulson got the chance to protest.

The Lair

"Where's Nat?" Oliver asked.

"Fury called me. He said that she might be in trouble." Diggle said and Oliver looked alarmed. "Oliver, she's a big girl and she can handle herself, besides, Fury told me that she's got help, just in case. Don't worry about her." He assured Oliver, who nodded, relaxed before his phone went off and he answered the call.

"Hello?" Oliver asked.

"I need your help." Laurel said.

"That's why you have the phone."

"Cyrus Vanch was just released from prison on a technicality. Living large in his lawyer's house."

Oliver approached the computer and ran a search on Vanch's attorney. "Who is now missing."

"There's no evidence of foul play but I know that he's just Vanch's first victim and he won't be the last."

Oliver sighed. "What about the police?"

"They can't move on him without evidence of new criminal activity."

"Laurel, obtaining evidence isn't what I do." Oliver countered.

"Vanch is dangerous." Laurel pleaded.

After a moment of consideration, Oliver gave in. "Hold on to the phone, I'll call."

Later at night, Vanch's penthouse

The Hood kept shooting down the guards outside the penthouse as he was sneaking into the penthouse and fired an arrow with a recorder above Vanch and his mistress but one guard sneaked up on the vigilante from behind as he turned around and knocked him out but unfortunately, the gunfire managed to alert Vanch as he found the arrow with a recorder sticking out from the pillar behind him.

Laurel's Apartment

Laurel went out from her room with her trench coat as she held Tommy's arm. "This is going to be fun." Laurel smiled. "I even wore my fat pants."

Tommy chuckled. "I don't want to know what those are, do I?"

"Nope." The Hood's phone then buzzed from Laurel's pocket as she pulled it out. "Oh, this is work. It'll just be a second." She turned around and answered the call. "Hello?"

"It's me, I have something. Can you meet?"

"Yeah, where?" Laurel looked around.

"Rooftop, Winnick Building, thirty minutes."

Laurel hung up as she looked at Tommy sadly. "Mmm, put those puppy eyes away." He teased.

"Something's come up at work." Laurel said, to his disappointment.

"That can't wait until tomorrow?"

"It'll only be an hour. I can meet you at the club." Laurel promised.

"One hour."

"An hour and a half. Tops." Laurel kissed Tommy.

Later, Winnick Building

Laurel went on the rooftop, approaching the archer, who turned on his voice changer. "Hello, Laurel."

"Thank you for helping." Laurel said.

"I couldn't do much. Vanch's position is heavily fortified but I did get this." He handed Laurel a flash drive. "Evidence he's trying to take over the positions vacated by Frank Bertinelli and…" He stopped as his survival instincts kicked in. "And the Triad…" He trailed off, looking around.

"What's wrong?" Laurel asked.

"We're not alone." The Hood realized.

"What?!" Laurel gasped as suddenly, Quentin and the police burst in.

"SCPD! Get down, hands in the air! Do it now!" Quentin roared.

"Dad!" Laurel exclaimed as the Hood grabbed her from behind.

"You so much as leave a bruise on her, and I swear I will drag you down to hell myself!"

"Laurel, I'm sorry." The Hood whispered as he pushed Laurel away and jumped down from the roof.

Starling City

Natasha opened the door into one of the safehouses she had set up in the city as she sat down and swallowed a handful of painkillers, while drinking from a bottle of water. Then she heard the door open and she hid behind with a gun ready. Natasha was about to attack the intruder but stopped, when the blonde woman, who had entered, swiftly disarmed her.

"You're getting a bit slow."

Natasha sighed and relaxed as she lowered her guard. "You're lucky I'm a bit doozy from the painkillers. Damn it, you shouldn't have come here, Bobbi."

"Look, you might not believe that you need help but Coulson, Clint and I are genuinely worried about you. Besides, Fury's orders, considering that you might have been compromised." Bobbi said. "What's going on?"

"Someone's gunning for me." Natasha said.

"Who?" Bobbi asked.

"An old acquaintance." Natasha said, showing Bobbi the rose.

"A rose?" Bobbi asked, not understanding.

"It's a calling card." Natasha explained.

"From who?" Bobbi inquired. Natasha sighed, giving Bobbi a look as it hit her.

"I thought she was dead." Clint said as he, Natasha and Bobbi went into the shipyard.

"Black Widows are too stubborn to die." Natasha said.

"What makes you think she's here?" Bobbi asked before their instincts turned on and took cover as gunshots rang out.

"Lucky guess?" Natasha asked sarcastically before her phone went off and she answered the call.

"Long time no see, sister." The female voice said in Russian.

"Sister." Natasha said. "What do you want, Yelena?"

"You left me to die." Yelena said.

"I thought you were dead." Natasha protested as an explosion went off from above and a container was falling down on Clint, Natasha and Bobbi before they moved away.

"Move!" Clint ordered as they rolled away just in time to avoid getting crushed.

Natasha then sensed someone above her as a blonde woman in black suit that was just like Natasha's jumped down and Natasha dodged, when she was about to stab her with a knife. Natasha pulled out a gun and fired but Yelena dodged and threw a knife, disarming her and Yelena punched Natasha as she fell down.

"You've gotten slower, sis." Yelena sneered.

Yelena dodged, when Bobbi attacked her from behind as they exchanged blows, Yelena landing a right hook to Bobbi's face, while Bobbi hit her in the stomach and knocked her back. Yelena's knife crossed with Bobbi's staves before Clint fired an arrow but Yelena dodged and rolled away. Yelena threw a disk that exploded, blinding them before she knocked Clint and Bobbi down and grabbed Natasha in chokehold before their vision cleared, about to make a move.

"I'll snap her neck before you can take another step." Yelena growled in English, causing for Clint and Bobbi to stop. "We have some unfinished business, sister."

"Yelena… we used to be friends." Natasha said.

"And you have a lot to answer for." Yelena said.

"Give me a chance… please." Natasha pleaded and Yelena hesitated. "If what we've been through, meant anything to you…"

Yelena hesitated before letting go as Natasha took deep breaths, while Yelena dragged her somewhere private. "You have ten minutes."

"When we went undercover in Latveria and our cover was blown, there was an explosion, when we left, remember?" Yelena asked and Natasha nodded as they sat across each other.

"I thought I was the only survivor." Natasha said.

"I was left behind." Yelena pointed out. "Alone, imprisoned, tortured, raped for over a year until I escaped. We were sisters and you abandoned me."

"I thought you were dead." Natasha pleaded. "How did you escape?"

"You have no idea how powerful motivation revenge can be. You left me to die." Yelena sneered. "I had to fight and claw my way out through the guards in prison, until I wanted to make you feel what it was like to be abandoned and alone."

"I loved you. You were my sister." Natasha pleaded. "If I had known you were alive, I would've gone through heaven and hell to find you."

Yelena could tell Natasha was genuine. "You should've looked harder for me. You left me to die."

"Because I didn't know you were alive." Natasha begged. "If I could take back what happened, I would. But all I can say is that I'm sorry." Yelena considered as Natasha sighed. "This doesn't have to be this way, Yelena."

"You expect me to shrug it off and pretend like we're fine?" Yelena sneered.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to try to let go. I want to help you." Natasha said as Yelena got up.

"It's too late for that." Yelena said, not spitefully but… more sadly.

"We were sisters, Yelena. Let me help you." Natasha pleaded. "We can get past this and start over."

"I'm not sure I can." Yelena said.

"Let's try." Natasha said as Yelena freed herself.

"I guess you have a point… but I'm not ready to forgive you yet. But I'm willing to try." Yelena said.

"Why did you come after me in the first place? Who hired you?" Natasha asked.

Yelena handed Natasha a phone. "I was delivered this. It tracks back to Tempest. I don't know who they are."

Natasha tensed. Whoever that archer was, he was onto her.

Yelena freed herself from her cuffs. "Out of respect for what we've been through, I won't kill you. But don't expect that we're friends again."

"I'm not giving up on you." Natasha said as Yelena was about to leave. "I'm not going to give up on that one day, you'll come back to yourself."

Later, SCPD

Laurel had a blanket around her as Quentin approached her. "OK, sweetheart, you're good to go. I'll take you home now."

"I can take a cab." Laurel said as Quentin picked the keys from the desk, then looked at her, realizing her rejection.

"Laurel, you had a trauma. I'll drive you home."

"No." Laurel declined. "I'm gonna need you to keep your distance for a while."

"Laurel—"

"Dad, I love you. I'll always love you." She assured him. "But what I can't do right now is trust you."

"I was just doing my job." Quentin tried to reason. "I thought you'd understand at least that."

"That part I understand." Laurel said. "But lying to me? Using me?" The tears were forming in her eyes. "It's going to take a little longer."

Laurel went out as in the car park the Hood showed up, turning on his voice changer. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"What would you think if I said I didn't know?" Laurel asked.

"That you were being honest." The Hood said.

"My father has the phone now." Laurel pointed out. "And I don't think he'll be giving it back any time soon."

"Maybe that's good. I didn't how it would put you in danger."

"I'm a big girl. I knew the risks."

"Now I know them. And I'm not willing to take them with you."

"What does that mean?" Laurel asked.

"It means 'goodbye'."

"Laurel?" Tommy said from behind as Laurel turned around, while he showed up and as she turned around again, the Hood vanished. "Oh, my God, Laurel, tell me you are OK, please." He approached her, checking in on her.

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter, just as long as you're OK." Tommy hugged her.

Later, the Foundry

Oliver kept on listening to the recording as Diggle entered. "I've listened to this fifteen times. It's definitely her voice, Diggle. I just… I can't believe it's her."

"What's going on?" Natasha asked, still weak from her injuries as she entered a bit later, limping.

"Where have you been?" Oliver asked, worried.

"It's a long story." Natasha said and Oliver nodded. "What's going on?"

"Apparently, Oliver's mother had a copy of the List and she lied about it." Diggle summed up.

"Where did you even get it?" Natasha questioned.

"Felicity Smoak." Oliver explained. "She works in IT department in Queen Consolidated, she gave it to me, since she didn't know who else to turn to. Walter has been asking for her help and she said that he found it in Mom's bedroom."

"And you think your mother might be involved?" Natasha asked, since she suspected as much.

"Mom denied everything about it. I… I don't know what to think. I need to have another talk with my Mom." Oliver said as he went out, putting on his hood.

"What happened?" Natasha asked as Diggle filled her in on how he had been spying on Moira.

Queen Consolidated

Moira was talking with some shareholders before the Hood burst in through the window, taking out the guards as the shareholders ran away and the archer fired an arrow at the lamp, sending the room into darkness as Moira gasped and he notched another arrow, aiming directly at her. "Moira Queen, you have failed this city!"

Chapter Text

"Moira Queen, you have failed this city!" The Hood yelled. Moira was about to reach her phone as the vigilante snarled at her. "Stand still!"

"Please, don't kill me." Moira begged with tears forming in her eyes.

"Do you know anything about your husband's disappearance?" The archer demanded.

"What?"

"Is Walter Steele still alive?!" He shouted.

"I don't know where my husband is. I swear." Moira whimpered as the vigilante neared her.

"Do you know anything about the Undertaking?" The Hood asked another question as Moira reached for something on her desk. "I said, don't move!" He ordered.

Moira knelt down, holding a picture of Oliver and Thea in front of her like a shield. "I… I'm a mother." She begged. "I have a son. Oliver. A daughter, her name is Thea. She's just a teenager. Please, don't take me from my children. They lost their father. They can't lose me too. Please, whoever you are, please."

The Hood took a breath and slowly lowered the bow. "OK. I'm not going to hurt you."

Moira reached for a gun she had hidden in her desk and the Hood crouched on instinct and hissed, feeling that he had been hit in the shoulder. As he fled the scene while the Queen matriarch was calling security, he didn't notice the bloodstain he left behind.

As the Hood was limping down the car park, he was suddenly leaning onto someone.

"Easy, Queen. Natasha sent me."

Oliver relaxed as he was passing out.

The Foundry

Diggle and Natasha were watching the news report on an attack at the Queen Consolidated before they heard someone shouting.

"Hey! Need a hand here!"

They both whirled around and relaxed, when Bobbi appeared, while they put Oliver on the table.

"You did the good thing by asking me to keep an eye on him." Bobbi said.

"What exactly happened?" Natasha asked.

"Lowered his guard because it was his mom, then she used the opening to shoot him." Bobbi explained and Natasha sighed.

"Of course he did." Natasha muttered as Diggle was examining Oliver's wound.

Diggle examined the wound on Oliver's shoulder. "Oh, damn it, he just missed a carotid." He covered the wound with a white cloth. "It's a zone two wound. Press there." He ordered to Natasha, while picking medical tools and supplies and a pulled out some of Oliver's blood from the refrigerator.

The heart monitor was bleeping rapidly as Oliver was going into seizure.

"Oh, no." Bobbi groaned.

"There's a syringe labeled 'Ativan', it should stop the seizure!" Diggle ordered as Natasha did as was told but then, Oliver's heart stopped as the monitor flatlined.

Quickly acting, Bobbi grabbed shock pads, placing them on Oliver's chest before grabbing a defibrillator. "Do you know what you're doing?" Diggle asked.

"I studied biology and I have some medical training. There's no power in this thing." Bobbi said before she pried open the casing of the defibrillator and looked at the wiring, trying to fix the machine. "Clear."

Natasha placed the paddles on Oliver's chest, jolting twice before his heart jumpstarted again as they all relaxed.

Oliver woke up as Diggle and Natasha were standing beside him. "So, I guess I didn't die. Again." Diggle shook his head in annoyance. "Cool."

"Does this happen often with you, Mr. Queen that you almost get yourself killed?" Bobbi quipped as Oliver chuckled, recognizing her as the agent, who was interviewing him in Russia.

Oliver looked at the wound on his shoulder with a mirror. "It's not bad, how am I gonna explain this one?"

"Hickey gone wrong?" Diggle quipped.

"You left your blood at your mother's office." Bobbi said and Oliver paled. "Don't worry." She pulled out a fake FBI ID with her photo. "I went there to 'investigate' a case and swiped the samples, the Hood is going to be now ID'd as some elderly man from Idaho."

"Thank you." Oliver nodded gratefully.

"Look, Mr. Queen, Fury thinks you're getting yourself in over your head and he thinks we should keep a closer eye on you, considering that this mission you're onto, goes deeper than we had thought." Bobbi explained.

"So, you're going to help me?" Oliver asked.

"Let's just say our paths are going to cross more often than you think." Bobbi said before turning to Natasha. "I'll see you around, Nat."

"Thanks, Bobbi." Natasha shook her hand with her before Bobbi left the Foundry. "Oliver, what happened tonight?" Natasha asked him. "Did your mother shoot you?"

"She was scared. She was defending herself." Oliver said.

"No. I listened to what happened." Natasha said, talking to Oliver as if he was a little boy, who needed educating. "She manipulated you into lowering your guard, people, who try to bring up their own children, do that. Besides, you know she knew about the Gambit going down."

"We don't always know why people do what we do." Oliver argued. "But what I do know is that when I was standing in her office, with an arrow aimed at her heart, she begged me to spare her, all on behalf of me and Thea. Now, I've taken down a lot of bad people. None of them brought up their kids—"

"Are you that naïve or are you so blinded by your feelings towards your Mom that you can't face the facts?" Natasha scoffed. "To sum up the facts; your mother had the copy of the List, she lied to you and she knew about the Gambit being sabotaged. I understand you want to give her the benefit of the doubt but people change, Oliver. She's not the same person you remember from five years ago. Like it or not, she's not innocent."

Oliver sighed and considered. "Even if you were right… what would you have me do? I can't confront her as the vigilante any time soon; by now, she'll have tripled security in Queen Consolidated, so it's not gonna be that easy anymore."

"Oliver, I understand you want to trust your own mother but… sometimes, family can disappoint you. I've been there. Trust me." Natasha said. "Just tell me honestly, do you really believe she's innocent or are you afraid to face the possibility that she might be guilty?"

Oliver was silent, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Starling City

"Frank Chen recommended you." Moira said as she stood in front of China White. "He said you could help me with our problem. He appreciates you agreeing to meet with me."

"Anything for a friend." China White said.

"How can we help you, Miss Queen?" Jade said upon appearing.

"Malcolm Merlyn. I want you to kill him for me." Moira said.

Jade considered before her phone went off as she answered the call. "Yes?"

"It's confirmed. Natasha Romanoff is in Starling City."

Jade smirked. "Thank you." She hung up before turning to Moira. "Consider it done, Miss Queen."

Her and White internally laughed as they both eyed Moira, looking forward to having their revenge on Oliver as well.

Chapter Text

A man exited the chopper and pulled out his phone. "I've just landed in Starling City." He said with a strong accent. "We agreed – half on arrival, the other half when the job is done." He looked down at his phone to see a wire transfer in progress in the banking app. "Gracias." He smiled. "Don't worry, the man is as good as—"

He was interrupted by a swishing sound in his ear as an arrow knocked the phone off his hand.

"Guillermo Barrera, you have failed this city!" The Hood snarled.

The assassin smirked to face the archer. "You've built quite a reputation."

"And you should have stayed overseas." The Hood sneered.

"I've thought about it but then I remembered…" Barrera smirked. "I've got a reputation too."

Barrera pulled out two knives before the Hood fired an arrow, while Barrera blocked the projectile with his knives. They exchanged blows, the Hood blocking Barrera's knives with his bow until they got under the tail of the helicopter. They ducked under the tail of the helicopter until the Hood drove a fletchette into Barrera's chest. Barrera stared in surprise for a moment before he fell down, dead until the Hood picked Barrera's phone and fled the scene as McKenna and the police appeared.

Later, the Lair

"So, how'd it go?" Diggle asked.

"Badly for him." Oliver replied as he put his bow on the table.

"So no lead on who hired Barrera?" Bobbi asked as she entered with Natasha.

"No." Oliver said, taking a breath as handed her a phone. "Can you hack his phone?"

"I can try." Bobbi nodded. "This guy kills high-profile targets, which means whoever hired him, is gonna hire another hitman and their target is still in danger."

"You could've asked me, you know that?" Natasha teased.

"Haven't you forgotten something?" Oliver shot her a look as she remembered.

Later, Laurel's apartment

"Sorry we're late." Oliver said as Tommy opened the door.

"Welcome." Tommy said.

"Happy birthday, Tommy." Natasha said as Oliver hugged him.

"Thank you." Tommy said as he picked the gift bag from Oliver. "Oh, this feels like a Chateau Neuf de Pape."

"It takes like one too." Oliver said.

"You are a true friend. Thank you." Tommy said.

"So, an assistant and a girlfriend now?" Laurel teased, recognizing her, half happy for Oliver, half… surprised, to say the least.

"Miss Lance." Natasha said. "Look, I know what you might be thinking but I know how to keep my two lives separate."

Laurel nodded, not meaning to pry and ruin Tommy's birthday as they went in.

Natasha looked at the photos and saw a young girl with younger Quentin and a black canary in a cage. "That's you? Or your sister?"

"That's Sara." Laurel explained.

"Oh." Natasha said, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, no, it's OK." Laurel assured her. "I don't know why my father bought her that canary. That thing chirped night and day. Drove us all nuts."

"A toast." Tommy said as he entered the room, handing them all glasses of wine. "To the first birthday that I have enjoyed in a long time." He turned to Oliver. "I got my best friend back." He then turned to Laurel. "And I have finally figured out why poets have been in business for the last few thousand years."

"Happy birthday, baby." Laurel said, kissing Tommy.

"Thank you." Oliver smiled.

"Cheers." Oliver said.

"Cheers." Everyone else said as well as they clinked glasses and drank before they heard the door knock.

"I think that's the food." Laurel said as she approached the door.

"Oh, thank God, she didn't cook." Oliver whispered, sighing in relief.

"Amen." Tommy agreed.

"That bad?" Natasha asked as they shot her looks. "OK. I might know someone, who could teach her how to cook."

"Mr. Merlyn." Laurel said in surprise as she opened the door and suddenly, the temperature in the apartment dropped.

"Laurel. Can I come in?" Malcolm asked politely as Laurel let him in. Malcolm smiled at the group but no one smiled back as he narrowed his eyes, eying at Natasha. "Oliver. Miss Rushman."

"Mr. Merlyn." Oliver and Natasha said in unison and Natasha's eyes narrowed too, having a gut feeling about the businessman.

"I've been trying to get in touch with you." Malcolm said as he turned to Tommy.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Tommy asked, not even bothering to sugarcoat it.

"Happy birthday, Tommy." Malcolm said, showing him a box.

Tommy hesitated before turning to Laurel. "Just give us a second."

"Of course." Laurel said as Tommy and Malcolm went into the corridor as Malcolm handed the gift to Oliver as Natasha wondered why were things so heated between Malcolm and Tommy.

"Would some of you mind filling me in on why are things so heated between Tommy and his father?" Natasha asked.

Oliver took a breath. "When we were kids, before Tommy's Mom died, Malcolm Merlyn was like this fun uncle that you would never want to leave. He actually performed magician tricks instead of us hiring a magician, when we threw birthday parties and Mr. Merlyn was great at this. But after Tommy's Mom died…" Oliver sighed before continuing. "I understand grief and anger but I didn't think Mr. Merlyn would be that much broken. He left Tommy for two years. Two years. Tommy lived with us during the time and when Mr. Merlyn came back… I know grief can change people but… it was like if…"

"…he became a completely different person." Natasha finished and Oliver nodded. Then she considered… Malcolm Merlyn was among her suspects and what were the odds that he is associated with Kovar and this Tempest she had been investigating?

A moment later, Tommy entered, obviously angry but trying to mask it behind a smile, not that it convinced anyone.

"So, anyone hungry?" Tommy asked.

Later, the Jade Dragon

After finding out where Barrera had been calling earlier, Oliver got a reservation in the Jade Dragon restaurant, which was the Triad's front.

Oliver and Tommy were at a table, when the waiter came by and dropped off a fried fish on a large plate. The waiter left as Oliver and Tommy stared at their meal.

"That is…that is one big fried fish." Tommy said, as they both chuckled.

"I was told this was the most authentic Szechwan in town." Oliver said before shaking his head. "Whatever. I wanted to make sure that your birthday celebration got its due celebration. It was a little bit, um, tense last night."

"Well, trust my dad to run all the smiles out of the room." Tommy grumbled.

"He did come by, and it seemed like he was trying to act a little bit dad-like." Oliver defended.

"Dad-like, that sums up my father perfectly." Tommy said in sarcasm.

"I know the two of you have never been close, but it couldn't have been easy for him after your mom was killed." Oliver noted.

"Yeah, I guess he forgot that there were two of us in that club." Tommy scoffed.

"I'm not defending him, Tommy. It's… with everything I've been through, people that I've lost... I know how hard it can be." Oliver pointed out.

Tommy nodded. "You probably don't remember this. We were eight. But after her funeral, he left for like two years. And when he did come back, he was... he was so freaking cold. We barely spoke. And that's why I spent so much time at your house."

Oliver nodded in understanding.

"From the outside, it always looked like I had a father. He paid my bills, he lived in the house, and he bailed me out. But your dad took me to my first hockey game." Tommy smiled. "Your dad taught me how to fly fish. Your dad took us to our first R-rated movie."

"But he wasn't perfect." Oliver said. "My dad made mistakes. And…" He took a breath. "We haven't talked about this. But I have a lot of anger towards him. But still, I would give anything to have him back, because… at the end of the day, your dad is… your dad."

Tommy felt touched. "I meant what I said last night. I'm really glad that you're back."

Oliver smiled, as Tommy started to eat. Oliver was about to as well before he saw a large Asian man with a tattoo on his neck walk past them. "I got to hit the restroom."

The big man moved through kitchen to a back room where a smaller Asian man was counting the Triad's money. The big man pulled stacks of cash out of an envelope and handed it to the accountant, who was about to put it into an electronic cash counter when the light suddenly went out.

They looked around, and the big man reached for a gun when suddenly Oliver jumped at him from above, slamming his head to the ground. Oliver grabbed a squeeze bottle of hot sauce and sprayed it into the accountant's eyes, blinding him. The small man shot up up and tried to run out of the room, but Oliver was on top of him. He slammed him into the wall and held him there.

"The Triad put out a hit on someone. I want to know who." Oliver demanded in Chinese.

"I don't work for the Triad!" The man protested.

"You're not making Dim Sum here." Oliver growled, choking him.

"I don't know who it is." The man said.

"But you know something. Tell me." Oliver demanded.

"Tomorrow. Whatever it is. It's supposed to happen tomorrow." The man said as Oliver left.

"Who was that man?" The tall man asked.

"I don't know. He spoke with a perfect accent. Definitely Chinese." The accountant said.

The big man ran out of the room and headed back into the dining room, looking for the guilty party. All the while Oliver sat at his table, and as the big man walked past, he gestured to the waiter. "Check, please."

"Here you go." The waiter said, revealing himself to be an elderly man with a bushy moustache with white hair, wearing glasses and smiling.

SCPD

Quentin answered the Hood's phone. "Lance."

"The Triad have hired a contract killer." Oliver said, with a distorted voice.

"Yeah? You mean the one you put in the morgue?" Quentin asked sarcastically as he stood up from his desk. "Congratulations, you're the talk of the station again."

"They hired one, they're gonna hire another, Detective."

"Who's your target?" Quentin asked as he walked past his colleague's desks.

"I need you to put your people on it."

"My people don't work for you." Quentin sneered. "Come to think of it, neither do I."

"It's not about you and me, Detective. It's about saving a life." Oliver pointed out as Quentin paused in consideration.

"Call me back when you got a name." Quentin said before hanging up.

Starling City

China White was briefing her goons on the assassination. "There are five exit routes from the main floor that need to be cut off." She circled around her men. "Once the fire alarm goes off, we'll have less than 30 seconds to disable Merlyn's private security and force him outside with the others. Once he's outside, the rest will be up to Mr. Lawton, and Jade, in case things do not go precisely as planned." She looked at the marksman, dressed in his traditional gear and a new artificial eyepiece and the other assassin in green kimono, who was sharpening her steel claws and sai knives.

"Roger that." Lawton smirked.

"Been a while since I was on a good hunt." Jade smirked.

In the following hours, Bobbi kept on working on the phone, Oliver was contemplating in his room, Tommy stared at the pictures of his childhood, considering and Moira was preparing for the ceremony.

The Foundry

Oliver entered the Foundry as Bobbi finished breaking through the encryption.

"Got it." Bobbi said.

"Do you know who's the target?" Oliver asked.

"It's Spanish. Give me a sec…" Bobbi trailed off as her blood ran cold. "Oh, my God."

"What?" Oliver asked as Natasha paled, reading it.

"The target is Tommy's father." Natasha explained.

"At the awards ceremony?" Oliver demanded and they both nodded as Oliver put on his hood.

Merlyn Global Group

Tommy and Malcolm ran upstairs and took cover as two gunmen fired but suddenly, the Hood showed up, taking one of them out while firing an arrow. "Go somewhere safe, I'll hold them off! Go now!"

The Merlyns did as ordered as Malcolm accompanied Tommy to his private elevator.

The Hood took out one of the hitmen as three more showed up from behind, engaging him but then Natasha, wearing a blonde wig and a mask, jumped in through the window and swiftly took them all down with her batons.

Suddenly, in front of them stood China White, who put down her wig, wearing her white dress.

"Why do you want Malcolm Merlyn dead?" The Hood demanded.

"I'll settle for the two of you." China White sneered.

"I'll take care of Tommy." Natasha assured the archer, sliding down as she dodged White's attack and the Hood engaged her.

"What if they see your face?" The Hood demanded.

"Just trust me." Natasha said but stopped as she faced Jade around the corner. "You." Natasha glared.

"We have some unfinished business from Russia." Jade said.

Natasha dodged Jade's claws as she almost scratched Natasha's suit and cut some of her hair. Natasha disarmed her of her claws before she kicked Jade back. Jade pulled out sais but Natasha blocked with her batons and kicked her in the chest as Jade stumbled back. They briefly exchanged strikes before they heard McKenna shout.

"Freeze! SCPD! Put the bow down!"

"Lucky girl." Jade sneered before running to the stairwell.

The Hood spun around and fired at the extinguisher as the leaking cloud concealed his and White's escape.

Tommy was panicking as Malcolm passed out after being shot before he heard cracking of glass and spun around, aiming a gun at the Hood. "Stay back."

"I'm not here to hurt you or your father." The Hood said through his voice changer.

"I said 'Stay back'." Tommy growled.

The Hood knelt down and sniffed the bullet. "Curare."

"Don't come any closer." Tommy warned again.

"Your father's been poisoned." The Hood stood up. "An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare, I've dealt with this before. We need to dilate the poison in his bloodstream."

"I said 'Stay the hell back'!" Tommy snarled, his hands trembling from aiming the pistol at the archer.

"In three minutes he's paralyzed, in four minutes he suffocates; if you don't let me help you now, he's dead before anybody gets here!" The Hood warned.

"Help? How?" Tommy asked.

"Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital."

Tommy glanced towards Malcolm before looking back at the archer in disbelief. "A blood transfusion? That's insane!"

"It's the only way." The Hood said calmly. "He needs your blood. You're out of time, you need to make a decision right now."

"Why should I trust you?!" Tommy shouted.

The Hood paused, hesitating, considering a risky call before Bobbi appeared, knocking Tommy out with her baton as Oliver stared.

"Wasn't going to let you take that risk." Bobbi explained.

Oliver and Bobbi picked the first aid kid from the closet, picking needles, bandages and some tubes for a makeshift transfusion.

Natasha was chasing down Jade and White as they went outside but as she rushed in the alley, the assassins had disappeared. "Damn it!"

Later, the Foundry

"John is not going to take it well." Bobbi said as Oliver filled her and Natasha in.

"What happened?" Diggle asked as he approached them.

Laurel's apartment

Laurel was going out from her apartment as her mother Dinah showed up.

"It's about Sara."

"What about her?" Laurel asked carefully.

"I think she may be alive."

Laurel tensed.

Starling General

"Black Widow helped the Hood?" Malcolm asked as the associate nodded. He considered. She doesn't know who he is… which played into his hands.

Chinatown

"You've won this game, Oliver but we're not done playing." Jade teased.

"Shall we get our revenge?" White asked.

"Yes. Let's." Jade said as a tall Asian man entered. "Chen Wu."

"You called?"

"Gather your men. We're going on a hunt."

Chapter Text

"Any signs of White or Jade?" Oliver asked Natasha as they were in the Verdant lounge, talking.

"Bobbi is looking for them. China White and Jade have been laying low." Natasha said as they drank as she saw the look on Oliver's face before Tommy entered with boxes of beverage, stocking them at the bar.

"Are you OK, Tommy?" Oliver asked.

"Just concussed but I'll be fine. Dad's gonna recover soon." Tommy said. "I appreciate the concern."

"You're lucky the vigilante saved your life." Natasha said.

"I am. Maybe I should've listened to him." Tommy said. "It just… put some things about my Dad into a perspective."

"So, you two are back to speaking terms after twenty years?" Oliver asked.

"We're trying." Tommy explained as Oliver nodded.

The Glades

A young girl ran down the Glades, as if she was running for her life until a karambit knife hit her in the leg. The girl crawled back before China White approached her and slit her throat.

Verdant

"Oliver." Natasha said as Oliver turned to the TV, seeing the footage of the girl murdered by China White.

"The CCTV camera ID'd the woman as Emily Nocenti, daughter of Victor Nocenti, who was about to testify against Martin Sommers, who had been apprehended by the Starling City's vigilante few months ago." Bethany Snow announced on the news as Oliver and Natasha glared.

"Tommy, can you take care of the club tonight? I just remembered something." Oliver said.

Tommy nodded, confused though as Oliver left and Natasha followed him a moment later.

The Glades

"China White's back and she's finishing up her business." The Hood said.

"Oliver, don't you think she's trying to draw you out? Targeting Nocenti's daughter was most likely a message to you." Natasha pointed out as they were on the rooftop.

"Either way, I need to find her." Oliver said.

"We should be careful though." Natasha said.

"She's trying to target all the people I have helped." Oliver said. "Who's most likely the next person she would target?"

"We've been keeping an eye on your family and Laurel and Tommy. I doubt she would go after them." Natasha said. "So, who have you helped recently?"

Oliver considered before remembering.

Peter Declan was in his apartment but gasped upon seeing an Asian woman in green kimono.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Declan asked.

"I'm just here to send a message." Jade said as she stabbed Declan in the abdomen. Declan gasped in pain as he fell down, poison entering his system as he was struggling for breath.

Jade went out and rushed on the rooftop before the Hood tackled her to the ground.

"What did you do?" Oliver demanded as Jade laughed.

"I knew you wouldn't resist, if I went after those you have helped in the past, Oliver." Jade said. "Nothing but a good old-fashioned payback."

"I'll make sure you'll pay for what you did." Oliver snarled.

"Not likely." Jade said before she pushed him back as Chen Wu and his men appeared. "Kill him."

Chen Wu pulled out a baton as Oliver blocked it with his bow. They exchanged strikes before Oliver jumped back as Jade attacked with her claws and Chen Wu's men attacked with their knives, axes and swords. Oliver fired arrows, shooting down the thugs but jumped back as Jade scratched his hood but did not touch the flesh as Oliver tried to avoid the poison-laced claws.

"Hang on, you'll be fine." Natasha said, dragging Declan out before she faced China White in an alley.

"The Black Widow. I should've known." White said, pulling out her knives. "I came here to take out the vigilante but you'll be a nice bonus."

"Just try." Natasha taunted.

White attacked with her knives but Natasha managed to block them as they exchanged blows. White aimed at Natasha's head but Natasha dodged and delivered a right hook to White's face before kicking her back. White scratched Natasha's wrist before Natasha disarmed her of one of the knives and elbowed her in the face.

Oliver took cover at the stairwell as he kicked down more of White's men as Chen Wu pulled out a gun and fired. Oliver fired at the chandelier above as Chen Wu dodged and it crushed more of White's men.

Jade and Chen Wu jumped down as they attacked Oliver from both sides. Oliver blocked Jade's claws with his bow and kicked Wu back. Oliver dodged Wu's punch and hit Jade in the stomach as she staggered. Oliver hit Wu in the face but Wu grabbed Oliver by his arm and kicked him in the leg as Oliver fell down.

Before Jade could deliver the final blow, Oliver blocked her claws with his bow before hitting her in the legs. Wu grabbed Oliver from behind but Oliver kicked the wall as he and Wu fell off the railing to the lobby as they crashed, the combined weight crushing Wu and breaking his back as he groaned and let Oliver go and Oliver got up.

More of the Triad's men appeared but Oliver fired an explosive arrow, knocking them down.

Natasha dodged as White scratched her across her cheek before Natasha jumped and kicked her in the face as White was knocked down.

"Who hired you? Tell me!" Natasha demanded as she neared White's blade to her neck.

They heard sirens blare as White smirked.

"Not today." White said as Natasha was forced to let her go as they both ran off, while Oliver fired a flashbang arrow, blinding the policemen, who had entered as Oliver escaped.

Later, the Foundry

"White and Jade are trying to settle old scores." Oliver said.

"And they're targeting the people you helped." Bobbi nodded. "I called Fury, to see if he can arrange a protective custody for them."

"Thanks." Oliver said.

"We'll see if there are any contacts with the Triad, maybe we'll find out who hired the men who were supposed to kill Malcolm." Natasha promised.

Chinatown

"Now S.H.I.E.L.D. is protecting them." Jade said as she met White in an alley. "What next?"

"We'll have our revenge, Jade." White promised, twirling her knife. "Until next time, Oliver."

Verdant

Natasha was with Oliver at the bar, talking before she saw the photo of a young man at the bar as she turned to Tommy.

"Tommy." Natasha asked as Tommy turned to her. "Who is that kid?"

"Oh. That's a friend of Thea's. She asked me to help him get a job here but the kid hasn't shown up. His name is Roy Harper." Tommy said and Natasha's eyes narrowed as she looked at the photo.

Five years ago

Bobbi, Natasha and Clint were sparring in the training facility of S.H.I.E.L.D. before they saw a man around 30 years old at the shooting range, shooting targets with quite good precision.

"He's got as good score as Ward and you." Natasha told Bobbi. "Who is he?"

"A new recruit. Former U.S. Special Forces. Roy Harper Sr." Bobbi said as Natasha narrowed her eyes.

Chapter Text

The Hood jumped down from above, searching for his next target as he scoured John Nickel's penthouse. But he saw a damaged broken lamp, and no one was in the penthouse, making him realize that someone had taken Nickel already before him.

The Foundry

"Apparently, Mr. Nickel ticked off more people than we had thought." Bobbi sad.

"After the last night's fire, it's not entirely surprising." Oliver nodded. "Any leads on who hired Kovar?"

"No news." Natasha shook her head. "Look, Oliver, it's been a long night, why don't we head out for a dinner?"

Oliver considered but Natasha's look made it clear she was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

Roy's House

Roy and Thea were making out on the bed before they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Now you want to stop?" Thea teased.

"Well, we don't all have butlers." Roy joked. "You know, some of us actually have to answer our own doors."

"Oh, the horror." Thea said sarcastically.

Roy opened the door, trying to make sure his visitor would not see Thea but…

"You look familiar." The boy smirked at her. "I saw you on TV or something?"

"Probably." Thea smiled. "I'm Thea Queen."

"Yeah, right." The boy chuckled.

"Did you get it?" Roy interrupted, reaching for the small brown paper bag in his friends' hand.

"Tomorrow night, Joe wants us to be there at 11 P.M. He said to be there on time, Harper."

Roy closed the door as he turned to Thea, putting the bag on the desk.

"What's happening tomorrow at eleven?" Thea asked.

"Y'know, I'm actually kinda focused on what's happening right now." Roy attempted to change the subject as he kissed her.

Thea seemingly gave in but a moment later, she snatched the bag and scowled as she saw a gun inside it.

"Why do you have a gun?" She whirled on him.

"Because I'm no good with knives." Roy retorted as Thea stared at him incredulously. "Look, it's just a liquor store, the guy's a creep. Trust me, he deserves it." He pulled out the bullets from the firearm's cylinder. "If it'll make you feel any better, I won't be armed but of course, the owner won't know that—"

"I got you a job at my brother's club." Thea scoffed. "You have choices, you don't have to be a criminal!"

"I'm not talking about phone bills." Roy snapped. "I owe people, people with much bigger guns than this." He sighed. "Look, here in the Glades, this is pretty much the only solution."

"No, lot of people in the Glades live honest lives! Obviously not you!" Thea shot back. "You're just a waste." She said with disgust, grabbing her jacket and leaving the house.

"Thea!" Roy begged. "Let me make sure you get home OK."

"Don't bother." Thea hissed as she walked away.

Later, Big Belly Burger

Oliver, Diggle, Bobbi and Natasha and everyone else was disturbed to see on their phones a video on which was Nickel, bound and gagged.

"If you make the Glades your home, you know who this man is." An unknown voice said. "He owns your tenants, manages your slums, provides the leaking roofs over your heads, the mold pipes and asbestos in your walls. Basically, he makes money off our suffering." Nickel muffled in the meantime, begging. "But the police are not interested in helping us, they may have let us down but I won't. John, I want to give you the chance to state your case. Why shouldn't you be punished?"

A hand ripped the tape off his mouth as Nickel gasped. "I knew there was bad stuff in my buildings."

"Can you track him?" Oliver asked.

"If I had a laptop with me, maybe." Natasha said.

"OK, yes, I made a little profit!" Nickel admitted. "At least they had a place to live. Without me, people like them would end up on the streets."

"People like… That's what we all are to guys like this…" The camera shifted a little as there was a gun on the screen. "John, I find you guilty." The man shot twice as they stared in shock.

Natasha and Bobbi were silent. They had seen this ruthlessness before with many people but it never gets easy to see it, while Oliver and Diggle stared.

Later, the Foundry

"Uh-huh. Thanks." Natasha hung up. "That website code matches a cyber-crusader, who's been on the radar of NSA for a while now. The Savior. S.H.I.E.L.D. tracked him into the Glades but it's not easy to get a lock on him. Apparently, he erased all traces of himself last year. He's living off-the-grid."

"So, what happened a year ago?" Diggle wondered.

Suddenly, the website went active again, again with a man bound and mouth gagged with a tape.

"We're back." The voice announced. "I have with me assistant district attorney Gavin Carnahan." The gagged man let out muffled screams. "Now, D.A.'s are supposed to go after bad guys but this one can't even be bothered to bring them to trial. Like the ones who killed my wife in a bodega."

Bobbi started typing, tracking him down.

"They said there wasn't enough evidence." The man on the screen continued. "You think the evidence would have turned up if she had been killed in one of Starling City's nicer neighborhoods?"

Bobbi pulled up a news article about the bodega shooting. "Emma Falk, grieving husband is Joseph Falk." She read. "He's 42 years old, used to work in Department of Transportation as computer technician, went off the grid after his wife's murder… year ago from today."

"No current phone number or address." Natasha said.

"Gavin, you're a lawyer." Falk continued. "You're used to making a case. So, go ahead, I'm gonna give you ten minutes to deliver the closing argument of your life."

"I'll see if we can get a lock on him." Bobbi said as Oliver rushed out from the lair.

"Shut it down." Oliver ordered.

"I can't, the signal's firewalled." Bobbi said. "But I think I got him, he's at 23rd and Mira."

Oliver ran out and grabbed his helmet.

"You want to hood up?" Diggle demanded.

"It's the middle of the day!" Oliver said.

Starling City

"How's Carnahan doing?" Oliver asked while riding the bike.

"Not convincing argument!" Diggle replied.

"Almost there!" Oliver stopped and rushed into the building, checking every room inside. "He's not here!"

"What?" Bobbi asked, dumbfounded.

"I checked every office on every floor. He's not here!" Oliver snarled angrily. "Are you sure it's here?"

"Yeah…" Suddenly, Bobbi, Natasha and Diggle widened their eyes

"What the hell?" Diggle whispered. "It can't be—"

"What?" Oliver demanded.

"He's on the move! North of you, Ocean and Grand!"

Oliver jumped on the roof from the window, rushing from rooftop to rooftop.

"I took on cases that were… that I thought… that I could win…" Carnahan stuttered. "I'm sorry…"

"Gavin Carnahan, I find you guilty of crimes against the Glades." Falk said, raising his gun.

"Don't do this!" Carnahan begged, to no avail.

"And I sentence you to death."

"I'm at Ocean and Grand, but it's just a vacant lot!" Oliver said, looking at the construction side.

"How the hell is this possible…" Natasha wondered before they saw Falk execute Carnahan, shooting him dead live on screen as they stared for a moment, processing.

"Oliver, it's over, Carnahan is dead." Diggle called out.

"How the hell did that happen? You had him, right?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." Oliver wondered. "If he's not using a car, then what?"

Roy's House, the Glades

Roy walked out snorted instantly as he saw her. "I was waiting for this."

"Waiting for what?" Thea asked.

"The whole 'You can change, I can see the real you' speech." He stretched his arms. "Look around, this is home sweet home for me. In the Glades, you either starve or you do things that mean you're lucky enough to make it to 21."

Thea shook her head. "I can't accept that."

"Can't accept me."

Thea sighed but before she could come up with an argument, a man approached them. "Roy Harper?"

"Yeah?" Roy turned around but a moment later, the man stuck a syringe into his neck.

"Roy!" Thea exclaimed, lunging at the man but he shoved her and she was knocked out the moment she hit the ground.

Later, Verdant

Oliver, Natasha and Tommy were at the bar until the TV on the wall showed news bulletin on the most recent activity of the Savior as everyone looked at the screen.

"More on the story out of the Glades. The kidnapper seems to have another victim and is broadcasting the feed to his website. A warning to viewers, this is live footage, so we're not sure what we're about to see."

The Savior ripped the tape off Roy's mouth as he gasped. "Meet Roy Harper. Arrest for larceny and robbery, aggravated assault." The Savior listed. "And yet you're out on the street. Another gangbanger in the Glades running free, just like the ones who killed my wife. I grew up in the Glades but it didn't turn me into a criminal."

"I know that kid." Tommy recognized the boy as Oliver turned to him.

"How?" He asked. "Tommy." Oliver insisted.

"Ollie!" Thea wailed suddenly as Oliver, Tommy and Natasha turned to her, seeing the dirt on her clothes and tears on her face before she turned to the TV, seeing Roy and covered her mouth, sobbing. "Oh, God, no. I didn't know where else to go."

"You know him?" Oliver demanded.

Thea nodded. "Roy, he's my friend. We were in a fight, when some guy came out of nowhere and just attacked us, he doesn't deserve to die!" She cried out.

"I promise you, he's gonna be OK." Oliver assured Thea, holding her shoulders. "Stay here with Tommy." Thea nodded as Oliver went to the basement with Natasha following him a moment later.

"Roy Harper…" Bobbi trailed off, her eyes widening.

"You know him?" Diggle asked.

"I knew his father. It's been a long time." Bobbi said.

"Anything?" Oliver asked as he entered with Natasha.

"Not really. Just some ambient rhythm in the background." Bobbi said as she turned on the speaker.

"What is that?" Oliver asked. "Sounds like a car driving over lane markers."

"No, I don't think it's a car." Natasha said. "It could be a bus or—"

"Bobbi, show me a map." Diggle said as she showed on the screen a map of Starling City. "Sights of the abductions so far." Bobbi marked the spots on the map. "Right there, right there. Locksley and Adams. Wells Street down by CNRI. Those are all subway stops!"

"I didn't know Starling City had subway." Natasha said.

"No but we used to." Diggle corrected. "When I was a kid, my Dad used to take me down to the Rockets game. By fourteen minutes, I'd lean against the window, feeling the rhythm of the train moving."

"That's why we couldn't find him and how he was moving so quickly." Natasha realized.

"He was underground using the subway tunnels the whole time. He used to work for Department of Transportation, that's why I couldn't pinpoint his location." Bobbi realized.

"Where is he now?" Oliver asked as he went to suit up.

"Old Town Cross, if he follows the route, he'll be at the Spring Street stop in fifteen minutes." Bobbi said as Natasha followed Oliver.

Four years ago, London

"Harper, I'm seeing a lot of activity on the rooftop. Be careful." Natasha said, as she observed with her goggles.

"Copy." Harper said as he climbed up and dodged and took cover upon seeing the laser gunsight. "Sniper."

"I got him." Clint said as he fired an arrow, shooting him down.

"Chemical engineers, snipers, techs, we're looking at a bioweapon." Bobbi said as they saw the drivers loading up into the building some equipment.

"What are they up to?" Harper wondered as he and Natasha snuck in through the ducts As they jumped down, Harper picked a garotte, wrapping it around a guard's neck, knocking him out. They snuck past more guards as they saw a manifest on the table. "What is that?"

"Components for a chemical weapon. VX nerve gas." Natasha said. "We can't let it leave this place."

"I agree." Harper said.

They snuck deeper into the facility and saw the men load up a device.

"We can't let them leave with that gas." Bobbi said.

"I'll see if I can plant in a tracker. Then call a drone strike and boom." Harper said, sneaking into the truck as Natasha and Bobbi snuck on the guards, knocking them out. Clint shot more of them down before the cargo door of the truck closed as it drove away.

"Roy!" Natasha cried out as the truck drove away.

"Hill, call in a drone strike on my location, now!" Harper ordered.

"Roy, what the hell are you doing?" Clint demanded.

"Finishing the mission." Harper said.

"At the cost of your own life?" Natasha demanded, looking around for another truck before she ran to hotwire it. "Look, you don't have to do this, we can…"

"There's no time, Nat! If that thing gets loose, people are gonna die. You can't intercept my location without leaving the VX gas intact. I'm sorry, guys, I had to make a choice. Tell my boy… that I'm sorry. That his daddy is a hero."

"Roy! Roy!" Clint called out.

"Requesting confirmation, Harper. Drone strike confirmed?" Hill called out.

"Confirmed." Harper said as Clint, Bobbi and Natasha felt their hearts shatter. They watched as the drone flew in and a moment later, the truck exploded as they all stared.

Present, Starling City

The Hood blasted the access grate with an explosive arrow as he descended with Natasha with the grapnel arrow, entering the access tunnel for subway and following the tracks and stopped as the train passed by, almost running through them.

"It's happening." Bobbi said over the comms.

"I'll give you ten minutes to state your case, Roy. So, tell us, why do you get to live?" Falk asked.

Roy closed his eyes as he looked back at his entire life so far, sobbing. "I shouldn't." He looked into the camera. "Just go on. Kill me!"

Falk stepped back, surprised. "You really don't care if you live or die?"

Verdant

In Verdant, Thea watched helplessly at her friend on TV, as Tommy was trying to comfort her.

"No one is going to miss me." Roy announced. "I'm just a waste." He repeated what Thea had said to him the other day.

The tears of guilt streamed down Thea's eyes, wishing she could take those words back.

Starling City

"Well, then, we agree on something." Falk commented as he raised his gun. "This world would be better off without you in it."

Roy closed his eyes, making peace with his fate, just as an explosion suddenly followed on the ceiling of the train, sending Falk to the ground, just as the Hood and Natasha showed up, with the former throwing a fletchette towards Roy's restrained hand.

In the meantime, Falk got up, just as the Hood aimed the arrow at him. "Let him go." He snarled. "You kill him, he won't get an opportunity to change."

"He will not get a second chance." Natasha said.

"We're the only ones who can save this city!" Falk retorted. "We can't stop now!"

"We're not the same!" The Hood shot back.

"You have killed people. So have I. What's the difference between you and me?" The deranged man continued to protest. "Emma never got a second chance. You two have no idea how lonely it is." He turned to Roy.

"Joseph. Joseph!" Natasha called out as he turned to them again. "We know what is it like to be alone."

"But that does not give you the right to kill people in cold blood." The Hood added.

"He deserves it." Falk snapped. Roy managed to free his hand, trying to let his other hand loose in the meantime. "Just like the gangbangers who gunned her down, he's no different than them. And now I get to gun him down!"

He turned at Roy and opened fire, just as Roy took cover.

"No!" Natasha cried out, just as the Hood let go of the bowstring and fired the arrow, shooting the man in his back as he dropped dead.

Roy went out of the cover to see his abductor dead on the floor and the vigilantes gone.

Verdant

Thea was staring into the wall at the table as her phone buzzed and she looked at the message.

"Turn to your left."

She did so and saw Roy, still in shock and she ran to him and hugged him tightly, greatly relieved. "I thought you were going to die."

"That makes two of us." Roy admitted honestly.

After a moment, Thea smiled and let him go. "I probably look like a mess. I'm going to go to the bathroom and freshen way, way up." But on the way to the bathroom, she returned to her friend and kissed him on his cheek. "I'm sorry about what I said."

The Foundry

"We should look after Roy. He needs it." Bobbi said as Natasha nodded.

"Thea's friend is upstairs." Diggle said.

"I saw." Oliver said.

"They were more than happy to see each other." Bobbi pointed out as Diggle seemed amused, while Oliver frowned as Bobbi and Natasha enjoyed the looks on their faces.

"You OK?" Diggle asked.

"I'm getting there." Oliver said. "Thank you." Then he noticed the map on the screen. "What's that?"

"The map of the decommissioned subway of the city. Why?" Bobbi said as Natasha took a closer look.

Oliver opened the list as he looked at the glyph. "I've seen that map before." He showed it to them as it hit them all. "It was right in front of our faces the entire time. My father, the other archer, the Undertaking, whatever the plan is. It's all connected to the Glades."

Chapter Text

"Are you sure it's him?" Oliver asked as he was at the bar, observing the man right across as Oliver was wearing lenses to have different eye color and fake beard and a wig.

"What do you take me for, Queen?" Clint questioned, masqueraded as a player at the tables as he was done playing blackjack.

"He's the last person, who can tell us about who helped Kovar. The money led here." Natasha said.

"And the other question is, who paid him." Oliver wondered as the man was leaving. "He's leaving. I'm gonna follow him."

"What do we know about this guy?" Oliver asked as he was on a rooftop as the Hood, following the man.

"Sonny Burch. Black market dealer. S.H.I.E.L.D. has crossed paths with this guy before." Clint said.

"I think A.R.G.U.S. had a file on him, too." Oliver said.

"He's a slippery snake. He's got friends in high places." Natasha said as Oliver nodded. It made sense.

"Is he the one, who delivered to Kovar the gas?" Oliver asked.

"Either that or he's another middle man." Natasha said.

Oliver drove on a bike, following Burch until they ended up at the edge of the city as Oliver saw Burch's limo driving into the villa.

"Do we have any idea how to get in?" Oliver asked.

"There's a panic room installed in there. But the blueprints are a bit sketchy about where exactly they are." Clint said.

"Panic room, huh? That might help. We just need to make sure Burch backs himself into the corner, we won't have to chase him down." Oliver said. "How do I cut off the power in the estate?"

"Southeast garden, there should be a junction box underneath somewhere. If you take it out…"

"…Burch's gonna freak and corner himself in the panic room. Got it." Oliver nodded, rappelling down the wall and taking cover as the guards walked down the area. Oliver shot down two guards as Clint smirked.

"Nice shot. Wonder who taught you that?" Clint asked.

Oliver chuckled, running into the garage and climbing up on a pipe as guards entered. Oliver climbed up on the roof through the window before he fired an arrow and rappelled towards the security center on the other side.

"The junction box should be right under you." Natasha said.

"An EMP pulse should take it out." Oliver notched an arrow and fired down as the pulse short-circuited the junction box and the entire estate blacked out.

The guards were on alert with flashlights as an emergency alarm and backup generator went on.

"He's got good training from you and Waller." Clint noted as he observed.

"What? Are you jealous?" Natasha teased as Clint chuckled.

Oliver blended in with the shadows, sneaking past the guards, who were scouring the area with flashlights.

"Where did Burch go?" Oliver asked.

"Upper level, northwest bedroom. The panic room is in the corner." Clint said.

Oliver got up and snuck past the guards before he fired an explosive arrow and Burch screamed as Oliver notched an arrow.

"Sonny Burch, you have failed this city." The Hood growled.

"What do you want from me?" Burch demanded.

The Hood grabbed him by his shirt. "Did you send sarin gas to Konstantin Kovar?"

"I was just a middle man, OK? I got paid." Burch stammered, sweating in panic.

"By who?" The Hood growled.

"Tempest. They call themselves 'Tempest', that's all I know. They gave me too good money to refuse." Burch said quickly.

"Tempest again." Natasha said.

"And the money leads to Starling. Again." Clint nodded as S.H.I.E.L.D. van was transporting Burch and they drove to escort.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, causing for the van with Burch to skid and fall into the creek below.

"What the hell?" Clint demanded.

Suddenly, they ducked as more gunshots rang out, shattering the windshield before Oliver spotted the light and gunsight before the shooter ran off. Oliver went out and sniffed the bullet. "Curare."

"Lawton." Natasha realized.

"Looks like that this Tempest is covering their tracks." Natasha said.

"And they hired Lawton too." Oliver said as Diggle entered.

"Did you say 'Lawton'?" Diggle demanded.

"Yeah." Oliver said as Diggle glared. "I know. I know."

"Oliver, we've been after this guy for weeks. When are we gonna catch him?" Diggle demanded.

Later, A.R.G.U.S.

Lyla Michaels was walking out before stopping as she faced Bobbi. "Agent Michaels. It's been a while."

"Look, Bobbi, I wish I could help you but Lawton is a person of interest of ours with sensitive intel." Lyla said as they sat at the bench.

"Lyla, save it." Bobbi shot her a look. "You know me better than this. And I know about this squad of yours." Lyla sighed as Bobbi shot her a glare. "Lyla, are you out of your mind?"

"He could be a valuable—"

"Amanda Waller is a woman with no conscience or remorse. She will leverage, threaten, blackmail, do anything to force deadly and dangerous people to do whatever she wants them to do." Bobbi said.

"We're working for the greater—"

"Save it." Bobbi glared as Lyla was silent before Bobbi handed her a flash drive.

"What is it?" Lyla asked.

"Do you know about that chemical spill in Hong Kong?" Bobbi asked as Lyla nodded. "It wasn't a chemical spill. Waller covered it up. Just take a look at the drive and then tell me whether you really trust Waller."

Bobbi left as Lyla considered.

Later, Starling City

Diggle, Lyla and other A.R.G.U.S. agents were on a stakeout as Lyla sat at the table.

"Trap 1, this is Harbinger. Wait for Lawton to enter and make contact. Then we'll take him down." Lyla called out as a man approached Lyla, wearing a coat and a fedora hat. Lyla reached for her gun slowly. "Trap 1, possible target acquisition. Get ready."

The man took off his head to reveal a young boy as they relaxed as the boy moved past them.

"Stand down." Lyla said, looking around. "Maybe Lawton didn't take the bait after all."

"Or maybe he's smarter than you think and he wanted you to react." Clint said as it hit them. Suddenly, Diggle noticed a sight of a red flash in the window in the upper walkways as gunshots rang out, as Lawton shot down the older man sitting near Lyla as he started shooting down more people.

"We're blown! Take cover!" Lyla called out as Lawton shot more agents and Diggle tackled Lyla down before Lawton could shoot her.

Lawton ran towards the fire escape before an arrow shot him in the leg as he fell down before Clint hit him in the face, knocking him out

"Target acquired." Clint said.

Later, A.R.G.U.S.

Waller was seething, angry that she did not acquire Lawton as her asset for Task Force X before her phone rang as she answered the call.

"You've got even dirtier hands than I thought."

Waller narrowed her eyes. "Fury. Is this how you want to play this?"

"I've tolerated a lot of things from you, Amanda but recruiting mercenaries and assassins?" Fury snorted.

"How is this different from you trying to recruit a group of freaks like Tony Stark or that freak that wrecked Harlem?" Waller questioned.

"The difference is that they have conscience." Fury said. "And I've had enough of it. I tolerated Hong Kong but you're going too far."

"There are people in this world that deal in extreme. It would be naïve that anything less than extreme measures can stop them." Waller sneered.

"At what cost?" Fury countered. "Does term 'collateral damage' mean anything to you? Or 'conscience'? You let the Yamashiros unguarded and let China White take them. And covering up that mess, naughty, naughty…"

Waller narrowed her eyes before government agents entered.

"I think that the Senate Committee would like to hear your explanation." Fury said as Waller glared before he hung up.

Chapter Text

"A crook missing his laptop?" Bobbi asked as Oliver showed her the laptop he had confiscated.

"Harold Backman." Oliver said. "He's who the Starling City's worst call when they want to launder money in the Caymans."

"Shouldn't you give this to IRS, in that case?" Natasha raised her brows.

"We will. Just as soon as you return the money to their rightful owners." Oliver said as Natasha took a look.

"Well, that's going to take some time. I'll have to break through asymmetric encryption algorithm." Natasha said.

"It's going to take days at least to go through this." Bobbi said.

"Sorry, why are you late again?" Tommy sighed in frustration. "Listen, I need this stock tonight or I'll have to reschedule the event and that's going to cost me…" He groaned. "Fine. Then I guess I'll have to call another suppler." He hung up as Oliver went up.

"Is there a problem?" Oliver asked.

"We're running out of martini and the more high-class booze and Hamilton Hill reserved the club for a party tomorrow night." Tommy said.

"I can call another supplier, if you want." Oliver said before he got a message on the phone. "Sorry, gotta take this."

Oliver went downstairs as Bobbi handed him the paper.

"This a list of deposits that Backman made over the last year in Caymans. There's one big deposit that might interest you." Bobbi said as Oliver read it.

"Two million dollars on Decem… December 12th." Oliver realized. "That's the day Walter disappeared."

"Maybe one of Backman's clients had been paid two million to take Walter." Diggle surmised.

"We need to find out who and use them to find Walter." Oliver ordered.

"Already done." Natasha showed him the profile. "Dominic Alonzo."

"Yeah." Oliver sighed.

"Runs the biggest underground casino in Starling City." Diggle remembered.

"He is the type who would kidnap Walter." Natasha nodded.

"Yeah but the casino is heavily guarded." Bobbi said. "You'd need to access his computer without setting off any alarms. And I think I have an idea."

Starling City

Oliver was on a fire escape across the club, observing through the goggles as Bobbi, in a dress, approached the guards.

"Password's 'snapdragon'." Oliver said.

"Password." The guard asked.

"Snapdragon." Bobbi said calmly as they let her into the casino and she looked around.

"What do you see?" Oliver asked.

"Six armed guards, two pit bosses, one floor an." Bobbi said as she sat at a blackjack table. "One stack of High Society, please." She passed the cash over to the dealer, who flipped through it before nodding at the pit boss.

Took some time before Bobbi started to on a winning streak as she was collecting the chips before noticing a guard behind her.

"Miss, can you come with me?" The man asked, well, more like ordered.

"Is there a problem?" Bobbi asked, trying to sound oblivious.

The man neared her. "Get up."

"Could've said 'please'." Bobbi shrugged but complied nonetheless before he accompanied her into the manager's office. "Can I go to the bathroom, please?"

"No." The pit boss growled.

"Come on, the manager's office is right down the hall and then right to the bathroom, it'll take me just a minute." Bobbi said, trying to sound seductive, while giving Oliver directions.

"Mr. Alonzo." The pit boss forced Bobbi into Alonzo's office before closing the door.

"Have a seat." Alonzo said as Bobbi sat down. "What's your name?"

"Jessica." Bobbi lied.

"Do you know where the term '86' comes from, Jessica?" Alonzo challenged.

"Prohibition." Bobbi said calmly.

"Now it means to ban someone, someone who's cheating. You're 86'd. Leave your chips and go." Alonzo said.

"Understood." Bobbi got up from her seat but the pit boss blocked her way to the door before pulling out a scanning device as they found her comms as she sighed.

"Oh, yeah, Jessica, one more thing." Alonzo said. "You see, the thing about card counters is, uh, sometimes, they work with a partner." He smashed the comms with his boot as Bobbi sighed, realizing she had been made.

Suddenly, Bobbi grabbed the pit boss and hit him in the face, knocking him out before slamming Alonzo against the desk, pinning him down. "Wait until you meet my partners."

A man was thrown through the entrance door as the Hood, Natasha and Diggle wearing ski masks burst in, the Hood taking down a dealer and Natasha kicking a guard across a blackjack table as Diggle shot down two of the guards behind them. They took cover as another guard fired an SMG but Natasha jumped over a blackjack table, kicking him in his face and knocking him out.

Two guards rushed at Diggle with pool cues Diggle dodged as he kneecapped one of the guards before grabbing another one's cue from his hands and knocking him down on the floor.

The Hood, Diggle and Natasha then burst into Alonzo's manager office with the archer having a notched arrow as the man had aimed gun at them. The Hood fired, hitting bullseye on the dartboard behind Alonzo.

"I heard you never miss." Alonzo mocked.

"I don't." The Hood replied as the arrow exploded, knocking Alonzo on the floor before the Hood grabbed him and pinned him to a wall. "Where's Walter Steele?" He demanded.

"What? What are you talking about?" Alonzo asked, confused.

"Six months ago you had him kidnapped!" The archer snarled.

"It was just a job. I was given a name, I didn't ask any questions." Alonzo said defensively.

The Hood squeezed his throat, running out of patience. "Last chance. Where is he?"

"Below ground." Alonzo replied.

"You're lying!" The Hood snarled.

"I'm not. I delivered him and they killed him. I heard the gunshot. He's dead." Alonzo said as the Hood let him go, staring for a moment before knocking him out. Oliver put down his hood, looking devastated as Natasha held his shoulder, providing whatever little comfort she could.

Later, Queen Manor

Thea and Moira were in a living room, looking at some online clothes shop on a tablet before Oliver entered.

"Ollie, are you OK?" Thea asked, noticing that Oliver was upset.

"I need to talk to you both." Oliver whispered as he sat on a chair across them.

"What is it?" Moira asked.

"It's about Walter." Oliver replied as Thea put the tablet aside, intrigued about news about her stepfather.

"Did the police contact you?" Moira asked.

"One of Mr. Diggle's army buddies works for the FBI now and they got news tonight."

Thea and Moira shook their heads in denial. "No."

"I'm very sorry."

"No, no, no, no, no." Moira shook her head in denial. "There must be some mistake. Who did Mr. Diggle talk to? Did they find a body?"

"Mom… Walter's gone." Oliver said softly.

"No. This isn't right." Moira said as she was walking out from the room.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked.

"Out."

"It's ten o'clock at night."

"I need some air."

"Mom, you're in shock."

"Don't tell me what or how I feel, Oliver." Moira snapped as she whirled on him before storming out from the manor.

"Why is she acting like that?" Thea wailed.

"Come here." Oliver embraced her in his arms as she sobbed into his chest.

Later, the Lair

After Oliver had followed Moira into Merlyn Global Group, he filled everyone in back in the lair.

"Malcolm Merlyn." Bobbi repeated.

"Tommy's father? Are you sure? Why?" Natasha asked.

"Just do as I say and check his phone records." Oliver ordered as Bobbi typed something into the keyboard.

"Some tenement complex in Bludhaven."

"Can you pull out a satellite view?" Oliver asked.

Bobbi pulled up satellite imaging. "For a low-income house, it's heavily guarded."

"Two guards stationed at all access point. One on the roof. No other buildings in the area." Natasha said.

"You would need a plane or something to get on there." Diggle pointed out.

"We've got something." Natasha said.

Bludhaven

"Good luck!" Clint called out as the Hood and Natasha both jumped off the plane, opening their chutes and safely landing on the roof. The Hood slid down the stairs, knocking the guard over the ledge as he fell down on the ground before he and Natasha entered the building, knocking down from the stairs two guards.

They walked down the hall before a guard ambushed them from the shadows and the Hood knocked him out, while Natasha slammed another one's head against the wall. The Hood engaged another guard in front of him, whacking him in the head with his bow.

Three guards entered but Natasha threw a disk on the floor as it exploded in smoke before she rushed at them and quickly took them down. The Hood spun around, notching an arrow and shooting another incoming guard down, while Natasha threw three knives at the thugs on the other side of the hall, taking them down.

Another thug grabbed the Hood from behind but the Hood spun around and dodged a roundhouse kick of another guard incoming. The Hood threw one of the guards to a nearby door and Natasha engaged the three more incoming guards with her batons, effortlessly dodging their combined attacks before she beat them up.

The Hood fired another arrow at another guard on the other side of the hall before the last one grabbed him from behind but the Hood struggled out from his grip, dodging his punches and slamming his head to a wall three times, knocking him out.

The Hood approached the metal door with a bolt, opening them and revealing disheveled Walter on bed, sleeping as the vigilante turned on his voice changer. "Mr. Steele. Walter."

"What?" Walter woke up, looking confused as he looked at the Hood. "What's happening?"

"You're going home." The Hood said.

Merlyn Global Group

"She helped the Hood save Mr. Steele?" Malcolm called over the phone as he narrowed his eyes. "No. No need. I'll handle it." He hung up and considered before dialing another number. "I have a job for you. And I'm offering you a chance at revenge. Natasha Romanoff. She's here."

Chapter Text

"We've been tailing your mother for days and she's done nothing off her routine so far." Bobbi said.

"And nothing in her home or office phone that would be out of the ordinary, asides from her calling Tommy's father." Natasha said.

"Why wouldn't she call him? They're old friends. We're all old friends." Oliver said sarcastically.

"We already know that whatever is Merlyn and your mother planning, it's linked to the Glades." Bobbi said.

"And when Walter was onto them, Merlyn had him kidnapped." Natasha said.

"I gotta ask her." Oliver said, about to leave.

"And how did that work out the last time?" Natasha pointed out.

"Not that kind of conversation." Oliver said, shooting Natasha a look.

Queen Manor

"Hey, Mom." Oliver said as he entered the living room.

Moira turned around, nervous at first but then relieved. "Walter's upstairs resting, I think he's doing well. Don't you?"

"Who took him?" Oliver asked bluntly.

"Well, we don't know yet. But I'm going to make sure all the resources of Queen Consolidated are behind him." Moira replied.

"That's the answer you have the press yesterday; I want the truth." Oliver said bluntly.

"I don't know what you mean." Moira dodged.

"I think you do." Oliver said. "A couple of months ago, when I showed you Dad's notebook, you seemed to know something; something about our family being in danger."

"Are you suggesting that I knew something about my husband's kidnapping?" Moira asked defensively.

"I'm suggesting that maybe you were scared." Oliver measured his words. "That maybe you didn't mean for any of this to happen. But it was harder than you thought. And now you're barely keeping your head above water. Please, Mom. Let me help you before you drown." He pleaded.

"You need to stop asking these things, do you understand?" Moira insisted, nervous. "I need you to stop."

"I can't. I need to know." Oliver said before the lights flickered.

"Is that a power outage?" Moira asked, confused about what was going on.

"I don't know." Oliver said before a dart hit his neck as he collapsed on the floor.

"Oliver!" Moira wailed, kneeling on the floor to check on him "Oliver!" Suddenly, she too was hit with a dart as she passed out.

Elsewhere

As Moira came to, she found herself tied to a metal chair in an abandoned warehouse as across her was Oliver, also bound to a chair.

"Mom!" Oliver yelled as he seemed to have woken up.

"Oliver…" Moira said weakly as she looked around. "How are we… we need to get out of here."

The Hood stepped out from the shadows. "Moira Queen. You have failed this city."

"Please, do not hurt my son." Moira begged.

"Tell me what the Undertaking is and I won't have to." Clint, disguised as the Hood stared at Oliver, who gave him an imperceptive nod as Clint slugged him and Oliver groaned.

"No!" Moira wailed.

"Tell me!" Clint snarled.

"Please, leave my son alone!" Moira begged, crying.

"What is Malcolm Merlyn planning?!" Clint demanded.

"I can't tell you! He'll kill me, he'll kill my family!" Moira cried out.

"You should be more worried about what I'll do!" Clint snarled before he tossed Oliver tied to the chair on the ground as Oliver gasped, faking pain.

"No! Malcolm is planning to level the Glades!" Moira finally broke. "He said so he could rebuild it but—"

"How?" Clint asked.

"There's a device." Moira said.

"What device?!" Clint demanded, nearing Moira.

"He says it can create an earthquake." Moira explained, shocking Clint and Oliver, although considering what he and Natasha had found in Unidac, this didn't completely surprise him.

"How is this possible?" The Hood asked.

"I don't know, he says it was created by Unidac Industries. He used my company's Applied Science Division to turn it into a weapon." Moira said.

"Why would you get involved in something like this?" The Hood demanded.

"My husband…" Moira said slowly as Oliver's shock, anger and feeling of betrayal were growing increasingly. "He got involved without my knowing. He was just trying to do some good. He was lost. He… his decisions left me vulnerable to Malcolm and I had no choice. I had to protect my family and children."

"The device. Where is it?" The Hood inquired.

"I don't know." Moira sobbed out.

"I can't stop Merlyn if you don't tell me!" The Hood snarled.

"You can't stop him, it's too late." Moira scoffed.

The Hood approached Oliver, pulling out a fletchette as Moira panicked. "No, no, no, I told you everything!" The Hood cut the restraints off before he approached Moira, also freeing her as Moira was walking towards limping Oliver. "Oliver!" She cried out.

"No!" Oliver pushed her away, betrayal and anger filling him.

"Oh, sweet… please, I know what you must be thinking, sweetheart but I never intended any of this to happen." Moira begged. "You know that I would never willingly be a part of anything like this."

"I don't know anything anymore." Oliver glared as he got up on his feet, limping out from the warehouse, not wanting to look back at his mother.

Later, the Lair

"You OK, Queen?" Clint asked as he handed Oliver an icepack.

"I've had worse, don't worry." Oliver assured him before turning to Bobbi. "I need you to dig up everything you can on Unidac Industries."

"It's an R&D tech company specialized in seismic infringement, we've been investigating them since that business with Kovar." Natasha said.

"Merlyn's planning to level the Glades with a device that triggers a manmade earthquake." Clint explained as Bobbi and Natasha stared at them in disbelief.

"You're kidding me." Bobbi muttered.

"What else does it say?" Oliver inquired.

"Wait a minute. There's a lot of media attention on something called 'The Unidac Massacre'." Bobbi said.

"Quite convenient." Natasha said.

"But look at this. According to this article, the police believes the copycat archer did this. The same one that almost killed you and that you spotted back in Unidac." Bobbi said.

"What?!" Oliver exclaimed.

"The other archer works for Merlyn." Clint realized.

"And he's tying up loose ends." Diggle added.

"To make sure there's no evidence of that device or that no one can point it back to him." Natasha said. "He also must be the one, who delivered Kovar the sarin gas. I think we need to talk with him very closely.

Oliver shook his head. "Well, even if we take out Merlyn, the other archer is still out there. He can set off the device." He sighed. "We need to find it. Then Merlyn can get his."

"We'll have to access the Merlyn Global Group mainframe, there's no way I can hack in remotely." Bobbi said.

Later, Merlyn Global Group

Clint, wearing a suit and Bobbi in her formal dress, both looking like high-class businessmen approached the reception.

"William Brandt. Lindsay Harrison. We have a 11.30 with Malcolm Merlyn." Clint said, showing his fake ID.

The guard checked their IDs before allowing them to go into the elevator.

Clint and Bobbi entered as the elevator closed before a young executive burst in with a pile of folders in his hand. "Hold that!" Bobbi pressed "close" but he managed to get in as he eyed Bobbi. "Where are you headed, sweetie?"

"19th floor." Bobbi said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Too bad, I'm going to 13th—"

Annoyed, Clint knocked the executive's folders out of the elevator into the lobby, forcing him to get out as he was starting to gather the papers, while Bobbi pressed "close" button again.

"Ass." Bobbi muttered before pressing the device on her bracelet, sending the cameras into the loop as Clint pulled out a grapnel crossbow, while Bobbi tapped a button on her phone, while she opened the ceiling panel as they climbed up into the elevator shaft. "I think there's been a typo. No one has a meeting with Mr. Merlyn in 11.30. Oops."

Clint used the grapnel to swing across the gap between the elevators.

"Mainframe's at 25th floor." Natasha said, observing from across the street.

Clint and Bobbi snuck past the guards and approached the mainframe as Bobbi started downloading the data into her tablet. A guard was nearing her but Clint got behind him, grabbing him in chokehold as the guard passed out.

"Do you have it?" Clint asked.

"One minute… got it." Bobbi unplugged the tablet as she and Clint went out

Later, Natasha's apartment

"Are you alright, Oliver?" Natasha asked as he sat down next to her, still contemplating and processing his mother's betrayal.

"My father told me he failed the city." Oliver said, eying the List. "Asked me to right his wrongs but I never knew what he meant until now. The Undertaking. I promised myself when I crossed all the names off this List, I'd be done but…" He sighed. "Taking down these people, it doesn't honor him. I was just treating the symptoms while the disease festered. I stop the Undertaking… I wipe out the disease."

"So, once you stop the Undertaking, you'd resign as the Hood?" Natasha asked.

"We promised to each other we'd see through where we can go." Oliver said, turning to her. "What do you think?"

"I think you'd make a good S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." Natasha said.

"You know what I mean." Oliver said as they stared at each other before they kissed fiercely and laid down on the bed, stripping each other of their clothes. Oliver took off Natasha's top and unclipped her bra, while she unbuttoned his shirt and they kissed before Oliver ran his hands from Natasha's cheeks down her body as they continued making out.

Later at night, Natasha was lying on Oliver's chest, their clothes scattered across the room, their naked bodies pressed against each other under the sheet before both their phones went off as they picked them up.

"Yeah?" Oliver asked.

"I got the device. It's outside Merlyn Global Group in a warehouse in the Glades." Bobbi said.

Elsewhere

Clint, Bobbi, Natasha and Diggle were looking into a crate as they opened it, only to notice it was empty.

"Oliver, the device. It's gone." Diggle called out.

"Did you hear us, Oliver? Oliver, are you there?" Natasha called out.

"You should worry more about me."

They all whirled around, recognizing the voice as a man in white hood with a skull mask appeared, holding in his hand a bow and having a sheathed sword.

Chapter Text

"You." Natasha glared.

"Taskmaster." Clint growled.

"Good to know you remember." Taskmaster said.

Clint immediately fired an arrow but Taskmaster grabbed it and threw it back as they dodged.

Natasha and Bobbi pulled out their batons, while Clint pressed on the button on his bow, changing it into a staff. Taskmaster pulled out his escrima sticks and blocked their attacks. Taskmaster pushed back and retaliated as they moved back and forth before Taskmaster kicked Bobbi in the face, staggering her back. Natasha punched him hard in the face but Taskmaster blocked the following attack and ducked, when Clint swung his staff.

Taskmaster jumped and spun around, forcing them all to retreat.

"You work for Merlyn? Trying to distract us? How much did he pay you to take me out?" Natasha demanded.

"Oh, he didn't have to pay me anything. You, I'll gladly do pro bono." Taskmaster said.

They continued fighting before guards entered, drawing guns.

"Freeze!"

"Don't move!"

Taskmaster pulled out a smoke bomb and dropped it as it exploded and they all retreated.

"We gotta find Oliver." Natasha said.

Oliver gasped as Malcolm's henchman dumped a bucket of ice water on him and Oliver looked around, realizing he had been stripped of his gear and comms and had only his jeans on, his arms hanging on chains.

"I hope I didn't hurt you." Malcolm said as he circled around Oliver like a shark around his prey. "At least now I can properly thank you for saving my life. If I only knew how you were spending your nights… My hope is that I can explain everything to you. To help you understand."

"You murdered my father!" Oliver snarled. "You sentenced me to that island, to five years of hell!"

"I am truly sorry for what happened to you." Malcolm said calmly. "You know I have lost people."

"Yeah, your wife." Oliver said. "Do you really think that you're honoring Tommy's mother by destroying the Glades?"

"As much as you believe you're honoring your father with this hood." Malcolm replied, in his hand the green hood. "Not a day goes by I don't miss your father."

"You'll see him soon." Oliver vowed, glaring hatefully at Malcolm.

Malcolm neared Oliver. "Neither you or the Black Widow can beat me." Oliver glared. Malcolm already knew about her. "Yes, you two are younger. Faster. But you always seem to come up short against me. Do you want to know why? Because neither of you knows in your hearts what you're fighting for. What you're willing to sacrifice. And I do." He stepped back. "No one can stop what's about to come. Not even the vigilantes." He dropped the hood on the floor and walked away as the door closed.

Clint, Bobbi, Natasha and Diggle followed the GPS as they burst into the warehouse, shooting down the guards.

Oliver used his legs to climb up the chains and as he reached the pipe on which he was hanging, he let go as the sudden weight caused for the chains to break and then, a guard entered down the stairs, while Oliver threw the chains at him, causing for the guard to fall down the stairs as Oliver then grabbed him and snapped his neck, then searched his body for keys before he saw another guard with a gun as Diggle shot him down as Oliver saw him, Natasha and Bobbi.

"I take back every joke I ever made about you sticking a tracer in your boot." Diggle said.

"I've been trying to figure out a way of shutting down the earthquake device." Bobbi said, showing Oliver the blueprints on the tablet as Diggle drove them.

"We need to find it quickly." Oliver groaned.

"There's one problem. He hired a mercenary on us. We've crossed paths with him before. His name is Taskmaster and he's very dangerous. Merlyn must have been the one behind Yelena, Kovar and Lukin too." Natasha said.

"You're saying Malcolm helped Kovar?" Oliver said.

"It all leads back to him." Natasha nodded.

"We need to shut him down and find the device." Oliver groaned.

"I'll call backup." Bobbi said.

Oliver went upstairs and saw Tommy setting up the bar.

"Hey, Ollie." Tommy greeted.

"Tommy, could you please take a night off for tonight? In fact, I'm closing the club for tonight. Call everyone else, email them and give them a memo." Oliver said and Tommy blinked.

"Again? This is third time in past month. What's going on, Ollie?" Tommy asked.

"Tommy…" Oliver took a breath. "I can't explain right now but I promise I will. Just tell me, do you trust me?"

"Ollie, I—"

"Do you trust me, Tommy?" Oliver gave him an imploring look.

Tommy stared before nodding. "OK—"

Oliver nodded as he walked off.

Later, Queen Manor

"No more lies, Mom." Oliver said as Moira was putting some clothes into a box in her bedroom. "The Undertaking. We need to stop it."

"Everything I have ever said or done has been to protect you and your sister." Moira replied.

"What about all those people in the Glades?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not their mother." Moira said passively as she looked at him.

"I spoke to Malcolm." Oliver tried a different tactic.

"You what?!" Moira gasped. "He could have killed you; he killed your father."

"No, he didn't." Oliver shook his head. "After the Gambit went down, Dad and I both made it to a life raft and then we drifted, for days. In the end, there wasn't enough food and water for both of us… so he shot himself in the head.

"I don't want to hear this." Moira turned away, dread filling her.

"He sacrificed himself, so that I could live." Oliver continued. "Do you really think that I could go on living, knowing that you sacrificed thousands more in my name?" Moira sobbed as Oliver gently held her arms. "Mom, please, you have to help me stop Malcolm. We need to know where the device is." He insisted as Moira's phone rang.

"Malcolm." She said, leveling her voice as she picked up her phone. "How can I help you? I see. Yes, thank you for calling."

She hung up as Oliver stared. "What is it?"

"Malcolm's accelerated his timetable; the Undertaking is…" She swallowed. "Is happening tonight." Oliver moved past her towards the door. "Where are you going?"

Oliver turned around to face her. "Somebody in this family needs to put an end to this; whatever the cost." With that he left the manor.

CNRI

"Laurel, did you see this?" Joanna called out as she and Laurel turned to the TV to see Moira's announcement.

"My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I am the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. And God forgive me, I have failed this city.

For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family, I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose.

To destroy the Glades and everyone in it.

But I realize now that my family's safety will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur but you need to know that the architect of this nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn. Yes, and I have proof that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen, and my husband Robert. Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please."

Laurel quickly packed up her things.

The Foundry

"I think I know where can we find that machine." Bobbi said as she showed Oliver the glyph on the notebook. "If you were about to tear down an otherwise geologically stable area, where are you going to plant the device that can do just that?"

"Underground." Oliver nodded in realization.

Bobbi nodded back as she showed them the geographical map on the screen. "This is U.S. geological survey of tectonic plates under Starling City. That red line there; a known fault right below the Glades. About a mile, the fault runs underneath the old Tenth Street subway line."

"That device is somewhere in the subway." Diggle concluded.

"I know where it is." Oliver realized.

"If Merlyn planned this for a long time, he might have prepared a contingency though." Clint said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on only one device, if I was going to use it. I'd have a contingency in place." Natasha nodded.

"I'll see if I can find if there are other devices and locate their signals." Bobbi said.

"I'll take out one, Nat can take out the other." Clint said.

"The devices are on timer and they can also be turned on remotely with a mobile transmitter." Bobbi explained as she examined the blueprints.

"Something Merlyn could have on him." Diggle realized. "Listen, if we can just get our hands on this device, maybe Lance doesn't have to disable it."

"It's too big of an 'if', Diggle." Oliver disagreed.

"We're not letting you do it on your own, Queen." Clint said. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

Merlyn Global Group

Oliver and Diggle entered Malcolm's office to see dead S.W.A.T. on the ground before Diggle found a crack in the wall. "Looks like a false wall." Diggle said as he opened the hidden door to the room, where they found Malcolm, dressed in his Dark Archer outfit.

"Welcome, gentlemen. I've been waiting for you." Malcolm said. "I wanted to see you watch your city die."

"Where's the transmitter?" Oliver demanded.

"Somewhere I can easily get to it." Malcolm said with a smirk on his face.

"I doubt it." Diggle said as Malcolm glanced at him. "You'll be too dead."

Oliver drew and fired, but Malcolm was already moving, ducking to the side of the room. Diggle followed him with a line of bullets, but he ducked behind a pillar. The two moved to follow, but Malcolm returned fire with his own bow. Oliver bent out of the path of an arrow just in time. Diggle ran around the corner, but Malcolm deftly disarmed him, then kicked him away and threw the gun at Oliver, who ducked to avoid it.

Oliver and Diggle both moved in, working in tandem, but Malcolm was highly skilled and managed to hold his own. He kicked Oliver into a work table, then spun and smashed his bow across Diggle's face, sending him staggering back. Malcolm brought the bow down hard on Oliver, who raised his own to block it. Oliver punched him hard across the face, sending the older man staggering away. He moved behind a rack of swords, then pulled out a pair of throwing knives and launched them at Diggle. One hit him in the shoulder, the other in the upper thigh. Diggle collapsed to the ground and Oliver ran over to him, giving Malcolm a chance to escape out a back entrance.

"Stairs, Oliver, go. Go!" Diggle said, pointing to the door and Oliver went up on the rooftop, going after Malcolm. At the door, Oliver dodged another incoming arrow before facing Malcolm, who was wearing his mask and hood.

"So tell me, are you ready to die?" Malcolm said.

The Glades

"I got eyes on the device." Lance Hunter said, nearing the device in the underground.

"Is there a timer?" Bobbi asked.

"Six minutes." Hunter said.

"I think you can disarm it in three, if you're not going to be an idiot." Bobbi said and Hunter groaned.

"Seriously, Bobbi, you're bringing this up now?" Hunter snapped.

Merlyn Global Group

Back on the roof of Merlyn Global, the two archers were sending arrow after arrow at each other., the two archers were sending arrow after arrow at each other. Both were running low, and then suddenly Malcolm was out. They ran towards each other, and as they came together Malcolm swung his bow at Oliver's head. Oliver dropped to his knees, sliding under the blow, then raised his bow up to block the follow up. They began trading blows furiously, expertly wielding their bows like bo staffs. Oliver spun away and fired another arrow—which Malcolm caught inches from his face—which then exploded, sending him sprawling.

The Glades

"We've got eyes on the other device." Clint said as he saw it.

Suddenly, Natasha sensed a knife as she pushed Clint away as Taskmaster jumped down.

"Back away from it. Now." Taskmaster said.

"You know we can't do that." Natasha sneered.

Clint fired an arrow but Taskmaster caught it and pulled out a bow, shooting back. Clint and Natasha dodged as the arrow grazed her arm and she hissed. Natasha pulled out a pair of batons, engaging him, with Clint pressing a button on his bow, turning it into a staff as they charged at Taskmaster. Taskmaster picked up his own pair of sticks, blocking their attacks. Taskmaster dodged as Clint swung his staff before striking him in the face as Clint staggered back. Taskmaster ducked, when Natasha aimed at his head before she attempted to use her Widow Bite. Taskmaster grabbed her hands but she slammed her fists onto his chest. Taskmaster stumbled back, surprised by the shocks but it had no effect on him.

"Insulated. That ain't working on me." Taskmaster gloated.

Natasha jumped, trying to kick him in the head but Taskmaster ducked as he kicked her in the leg and Natasha fell down. Natasha quickly recovered, while Taskmaster blocked Clint's staff with his bracers and they exchanged blows. Clint hit him in the chest and face as Taskmaster groaned before elbowing Clint in the hip and pushing him back.

Natasha attacked Taskmaster with her batons as they appeared to be evenly matched.

Merlyn Global Group

On the rooftop of Merlyn Global, Malcolm had traded his bow for a sword. They were fighting in close, with Oliver blocking the sword with his bow. Finally, he kicked it away, then kicked Malcolm, sending him sprawling. He staggered to his feet just as Oliver jumped at him. Oliver wrapped his legs around Malcolm's head and did a huricanrana, landing Malcolm back to the ground on his back as Oliver landed on top. Malcolm slid away and got up, jumping at Oliver and spinning from an arm bar to a reverse choke. He reared back, cutting off Oliver's air. Oliver reached back and ripped off Malcolm's hood, trying to find something to hit, but he couldn't.

Diggle, who had managed to drag himself up the stairs, looked on in horror.

"Don't struggle. It's over." Malcolm said as both men fell on their knees, while Oliver was losing consciousness as Malcolm tightened the grip. "There was never any doubt in the outcome. Don't worry. Your mother and sister will be joining you in death."

'Survive.' Robert's words echoed in Oliver's mind as he saw one of Malcolm's arrows in front of him.

Oliver reached out for the arrow and drove it through his shoulder, piercing Malcolm's chest, who gasped as he let Oliver go as they both fell down. Oliver grunted as he got up on his feet, groaning. "Thank you for teaching me what I'm fighting for." He turned around to face Malcolm. "But my father taught me how."

Oliver punched Malcolm in his face as he fell down.

The Glades

Natasha jumped back, when Taskmaster attacked and blocked with her batons. She headbutted Taskmaster in the face, making him stagger back. Taskmaster spun around before blocking Natasha's attacks again. He hit her in the abdomen and leg, forcing her on her knees and Natasha rolled away before he could finish her off.

Clint fired an arrow and Taskmaster caught it and threw it back, as it exploded upon nearing Clint, knocking him down.

"I ain't falling for that one." Taskmaster gloated.

Natasha jumped at Taskmaster from behind, wrapping her legs around him and trying to knock him down but Taskmaster used his arms to regain his footing as Natasha flipped back, dodging his kick. Natasha rushed at Taskmaster as they exchanged blows but Taskmaster kicked her in the leg, forcing her on her knees before he elbowed her in the face as she staggered back. Taskmaster hit her in the face, knocking her down before sending her flying back as he kicked her in the face again.

"You can't beat me. I know every move you're going to make." Taskmaster said.

"Well, guess I'm gonna have to fight dirty." Natasha sneered.

If she couldn't beat him in formal hand-to-hand combat, well, it was time to improvise. Natasha threw some marbles at Taskmaster, that exploded in smoke, blinding him. Natasha rushed at Taskmaster, tackling him to the pillar, making him struggle for breath. She dodged Taskmaster's punch before kicking him in the crotch as Taskmaster groaned before she pulled out a knife and jammed it into Taskmaster's throat and he gagged before she pulled away and Taskmaster fell down. Natasha and Clint then turned to the device again.

Merlyn Global Group

"Oliver, do you copy? Both devices have been disabled. It's over." Bobbi announced.

"It's over." Oliver said. "Both your devices are off. You've lost."

Malcolm glared hatefully at Oliver. "Do you realize what you've done?! This city is condemned because of you! This filth needed to be erased from the map!"

"There's only one filth in this city that's in front of me." Oliver growled before Malcolm drew his last breath as he collapsed on the ground.

Chapter Text

Oliver had returned to the lair as he saw Clint, Bobbi, Diggle, Natasha and a man that he did not recognize as he offered his hand.

"Oliver Queen? Lance Hunter." He shook his hand with Oliver, who noticed that Hunter was speaking with a British accent.

"You're S.H.I.E.L.D. too?" Oliver asked.

"I prefer the term 'freelancer'." Hunter chuckled.

"He's a friend." Bobbi smiled.

"So, Robin Hood, huh? What is it with you and archers?" Hunter teased as he turned to Bobbi and Natasha with a smirk

"Stop." Natasha rolled her eyes as they both laughed.

Oliver went out before facing Tommy, who glared.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Tommy said.

"Tommy—"

"It all adds up now. You're the vigilante. You always disappearing, the Hood being at the right place at the right time." Tommy continued.

"Tommy, I… understand if…"

"I'm pissed?" Tommy snorted, taking a breath. "Few weeks ago, I sure would be. But after finding out about Dad, the Undertaking, him sabotaging the Gambit… look, I'm never gonna be fine with you being the vigilante but you saved my life. I'm never gonna like it but I guess I should be glad you're looking out for me and Laurel and I guess that I owe you the benefit of the doubt at least. As for my Dad… he was dead to me long ago. Just… the less I know about your nighttime hobby and the less you drag me, Thea or Laurel into your mess, the better."

Oliver nodded. It was fair enough. "What about you?"

Tommy took a breath. "The cops asked for my statement, I already told them everything I know, which isn't much, and they and the D.A.'s office are already investigating this List Dad had and the names which were in Merlyn Global Group servers. But… honestly, how many people have you killed?"

"Only as many as I've had to in self-defense." Oliver said and Tommy considered.

"I saw you kill those guys, who kidnapped us, when you got back, did I?" Tommy asked.

Oliver nodded and sighed. "Tommy… I know you have a lot of questions."

"Yeah. But for now, just one." He looked at Oliver seriously. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Oliver met his eyes. Few weeks ago, he would have said "no". Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. "Maybe. But, Tommy, as for your Dad—"

"He was dead to me long ago. That wasn't my Dad. He was a monster." Tommy said. "Look… I… I just need some time to process."

Oliver nodded as Tommy walked off.

Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Starling City

"Malcolm Merlyn." Fury read the file as he debriefed Oliver.

"I know. I couldn't believe it myself." Oliver said. "Who trained him?"

"We have our suspicions but we need to confirm them." Fury said. "Oliver. May I call you 'Oliver'?"

"Sure." Oliver nodded.

"Look, from what I've seen and from what Romanoff has told me, you're a great guy with excellent set of skills." Fury said. "I could use someone like you and I'm putting together a team of special type of people. It's nothing like Waller's Task Force X, quite the opposite."

Oliver considered. He knew by now he could trust Fury and he wanted to see where his relationship with Natasha would go. This was a chance for them to try.

"What team?" Oliver asked as Fury smiled.

"I'm glad you asked. I have a mission for you, if you choose to accept." Fury said.

Later, Oliver met Natasha in the locker's room as she smiled at him. "So?"

"I'm taking the job." Oliver said.

"Seriously?" Natasha smiled. "Didn't see that coming."

Oliver neared her as he caressed her cheek. "I don't know where we're going to end up but I'm willing to find out."

"Me too." Natasha said as she pulled him in for a kiss.

Chapter Text

Originally, I planned to write a sequel and expand the story into bigger series but my disillusionment with MCU and 'Black Widow' film and how mishandled the Disney+ series were honestly killed my desire to write a sequel. While I would like to write Oliver/Natasha in the future, it would not be a continuation of this story anymore. I knew that 'Black Widow' film wouldn't be as good as The Winter Soldier or other great MCU films but I'd hoped it would be good enough, while the action was good and Nat's and Yelena's banter was fun to see, I disliked that Natasha had secret family prior to the Avengers, which just cheapens her relationships with Clint and his family and her other Avengers friends and don't get me started on how they handled the other Black Widow stuff, Dreykov or Taskmaster. At first I considered just doing things differently but the end of the first season of 'Loki' just reinforced my disappointment with MCU after Endgame, alongside seeing 'Black Widow'. The only thing good after Endgame so far has been Season 7 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., though I am curious about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , Guardians of the Galaxy 3  and Hawkeye series. The rest, that depends but given how have all the things after Endgame fared so far, not getting my hopes up.

Honestly, MCU is finished after Endgame, all the films after that so far have been letdowns, alongside the Disney+ series, they have been off to a good start with an interesting premise, good in the middle but at the end it turned into a letdown, either ruining the main characters or doing twists that are just weird and dumb.

Besides, and honestly, I felt like if I was going to continue the story, I'd be ripping off other authors, who have already done MCU/Arrowverse crossovers with a similar premise and my interest in writing Arrowverse stories these days is almost non-existent, with The Flash I am considering doing at least one or two stories but outside of one-shots, shorter stories or crossovers with other fandoms or some AUs that diverge from canon, I'm done with Arrowverse altogether. As for MCU, I do have ideas but another thing is to plan them out.

I enjoyed writing this story, which was on suggestion from marcus97L, thank you to him. I might write Oliver/Natasha again at some point but it would not be linked to this story anymore. I'll keep this on this site if anyone wants a good read but after seeing 'Black Widow' and first season of 'Loki' and my disillusionment with MCU and Arrowverse, this story is getting discontinued.

Hope you understand.

With regards

Bl4ckHunter

Chapter Text

So, I began a story which is sort of linked to this one, called 'The Infinity Crisis'. I'd planned more stories preceding this but my disappointment with MCU after Endgame destroyed my motivation to write them. For the events laid out, take a look at 'The Archer's and the Widow's Journey'