The Return
Harsh winds wrought through the air as a blizzard of snow turned the sky white. The mountain was cold and barren, with the exception of a lone, unmoving body, broken and lying over the side of a cliff, far below the peak.
A few feet away- as lithe and silent as a mountain lion- a figure wrapped in black, stepped forward out of the shadow of the bushes.
"Digg!" Felicity flattened herself to the ground as bullets ricocheted around her, miraculously missing her by inches.
John Diggle, who was currently in close combat with one of Bricks street thugs, slammed his glock against the side of his head and ran towards her, simultaneously shooting at targets that were invisible to Felicity. Evidently he was shooting at someone because the bullets stopped abruptly.
"You okay?!" He yelled over the chaos ensuing all around them. It was an all out shootout between Bricks men and the SCPD- with a little help from Team Arrow and the Black Canary. With that thought, Felicity's eyes searched for Laurel's telltale Canary suit, but she couldn't make out anything much less anyone.
"Considering the circumstances, I could be better! Where are Roy and Laurel?"
"I don't know. I lost them when Lance's men started shooting at us." He grunted, obviously displeased about being attacked by the people who were supposed to be on their side; even though he knew it was unintentional.
"We have to find Brick, otherwise this is completely pointless."
Digg nodded as he surveyed their surroundings. "I know, but I can't take him out by myself, he's too strong. We need to find Roy."
Felicity agreed and took John's extended hand. He looked at her. "You ready?"
She would have to go with a resounding nope.
"Yeah." She managed to gasp.
Diggle knew better. "Just stay behind me." He pulled her up and led her along the side of the abandoned warehouse Felicity had tracked Brick to. They crouched low, to avoid stray bullets.
They managed to make it around the corner when suddenly an explosion rocked the ground. Felicity felt Diggs hand slip from hers, as she was flung violently against the steel wall.
She lay immobile for a few moments, disoriented and hurt. Her ears rang as she struggled to raise herself, digging her fingers into the ground to pull herself upright. Felicity reached for her pounding head and felt her hair damp with a sticky substance.
Before she could process the implications of this, a blurred pair of heavy black boots materialized in front of her. She looked up slowly and even through her hazy vision, Felicity realized they didn't need to find Brick after all.
He'd found them.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" He stepped forward.
"You're… blonder than I'd expected; and rather delicate." Felicity was too frozen with fear and pain to muster any annoyance at being called 'delicate'.
She let out a shaky breath and slid back, hitting steel. There was nowhere to go.
Daniel Brickwell was an imposing man. Not unlike Slade Wilson. Felicity thought with a panic. She remembered nine months ago, when Slade's hand was pressed against her neck, the feeling of being so vulnerable… and human against Slade's lethal form. At least then she'd had a weapon, the serum to counteract the Mirakuru in Slade's system.
And Oliver. You had Oliver.
Felicity pushed this chilling thought away just as John's groan brought her attention back to the present. Bricks dark eyes skimmed over where Felicity could see Digg stirring. His lips turned up, with a sort of cold humor to them. "Don't worry, he'll be next. I've been looking forward to another opportunity to kill him."
Felicity shivered and suddenly, without any warning, Brick's hands were around her neck. He lifted her up with one hand and then shoved her back against the hard steel walls. She cried out as his hands tightened, but she sagged forward when spots began to materialize in front of her eyes. Her surroundings grew dimmer and Digg's voice calling her name was like the sound of noise breaking through water.
She was going to die.
Abruptly the pressure from her throat lifted and she fell to the ground in a heap, gasping for air and clawing at her throat. Her eyes barely made out Brick, who stumbled back, staring at the three arrows buried in his chest, not alarmed, but rather confused.
Her fading sight was blocked by John as he stilled to a screech in front of her; and while he called her name and moved his frantic cold hands over her, the world seemed to slow to a halt. A painfully familiar figure landed in front of them with a resounding thud. She saw, almost in slow motion as he rose swiftly, slammed his bow twice against Brick's head, dodged a punch and then landed his own against Brick's jaw. He threw his bow aside and with one final elbow to the head, he grabbed Brick's neck and slammed him against the ground.
Before the blackness enveloped her, one word escaped. "Oliver."