A/N: You know who you are. Thank you.

The Legends sat around smiling finally… finally seeing the TV come to life.

Jax smiled who would have thought it was Mick that would finally get the machine working. "OK let's see what our new past looks like."

The memory set opened on a man running through dense foliage. The figure stopped and looked up as a plane flew over the island, revealing him to be Oliver.

Ray looked at the newest picture of Oliver and he didn't have that long hippy hair he used to have when he was younger and put on Lian Yu. "Wait, that's a more recent Oliver… He went back!"

"Grief gets in the heads of the best of us as is. And Ollie always had one hell of a guilt complex." Sara replied.

25,000 feet up, Felicity sat with her eyes clenched shut and her fingers dug into the seat of an ancient Lockheed Electra that dated back to the time of Amelia Earhart- and she wasn't sure that this wasn't Earhart's missing plane.

The pilot, an aged Chinese man, said something in Mandarin that she couldn't understand as Dig came up behind her.

"Felicity, if you're so scared, why did you insist on sitting up front?" He asked the frightened hacker.

"This is the only seat with a seatbelt." She said in a tremulous voice.

"Which will come in handy when we hit the water at 180 miles an hour." He noted wryly.

The Legends laughed.

"What?" She asked, whipping her head around to look at him?

"Which will not happen." He hastily added. The pilot said something else, and a sight outside the cockpit window caught Dig's attention. "I think that means we're here."

Felicity looked out as the island appeared through the mists. "Lian Yu." She said softly.

She looked back to Dig, and her eyes widened in alarm as she saw him putting on a parachute. "But you said the parachutes were just in case!" she exclaimed fearfully.

"Yeah, just in case we made it here." Dig replied. "Come on."

"No!"

A few minutes later, Dig opened the side door of the plane, and he and Felicity squeezed out of the narrow doorway. Felicity was attached to Diggle, with their gear strapped to her chest.

"All right, Felicity, on 3!" Diggle shouted over the rush of air.

Felicity shook her head. "I can't, I'm scared! I can't—"

"One!" Dig shouted, and then jumped.

Felicity screamed the entire way down. They floated over the edge of the island, past a half-sunken ship until they landed on the beach. Felicity managed to hold onto her vomit until Diggle unhooked her. He set about gathering up the parachute as she lost her lunch into the ocean

Any restraint Sara had before died that instant. Rip looked at the woman with a smile he was going to start it after Oliver returned home. He's glad he didn't seeing a smile on Sara's face after everything.

Ray looked at her on the other couch. "Aren't you taking a little too much excitement at Felicity's expense?"

Sara looked at him. "Ray do you remember what Team Arrow was like before we joined the Legends?"

Ray shook his head. "Not really trying to figure out my own problems at the time."

Sara nodded in understanding it's why she left after all. "The team was different then when I left it seemed like Felicity was more or less boss. I'm not saying she was a monster or anything resembling bad it was just very controlling. Also I'm a bit pissed off with thirty years later Felicity. In Old Man Ollie future most of Team Arrow fought until the bitter end. She just packed up her stuff and left."

Ray nodded he guesses things had been different. "I just don't like you ragging on my ex."

Kendra's eyes widened followed by each Legend save Carter. "You told me that girl in the picture was your cousin."

Ray looked at her. "Oh, no, no, they're two different people... It's not what you think."

Rip just hit continue on the file to stop whatever Snart would have said.. Thank God he picked up Ray before they saw Earth 38.

"Thanks for waiting until we touched down." Dig told her with a smile.

"My pleasure." She replied.

Dig hoisted the pack onto his back. "Let's move." He said. They started walking up the beach with Dig taking point. Felicity looked around curiously, her eyes lingering on a post set into the beach. On it was a mask- half blue, half yellow, with an arrow sticking out of the left eye hole.

Ray's arm tightened on the couch. "Oh god!"

Sara looked at him a bit uneasy herself. "It's a memento from a fight years before this."

Stein looked at the mask and Sara's uneasiness about it. Everyone knew the story of Oliver Queen but he thought the young Scion was alone. "Ms. Lance were you on the island with Oliver?"

Sara nodded. "Not at this time but I was on it five years ago from... that time... this is confusing."

They moved into the forest, with Dig quickly identifying a path to follow. He walked quickly but cautiously, his gun drawn but pointed down as he took in his surroundings. Felicity half walked, half ran behind him, struggling to keep up. Suddenly Dig froze and held up a closed fist, signaling Felicity to stop.

"What is it?" she asked as he looked around.

Diggle frowned. "Thought I heard something." He said, lowering his gun. They started moving again, but had only moved a few feet before Felicity put her foot down and heard a distinctive 'Click'.

Sara shook her head in disbelief. "I respect what she's doing but why is she even here? I very much doubt Oliver painted anything about that place in a good light."

Ray looked at her. "Her friend was in trouble and she came running. Like you and Snart did at the vanishing point."

Sara held her head rave of Felicity but also foolish with her skill set. "Dig knew what to look for she just walked onto a mine. Just saying she could have stayed at home and looked at the island through satellite and find him." She let out a defeated sigh. That place really does hold power over her and Oliver. "Why couldn't Oliver have just gone to a different island at least? Hell I heard in the League rumors about one invisible island near Greece he'd love it nothing but violence and beautiful women."

Mick smiled at that idea. "Think we can use the Waverider to go there after this?"

Carter looked at Sara and Mick. "If we're thinking of the same island Mick you'd be dead for being a man."

"Dig!" she said in alarm.

Diggle spun around, then set his pack on the ground before approaching her. "Don't move." He told her. He pulled out a knife and knelt down in front of her, then began gently digging away the earth around her foot. "It's a landmine." He confirmed after a minute. "I'm going to try to disarm it."

"You can't!" Diggle looked up and Felicity turned her head to look behind her. In a tree behind the pair, Oliver stood on a branch, his bow at the ready. "Diggle! Back away. Felicity, don't move." He ordered. He fired an arrow with a line attached into a tree farther down the path, then took the line in his hand, drew it taught, and jumped. The line caught and he arced in a perfect swing towards the blonde IT girl, who held up her arm instinctively. Oliver caught her around the waist and swung her free of the mine, allowing it to explode harmlessly behind them.

Kendra watched on she knew what Ollie was capable of she just figured a good deal of it was help with trick arrows from Cisco. "Wow!"

Snart nodded. "Oliver's nights as a green archer and a black archer preceding him gave me plenty of motivation to seek work outside of Starling City."

The blast knocked Diggle to the ground, where he landed with a grunt even as Oliver and Felicity landed a short ways away with Oliver on top of the blonde.

"God, you're- you're really sweaty." Felicity gasped.

"You're a hard man to find." Diggle said as he pulled himself up.

Oliver looked over at Dig, then down at Felicity. "You shouldn't have come here." He said resignedly.

A short time later, Oliver led them to the fuselage of the downed military transport plane.

"Would have emailed, but this isn't exactly a WiFi hotspot." Diggle told them as they entered. It was more overgrown with vegetation now, in rougher shape, but it was still a good shelter on the island.

"Is this where you lived when you were here?" Felicity asked. "I mean, the first time you were here."

"For some of it." He replied shortly.

Felicity sighed. "Could you at least pretend like you're glad to see us?" She asked. "Dig and I spent weeks tracking you down. We've traveled halfway across the world. And this morning we flew in a plane so old, I'm pretty sure I was safer once I jumped out of it. You could at least offer us a water. Or," she paused, considering. "A coconut."

Jax rolled his eyes after their adventure in Star City thirty years later he knows enough to know that island was traumatic enough to turn Oliver Queen into the Hood. "Yes and they can go home on a boat made out of bamboo because every island is the same as Gilligan's."

"I'm pretty sure she's just being sarcastic Jefferson. Besides Oliver seems happy about it." Stein replied.

Oliver smiled his first genuine smile since Tommy's death at that. He pulled a canteen out of a storage crate, then walked back to Felicity and handed it to her. "Fresh out of coconuts." He said. "I am happy to see you." He added. "But I know why you're here. I'm not coming back to Starling City." He said. "I can't. My mission, my father's list, it was a fool's crusade. And I failed." He added. "Malcolm Merlyn destroyed the Glades. Tommy died. And the Hood couldn't stop it. So don't ask me to put it on again. Ever."

"This isn't about you being the Vigilante." Diggle said after a moment. "This is about you being Oliver Queen. Your mother's in prison, Oliver. Her trial's coming up. Thea's out on her own. Your family needs you."

Sara turned seeing all eyes on her. "Hey just because I was in Starling since the end of July at this time didn't mean I knew what Oliver was going through."

"So does the family business." Felicity added. "All the bad press after the Undertaking left Queen Consolidated ripe for a hostile takeover by Stellmore International. They've gutted every company they've taken over." She explained. "Once they gobble up Queen Consolidated, 30,000 employees are looking to be out of a job. Including one very blond I.T. expert." She added.

"Listen, I get why you had to leave, Oliver, probably better than anybody else." Dig said. "I've been there. And after what happened, nobody can blame you for leaving. But it's time to come home."

FIVE YEARS AGO

The scene flashed back to the fuselage four years prior. Slade and Oliver were sparring with escrima sticks, and it was apparent immediately that Oliver had improved by leaps and bounds since the death of Fyers and the rest of the mercenaries.

Sara shot up out of her seat enraged her eyes darting around looking for a weapon as Jax and Stein hid behind the couch seeing the look in her eyes. "What the fuck!"

Snart smiled seeing her look like she either wants to rip Gideon apart with her bare hands or shoot her in the back and bury the AI alive. "Problems?"

Sara nodded in every possible way. "Why are you showing them this Gideon? This was years before history had changed."

I thought it would serve to help understand what they're facing in the present day.

Sara let out a disgusted snort but she's right especially if Slade escapes Lian Yu. "Fine" Once Jax and Stein saw she had calmed down they took their seats.

Kendra looked at her. "Problems?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah but Gideon's right. Can I get a beer or something?"

Rip passed out two six packs among the Legends. They can't do much damage on the ship they all know right? He quickly hits play.

They fought fast and furiously for several minutes before mutually coming to a stop. A noise drew Oliver's attention, and he looked to the door to see Shado, now wearing her father's hood, walk in with a freshly caught bird in a cage. Slade took advantage and raped him hard across the side of his head with one of the bamboo sticks, sending Oliver to his knees.

Slade laughed. "You're not the first man to learn the hard way- women are a distraction." He said as he moved off to get a drink of water. Shado came over, lowering her hood as she did so.

"You've come very far in a few months." She told him as he pulled himself up. "Don't beat yourself up."

"Ah, apparently that's his job." Oliver said with a smile.

"And I love my job." Slade replied. "Not that I wouldn't trade it for a way off this island."

"While you two were playing with each other, I was hunting." Shado said.

"Well, there's nothing more attractive than a woman who can hunt." Slade said, walking past the two towards the cage.

Oliver smiled at a memory. "When I was marooned here, my first meal was a pheasant." He told her. "Your father cooked it for me."

"He was an awful cook." Shado said.

"Yeah." Oliver agreed. "But a great father. I'm looking at the proof." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

Across the way, Slade snapped the neck of the bird. "Let's eat." He said. Before they could even start cooking, a beeping sound caught their attention.

Ray looked on in disbelief. "It is so weird to see Slade so civilized."

Sara looked at him. "College party girl turned assassin. Malcolm was a happy family man before he turned into what he became. People aren't born the way they are they're changed into it by life. Slade was a good man once."

"What's that?" Oliver asked.

"That's Fyers' proximity detector." Slade said as the three ran over to the crate it was sitting on. Shado reached it first and lifted it. "We salvaged it from the wreckage of the soldier's camp." Shado said. "Picks up anything moving outside our safe zone." On the screen there was a rough map of their section of the island, along with three dots that seemed to be moving. "It's been five months since we stopped Fyers. He and all of his men were dead." She said in confusion.

"So maybe it's an animal." Oliver suggested.

"There's an imaging interface." Shado pushed a button, and a thermal image came up on the screen- unmistakably of three men, probably holding weapons.

"Those are not animals." Oliver noted.

"And we're not alone on this island." Slade added.

Carter watched as Sara just frowned wondering what was about to happen that has her so upset.

PRESENT

The scene flashed forward to Starling City. Oliver, having returned with Diggle and Felicity, rode in the back of the Bentley as Dig drove it through the devastation that was the Glades.

The Legends each looked at the shattered remains of the Glades taking the picture in. The Legends that are from Star City shaking off bad memories. The Legends from Central City thankful for their more docile city looking at the destruction. People suffering even worse then before.

Oliver looked out in stunned silence at the destruction that now surrounded him. As they passed one fenced off disaster area, he noted a hand painted sign on the fencing that read 'Vote for Blood now!'

"Who's Blood?" he asked.

"An alderman from the Glades trying to save the city." Dig said. "Fill your shoes."

"Here's everything on Stellmore International." Felicity said, handing over a thin file folder. "The vice president of acquisitions is a woman named Isabel Rochev." Oliver opened the folder and saw picture of the woman in question. She was beautiful, but there was a coldness in her eyes that was off-setting. "She looks angry in every photo."

"So where to?" Dig asked. "Office?"

"Home." Oliver said. "I want to check in on Thea."

"Uh, she's not at your house, Oliver." Felicity said hesitantly.

"Where is she?" Oliver asked.

The scene changed to an office, where Thea and Roy were busy ripping off each other's clothes to have a quickie on the desk.

Jax smiled at the scene and was set to let out a whistle till he saw Stein glaring at him stupid telepathic link.

"I only have a second." Thea said with a smile as they kissed hungrily.

"That's OK; my boss has been all over my ass today." Roy replied as she undid her shirt. "You should hear what she sounds like when- Ow!" Roy hissed in pain and Thea paused in her ministrations and frowned. She looked down at his side, now exposed as she was pulling up his shirt.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Thea said angrily, pushing Roy away roughly.

"Come on! I don't want to fight." Roy said, rushing after her as she stalked out of the office.

"Clearly you do, since you keep on taking on every street corner drug dealer that you can get your fists on." Thea said. She exited the office and we see that we are in fact in Verdant.

Thea stalked down the stairs to the main floor as Roy trailed behind.

"It's not like that." He said. "The Glades are worse than ever."

"I know, but you already saved a busload of people and managed not to get buried alive." She argued. "I mean, how much more of a hero do you need to be? It's like you have a death wish. And guess what- it's going to come true." She said.

"Yeah, well, someone has to do something other then believe in a fairy tale." Roy countered. The two came to a stop on the main floor and Thea turned back to look at him. "And stand up for what's right, like he did."

"The Vigilante." She said dryly. "Who hasn't been seen since the earthquake, which means he did get buried alive and isn't coming back."

"I'm back."

Kendra let out a laugh at the timing.

Thea turned around and smiled as Oliver walked into the club. "Ollie!" She exclaimed happily, throwing herself into a hug. They separate, and she saw him looking at Roy. "Ah, you remember my friend Roy."

"Still here?" Oliver said with a bit of an edge to his voice.

"Always." Roy replied evenly, shaking his hand.

"So how was Europe?" Thea asked, and Roy took the opportunity to get back to work. "You never texted, no postcards. Almost like you're on the island all over again."

"Yeah, sorry, I was kind of distracted. With snow skiing, water-skiing. A lot of skiing." He lied as they headed towards the bar. "I hear rumors that my club is under new management."

"Ah, actually, it's my club now, and you're not getting it back." Thea said firmly.

"You're not old enough to drink." Oliver pointed out.

"But I am old enough to run a bar." Thea countered.

"Have you made it to Iron Heights?" Oliver asked gently.

"To visit the woman who dropped a city on 500 innocent people? No, thank you." She said sarcastically.

"Thea…" Oliver sighed. "That's not what mom did."

"Right. She had no choice." Thea said acidly. "But guess what? She did. A choice not to be a mass murderer. And I have a choice, too. So I choose not to be her daughter."

She smiled at her brother- a genuine smile- and placed a warm hand on his arm. "But I am so happy you are home." She let go and moved off further down the bar. "Honestly, I need to deal with our liquor distributor who shorted me on yesterday's delivery, and one of my bartenders called in sick, so…" She finally looked up at Oliver and noticed his expression. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing." He said. "It's- it's nice to see you like this."

"Like what?" she asked suspiciously.

"Together." Oliver smiled. Thea returned it, and then moved off to continue working. The sound of the TV caught his attention and he turned back to the bar.

'-The representative from Central City says construction on the Star Labs particle accelerator should be completed by Christmas.'

Stein and Jax shook their heads in discomfort at the memory more from Stein and their link.

"And in local news, billionaire Oliver Queen has returned once again to Starling City. With his mother's upcoming trial and his father's company in free fall, analysts are asking what the Queen family scion has planned next." He frowned at the screen, wondering the same thing.

The scene changed to City Hall, where a benefit was being thrown to raise money for the Glades.

Outside a man was doing a very poor attempt at panhandling getting absolutely nothing and being held back by security for his far less then formal clothes. "Not like I wanted into that tacky speech anyway."

"You know I recall giving you a key to my apartment imagine my surprise when I went in there and nothing was touched."

The panhandler turned around and smiled seeing a man in a light brown coat over a white shirt and tie, glasses on his face with black hair holding two hot dogs. "Hey kid, how was your trip for the Inquirer."

"An interesting little get away. I still can't believe a couple burns can send a good man so far over the line." The man said.

The panhandler just took one of the hot dogs the man was holding off him." That's life look at me for proof of that. So did you pull your head out of your ass and ask that girl out yet?"

The man shook his head. "Not planning on staying."

The panhandler laughed. "Kid you've been here for four months now. You have a nicer place to live then I do and you already have a job here. I think it's time to accept you live in Starling City now and start a life for yourself."

The man shook his head. "You know I missed these little one on ones while I was out of town Derrick."

Derrick nodded eating his meal the kid is always looking out for him. "Just saying the obvious when I'm the only real friend you have here. So are you going in?"

The man shook his head. "No I can imagine the byline on page 39 pompous blow bag promises good things for this city delivers none. They're more interested in celebrating Queen Consolidated shutting down then anything else."

Mick looked at the man in the glasses. Did he try to kill him before? "Does Opie in the suit look familiar to anyone else?"

Kendra and Ray just leaned back with smiles knowing who he looks like from Professor Ray in the 60's.

In the main hall, the Mayor was having a discussion with the District Attorney about the usefulness of vigilantes.

"Wasn't our country founded on a brand of vigilantism, Mr. Donner?" The Mayor asked. "The revolutionaries in the Boston Tea Party were certainly choosing justice over law."

"I'd hardly compare our founding fathers to the Hood, Mr. Mayor, or these twisted copycats who have risen in his wake. Hopefully this guardian angel thing is just a myth people in the Glades are telling themselves for comfort." Donner argued. The Mayor looked past Donner and smiled at the figure walking down the steps. "Ms. Lance. What do you think about vigilantes?" He asked as she joined the pair.

"I'd be foolish to disagree with my new boss." Laurel replied with a smile.

Sara looked at the screen pained seeing her again even if it's just in these videos till Dahrk kills her as she let out in almost a whisper. "Laurel."

She felt someone hold her hand and she smiled seeing Jax try to give her support. Even if he had no idea what it was about.

"I knew I was smart to hire you." Donner said.

"I'd heard you joined the district attorney's office." The Mayor said.

"It was time for a change." Laurel said simply.

"Still, I'm sorry that you and your colleagues at CNRI won't be opening your doors again." He said. Despite him being a politician, she actually believed he meant it.

"There were no doors left to be reopened." Laurel replied with a twinge of sadness.

A series of musical chimes sounded. "They're playing my song." The Mayor said, racing off towards the podium as he was introduced.

"Good evening." He said to polite applause. "It has been a very difficult year for Starling City. Our losses have been incalculable, our grief unimaginable. But with the generous donations you people are making tonight, we will come back from this tragedy."

Quentin Larry Lance stayed in the basement of City Hall in his old patrol uniform.

Snart looked at Sara recognizing the man from the Waverider. "I thought you said your father was like chief of police?"

"He usually is when they weren't using him as a scapegoat." Sara countered.

Quentin looked around keeping a mindful eye open. Security being doubled because of the alleged war between the hood copycats and the guardian angel that's been sweeping them up and getting rid of debris in the Glades if you believe the myths. This is his nightmare the one he was afraid of since Queen and Merlyn were rescued last year. The original Hood had rules these copycats not so much. Especially with the great 'injustice' of some of them being carted off to jail for extortion, assualt, and acting like a vigilante. They're scared and desperate to avoid the cops now. He took a walk his old partner Lucas Hilton behind him.

Quentin kept his eyes and ears open hearing a familiar sound in a closet. He opened the door and saw what the Hoods were doing tonight seeing an explosive device on four seconds left. "Everyone get out now!" The explosion quickly started.

The video came to a stop as Sara screamed in terror as she fell to the floor her hands held to her head trying not to cry. "I can't… I can't have lost them both."

Rip got to his feet and held the remote in his hand. He could not have anticipated Sara losing her father thirty seconds into the new future. "Sara, I'm so sorry."

Sara glared at him knowing Laurel was in the building this has to be some kind of sick joke. You had hope about a new future… jokes on you. Now it's your sister and your dad. "Just play it… I want to see the hell Ollie puts the person that did this through before he gives them the peace of death." Jax and Stein quietly help her up as she takes her seat back on the couch.

Rip nodded and hit the play button… nothing he hits the play button again… nothing.

Carter rolled his eyes not this again. "Problems Gideon?"

"No Mr. Hall although I am confused as to why Captain Hunter keeps pausing and unpausing the video."

Rip just hit the play button one more time

Outside time has come to a stop the cars stopped moving the people everything not even bugs can flap their wings. Derrick stood a piece hot dog slightly out of his hand and close to his mouth.

The other man felt a familiar noise and just looked at the building his eyes didn't widen in panic as much as roll his eyes at the familiarity like 'here we go again'. The man threw his hot dog into the air and spun around as the light brown suit and pants disappeared replaced by black jeans black boots with an S on them a blue shirt and a red leather jacket. The man zipped up the jacket as it showed a Big S symbol on it and a familiar haircut from the first recording with no glasses.

Rip's eyes widened. "It's him!"

Jax looked at it in disbelief. "How did we miss it? For god sakes it was different glasses and a different hairdo!"

Clark wasted no time and ran right into the building quickly running down the steps into the basement and right into the starting fire of the explosion and just as soon ran out with Quentin and Hilton before the blast could claim them depositing them far away from the blast zone after gently putting flames out on Quentin's arm.

Sara took a breath of relief. "Oh thank god! Now get Laurel!"

Clark ran right back into the building as more and more people seemed to appear outside with Quentin and Hilton all frozen in place. Clark ran in and saw five people left on the first floor. He grabbed the closest two and ran them out came back in and grabbed another two as the explosion started eating away the floor. Clark looked and saw the explosion eat the last of the floor with one person left on the floor Laurel. Clark ran up the fragments of debris and quickly grabbed her making for the second floor as the explosion swallowed the first.

Clark ran upstairs and saw the Mayor's wife and her body guard in an 'embrace'. The wife's dress at her waist and she is about to be pushed to the bed. Our tax dollars at work. Clark put Laurel down and opened the window. He grabbed the mattress and threw it onto the flower bed. He quickly grabbed Laurel then threw her out the window.

Sara took a breath of relief seeing that at least none of her family will die in this.

Clark grabbed the mayor's wife and threw with a steady arm for the fountain out front and quickly did the same to the bodyguard as he continued exploring the mansion seeing a room with six people he grabbed them and started tossing each one out the window as the explosion rattled the second floor. Clark ran up to the third floor and opened room after room seeing nothing till the last room when he sees the family's dog. Clark quickly grabbed the mutt and jumped out the window landing on his feet at the ground and putting the dog down with the others."

Snart let out a smirk. "And I thought Barry was a boyscout."

Mick groaned. "So we have two speedsters we have to deal with now?"

Snart shook his head. "When Barry runs you can sometimes see lightning. There's no lightning on him this is something else."

"Also a fall like that would have broken both of Barry's legs." Stein filled in.

Jax looked at Stein's smug face and saw something of a realization. "Do you know what he is Gray?"

Stein shook his head. "No, but given he survived re entry into earth's atmosphere he might just be quick enough with his leg muscles alone to run like this."

Clark ran right back at the building and jumped into the air crashing through a fourth floor window. He ran checking all the rooms finding nothing until he came to the end of the hall and finding the mayor's children one son and one daughter no older then 6.Clark looked around quickly knowing he's running out of time. He smiled seeing an old antique of a bed and lifted off the ground with one hand tossing it through the window shattering it to pieces.

Carter's eyes rose in fear. "Holy mother of God!"

Kendra looked at him. "What?"

Carter shook his head. "That was an old oak bed. That thing weighs at least five hundred pounds and just lifted it and threw it like a baseball with one hand."

"And how would you know that?" Rip asked.

Carter looked around and took a small breath. "I was a carpenter in the 1500s." Snart put a hand up but Carter quickly replied. "And I've heard that joke a thousand times from Kendra Snart."

Ray thought it through for a moment and then laughed. "Oh resurrected carpenter."

Clark grabbed the kids and jumped out the window as the explosion burned the last of City Hall. Clark held on to the kids as he landed on the bed then jumped to the floor. He ran around to the front and gently put them down in front of the mayor he ran forward catching the six people he tossed out the window one by one and gently putting them down. Lastly he saw Laurel landed on the mattress and is fine before he ran back over to Derrick getting his civilian clothes back on as the guardian angel suit disappeared and caught his hot dog as he started falling back.

Time resumed and several people looked in shock at what remained of City Hall as Laurel looked down at the mattress and grabbed onto to a wayward rock makng sure she was outside. The explosion knocked down Clark and Derrick. Clark smiled seeing his dinner. "Didn't drop my hotdog."

Derrick simply took it off him. "Then you only have to buy one."

Clark got to his feet probably has to start interviewing people anyway why not start with the hot dog guy.

Ray smiled seeing the vendor. "I don't blame him for saving the hot dog. Those are good hot dogs. Also false hoods didn't shoot the Mayor so I'd call that a win."

Kendra looked at him. "That's what you took from that!"

Sara just watched the screen. She's not making any judgement calls yet.

Stein looked on. "Given how early this is in one of three years I suspect there will be a lot of time to learn all about this man. Let's just wait for now."

"Laurel!" Quentin exclaimed, running up to her and hugging her tightly.

"Dad, I'm fine." Laurel protested, but returned the hug anyway.

"I guess we can't call the Guardian Angel a myth anymore huh?" Donner told them, walking up to the family. "Is your daughter alright?"

"Yeah, one daughter's right, and I can't stand to lose another." Quentin said.

"Well, I still can't believe this happened." Donner said. "The hoods attacks have strictly been limited to people in the financial sector trying to redistribute wealth in the Glades at gunpoint. They never used explosives before."

"Yeah, well, clearly that's not getting the result they're looking for, is it?" Quentin said, walking off with Laurel. "Did you get a good look at anything? Cause all I saw was the bomb" He asked, the stress of the situation reverting him to type.

"It's hard to focus on anything after the explosion. Whose to say any of the 'hoods' would be anywhere nearby." Laurel replied.

"Yeah just wish we had something, tattoos, distinguishing marks? The guardian angel left two wrapped up in a wire fence two weeks ago, two more before that and the Hoods are still coming out of the woodwork."

"What do you think you're doing?"

Lance looked up to see a cross Lieutenant Pike stalking towards him. "Interviewing the witness is the job of the Detective. Officer Lance." He said pointedly.

"This is my daughter." Lance said desperately. "She was nearly killed tonight."

"Well, as a parent, you're welcome to stay." Pike said. "But as a beat cop, you're more than free to go." With that, Pike turned and walked off.

Sara rolled her eyes. "As I said, scapegoat."

"You know, that's one of the downsides of being demoted- I don't get to witness his sunny disposition on a daily basis." Quentin joked. Laurel looked up and saw Oliver walking through the gate.

"Dad, give me a sec." She said, moving off towards her ex.

"Yeah." Quentin said with a sigh.

"I didn't know you were back in town." Laurel said to Oliver as they met in the grass.

"I just got back a little while ago, and I was going to call, but then I saw you on every channel on TV, so I thought that I would come and make sure you were safe." He said.

"Just an explosion." Laurel said off-handedly. "Nothing a possible divine intervention couldn't handle."

Oliver sighed. "Take a walk?" he asked.

"Yeah." She said. They walked off towards the exit.

"Sorry I left." He told her.

"Believe me, I get it." She said. "After the funeral, I think we both needed time to figure things out. On our own."

"I didn't get very far on my own." He admitted. "Did you? Figure anything out?"

"That I made a mistake when I slept with you." She said, stopping and turning to face him. "I know it wasn't exactly cheating, because Tommy had broken up with me, but he only did that because he thought that you and I should be together. All I know is that I feel like I betrayed him." She took a breath. "And now he's gone. And there's nothing I can do to make it right."

"I know how that feels." Oliver said. "When I brought your sister on 'The Queen's Gambit,' I betrayed you and your father. There's no forgiveness for what I led Sara into. I would give anything to…"

Sara pointed at the screen. "See a master of guilt despite the fact I chose to go partly to stick it to Laurel…"

"By letting Oliver stick it you." Snart finished as the eyes of Taer-Al-Sa-Fer fell on him muttering about his violent end in a foreign language.

Laurel pulled him into a hug. "To go back." She finished.

"Yeah."

Laurel stepped back. "But we can't go back." She said, and then walked off, leaving him alone.

Oliver sighed, then turned and walked outside. He found his body man on the sidewalk.

"Diggle!" he called out. "I don't like being played."

"I'm not sure what you mean." Dig replied as they walked towards the car.

"That's why you came to the island and brought me back to Starling City- these hood copycats." Oliver accused.

"Well, what if it was?" Dig asked. "They're just doing what you did last year, terrorizing one-percenters into cleaning up their act." He stopped and faced the younger man. "Except they don't have your restraint, Oliver. Or your honor."

"I'm done being the Vigilante."

"Maybe this town still needs a vigilante."

"Now there's a group of them." Oliver said hotly. "How's that working?" he glared at Dig. "Please take me home." He said after a moment. "Got a big day at the office tomorrow trying to save my family's company."

"Absolutely." Dig said, opening the door for Oliver. "Mr. Queen."

Later that night, in an old abandoned church, the four hoods were watching the news to see how the actions of today were reported. Sure they would be blamed and message spread. Instead they saw-

'And in local news, billionaire Oliver Queen has returned once again to Starling City.'

"Unbelievable." One of the men said. His associate failed. "Some wacko blows up City Hall, and what's the local news keep showing? Oliver Queen. Why?"

"Because you don't give a psycho the attention they want!" Kendra replied. They probably said gas leak to not give the hoods an ounce of vindication.

"No one died and I Guess he's taking over the family business." Another one said.

"We've been going about this wrong." The first one said.

"What do you mean?"

"If we want real payback we don't need the Mayor, we got to take the fight to the name that did this to us."

"Queen?"

"Yeah."

"He's some useless brat."

"The applied sciences division of Queen Consolidated built the earthquake generator." The first one said. "If we want real justice… then that family has to pay for the suffering it's caused us." He snarled. "In full."

Ray looked in disbelief. "Moira Queen is facing a needle in her arm. That's excessive justice with the world thinking the true monster is dead."

Kendra nodded in silence. "I remember reading posts online celebrating the death of Tommy Merlyn; they said it was karma for his father. Now seeing Oliver and Laurel talk about him tells me he was nothing like his father. Sometimes people in a group are just the worst."

Rip nodded looking around. Sometimes he can say that about the Legends.

The scene changed to Verdant, where Thea was preparing the club for another night. Or would be, if her mind wasn't elsewhere.

"Hello, earth to Queen." Roy said, getting his girlfriend's attention. "What, did you drop a Vertigo when I wasn't looking?" He joked.

Thea gave him a tired smile. "I was just distracted." She said as she headed for the DJ booth.

"About what your brother said, about your mom?" Roy guessed.

"Eavesdrop much?"

"Ah, what I lack in height, I make up for in wicked good hearing." Roy joked.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, Harper. What's your take on the matter?" Thea asked. "Though, keep in mind, I do control your paycheck and your sex life." She pointed out.

"Well, both my parents weren't worth a damn, either of them." Roy admitted.

Sara smiled Roy always did surprise her. She wondered what happened to him last time she was with the team Thea was in the Arsenal get up.

"You never talk about them." She noted.

"You got nothing nice to say, right?" Roy chuckled. "Still, I- I'd be glad to see them and talk to them if I could. But look, you already lost your dad. Your mom, she's still here, and I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"I'm sure she's dying to." Thea said angrily. "Just like a lot of mothers in the Glades who won't ever get to see their kids again. Because my mother helped kill them." She glared at Roy. "I'm not going to that prison. It's the only way I know how to hurt her." She said, moving off.

"You might want to consider how much it's hurting you." Roy called out after her.

The scene changed to Queen Consolidated the next day. Oliver and Diggle stepped off of the elevator and headed towards the offices, where they were met with Felicity.

"They're in the conference room." She told them. "Just fyi, no one is eating the bagels."

Oliver ignored her and walked into the conference room. Isabel, dressed impeccably in a tasteful red dress, stood and extended her hand.

"Isabel Rochev."

"Oliver Queen." They shook. "Sorry I'm late."

"For this meeting or a career in business?" Isabel jabbed.

Oliver gave her a tight smile. "I didn't realize hostile takeovers were filled with so much hostility." He noted as he took his seat at the end of the table.

"Not at all." She replied, returning to her seat. "I'm actually in quite a good mood."

"Really?" Oliver said. "So destroying companies agrees with you?"

Ray shook his head in disgust. He might have taken over Queen Industries but he made sure very few people were out on the street, mostly just Oliver. "Yeah it's only 30,000 people out of jobs. Who cares about them?"

"Winning agrees with me."

"You haven't won yet."

Isabel gave him a cold smile. "Since you majored in dropping out of college, let me put this in terms that are easy for you to understand." She stated, ignoring his offended look. "You control 45% of Queen Consolidated stock. I control 45%, leaving 10% outstanding. But, in two days the board will release the final 10%."

"And I'll buy it before you do." Oliver said confidently. His confidence evaporated with her next words.

"With what money?" She asked. "I doubt your trust fund is that large, and no angel investor will go near the company that built the machine that destroyed half the city. Companies rise and fall, Mr. Queen." Isabel said. "Your company has fallen."

Out in the hall an executive arrives at the bank of elevators. He reaches for the button just as the door opens- revealing the four hoods. The first one belts him across the face, dropping the businessman. The four armed men rush into the boardroom, their weapons drawn.

"Oliver Queen!" the first one calls out as Oliver rises in alarm. "You have failed this city." Oliver glances over at Felicity, then back at the men. How can he take them on without revealing his secret to the others in the room?

"Get Down!" Diggle shouts as he ran into the room, his gun drawn and firing at the four terrorists. Everyone drops to the floor, and Oliver and Isabel look at each other in alarm from under the table

"Pull back!" Diggle called out, returning fire while taking cover under the table. "Oliver, go!"

Oliver grasped Isabel's arm and pulled her up then pushed her to the door. "Go, go, go, go!" He urged her. He turned around, looking for Felicity-

And came face-to-mask with a Hood.

Who was promptly knocked over the head by a debris-wielding Felicity.

Oliver grabbed his friend and dragged her with him out of the conference room

"Quick! They're getting away." The Hood yelled, chasing after them He opened fire with his rifle, but Oliver grabbed onto Felicity tight and took a running leap at the window.

Just as he hit and the glass shattered, he grabbed the chain that controlled the blinds. Once again Felicity found herself swinging through the air in Oliver's arms as they dropped a few floors before the chain pulled taught. Oliver brought up his feet and the two smashed through the window of an empty office, tumbling over a desk to the hard floor. Felicity looked up, stunned to see that she was still alive, even as Oliver checked her over for injuries.

Later that day after the Hoods had escaped, Oliver walked up to Isabel in the destroyed boardroom.

"Ms. Rochev, I'm sorry about this." He said earnestly.

"'Cause they were after you?" She asked.

"Because what happens in this building is my responsibility." Oliver replied.

"Only for the next 48 hours." Isabel said with a smug grin as she walked off or at least tried to she got three feet outside as someone accidentally collided into her forcing her to drop all her paperwork.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you ma'am."

Isabel just snatched the last of it out of his hands and quickly walked away trying to keep that dominant look.

Oliver looked trying not to laugh and saw a mountain of a man for how geeky he looked in a brown coat that bumped into Isabel. "Can I help you?"

"I'm actually looking for Oliver Queen."

Oliver looked at him. "Well, you found him."

"You're really Oliver Queen?" Pictures were accurate.

Oliver raised his eyes in surprise. "You live in Starling City how do you not know what I look like?"

"I'm not from around here." The man said calmly.

Oliver nodded. "And you are."

The man held his hand up and almost sounded disappointed. "Clark Kent, you just look different in person."

The two shake hands.

Oliver looked at him. "So why are you here Clark?"

Clark looked a bit nervous but replied. "Actually I'm here because I work for the Starling City Inquirer."

Oliver looked at him his mood changing instantly. "Here about the takeover?"

Clark shook his head. "No, I'm hoping you can stop it honestly."

Oliver looked at him surprised this was a first since he got back. "Not willing to dance on my family's misery?"

Clark looked at this Oliver trying to get a measure of this man. He's got nothing. "This city is in trouble Mr. Queen. It needs help not 30,000 more people in the unemployment line. If I can do anything to help let me know."

Oliver nodded. "Thank you Mr. Kent. Though I suspect you didn't come here to offer your help."

Clark shook his head. "No, I wanted to get your thoughts on the copycat hoods from earlier."

Oliver looked at him coldly it never stops. "No comment."

Clark watched as Oliver walked away until Clark's eyes shimmered blue looking at the walls and ceiling looking for a lodged bullet. He turned and saw Oliver's skeleton until he focused and flesh came back showing him a wide variety of scars and burns and Oliver turned around showing more scars and a tattoo of a star like symbol on his chest.

Jax looked at the scene disturbed. "That's a new one on me.

Mick smiled looking at the screen. "So he can just see everything through those peepers. If I had…"

"You'd never leave the wall of a sorority." Kendra finished.

Mick shrugged knowing she was right. Jax chose to just remain silent.

Clark walked to the side and simply focused on Oliver's body guard. "Did I hit a nerve? Because I really didn't mean to."

Dig looked at him. "He was arrested for being the hood when he first got back."

Kendra turned to Sara. "Did that really happen?"

Sara thought on it. "Back then my dad would arrest Ollie for picking a penny up off the street and call it theft so probably."

Felicity quickly walked over to an old friend."I still can't get used to you in that uniform, Detective Lance." She said, looking from the broken window to the former detective.

"It's 'Officer' now." He told her with a smile. "And I'm just glad it still fits. They hurt you?" He asked her in concern.

"I'm OK." She assured him.

"You, uh, heard anything from our mutual friend lately?" Quentin asked hopefully.

"Nope. In fact I keep waiting for him to show up." She said, looking over to Oliver, who was talking with Diggle.

"You could have stopped those guys." Felicity accused Oliver later, after the cops had gone.

"Not without giving Isabel Rochev and the Hoods a pretty good idea of what I'm capable of." Oliver pointed out.

"I think what Felicity's wondering is whether you avoided taking those Hoods on." Dig said. "And Oliver, she's not the only one wondering."

"I told you, I did not come back to Starling City to be the Vigilante." He said hotly.

"But they came after you, Oliver. You could have taken them out." Dig pointed out.

"No, I couldn't, Diggle." Oliver sighed. "Look, there's a part of being the Hood that neither one of you are considering." He told them. "The body count."

Ray smiled hearing that. So this is when Oliver stopped putting arrows into people… in vital areas anyway.

"And excuse me for saying this, but so what?" Felicity shot back. "Since when do you care?"

"Since Tommy." Diggle realized.

"After he found out my secret, you know what Tommy called me?" Oliver asked. "A murderer. He was right. My best friend died thinking that I was a murderer, and anyone that I kill dishonors his memory."

"So don't." Felicity said after a moment. "It's not like you've killed every guy you've faced."

"I could have." He said. "Because when I put on the hood, it's kill or be killed. That is what kept me alive. That's why I should have stayed on the island." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Is that where you're going now?" She asked.

"The two of you won't help me save my family's company; I'm going to talk to somebody who will." Oliver said, leaving them alone in the office.

FIVE YEARS AGO

The scene flashed back to the island. Slade, Oliver and Shado were walking through the woods, with Slade carrying the motion tracker.

"Well, someone's definitely out there." Slade said. "They're moving closer." He looked up and noted Shado moving off. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"Flanking position." She explained. "They get the drop on you; you'll want some back-up." She smiled at Oliver and said something in Mandarin. He replied with a smile, and then watched her move off.

"She's teaching you Chinese. How sweet." Slade said sarcastically.

Kendra looked at it getting flashbacks to Carter and Savage. She can tell Shado is focused on Oliver over Slade. "Really? The only three people on earth and Slade can't help but do this?" Besides didn't they fight his kid at one pint in time.

Sara nodded. "Yeah and what followed next would give Shakespeare something to write about."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you, too—" suddenly there was the sound of a gunshot, not very far from them. "Shado!" Oliver shouted in alarm, running off towards where she had walked off. Not far away they found her hood lying on the ground. The two looked at each other in concern, then moved off again to search.

PRESENT

Back in the present, Oliver was waiting in Iron Height's visitor's area as Moira was led in. It was a shock to see his mother in gray prison jumpsuit and no makeup. She smiled at him as she sat down at the table.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." He replied. "I'm sorry I didn't make it here sooner."

"Oh, no, no, no." Moira said, shaking her head. "Please, Oliver. There are going to be enough apologies with me apologizing to you for the rest of my life."

"You don't have to." Oliver said. "You saved hundreds of lives."

"And killed hundreds more." She looked down. "Including Tommy."

"That was Malcolm." Oliver argued.

Moira gave him a pained smile. "Your sister doesn't see it that way." She said. "And, you know, my attorney is thrilled. If my own daughter can't forgive me, she's not too optimistic about twelve strangers in a jury box." She sighed. "All right, enough of that. How has it been going at Queen Consolidated?" She asked, then smiled at his surprised expression. "Yes, we do get the news in here, Oliver." She said.

"Right."

"You know, if I'd known the key to you taking your rightful place at the company was its demise, I would have declared bankruptcy a year ago." She said wryly.

"I don't know if I'll get to run it for long." Oliver admitted. "Stellmore. Their VP is coming after us hard."

"Isabel Rochev." Moira said with a sigh.

"Yes."

"Do not trust that woman, Oliver. She is dangerous." Moira warned.

"More then any of us ever knew." Sara added.

"Well, mom, everywhere I look, there are no good options. I don't know what to do." He admitted.

"You don't have to do it yourself. This is a family business." She pointed out.

Oliver chuckled. "I love Thea, but I don't think that she wants anything to do with it."

"I wasn't talking about Thea." Moira said significantly.

The scene changed to Verdant. The club was hopping, and Thea was on the floor serving drinks to keep up with demand. She headed back to the bar and placed her empty tray down. "Table seven needs bottle service, and I need a round of Martinis on the three top." She told the bartender.

"You go see your mom yet?"

Thea looked over at Roy, who came to stand next to her at the bar.

"I thought about what you said." She said.

"And?"

"And…I'll go see her when you stop going out at night looking to clean up the streets."

Stein looked at the screen. "That is destined to fail. Although until our trip to the future I thought Roy Harper was the Arrow."

Ray shook his head. "Ras Al Ghul forced Oliver into the shadows by telling the cops his secret. Roy confessed to being the arrow to save Oliver."

Roy looked at her in confusion. "What does one thing have to do with the other?" he asked.

"I guess they're both things that are never going to happen." She said, moving back onto the floor and leaving a frustrated Roy behind.

Out in the club, no one noticed as three men dressed in black body armor, hoodies, and carrying assault weapons moved through the club.

The first Hood stopped near the DJ booth, cocked his shotgun, and fired a shot into the air, causing all of the people to drop to the ground in fear. His second shot blew away the DJ booth, turning off the music.

"We're looking for Oliver Queen!" He shouted as his friends circled around. "He's back in town. He owns this dump. Where can we find him?" On the ground near the bar, Roy and Thea exchanged looks. "OK, then plan 'B'," the first hood grabbed a girl from the stairs and threw he off onto the ground. "I'm going to start shooting people until Mr. Queen Grows a pair." He pointed the shotgun in the girls face.

Having seen enough, Roy leapt into action, even as Thea shouted for him to stop. Roy charged the first Hood, taking him down with a devastating tackle. He then turned and sprang up towards the second, forcing the Hood's M-16 up and away. He pushed him back against the stair, then used the rifle to flip the man over his shoulder and onto the ground. The man hit hard, and a prosthetic piece that had been attached to his hand fell off. Roy looked down in surprise at the man, whose gun hand was missing all of his fingers except the thumb. Shaking it off, Roy brought the rifle to his shoulder and aimed it at the third Hood-

Just as the first Hood recovered, grabbing Thea and pulling her up. He hid his body behind hers as Roy swung the rifle around to him and held his gun to her head as she whimpered in terror.

"Roy!" she screamed.

"Drop it, hero." The first Hood growled, holding tight to Thea as she thrashed around. "I'm just as happy to kill this Queen as her brother. Let's go!" The three backed out of the club, taking Thea with them as Roy watched, helpless.

Sara took a breath in relief. "Oh good, they're all dead."

Mick just smiled he wondered if Rip would let him meet year one Oliver given what Sara just said.

Later that night, Oliver walked into the club as Roy was giving his statement to Officer Lance.

"One of the guys was missing a hand." He was saying. "Mostly, anyway. He still had sutures."

"Excuse me. What's going on here?" Oliver demanded.

Quentin sighed. "It was the hoods, again." He told Oliver. "They came here looking for you; they took Thea instead."

"Where?" Oliver demanded.

"I'm sorry." Roy said. "I really tried to stop them, but I—" he didn't get to finish as Oliver stalked off.

"Queen." Quentin said. "Oliver!" He said louder, causing the younger man to turn and face him. "We'll get your sister back." He promised.

Oliver nodded to the man. "I was going to check something downstairs." He said, moving off towards the basement door. Felicity and Diggle, who had arrived with him, saw and moved to follow.

"I've made a few improvements down here." Felicity was saying as they headed down the long stairs into the basement of the club. She moved swiftly to the junction box and flipped the power switch on. "Just in case, you know… you decided to come back."

The basement lit up. What had been an ad-hoc collection of tables, computers, and work-out equipment was now an organized, professional set-up. There were several glass cases set up under a new central lighting grid. Several held equipment, one held an assortment of pre-made arrows. One case was dedicated to his uniform, displayed on a dummy for all to see. There were several tables holding scientific equipment and tools that Oliver could use to build more arrows. And set up in front of the salmon ladder was Felicity's workstation. Felicity had a brand new computer with triple screens hooked up for maximum efficiency set before an absurdly comfortable chair. Oliver looked around in stunned amazement.

Kendra shook her head. "And this pales to some of the things Cisco does."

"We need to find these guys." He said finally.

"I've been trying, ever since you got back." She replied heading towards her station as Oliver looked over his uniform. "I figured you'd come around eventually. Supposedly Staling City's guardian angel took five down during the summer but they just keep coming... guess I can't say supposedly anymore." His eyes turned to the salmon ladder, now upgraded with lights. "I kept that. I liked watching you do that." She admitted.

Any other time he would enjoy that remark. Instead he pressed on. "Thea's boyfriend said one of them was missing part of his hand." Oliver said. "Maybe a veteran? Check hospital records, any males that have had surgical amputations on their extremities." He ordered.

Felicity sat down and started typing. "Cross-checking by race and age." In seconds, she got a hit. "Got one-Jeff Deveau. Caucasian, late thirties."

"What else can you get on him?" Oliver asked.

"Ex-Marine."

"Would explain how he can handle himself." Dig noted. "Did he lose his hand overseas?"

Felicity looked deeper, and then stopped. "No. In the earthquake." She replied. "Says here he and his wife were trying to make it across the 52nd Street Bridge when it collapsed. She didn't make it."

Oliver sighed. "Phone records, please." Oliver said. "I want to know who he's in contact with."

"He's made a lot of calls to a church in the Glades." She said after a moment of checking. "Something called Standing Strong. It's a support group for those who lost loved ones in the quake." She explained as Oliver looked over the arrows in their case.

"Great place to meet a lot of other guys as angry as you, looking for a little payback." Dig noted.

"And bulk up your numbers when another vigilante takes some down." Felicity added.

"Get me an address, please." Oliver said tiredly.

Felicity looked to Diggle, who nodded. "You're going to need this." She said as she rose from her station. She walked over to a table and opened the case that was sitting on it. "I had it custom made." Oliver looked down at the brand new compound bow. "How'd I do?" she asked.

He picked it up and felt its weight. He moved it slightly to feel it's' balance. He sighed wearily. "It's perfect." He admitted.

"You were right." Felicity said after a moment. "Once I signed on, I stopped thinking about all the bodies you dropped. Because I knew that being the Hood meant occasionally being a killer." She watched as Oliver moved to the main case and stared at his uniform. "Maybe there's another way." She offered.

"They have my sister." Oliver said quietly. "What other way is there?"

FIVE YEARS AGO

The scene flashed back to the island. Night had fallen, but Slade and Oliver had finally managed to track Shadow. She sat on a log; her hands bound in front of her, surrounded by thee rough looking men. Oliver made to rush them, but Slade held him back.

"What are you doing?" Slade whispered.

"We need to save her." Oliver whispered back angrily.

"Listen, kid. You are not the only one who cares for her." He admitted. "But there's a lot of them. Wait for my signal." He ordered. Oliver nodded in agreement.

"Where are the graves?" One of the men demanded, holding a knife to her face. "Where are the graves?" He demanded again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shado said. The man slapped her hard across the face, causing her to grunt in pain. Oliver's eye's flared in rage.

"Tell me." The man demanded, yanking her up by her hair and pulling her head back, exposing her long neck.

Enraged, Oliver sprinted out of the bushes and tackled the man. Slade growled in anger, but followed, taking down the other two pirates as Oliver straddled the first man and rained punches down on his face. Not satisfied, he reached over and picked up a large rock.

"Oliver, no!" Shado cried.

He hoisted it over his head and brought it down once, twice, smashing the man's head in.

"Oliver!" Slade shouted, breaking through the young man's haze of rage. Oliver moved off the man and sat back on the ground, spent.

Ray looked at it not in complete shock but in more understanding of the man Oliver is. Because if he could have he would have done the same thing to save Anna from that Mirakuru soldier.

PRESENT

The scene moved back to Starling City. Thea was bound to a chair in the church, trying her best to remain calm as the four Hoods moved around in agitation.

"So… what do you want to do with her?" One of them asked.

"We could knock her out, drop her off somewhere." Another suggested.

"Come on." The fourth Hood snarled. "Why don't you just buy her a new pair of Prada's while you're at it?"

"She's seen our faces." The first hood pointed out.

"Look, offing Oliver Queen's one thing, but his sister?" The third man said. "She's not much older than my sister was when she was killed in the earthquake."

"Your sister wasn't killed, she was murdered." The first hood interjected. "By her mother. What we're doing here is justice, which makes us the heroes."

Carter growled at the audacity of that statement. "Heroes? Five minutes with my mace, all I want!"

"They're psychos." Kendra admitted. Any pity she had for them gone as quick as it came. She's guessing the first hood was working alone with the bomb and strong armed the others into it or just kept quiet about it.

"She didn't kill anybody." Thea said angrily. They all looked at her in surprise, but her focus was on the first Hood. "My mother didn't kill anyone." She repeated. "Malcolm Merlyn destroyed the Glades."

"With mommy's help." He shot back.

"Merlyn killed my father." She pointed out. "She thought he'd kill my brother, too. She was afraid of him. She must have been so afraid." She said, finally realizing what her mother must have been going though.

The first hood wasn't impressed. "Just like my wife when our house collapsed on top of her." He said, pulling his sidearm and cocking it. She stared in fear, then closed her eyes as he brought the gun up to her head-

Sara glared she can almost feel the bloodlust returning. "For someone who hates Malcolm Merlyn so much you're exactly like him!"

But then the gun was gone, struck away by an arrow.

"Get away from her!" The Hood roared. Jeff opened fire, and the Hood ducked away, dropping to the floor behind a pillar. The hoods started spreading out, looking for the vigilante. The second hood rounded a corner- but THE Hood was there. He grabbed the terrorists arm and twisted it back, bending the man over. Then four quick hits with his bow to the temple put the man down for the night. He moved off, quickly disarming number four with an arrow even as Jeff opened fire. The gun clicked empty, and enraged the former marine charged at the Hood, swinging his rifle like a club. The Hood ducked it, trapped his arm and flipped them over, sending them to the ground. A quick hit to the head put him out, and The Hood stood and spun, swinging his bow and catching number four across the face, sending him down to the floor. The Hood looked around, and spotted the third man pushing Thea in front of him on the second level.

Oliver ran to the stairs and made it up to the second level, coming out onto the balcony in front of the terrorist, who once again shielded himself behind Thea.

"Let. Her. Go." He demanded.

"You want to save her?" the man spat. "There was no justice for people like the Queens till you showed us how to get it. You showed us."

Oliver frowned, and then fired. The arrow struck the man's shoulder and sent him spinning away from Thea, over the railing towards the ground two stories below-

But then the Hood was there, grabbing his hand and arresting his fall. "Go!" he shouted to Thea over his shoulder. She scrambled to her feet her hands still bound behind her, and ran off.

Oliver looked back to the man, who now had his gun pointed at his head. "You shoot me, we both die." He told the man, pointing out the flaw in his logic.

"You'll drop me anyway." He replied. "I know you. You're a killer." Oliver snarled, then grabbed the man's hand with his other hand and yanked him up.

All the while oblivious to the man in the red jacket watching from above making sure Thea got out alright alightest chance of the trigger being pulled and he would have been down there. Clark watched Oliver work, well at least the false Green Arrows are a thing of the past now.

Mick just sighed in disappointment. "Robin Hood is going soft."

Snart watched the screen in silence. Truce with Barry be damned if anyone messed with Lisa the police would be picking chunks of ice up for weeks. The Arrow did go soft. He could have been working in Starling this whole time.

Several minutes and not too far away, Lance was giving a speeding ticket to a motorist like a good beat cop should.

"Keep it under 40 next time." He said, handing the man the ticket and putting away his book. "Have a good evening." He watched as the car drove off, then turned and headed back to his squad car- and was stunned to see the four hoods handcuffed to the chain link fence. He drew his gun in surprise as the real Hood stepped out from behind the fence.

"Do you know who they are?" The vigilante asked.

"I think the hoods give me a pretty good idea." Lance replied, keeping the archer in his sights.

"Bring them in." He told the cop.

"Where you been?" Lance asked, lowering his weapon. "Typically when I bring in guys that you've gone after, they're a little more dead."

"I'm trying another way." The Hood replied softly, turning away.

Then he drew and arrow and fired it, then rode the line up and away from the police officer to his stunned surprise.

The scene changed to a group of desks in a small building the bullpen of the Starling City Inquirer. A balding man with glasses and little hair on the back of his head got up to stretch his legs and saw the new guy hard at work. This kid is like a machine, a clumsy but very talented machine. He walked over and saw what the kid was looking at now a picture of a particular unwelcome sight seeing it. "Kent!"

Clark looked up and saw Snapper Carr staring at him. "Mr. Carr, can I help you?"

"Drop your story." Snapper warned.

Clark was surprised Snapper usually just lets reporters work. "Excuse me"

Snapper held up the piece of paper. "This was on a tattoo of someone right."

"Yes" Clark replied not having a good feeling about this.

Snapper took a breath. "Look Kent I don't appreciate you making the rest of us look bad lately but I don't want you dead either. That tattoo means the person you're looking into is a member of the Bratva, the Russian mob. They say the more complicated the tattoo the higher their rank. So as I said, drop it."

Clark took the paper back. "Thanks for the advice." He saw his computer finally came through seeing another thing he was working on as he pulled out a pen and wrote down the address.

Jax shook his head. "So how long till Green Arrow fights this guy?"

Mick smiled. "A week two at the most."

The scene changed to the next day. Oliver was kneeling in front of Tommy's grave, paying his respects. He looked back and stood suddenly when Laurel came up behind him.

"I didn't mean to disturb you." She said as he rose. "I didn't know that you were here. I was just… I come here a lot." She sighed, then turned to leave. "I can go."

"No, it's…" Oliver sighed. "You don't have to. It's, uh Laurel, I understand." He said. "After everything that's happened, I… understand why we can't be together. But I still need you in my life."

She smiled sadly and walked up to him, taking his hand as they turned and looked down at the grave. "We've been through too much for it to be any other way."

Sara just put both hands on the table and almost cartoonishly acted like she was bouncing her head off it.

Rip looked at her with a smile. "Problems?"

Sara shook her head that was still on the table. "Just the start of a very bad time for the Lance family."

"I feel like I betrayed him, too." Oliver admitted.

"Before the Hood, we didn't have things like earthquake machines, copycat vigilantes, or myths about men in red tights…" She spat.

"Laurel." Oliver interrupted. "Malcolm killed Tommy."

"He was killed in the crossfire between two archers." Laurel said. "And now that Malcolm's dead, there's only one archer left. And I'm going to help my boss catch him and the other guy." Oliver looked at her sadly, and wondered just how complicated his life had just become.

Rip looked at the screen knowing what's about to happen. "I see what you mean."

The scene changed to Iron Heights. Moira sat in the waiting area, watching a mother hold her baby sadly, and sighed.

"That outfit, with your coloring- isn't that cruel and unusual punishment or something?"

Moira turned and couldn't avoid the look of surprise that crossed her face as Thea walked up to the table. "I've done my best to avoid mirrors in here." She said as her daughter sat down.

"So, I—"

"How have you been?"

They both started to say, and then both laughed lightly. "Don't worry about me." Moira said. "I want to hear about you. How are you doing? Are you still seeing, uh- Roy was his name, wasn't it?" she asked. "Sweetheart, I'm fine, really." She assured her.

"It's not that." Thea said. "I… I almost died last night." She started.

"What? Thea, what happened?" Moira asked in alarm.

"It doesn't matter." Thea said tearfully. "But when I thought it was over, I kept thinking that if… if I died, you would spend the rest of your life thinking that I hated you. And I want to hate you." She admitted. "I really tried to. But I can't. I can't, Mom."

"However long I am in this place, you have freed me." Moira said smiling despite tears of her own.

"If I hug you, are they going to shoot us?" Thea asked suddenly.

Moira chuckled. "I'm willing to risk it if you are." She said. The two women rose and embraced. "Oh, shh, shh." She whispered as her daughter cried in her arms.

Jax looked at it. "A beautiful… very awkward family reunion."

"Still better then my parents." Snart replied dryly.

The scene changed to Queen Consolidated. A very smug Isabel Rochev sat in the boardroom, speaking to Oliver who stood with his back to her. "You can't win this. I now own 50% of the stock. By tomorrow, I'll have the outstanding five percent and I will control your company." She explained. "Any attempt to fight me will lead to litigation and leave you penniless. And trust me; poverty isn't as glamorous as Charles Dickens made it look." She added with a smirk.

Stein rolled his eyes seeing Isabel's one characteristic. "Does that harpy just feed on the suffering of others?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah she's a sadist. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

"What if I found someone to invest new equity capital?" Oliver said suddenly, turning to face her.

Isabel scoffed. "A White Knight? With all due respect, your last name is now associated with mass murder. Even you don't have that good a friend."

"You're right." He admitted. "I have family."

The door at other end of the room opened, and a confused Isabel turned to face the newcomer. Confusion turned to alarm when she saw who it was.

"Mr. Steel." Isabel said, rising from her chair as Walter Steel was escorted in by Felicity. "It was my understanding that you had resigned as CEO."

"I did." He said in his cultured voice. "I'm now Chief Financial Officer of Starling National Bank. And my institution has committed rescue financing to Mr. Queen." He explained, walking past the woman to stand next to Oliver. "We bought up the remaining shares of Queen Consolidated when they were released this morning."

Oliver smiled. "Now I know I majored in dropping out," he said, walking up to his new partner, "But I'm pretty sure that makes us partners going forward. So I guess… we will be seeing a lot of each other."

Isabel scoffed in surprise. "You aren't at all what people say about you." She stated.

"Most people fail to see the real me." He replied. She gave him a cool look as she walked past him to exit the room. Oliver looked over to Felicity, who was smiling at him.

"Thank you, Walter." Oliver said, turning to his ex-stepfather and taking his hand. They shook firmly, but warmly.

"Thank you, for reaching out to me." Walter replied. "Whatever's happened between your mother and me, I'm gratified that you know you can still count on me." He smiled at Oliver. "Your father would have been very proud of you, Oliver." Walter made his way to the door, nodding in respect at Felicity as he passed. "Ms. Smoak."

"Mr. Steel." She replied warmly. She watched as he exited, then turned back to Oliver, who had dropped into his chair at the table. "You did it. Not bad for someone who got a "D" in tenth grade Algebra." He looked up at her in surprise. "If it's online, I can find it." She said conspiratorially.

"Anything online?" Mick asked but no one answered. That little blond girl might scare him now.

Oliver laughed lightly. "Yeah. Well, it was just like a good friend once told me I had to find another way." He smiled at Felicity, who smiled back.

FIVE YEARS AGO

The scene flashed back to the island. Oliver pulled himself to his feet, staring down at the man he had just brutally killed. Suddenly a radio went off, and Slade bent down to pick it up. He and Shado listened for several moments.

"We're not alone." He said. "The question is, where did they come from?" He wondered. Out in the bay, a ship hugged the coast, its search light playing over the shore.

Sara grumbled under breath seeing the Amazo again. "Well at least I'll see how Ollie spent the next three years after this one."

"Actually Ms. Lance with the exception of a select few memories I've skipped the flashbacks after the Amazo they all just seem dull and inconsequential to me."

Sara frowned defeated and snarks. "Thanks Gideon."

PRESENT

Back in the present, Roy answered his phone as he walked through the Glades. "Hey, what's up?"

"Just came back from visiting my mom." Thea said from the club.

"Really? Good for you."

"So what do you say? You ready to start spending your nights safe with me?" Thea asked teasingly.

Roy stopped walking, alerted by the sounds of a woman screaming. He looked up to see a waitress being pushed around between three street thugs. "Absolutely." He lied. "Hey, I'm going to pick us up some Big Belly Burger right now. I'll see you later."

"Ok." Thea said, then hung up.

Roy put his phone in his pocket and moved quickly towards the punks.

"We just want to be friendly." One of them said.

"What, we scare you or something?" another added.

"Yeah." They all looked up to see Roy standing there. "I think you do." He continued. "Me, though, not so much." The three thugs backed off from the girl to turn their attention to him. He glanced at the girl. "Run." He told her, and she did just that. The three punks moved to attack, and Roy fended them off. He ducked the first to hit the second, then lashed out at the third before turning back to the leader. He was too slow though, and got belted on the chin. He staggered back, wiping the blood from his lip. The leader pulled a wicked looking knife from his jacket and sneered at Roy.

"That all you got, man?"

Then suddenly SHE was there- all black leather and blond hair, wielding a metal bo-staff that separated into a pair of escrima sticks. She beat the punks down brutally in less than thirty seconds, much to Roy's astonishment.

Mick looked at the screen in awe. "Your sister is quite the bad ass."

Sara blinked and turned to Snart to make sure that actually happened and the man just nodded. "Yeah, she was." Mick will find out soon enough anyway.

"Where the hell did you come from?" He asked. She jumped up onto a ledge, looked back at him briefly, and then jumped down, disappearing into the darkness.

In the distance, Roy could swear he heard a canary cry.

The mayor of Starling City stared out at the city he was chosen to manage and wondered if it could even be saved at this point. His attention didn't hold long as sounds of screams and gunshots flooded the hall. "Hey what's going on out there?"

The mayor backed away as the door practically exploded into splinters as a man in an orange and black mask came in wearing body armor with a sword on his back.

"Goodbye Mr. Mayor." Snart quipped darkly.

Stein turned to him. "You can't know that."

Sara turned to the two. "No he's dead. Slade needed the mayor as a puppet. And that is not Slade's puppet."

The mayor backed into the wall seeing the man in the mask take a katana off his back. "Why are you doing this?"

The man in the mask took one quick swing and the mayor now ended right above his shoulders. The man simply turned around and left.

Across town Clark walked into a certain gym. The one hope he has left. It took him forever but he's finally found one. Clark walked into the gym and looked at the heavy bag.

"Considering blowing off some steam?"

Clark turned his attention to a man coming out. "Probably not a good idea right now. Just found out something about a friend I wish I hadn't." Though he's definitely going to look into it a lot more before confronting Oliver. He doubts the billionaire would ever confess to being in the Russian mob or need anything from it without a good reason.

The man looked at him confused and silent. "Well if you're not here for boxing nobody here has much to say to reporters."

Clark looked down and took his press pass off. "I'm off duty. I'm just looking for the owner."

"You found him." The man replied.

Clark looked at him uneasy. "You're Ted Grant?"

"Expecting someone else?" Ted asked.

"I was expecting someone older." Clark replied.

Ted nodded. "So what do you need with me?"

Clark looked at him uneasy. "Actually I'm looking for someone whom might be a friend of yours. Kent Nelson?"

"Who is that?" Ted asked.

Clark let out a weak defeated breath. "Someone I was hoping could help me but I'm having a hard time finding him. How about Sylvester Pempleton?"

"No."

"Dinah Drake or Lance?"

Sara's eyes widened what could this guy want with her mother?

"No"

Clark let out a weak sigh but one last shot. "Carter or Shayera Hall?"

The legends in bulk turned to the Hawks wanting an explanation.

Carter shrugged. "In all my lives I'm pretty sure I'd remember someone like this. Maybe he time travels at some point."

Kendra shook her head. "Hey I'm still struggling to get all my memories back."

Ted shakes his head. "Sorry, I got nothing."

Clark simply nodded defeated he's looked all summer. "Yeah, I guess the person I'm looking for just isn't here."

Ted looked at him. "And that's a problem?"

"For me yeah, but I made a choice, and I knew the consequences gotta live with them now." Clark replied. "So how much is a membership here?"

Ted looked at the man in the glasses. "You want to box here? You don't match the type."

"A friend asked me to take boxing lessons so I can take care of myself." Clark replied. "I did farm work to stay in shape back home in Kansas, but that's obviously out of the question now."

Ted nodded he never asked his customers before, he's not starting now.

The scene changed to the lair. Diggle was reading a news article about the Hood gang being arrested on the large monitor table as Oliver and Felicity walked in.

"Well, it looks like Starling is back down to only one man in a hood." Diggle said.

"And the three of us are back in the archery business?" Felicity said, though it came out more as a question than a statement.

"No." Oliver said to their surprise. He moved to lean against a table. "I spent the past year trying to avenge my father. If we're going to do…this," He gestured around the foundry, "It has to be about honoring Tommy. I need to become the man he hoped I could be. You two have helped me take the first step." He said, looking at his friends.

"So what's step two?" Felicity asked. "I'm game for anything as long as it doesn't involve skydiving. And I'm pretty down on landmines now, too."

He smiled at her. "The city still needs saving." He said, pushing himself off of the table and moving to the case that now held his bow, along with his arrows. He picked one up and held it in his hands. "But not by the Hood. And not by some vigilante who's just crossing names off a list. It needs," he thought for a moment. "Something more."

"It needs a hero, Oliver, not some myth no one has ever seen." Diggle said.

"It's too bad the hoods kind of ruined your nickname." Felicity added.

"No, it's good." Oliver said. "I never… I don't want to be called the Hood anymore." He decided.

"OK. So what do you want to be called?" Diggle asked.

Arrow looked at his friends, then back down at the arrow, considering.

"Cue the sappy music." Mick quipped.

Sara turned to Rip. "Can you start up the next set?"

Rip just took the control seeing it skips ahead a week here and loaded up the next set of memories.

Author's Notes

DC owns everything here on some level.

I wasn't sure I was adding the flashbacks if I started in season 1 I wouldn't have. But I forgot how central they were in season 2 setting up the present. As opposed to here's a whole year of crap on Lian Yu here's the tiniest link to modern day with a statue.

So many complications hopefully next chapter will be up sooner.

As for the next chapter... between inserting Clark into Arrow and the Legends Commentary should I start splitting the episodes into two or three chapters.