And here's where the real fun starts to begin. Cayden has a trick, but so does Brainy, and Kariver and company get to race against the clock.

Enjoy!

***

A helmeted head poked around the corner of a hallway, then Dig emerged, followed by Oliver, their weapons drawn. "We're clear," Dig reported.

"Clear here," Kara added from where she was hovering above the building. "Way too clear."

"All right, keep moving," Oliver nodded at Dig.

His friend opened the double doors they were approaching, and Oliver led the way in. Dig took one last look down the hallway, then followed Oliver in, both looking around the very empty IT room. "I guess Cayden James and his friends knew we were coming," he muttered.

"Oh, yes," Cayden's voice answered, and the two vigilantes turned to see several screens turn on, broadcasting Cayden to them. "Once I learned of Mr. Sobel's treachery, I had to assume this location was compromised." The monitors shut off, but his voice continued to speak, and Oliver looked over his shoulder to see another set of monitors show Cayden. "Speaking of which, I didn't appreciate your alliance with him. Made me think we no longer have an understanding."

"You need to know something," Oliver began to say.

"Many things, I'm sure," Cayden drawled, and as the monitors shut off again, Oliver and Dig rotated as Cayden's image appeared on a large monitor behind them. "But I doubt very much that you're the man to teach them to me."

"We almost have proof that I didn't kill your son," Oliver said.

Cayden chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "A desperate gambit."

"Cayden, give me more time!"

The monitor shut off, and once again, Cayden's voice came from behind, from one last monitor. "Time, I'm afraid, is a commodity you and your city have run out of," he declared coldly. "Mr. Sobel's betrayal convinced me that there's little good in delaying matters further. Accordingly, I will be detonating the thermobaric bomb over Star City at midnight. My son will find justice in the ashes of your beloved city."

Oliver swallowed hard as all the monitors switched off, Dig looking at him worriedly.

***

"Cayden is going to detonate the bomb in four hours," Oliver ground out as he, Dig, and Kara hurried back into the bunker. "Where are we with the video?"

"Well, we're running our photographic analysis algorithm to reveal the original footage," Felicity answered.

"How long will that take?" Dig asked.

"Unknown," Querl answered. "This algorithm works quite impressively on a still image, but this video is 24 fps."

"Right," Oliver blew out his breath. "Cayden just told us that we are running out of time." He paused, seeing Querl fidget uneasily. "What is it?" he asked.

"Uh," Querl cleared his throat. "If I may be blunt?"

"By all means," Oliver gestured.

"Yes," Querl turned to face him, steepling his fingers. "Correct me if I am wrong, because I do not believe I am, but we are putting all of our chips on a bet, so to speak, that Cayden James will spare Star City if he thinks you are not responsible for his son's death."

"That's because it's the only play we have, Brainy," Dig nodded.

Querl frowned, then sighed. "Very well," he nodded. "I am simply informing you that you could be trying to reason with a man who is beyond reason."

Oliver just nodded, watching the Coluan return to work with Felicity.

***

"As you are well aware, Arclight is now in its final phase," Cayden announced from the staircase at his new base that evening. "And now it's time for us to take our leave."

"Words much appreciated," Anatoli raised an eyebrow. "But how are we to get out of city?"

"Stay close to your phones," Cayden answered. "You will be airlifted from the city before the bomb goes off. After it does, your individual shares of the ransom will be wired into offshore accounts that have been set up for each of you."

"Sounds fair," Anatoli nodded, then muttered, "Lucrative."

Talia's lips quirked up in a smirk from where she and Diaz were leaning against the table; from where she was sitting atop crates of equipment, Evelyn barely looked up from her clasped hands, which she rested her chin on. "Thank you for helping to see this project to fruition," Cayden looked around his four remaining loyalists. "I don't think I need to stress – " He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "How personally important this has been for me. Thank you for all you've done to get justice for my boy."

Evelyn barely reacted.

***

"Yes!" Quentin exclaimed from where he sat on Captain Hill's back table, he on his cell phone, Hill on her own desk phone. "Yes, exactly! Please!" He took his phone down, looking up at Thea and the man she was speaking to. "Listen, we need SCPD radios linked with emergency services right now, OK? Now!"

Thea's phone buzzed, and she stepped away to answer as the other man turned away to make the call. "Where the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Did you get my message?" Oliver asked in return.

"Yeah," Thea sighed, nodding and giving her report. "OK, we rallied the troops, and everyone's panicking a little."

"Gather a list of essential personnel, clergymen, doctors, as many people as you can mobilize," Oliver ordered.

"Wait, how – " Thea lowered her voice as others passed her by. "How are we gonna explain how you have access to the Arrow's bunker?"

"We have bigger problems right now, Speedy," Oliver sighed. "Besides, this is the only place in the city I can think of that could possibly withstand that blast, aside from evacuating everyone to Earth-38."

"Which would probably cause even more panic," Thea closed her eyes, nodding. "OK."

Oliver sighed in relief. "You have eyes on – "

"William, of course," Thea nodded. "I got it."

"Thank you," Oliver said gratefully.

***

Evelyn flinched when the sound of metal stabbing wood ripped through the air again. Thankfully, someone else said something before she could. "Do you have to keep doing that?" Anatoli growled.

"It keeps me calm," Diaz answered as if he was speaking of the weather, pulling his knife out of the table and examining it.

"Do not worry," Anatoli said. "Cayden James will not let his friends die with the city."

"You're damn right," Diaz agreed, standing up and heading for the stairs. "But I'm not gonna stick around to find out."

Evelyn paused, her form stiff as he walked past her. "Where are you going?" she asked, proud of herself for keeping a tremor out of her voice.

"Someplace I won't get blown up," he answered, turning around to face his allies. "The three of you haven't noticed? The airlift that Cayden promised? It's more than a little late."

Evelyn chewed her lip, then Talia stood up from her spot at the table. "I hate to say it, but I think he's right," she admitted. Anatoli gritted his teeth, then moved off himself. "Prepare to leave," Talia told Evelyn as her student finished walking down the stairs. "We won't wait, either."

Evelyn slowed, then turned around to look at her. "Did you know?" she asked.

Talia paused, looking up. "I beg your pardon?"

"This," Evelyn reached up and tapped the collar she still wore. Evidently, it was now locked around her throat and she had no idea how to take it off. How convenient for someone pulling strings. "About it being a shock collar. Did you know?"

Talia considered her, then finally said, "Any technology in Cayden James' hand is a weapon for him to use as he sees fit." She nodded at her. "Hurry."

As she walked up the stairs, she didn't see Evelyn stare after her, her jaw hanging open . . . because Talia hadn't denied it at all.

***

"I noticed that Dinah didn't show up for work today," Thea murmured to Quentin as they walked.

"Well, after what happened to Sobel, you really expecting her to?" Quentin pointed out.

"No," Thea admitted. "I just . . . from what Oliver told me, I – I don't really think that she's exactly just grieving."

Quentin grimaced. "You think Oliver would just, what, let Dinah kill her?"

"No," Thea shook her head instantly. "I – I just don't think that that's what's on his mind right now."

"Right," Quentin nodded. "Well, you know, if it comes down to Evelyn against Dinah, then I'm betting on someone else entirely."

Thea nodded. "Laurel."

"Uh huh," Quentin nodded in agreement, turning around to take a sip of his coffee. "Laurel."

***

A group of thugs tumbled down the stairs when they were hit by a Canary Cry, and Dinah jumped over the railing, making quick work of a gunman firing at her. She tossed him over the next railing, and he crashed to the ground of the floor of Cayden's abandoned headquarters. Dinah hurried down the stairs, grabbing one of the guards and pressing him against the wall, her staff to his neck. "Tell me where I can find Evelyn Sharp, or the next bone I break is your neck!" she snarled.

"Lady, if any of these people told me where they were going, I'd be with them," he stammered.

Dinah growled, then threw a sharp right hook, knocking him out, seething angrily.

"I guess that's one way to not get information."

Dinah spun around, staring when she saw Rene and Curtis walk into view. "What are you two doing here?"

"Looking for you," Curtis answered. "SCPD says you weren't in today."

"We were wondering if you were gonna do something stupid," Rene nodded. "Guess we were wrong."

"I am looking for her to get justice for Vincent," Dinah sneered.

"Why do you say justice like it's cold-blooded murder?" Curtis frowned.

"I know you're hurting, D," Rene sighed as he took off his mask, "but Felicity called. We've got till midnight before James lets his bomb do its thing. As much as we feel for you, that seems like the priority."

"He's right," Curtis nodded in agreement. "Now is not the time to go off the deep end."

"I can't let this go," Dinah shook her head, walking through them both. "I'm sorry."

"D!" Rene protested, turning to go after her.

"I love you both," Dinah looked at them. "But stay the hell out of my way."

Rene and Curtis watched her walk off, then exchanged worried looks of their own.

***

"We need to consider the ARGUS airlift option," Oliver paced restlessly.

"Oliver, we've already talked about this," Dig sighed. "James will see it coming."

Oliver fidgeted. "We need to consider something," he amended.

"Eureka!" Querl suddenly announced in excitement.

Kara perked up from where she was sitting on one of the tables. "Ask and ye shall receive," she beamed at Oliver, running over to the Coluan. "What is it?"

Oliver frowned, seeing Querl pull up the entire footage on four screens. "I've seen this," he said. "It's bogus."

"Yes," Querl nodded. "Completely. All of this is one massive deception. Owen was not collateral damage like Cayden James was made to think. He was the real target the whole time."

He made a gesture on the screen, and Kara blinked, squinting as she looked at "Oliver's" face reconfiguring into someone else's. "Who's that?"

"What she said," Oliver pointed at his fiancée. "Who is that?"

"Facial recognition just picked him up as Karl Iscove, paid assassin," Felicity answered, looking up from her tablet.

"With a bow and arrow?" Dig asked in surprise.

"Talia's men," Oliver pointed out.

"No, he's not affiliated with Talia," Felicity shook her head. "It's not his usual M.O. I'm guessing it was a special request by whoever hired him to kill Cayden's son."

"All to set you up," Dig looked at Oliver. "We need to have a conversation with this Iscove, find out who hired him."

Oliver grimaced. "He's dead."

Dig did a double take, and Felicity nodded. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the assassin was assassinated not long after Owen Post."

"And this has been over a year in the making," Kara whispered in disbelief, shaking her head. "I'll never understand some humans. No offense meant."

"None taken," Oliver shook his head in agreement. "We need to know where Cayden James is right now."

"I have him," Querl told him.

Felicity looked over his shoulder and snorted. "Well, I'm guessing Cayden doesn't care about people knowing his location now that his bomb is about to go off."

"He is almost on the I-86," Querl peered at his screen.

"He's psycho, but he's smart, meaning he doesn't want to be anywhere near the boom when the boom goes boom," Felicity nodded.

"We'll never catch him," Dig sighed. There was a moment of silence in the room, then he realized what he just said and closed his eyes, feeling four gazes simultaneously turn to look at him. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did," Kara smirked.

***

Cayden's van screeched to a halt as Kara landed on the street in front of it, Oliver tightly in her grasp. Cayden got out of the passenger's side, glaring at the two. "We need to talk!" Oliver barked.

"Questionable judgment, Mr. Queen," Cayden scowled, even as he walked up to the two of them. "If you wanted the bomb to go off before midnight, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a better way than taking me into custody."

Oliver just held out the tablet Querl had given him. "Watch this."

Cayden raised an eyebrow dubiously. "Would that be the 'proof' you alluded to earlier?"

"Just play the video," Kara folded her arms, past trying to keep her temper down.

Cayden finally reached out to take the tablet, and he tapped a key to start the video. Just as it began, he started shaking his head. "No, I'm not watching this again."

"No, Cayden, you're not," Oliver shook his head as well. "Now we're watching the real video for the very first time."

Cayden's gaze drifted to Kara, who nodded in confirmation. "Oliver didn't kill your son," she said as Cayden pressed the key to continue the video. "Which means someone else did."

"The assassin's name is Karl Iscove," Oliver explained. "He was instructed to use a bow and arrow so the video could be manipulated, and they could make it look like me."

"It's the same tech used to out Oliver as the Green Arrow four months ago," Kara added, frowning as she watched Cayden tap away on the tablet, no longer watching the video. "Someone's gone through a lot of work to put you two on a collision course."

"Oh, yes," Cayden frowned darkly, not looking up from the tablet. "Someone within my organization."

"How do you know?" Oliver asked.

"The metadata on the forged video file confirms it is the work of the same person who manipulated that photo in October," Cayden answered.

"You lost a man a month ago," Kara reminded him.

"Killed by the traitorous Mr. Sobel, but I highly doubt it was Mr. Sheck," Cayden shook his head.

"That leaves Evelyn, Diaz," Kara began.

"Talia and Anatoli," Oliver growled.

"I'd like to speak to my former colleagues," Cayden mused, then turned to them. "And that's where you come in."

Kara's eyebrows shot up, and she seemed unable to speak for a few seconds as Cayden headed back to his car; Oliver had no such problems. "No!" he growled. "We're not rounding them up to be executed."

"No," Cayden agreed, turning to look at them. "I just want a pointed conversation. Bring them to me, all four, alive. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to stay the course. I still have a very powerful bomb, and I'd be perfectly happy to take out Star City right along with whoever orchestrated the death of my son." He looked at Kara, raising an eyebrow. "I wonder how many people your fiancée could manage to save before the rest of the city burns."

Kara tensed as Cayden returned to his seat. "And if I try and go for the bomb itself, it could potentially go off if I tried to move it." She looked at Oliver. "We're actually going to do this, aren't we?"

Oliver just sighed.

***

"OK, wait," Winn pinched the bridge of his nose as he paced by where Querl and Felicity were, the rest of the team, excluding Lena, James, and Alex, gathered in the bunker as well after receiving Oliver's and Kara's call. "Are you kidding me?"

"Why would we kid about this, Winn?" Kara asked.

"The only way to stop James from destroying the city is by delivering him his people," Oliver nodded.

"Lead them to the slaughter, you mean?" Felicity scowled.

"What utter faith you have in us, Ms. Smoak," Slade snorted.

Felicity flushed in embarrassment, even as Winn looked up at them. "I mean, are you sure one of them did it?" he asked. "From what you've said, none of them were working for Cayden James when he received the video."

"But they were working for him when he received the doctored photo," J'onn pointed out.

"It has to be one of them," Malcolm agreed. "It is either Diaz, Knyazev, Talia – "

"Or Evelyn," Laurel closed her eyes.

"We hope," Winn mumbled.

"Winn does have a point," Querl nodded. "Cayden James could be lying."

"Well, we got bigger problems than that," Felicity argued. "I mean, what makes you think that we can find Cayden's BFFs if he can't?"

"If they're smart, they're out of the city by now," Dig agreed.

"We use everything and everyone we have," Oliver looked around, focusing on Kara, J'onn, and Querl. "They're smart, but so is he. He grouped them together by promising to fly them out before the blast."

"Potentially still in the city," Mon-El realized.

"How wonderful," Querl turned around, heading back to his computer. "Parameters to work with."

"Small favors and gullible bad guys," Winn blew out his breath in a rush, going to his own station. "Whoopee."

Oliver tilted his head side to side, tempted to agree with his friend. "But now they're worried that James might not make good on that promise," Dig grumbled.

The elevator dinged open, and Oliver and Kara turned to see Thea and William come out, James and Alex behind them with duffels over their shoulders. "Raisa wanted to go to one of the city shelters so she could be with her family," Thea explained.

"We thought we'd make sure they got here OK," Alex gestured between herself and James.

"Thank you," Kara smiled appreciatively.

"Of course," Alex nodded.

"Just wish we could have been here before," James gave Oliver an apologetic look.

"Thank you, James," Oliver nodded gratefully.

"No problem," James clapped a hand on his shoulder, going to join Winn.

"What's going on?" William asked, looking around. "Why did we have to leave the safehouse? Why not National City?"

Kara chewed her lip, looking at Oliver. He sighed, then walked forward. "Cayden James is threatening to detonate a large bomb in Star City, and this is the safest place for you," he answered.

William took another look around. "Where's Aunt Lena?"

Winn let out a startled laugh, quickly turning it into a cough. "Oh, I'm telling her he said that," he giggled under his breath, then yelped when the blunt end of Malcolm's bow smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You know where she is, buddy," Oliver sighed; he saw Kara flinch out of the corner of his eye, and he reached for his fiancée, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "She's working on helping Sam."

William deflated, nodding his understanding. "How's Ruby?" he asked.

"I'll check when I get back," Kara promised. "OK?"

He nodded in response, and Oliver squeezed Kara, kissing her temple. "Guys?" he asked, turning to tech support.

"Well, we are running facial recognition, and Cayden James has given us back satellite control," Querl reported. "However – "

"Our usual tricks aren't working," Felicity finished.

"Yes, that," Querl pointed at her.

Oliver looked up and over everyone. "Suit up," he ordered. "Everyone. We need all hands on deck."

"The other team?" Dig asked.

"No," Laurel said sharply, making Dig scowl at her. "Dinah's not going near Evelyn. That would mean Curtis and Rene would be right behind her."

"We do this ourselves," Oliver agreed. "As soon as you're prepared, head out. Cover all the city that you can. Let's find them."

"Copy that," James nodded, leaving to change into his suit as J'onn morphed into his Martian form.

William looked around, looking lost before he settled on Oliver. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"We need to go look for a few people," Oliver answered.

William looked between him and Kara. "Can I come with you?"

"No, William," Kara shook her head, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You need to stay here."

"I want to stay with the two of you!"

Kara closed her eyes, then felt Oliver's hand on her shoulder as well. "It is too dangerous out there, bottom line," he told William softly. "We'll be back as soon as we can be."

William swallowed, then lowered his gaze and nodded. Kara gave him a quick hug before taking a deep breath and walking over to Laurel. "If Dinah's going after Evelyn – "

"She is," Laurel interrupted.

"Right," Kara nodded. "Then we better get to her first."

Laurel did a double take, looking at her in surprise. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Kara nodded. "I'm serious. People with more red in their ledgers than her have turned their lives around." She paused. "No offense."

"None taken, almas," Malcolm shook his head. "We made that argument ourselves."

"So let's go get her," Kara nodded, looking at Laurel.

She smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Thank me when we find her," Kara shook her head.

Malcolm turned to look at Slade, but the Australian shook his head. "I'm staying with Oliver," he said. "Stick with Siren, wizard."

Malcolm rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Magician," he grumbled, even as he followed Kara and Laurel.

Mon-El watched him go with a frown, then turned to look at Winn. "How long has that been a thing?"

"Way too long," Winn answered.

***

"You have any luck?" Curtis asked as Rene paced anxiously.

"You think I would?" Rene raised an eyebrow, pulling his phone away from his ear. "She was pretty clear about where she stood, Hoss."

"So basically the city's gonna get destroyed and our friend's gonna commit murder, and there's not a damn thing we can do about either?" Curtis huffed.

Rene made a helpless gesture, then frowned when he saw Curtis's computer. "What kind of person has a thermal energy reading like that?"

Curtis turned back to his computer, then blinked. "Well," he leaned forward and tapped a few keys. "A Martian does."

"Martian?" Rene parroted, looking over his shoulder. "J'onn's here?"

"Apparently so," Curtis nodded, widening the heat scan search. "Could have used him."

Rene snorted. "Where Kara goes, he goes. But what's he doing here now?"

"Searching for the bomb, most likely," Curtis shrugged. "Why else?"

Rene narrowed his eyes. "I'll keep trying to get D. Keep an eye on them."

"You sure?" Curtis asked.

"Better safe than sorry, Hoss," Rene nodded, dialing Dinah again.

Curtis sighed, then nodded and turned back to his program, eyeing J'onn's heat signature as he did.

***

Bit of a deviation from canon here. Who's looking forward to which episode more: this one or "Collision Course?"

Hopefully the rest of the episode will come this weekend!