Leap of Faith (Arrow)

My name is Oliver Queen.

For 7 years, I have fought with only one goal to save my city, but now a new threat has emerged, a danger so severe, it has forced me to leave my family in order to face it, and it won't be enough for me to just be the Green Arrow.

To prevent the crisis that's coming, I am going to have to become someone else.

I am going to have to become something else.

Previously on "Arrow" Turns out Connor doesn't know his brother as well as he thinks.

We're all still alive, aren't we?

Which means what exactly, that your brother's not such a bad guy?

What did you do?

JJ: You are not gonna touch me.

- Oh, my God.

- Because if you do, the men who are storming your bunker right now will kill your brother.

OLIVER: I ignored the orders of a cosmic being, and as a result, I watched an entire world disappear.

JOHN: We're facing the destruction of everything?

That's the very definition of all hands on deck.

A lot of people have died already for the sake of this mission.

I owe it to all of them to find out who the Monitor really is.

So what's the plan?

I'm going to Nanda Parbat.

[WHOOSH]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

Ollie?

Hi, Speedy.

Well, I'm guessing Mia's for Mom and not my Corto Maltese alias.

Good guess.

She's beautiful, Ollie.

Where'd you get that?

Athena.

I wasn't expecting to find you here alone.

Where's Nyssa?

Thailand, I think.

I don't know.

After we destroyed the Lazarus pits, she said she had some league business to take care of.

You destroyed the pits.

Why didn't you come home?

Pits may be gone, but the Thanatos Guild isn't.

I have to take them down after what they did to Roy.

That's fair.

Have you seen him?

He came back here after Star City.

He told me what happened, how he killed those men and He's dealing with his own demons.

He'll be back.

[SIGHS]

I missed you.

I missed you, too.

But I'm pretty sure I'm not the reason why you came here.

Last year, I made a deal with a cosmic being named Mar Novu.

Recently, he came to collect his debt.

He asked me to help him, but he's not very good at sharing information with the people he's working with.

Sounds like somebody else I know.

I need to be 100% sure that I can trust him.

I know it's a long shot, but I was hoping that Nyssa could tell me what, if anything, the League knows about him.

Okay.

What are you not telling me?

He's seen the future.

He's seen me die.

It's soon, Speedy.

And?

Take as much time as you need to be upset.

Ollie, come on.

You've cheated death more than any of us have by this point.

This is fundamentally different than anything that we've ever dealt with before.

Okay.

Well, let's try to figure out what we're dealing with, but like I said, Nyssa's not here.

Sara hasn't been able to help either.

We've kind of killed off every League member, haven't we?

I can think of one more.

[ALARM BLARING]

William?

CONNOR: William?

Frak!

[CONNOR COCKS GUN]

William!

Where is he?

- Aah?

- Oh.

It's you.

I'm here.

I'm okay.

I remembered how Mom hardwired the bunker's power grid through the floor.

Gave those guys the shock of their lives.

Guys.

This is why JJ was going after William.

He's targeting all the members of the Star City unification movement.

The ones that are still alive anyway.

This was a city-wide assault.

There's 10 confirmed dead.

And now that JJ knows who they all are, it's only a matter of time before he wipes out the entire movement.

WILLIAM: Unless we trap him first.

All we really need is the right lure.

You want to use yourself as bait?

No way.

It is too dangerous.

CONNOR: Look.

I know you don't want to hear this, but the Deathstrokes have been 5 steps ahead of us this whole time.

We need to gain the upper hand.

Which is why we are going to bring the fight to them, take them out in one fell swoop.

ZOE: How?

It's not like we're gonna waltz back into their headquarters.

Unless that's your plan.

CONNOR: Mia, that didn't work out too well for us last time.

Right, but we've been there before.

We know the layout.

We can use that to our advantage.

I think this is a mistake.

I'll remember that.

Get ready to move out.

[SCOFFS]

Something wrong with the uplink?

JOHN: No, no.

It's our timing that's off.

JJ already went to sleep.

Well, we can call him back, wake him up.

No.

Little man's gone through enough already.

Besides, I need to know what mission was so important that you wanted me here instead of Nanda Parbat.

Ben Turner is currently on a deep cover op, so I've been keeping an eye on his family.

Sandra Hawke has never missed a check-in until yesterday.

So you think something happened to Sandra and Connor?

I know it.

[TYPING]

These pictures were taken at an airfield in Kasnia.

Kasnia?

That's far from home.

Any chance Sandra and Connor are meeting up with Turner?

Kasnia's nowhere close to any of Turner's missions past, present, or future, and then there's this man.

Abdul Nardoc.

He owns that plane.

Nardoc bills himself as a philanthropist, but intel suggests that he has ties to local terrorists.

- Hmm.

- He's throwing a fundraiser tomorrow at his home.

Odds are good that Sandra and Connor are being held on site.

We need to infiltrate and get eyes on them.

Why not just take an A. R. G. U. S. recon team?

I've spent the past few months trying to untangle the web of corruption at A. R. G. U. S.

Until I eliminate it, I can't trust this with anyone.

I need you with me, John.

Hmm.

Must be really important if you call me John.

Guess I need a suit.

I already picked one out.

Hmm.

I thought you guys were friends now.

Well not exactly.

Okay.

Well, this place isn't the least bit creepy.

[SWORD SCRAPES]

TALIA: Hold!

Leave us.

Your students used to ask questions first.

I have learned that hesitation often proves fatal.

You should not have come to this place.

You owe me a debt.

I'm here to collect.

You come here at great peril.

Especially you.

Word of your exploits has traveled far.

How is my sister?

She's great.

Vacationing, working on a tan.

I see you survived prison.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Parker didn't.

Heard he was killed with a sword.

He received the justice he deserved.

So now you're back to your old exploits?

With the league gone, the region has become quite unstable.

And you think training a bunch of assassins in a place like this is gonna stabilize it?

I think it a wiser course of action than declaring a one-woman war on the Thanatos Guild.

Much as I would like to have a debate, Talia, I need to know whatever the League might know about Mar Novu.

That's an unusual name.

I'd remember it.

If it helps, he's apparently some kind of cosmic know-it-all.

Well, such beings often go by many names.

If I help you, I can consider my debt paid?

Yes.

If the League has any information concerning this man, it will be found underneath the Karan Shah.

The League's stronghold.

It has since been destroyed, but my father kept the League records in the catacombs, so with any luck, they're still there waiting to be found.

We leave at nightfall.

She's still fun.

[COUGHING]

- MIA: You good?

- WILLIAM: I'm fine.

I think I just ack Got some dust in my mouth.

Ack!

Was it this dusty last time?

It was worse.

Are you sure this is gonna work?

If I can tap into the old Galaxy One cameras, we should be able to see everything, including JJ and his deathstroke maniacs.

CONNOR: Pstt.

Hey.

Someone's coming.

Guys, there's an office just up here I can use.

Okay.

System's gonna need a minute to reboot before I can access it.

Look.

I know you think this is a bad idea.

The 4 of us taking on all of JJ's forces on their home turf?

Wasn't my first choice.

Thanks for coming anyway.

We're a team.

I just I hope you're doing this for the right reasons.

What do you mean?

I'm pissed that JJ tried to kill William, too, but we can't let fear dictate our strategy.

I'm not afraid of JJ or his idiot goons.

I know, but you are afraid of losing your brother.

[TABLET BEEPS]

WILLIAM: Bad news, guys.

System's in worse shape than I thought.

I'm gonna need more time.

CONNOR: We should get into position.

I'll stay with William until he's done.

Let us know when you're up and running.

Yeah.

- - [JAZZ PLAYING]

JOHN: See a lot of unfriendly faces here.

How you looking?

Just waiting for the security feeds to finish uploading.

Hmm.

Dancing undercover's like deja vu.

There's Nardoc.

What do you say we take a closer look, find out who his friends are?

You've come a long way since Afghanistan.

Heh heh heh.

Yeah.

Well, sometimes, I wish we were still on that tour.

Life was a lot less complicated.

But we wouldn't be married.

Hmm.

That's true.

Or divorced.

Or remarried, and we wouldn't have our beautiful boy.

All the feeds are complete.

Copy that.

Sandra and Connor are here.

They're being held in a room in the northeast corner.

Good.

We'll exfil them out before Nardoc knows what hit him.

I don't think it's gonna be that easy.

- Why?

- We just got a hit on one of Nardoc's friends.

The man in the black suit and blue tie Farzad Qadir.

Gholem Qadir's son.

- Who Ben Turner killed?

- To save me.

I doubt his family's kidnapping is a coincidence.

THEA: Wow.

Love what they haven't done with the place.

Assuming the Karan Shah hasn't been plundered, we're likely to find what we're looking for in "The Chronicles of Al-Fatih. " He was the first Ra's Al Ghul.

According to Legend, he was bestowed primordial knowledge by one of the sky gods.

Now my father kept a secret room with his most valued possessions, including information on Al-Fatih.

[THUNK]

[ROCK SCRAPING]

OLIVER: Looks like we're too late.

TALIA: Not necessarily.

Heh heh heh.

"The Chronicles of Al-Fatih.

" So the looters just happened to leave behind the one thing we're looking for?

Because the thieves did not consider it to be of value.

Right.

What's it say?

"The Phoenix is reborn in the fire.

The path to your destiny follows me.

" Speedy, you just read Arabic.

You speak Russian.

Yes, but what does it mean?

To join the League, your old self must die so that your new one may be reborn.

Oh.

We need to burn the scroll.

The scroll is centuries old.

Yeah.

Al-Fatih took great pains to hide his secrets lest he be betrayed.

I believe this leads to Al-Fatih's tomb.

It stands to reason that he would attempt to take his secrets with him beyond the grave.

So it's a scavenger hunt.

It would appear so, yes.

Why can't everything just be easy?

ATHENA: Actually, your situation is more difficult than you think.

- Athena.

- You have always been treacherous, Talia, but bringing outsiders into our sacred heart is a betrayal of the highest order.

I'll take that.

Relinquish it or perish.

As you wish.

ATHENA: Attack them!

Athena showing up right when we did can't be an accident.

No, and neither was her giving Athena the sphere.

If you're accusing me, I'd like to point out two things.

First, Athena and I are blood enemies.

And second?

She was likely trailing you.

The woman who's declared war on her.

Still, I don't see why Athena would give a crap about a rusty, old scroll buried with Al-Fatih.

She wouldn't.

She would give a crap about what else is buried with him, namely his sword as revered as the ring of Ra's.

Whoever wields it commands absolute devotion.

Clearly Athena wants to use it to restart the League of Assassins.

Yeah.

Well, now she's got the marble of destiny or whatever.

Actually, it's a map.

The markings on it were constellations indicating the tomb's location, but we don't need it.

I've memorized them.

OLIVER: What?

- You memorized them?

- You didn't?

Okay.

Listen.

I'm gonna go head with Talia.

I'd like you to go back to her camp and wait for us there.

You can't be serious.

I will give you two a moment.

Ollie, I thought we were way past this overprotective brother thing.

It's not about that.

You came to me for help.

I came to you for answers.

I wasn't counting on getting attacked by Athena.

Athena and I were fighting long before you showed up here.

I can take care of myself.

I know you can take care of yourself.

If Athena is trying to restart the League of Assassins, that makes you her chief rival.

- I don't care.

- I care, Thea.

If you want to help me, just just let me handle this.

Qadir must be using Turner's family to lure him out.

Okay.

Then we have to get out of here right now.

What?

What are you talking about?

If Ben Turner's a target, then so are we, and every second we stay here, we risk being made.

What about Sandra and Connor?

Call an A. R. G. U. S. team, Lyla.

- Exifl them.

- It would take a team at least an hour to get here.

A lot can happen between now that then.

Okay, fine, but we can't risk doing this alone.

- We have to do something.

- Then you leave.

I'll get Sandra and Connor myself.

Johnny What's really going on here?

You've never been one to shy away from risk.

I'd never seen a world just disintegrate in front of my face.

I know what we do requires risk.

I've always accepted that, but this is different, Lyla.

Seeing a universe just disappearing, I don't know, it's like like looking into the eye of God.

It changes you.

It changed me.

I can't risk losing you.

I can't risk that.

No one knows the future.

All we can do is enjoy the time we have with the people we love and make our choices from a place of strength, not fear, and if the world ends today, there is no one I'd rather have by my side.

How much further?

Patience.

You realize your sister is involved in this whether you want her to be or not?

She's a daughter of the demon.

She has a claim to the sword.

She's carried enough of Malcolm's burdens.

Fate does not care what we believe we're owed.

You're very familiar with that.

Isn't that why you're here?

What do you mean?

You carry yourself with a heaviness I've not seen since Russia.

This is the place.

I've been here before.

Yes.

When my father vanquished you.

Hopefully you have better luck with the mountain this time.

[CLANG]

[CREAKING]

Down!

The Phoenix up there, triggering the spears.

Here's an idea.

[CREAKING]

The key to the Crypt of Ra's.

Looks like the entrance right there.

Yes.

Agh!

Wh what are you doing?

I am sorry, Oliver.

I can't let Athena get to the sword, but I can't let you get it either.

Looks like you're down one evil companion.

Hmm.

I thought I told you to stay at the camp.

You did.

Looks like I didn't ignore you soon enough.

Hey.

I don't have time for an I told you so.

All right.

So Talia will take the trail to the summit.

It's safer, you conserve energy, but going up the face of the mountain is faster.

Thought you said it was harder.

Yeah.

I've done it before.

Okay.

If you can do it, I can do it.

- Thea.

- Ollie, just stop it.

Start walking.

MIA: Tell me you're almost done hacking those cameras.

You ever hear that thing about patience being a virtue?

Since when have I ever cared about virtue?

All right.

Seriously, how much longer?

Okay.

I just activated the northwest quadrant cameras.

I just need a few more minutes to get the rest of them up and running.

MIA: How many is a few?

Look.

I know what I'm doing, okay, so just trust me.

[SIGHS]

I do.

I d I just William, this has to work.

If we're gonna bring Star City and The Glades back together, we have to take out the Deathstrokes for good this time.

Well, we could have if you'd let the team use me as bait.

No.

That is too risky, and you know it.

Well, how many times have you risked yourself for this team?

How many times have you beaten up a guy 10 times your size to protect someone you care about?

- That's different.

- Why?

Because I'm not a fighter?

No.

Because you're my brother.

You are the only family I have left.

Mia look.

I I appreciate you looking out for me.

I do, but operating from a place of fear is not the way to protect each other.

We need to trust each other.

It's the only way we'll survive.

[TABLET BEEPING]

Found them.

Oh, boy.

That is a lot of Deathstrokes.

You sure about this?

- MIA: Connor, Zoe, we have eyes.

- ZOE: Roger that.

- MIA: Get ready to move.

- ZOE: On it.

Mia.

Be careful.

I will.

Oh, and if you tell anyone about this conversation, I will kill you myself.

Err!

Thought you said this was the hard part.

Don't get cocky.

Okay.

What is going on with you, Ollie?

You were never this overprotective when I left Star City.

Things have changed.

I left my family behind, Speedy, and I miss them.

And every day, I wrestle with whether or not I made the right decision because maybe I didn't, and I saw an entire world wiped out of existence, a world that you weren't in, by the way, because I wasn't around to protect you.

I'm sorry, Thea, but the only way that I can bear this is if I become 100% certain that my sacrifice, that my death Will protect the people I love.

I need my family to be safe.

You know, I've been thinking a lot about mom and dad lately, wondering what they would think about the lives we've chosen.

All the mistakes they made, all the lies they told in their own very, very messed up way.

They thought they were protecting us.

They weren't.

They didn't.

No, but it did help us become the people we are today.

They turned us into heroes.

We can't change the future, Ollie.

The past teaches us you might as well not bother trying to.

Heh.

When you'd stop being my baby sister?

No.

I never did.

I just grew up a little bit.

Now can we please get off this mountain?

Yeah.

[SIGHS]

We're not alone.

[FOOTSTEPS]

Apparently, this day is not going the way either of us have planned.

Surrender your weapons.

What do you want?

The route to Al-Fatih's Crypt will be dangerous.

Always good to have a few sacrificial lambs to tell us where not to stray.

After you.

Underground in Nada Parbat.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, Indiana Jones made this look way more fun.

"To survive death, you must embrace it.

" OLIVER: Well, how do you embrace death?

The coffin.

Come on.

Go on.

Okay.

[GROANING]

[BONES CRACK]

I miss watching you kick ass.

This way.

Must be passcode-protected.

This should be able to crack it, but it'll take a few minutes.

We may not have a few minutes.

If this is Qadir and his men, he'll recognize us the minute he sees us.

Maybe we can use that.

I was standing next to Gholem Qadir the night that Turner killed him.

I can distract Farzad.

Lyla that's too dangerous.

It's our only option.

Hey.

Just be careful.

Pardon me.

Wait.

You know, usually, I detest party crashers, but I'll make an exception for you Lyla Michaels.

[BEEPING]

[LOCK CLICKS]

Hey.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

It's okay.

It's okay.

My name is John Diggle.

I'm a friend of Lyla Michaels and Ben Turner.

I'm here to help you.

I can get you out of here, but you have to move quietly.

Come on, come on.

Shh, shh shh.

Did you know I was there the night my father died?

I was supposed to stay in my room, but I wanted to hear the music.

Do you have any idea what it's like to watch your own father be murdered?

I was just a boy.

I'm sorry you had to see that, but your father was a criminal.

So he deserved to die?

I will have my vengeance.

[MUFFLED GUNSHOTS]

You all right?

I've got Sandra and Connor.

Let's go home.

ATHENA: Prisoners first.

Watch your step.

THEA: Ollie, a Phoenix.

All right.

Crypt must be through there.

Okay.

Thea!

Thank you.

Yeah.

TALIA: "All beings burn, but a Phoenix rises from the ashes. " Okay.

I think we need to use the Phoenix tiles to get across.

You hold them off.

I'll get Talia.

- Thea!

- Just trust me.

THEA: Talia?

You're too late.

As heir to the demon, I have the right to challenge you to combat.

You wish to fight me?

Very well.

I accept.

I hope you prove to be a worthy opponent.

Your brother trained you well.

Pity the tools you learned from him he learned from me.

Less talk, more fighting.

[RUMBLING]

You were a fool to think you could defeat me.

Actually You're right where I want you.

Unh!

[GAGGING]

Do you yield?

[GROANING]

[GASPING]

I yield.

[GASPS]

Ahem.

What's it say?

It says Al-Fatih was visited by a God who possessed the power to see all that is and all that will be.

He believed that if he failed to keep the balance between good and evil this God would bring forth the end of times, the annihilation of all things.

Ollie, if that's true, this means that It means Mar Novu is not trying to prevent what's going to happen because he's gonna be what causes it.

[FOOTSTEPS]

You're leaving?

TALIA: I have betrayed my honor and the sacred traditions of the league.

The sword was destined to be yours, daughter of Merlyn.

I am sorry for the pain I've caused you both.

What about your students?

I've released them.

They will follow you if that is what you wish.

It's not.

You're their teacher.

They need someone to follow.

If I was meant to lead them, I would wield Al-Fatih's sword, but you do, so the honor and the burden are yours.

Yeah.

Hard pass.

It is your destiny.

Yeah, but, see, about that.

I don't really believe in the whole fate, destiny thing.

We can all make our own choices.

Meaning?

Meaning I don't think the world needs another League of Assassins.

It could use League of Heroes.

It wouldn't be a one-woman job.

You'd extend me that honor despite my betrayals?

You made a mistake.

We've all made mistakes.

Not one but two women to wield my father's sword?

He would be aghast.

Heh.

I accept.

New phone, better encryption, and a one-way ticket home via Hong Kong.

No one will be expecting that.

I can't thank you enough for all your help.

I mean, without you two I'd JOHN: No, no.

It's the least we could have done, and you were very brave.

Your father would be proud of you.

Thanks, Mr.

Diggles.

Call me Dig.

SANDRA: Let's go get our things.

Hey.

They're gonna be okay.

Yeah and so are we.

The world's gonna keep coming for us.

There's nothing I can do to stop it.

Neither can you, but you were right.

We just hold on to each other, we'll be fine like Sandra and Connor.

What?

What is it?

Johnny, promise me that no matter what happens you'll always remember the good times.

I won't have to because I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you.

I love you, Lyla Michaels.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Always have, always will.

I'm sorry you didn't get the answers you were looking for.

Got to see you.

- Here's what I don't get.

- Okay.

If Mar Novu causes whatever's gonna happen, why does he bring you in in the first place?

I don't know.

Look.

I just I know that if he ends up being on the wrong side of this I'm gonna stop him.

If you're gonna take on a God, Ollie, you're gonna need all the help you can get.

Pretty good on help actually.

I have John, I have Laurel believe it or not.

Seems to me you have your hands full rebuilding the League of Assassins into a League of Heroes.

Yeah.

I can't believe I'm saying good-bye to you again.

Well, you're not.

Think of it as a "See you later, and please don't die. " One of us is gonna have to let go first.

- Same time?

- Mm-hmm.

No hozen this time?

Uh, Felicity gave it to William.

I'm gonna miss you.

Every day, I miss you.

Good-bye, Speedy.

Bye, Ollie.

Tonight is the night that we have all been waiting for, the night that we destroy the unification movement.

The city will be ours, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.

MIA: Actually, I think there is.

You just don't know when to quit.

[CANARY CRIES]

Damn.

What an entrance.

Mia!

[GRUNTING]

You know, the human body holds an average of 5 liters of blood.

Let's see how much you have, huh?

ZOE: Hyah!

[GASPING]

Are you okay?

Thanks.

[GASPS]

Zoe!

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLES]

MIA: Zoe.

JJ!

Stay with me.

We're gonna get you out of here.

Tell tell my Dad Just tell tell him that I'm sorry about everything.

That I love him.

Hey.

Hey.

You're gonna tell him yourself, okay?

You are because we are We're gonna get you safe.

Okay?

I got you.

Zoe, I got you.

Zoe?

No.

No, no, no, no.

No.

Zoe.

[MIA CRYING OVER COMMS]

CONNOR: Aah!

You don't have the guts, do you, huh?

You're wrong.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

What is this?

Oliver?

What's going on?

That's a very good question.

Dad?