Arrow (2012–…): Season 3, Episode 9 - The Climb - full transcript

Previously on Arrow:

I'm sorry. I should go.

The night of the siege,
you were at the train station.

I got attacked by one
of those crazy, masked things.

But he got shot by a cop, I think.

- It was Malcolm Merlyn.
- He's dead.

- Thank you, Dad.
- I promised you, Thea.

I will never let anyone hurt you.

Sara Lance is dead.
- Yes.

- At Merlyn's hand?
- It appears.

Al Sa-Her will face the League's justice.



What of Queen?

He has sworn to protect Merlyn.

If that is true,
then Oliver Queen courts war with us.

Hey. Very nice.

Merry Christmas, captain.

Merry Christmas.

- Well, I feel bad. I didn't get you anything.
- You keep the city safe.

So do you.

You know, these days,
you're the closest thing to a partner I got.

Happy Holidays.

Here you go, buddy.

Merlyn.

Nyssa.

What is this? We agreed...



To nothing.

My father decided to give you the time to bring
Sara's killer to justice, and you have failed.

We're doing everything that we can.

You've been distracted protecting the city.

And you've exhausted my father's patience.

In civilizations past,
when someone in the village was murdered...

...the League would kill 50 people
a day until the criminal was rooted out.

Find and deliver the one
who killed Ta-er al-Sahfer.

You have 48 hours
or the citizens of Starling...

...will see what the League of Assassins
is capable of.

You're gonna slaughter innocent people?

The cleansing of Starling City
will fall to Sarab.

- Maseo.
- Maseo is no longer.

As she said, I am Sarab.

Deliver Sara's killer
or blood will flow in your streets.

This isn't what Sara would want.

Sara is dead.

It's time you remember that.

Dad's okay.

Working too much.

I'm sorry. I never really know
what to say when I come here. I just...

I wanted to wish you Merry Christmas.

And tell you how much I miss you.

Laurel?

Thea. What are you doing here?

I was just leaving flowers for my mom.

Who were you talking to?

Nobody. I just come here sometimes.

Even though Sara's still alive?

Laurel, what's wrong?
Everything's fine. Sara's okay.

No,Thea.

Sara's dead.

What? What are you talking about?

While you were gone...

...she was murdered.

- By who?
- I don't know. I buried her here.

Why didn't you tell anybody?
Like, at least your father? The police?

- No. No. Thea, no one can ever know.
- Why?

Just...

Sara, she was, uh...

She was complicated.

And if my father found out, it would kill him.

You have to promise me
that you won't tell Oliver.

Of course. I promise.

I'm so sorry.

Hey, did you know there's
a cafeteria in the building?

There's a cold-pressed juice bar,
organic salad station.

I know. I eat there every day
along with 800 of your other employees.

- Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a meeting.
- Wait, Felicity.

Are we okay?

If by "we" you mean you and me
as individual entities...

...then yes, we are fantastic.

- This is about the kiss.
- This is not about the kiss.

You sure? Because it really feels
like it's about the kiss.

Unless it's about how I left after the kiss.

- I can explain.
- No. I can explain.

It was a moment, and you regret it.
It's over.

Now, can we pretend like it never happened
and go back to being professionals?

I have to go. Work.

But you're at work.

What happened?
- Nyssa paid me a visit.

The League wants Sara's killer
handed over in the next 48 hours.

Why do I sense there's an
"or else" at the end of that sentence?

Or else they'll start killing civilians.
My God. Two days.

Caitlin has DNA we pulled off
of the arrows that killed Sara.

But the STR markers are degraded,
so it's taking a little bit longer.

Felicity.

It can't take any longer.

If we can't find Sara's killer,
we're gonna need a contingency plan.

I know.

I don't have one.

Here.

I'm not hungry.

The first time I interrogated someone,
I lost my appetite for two days.

You need your strength.

I didn't interrogate anyone.

I tortured him.

The question is, did you learn anything
about Chien Na Wei's plans?

There's a biotech company in Hong Kong.
They were working on a super antibiotic.

They got a super virus instead.

They're calling it Omega.

- Which is the Chinese translation for...
- Omega.

They said one vial could wipe out
an entire city.

So it's a bioweapon Chien Na Wei's after.

Did he tell you where it is now?

Yeah. He didn't want to, but I made him.

You did what was necessary.

One man's agony is not worth
the lives of an entire city.

They all right? Okay.
Yes, it is coming through now.

No, I'm fine. Things are just tense here.

Thank you, Caitlin.
Happy Holidays to you too.

Are those the DNA results?

It's the genome S.T.A.R. Labs
was able to get off of the arrow.

- I need to run it against suspects.
- What database are you using?

S.C.P.D. maintains
a genetic markers database.

Anyone who's committed a felony
in the past three years.

- No, that... That can't be right.
- Who is it?

- It must be a mistake.
- Felicity, who killed Sara?

You did.

This must be a mistake.

I took perspiration off the arrows
that killed Sara.

Two years ago when the police arrested Oliver
because they thought he was the vigilante...

...they took a DNA sample. That sample
is a match for 12 out of the 13 STRs.

The odds of that, they're impossible.

- So somehow my DNA is on the arrows.
- Someone's setting you up, Oliver.

Somebody with a vested interest in pitting me
against the League of Assassins.

It's Malcolm Merlyn.

Merlyn was in Corto Maltese
with Thea when this was going down.

Unless he wasn't. Merlyn hid successfully
for two years from the police and the League.

- He's good at covering his tracks.
- So we uncover them.

But it might take some time.

In less than 48 hours,
the League is gonna murder 50 people.

We don't have time.

Move to the lab.
I'll deal with the rest of security.

Stay on comms.

- Maseo, you set?
- Just about.

- I found Omega.
- Be careful with it.

We might have a problem.
- What's wrong?

Somebody already took it.
How did she get in here before us?

She didn't need to get in, Oliver.

She already had someone inside.

Yeah, I know. But it's a holiday.

So I guess I'm feeling charitable.
Is that okay?

Jake, I gotta call you right back.

- Hey.
- Hi.

Look who it is.

- How was your ride down?
- Oh, uneventful. Chance to grade some papers.

Dad, maybe you can tell me why half your
officers are allergic to search warrants.

- Mom.
- Hi, sweetheart.

- I didn't know that you were coming to town.
- I guess that's my fault.

I thought you could do a Christmas surprise.

Of course I wanna spend Christmas
with my family. So where's Sara?

She's not returning my phone calls.

Yeah, that's because she's traveling.

Backpacking through the Andes.

I think.
Yeah.

I found something. A.R.G.U.S. monitors
air traffic in and out of countries of interest.

- Corto Maltese is on that list.
- This is a list of every commercial airliner...

...private jet, sea plane, hot air balloon that
took off from Corto Maltese this past year.

Look at this flight path.
Private charter from Corto Maltese to Caracas.

Then to Cartagena only to fly back
to Caracas and then to Tijuana.

Whoever was on that plane was working hard
to hide where he was going.

The route ends at a private landing strip
just outside Starling City.

When did it land?

The night before Sara was murdered.

Please. All I do is fly the plane.
Quiet.

The man in this photo, did you fly him
from Corto Maltese to Starling City?

No.

This time look at the photo.

- He'll kill me.
- He's not here.

- We are.
- All right. Okay. Yes, I flew him here.

I've got security footage. You wanna see?

Hanukkah present?

Security footage from the airfield
where Merlyn landed.

Check for October 7th.

Right there. Stop.

You said Merlyn was keeping his distance
from Thea. That he hadn't had any contact.

He lied.

And so did she.

There's something we should consider.
Maybe it wasn't your DNA.

- Maybe it was Thea's.
- What?

You two are siblings.
There would be overlap. Maybe enough to...

Diggle, are you listening to yourself?

You're suggesting that Thea killed Sara.
Even if she would... Even if she could...

...why?

Malcolm Merlyn is her father.

- I hate to even say this.
- Then don't.

Oliver.

I know how much you love your sister,
but we have to look at the facts.

The autopsy I did on Sara,
I thought Roy might have stabbed her.

Because the trajectory wasn't consistent
with an archer of average height.

- You weren't considering a killer Thea's size.
- Enough. Both of you.

My sister did not kill Sara.
The DNA on the arrows is mine...

...because Malcolm Merlyn put it there.

Hi.
Hey, we need to talk, so I came here.

- Here where?
- Where you are.

I might have pinged your phone again.

I thought I was pretty clear
when I said I didn't wanna talk about this.

You were. But you were also pretty wrong...

...when you said I regretted kissing you.

I can't imagine there's a man on the planet
who would ever regret kissing you.

- I can think of one.
- But I am sorry about the way I reacted.

- When I kissed you, I felt guilty.
- Oh, my God. You're cheating on someone.

No.

Her name is Anna.

And we were engaged.

Last spring, the night those men
took over the city, we ran into a few.

We tried to escape, but we couldn't.

I tried to fight them, but I couldn't.
I wasn't strong enough.

They broke my leg and went after her,
but I couldn't save her.

And I watched them...

...as they broke her neck.

Ray, I am so sorry.

Anna was supposed to be
the last woman I ever kissed.

And she was.
Until suddenly, I was kissing you.

Hey. What are you doing home?

I wanted the Christmas tree to be a surprise.

It's a surprise.

Thought since it's just the two of us now...

...the smaller the family, bigger the tree.

What about Malcolm?

Thea, I know you saw him in Corto Maltese.

Ollie, we've lost everyone.

Malcolm's the only family
I have left besides you.

Thea, I deserve to know
what you were doing with Malcolm Merlyn.

I've just been getting to know him.

Did you fly back to Starling City with him?

No.

Ollie, if I was back in Starling,
don't you think I would have called you?

I was in Corto Maltese since May.

Now, will you please just come upstairs
and help me find some more Christmas stuff?

- What's he saying?
- He's trying to bribe us.

We want the vial of Omega you stole.

I don't know
what you're talking about. I didn't steal.

Don't waste your energy on lies.
We will get the truth from you.

One way or the other.

My friend can be very persuasive.

So how are you?

I'm great. Work's great.
I've just been really busy.

- Something's happened.
- What? No. No. Nothing's happened.

It's Sara, isn't it?

When I mentioned her earlier,
you seemed so broken.

Mom, Sara's fine.

She's just being Sara.

There are few things as powerful
as a mother's intuition.

You're hiding something. I know it.

Just like I was the only one who knew
that Sara didn't die on that boat.

I had this feeling that I would see her again.

And right now...

...that feeling is gone.

She's dead, isn't she?

Mom, listen to me.

Sara, she was involved
with some very, very dangerous people.

This has to remain a secret. At least until
we figure out exactly what happened.

I don't understand.
Doesn't your father know?

If he knew about Sara...

...he couldn't take it.

And I can't lose anyone else.

Father.

- It's nearly time.
- Mr. Queen has not yet presented the guilty?

Perhaps he believes our threats are empty.

We must correct that belief.

Return to Starling City. Be merciless.

Teach Oliver Queen we only ask but once.

Where you been?

I went to see Thea.

She lied to me again,
but she didn't kill Sara.

- Oliver.
- I looked her in the eyes, Felicity.

These are eyes
that I have known my entire life.

She could lie to me about Merlyn
and spending time with him.

But she could never do this.

Oliver, you are one
of the smartest men I've known.

But you have a blind spot
when it comes to your family.

- Not this time.
- Your mother and father.

- That's enough.
- Now Thea. She lied to you.

Both of you, stop.

Oliver, I can't imagine how difficult
this must be for you, but John is right.

- Thea lied.
- She lied about Merlyn, but Sara...

I don't wanna believe
she could do something like this.

Which is why you shouldn't
be the one asking the questions.

Thea Queen, where is Malcolm Merlyn?

I don't know. Please. Please don't hurt me.

Stay away from me and my father.

It's the strangest thing.

Thea just called
and said she was attacked by the Arrow.

You wouldn't happen to know anything
about that, now, would you, Oliver?

This was you.

You know, I figured when I spared the man
who murdered my mother...

...I would never kill again.

I was wrong.

- You might wanna reconsider.
- Why?

For Thea.

Check your phone. I can wait.

I don't think you'd want the League
to see that.

And if you kill me, they will.

- This isn't her.
- You've heard of a plant called Votura?

It grows in South America.
In fact, it thrives in Corto Maltese.

Making its subject extremely susceptible
to suggestion...

...while retaining no memory
of their actions.

I will tell Ra's this was you.
That Thea was under your control.

And he will still kill her.
She fired the arrows.

- You've given her a death sentence.
- No.

- What I've done is given you incentive.
- To do what?

To tell Ra's that you killed Sara Lance.

By rite, you will be given a trial
by combat with Ra's.

His death will erase any blood debt
from his reign...

- ...including Thea's.
- And yours.

I have to be honest.

I was a mite concerned that the killing
would have been a deal breaker for you.

But I'm gratified to see that Thea
is still sufficient motivation.

Don't take too long making up your mind.
Ra's isn't known for his patience.

Thea was always so kind.
The kindest person I've ever known.

My sister wasn't born a killer.

Malcolm Merlyn made her one,
and I let it happen.

No, you didn't.

When it comes to family,
you always place blame on yourself.

- This is not your fault.
- She's right, Oliver.

Throw Malcolm in front of Ra's.
Let the League sort this out.

Merlyn has a video.

- He made contingencies.
- Oliver, if you fight Ra's al Ghul, he'll kill you.

No, he won't.

During the undertaking,
Merlyn told me that I couldn't win...

...because I didn't know
what I was fighting for.

Now I do.

I'm fighting for Thea.

He should've confessed by now.

- We have video of him taking the vial.
- He says he doesn't remember.

He's lying. You don't do something like that
and not remember it.

There is a way.
I didn't think it a possibility until now.

There's a drug. It's called Votura.

I've heard it makes people
extremely susceptible to suggestion.

Like mind control?

Really? That's a thing?

Those that get dosed have no memory
of what they do while under the influence.

Oh, great. All this was for nothing.

Chien Na Wei has the vial
and we have no way of finding her.

We've taken her inside man.

Finding her may not be
the problem at hand.

The problem could be her finding us.

Good evening, Mrs. Yamashiro.
Is your husband home?

Don't you dare talk to my son.

Quaint house for a spy.

Except for these.
They belong to you, don't they?

Tatsu, isn't it?

Beautiful blade.

Where is he?

You really think my father,
the Demon's Head...

...would travel all the way from Nanda Parbat
simply because you wish it?

Yes.

This way.

Kneel before the Demon's Head.

You're just a boy.

Mr. Queen.

You failed to protect the city you love.
Now you'll watch it bleed.

Nobody in my city will die tonight.

Well, there was only one way
to prevent that.

You were to produce for me
the one who killed Ta-er al-Sahfer.

And yet you've come alone.

Because it was me.

- I killed Sara.
- Why would you kill a woman...

...you once professed to love?
- Because she begged me to.

You lie.

It wasn't the first time Sara chose death
over a life in the League.

And meeting you now, I can see why.

I should have Sarab cleave your head
from your shoulders.

Not for killing my daughter's beloved...

...but for thinking me a fool.

By League law, I have a right to
challenge you to a trial by combat.

It's been 67 years
since someone challenged me.

You covet death that much?

Do you accept?

Oh, yes.

I see the years have done little
to dull your stubbornness.

- Maseo.
- My name is Sarab.

- You told me a man cannot live by two names.
- And I don't.

Maseo is dead.

I am all that's left. Sarab. A phantom.

After...

...it happened, you went to Nanda Parbat.

I arrived the same year as Ta-er al-Sahfer.
She was a great warrior.

You did not kill her.

When you face the Demon,
it will be my duty to bear witness.

I have no desire to watch you die.

Under our code,
you have 12 hours to settle your affairs.

The 13th hour, be at this place.

This is consecrated ground for the League.

A place for the settlement of blood debts
if one survives the climb.

If you do.

See you on the mountain.

Do you remember how when the two of you
were little you played dress up?

One day I overheard you and Sara.

You were pretending
to be grown up versions of yourselves.

That day, you and your sister,
you had your own families.

Careers.

I was a cop, just like Dad. And Sara...

Was a doctor.

She wanted to heal people.

She deserves more than this.

Mom, can I tell you something?

Whoever did this to Sara,
I'm gonna find them, no matter what it takes.

And I am gonna make them pay.

Then you make them pay.

And you make them suffer.

Looks good.

- Thank you.
- Good night.

- What happened to the window?
- Oh. You should have seen it.

This bird went completely Hitchcock
on the thing.

I vacuumed up most of the glass,
but I'd still watch your step.

I'll be extra careful.

Are you okay?

Last time you had that look on your face,
you told me Dad committed suicide.

You haven't called him dad
since you found out about Malcolm.

What's going on with you, Ollie?

You think you know
who Malcolm Merlyn is...

...but there are things that I've discovered
years ago, recently...

...that he doesn't love you, Thea.

Because he's not capable of it.

Ollie, please.

Don't.

Don't make me choose
between my father and my brother.

I would never make you choose.

You are my family.

There's nothing that I won't do
to protect you.

What does that mean?

It means I love you, no matter what.

Tatsu!

Akio.
What happened here?

Oh, God, no. No. No. No.

Akio, no.
Daddy.

Akio. Akio. Where is your mother?

The white-haired woman, she took her.

Guess who just
designed a microprocessor...

- ...with a SPECint score just north of 9000?
- Ray.

What are you doing with Queen Consolidated?
Why did you buy it?

Because it was for sale.

My life is a little more complicated
than I led on.

Suffice it to say, I have gotten
very good at keeping secrets.

Particularly, the kind of secret
someone like you keeps.

Someone in pain.

- It wasn't easy to tell you about Anna.
- You told me about Anna.

But you didn't tell me the truth
about what it is you're doing.

- So tell me or I walk.
- I can't tell you.

I have to show you.

The dawn of the computer age.

Developers thought the only way
a machine could process information...

...as fast as a human brain
was to build a mainframe the size of Texas.

But one developer realized the only way
to reduce heat and power consumption...

...was to bring the components
closer together.

Which meant making them smaller.

But why stop at computers?

What if I could take other things?

Like, say, all of the military grade technology
in Applied Sciences and make it smaller too.

So small that it could fit
in the palm of my hand.

- I could help a lot of people that way.
- I don't understand.

This will help.

Whoa.

- What is it?
- O.M.A.C.

Was the Queen Consolidated designation.

But I'm kind of partial to A-T-O-M.

Advanced Technology
Operating Mechanism.

- ATOM.
- What are you gonna use it for?

To protect the people of this city.
And I want you to help.

Why does this keep happening to me?

- Oliver.
- John, I have to do this.

I know. I'd just rather die
than let you go it alone.

Not this time.

- Take care of Thea.
- Absolutely.

I'm sorry. Something came up.

Oh.

Let's give them a minute.

- So you're going.
- Mm-hm.

- To Nanda Parbat?
- No, it's a neutral site. It'll be fine.

I'll come back. Thea will be okay.

I wish that sounded more convincing.

I wish you wouldn't go, but I know you
so I'm not gonna ask you to stay.

I appreciate that.

But there is one thing
I need to ask you to do.

And you're not going to want to.

Well, if it's you asking, I'll do it.

Kill him.

You have to kill Ra's al Ghul.

This is a duel...

...with one of the most dangerous men
that has walked the Earth.

Wouldn't be doing it
if I didn't think I could win.

I don't doubt that.
I don't doubt you can beat him.

I am terrified that you won't kill him.

Because that's not who you are anymore.

And I am so afraid that Ra's al Ghul
is gonna use your humanity against you.

Felicity, I honestly don't know
if I'm a killer anymore.

But I do know two things.

The first is that whoever I am...

...I'm someone that will do whatever...

Whatever it takes to save my sister.

And the second thing?

I love you.

Remove your shirts.

This is custom.

Ra's al Ghul is not known to be merciful.

But if there was a chance,
this would be your final moment for it.

Choose your weapon.

I was 11 years old
when I killed my first man.

And I remember the look on his face
when the light went out behind his eyes.

Such a sudden change.

Almost imperceptible...

...between life and death.

And I'd felt ashamed.

I'd stolen from that man
the most precious gift of all. Life.

But I also felt something else.

Pride.

Because I had taken up arms against someone
who sought to do ill against my family.

And I realized what
I had done was necessary.

You see.

I had replaced evil with death.

And that is what the League exists to do.

And I have killed several
thousand more men since then.

- And the world is better off for it.
- You've taken your last life.

No.

You have lived your last day.

We are ready.

I am envious of you.
You'll see her before I do.

Fight me, boy.

You're unarmed.

I'll take your blades from you
once you are through with them.

You should take pride.

You survived longer than most.

Don't be afraid, my son.

Death comes for us all.
We can only evade it so long.

Consider this an honorable exit.