FROM THE BLACK --
A RUSTLE of leaves. Disturbing. Urgent. SNAP INTO:
[Lush foliage beneath a darkening sky. A BALETE TREE shakes. Something climbing its way up. Weâre INSIDE SOMEONEâS POV and CLIMBING fast. Leaves and vines and green rushing past.]
[More rustling and the CLIMBER EMERGES. But itâs no animal. Impossibly -- this is a MAN. His face obscured by a GREEN HOOD cut from a sailâs muslin. TATTERED CLOTHING over a taut frame. He wields a COMPOUND BOW. A QUIVER FULL OF ARROWS slung around his back.]
[From atop the tree, he looks out at the EXPANSE of BLACK SEA. And then he sees it... far off on the horizon...]
A FISHING TRAWLER
[The climber STRIKES AN ARROW like a MATCH -- quick and fluid -- FIRING the FLAMING BOLT so fast we barely saw him string the bow -- and we FLY WITH THE ARROW -- a straight shot down to the BEACH below. Striking a TARGET a hundred feet away.]
[A WALL OF FIRE IGNITES. Pre-planned. Itâs a signal fire.]
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): Iâve never seen anything like it.
EXT. FISHING TRAWLER - MAIN DECK - THAT MOMENT
The CREWMEN atop the deck react to the FIRE erupting along the coast. They shout to each other in MANDARIN.
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): Iâve never read anything like it. Except in 19th century literature.
EXT. A BEACH - LATER
A SMALL SKIFF rests on the beach. THE FISHING TRAWLER moored offshore. The shipâs CAPTAIN and First Mate -- both Chinese -- cautiously approach the WALL OF FLAME...
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): The last thing anyone expects to find on a deserted island...
A RUSTLING from the woods nearby. The Captain pulling out A GAFFE. A precaution. Eyes going wide to see --
MANâS VOICE (V.O.)
...is that itâs not deserted.
...A PAIR OF BARE FEET emerge from the woods. All bruises and scars. PAN UP as the FIGURE lowers his hood REVEALING... a BEARDED YOUNG MAN. 27 years old. Sun-bleached hair. Gaunt.
This is what is left of OLIVER QUEEN.
EXT. THE FISHING TRAWLER - (DUSK) LATER
As Oliver boards the fishing boat from the skiff, he looks back one last time at his home for the last five years.
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): The island he was found on is called âLian Yu.â Itâs Mandarin... for âPurgatory.â
We see the ISLAND fully for the first time. Black and silent, far from anywhere and everywhere. It feels wrong.
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): I canât tell you why heâs alive... Because for five years... that island did its best to kill him.
Off Oliver, staring at the island. A solemn good-bye to whatâs been his home for the past five years...
MATCH CUT TO:
INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - A FEW DAYS LATER
Oliverâs REFLECTION in a WINDOW. A cityâs SKYLINE beyond. Heâs clean-shaven now, hair cut. His face angular, still handsome. But those eyes, still an enigma...
MANâS VOICE (V.O.): Forty percent of his bodyâs covered in scar tissue. Second degree burns on his back and arms. X-rays show at least 12 fractures that never properly healed...
REVEAL weâre watching Oliver through an OBSERVATION WINDOW:
INT. HOSPITAL - MORNING
Weâve been listening to DR. NEIL LAMB (50, kind, capable). Talking to MOIRA (48, beautiful), a woman not used to being shaken, but finding herself now on the precipice of tears --
DR. LAMB: I want you to prepare yourself, Moira. The Oliver you lost... might not be the one they found.
MOIRA: Has he... said anything about what happened?
DR. LAMB: No. Heâs barely said anything.
Anxious, she takes a deep breath, reaches for the handle...
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Tentative, Moira steps inside. Oliverâs still standing at the window. Tubes snaking from muscular, toned forearms to an IV stand nearby.
MOIRA: Oliver...?
He turns around, stares. She takes a step forward. Then --
OLIVER: Mom.
Moira, of course, is MOIRA QUEEN.
MOIRA: (voice breaking) Sweetheart.
She swallows him in her arms. Crying without realizing it. Five years of loss pouring out. Oliver smiles, grateful for the embrace, but much too far out of practice...
AN ANCHORMAN (PRELAP): Oliver Queen is alive...
CUT TO:
A CNN-TYPE BROADCAST. The ANCHORMAN speaks. Behind him, a FILE PHOTO of OLIVER. His face younger, fuller.
ANCHORMAN: The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the South China Sea two days ago. Five years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed The Queenâs Gambit...
CUT TO:
VIDEO FOOTAGE.
Moira SMASHING a bottle of CHAMPAGNE against the stern of a 414-foot YACHT. The Queenâs Gambit. ROBERT QUEEN (50) stand nearby. Powerful, fearsome. A titan.
ANCHORMAN (V.O.): ...Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also aboard but now officially confirmed as deceased.
CUT TO:
A TMZ-TYPE BROADCAST. CAT GRANT (25, sexy) reports. Behind her is a GRAPHIC which reads, âHEIR APPARENT-LY ALIVE!â
CAT GRANT (ON TV): ...five years after disappearing in a boating accident, trust fund bad boy Oliver Queen appears to be the only survivor of the ill-fated voyage...
SHAKY TMZ FOOTAGE.
Oliver -- flanked by his leggy DATE -- confronting a paparazzi. This is not the ghost found on the beach. This is Oliver in his prime. And heâs had a few...
OLIVER (ON VIDEO): Get that (BEEP)ing camera outta my face before I shove it up your (BEEP)ing ass, you little (BEEP)!
Intercut with a SERIES of MUG SHOTS. Oliver doing his best Lindsay Lohan impersonation... WIDEN to REVEAL, weâre:
INT. A SWANK HOTEL ROOM - MORNING
The TMZ coverage continues to play M.O.S. TILT OFF the 60- inch LCD to the bed. Sheets rustle. FIND TOMMY MERLYN (28, tall, dark, Devil-smooth). He disentangles himself from a SEXY GIRL (25, rocking bod). Grabs for a water. Spent.
SEXY GIRL: Is this what you do? Go to clubs, pick up women, have anonymous sex?
TOMMY: No. I go to bars sometimes. Donât judge. Itâs not as easy being a one-percenter as it used to be.
Tommyâs look catches the SCREEN and the TMZ story about Oliver. Tommyâs eyes shoot wide. Turning up the volume...
CAT GRANT (ON TV): ...Queenâs return has everyone talking. Where was he? And how did he survive all those years with no martinis or room service?
TOMMY: (a whisper) You lucky son of a bitch...
Tommy JUMPS from the bed. Grabs his clothes. The outburst sends a SECOND MOSTLY NAKED GIRL emerging from the bathroom --
SECOND SEXY GIRL_ Whatâs going on?
TOMMY: Heâs alive! Ollieâs alive!!
Tommy bolts out the door, SCREAMING down the hall.
MOIRA (PRELAP): Tommy Merlyn is dying to see you.
INT. LIMOUSINE - MORNING
Oliver in the backseat. Moira sits opposite him. Sheâs unnerved by his silence, talking for both of them --
MOIRA: Your sister is nervous of course. But donât mistake that for anything. Thea was so distraught for so long. She never gave up hope though -- neither of us did.
But Oliverâs distracted by the ICE CUBE he grabs from the BUCKET in front of him. He holds it, fascinated.
MOIRA: (unnerved) Oliver...
OLIVER: First one Iâve seen in five years.
MOIRA: (back to the subject) The staff is excited as well. And your fatherâs friend... Walter Steele?
Oliver bristles. A history there. Tosses the cube back.
OLIVER: From the company?
MOIRA: Thatâs right. Heâs been very supportive with... everything. Heâll be at the house.
Oliverâs look alters as he considers another question. His eyes flashing their first look of genuine concern.
OLIVER: And Laurel... Howâs Laurel?
Before Moira can answer, we go...
INT. CNRI OFFICES - NIGHT
City Necessary Resources Initiative. Think legal aid but with even less money. Crappy office in a crappy part of town. DINAH âLAURELâ LANCE (28, blonde, smart sexy) is meeting with DANIELLE DIDIO (70s, your grandmother).
A CASE BOARD behind them has PHOTOS and ARTICLES tacked up
regarding ADAM HUNT. An entitled grin on his face.
MRS. DIDIO: I went to the District Attorney, the Better Business Bureau... everyone says they canât do anything...
LAUREL: Because, technically, what Adam Hunt did to you -- what he did to dozens of people just like you -- isnât against the law.
MRS. DIDIO: He took everything from me, Ms. Lance. My mortgage, my retirement, itâs all gone... He took my life. (fighting tears) How can that not be against the law?
LAUREL: Itâs... complicated, Mrs. DiDio.
MRS. DIDIO: So... you canât help me, either?
LAUREL: Weâre suing Hunt in civil court. Aclass action alleging fraud and predatory lending. (takes her hand) Mrs. DiDio, I am determined to see this manâs head hung on the city gates like in the 1800s.
For the first time in months, Mrs. DiDio feels a smile blossom on her face, just as another lawyer, JOANNA (Laurelâs age, Laurelâs friend) blazes in --
JOANNA: Laurel. You need to see this. Right now.
SMASH TO:
LAUREL and OTHERS in front of a TV. The Starling EVENING NEWS. An ANCHOR reports, that now-familiar photo of Oliver chyroned behind her --
ANCHOR (ON TV): -- Mr. Queen has reportedly confirmed he was the only survivor of the accident that took the lives of seven people -- (a young BLONDE WOMANâS PHOTO replaces Oliverâs) -- including local resident, Sara -- CLICK.
Laurel intentionally snaps the TV off before we can hear her last name. She just stares at the black screen.
EXT. THE QUEEN MANSION - ESTABLISHING
The LIMO pulls up to A MASSIVE STONE MANSION surrounded by vast grounds. Old money. American royalty.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - THEAâS ROOM - DAY
Through the window, THEA QUEEN (17, Lolita, Oliverâs sister) watches the limo pull up the drive. Behind her, her two BFFs -- MARGO (17, blonde, trouble) and NIVA (17, Indian, ditzy).
NIVA: I read on the internet he had frostbite. Do you think his toes fell off?
MARGO: Your brother was hot, but thereâs no way I could get with a guy with no toes.
Thea ignores all this. Just stares out the window. Worried to her core -- she loved her big brother with all her heart.
NIVA: Whatâre you so freaked about? Itâs a good thing... heâs alive.
THEA: (ignoring that; anxious) You guysâve gotta leave before he comes in --
MARGO: Not âtil you calm down. Roll call. What do we have?
Niva reaches into her KNAPSACK, pulls out --
NIVA: My brotherâs Ritalin and my momâs Valium.
MARGO: Screw that.(pulls out) Thank you, Daddyâs ACL tear. Go with the Roxyâs.
Margo pops out a pill, CRUSHING it to powder on Theaâs desk. She SNORTS, turns to Thea --
MARGO: Your turn.
She hands Thea the ROLLED UP BILL she used to snort the powder. Thea takes it -- practiced -- leaning down...
INT. QUEEN MANSION - KITCHEN - DAY
WALTER STEELE (50, commanding) talks on a cell. Watching the LIMO pull to a stop through the window.
WALTER: Theyâre here. We can discuss this in the office tomorrow. Letâs get him settled first.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN FOYER - THAT MOMENT
RAISA (60, plump, old world) and IVAN (65, thin, kind) -- both Russian, both house staff -- stare through their own window. They watch Oliver step from the limo.
RAISA: Well, we had five good years.
IVAN: You missed him.
RAISA: (covers) And now Iâll miss the quiet.
Raisa talks a good game but we see she loves Oliver. She and Ivan are the closest Oliver has to grandparents...
EXT. QUEEN MANSION - DAY
Oliver looks up at his house. As if seeing it for the first time. The driver POPS the trunk, is about to reach inside -- -- when Oliver SPINS and blocks him. A quick move.
OLIVER: Iâve got it.
Oliver bends to remove AN ARMY MUNITIONS TRUNK. Weathered. Marked with Chinese letters. He holds it tight. As if his life literally depended on it.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN FOYER - MINUTES LATER
The door opens and Oliver and Moira enter. Oliver looking like heâs stepping onto the surface of Mars. Walter approaches, extending a hand. Warm --
WALTER: Oliver. Itâs damn good to see you. (beat) Itâs Walter. Walter Steele.
Oliver shakes Walterâs hand -- then walks past him. Walter exchanges a look with Moira. Hers says, âHeâs fine.â His, âItâs worse than I thought.â Oliver reaches Raisa and Ivan who nod respectfully.
RAISA: Welcome home, Mr. Oliver.
IVAN: Welcome back, Sir. (re: Trunk) Can I help you with that?
OLIVER: No. Thank you, Ivan.
An awkward beat. Moira filling the silence --
MOIRA: Your room is exactly as you left it. I never had the heart to change a thing. Or go in at all.
IVAN: Mr. Merlyn phoned. He wants to join you for dinner.
MOIRA: Wonderful. Oliver did you hear that--
Moira stops. Oliver turns to see what quieted his mother:
THEA. Standing at the foot of the stairs. Beaming.
THEA: I knew you were alive. I knew it. She races to Oliver, clutching him tight. If sheâs too exuberant itâs because sheâs also high.
Oliver melts into the hug. This relationship, itâs the one pure, uncomplicated one in his life. They speak so only they can hear.
THEA: I missed you. Every day I missed you.
OLIVER: You were with me. The whole time.
She smiles through her tears. Her big brother is home.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - OLIVERâS BATHROOM - DUSK
Oliver steps from the shower. As the steam dissipates, we get a good look at his bare body: insanely toned but covered with SCARS. A BRAND on one arm. Numbers TATTOOED on the other. Healed BULLET WOUNDS on his legs. A jagged SCAR across his chest. A road map of five years of unknown suffering and the will it mustâve taken to survive. As we take in the injuries, A RAPID SERIES OF CUTS -- fast, virtually subliminal -- torture -- blood -- pain. Oliver shakes the memories off.
LIGHTNING FLASHES outside. ANOTHER FLASH, SMASHES us to:
EXT. OPEN WATER - DUSK (FLASHBACK)
BLACK WATER laps against the hull of the Queenâs Gambit.
DARKENING CLOUDS billow overhead. THUNDER in the distance.
EXT. QUEENâS GAMBIT - MAIN DECK - DUSK (FLASHBACK)
A younger Oliver emerges from the lower deck. Shirtless. Carefree. The roiling clouds above canât dampen his mood. He walks across the deck to where -- His father, ROBERT QUEEN, confers with HACKETT (40, grizzled, hard), Robertâs head of security --
HACKETT: Stormâs a category two. Captainâs recommending we head back.
ROBERT: Is it really that serious?
HACKETT: When even the captain looks seasick, I take that as a bad sign.
ROBERT: (disappointed) Not even two days out... (âoh wellâ) Alright. Back to Bahrain. Youâll inform the crew?
Hackett dutifully nods, crossing paths with Oliver --
OLIVER: We in trouble?
ROBERT: One of us is.
He does not mean the storm.
OLIVER: Yeah. She and I... just kind of happened...
ROBERT: Things donât happen to us, Oliver. They happen because of us. I wish that would settle in.
Oliverâs heard that nugget before. Ad nauseum.
OLIVER: If I wanted a lecture Iâd be back at Stanford. Or Berkeley. Or Reed.
From below deck, we hear a girlâs voice:
GIRLâS VOICE (O.S.): Oliver! Where do you keep the bottle opener on this thing?!
OLIVER: (calling down) Iâll show you. One sec.
Oliver starts toward the hatch --
ROBERT: You know that wonât finish well. For either of them. Or you.
Oliver shrugs. âWhat can you do?â And heads below. Off Robert, hearing Oliver and the womanâs LAUGHTER ECHO...
INT. QUEEN MANSION - DINING ROOM - BACK IN THE PRESENT
ON Oliver at the table with Thea, Moira, Tommy and Walter. A nauseated look as he studies the table before him.
REVEAL a FEAST of RICH FOODS: STEAK, BROCCOLI with CHEESE SAUCE, ONION RINGS. He hasnât touched any. Foodâs too rich.
RAISA: Would you care for something else, Mr. Oliver?
OLIVER: A pear. Do you have a pear?
RAISA: I will see what I find, sir.
Raisa exits. Tommy takes over --
TOMMY: Okay, letâs see. What else did you miss? Super Bowl winners: Colts. Giants. Steelers. Saints. Packers. Black president, thatâs new. Oh, and âLost.â Turns out they were all dead. I think...
THEA: What was it like there?
Everyone stops. Surprised by Theaâs bluntness. But eager for the response. A beat. Then --
OLIVER: Cold.
TOMMY: Tomorrow, you and me, weâre doing the city. You got a lot of
catching up to do.
MOIRA: That sounds like a wonderful idea.
OLIVER: Good. Then I was hoping to go into the office.
Walter is visibly unnerved. But tries to hide it --
WALTER: Thereâs plenty of time for all that. Iâm sure your doctors would prefer you take some time. Queen Consolidated isnât going anywhere.
Some tension. Itâs interrupted when Raisa returns with a bowl of pears. She proffers it toward Oliver -- but STUMBLES -- the BOWL and PEARS spilling to the floor -- But Oliver catches both. Fluid. Easy.
RAISA: I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver...
OLIVER: (a whisper) Ni dlya kogo ne volnuites, Raisa.
Oliver looks over. Realizes everyone is staring. A beat.
TOMMY: Dude, you... speak Russian?
An imperceptible shrug from Oliver. Walter smiles, grasping --
WALTER: I didnât realize you took Russian in college, Oliver.
OLIVER: I didnât realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter.
Offered without venom. Moira flashes an angry glare at Thea.
THEA: I didnât say anything.
OLIVER: She didnât.
FLASH CUTS: Moira embracing Oliver at the hospital. Oliver shaking Walterâs hand. Oliverâs nose. Walterâs COLOGNE on his mother. He smelled it.
MOIRA: I was -- I wanted to find the right time to -- to tell you. Oliver... Walter and I are married. (Walter takes her hand) I donât want you to think that we, either of us, did anything to disrespect your father...
WALTER: We both believed Robert was, like you... was gone and --
OLIVER; I understand. May I be excused?
Moira -- confused -- nods. Oliver rises and exits. Leaving a quiet room in his wake. A quiet beat. Then --
TOMMY: Raisa, Iâll finish off his steak.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN HALL - SECONDS LATER
Oliver emerges from the dining room. Pained by this revelation. Eyes finding A PORTRAIT of his FATHER on the wall. He studies it. The MEMORY of A STORM echoing...
WALTER (PRELAP): Itâs strange...
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MOIRAâS BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT
Walter CLOSES the window on the STORM now RAGING outside. Thunder and lightning. He turns to Moira in bed --
WALTER: This sudden interest in the company. I donât think heâs set foot in the building since he was four. And now itâs the first thing he wants to do now that heâs back?
MOIRA: Maybe he craves something normal...
WALTER: Exactly. When has taking an interest in Queen Consolidated been ânormalâ for Oliver?
MOIRA: I want my son to reclaim his life as soon as possible. Have the lawyers here tomorrow.
End of discussion. Suddenly -- a loud BANGING. Startling Moira. Worried, she rises and heads out to --
INT. QUEEN MANSION - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
She walks over to Oliverâs room. Raises her hand to knock, when -- BANG! The sound again. Startling her.
MOIRA: Oliver?!
She opens the door, looks inside and sees --
INT. QUEEN MANSION - OLIVERâS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
The room is empty. Oliverâs gone. The window is OPEN. STORM WINDS BLOWING it -- BANGING it against the frame.
EXT. QUEEN MANSION - THE GROUNDS IN BACK
MOVE ACROSS the well-manicured lawn and into the woods behind. Underneath the thick foliage is... OLIVER curled up on the ground, sleeping like a man whoâs lived in the wild for five years. Heâs restless. LIGHTNING FLASHES overhead.
GIRLâS VOICE (PRELAP): One... two...
The DISTANT ROAR of THUNDER takes us back to --
INT. QUEEN YACHT - OLIVERâS CABIN - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
RAIN pelts the tiny window portal. In bed, we find Oliver and SARA (21). We recognize her face from the TV in Laurelâs office and her voice from our previous flashback.
SARA: three... four --
THUNDER echoes outside the cabin in the night sky.
SARA: Oooo... Itâs getting closer.
OLIVER: Thatâs not very scientific.
SARA: What would you know about science, Mr. Ivy League Drop Out?
OLIVER: Kicked out. And I happen to know a lot about science.
Oliver moves to grab a bottle of WINE and two glasses.
OLIVER: I know about... fermentation. (pours the wine) I know about biology.
Oliver gets back in bed. Kisses her...
SARA: She is so going to kill me...
OLIVER: Only if she finds out about this
weekend.
SARA: And if this turns into more than a
weekend?
OLIVER: If I were to plan more than 12hours ahead, thatâd be a personal best.
SARA: Iâm starting to realize how we got into this mess...
OLIVER: Itâs not a mess. Itâs two people finding out if thereâs something more between them...
SARA: If thatâs all it was, I wouldnât feel so guilty.
OLIVER: Guilt is the most useless emotion in the world. When has anyone written songs about guilt? It doesnât get anybody to do anything. Guilt just gets people to stop doing things they want to do.
Sara swoons a little as Oliver kisses her again. A LOUD THUNDER CLAP! Startling Sara. Sheâs nervous --
SARA: That one was really close.
OLIVER: Relax. Weâre okay --
WITHOUT WARNING, the CABIN FLIPS UPSIDE DOWN! Theyâre thrown about as the deck becomes the ceiling. Sara SCREAMS. Oliver -- BLOOD dripping from his head -- barely has time to look up and see -- A WALL OF WATER RUSHING STRAIGHT FOR HIM!
MOIRA (PRELAP): OLIVER!
EXT. QUEEN MANSION - REAR GROUNDS - BACK TO PRESENT
LIGHTNING CRACKLES and Oliver wakes with a start. Moira is now standing over him. Terrified. His hand SHOOTS OUT -- on instinct -- GRABBING her by the throat --
MOIRA: OLIVER!
His eyes snap wide, releasing her quickly. Horrified to discover what he was doing.
OLIVER: Iâm... so sorry.
Moira studies him with shock and confusion. Oliverâs eyes well with pain if not tears --
OLIVER: What happened there -- it was horrible.
MOIRA: I know, son. Youâre home now.(then) Please, come inside, sweetheart.
Oliver nods. Allows her to help him to his feet. We watch as Moira tenderly moves with her son back inside, the RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL...
EXT. QUEEN MANSION - OUTDOOR PATIO - MORNING
The storm now replaced by a resplendent morning. Moira and Walter look on as a LAWYER takes Oliver through a stack of papers. But Oliverâs far more fascinated with the lawyerâs iPhone. He examines it -- amazed -- itâs like magic, as --
LAWYER: Death-in-absentia usually occurs automatically after seven years. However, in cases of imminent peril -- a boating accident, for example-- the court will grant a petitionerâs request to declare the missing person deceased sooner. (an awkward beat) Weâll... delve into the quagmire of ownership position in light of your disappearance at a later date.
WALTER: Oliver, I hope you understand, in light of you and your fatherâs... absence, it was necessary to bring the company under the control of the board.
Oliver says nothing. Fixated on the iPhone. The lawyer points and Oliver puts the phone aside to sign.
LAWYER: Congratulations. Youâre alive. Again.
The lawyer briefcases the documents and exits. Moira flashes a look at Walter. She got her way. She usually does.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - OLIVERâS BEDROOM - LATER
Dressed nicely, Oliver checks to make sure his door is locked. Then he reaches under the bed and pulls out the ARMY MUNITIONS BOX, the one he protected so fiercely. He UNLOCKS it and reaches inside, removing a MOLESKIN NOTEBOOK. Its pages worn by water damage. He pockets it, reaches back in to produce a piece of STONE. Very old. Asian pictograms inscribed on it. Shaped like an ARROWHEAD.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - THEAâS ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Thea on her bed. Olympic caliber texting. A KNOCK and Oliver enters. She lights up at the sight of him --
THEA: Ollie --
OLIVER: No oneâs called me that in a while. (adding) Speedy.
THEA: Ugh. Worst nickname ever.
OLIVER: Always chasing after me as a kid, I thought it fit pretty well.
He holds out the ARROWHEAD. Offers it to her. A gift --
THEA: (no way) You did not come back from a deserted island with a souvenir...
OLIVER_ Itâs a Hozen. In Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting.
(beat) I kept it, hoping someday it would reconnect me with you.
She smiles. Melting a little. A nice moment. One interrupted by --
TOMMY: A rock. Thatâs... sweet. I want one of those t-shirts that says, âMy friend was a castaway and all I got was this crappy shirt.â
THEA: (to Oliver) Donât let him get you into too much trouble. You just got back. Take it slow.
Oliver smiles at that. As he heads out with Tommy --
TOMMYC: Have you noticed how hot your sisterâs gotten? (off Oliverâs look) Because I have not.
EXT. STARLING CITY STREET - DAY
Tommyâs SLR McLaren cruises through the fog-shrouded streets. A tourism BILLBOARD reads: âStarling City is a STAR City...â
TOMMY (PRELAP): Your funeral blew.
INT. TOMMYâS CAR - CONTINUOUS
Oliver looks out the window. Sees a Blockbuster. The sign out front reads, âOut of business.â
TOMMY: Unimaginative toasts. So much crying. I promised myself if you were ever found alive on a deserted island I would be honest with you about it.
Beat. Oliver tries for ânormalâ --
OLIVER: Get lucky?
TOMMY: Fish in a barrel. They were so sad and huggy. Iâm counting on another target-rich environment for your welcome home bash.
OLIVER: My what?
TOMMY: Ollie, we partied when you got your license, when you got off for decking that paparazzi scumbag... You came back from the dead. This calls for something so epic, the word âpartyâ shouldnât even apply.
Oliverâs not paying attention. His focus drawn to a HOMELESS SKID ROW AREA of town. Boarded-up windows. Graffiti.
TOMMY: Cityâs gone to crap. Whyâd you want to drive through this neighborhood anyway?
Oliver spies a âFOR SALEâ sign in front of a DILAPIDATED
TENEMENT BUILDING. Burnt out. A method to his madness.
OLIVER: No reason.
TOMMY: So whatâd you miss most? Steaks at the Palm? Drinks at The Station? Meaningless sex?
OLIVER: Laurel.
Tommy reacts. Bad idea.
TOMMY: So you miss being punched in the face? (then) Everyone is happy youâre alive. And you want to see the one person who isnât?
Tommy shrugs, GUNS the engine, sure this is a bad idea...
INT. CNRI OFFICES - DAY
The clinicâs beleaguered STAFF -- including Joanna from earlier -- looks on as Laurel argues with their supervisor, ERIC GITTER (40s, so tired) --
LAUREL: Câmon, Eric, if we canât win a class action against a land baron whoâs engaged in mortgage fraud and predatory lending on a massive scale, weâre not fit to call ourselves a legal aid office.
ERIC: If we go bankrupt in the process, we wonât be a legal aid office. Huntâs got an army of lawyers ready to bury us. (almost apologetic) Youâve got 48 hours. Then Iâm rolling this whole thing up.
He exits. The staff looks to Laurel. Laurel looks to Joanna --
LAUREL: Okay, you mightâve called that.
JOANNA: Itâs fun being your friend. I get to say âI told you soâ a lot.
LAUREL: (to one of the staff) Whereâs Judge Grell on our discovery motion?
ATTORNEY: Not where we need him to be.
LAUREL: The forensic accountant?
JOANNA: Same story: Needs more time, needs more money.
LAUREL: Line forms behind me. Idea windowâs open, people. Câmon. Adam Hunt is not smarter than we are.
JOANNA: No, just richer and willing to commit multiple felonies.
LAUREL: We donât need to go outside the law --
JOANNA: -- to find justice. Your favorite jingle.
Laurel smiles, about to rebut, when... she FREEZES. At the sudden, impossible sight of... OLIVER across the way. By the door. Tommy standing behind him.
OLIVER: Hello, Laurel.
Laurel just stares. This conversation... confrontation... has been five years in the making.
JOANNA: (âwow heâs hotâ) You gonna introduce us?
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE CNRI - MOMENTS LATER
A chasm of silence -- awkwardness -- between them.
OLIVER: You went to law school. Just like you said you would.
LAUREL: Yes. Everyoneâs proud.
OLIVER: Adam Hunt. Are you sure you want to mess with him?
LAUREL: Why are you here?
OLIVER: To apologize. To tell you it was my fault. To ask you, please, donât blame her --
LAUREL: For what? Being 18? Falling under your spell? How could I possibly blame her for doing the same things I did?
OLIVER: Laurel, I --
LAUREL: She was my sister! I couldnât be angry at her because she was dead. And I couldnât grieve because I was so angry at her. Thatâs what happens when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend. (beat) We buried an empty coffin. Because her body is at the bottom of the ocean. Where you left her.
The words sting Oliver. Only because theyâre true. Pained --
OLIVER: I know itâs too late to say it... But I am sorry.
LAUREL: Iâm sorry too. I had hoped you would rot in hell for a whole lot longer than five years.
A dagger in his heart. Laurel turns to go back inside, passing Tommy standing just outside the doorway.
LAUREL: How did you think this was going to go, Tommy?
TOMMY: About like that.
She heads back in. Oliver watching her go. Dying inside.
INT. TOMMYâS CAR - DAY
Tommy drives. Oliver sits quietly. Still stinging.
TOMMY: Okay, so we got that out of the way. Good call. Now weâre ready to make up for lost time. If youâre not too sick of fish I suggest we go find some leggy models and eat sushi off them. What do you say --
In an eyeblink, Tommyâs window fills with a VAN -- BARRELLING STRAIGHT AT THEM -- Tommy SLAMS on the brakes --
EXT. STARLING CITY STREET - DAY
The Mercedes SPINS OUT coming to a stop -- the van screeching to a halt -- blocking the Mercedesâ path. Then -- everything happening almost too fast to process -- the van door sliding open -- TWO MEN in GROTESQUE MASKS spilling out -- silenced semi-automatics -- body armor -- moving with military precision -- OPENING the doors of Tommyâs car -- the crumpled metal -- army boots crushing shattered glass -- A HOOD over Tommyâs head -- quick -- a chokehold, as -- A BYSTANDER gets out of his car -- rushing toward the scene to intervene -- to help -- -- when a THIRD MASKED MAN leans out of the van wielding a MACHINE GUN. A TORRENT of GUNFIRE SLAMS the bystander to the pavement.
OLIVER sees the samaritan drop -- surging towards him -- a YOUNG BOY -- the samaritanâs son -- doing the same --
BOY: DAD!
The boy rushes to his father. Tears streaming down his cheeks.
Oliver is transfixed by this heartbreaking scene, as -- a hood comes down over his head. Enclosing him in BLACKNESS.
OLIVER (PRELAP): SARA!
EXT. SOUTH CHINA SEA - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Oliver floats by himself in dark frigid waters.
OLIVER: SARA!
He DIVES below the surface. Beat. Then re-emerges. Alone.
OLIVER: SARA!
Desperation grows. Oliver taking in a lungful of air, about to go below again -- when a hand grabs him. Oliver wheeling around to see --
ROBERT: Oliver!
OLIVER: Sheâs down there--!
ROBERT: No, Oliver, sheâs not --
OLIVER: Iâve got to --
Oliver struggles -- Robert gripping him -- first to restrain, then to EMBRACE --
ROBERT: Sheâs gone! Itâs been twenty minutes in freezing water (softer) Sheâs gone, Oliver.
Oliver sags in his fatherâs arms. Surrendering. A whisper --
OLIVER: Please God... No. Itâs all my fault. Itâs my fault.
Oliver fights tears, as Robert tows him towards --
EXT. LIFEBOAT - CONTINUOUS
Hackett, the security chief, reaches to drag them both aboard. Freezing, devastated, Oliver lies there shivering in his fatherâs arms.
Off the three men, floating atop the endless black sea...
MASK (PRELAP): Mr. Queen...?
SNAP IN. The hood YANKED off Oliverâs head. Oliver shaking his head to get his bearings to see heâs --
INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
Desolate. Oliverâs sitting on a wooden chair in the center of the cavernous space. Wrists ZIP-TIED behind him. He looks over, sees Tommy, head lolling, similarly bound.
MASK (O.S.): Mr. Queen?
Oliver looks up. Three kidnappers. Still in their GROTESQUE MASKS. The leader -- MASK -- stands over him. Flanked by GUNMAN ONE and GUNMAN TWO.
Oliverâs eyes dart around. Taking in the surroundings.
MASK: I ask the questions. You give me the answers. (then) Did your father survive the accident?
Oliver says nothing. Mask produces a Gerber clip point HUNTING KNIFE. Rakes the blade across Oliverâs chest, cutting the shirt and the skin beneath. Blood seeps. Yet Oliver doesnât scream. Mask is impressed.
MASK: Did your father survive? Did he tell you anything?
Again, Oliver doesnât answer. Mask moves the knife UP. Against Oliverâs neck. The jugular. Mask looks: Well?
OLIVER: Yes. He did.
Mask reacts. Thatâs more like it. Looks to the others. Then back to Oliver -- who smiles dryly through the pain.
MASK: What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?
OLIVER: He told me Iâm going to kill you.
A confused beat. Then... Mask laughs. Then the GUNMEN join in. Oliver mustâve lost his fucking mind on that island...
OLIVER: (re: Gunman Twoâs weapon) Galil 5.56 mm. The man carrying the biggest gun is always the coward. You, Iâll have to hunt. You die last. (then to Gunman One) You think youâre faster than me. Youâre wrong. Youâll get a shot off, but Iâll kill you second.
The laughter starts to die. Replaced by anxious chuckles. Oliver looks to Mask --
OLIVER: And you, Iâm going to kill you first.
MASK: Youâre delusional. Youâre zipcuffed to that chair --
Behind Oliverâs back: SHUK. He DISLOCATES his thumb.
OLIVER: Not anymore.
His thumb dislocated, Oliverâs hand slips his bonds -- shooting to his feet -- free hand SWINGING the chair around -- KNOCKING Mask back -- the knife out of his hand -- the motion continuing -- across his chest -- blocking the GUNFIRE from -- GUNMAN ONE. The bullets hit the chair -- SPLINTERING it -- Oliver with two CHAIR LEGS in his fists now -- using them like TRUNCHEONS -- Eskrima -- a Filipino martial art -- He knocks Maskâs gun -- it FIRES into the floor -- Oliver DRIVING a chair leg towards his face -- depositing it in Maskâs eye. Mask staggers back -- death throes -- as Oliver hurls another CHAIR LEG into the chest of GUNMAN ONE. GUNMAN ONE DROPS. The second to die. As promised.
Itâs suddenly QUIET. The space empty. Oliver was right: GUNMAN TWO RAN.
INT. WAREHOUSE - HALLWAY - SECONDS LATER
Oliver explodes out -- on the hunt -- legs pumping -- Olympic pace -- rounding a corner -- into --
INT. WAREHOUSE - STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS
Gunman Two races down the stairs. A Galil SAR fires 750 rounds a minute. Gunman Two UNLOADS them all on Oliver --
Oliver moves fast -- avoiding the GUNFIRE -- CAROMING off the walls -- PARKOUR-like. A predator. Hunting Gunman Two -- pursuing him down the stairs to --
INT. WAREHOUSE - BOTTOM FLOOR - SECONDS LATER
A labyrinth of STACKED PALLETS and SHIPPING CONTAINERS. With Gunman Two as he RUNS -- sending gunfire everywhere -- bullets RICOCHET off metal -- WOODEN CRATES turn to dust... Gunman Two looks around -- cornered, frightened... desperate.
Where is Queen?
He fires again. Spraying bullets. Just to be safe. Then -- CLICK. The magazine is EMPTY. Panic setting in -- he hurriedly searches a pocket for a new clip, when -- OLIVER DROPS FROM ABOVE -- punches the base of his spine -- hitting nerve clusters -- Gunman Two DROPS. Muscles suddenly disabled. Oliver hovers over him -Gunman Twoâs eyes pleading. Terrified. Desperate --
OLIVER: You shot that boyâs father...
GUNMAN TWO: It was an accident -- I didnât mean to -- You donât have to do this...
OLIVER: Yes I do. You see... (dark) No one can know my secret.
Oliver SNAPS GUNMAN TWOâS NECK! KRACK!
SLAM TO BLACK.
CLOSE ON... A SHADOWED FIGURE IN A GREEN HOOD. A pencil SKETCH. It resembles Oliver when we first found him on the beach. Even more, it echoes a certain DC Comics hero...
DETECTIVE (O.S.): Thatâs your story?
WIDEN to REVEAL weâre:
INT. QUEEN MANSION - SITTING ROOM - DAY
Oliver sits on the couch, flanked by Moira and Walter as a gruff, determined city DETECTIVE (50s) questions him. Another detective, HILTON (40s, heavy), stands by --
DETECTIVE: You were abducted, brought to that warehouse, where you were interrogated, threatened when -- suddenly -- a guy wearing a green hood flew in and single-handedly took them out?
OLIVER: Yes, sir.
DETECTIVE: Your luck never seems to run out,
does it?
An edge there. History. He stares daggers at Oliver, who meets his gaze. Moira slices the tension --
MOIRA: Were you able to identify the men?
DETECTIVE (no) Scrubbed identities. Untraceable weapons. These were pros who probably figured youâd pay a Kingâs ransom to get your boy back. Or a Queenâs ransom, as it were. (for Oliverâs benefit) A parent would do anything to keep their child safe.
MOIRA: I donât find your tone appropriate, Detective. Or, for that matter, your involvement in this case given the... personal circumstances.
DETECTIVE: Take it up with the Chief-of-Dâs, then. In the meantime, case lands on my desk, I work it.
Walter stands. This is over.
WALTER: If Oliver thinks of anything else, heâll get in touch. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming.
Taking the hint, Detective moves to leave --
DETECTIVE: Welcome home.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - OLIVERâS BEDROOM - LATER
ON A COMPUTER SCREEN: A WGBS WEBSITE. VIDEO FOOTAGE plays of ADAM HUNT (Laurelâs target) on an outdoor dais --
ANCHORWOMAN (O.S.): ...here is Adam Hunt at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the waterfront re-gentrification project which is expected to net Hunt upwards of eighty million--
Oliver checks that Moleskin notebook. It contains a LIST OF NAMES. One of them reads -- ADAM HUNT.
RAISA (O.S.): You are different.
Oliver turns, sees Raisa in his doorway.
RAISA: Not like you to read a book.
OLIVER: (smiles, then) I missed you, Raisa.
RAISA: No kitchen on the island.
OLIVER: No friends, either.
A thin smile shows he means it. Raisa blushes a bit. Then --
OLIVER: Do I really seem different?
RAISA: No. Youâre still a good boy.
OLIVER: I think we both know I wasnât. (off Raisa) Too much money, not enough responsibility.
RAISA: But a good heart.
Oliver smiles. Moved beyond words.
OLIVER: I hope so. I want to be the person you always thought I was, Raisa.
Raisa offers a knowing smile. She has faith in him. Exits. Oliver returns the notebook to the MUNITIONS BOX and removes a LEATHER POUCH...
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN FOYER - LATER
Oliver descends the stairs, ready to leave... when he sees a MAN IN A DARK SUIT (35, Black, really, really big) standing at attention by the front door. This is JOHN DIGGLE.
MOIRA: Oliver, I want you to meet, John Diggle. Heâll be... accompanying you.
OLIVER: I donât need a babysitter.
MOIRA: This is something I need.
Oliver hesitates. Then gestures to Diggle, who nods and opens the door. As Oliver walks through it...
INT. LIMOUSINE - LATER
Oliver in the backseat as the limo cruises the city. Diggle at the wheel. Oliver studies Diggleâs eyes.
OLIVER: What should I call you?
DIGGLE: Diggleâs good. Dig, if you want.
OLIVER: Youâre ex-military?
DIGGLE: Yes, sir. Army Rangers, 105th Airborne out of Kandahar, retired. Been in the private sector a little over four years now. I donât want there to be any confusion, Mr. Queen. My ability to keep you from harm will outweigh your comfort or desires. Do we have an agreement? (no answer) Sir?
Diggle turns around. Reacts. What the--? Oliver just disappeared out of a moving car.
EXT. STARLING CITY STREET - SECONDS LATER
Diggle jerks the limo to a stop, bolting out. Scans the street. No sign of Oliver.
INT. RUSSIAN MARKET - DAY - LATER
A run-down BODEGA in the Little Odessa section of Starling. ON OLIVER as he moves past shelves lined with caviar, canned fish, and other Russian delicacies to the back where --
INT. RUSSIAN MARKET - BACK ROOM - THAT MOMENT
-- he sits before THE GEORGIAN (60, tatted, scary). Oliver spills a pile of DIAMONDS onto the table. The Georgian examines one, a JEWELERS LOUPE in his eye. He looks up at Oliver and smiles revealing a MOUTH FULL OF GOLD TEETH. Off Oliver, completing Step One -- MONEY...
INT. DARKENED SPACE - SOMETIME LATER
Location unknown. Oliver, shirtless. Muscles taut. Scars exposed. Sweating, as he throws JABS and KICKS against a STRIKING POLE. Off his GRUNTS and the VIOLENT IMPACTS --
REALTOR (PRELAP): Are you sure you want to do this?
INT. BURNT OUT TENEMENT - DAY
Oliver, face concealed by a ballcap pulled low, holds a briefcase, stands in the foyer of a BURNT OUT TENEMENT building he spied on his drive with Tommy. A REALTOR (50, desperate) stands nearby.
REALTOR: Not that Iâm looking to talk anyone out of a deal in this economy. Itâs just this building doesnât need a renovation so much as a detonation.
OLIVER: I understand the property runs right over the old subway lines.
REALTOR: Yeah, but if youâre worried about trains whizzing underneath, donât. Those lines have been abandoned for years.
OLIVER: Will you accept cash?
Oliver opens the briefcase. It is filled with MONEY. The Realtor canât believe his eyes or luck. Off Oliver, completing Step Two -- LOCATION...
INT. BACK IN THAT DARKENED SPACE - SOMETIME LATER
Oliver sits at a work bench, highly focused as he sharpens metal. Whittles shafts. Trims feathers. He is making arrows. We PRELAP a HORRIBLE DRILLING SOUND --
INT. BURNT OUT TENEMENT - BASEMENT - DAY
Inside the filth-strewn cellar, Oliver wields a JACK HAMMER on the concrete floor. As concrete and dust get kicked up into the air, and the floor begins to disintegrate --
INT. THE DARKENED SPACE - SOMETIME LATER
Oliver lifts his army munitions box onto a work table. He opens it and carefully removes a HAND-MADE COMPOUND BOW. He draws back the bow, testing the tension of the cables. Satisfied, he reaches BELOW FRAME...
From O.S. we HEAR a loud POP. And then Oliver lifts into frame... a just-opened CAN OF TENNIS BALLS. Huh?
CUT TO:
A TENNIS BALL MACHINE shoots volleys of BALLS into the air. THWIKT! THWIKT! THWIKT! Oliver puts an arrow in every one. The machine CLICKS, empty. Oliver looks down. The floor is littered with arrow-impaled tennis balls. He never missed.
INT. BIG BULK SUPPLY STORE - DAY
QUICK CUTS of Oliver stocking up on GEAR -- BOOTS. GLOVES. KNIVES. Some Khaki-colored BODY ARMOR... THEN the ELECTRONICS DEPARTMENT... CUTS OF TECH AND GADGETRY. Off Oliver, completing Step Three -- EQUIPMENT...
INT. BURNT OUT TENEMENT - BASEMENT - DAY
CHUNKS OF CEMENT BURSTING FROM THE FLOOR as Oliver HACKS his way at a DEEP HOLE with a SLEDGEHAMMER. He stops, shines a FLASHLIGHT THROUGH THE HOLE. He looks down and SUDDENLY JUMPS DOWN and INTO...
INT. AN ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNEL BENEATH - CONTINUOUS
...Oliver lands on both feet. He surveys the darkness with his FLASHLIGHT. The tracks stretch on into the dark and silence in both directions. The quiet is unnerving. In evidence, a GRIMY 1950s BILLBOARD: âARROWLINE -- GET THERE FASTâ.
PULL OUT to REVEAL the subway tunnel is the darkened space where Oliver has been plotting and training...
For the first time since Oliver has been back, he SMILES.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN FOYER - DAY
Oliver enters. Sees Moira. She looks disappointed. Behind her is Diggle. He looks pissed.
MOIRA: Mr. Diggle informs me that for the past two days, youâve been
consistently sneaking away from him. From the security I hired to keep you safe. I think I deserve an explanation.
OLIVER: Iâm sorry.
MOIRA: I said an explanation, not an apology.
OLIVER: I was alone for five years. I was seeing someone... a woman.
Moira blushes.
MOIRA: Oh.
OLIVER: But Iâll take Mr. Diggle from now on. Promise.
INT. QUEEN MANSION - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Oliver opens the refrigerator. All that food. Just a fingertip away. The simple things...
TOMMY (O.S.): The police came to talk to me about the kidnapping.
Oliver stops rummaging. Tommy behind him. Forced casual --
OLIVER: What did you tell them?
TOMMY: That I was unconscious. And you? You okay? Youâve been back, but you havenât been... yourself. Want to tell me whatâs really going on?
Tommy studies Oliver. Reading him. Searching. Prompting Oliver to adopt his âoldâ self, putting it on like a mask --
OLIVER: Youâre right. (off Tommy) About having a party. For anyone who forgot me, a party theyâll never forget. We can rent out that space downtown. Remember, the old Iron Works building? And we should invite Jessica C. But...
TOMMY: ...not Jessica M.
OLIVER: ...not Jessica M.
OLIVER: And the Havins sisters. Oh, whatever happened to Erika? With the lips? She was a rocket ship.
TOMMY: Got married about a year ago.
OLIVER: So?
Tommy stares at Oliver, then, his concerns allayed, relaxes. Oliver selects A BOTTLE OF WATER from the âfridge, passing Tommy and entering --
INT. QUEEN MANSION - MAIN HALL - CONTINUOUS
The jocularity fades. Being the old Oliver takes a lot out of him. He looks up at the PORTRAIT OF HIS FATHER. Then down at the bottle of water. As he TAKES A SWIG --
EXT. LIFEBOAT - SOUTH CHINA SEA - DAY (FLASHBACK)
TIGHT ON SEVERAL BOTTLES OF WATER AND A FEW MREs. PULL OUT TO REVEAL Oliver, Robert and Hackett atop the lifeboat, checking their meager rations --
ROBERT: A few days. Maybe. (to Hackett) Best guess?
HACKETT: With the current, maybe a week from the Paracel Islands.
Oliver moves to the side of the raft. Robert follows.
ROBERT: Weâre going to get through this, Oliver.
OLIVER: Really? âCause the no food and no landfall for a week say otherwise.
ROBERT: Weâll make it. We have to. (then) I thought Iâd have more time.
OLIVER: For what?
He studies his son. Then, hinting at a larger mystery:
ROBERT: I started with nothing, Oliver. But the more I earned, the more I paid. I paid with my soul. Queen Consolidatedâs success was built on the pain and suffering of many. Pain and suffering I caused. (beat) I failed our city.
OLIVER: Dad, donât say that. Youâre... youâre a good man.
ROBERT: You donât know me. Not really. You donât know the truth.
Off father and son, the endless sea all around them...
TOMMY (PRELAP): Heâs not who I thought he was.
INT. CNRI OFFICES - MAIN ROOM - DAY
Tommy and Laurel share a corner -- her STAFF works nearby.
TOMMY: Heâs back, but heâs... different.
LAUREL: The sympathy card? I was expecting the âWe were just kidnappedâ angle. That actually mightâve worked.
TOMMY: Iâm serious. He was out there for five years. By himself. God knows what happened to him. God knows what he had to become. To survive.
LAUREL: You sound like a movie trailer...
TOMMY: Listen, if youâre worried heâll find out about us...
A revealing beat. Laurel laughs.
LAUREL: We barely qualified as an âus.â Ollieâs âdeathâ just gave us something in common.
TOMMY: (hurt, changes subject) Just come to the party.
He fixes a look. The look. She starts to crack --
LAUREL: Iâm on a clock. Iâve got a bosswho seems to think Adam Huntâs
worth busting only if we can do it on schedule. Huntâs a thief, heâs only worse because he steals more and itâs all technically legal.
Tommy leans back, smiling. Maybe even admiring her a little --
TOMMY: Dinah Laurel Lance. Always trying to save the world.
LAUREL: Yeah, well, if I donât try to save the world...
INT. ARROWLINE TUNNEL - NIGHT
The space is decked out with COMPUTERS and DATA SERVERS. A TRAINING AREA with punching bags and dummies. An ARSENAL OF WEAPONS hangs from the wall. In the corner we find...
LAUREL (V.O.): ...who will?
OLIVER as he reaches into the MUNITIONS BOX and lifts out the GREEN HOOD he was wearing when we first met him on the beach.
INT. ADAM HUNTâS OFFICE - NIGHT
And now in the flesh -- ADAM HUNT (45, a shark, ruthless) -- gets in the face of Laurelâs boss, ERIC GITTER --
ERIC: Mr. Hunt, Iâm sorry, but my people are determined on this --
HUNT: I donât care about your âpeople.â You donât call off the dogs, Iâm coming after you, Mr. Grant. After your house, after your law license, your kidsâ college funds... I will shred your life and Iâll do it because I can. Iâll turn you into a cautionary tale.
Grant nods. Impotent. Hunt stares at him for a beat.
HUNT: Whatâre you still doing here?
Two BODYGUARDS -- both large -- appear in the door. He takes that as his cue to leave. Off Hunt, a disgusted sneer...
INT. HUNTâS OFFICE BUILDING - CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER
Hunt and his bodyguards reach the elevator. He presses the button. DING! THE GREEN ARROW above the elevator GLOWS.
INT. ELEVATOR - SECONDS LATER
Hunt presses âLOBBYâ on the panel. The doors close. They stand there silently watching the LED SCREEN charting their progress. â4... 3... 2... L... P1...â Hunt reacts.
HUNT: Pieceâa crap. Passed the lobby... â... P2... P3... P4â
INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT
The elevator doors open. Huntâs men peer out. It is quiet and still. Sensing danger, Hunt anxiously presses the buttons. No response.
HUNT: Check it out.
Huntâs guards step out into the dimly lit structure. Then -- THWIKT! SOMETHING STRIKES the ceiling light! It SPARKS OUT, enveloping everything in DARKNESS save for some SAFETY LIGHTS. One of the guards picks up the object that shattered the light. Reacts. What the--?
ITâS AN ARROW.
The guard -- instinctively -- reaches into his suitjacket -- THWIKT! An arrow strikes him -- pinning his hand to his chest -- pain dropping him to his knees, as -- the second bodyguard pulls his gun -- FIRING WILDLY into the shadows. BULLETS RICOCHET. Car windows SHATTER. Finally the gun CLICKS empty. Silence. Then:
VOICE (O.S.): You missed.
The VOICE is unnatural. Inhuman. Terrified, the second bodyguard turns and runs back towards the elevator -- THWIKT! THWIKT! Arrows embed in each of his thighs -- collapsing him to the ground -- right next to the first bodyguard -- both writhing in pain...
Hunt looks into the darkness to see -- THE ARROW -- in BODY ARMOR painted a green so dark itâs virtually BLACK. Bow at the ready. His FACE obscured by shadow and hood. And a MASK covering the lower half of his face, distorting his VOICE a little.
HUNT: What do you want? Iâve got money. Iâve got lots of money.
ARROW: I know. And I know how you got it. (an echo of the past) You have failed this city.
Arrow pulls out a card. Drops it by Hunt. A number on it --
ARROW: Forty million dollars. To this account. By 10 PM tomorrow night.
HUNT: Or what?
ARROW: Or Iâll take it. And you wonât like how.
He turns to go. Hunt is predictably undaunted:
HUNT: If I see you again, youâre dead.
The Arrow spins -- instantly FIRING an arrow -- it WHIZZES PAST Huntâs head -- drawing a THIN CUT across his cheek before EMBEDDING in the elevator wall behind him.
ARROW: Same.
The Arrow disappears into the blackness. Off Hunt wiping the trail of blood from his face, seething. And afraid...
INT. ADAM HUNTâS PENTHOUSE APARTMENT - MORNING
Panoramic views of the city. Hunt -- his face stitched -- paces, agitated from his experience the night before. He is in conference with the Detective. Hilton watches nearby.
HUNT: He was wearing a hood. A green hood. With something over his
mouth and a goddamn bow and arrow. The Detective and Hilton exchange a look.
HUNT: You donât believe me? I got two bodyguards in the hospital. (re: his face) You think I did this to myself?
Hunt moves to a nearby table and tosses something at the Detective -- AN ARROW.
DETECTIVE: Thanks for your statement. Weâll put out an APB on Robin Hood.
HUNT: (a warning) Iâm not some grocer who got taken for his register. I have your commissioner on speed dial. I go to the front of the line.
Hunt exits. Hilton turns to the Detective --
HILTON: Looks like Queen was telling the truth.
DETECTIVE: First time for everything. (a beat; then) Get five or six sector cars here. A SWAT unit, too. Have them establish a perimeter. This hooded guy comes here looking for trouble, he finds it...
Hunt and the Detective share a âfuck youâ stare. The
Detective and Hilton exit. Hunt looks down at the arrow. It
practically says, Iâm coming...
INT. LIMOUSINE - LATER
Oliver -- dressed to party -- climbs inside, surprised to see A DRIVER behind the wheel. Diggle is in the backseat --
DIGGLE: Put on your seatbelt, sir.
Diggle is not taking any chances. Oliver complies.
EXT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - NIGHT
Oliverâs limo pulls up outside the converted factory space. PAPARAZZI snap photos of the guests. Oliver alights -- pausing for the cameras -- and makes his way inside.
INT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - MAIN FLOOR - NIGHT
House MUSIC throbs. Skin and money on display. Oliver pulls out his iPhone, checks the clock, activates the timer. It begins counting down from 1:00:00... 0:59:59... 0:59:58... A deep breath. Showtime. He steps inside. Crowd goes wild. The DJ plays a TECHNO version of âWe Are The Championsâ... by Queen. Oliver accepts hugs and high-fives and air kisses --
PARTY GUY: Welcome back, Ollie!
PARTY GIRL: Love you, Ollie!
Tommy, martini in hand, finds Oliver --
TOMMY: Man of the hour. Ladies, give this man a proper homecoming.
A trio of SEXY WOMEN -- skin-tight miniskirts -- envelop Oliver -- one hands him a shot. He downs it --
OLIVER: (to the crowd) I missed tequila!
The crowd WHOOPS and HOLLERS. Oliver Queen is back!
INT. HUNTâS PENTHOUSE APARTMENT - THAT MOMENT
CLOSE ON A CLOCK. IT READS â9:25â. WIDEN: Hunt waits. Defiant. PULL BACK to REVEAL... a CADRE OF BODYGUARDS slamming CLIPS into AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. A deadly arsenal. We notice the TECHNO MUSIC throbbing from outside --
HUNT: What the hell is going on out there?
BODYGUARD: Some big party across the street. For that Queen guy who got off the desert island.
Hunt reacts -- CAMERA takes us out the window -- REVEALING... Oliver organized his party ACROSS THE STREET from Huntâs building. All part of the plan...
INT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - MAIN FLOOR - THAT MOMENT
Oliver looks up, sees... Diggle. Nearby. Watching. As Tommy approaches Oliver. Noting Diggle --
TOMMY: Does he wipe for you too? (then) Just FYI, five years off the job made you a virgin again, if you werenât aware. As your wing man, Iâd highly recommend Carmen Golden.
OLIVER: Which one is she?
TOMMY: The one who looks like the girl from Twilight.
OLIVER: Whatâs Twilight?
TOMMY: Youâre so better off not knowing.
Oliver looks, catching sight of Thea, Margo and Niva. In jailbait attire. He reacts at the sight of his little sister. Here. All (too) grown up. And worse... ...sheâs talking to a charming DEALER. He surreptitiously slips a SMALL VIAL into her hand. Oliverâs jaw tightens.
OLIVER: Back in a sec.
Oliver crosses over to Thea and her friends.
THEA: Hey Ollie! This party is sick.
OLIVER: Who let you in here?
THEA: I believe it was someone who said, âRight this way, Miss Queen.â
Margo sidles up to Oliver --
MARGO: Hey Oliver. Do you remember me? Back then, I was... (boobs forward) ...smaller.
But Oliver -- disinterested -- grabs Thea, pulls her away, practically by her dress.
OLIVER: Whatâs going on, Speedy?
THEA: (shrugging off his grip) Whatâs going on with you?
OLIVER: You shouldnât be here --
THEA: Uh, not twelve anymore.
OLIVER: Youâre seventeen. You shouldnât be here --
THEA: I love you, Ollie. But you donât get to come back and judge me. Especially for being exactly like you.
OLIVER: Thea... I know it couldnât have been easy for you when I was... away... Thea lets out a LAUGH. Itâs kind of unnerving.
THEA: âAway?â So youâve joined the Euphemism Club, like Mom. You were
away? Unavailable? No, you were dead. You died. My brother and my father died. I went to your funerals.
OLIVER: I know --
THEA: No, you donât. Mom had Walter. And I had... no one. Now you all
act like itâs cool, letâs just forget the last five years. (then) Well I canât. For me, itâs kind of permanently in there. So Iâm sorry if Iâve turned out to be some major disappointment but this... me... is the best I could do with what I had to work with.
Oliver starts to EMBRACE her. But Thea isnât having it and pulls away. Oliver watches her head off with her friends -- ON THEA AND HER FRIENDS --
THEA: Letâs bounce.
MARGO: You have the fun dip?
THEA: Yeah, itâs right --
She stops. Patting herself down. Itâs GONE...
THEA: Itâs not -- I mustâve dropped it...
FLASH CUT:
Seconds earlier, Oliver surreptitiously swiping the VIAL of DRUGS from Thea when he started to embrace her. Off Thea and her friends, thwarted from any illegal fun...
BACK TO WHERE --
Oliver checks his new iPhone. Diggle eyeing him. Oliver turns in the opposite direction -- towards an EXIT SIGN -- and bumps into Laurel. She looks amazing and wasnât even trying. Oliver is shocked -- and overjoyed -- she showed --
OLIVER: Youâre... here.
LAUREL: I shouldâve let you know I was coming. Tommy invited me and --
OLIVER: No. Itâs fine. I shouldnâtâve dropped in like that before...
LAUREL: I came to talk. Mostly. Is there somewhere quieter we could go? Like an erupting volcano?
Oliver smiles -- nods -- has just the place. He guides her out -- through the exit where he was headed -- but STAY WITH THE PARTY... FINDING... Tommy. Watching them leave together.
EXT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - ROOFTOP - MINUTES LATER
Oliver and Laurel. Huntâs building in the distance.
LAUREL: Iâm sorry... about saying I wished you were dead. That was wrong.
OLIVER: Iâd be happy to be, if it meant me instead of her.
Laurel sees it in his eyes. Heâs sincere.
LAUREL: About Sara... Thereâs something... Iâm afraid to ask... but I need to know. When she died... did she suffer?
FLASH CUT:
Sara in the sinking yacht. Screaming in terror.
OLIVER: (lying) No.
LAUREL: I think about her every day.
OLIVER: Me too.
LAUREL: I guess we still have one thing in common then.
BEEP! Oliver checks the iPhone. The timer reads, 00:00. Huntâs time is up. Oliver swipes the screen, switching apps -- ON THE SCREEN: ACCOUNT 52... BALANCE... $0.00.
Oliver frowns. Hunt isnât playing ball.
LAUREL: Something wrong?
OLIVER: Just... someone who owed me some money. Didnât pay.
He looks up at her. They share a brief and intense look -- itâs evident theyâre still very much in love.
LAUREL: I canât believe Iâm saying this... But if you ever really want to talk to someone -- about what happened -- Iâm sure it wasnât easy for you, and if you wanted I could try to...
Oliverâs heart breaks knowing what he has to do next --
OLIVER: Laurel, you always saw the best in me. Even right now, youâre looking for it, hoping that island changed me somehow, made me a better person. It didnât. Stay away from me. Iâll just hurt you all over again. Only worse. (back to the party) You should go. Iâve got five years of debauchery to catch up on.
She studies him. Sad. Disgusted.
LAUREL: Youâre wrong, Ollie. That island did change you. At least now youâre honest.
She heads back inside. Oliver feels like he swallowed broken glass, but... to business. He moves into --
INT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS
-- and starts pounding down the stairs, when --
A VOICE (O.S.): Something I can help you with, sir?
Oliver turns a corner -- waiting for him... Diggle.
OLIVER: Just needed a second to myself...
DIGGLE: And Iâd believe that if you werenât so full of crap. Partyâs this way.
Diggle gestures to a door. Oliver steps forward, grabs the handle. Jiggles it. A confused look on his face.
OLIVER: Itâs locked.
Diggle passes Oliver, trying the handle himself -- and, in a blur, Oliver has him in a headlock. Diggle sags, out cold, never having seen Oliver attack him...
INT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - JANITORâS CLOSET - MOMENTS LATER
Oliver drags the unconscious Diggle into the darkened space. Closes the door on him.
EXT. HUNTâS APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
The towering building looms. Hired muscle -- business suits and machine guns -- visible through the windows. Patrolling. Suddenly... SHUNK. An ARROW embeds itself on the rooftop. A CABLE trails from it -- stretching across the wide expanse -- back to the Iron Works Building, as --
INT. HUNTâS APARTMENT BUILDING - CORRIDOR - SECONDS LATER
TWO of Huntâs men patrol. Everything quiet. For a beat. Then -- AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE -- the two men REACT -- too late -- coming around the corner -- moving fast -- THE ARROW. Bow in hand -- fires a bolt -- an arrow PINNING one guard -- a Parkour-leap off the wall -- into a KICK -- knocking the other unconscious, as -- REINFORCEMENTS surge down the corridor -- spraying bullets -- the Arrow firing off arrows -- fluid motion -- a deadly ballet -- DISABLING the men one by one -- pinning them to walls -- to the floor -- NEVER STOPPING his inexorable movement down the corridor. The sound of the violence is DEAFENING...
EXT. STREET LEVEL - NIGHT
...but inaudible at street level. DROWNED OUT by the lights and TECHNO THUMP of the party across the street. The COPS standing guard outside Huntâs building donât hear a thing.
INT. HUNTâS OFFICE - APARTMENT - NIGHT
Huntâs eyes react to GUNFIRE and bedlam outside his CLOSED OFFICE DOORS. Then -- even more unnerving -- silence. He finally looks scared. His men grip their guns. Ready for -- THE DOORS BURST OPEN!
The men answer with their guns -- the Arrow dodging -- moving fast -- firing off arrows -- extremities -- nothing fatal -- heâs taken out ALL THE GUARDS WHEN -- HUNT produces a GRENADE -- an insurance policy -- pulling the pin --
HUNT: Choke on this, asshole -- -- and HURLS it towards the Arrow. Hunt VANISHES into the SAFETY of the PANIC ROOM behind him. The ARROW DIVES behind HUNTâS DESK while simultaneously firing off an arrow. Like the tennis balls, the arrow STRIKES the grenade in mid-air... BOOM! THE GRENADE GOES OFF! A MAELSTROM OF PAIN AND NOISE AND POWER ENGULFS THE OFFICE!
EXT. STREET LEVEL - THAT MOMENT
The policemen spin around -- looking up -- as the WINDOWS BLOW OUT! Reacting --
POLICEMAN: All units. Converge. Converge.
INT. HUNTâS OFFICE - APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
Behind the desk, through the smoke... Oliver. Hood down. Face exposed. Blood trickles from his ears. Unconscious. Helpless...
EXT. LIFEBOAT - DAY (FLASHBACK)
CLOSE ON THE RATIONS BOX. No more MREs. Only one bottle of water left. Only three-quarters full. WIDEN TO REVEAL: Oliver, Robert and Hackett. Frail and weakened by lack of food and water. Floating in the endless sea.
ROBERT: Oliver...
OLIVER: Donât talk, Dad. Save your strength.
ROBERT: I am. Youâre my strength. And Iâm saving you.
Wanting privacy from Hackett, Robert moves close to Oliver.
ROBERT: Weâre not going to last. The three of us. But you can. You can
survive. (then) Make it back to Starling. I ruined our city. You can save it.
Oliver looks at his father. Has he lost his mind?
OLIVER: Just rest, Dad --
ROBERT: This is my penance. This is what I deserve. But you...
Robert touches Oliverâs face. Tender. Emotional.
ROBERT: ...youâre my absolution.
ANGLE ON: HACKETT. Heâs been listening. Doesnât like where this is going. He reaches behind his back and pulls out a LONG KNIFE when -- BANG! Hackett is blown off the lifeboat, dead before he hits the water. REVEAL ROBERT is HOLDING A SMOKING GUN. Oliver cannot believe what he just saw.
OLIVER: Dad!
ROBERT: I love you, son. Survive.
Robert puts the gun to his head. Oliver goes to stop him -- but for the very last time in his life -- heâs too slow.
OLIVER: No!!
A SECOND GUNSHOT. Oliver cries out. His innocence shattered forever. He grabs onto his fatherâs lifeless body, hugging it close. Off Oliverâs tearful eyes WE DISSOLVE TO: OLIVERâSEYES in the present-- as they flutter open in...
INT. HUNTâS OFFICE - APARTMENT - BACK TO PRESENT
Oliver winces from pain. He wills himself to reorient. He peers out from behind the desk. Sees THE DETECTIVE and a team of SWAT OFFICERS spill into the outer hall. He is surrounded. There is no way out.
SWAT LEADER: Lay down your weapons or we will open fire. I repeat, lay down your weapons!
Quickly Oliver reaches into his belt and pulls out a SMALL RED DEVICE the size of a FLASH DRIVE. He does something with it but we donât see what. He then dons his hood. Grips his bow. Looks to the SHATTERED WINDOWS. And BOLTS out from behind the desk --
SWAT LEADER: FIRE!
GUNFIRE ERUPTS -- The Arrow racing for the window -- dodging bullets and shrapnel -- and he leaps -- OUT THE WINDOW! The Detective and the others watch as he PLUMMETS -- and FIRES AN ARROW -- THWIKT! -- A CABLE TRAILING AFTER IT like a comet -- the arrow EMBEDS in the parapet of the Iron Works -- cable going taut instantly -- The Arrow swings across the chasm -- CRASHING THROUGH A WINDOW of the IRON WORKS BUILDING. Heâs gone.
Reactions. Shock and stunned disbelief --
SWAT LEADER: Someone say they saw that too.
The team nods. The Detective pulls his service weapon --
DETECTIVE: LETâS MOVE!
INT. IRON WORKS BUILDING - MAIN FLOOR - MOMENTS LATER
The party is raging. Until... THE MUSIC CUTS OUT. Everyone turns and reacts -- the Detective and Hilton spilling in, flanked by SWAT. The Detective turns to the SWAT Leader --
DETECTIVE: Search the building. Roof to basement. Find him.
The SWATS move off. The Detective addresses the party --
DETECTIVE: This is the Starling City police. Partyâs over kids.
Tommy approaches. The Detective smiles --
DETECTIVE: Mr. Merlyn. Imagine my shock at finding you here. Roofied anybody special, tonight?
OLIVER (O.S.): This is a private party, Detective.
The Detective turns... sees Oliver. Back in his suit. A drink in hand. No sign of the ordeal he just went through.
DETECTIVE: Unbelievable.
OLIVER: (cupping his ear) Sorry, the musicâs been loud...
DETECTIVE: Know anything about Adam Huntâs place getting attacked?
OLIVER: Whoâs Adam Hunt?
DETECTIVE: A millionaire scumbag. Iâm kinda surprised you arenât friends.
OLIVER: I've been out of town for a while.
The Detectiveâs WALKIE SQUAWKS.
SWAT LEADER (OVER WALKIE)_ No sign of him.
OLIVER: No sign of who?
DETECTIVE: The guy with the hood who saved your ass the other day.
OLIVER: You still havenât figured out who that was? If itâd help, I could post a reward. (to crowd) Two million bucks to anyone who can find a nutbar in a green hood.
The crowd CHEERS in response. The Detective steps up close to Oliver. Rage and pain bubbling over. Quiet intensity --
DETECTIVE: Did you even try to save her?
Oliverâs stomach plummets. Unable to answer. And that only enrages the Detective further. Hilton gets between them --
HILTON: Letâs go, partner.
The Detective -- eyes lit with hate -- takes a beat... before allowing Hilton to lead him away. Oliver turns... into THEA. She heard their conversation. Her disappointment palpable.
THEA: Did you try to save Dad? Or did you just let him die, too?
The look in her eyes -- the disappointment from the one person he was closest to... itâs almost too much to bear. Words fail him. Thea goes, exiting with her friends. A pained beat. Oliver willing himself back into character --
OLIVER: (back to the crowd): It is waaay too quiet in here!
As the MUSIC COMES BACK UP, Tommy approaches --
TOMMY: Some coincidence. You asking to have your party here and then Hunt getting robbed right next door. And by the same guy who rescued us at the warehouse. A guy I never saw.
Oliver clearly doesnât like Tommyâs tone. His face darkens.
OLIVER: I thought you were unconscious.
For the first time in his life Tommy is afraid of Oliver.
TOMMY: (a lie) I was.
OLIVER: Thatâs good...
TOMMY: What happened to you on that island?
OLIVER: A lot.
Oliver turns away, the costs of his lonely crusade already evident...
INT. HUNTâS PENTHOUSE APARTMENT - THE NEXT MORNING
WORKERS hang TARPS over the broken windows. Hunt storms about the ruins of his home, barking at an UNDERLING --
HUNT: I want the entire security system overhauled. Card keys. Motion
detectors. Everything military grade. No one gets in here again. Hunt spies an ARROW sticking out of his wall. Ever.
UNDERLING: Sir, your accountant is holding on line one...
Hunt goes to his desk, picks up his phone --
HUNT: (into phone): What is it, Ron?
Whatever Ron says, Huntâs face goes ashen --
HUNT: What the hell are you talking about??! Forty million dollars doesnât just up and vanish! (then) âUntraceable?â ITâS FORTY MILLION DOLLARS! FIND IT!
Hunt stops. Sees the SMALL RED DEVICE the Arrow was holding during the shoot out. It is attached to his computer. Shit.
HUNT: (realizing) It was a goddamn set up...
Hunt slumps in his chair. Broke. And broken.
INT. ARROWLINE TUNNEL - THAT MOMENT
CLOSE ON A COMPUTER SCREEN: MONEY TRANSFER COMPLETE --
AVAILABLE BALANCE: $40,000,000 WIDEN TO REVEAL Oliver at the computer -- A SECOND WINDOW opens: CNRI -- CONFIDENTIAL -- E. STONE ET AL v. HUNT. A LIST OF NAMES cascades down. A lot of names. Huntâs victims. Laurelâs clients. The $40 million decreasing automatically. We know exactly where the money is going... Oliver opens the now-familiar MOLESKIN notebook. Swipes a pen across a page: ADAM HUNT. Oliver shuts the book.
MOIRA (PRELAP): Did you think I wouldnât find out?
INT. QUEEN MANSION - SITTING ROOM - LATER
Moira is there, chewing out a chastened Diggle.
MOIRA: Passed out in a closet. I think Iâm starting to understand how my sonâs been managing to shed you every day for the past week --
DIGGLE: Mrs. Queen, I donât know what happened. If you wish to fire me --
MOIRA: I do. And you are. Fired.
OLIVER (O.S.): Donât I get a say?
They turn. Oliverâs walking in.
OLIVER: It wasnât his fault. It was a couple of ex-bouncers who had some beef with me. (off Diggle) We were in the stairwell, they came up behind you -- you never had a chance. I tossed âem a few thousand. Itâs all settled now. (back to Moira) I vote we give him another shot.
MOIRA: This isnât a game, Oliver. This is your life.
OLIVER: Which I value very much. Besides, I think Dig and I understand each other. Donât we?
Very pointed. Diggle takes a beat, then nods.
DIGGLE: Yes... sir.
OLIVER: Good. See you tomorrow then.
Taking his cue, Diggle exits. Oliver sits down, picks up a book. Apparently, not a care in the --
MOIRA: What was that about?
OLIVER: Nothing.
MOIRA: Are you hungry? I could have Raisa make us some dinner.
OLIVER: No, thank you.
An uncomfortable beat. Moira fills the silence.
MOIRA: I feel like Iâm doing everything wrong. I wish there were a handbook on being the parent of a shipwreck survivor. But there
isnât... (then) I know my relationship with Walter was a shock for you. I tried to find a way to keep living after losing you, losing your father. And now I feel like you want me to choose between you and Walter --
OLIVER: Mom... I donât want you to choose.
He takes her hand. Moira, grateful for the opening, hugs her son. He returns the embrace. Struggling to reforge a bond.
MOIRA: Iâd love for Walter to have you down to the company tomorrow. Youâll like the new offices.
OLIVER: Iâm sure I will. (then, tired) Iâm gonna head up, get some sleep. Itâs been a long couple of days.
Oliver exits. Moiraâs smile fades.
INT. CNRI OFFICES - LAURELâS OFFICE - NIGHT
Laurel is on the phone --
LAUREL: ...I donât think you have anything to worry about Mrs. DiDio. But that said, as your attorney... if, hypothetically... $50,000 magically appeared in your bank account... it might be best not to speak of it. To anyone. Ever. (then) God bless you too, Mrs. DiDio.
Laurel hangs up. Weird.
DETECTIVE (O.S.): Strange day?
Laurel looks up. The Detective is there.
LAUREL: Strangest.
DETECTIVE: Want to talk about it?
LAUREL: Attorney-client privilege.
DETECTIVE: You know cops hate that.
LAUREL: I think thatâs the point.
The Detective sits down. Weary.
DETECTIVE: Have you seen him?
Laurel takes a sec.
LAUREL: Yes.
DETECTIVE: He was throwing himself a party last night.
LAUREL: (uncomfortable) Yeah. I heard.
DETECTIVE: (it still disgusts him) Celebrating his miraculous return from the dead. I wanted to send him right back there.
The Detective studies A PHOTOGRAPH on Laurelâs desk. Itâs of THREE PEOPLE: The two Lance sisters and their father -- our Detective. Quentin Lance.
DETECTIVE LANCE: I keep thinking about the last time I talked to her. On the phone. She said she was at the dorm. At school. But she was on that boat... with him. I was at work when she called. Busy with a case. Drug bust. Nothing big. But that day it seemed so important. More important than talking to my daughter. So I got off the phone.
LAUREL: Dad...
DETECTIVE LANCE: (emotional) Maybe if I talked to her for longer I wouldâve realized she wasnât at college. I couldâve yelled at her. Told her to get her ass home. He trails off. Trying to keep it in. Always keeping it in. Laurel takes her dadâs hand.
LAUREL: No, Dad. The only lesson here is for both of us not to let Oliver Queen back into our lives. Detective Lance nods. Laurel changes the subject -- So howâs work?
DETECTIVE LANCE: A puzzle. This vigilante. Hood and arrows. Itâs surreal.
LAUREL: Any leads?
DETECTIVE LANCE: No. The Mayor wants me to establish a task force. Whoever he is -- weâll get him. Itâs like Iâve always told you Laurel...
PULL BACK -- out through the window -- and up to:
EXT. A ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS
THE ARROW stands atop the adjoining roof, looking down on Laurel and Detective Lance. Watching.
DETECTIVE LANCE (O.S.): (recalling Laurel earlier) ...we donât need to go outside the law to find justice. I believe that. And by the time Iâm done, this guyâll believe it too.
EXT. AN EMPTY PARKING LOT - NIGHT
A LONE CAR is parked in the dimly lit lot. Behind the wheel sits a GRIZZLED MAN (45, reptilian, cold).
After a moment, SOMEONE GETS IN THE BACKSEAT. The GRIZZLED MAN speaks but we donât see to who --
GRIZZLED MAN: The police failed to identify the men I hired to kidnap Oliver. And they never will.
A VOICE (O.S.): Good.
GRIZZLED MAN: Should we arrange another abduction?
A VOICE (O.S.): No.
REVEAL the person in the backseat... IS MOIRA QUEEN. She was the one that had Oliver kidnapped. She shakes her head --
MOIRA: There are other ways of finding out what my son knows.
With that, she gets out of the back and walks away. Off this shocking development, we go back to...
EXT. THAT ROOFTOP - NIGHT
The Arrow lowers his hood, revealing Oliverâs face. We try to read his expression, but we canât. So much of Oliver, so much of his story, is still a mystery to us. We wonder now more than ever what exactly happened to him on that island.
Oliver surveys the city as an evening MIST settles in. WE
MATCH CUT TO: ANOTHER MIST FIVE YEARS AGO...
EXT. THE LIFEBOAT - SOUTH CHINA SEA - DAWN (FLASHBACK)
Oliverâs lifeboat floats through the mist of the China seas. Oliverâs in it, looking lifeless. After a moment, Oliver HEARS something... the SOUND OF SEAGULLS. Land is near.
He struggles to lift his head... his eyes searching the horizon. As the mist parts, he sees something in the distance. He rubs his eyes. Convinced heâs hallucinating, he squints again. And then we see it, too:
AN ISLAND.
SNAP TO BLACK.
END OF PILOT
