BMFW prompt: Olicity + Role reversal - Felicity's the billionaire vigilante, Oliver's the sidekick, Diggle's the hacker and Roy's the bodyguard.
Summary: How they all met and came to be Team Arrow!
Word Count: 4620
AN: So I took this Tumblr Challenge thinking it would get me writing and produce a very nice and easy one-shot to kind of get the creative juices flowing. Somehow... I got a hard A** prompt and then CHAOS ensued. So here are the subsequent consequences of said chaos and I hope you all enjoy it cause it really has my blood, sweat, tears and typos, many of them, NO BETA!
Felicity lost her parents at the too young age of 11 years old. Her and her sister Thea were left in the care of Melinda Harper their long time live in housekeeper and their mother's most loyal friend. She was left to see for their best interest until Felicity came of age. Then with the careful guidance of uncle Walter Steel, interim CEO and lifetime family friend she would eventually take over Smoak Industries (SI) and fulfill her parent's lifelong dream. Felicity seemed to be born for this role, always a commanding figure and as hard headed as they came. Having graduated from high school at the age of thirteen, and a Harvard bachelors and Oxford masters and PhD by the time she was twenty. She found herself back in Starling City on the eve of her 21st birthday, all her belongings boiling down to the 3 suitcases she carried.
When she arrived at the Smoak compound, nobody was expecting her except, Thea. There was only one person in her life that she ever disclosed her comings and her goings to and that was her 17 year old baby sister Thea. Always in constant contact either via text, skype or flying her out to visit, they remained the biggest of confidants. That is why it was not surprising that she was the first to notice that something was off about her sister when she returned. After being attacked by Thea she made her way inside to find a tear filled Melinda waiting for her. With a soft smile she embraced the woman she had learned to love like a mother and whom she knew she could never thank for caring for her sister like she was her own. As she released her she turned and crashed into a hard wall of muscle in a crisp gun metal grey suit. Stumbling slightly back she lifted her eyes to meet the hard yet, amused eyes she hadn't seen since they left for the marines 5 years before. Recognizing him immediately she let out a yelp as she threw her arms around his neck
"Rollsy! God what did they feed you over there?" she said as she looked him up and down. he had always had an athletic build but now he was all hard muscle and even in his 5'9 stature his presence made you pay attention and oozed intimidation and respect, not something many 23yr olds could say. He let out a half irritated half amused chuckle as he groaned.
"Damn blondie no one has called me that in years. So, stop, now!" he said turning serious. The three women laughed as they ignored him and went into the main sitting room. He simply rolled his eyes knowing he shouldn't of expected anything he remains standing in a position where he has a perfect view of all the entrances and the exits to the room Felicity raises an eyebrow in question. Thea exhales heavily and shots Melinda a knowing look. Knowing they can't keep it from her any longer they give in.
"Sweetie, Roy is here not only on a personal level, but on a professional one as well." Felicity tilts her head expecting her to elaborate.
"He's my bodyguard, Filly, well, our bodyguard now."
"What?"
"There have been a couple of threats to the family in the last couple of months and to some of the executives, so we decided we needed to take some precautions and who better to entrust with that duty than Roy" finished off Walter with a soft smile as his eyes landed on Felicity "Welcome home dear" she immediately stood and hugged him grateful that he was there. she always appreciated the way he didn't try to sugar coat things or spare her, like the great business man he was he simply told her the facts.
"we've missed you?" he said placing a soft kiss on her head "I've missed you all as well" she answered as they all settled in to catch up.
As the day came to an end and they all retreated to their rooms, Felicity had a million things running through her head. She cursed herself for not being aware of everything that was happening. She was sure that she had taken the heat off her family. When she first got wind of the threats she decided that she would deal with them. There was no need for anyone else to know what kind of business her parents had been a part of, that discovery had been shocking enough when she was 17 and found the notebook. If there was one thing she could control it was the memory of her parents.
In that moment she decided to get in bed with certain people in an effort to find the whole truth and stop those that were now threatening to ruin her family name and exact revenge on the only survivors, her and Thea, and all their allies. Then one day she met one of the victims of her families misdealing and decided that she wasn't doing enough, she needed to right the wrongs that were now hers as the head of the Smoak family. With new found determination she put her efforts into finding the right people. When she did it almost cost her, her life. She endured excruciating training and almost lost herself in an underworld where all her deepest and darkest wants were encouraged and never judged allowing her to settle into her dark desires and needs for revenge and absolution. Using the pretense of a degree she ended up buying rather than earning she trained for 3 years overseas. Now, with this new information she knew she had no time to waste. Her parents had abused her city, why? she still didn't know but she had every intention of saving it.
By 9am, the next day, she knew her mission would be harder than she thought when she realized Roy was not leaving her side. She tried to admonish him and convince him to take care of Thea, she noticed how his shoulders tightened and jaw clenched at the mention of her sister as he simply said he had his best man watching her and he would be her shadow for the foreseeable future. She simply smirked and winked as she said over her shoulder "Then try to keep up Rollsy" and just like that she was on her bike and picking up dust as she took the sharp turn out of the compound. He sighed as the car pulled up and one of his men handed him the monitor for the GPS tracker he had put in the bike last night. He didn't grow up in the Smoak home with his mother without learning a thing or two about the Smoak girls; they were stubborn, determined, focused, wildly independent, and as he noticed Thea crossing the garden to the outside table with her breakfast in hand he added, and grow up to be dangerously beautiful women. Shaking his head of thoughts he knew he had no business contemplating he looked back up to see Thea intently staring at him with a wistful smile on her soft plush red lips, he immediately nodded at her and got in the car leaving the compound like a bat out of hell. Leaving a pouting Thea, no longer hungry.
It took less than a week before she realized that training to be CEO and saving her city was not going to work. Case and point she was standing over the unconscious body of her best friend Laurel, four other bodies laid knocked out around the warehouse. As she heard the sirens nearing she took a deep breath and steeled herself for all the chaos that would follow. She wasn't wrong, Roy was even more adamant in staying by her side, and it was getting harder to get away, so when she had a bullet riddled laptop and information to retrieve she did the only thing she could think of, she drugged him and headed for SI. Walter quickly directed her to their IT department and their best tech, John Diggle. The moment she saw him she thought there had to be a mistake the 6'3 brick wall of handsome with glasses perched low on his nose and a polo that did noting to hide the trunks he called arms looked so strangely out of place she couldn't help but smile as she approached calling his name and he startled nearly jumping out of his seat.
She introduced herself and fed him her lies. She knew the minute he sat up straight and sent that "I aint buying your bullshit" stare her way that she was going to like John Diggle.
"Did you spill your latte before or after you used your laptop as a shield in your questionable choice of neighborhood coffee shop?" she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped before she answered.
"It all happened so fast" she answered with a smirk, he gave her one more look before he nodded and began to remove the casing. She realized then that wouldn't be the last time she would need John's help.
By week two Roy had, had enough of her escapades and Thea felt like she had no idea who her sister was. Melinda had tried to talk to her, remind her of just how important it was that she had come back, how much Thea depended on her. Guilt had taken over but she reminded herself what Yao Fei had told her time and time again "on the road to redemption there will be sacrifices and sometimes those you love the most, those that mean the most to you will be set aside for the greater mission. You need to figure out, now, whether this, all of this is worth it, worth them" She had been so sure in that moment that she was ready, now she wasn't. Seeing the disappointment in their faces when she told them she would not be taking over SI nearly broke her, seeing Roy's face of disgust when he woke from his nearly fatal gunshot to find her still in her green leather, nearly killed her she had no idea how she held the tears at bay as she tried to explain to make him understand. He refused as he dragged his weak body out from the basement of the old Smoak Steel Factory, tears brimming, threatening to escape as he hailed a cab and went to the nearest bar still in disbelief.
The day Roy walked back into the steel factory, already halfway under construction, a nightclub had not been her first choice but she couldn't argue it served as the perfect cover and this image was the farthest thing from who she was, Felicity was talking permits and licenses with Laurel, the perks of your best friend being a lawyer. It took her a couple of second to register that it actually was him and not her mind playing tricks on her. When Laurel saw him she immediately excused herself knowing that they needed to talk, Felicity sleeping on her couch the past couple of days a dead giveaway.
"Hi Roy" she said tentatively.
"Felicity" there was a long pause before he sighed and motioned for them to step outside she followed him as he opened the door to the car and she got in they said nothing until they got to their destination a smile pulling at her lips as she saw Big Belly Burger.
"Still your favorite gut buster, right" he asked with a smirk.
"There has never been another, am a one burger joint kind of girl" it took all of 30 minutes before he knew almost everything. He sat there in disbelief yet, he understood her need to do this yet, he wasn't sure if he wanted to do this.
"Look Roy I could really use an ally right now but this isn't something i want you to come into lightly, it's dangerous" he shot her a look to which she added "Yes, I know marines, 5 years, bodyguard, I know but I still don't know if I could handle if something happened to you because of me."
"Blondie, I am your bodyguard, it is my job to protect you, although after everything you told me I am feeling like my job security is at risk."
"Oh Rollsy, I would never fire you. if anything see this as a promotion"
"Seriously, can you stop it with the Rollsy. It wasn't cute when you were eight and it's not cute now. I rue the day your dad bought that damn Rolls Royce and gave birth to that horrible nickname."
"Is that why you wrecked it on 'accident'" she laughed and just like that they were back on track. Roy offering the much needed guidance she required on this mission.
They quickly found their footing and the names started coming off the list faster and far more efficiently than she had ever imagined. Everyday Roy was more and more amazed with her skill level and fighting abilities. Then, 4 months into her return one of her honorary allies, John Diggle, landed himself in the line of fire because of her. As she executed a plan to save him she ended up getting herself shot and Diggle, as he insisted she called him, ended up saving her. When he walked into the basement of the newly open Verdant, carrying Felicity, Roy's heart instantly dropped. Five hours later and one flatline later she came to, amused to find Roy and Diggle in animated conversation while laughing. She watched them for a beat before a low groan left her lips and they both turned to look at her. She smiled sheepishly "I guess I didn't die, again? Cool"
The camaraderie came fast as they quickly realized that they worked very well together, there was just one troublesome factor, Oliver Queen, Diggle's best friend and number one fan of the Vigilante since she saved him from an attack in a dark alley of the Glades. It was all he could talk about whenever Diggle, Tommy and he would get together. Tommy would laugh and tell him his fanboy ways were affecting his millionaire playboy ways, while Diggle simply laughed nervously and tried time and time again to change the subject.
Diggle had met Tommy when he worked at Merlyn Global and saved him more than once with his handy hacking skills from the paparazzi shit storm he managed to get himself into and one or two stalkers. As different as they were they became quick friends even after he left to SI.
Oliver having grown up in the Glades spent most of his youth from one troublemaking situation to another. When John met him he had just moved into the city and ended up getting robbed while walking through the Glades. Using those handy hacking skills of his he managed to find the culprit and track him down. Which is how he ended up on the doorstep of Oliver Queen demanding he return his wallet, telling him he could keep the money but he needed something very important he kept in there.
Of course Oliver had denied it all and shut the door in his face. Only to open it moments later when he heard a scuffle and ended up saving Diggle from sure death. That seemed to be enough for them to bond as Diggle's persistence eventually won Oliver over. although it did take him 4 weeks to return his wallet, all Diggle could do was smile as he realized every last dollar he had in there was still there.
Tommy loved that story so he demanded to meet this Queen kid, and quickly took a liking to him and the fact that he could keep up with him, plus, it helped that he was a hit with the ladies and was far more willing to be his wingman than Diggle. As Oliver sat once again telling the story of how the vigilante had saved him Tommy and Diggle looked on with amusement.
"The funny thing is he is really small, like super petite. I mean it was dark and shit and I was a little out of it but I swear he wasn't more than 5'7 and 140 lbs easily, Diggle snorted thinking "more like SHE and 5'5 and 120lbs" Oliver glared as he continued. "But he is one bad as mother fucker. He took those guys out without breaking a sweat and then handed me back my switchblade and with his voice all distorted told me"
"If you are going to insist on using this, make sure you are better skilled than your opponent" interrupted in unison both Tommy and Diggle as Oliver huffed in annoyance. he knew he had told the story a million times but they just didn't get it. That night he had that switchblade for a reason, he was walking through that side of the Glades for a reason. His mother had struggled with drugs for years and had just managed to be clean for over a year their lives finally calming down where he didn't live in fear of leaving her alone everyday. Then this new drug dealer had come into town Count Vertigo. He had actively searched and interrogated every drug dealer in town demanding names of customers and his mother's low life of an ex had given her name. That night when he got home and found her strung out beyond anything he had seen before he lost it.
He had ransacked the house looking for his gun and settled on the blade as he went out looking for that bastard knowing it had been him when he saw the empty cans of natural ice on the coffee table. He knows he would of killed him had every intention of doing so, yet the Vigilante had saved him that night in more than one way. Then just a week later the vigilante had taken down his mother's bastard of an ex and the count. He owed him so much, and he was determined to tell him face to face.
Three months later he found himself face to face with the Vigilante. After weeks of chasing him around town and getting in his way more than once the Vigilante had had enough. Felicity knew she had to do something before his antics got him killed and he had come pretty damn close more than once. Diggle had tried to intervene and after much debate he had convinced her that Oliver helping them would be in their benefit. She had been skeptical, hell as she laid on top of him in the middle of the alley she cursed Diggle and his ability to persuade her.
He had gotten himself in trouble once again and she had the bullet graze to prove it and he probably had a concussion from being tackled by her. He was staring at her, as she saw his eyes narrow and his hands on her waist tightened she decided she didn't like it, at all. She needed to get up and away, quick. She used a hand on his chest for leverage to get up, taking mild pleasure in his grunt of pain. She could feel his scrutinizing glare as she got up and couldn't help hiss Diggle's name through her comm. She heard him swallow hard in her ear followed by his deep voice telling her to just relax and give him a chance.
"You're a woman?" he said almost a little too loud
"Real genius this one" she muttered her annoyance now on full display.
"But, how? You're a woman! The vigilante is a woman! You're not a man"
"Wow! You're a real winner. Your parents must be sooo proud" the sarcasm was there but she realized for the first time that the voice changer didn't quite translate it, she reached up and he flinched, she couldn't help but chuckle as she turned the voice changer off.
"Are you done, Queen?"
"Sorry I didn't… wait how do you know my name?"
"I know more than your name Oliver Queen, 27, born and raised in the Glades, son of Moira and Robert Queen, lives at 485 MIssion Rd, arrested 11 times, burglary, trespassing, assault, a GTA at the age of 16, impressive, in and out of foster care, 2 juvenile facilities and well the list keeps going"
She waited for him to say something but it seemed he was lost in the shock "I think I broke him Digg" she whispered. "You think? I told you to relax, take easy on him. He's hard headed but he means well." She heard the sirens as Digg came over the comms again "SCPD is about 5 min away make it quick Felicity"
"Look Queen we don't have a lot of time so I will get right to it. You are a constant headache and I can't be saving your ass all the time." he opened his mouth as his brows furrowed "shut up let me finish. I will make you a deal, you work for me, you get me intel, you are my ears here in the Glades and in return I don't seriously hurt you. Deal!"
"Hey, I don't…"
"Shut it, it wasn't a question. This is what is happening. Stay out of trouble and I will be in contact with you. If you have anything or need to contact me use this. Behind the old Smoak Steel factory there is an abandoned back entrance way that you can only access through an alley there is a door there stab this in the wooden frame, got it?"
He stared at the red arrow she was holding then stared at her, confusion evident in his face. She sighed grabbed his hand, placed the arrow in his palm and closed his fingers around it.
"It's a better option than getting yourself killed before you turn 28, take it Queen"
With that she was gone and unknowingly had saved Oliver Queen's life, once again.
The first time he used the red arrow it took her 1 hour to get there and all her restrain not to shoot him with it.
"Seriously, an hour" he said leaning against the door frame as he tapped on his watch and wore that smirk she already hated. "I could of died out here waiting for you. Wouldn't a cell phone be, I don't know, more effective, quicker, in this century…"
"QUEEN! What. Do. You. Want?"
"Answers." She clearly wasn't amused which was evident when she simply crossed her arms, raised her chin and tilted her head, daring him to say one more stupid thing.
"If, I am going to help you I want in, all in. Equal partners"
"Are you fuuu… kidding me, right now" She huffed throwing her arms in the air.
"Look I am not stupid or reckless or what ever else you think of me. I am this city that you are trying to save. I grew up here, I have put my blood sweat and tears into trying to save the people in this city from themselves. When I was young I was the problem, I know that. This city had taken so much from me and I felt like it owed me. That's not me anymore. Yes, I am hard headed, arrogant, and sometimes I react without thinking, but this city is my home and i owe it everything. I am ready for this, I need this and I need your help. I need to learn how to fight back and I think you can teach me. I believe in you because you saved me, by saving this city. Let me help you, please"
She had heard him loud and clear, he didn't know it yet, but that was the moment he won her over. That was the moment she decided that Oliver, was worth it. She recognized something in him, something kindred and before she could doubt herself she made the choice to let him in. Uncrossing her arms she took two steps forward taking in his ragged breaths and sagging shoulders. She raised her hand as she connected with his pleading eyes and without hesitation she pulled back her hood and removed her mask, it took him a second before recognition hit him and he took half a step back in shock, a genuine smile crossed her lips as she held her hand out when he didn't take it she took one more step reached over and took his hand and shook it as she simply said,
"Felicity Smoak, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Oliver Queen. I hope you are ready for this" he searched for the words, they had seemed to come so easily before and now they completely eluded him.
"Can I finally say I told you so? To both of you!" came a voice, he immediately recognized, from the now opened door. Then from behind him he heard an unimpressed Roy add.
"Training him and getting him into fighting weight is going to be a mission in it of itself. I mean seriously, I can take him" Oliver wanted to scowl but he was still trying to figure out what Digg was doing there.
"Digg...what?... but… How?
"I think you finally broke him Felicity" chuckled Diggle
"Dammit, I finally get a new toy and I break him, already"
"Toy?" asked all three men. Diggle laughed as he noted that Oliver seemed to be recovering from his shock, and seemed more than interested in what Felicity had to say.
"I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was… uggghh let's just go home" she said in annoyance as they laughed.
"Laugh it up now, because your training starts right now, I hope you don't have an aversion to water, or getting knocked on your ass."
"Come on Queen, this is going to be fun" said Roy as he clasped him hard on the shoulder and practically shoved him towards the door. The minute his feet hit the bottom of the stairs an escrima whacked him in the back of the knee and on rapid succession before he even hit the floor the escrima hit his elbow, shoulder and stomach. He was down and not a wisp of air was left in him. He heard an airy feminine laughter that beckoned him to look up, when he met her eyes, they sparked with humor and mischief.
"See boys, now I broke my toy" as she walked away toward the mats effortlessly spinning the escrima she added "Yes, I know what I said so shut it, and get up Oliver because we are just getting started." She turned the escrima lightly resting it on her shoulder as she raised an eyebrow and asked "How's your stamina?"
When she saw the pull of his lips as a smirk took over, she practically groaned.
"Not. A. Word. Now, think fast" she said as she simultaneously tossed the escrima straight at him, when he caught it without hesitation and easily twirled it in his hand, she gave him an appreciative nod as she picked another one up, curled her finger and called him over."
Digg and Roy shared a smile as they both came to the same conclusion, this might actually work. As Roy walked over to observe and give pointers Diggle made his way back to is computers talking to himself "Looks like Team Arrow is finally complete" as he sat down he heard Felicity call from the mats.
"Stop calling us that!"
EN: Sooooo let me know what you all think? Thanks!
