Season 3: Rebuilding

3x22: Metamorphosis

Synopsis: Oliver is forced to face one of his biggest nightmare as Slade returns to Starling City and holds Felicity captive at QC. Meanwhile, Diggle finds himself in the middle as Lyla decides to stop Floyd Lawton at ARGUS headquarters.

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3x22: Metamorphisis

"Never have a change of heart when it's already too late, honey," Malcolm sighed chidingly. "I've told you that. Ms Deleon had to die... so that your destiny could be fulfilled. And, well, there were past sins I couldn't overlook from her father's betrayal."

Thea slowly backed away from her father and the ghastly scene as she watched him in a whole new light. She felt as if the veil that had concealed the truth from her all these months had finally been pulled away and let the garish sun inside. Everything seemed crystal clear and she hated herself for having falling for the ploy in the first place. "... You played with my mind! And I believed in you! But the truth is... that you're the reason Tommy's dead. Tommy died in your Undertaking... and Walter? Did my step-dad die because you ordered Jane's death? It wasn't some random assassin, was it? He was hired by you, all along."

The implications of her words flashed through his eyes for a second before Malcolm raised his own walls sky-high. Whatever pain he felt in seeing his daughter distance herself from him, he masterly hid behind a growing scowl, "Those deaths were not intentional, Thea. But if we're playing this game; I also killed Robert Queen...That was intentional. Your father tried to oppose my plan of the Undertaking, I couldn't have him opposing me."

"The Queen's Gambit went down because of you..." Thea muttered as the truth hit her square across the chest like a punch. "... And all this madness because you lost your wife?"

"Her death was fuel for my soul, Thea!" Malcolm passionately declared. "I lived through a crucible, but I didn't let it break me! As you never broke after yours! We returned to Starling too soon, I think. Allowingthat boyto get to you... so now he has to die. Give me time and you'll see I'm right, Thea."

Roy stumbled back onto his feet as he saw Malcolm once more aim the gun at him. Roy swallowed past the bile in his throat and held his head high. For some reason his heart didn't race, and he didn't feel afraid. He felt ready to die if he had to, though he had no desire to leave Thea like this. Alone and distanced from everyone who loved her. His gaze trailed over to find Thea's wide, shocked eyes gazing back at him, a silent apology echoing in the bottomless pools.

Malcolm pulled back on the trigger. Fear brightened Thea's eyes and in that second, everything seemed to stop.

Before Merlyn could fire the weapon, however, the window next to them shattered as a dark, lean shape swooped into the room. A loud, metallic shriek pierced the silence that followed and several windows and glass walls in the office shattered due to the piercing noise. Malcolm, Roy and Thea all covered their ears and ducked to the ground.

Roy managed to raise his head towards the figure and sighed a breath in relief. Standing in the middle of the shattered glass, a few feet in front of him, was a black-clad woman with a long, blonde wig and a mask to cover her identity. The Canary had returned. In her steady left hand, the woman held a familiar sonic device that created the nasty, high-pitched sound that pierced their eardrums. With a flick of the wrist, the woman turned the device off and swirled her long Escrima stick to a defense position.

Thea was the first to recover as everything fell silent. She scrambled to her feet and threw herself towards her father before anyone could react. Malcolm stumbled and the gun fell from him hands, clattering loudly against the tiles.

"Thea!" Roy breathed and shot up from the ground. The Canary raised her hand and glanced back at the young man, willing him to stay behind for now.