Note: Surprise Masque! I always blame the first of my internet wives, Loke, for getting me into Arrow and it is true. It. Is. ALL. Her. Fault. Of course falling for the show and Olicity brought the need to read fanfiction and one of the very first stories I found was your Technical Assistance series. You know how much love with it, so much so I asked you to be my internet wife; reading TA and so many of the other amazing Arrow stories out there really inspired me to get back to writing. Granted it takes up far too much of my brain space and free time now, but it's such a joy. I'm blaming my rediscovery of that as partially your fault. In honor of that this insanity is dedicated to you. Xoxo, Wifey
PS – A special thanks to said internet wife #1 for being a sounding board on this and steering me away from the EvilStory!Steve ending I originally had planned. What would I do without you Loke? (Be miserable, I'm sure.)
Mysterious Ways
Most of the world's big problems could not be fixed with wave of a magic wand, but many of the smaller difficulties people faced could be handled with a crinkling of a witch's nose. Not that anyone outside the magical community knew that or could know that. There were rules in place. It didn't stop witches and warlocks from mingling with non-magical folks, expedient allies and useful friendships were normal, but Felicity's desire to live in the mundane human world, to study and hold down a job, and not use magic – well that could not even be called unusual. It had never happened before. In thousands of years no witch or warlock had forsaken the magical life.
Felicity understood the appeal. A simple spell and whatever you desired could be yours. Perhaps that is why her father had found her and her mother expendable. Never having to work for something led to never truly valuing what you had. She'd seen her mother twitch her nose for every little thing, but it hadn't let her keep the one thing she wanted most – her husband.
From the moment her father walked out on them Felicity decided that she could not rely on magic to make things better. All it allowed for was a temporary fix and she needed to be self-sufficient without it. Of course there were days when the ease it would provide her was tempting, so very tempting. There were things about normal human life she didn't mind like cleaning her apartment, balancing her checkbook and doing laundry. Cooking, however, was her downfall. She'd mastered making coffee, only because she'd become addicted to the caffeinated beverage, and she could grill a mean cheese sandwich and open a can of soup like a champion. That was the sum total of her cooking expertise – meaning there was a fair amount of takeout and microwave meals in her life, which meant exercising because she wasn't magic-ing off the weight either.
Her first year at MIT had been the hardest. Felicity had thought she'd been careful with her use of magic, but there had been things she'd done without realizing – like making time go faster or slower – that she caught herself almost doing in those early days. She had numerous close calls, but she never allowed convenience to outweigh her fierce determination to live a simple human life. And the longer she lived without using magic the less temptation she felt to twitch her nose.
That all changed one fateful night, the night she found a bleeding Oliver Queen in the back of her car. He'd been coming to her for months for help – technological help which made her preen – knowing that people like Oliver and Walter Steele were coming to her for her smarts and the skills she worked so hard to develop, instead of the ease she could provide them with scrunch of her nose, well it had thrilled her. So much so, that she ignored the ridiculous excuses Oliver offered her and the danger Walter indicated was involved in the research he needed done. She had meant what she told Walter, she hated mysteries – they needed to be solved; but it felt good, so very good to be valued for attributes of her own undertaking.
Somewhere along the way, Felicity had come to care about the two men and had been torn when Walter had been kidnapped. One little spell and she could find him. It had been the biggest test of her determination to leave magic behind. She wanted to find Walter, but there were ways other than magic, so she turned to hacking – something she skirted the edges of at MIT, but its temptations felt too close to magic, so she'd backed away. It had cost her burgeoning relationship with fellow student Cooper Seldon; but things had still been too tenuous to risk slipping back then.
If she hadn't been distracted by her concern for Walter, she might have put the pieces together about Oliver being the Starling City's vigilante before he pulled back his hood in her car as his blood stained her backseat. She considered using magic to heal Oliver, but he had requested that she take him to his father's old steel factory before she finished weighing whether or not she should make that offer. Felicity knew he wouldn't have believed her, would probably think her crazy, until she actually healed him and then who knew how he'd react.
So she did as requested, though Starling General was the more rational option if he wanted to survive the night, and drove deep into the heart of the Glades. She found his bodyguard, John Diggle, waiting in the dank dark lair Oliver ran his vigilante operations out of and assisted him in his attempt to save Oliver's life. Magic could do a lot of things, but restoring the dead to life was not one of them. When Oliver flat-lined, blood oozing swiftly out of his wound Felicity knew death was imminent. There was no choice to make. Diggle's specialized medical training could not save his friend, but magic could. She could.
Diggle hadn't seen her cast the spell, but as the wound sealed before his eyes he stepped back confounded. "What the hell?" he breathed out, his dark eyes lifting to hers. His gaze narrowed and hardened on her when he found a lack of surprise on her face. When he reached for his gun self-preservation won out and Diggle saw her nose twitch before he found himself frozen in place. Felicity watched him struggle to move his own body, panic causing the irises of his eyes to go so wide that the soft brown was just a sliver around a dark center.
"How?" he questioned. If tone alone could be lethal Felicity knew she'd be dead. That was always a risk when humans found out, which they weren't supposed to, there were rules and very few exceptions. Considering how she left, she knew there is no way she'd be granted one, let alone two even with her pedigree. The best thing she could do was erase their memories of the night and have them wake up tomorrow feeling the effects of a hangover to explain their blank spots.
That was the smart thing to and seeing how she had already used magic twice, another spell or well three – expunging their memories, moving them to their beds, and leaving the hangover feeling – was not what held her back. Oliver Queen wasn't shot tonight, the vigilante was, and he needed to know how and why. That only gave her one option: the truth. It was a scary proposition, but Felicity comforted herself with the knowledge that she had a backup plan. Depending on their reaction to what she told them she could always go with the memory wipe.
She held up her hands, palms up towards Diggle trying to assure him that she was not a threat. "I'm going to wake him up and I'll explain." Felicity could see him continue to struggle against his immobility, "I swear to you Mr. Diggle, I have no intention of hurting either of you. Oliver trusted me enough to ask for my assistance, please give me enough of yours to hear me out."
She could see the war going on inside him. Finally, he grounded out, "You could have let him die, but you didn't. I'll hear you out."
Felicity let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She wiggled her nose and Diggle stumbled forward, just managing to catch himself on the medical table Oliver was sprawled out on. As his weight shook it, Oliver's eyes opened, he let out a trembling breath as his unfocused gaze took in his surroundings.
He croaked out, "Dig," as she took a step back from them. Felicity knew she'd be able to cast a spell before either man could pose a serious threat to her, but the physical distance offered her an additional sense of safety.
Her heart beat anxiously as Diggle assisted Oliver into a sitting position. The older man examined his charge, looking for any adverse effects of her treatment. "How you feeling man?"
Oliver's brows drew together, the gesture indicating his confusion to Felicity. "Fine. Which is odd seeing how I got shot." Diggle let out a snort, as Oliver titled his head to look down at his chest where the bullet had pierced him. "Dig?" he asked, tone guarded as he took in the expanse of undamaged flesh where his wound should have been.
"You can thank your blonde friend over there," Diggle informed him with a nod in her direction.
His head snapped up and for the first time Felicity found herself on the other end of the suspicious glare of Starling's vigilante. Oliver had always had an intensity about him, besides the one time he'd come to Queen Consolidated with Diggle nursing a quote hangover, his body had always been tense – ready to react at moment's notice. But after her first babble at him, his cerulean eyes had lost their hard glint and she'd witnessed him soften, ever so slightly. His gaze and his heart had always seemed open to her after that. At least it had until this moment, when instead of seeing her as an ally Oliver saw a threat. That realization physically chilled her and she found herself wrapping her arms around her middle, trying to make herself smaller. Felicity could not help but fear the prospect of Oliver using whatever lessons his time away taught him, ones that he obviously used in his nighttime activities, against her.
If you asked her an hour ago if Oliver Queen would ever hurt her Felicity would have sworn it was an impossibility. Standing in front of him now, his distrustful scowl as formidable as a cocked and ready to fire gun, she wasn't so sure. "Felicity," he said her name sharply and she could see the calculation in his eyes, cataloguing her anew and adjusting the estimation he made of her previously.
"I healed you, which is obvious since you're still breathing and not you know dead. And really you should be grateful and not all GRR because hello, saved your life."
His lips twitched up, like they had that first day in her office when her lack of brain-to-mouth filter caught him off guard and amused him. His rigidness and Diggle's, who flanked Oliver to his left, indicated that somewhat witty banter they engaged in before would not be happening this evening. Or again at all possibly. "Thank you," he deadpanned.
She momentarily thought of offering a 'you're welcome' but resisted the etiquette. It wouldn't win her any points in this discussion and frankly their sour and distrustful stares after she had assisted them in the past, annoyed Felicity. She had already proven herself to them, letting ridiculous lies slide and providing them with information – information that always seemed to coincide with active police investigations, but had she said anything to anyone about that? No, she hadn't.
"We should appreciate that," Diggle remarked alerting Felicity to fact that at least some of what she thought had been internal grumbling had been said aloud. "But you'll have to forgive our skepticism when you miraculously fix a bullet wound."
Sliding her hand down to rest on her hip she countered, "Having magic doesn't make me a bad person."
"Magic," Oliver repeated dubiously.
"Yes," she answered. "Magic, as in 'double, double toil and trouble' and that reference is completely lost on you," Felicity sighed. "You know you should really reconsider reading Shakespeare Oliver."
He shook his head slightly, "Shakespeare aside you want us to believe that what? You're a witch?"
"If the ruby slipper fits," she replied flippantly.
"Seriously?" Oliver growled.
"Can you think of a logical explanation other than magic that explains your lack of a bullet wound?" she rifled back at him.
"Logical no," Diggle replied for them. "But seeing how you froze me, I'm not sure there is another explanation."
Oliver gaped at his partner, "Froze you?"
"Not in the 'brr it's cold' kind of freeze, but Mr. Diggle did not react well to seeing your wound close on its own, so I immobilized him."
The distrust that had been marring Oliver's face was replaced by incredulity as he looked between her and Diggle. "Like a statute," the older man confirmed when his gazed landed back on him.
"But a witch?" Oliver asked his compatriot.
Diggle shrugged his massive shoulders. "I've heard rumors of stranger things."
"Exactly, rumors."
"And this I saw with my own eyes," Diggle reminded him. "You were healed magically, and I experienced being locked in place against my will."
"Sorry about that," Felicity said breaking into their discussion. She knew they hadn't forgotten she was there. She was certain if she tried to make a run for it they would stop her … or at least try. "I don't like using magic against people, in fact; I don't like using it at all."
"Then why did you?" Oliver prompted as he focused his full attention back on her.
"Really?" she exhaled in exasperation. "You dying seemed like a valid reason."
Oliver was poised to ask another question when Diggle placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him. "We're talking in circles here. We can all agree that Felicity saved your life using magic. That magic is a real thing." She quickly agreed, but Oliver held back for a few moments frowning, before finally nodding.
"Okay, now, is that the extent of it – healing and freezing?" Diggle inquired, meeting her gaze head on. The disquiet that had shaded his eyes was no longer there; instead she found curiosity and wariness.
"Honestly?" Felicity found herself asking. Though Diggle had been right about the conversation spiraling, it was going better than she'd hoped and it felt like there was a real chance she might leave the foundry with their memories intact; which brought its own problems, but in for a penny, in for a pound. If they needed to, they could all deal with the repercussions later.
"That would be preferable," Oliver replied.
"There isn't much magic can't do," she informed them. "I could quote Aladdin to you but only two of the three genie rules apply – magic cannot make anyone fall in love and it cannot bring anyone back from the dead. Everything else is pretty much fair game."
"So you could kill us?"
"NO!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up because she was angered at the question and assumption. "Well, yes technically, but no. I would never harm anyone let alone shuffle a person off their mortal coil. I have moral compass unlike some people this room," Felicity said pointedly, alluding to the bodies dropped by the vigilante.
"So do I," Oliver assured her.
Felicity took a calming breath. "I know … I know. You've been doing good," she told him and saw gratitude flash briefly in Oliver's eyes, "with some questionable methods, and believe me I understand that, magic is nothing but a dubious way of getting what you want. That's why I left the wizarding world, not the Harry Potter version – that does not exist – behind and decided to live in the human world without magic."
"It's been years," she confided, "since I've used it. I had meant never to use it again but …"
"You can save a life, not bring it back," Diggle supplied for her.
She nodded. The weight of the choice she made and the consequences of it was in her voice when she said, "And I couldn't let him die."
Silence fell between them. It wasn't awkward, just a quiet moment that allowed them all to become comfortable with each other again. "Thank you," Oliver said breaking it, "for real this time."
"You're welcome."
Shit, he thought straining to move his body, but no matter how much force of will he put into his efforts he remained still. Locked in place as the stranger loomed closer which Oliver would have felt better about if the man's attention wasn't on Felicity, who like him and Diggle was unable to move. He knew magic was being used against them, he had seen Felicity use it enough over the last two months upon his request, but it hadn't occurred to him that it could affect her as it did them. It was one of those questions he never got around to asking and after agreeing to no more magic to get Felicity back, talking about it seemed pointless. Magic had nearly cost him her friendship, something he'd come to value before learning about her otherworldly gift because she'd been the first person he met that he'd seen as an actual person and not a threat. Oliver hadn't wanted to risk it being a spot of contention between them as they moved forward with her offering only technical assistance in his nighttime endeavors. Now that the Dark Archer and his nefarious plans were stopped, her hacking expertise was more than enough to aid them in bettering the city.
If they were able to speak Oliver was certain he'd eventually be on the receiving end of an 'I told you so' from Diggle. He'd gladly take it, thousands of them, if they all got out of this unscathed. When the stranger stepped into the light Felicity let out an audible gasp and Oliver didn't know whether he should be relieved or not that the practically white haired man allowed it.
Piercing, cold blue eyes drifted over them quickly and dismissively, before narrowing in on Felicity as the man cut the distance between them. He was all but on top of her, lording over her prone frame, when he stopped his progression and spoke, his words echoing in the abandoned warehouse he had lured them to, "You wanted a life without magic, you should have stuck to that Felicity."
His voice was smooth, but there was an oily tone to it that caused dread to skitter up Oliver's spine. Or maybe it was the familiar, almost kind way he looked at Felicity. The way he'd trapped them made his intentions clear and they were not friendly.
Oliver howled internally as the warlock – Felicity had explained that was the proper term for male witches in her initial breakdown of magic the night she saved his life – cupped her cheek. He caressed a thumb over it. "You know the penalties for breaking our rules."
The ominous warning hung in the air and he could tell by the way Diggle's pupils fluttered that he too was straining extra hard to break free of the spell and come to Felicity's aid. That fateful night had changed everything, further expanding a world in which he knew about the dangerous and inhuman effects of mirakuru to include the fantastical. That night she had glibly remarked, "Every society has rules of law." It had been her reason for insisting that no one else could know about her magical abilities and why she'd been so hesitant to use her gift to find Walter.
He had pressed though, knowing how important his stepfather was to his mother and sister and how much Felicity liked him herself. When she had acquiesced to his request he figured – or rather hadn't thought to ask – if doing so broke any of them. Felicity had given no indication, or if she had, he'd been so focused on his mission, on keeping the promise that he made to his father that he hadn't thought to care. However unknowingly or carelessly done he placed her in danger because his family and his duty was more important than giving thought to the repercussions of using magic. Dig had insisted there had to be some, but it had seemed so benign to Oliver. A nose twitch here and there to help people. It cost him nothing … now though it seemed that it could cost Felicity everything.
Contemplating that made his heart lurch. He had begun his mission with the knowledge and acceptance that it could cost him his life. It was a price he was willing to pay, but he had never intended for anyone else to have to bare that consequence, least of all Felicity, who he had swept up into his life because she brought light into the darkness that surround him. He'd craved it, so he kept going back. If he had just stopped or if he hadn't crawled into her car the night his mother shot him or if he hadn't kept pushing her to use magic because he thought it was for the greater good. There were too many what ifs, too many instants where a different choice by him could have perhaps prevented this moment.
"You can make my mother tell me the truth," he argued with her shortly after they had rescued Walter, distracting Felicity from updating the lair's computer system. She had already updated his hardware, commenting on how the old, clearly abused equipment hurt her soul and now she was in the process of creating a digital fortress to work behind.
"Oliver finding Walter was one thing–" she started to protest but he'd cut her off. "Felicity the city is in danger. I know you don't like using magic but you made an exception to save my life and this, this could save thousands." He'd seen her wavering and added, "Please." That broke her resolve and set them on the path to learn the horrible truth. His parents were embroiled in Malcolm Merlyn's desperate attempts to remake Starling City by leveling the Glades. When his father had tried to end his so called 'Undertaking' Merlyn sabotaged the Gambit, ultimately making him responsible for the death of everyone aboard the boat and the five years he had spent in hell. His mother had continued to tow the line, living in fear, to keep Thea alive and then Walter after they'd fallen in love. She had allowed Merlyn to kidnap Walter because the alterative was his death. He had been getting too close, asking too many questions with Felicity's help.
She hadn't been able to tell him who the Dark Archer was, but she had confirmed that he worked for Malcolm. "He's loyal Oliver and wants to see his master achieve his end." Her fear had been palpable and it was the only reason he'd been able to reign in his rage. Instead of storming off half-cocked, he planned with Diggle and Felicity, taking measures before he'd gone off to confront Malcolm Merlyn. His best friend's father was no longer an aloof, mystery but a monster. One that had to be stopped.
The one thing he hadn't prepared for, much like he hadn't been equipped for the warlock in front of him, was Malcolm being the Dark Archer. Once again he'd barely escaped from his encounter with the superior fighter. And how that knowledge chaffed, more so because he could not see a way to avenge his father as the inferior warrior in the battle between them.
Diggle had been patching him up using their mobile supplies in the van when Felicity tracked Malcolm to his family home. "Felicity," he pleaded desperately. One minute he had been bruised and battered, too far from the mansion to get there in time to protect his family and the next he was undamaged, his team transported to his room. From there he could hear raised voices – his mother begging for Thea's life, his sister's sobs, as Tommy – and he could only be grateful his friend was there to stand with him against his father – and Malcolm.
He and Dig had moved in tandem, Felicity following behind at a safe distance, as they made their way towards the loud confrontation. As they moved unseen into the room Oliver took in the scene and the gun in Malcolm's hands. "Don't disappoint me Tommy," he seethed, "this is about saving the city."
"No," Tommy spit back. "This is your misguided attempt to make sense out of my mother's murder and you're using that to justify hurting my family – because that's what the Queens are and have been since you stopped being it."
"I had such high hopes for you son," Merlyn said his voice weary with disappointment. He gave no hint to what he intended next, but then the gun shifted suddenly, going off as Tommy leapt in front of it. Thea screamed and Oliver released the arrow he had notched now that he had an unobstructed angle on Merlyn. The firearm was knocked from Malcolm's hand and as Felicity raced into the room she immobilized him.
"Tommy," he instructed his team as he went to comfort his family. Dig and Felicity bee-lined to his fallen friend as he quietly asked about Walter once he had his arms wrapped around them. "He's not here," his mother answered, her relief mired with disbelief with what had happen and the fact that Malcolm was just standing there motionless.
"This is beyond me," Diggle reported, pressing down hard on the gaping wound just under Tommy's sternum. The words were on the tip of his tongue when he saw Felicity's nose twitch. Tommy's breathing evened out and the pained expression melted from his face.
"Ollie," Thea mewed confused as she pulled away from him and jerked towards Tommy. She clasp his right hand and brought it up to her chest, placing it over her heart. "Tommy," she said softly.
His dove gray eyes fluttered open, "You okay Speedy?"
"Yes," she choked out through her tears, "thanks to you."
The hand Thea held flexed. "Anything for you," he promised. His mother was just starting towards them when Felicity froze all the occupants in the room who were not members of their team. "Felicity," he said sharply, his heart was still racing and his emotions jumbled from his family being in danger.
Diggle stepped in front of him, shooting him a warning look, before glancing back to Felicity. "We don't have much time to figure this out do we," he stated clarifying the issue that Oliver hadn't been able to see with his tumultuous emotions.
"They can't know about me Oliver," Felicity stressed her eyes pleading with him to understand.
Oliver got it, he really did. Felicity took a risk telling them and he knew that not everyone would understand her ability or protect her. Particularly Malcolm, his knowing was beyond dangerous and keeping her safe was paramount. But at the same time … "This needs to have happened. Malcolm confessed – that means he'll be held accountable. He'll go to jail."
"Can a jail hold him?" Dig wondered aloud.
Felicity looked skyward, every inch of her tense. He had already made his case and he didn't want to push, not after all she had already done for him, but it was still hard to stop himself from demanding the solution he wanted. "I can make this work," she finally sighed out meeting their gazes again. "It has to be realistic though, which means Tommy is going to need a flesh wound."
"Whatever you think is best," he agree quickly, his lips turning up with relief and gratitude.
As she crossed over to deal with Merlyn first Oliver reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you Felicity." She patted his hand and offered him a smile. As Felicity continued on to her target, he turned to help Diggle stage the scene – the Vigilante having rescued the besieged Queens.
Both he and Diggle released a chuckle when Felicity muttered, "Let's just take these ninja skills while we rework your memories, that way you'll be staying in prison Mr. Merlyn."
With his promise fulfilled and his family safe, Oliver had given serious thought to retiring the hood but both Diggle and Felicity insisted that they could do real good for the city, they could help the beleaguered police department with the gangs and street crime. It felt different wearing the hood, helping and saving people, not just crossing names off a list and the team was settling into it, working together without magic.
Everything was falling into place. Walter and his mother were able to make up personally and were working together professionally to absorb what they could of Merlyn Global into Queen Consolidated, saving as many jobs as possible. Though disillusioned by his father, Tommy did not push away the family he had claimed, in fact, he pulled them closer – he and Laurel were officially moving in together and when he wasn't busy being the perfect boyfriend, he was with Thea or him, working to make their club the best in Starling. He had his family, his friends, his mission – a lighter more hopeful outlook on the world. Oliver should have known, should have anticipated that it couldn't stay that way. He had seen too much, done too many bad things to think he deserved the contentment that his life was slowly settling into.
It had all been blown to holy hell when Helena returned. He wanted a quick and easy answer to the problem because she was dangerous and threatening his family. He'd been furious when Felicity denied him. Though why he was expecting a different response, especially after he cornered her in her office at Queen Consolidated in the middle of the day, he couldn't say. He knew how Felicity felt about using magic but Helena knew his secret and he had failed her. This was his chance to make it right. He had to press for that. "I'm not erasing her memory. Helena's taken lives—"
"So have I," he growled.
"It's different, you know that Oliver," she countered giving up on her work and pushing away from her desk. "You've stopped, Helena hasn't and she won't because she wants revenge."
"You can change that," he argued.
Anger turned her eyes indigo and her voice was harsh with frustration as she bit out, "She belongs in jail." That had been her last word on the matter, her way of telling him that she wasn't going to use magic to help him this time. He had gone off recklessly, without support from her and Diggle, and it had gone horribly sideways on him and instead of accepting his fault, he lashed out at Felicity.
"Those agents died because of you," he yelled at her, "McKenna nearly did."
"That's on you," she yelled back, her voice loud – louder than he'd ever heard as it reverberated through the foundry making his ears ache.
"No it's on you," he growled. "You could have fixed her."
Wearily she replied, "Magic doesn't fix things like that, not really." Felicity wrapped her arms around her waist, self-comforting. "My mother tried fixing herself for years and it never worked." A haunted look shadowed her face and made his heart clench. She had never spoken about her family to him previously and even before the next words left her mouth Oliver knew a cataclysmic shift was coming. "It's a band-aid, one I never should have started using again. I'm done. We're done."
He tried to apologize her, to stop her from leaving because her friendship had become a guiding light in his life; one he didn't want to be without, but he'd been unable to change her mind. Maybe if he had left well enough alone they wouldn't have ended up here, them all on their knees at the mercy of the still unnamed warlock.
But when the Savoir started kidnapping and killing people, it became abundantly clear that he and Diggle could not stop this adversary without her. He gone to her, catching her at Big Belly Burger thanks to Dig, hat metaphorically in hand, to beseech Felicity for her assistance. "He's killing people."
She had looked so torn, her voice cracked when she started reply, "Oliver I …"
"Forget magic," he said when she trailed off. "I heard you, Felicity. I really did, but we can still save people. More people if you help then if you don't. I know you can track him using your other skillset. So please, help me."
Oliver could not express the gratitude he'd felt that she granted him a second chance, but his realization had come too late. Her use of magic had become noticeable, the vigilante was top of the fold front page news in Starling and reported on nationwide; if you were in the know, you could read between the lines and recognize that magic was involved.
Without meaning to he put a target on her back. And if he read the ominous situation they were in there was a very real possibility that he was going to lose her. And after their brief separation he knew he couldn't be deprived of Felicity Smoak.
Pleading with Damien Darhk would be an exercise in futility, Felicity knew that, but she had to try for Oliver and Diggle. They didn't deserve to suffer for her choices, even if she made a number of those decisions because of them.
"They didn't know," she said as he dropped his hand from her face, allowing her the freedom to speak. "I never told them. The consequences are mine alone to face." Out of the corner of her eye she could read the panic and anger in both her teammates' eyes. They would refute that the penalty laid at her feet, but they hadn't known. She hadn't let them. That first night in the foundry she thought they would share this moment if it ever came, but she had come to care about them too much to allow that to happen.
He titled his head and looked at her sadly which annoyed Felicity. Sympathy from Damien was not something she wanted. Ever. Her defiance amused him, a wolfish smile spread across his face as he asked, "Are you sure that's how you want to play it?"
"I am," she answered. Felicity desperately wanted a private moment to explain and apologize to her boys, but that was not granted her. Instead the world shifted around her. When everything came back into focus she was no longer in the rusty warehouse but the lush extravagance of the Witch's Council chambers. Tears pooled in her eyes as she pondered if Damien had left the memories of her intact in Oliver and Diggle's minds. Pride kept the tears from falling and her protective instinct kept the question unasked.
If the council had any idea how important the two men were to her they'd be used against her. Keeping that knowledge safe was the last thing she could do them.
He felt himself fall forward. Oliver had been trying for so long to move that even with his lightning reflexes he was unable to brace or catch himself; he slammed onto the icy concrete floor with a thud. To his right Diggle let out a groan and he wondered if the other man's muscles ached as his did. "Dig?" he voiced his concern for his partner as he struggled to push himself up.
"I'm fine," he replied, but the wince as he moved indicted that the older man was in pain. Their gazes briefly met to offer each other assurance before drifting to the now empty spot about ten feet from them where Felicity had been seconds ago.
She, and the man who'd come for her, had vanished before their eyes. The only proof that she'd been there was the fading scent of the gingery lotion she used. Oliver wasn't sure how long he stayed crouched on the floor eyes fixed on the last place he'd seen her, but Dig's hand on his shoulder reeled in his dark spiraling thoughts. "What now?" Diggle asked as he helped pull him to his feet.
His jaw flexed, but he answered without hesitation, "We find our girl." A small smile of approval spread across his friend's serious face. They didn't have a plan; no place to start from really, but Oliver knew he could count on Diggle until the very end.