Ellie Bishop: When we see things like this, it's no wonder Diggle turned out to be someone who would save a mass murder over thousands of innocent lives.

Guest: Glad you enjoyed it. Glad to hear it.

The Glades

Morning

Roy walked up the steps of the staircase leading to the top floor of the clock tower where Sin lived. As he reached the top, he paused, taking in the sight.

Sin was pacing back and force, a cinder block in front of her.

"Sin?" Roy called out.

"I didn't know where else to go," Sin said, confusing Oliver. "I need to show you something."

Before Roy could ask what, Sin whirled around and punched the cinder block. The force of her punch completely destroyed the cinder block, reducing the middle to disk and leaving two small ends as the rubble. Roy immediately ran to her side and grabbed her wrist, not at all surprised to see she wasn't injured.

"How are you not bleeding?" Roy asked, keeping up the act that he had no clue what was going on.

"I was right about Max, he didn't OD. He was injected with something and the people who did it injected me with it to. But it didn't kill me; it made me, I don't know, stronger. I saved some kids from a metal tower at Blood's Rally a few nights ago and I pushed it off my back like it was nothing. And I heal fast, like comic book fast," Sin said in a rush.

"Who else knows?" Roy asked after a moment.

"Just you. I wasn't sure who to trust. I don't know what's happening to me Roy," Sin said and he could see the fear in her eyes.

Silently, Roy pulled her into a hug and Sin clung to him, like a frightened child clinging to a parent for comfort.

"We'll figure this out, I promise," Roy said genuinely.

Queen Mansion

Afternoon

Moira was in the sitting room when Walter walked in behind her.

"Can I fix you a drink?" Moira asked, ever the hostess.

"Whatever you're having," he said and she handed him her glass before pouring her own. "It was good to see you last night Moira."

"It was lovely. It's been a while since I've had such a good laugh," Moira said before taking a sip of her drink.

"It was no joke. Mark was telling the truth. A significant number of people in Starling City feel that your actions with Malcolm Merlyn were justified to protect your family. 43.6%, in fact," Walter said as he sat down on the couch.

"You polled people about me?" Moira asked surprised.

"Prudent course of action when vetting a potential candidate, yes," Walter said.

"Six hundred thousand people in Starling City. I'd think you could find someone not responsible for destroying it with an earthquake machine," Moira said sarcastically as she joined him on the couch.

"Not with your name recognition. We need a game change candidate, Moira. And there's no one in Starling with a higher profile than you," Walter argued.

"Charles Manson is rather well-known, and no one is going to vote for him," Moira shot back.

"True. Equally true, voters like redemption stories. Bill Clinton, Elliot Spitzer, Martha Stewart," Walter listed.

"I don't believe she ran for office," Moira noted.

"If she did, she would have won," Walter said as Oliver walked in.

"Would have won what?" he asked.

"Oliver," Walter greeted pleasantly as he got to his feet. "Good to see you. How goes Queen Consolidated?"

"It's going. What's going on?" Oliver asked, feeling like he had just walked into something.

"I'm trying to convince your mother to run for mayor," Walter explained, taking Oliver back.

"I know, it's a bad idea," Moira, misinterpreting his response.

"Actually, I disagree," Oliver said, surprising Moira. "Mom, with everything this city going through right now, it could use someone fighting for it."

"I believe fighting for this city is what the Vigilante does," Moira pointed out.

"He protects it, there's a difference. He can't inspire people, he can't give them hope. You can…in a way that he never can," Oliver said gently as Moira looked at him blankly. "I have faith in you Mom."

Blood's Campaign office

Night

Blood was in his office, packing up to go home when a voice spoke up behind him.

"Point blank range," Blood whirled around, seeing Slade sitting at his desk, reading a file.

But it wasn't just a file, Blood realized with dread. It was the police report from his father's murder.

"Single shot to the heart from a low angle. Obviously the handiwork of someone quite scared, and very small," Slade noted as he laid the file on Blood's desk. "How come the police didn't arrest you?"

"I knew how to cover my tracks," Blood said simply, no sign of the fear he felt in his voice.

"A skill you've obviously lost since you've gotten bigger," Slade said scornfully and Blood winced. "Do you know how close you came to allowing the Vigilante to destroy everything?"

"Someone spoke out of turn. I've taken care of the problem," Blood said.

"Your mother was not our problem," Slade sneered as he rose to his feet and walked around the desk. "Laurel Lance is."

"You were the one who told me to try to get close to her," Blood argued.

"And your sloppy attempts to do so have nearly unraveled everything. You underestimated her; she is not like the many others who have fallen under your spell. Fix this," Slade said before grabbing Blood's tie and yanking on it, choking Blood as he pinned him to the top of the doorframe. "You do not want me to fix it for you."

Slade let Blood go and fell back to the ground, gasping for breath. Slade walked out of the office and Blood scrambled for his phone.

"Brother Daily. I need you to take care of something for me."

Arrow lair

Later

"So, your mom is planning on running for mayor?" Felicity asked as Oliver told them the news.

"She's thinking about it," Oliver corrected.

"Well, I think Hell has officially frozen over," Diggle said and Oliver shot him a look and Roy walked in.

"Hey, I need to talk to you guys," Roy said before Oliver's phone rang.

"Hold on one second," Oliver said as he was it was Quentin and answered. "What is it Detective?... What?! Okay, I'll be right there."

"Ollie, what is it?" Sara asked as they saw the look on his face.

"Laurel was just arrested," Oliver said to their shock.

Starling City Police Department

Not long after

Laurel was in the interrogation room, handcuffed to the table when the door opened and Pike walked in.

"Lieutenant, would you mind explaining to me why I'm here?" Laurel demanded.

"You're being charged with aiding and abetting the vigilante," Pike said.

"From last year? I thought I wasn't being charged with anything," Laurel said confused.

"No, this is very recent," Pike said, pulling out a photo of her and Oliver, as The Hood, from last night. "Traffic camera caught that last night, seconds after the department of City Records was robbed by the Vigilante. Care to explain that?"

Laurel paled but was silent. They had her on camera with Oliver, and her dad couldn't cover it up this time. She didn't need to be a lawyer to realize that this was bad.

Before Pike could say anything else, the door opened and Pike and Laurel looked over to see Oliver entering the room.

"Laurel, don't say anything," Oliver ordered.

"Mr. Queen, I'm in the middle of an interrogation," Pike said as he faced Oliver.

"Yeah, and she has no lawyer present. Until she does, this is over," Oliver said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Fine," Pike said, looking unsatisfied. "I guess the last name 'Queen' still has some merit."

Pike walked out of the room without another word. Oliver walked over to the table and picked the picture of them and was silent for a few moments.

"What can I do Laurel?" Oliver finally asked.

"Short of proving my theory…I don't think there is anything you can do," Laurel with a weak smile.

Arrow lair

Same time

"So, the cops just happened to find that traffic cam footage?" Felicity said doubtfully.

"It's too convenient," Oliver agreed as he paced back and forth. "It took Detective Lance days to find the footage of me finding that bag I planted to throw everyone off my trail. That a cop who is nowhere near his level could find it in less than twenty four hours is next to impossible."

"So you think Laurel's being set up?" Sara asked.

"I don't know. But something is not right here," Oliver muttered.

Starling City Police Department

Same time

Laurel was in a holding cell when she heard a noise outside the cell. She lifted her head as the lights went out. She got to her feet, looking around in confusion before she heard the door to the cell open. She turned around only to be grabbed, a gag pressed over her mouth as she attempted to scream. She was dragged out of the cell as a man in a skull mask stepped into view.

"Hello Laurel," he said as she tried to scream.

Arrow lair

Not long after

Oliver's phone rang and he pulled it out and, seeing it was Quentin once more, answered.

"Has there been an update?" Oliver asked immediately.

"Laurel's gone!" Quentin said urgently.

"What do you mean gone?" Oliver asked as he got to his feet, Sara looking at him sharply.

"I went to check on her and the holding cell was empty. Someone took her," Quentin said in a rush.

Starling City Police Department

Same time

"And I think I have a pretty good idea where," Quentin said as he stared at the wall, which had the words 'tell the vigilante Starling Cannery' painted on it in red.

Starling Cannery

Not long after

Laurel's eyes snapped open, dazed and disoriented. She was on the floor of wherever she was. She pulled herself to her feet her, vision blurring for a moment before it focused. She started walking through the building, pausing as she saw a shadow on the other side of a gate.

The man in the skull mask.

"Is that mask supposed to scare me?" Laurel demanded as she rounded a corner but, to her shock, he was gone.

"Thirty-thousand years ago masks invested their wearer with authority, like a god," the masked man's voice said, seeming to come from everywhere.

"You're insane," Laurel said as she looked around wildly. "You are no god."

"But I am worshiped by hundreds. I am the closest thing to a god this city has," his voice said, echoing from everywhere.

Suddenly, he lunged out from the shadows, pulling Laurel into a chokehold before she could even react. As she gasped for breath, an arrow flew out and hit a pipe near them. The masked man looked up to see Oliver aiming an arrow at him.

"LET. HER. GO!" Oliver snarled. "You wanted me, I'm right here."

"No," the masked man said as he threw Laurel to the ground before pulling out a gun. "I think she should witness this."

Before he could take a shot, a loud, sonic screech pierced the air. The masked man tried holding his ears as all the glass in the building shattered. Suddenly, Sara was there, whirling her baton. She stuck him in the abdomen and he dropped the gun. He tried fighting back but it wasn't much of a fight. Within seconds, she had him on his knees, her baton against his neck. With a twist, there was a sickening crack and she felt his body fall to the floor.

Laurel got to her feet, staring at the masked woman. Although she couldn't see her face, she could see her eyes clearly. Eyes she knew almost as well as her own. As the woman looked up at her, there was little doubt in Laurel's mind who this was.

"Sara," Laurel said and Sara froze. "It's you, isn't it?"

Sara was silent, looking like a deer caught in the headlights as Laurel approached. After a moment of indecision, Sara, with shaking hands, removed her wig and mask so Laurel could see her clearly.

"Laurel…" Sara trailed not sure what to say.

But it seemed she didn't have to say anything. Emotionally, Laurel grabbed Sara and pulled her into a hug. After a moment, Sara returned her hug with shaking hands.

After watched them silently for a few moments, Oliver looked towards the body of the masked man. He jumped down and made his over, Kneeling down; he removed the man's mask to reveal the face of Officer Daily.

Starling City Police Department

Later

"How long has she been in town?" Laurel asked Oliver as they sat in the squad room of the precinct.

"Since before I came back. She left before the trial, then came back after Christmas. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Oliver apologized.

"It's okay, she wanted you to keep quiet. It can't have been easy for you, keeping her a secret," Laurel said and Oliver let out a humorless laugh.

"No, it wasn't," Oliver admitted and a comfortable silent settled over them for a moment.

"I was so sure it was Blood," Laurel said after a moment.

"It still might be," Oliver said and she looked at him oddly. "There was no reason for the man in the skull mask to target you. You were already discredited for associating with a mass murderer and aiding and abetting him, not to mention breaking and entering and theft. There was little chance of someone believing you. There was no reason for him to come after you."

"Unless Daily was just the scapegoat," Laurel realized.

"It's just a theory. But either way, I'm going to keep a closer eye on Blood from now on. Let me worry about him, alright?" Oliver said as he looked over at her.

With a sigh, she nodded as Quentin rushed in.

"Laurel, are you alright?" Quentin asked as he began checking her over.

"I'm fine Dad, just a few bumps and brises," Laurel said with a weak smile.

Oliver silently stood up, walking away in order to give them some privacy. He met Lieutenant Pike near the entrance.

"How is she?" Pike asked as he looked over at Laurel and Quentin.

"Shaken up, but alright," Oliver said. "We need to talk Lieutenant. You're not gonna be charging Laurel with anything."

"Is that right?" Pike asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not unless you want me to launch a lawsuit over how Laurel's life was put in danger because the SCPD failed to realize that one of their own was a serial killer. Or how none of you realized he had kidnapped Laure l from within your precinct. As you said, the last name 'Queen' still has some pull in Starling City," Oliver said pointedly and Pike regarded Oliver silently.

"Alright, I'll drop the charges. But be careful Mr. Queen, even you can't protect her from the consequences of her actions forever," Pike said before walking off.

Arrow lair

Later

"So Laurel was wrong," Diggle noted as he, Oliver, Felicity, Sara and Roy stood in the lair.

"Maybe…but either way, I wasn't wrong for looking into this," Oliver said as he looked over at Diggle. "Tell me John, are you gonna wanna dismiss evidence every time Laurel brings me Intel? If that's the case, we will have a problem."

"I still think you have a blind spot when it comes Laurel…but I won't let my personal feelings on the subject get in the way again. I'll work on it," Diggle promised and Oliver nodded.

"Good," Oliver said before looking over at Roy. "Earlier, you said you had something to tell us?"

"Sin, earlier today she finally told me about the Mirakuru," Roy said and four pairs of eyes turned towards him. "She's freaked out guys; I've never seen her like this. I don't know how to help her."

"I think I know someone who can," Oliver said as he looked at Sara pointedly.

The clock tower

Later

Sin was at the clock tower, sleeping when she heard footsteps. Opening her eyes, she pulled out a knife and got up. Walking forward, she suddenly whirled and nearly stabbed Sara. Sara sidestepping her was the only thing that saved her life.

"Sara," Sin breathed, shaking. "I almost killed you."

"That kind of instinct will keep you alive. But how much of that was instinct and how much is the serum you were injected with?" Sara asked and Sin lowered the knife in shock.

"You know?" Sin asked stunned and Sara nodded.

"I've seen it before. It makes you stronger, but twists your mind. Makes you into something you're not," Sara said.

"I don't know what to do Sara. I'm scared," Sin admitted, her voice shaking.

"You should be. But I'm gonna help. I promise that I will be there every step of the way until you don't need me to be," Sara said as she placed a hand on Sin's shoulder.

Starling City

Same time

Blood walked into Slade's office, escorted by three bodyguards. Slade was at his desk looking at something.

"It's done. They think it was all Daily. He sacrificed himself for our cause," Blood explained.

"A good start, but it is too late for that now," Slade said and Blood stiffened. "You are sloppy. I've waited too long for this for you to ruin it. I've decided to back another horse, so to speak."

An arrow suddenly flew out and struck one of Blood's bodyguards in the chest, killing him instantly. Blood looked around wildly as two more arrows flew out, one getting one of his bodyguard's in the throat with the other got one in the chest, killing both. Someone dressed in a suit nearly identically to the one Oliver used jumped down before firing at Blood.

Laurel and Sara have officially been reunited. Was planning to do that for a few chapters but it just never worked out.

And more proof of 2x11 being used to alienate Oliver from Laurel, no one questions just how convenient the frame job of Daily is. If Blood was not the man in the skull mask, it makes no sense as to why he would target Laurel, especially if she's been discredited by exposing her substance abuse problem. Yet, for some reason, Oliver never questions this. This from the guy who very quickly saw through Barry and Thawne. Right.

And we've reached our first true negative ripple with Blood being killed by Emiko as she and Slade become allies. This will have some pretty serious consequences over the next few chapters.