Sub Zero

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When a case involving a rogue member of the Bratva goes awry, Oliver and Felicity are stuck in the middle of nowhere with no help in sight. Will they make it out of this mess alive, or will their bad decision catch up to them?

Pairing: Oliver & Felicity

Characters: Oliver, Felicity, Captain Lance, Laurel, Roy, Diggle, possibly more

Season: 3

Category: Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Arrow or DC Comics (as much as I wish I did). I'm just trying to be a better writer.

AN: So, this is the first fic I'm putting out there. Please be nice! I'm testing out the fan fiction posting waters. If I get positive feedback, then I'll keep it going. If not... Well, maybe I wasn't cut out for this.

One more thing: please be kind! I've been hurt a lot in the past by negativity, so I'm trying to avoid that this time around.

Chapter 1

Arlington, two hours outside Starling City...

"Felicity, RUN!" his voice echoed through the abandoned warehouse, and she hesitated for a moment before it sank in.

They'd been hiding behind a wide, rust covered steel pillar, avoiding their would-be murderers until the absolute last moment. Everything about this mission had gone wrong. Nothing could have prepared them for this most epic of fails. It seemed as if the whole thing had been doomed from the start, and that this was a culmination of everything that had happened in the previous week.

"GO!" He yelled again. She turned to stare at him for just a moment, blue eyes boring into his, silently begging that he keep her safe. "I'll cover you," he whispered then wrapped his arms around her, pressing a rough kiss to her forehead before spinning her around.

It had been over a year since Felicity Smoak felt this afraid for her life, but she trusted the man standing behind her. He'd kept her safe for this long. A few more feet, and she'd be out of there for good. But that didn't stop her from worrying about him as she sprinted off towards the open dock door as a hail of bullets rang out behind her.

The unfamiliar feeling of holding a gun instead of a bow and arrow had Oliver Queen disoriented at first, but watching as his partner, his friend, retreated to the safety of the door, his protective instincts kicked in and he shot off several rounds at the men trying to kill them. He peeked out from the side of the pillar and opened fire, the bullets flying wildly in all directions and ricocheting off steel and concrete.

Another storm of bullets rained down from the other side of the warehouse where three thugs took cover behind a steel door. He could only hope that the distraction would work. The last thing he wanted was for Felicity to get hurt. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her. Several close calls in the last few years had prompted him to try and take as few risks with her life as possible, but this mission was one of the rare few where he needed her at his side.

If it hadn't been for the circumstances that led up to that moment, she wouldn't be here right now, running for her life as the rogue members of the Bratva continued to shoot at her from the other side of the building. But what was done was done. There wasn't much Oliver could do right now other than continue firing off rounds at the thugs trying to kill his partner.

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Felicity prepared herself for the jump that awaited her by the door. It was their only way out of this mess, and if she could reach it, hopefully things would get better for her and Oliver. More bullets whizzed past her, miraculously managing to avoid any vital organs although one did clip her thick white parka.

She reached the dock door, the cold air that rushed in blasting onto her face as she took the proverbial leap of faith and launched herself into what she hoped would be safety. Felicity landed in a soft pile of snow that had gathered near the dock and immediately sprang up, her breath visible in the freezing mountain air. Positioning herself against the side of the building, she yelled, "Come on, Oliver!" as she pulled a gun from her boot. Without bothering to look where she was pointing, Felicity opened fire just as Diggle had taught her to not even a few months ago.

Upon hearing his name called, Oliver breathed a short lived sigh of relief. Felicity was safe, and now it was his turn to sprint out from behind the pillars as more gunfire echoed through the warehouse. He reloaded the gun with the last clip he had and opened fire as he jumped away from the pillar towards the door. Every step he took without getting hit was encouraging. Just a few more meters separated him and a clear getaway, except the mission from hell would soon strike again.

Moments before Oliver jumped down from the dock, a stray bullet ripped through his right shoulder, sending him tumbling into the snow at Felicity's feet. She stood there, her blue eyes wide with shock and horror as her mouth hung open.

SCPD nine days ago...

Captain Quentin Lance stood at the head of the metal table, his eyes narrowed in the bright fluorescent lights that bounced off the stark white walls of the interrogation room. The thirty year old man in front of him merely gazed at his fingernails as he stared him down with one of those subtle looks that could make a lesser man crumble.

But not this hardened criminal.

He wasn't the best looking guy out there by any means, with sharp facial features, badly trimmed facial hair, and a polyester suit that made him think of the 70's. He smelled like he hadn't bathed in weeks, and there must have been at least a gallon of gel in his long black hair. There were several small scars across his forehead and cheeks, and one large on along his upper lip, not to mention a myriad of cuts and bruises he'd sustained in the hours prior to his arrest.

The Arrow had done a number on him, but Captain Lance couldn't care less. In his hands he held a folder nearly an inch thick with paper, outlining every single charge that the ATF and Homeland Security had against him. And that made Lance a very happy man. It gave him the ability to squeeze this guy for more information regarding some bigger fish he was after.

It had been six months since he'd been promoted to captain, and now was the perfect time to start wrangling in some of the people he'd been after for years. Having the Arrow and his team as his confidential informants was helping him bring in thugs in almost record numbers. But Lance wanted the bigger fish, the ones that were influencing the crimes in Starling City, particularly the Glades. Almost two years had passed since the earthquake, six months since Slade Wilson's attack, and there were still more problems than solutions.

"Dmitri Belov, you've been a very bad boy," Lance taunted as he threw the folder down on the table and let it slide to his suspect. "Trying to smuggle guns and drugs between Russia and the US. That'll get you a good twenty-five to life."

Belov glanced at the folder momentarily before looking back at his fingers. "I know that is not why I am here," he replied in a thick Russian accent, not bothering to look up at Lance as he spoke. He had been in this position many times before. It no longer fazed him. In fact, it made him just a little more careful every time he got caught. It also made him that much less loyal to anyone who tried to corner him.

"You're a smart man, Dmitri," Lance continued. "I know what you want, and you know what I want. Already getting off on the right foot and I haven't even gotten a chance to threaten you yet. Not bad for a lowlife like yourself." He knew he was crossing into dangerous territory with what he was about to ask Belov to do. Dmitri Belov was loyal to almost no one, including the police. If he could pin the man just right, maybe he'd fold they way he wanted him to and get the last laugh in the end.

Rogue members of the Bratva had been running rampant in the city ever since the Triad had been taken down. Lance knew it would only be a matter of time before someone decided to claim the Glades as territory. Shutting them down before they had a chance to get a foothold was all the detective could do, and with the Arrow standing ever present as the city's guardian angel, he knew he could take down this gang before they had a chance to make a move.

Belov chuckled. "I want what every criminal wants, a, how you say, get out of jail free card," he retorted, his muddy brown eyes finally looking up at Lance. There was no soul behind those eyes, and it made the captain's skin crawl that he could actually see it. "Now, tell me, what do you want?"

"Give up your boss and I might give you that get out of jail free card you want," Lance answered, placing his hands on the table in front of him to look as menacing as possible. But it didn't seem to work on Belov. The man simply folded his arms over his chest and continued to stare at him, a look of contemplation registering on his face.

"How about you also give me a ticket back to Russia as well?" Belov tried to deal himself a little more than what the captain was willing to give him.

"How about I put your ass back in a cell and let Homeland Security deal with you?" Lance shot back. It was the most intimidating thing he could say to get his point across. He wasn't dealing anymore. There was no way he'd give Belov a free ticket home. If he had to twist his leg, he'd make him cooperate. "That would be interesting, though. They could easily charge you with domestic terrorism, have you tried without a jury even. You know what happens then, don't you, Dmitri? Because if you don't I can give you a hint: you'll get that plane ticket, but you won't be going to Moscow."

And with that Lance had him. The sheer look of terror on Belov's face put a smile on his. The man had heard enough stories about what happens to people detained by Homeland Security, even though most of those stories were likely fabricated. It still helped that just the allusion to being sent to Guantanamo Bay was enough to strike fear into the man's heart.

"Fine," Belov quickly answered. "His name is Nikolay Krayevsky."

"That's a good start," Lance replied, taking a seat across from him. "What else?"

"He's in Starling City checking out the territory, see if it's good for business. He's, how you say, testing the waters," Belov explained.

"Testing the waters how?"

Belov shrugged, "Drugs, guns, girls… He is also very particular about security. He likes getting the latest technology out there because he is a very paranoid man."

Lance had finally found the perfect way in. The smile that crawled across his lips was one he couldn't help. Hearing that Nikolay Krayevsky was a technofile gave him the perfect opportunity to utilize one of his best and brightest assets. He scribbled a few names down on a sheet of paper and handed it to Belov.

"Alright, this is what I want you to do," Lance instructed, "Because your boss has a penchant for technology, you're going to give him those names and tell him they've got the goods he's looking for." Belov nodded. "You set up a meeting and I'll take it from there." With that, the thug was dismissed, allowed to go free, but that didn't mean Lance wouldn't keep an eye on him. He knew Belov's kind. He was a snake that could easily slip through his fingers and bite him in the ass. He'd have to watch him very closely.

Okay, so yeah, this is a short chapter, but I hope you liked it. I promise the next ones will be a little longer.