Chapter One

They're going to save me.

I keep repeating the words in my mind as the Clock King ties me to a chair. He is surprising strong for a man of his age, probably late fifties.

This is the worst kind of déjà vu.

I should've learned the first time with the Count that going to snoop alone was not the best idea, but I decide to go anyway. Proving myself as part of the team didn't really work out the way I hoped. I underestimated Clock King's technical abilities, and I am once again the damsel in distress.

Always the damsel in distress. Always the smart geek. Never a fighter. Never a hero.

I can't blame anyone but myself for my predicament. It's my fault. I didn't tell anyone that I was going to investigate my new intel on the hospital where Clock's sister died. I wanted to prove that my ability and strength could match theirs, that I can do more than type on a computer or play bait. I'm the one who felt left out. Oliver, Sara, and John connect with their stories of battle and hardship. I am happy that they can share their burdens with each other. With all that they went through, they deserve people to turn to and can openly express themselves. I am the untainted one. While I'm grateful for that fact, Team Arrow and the Foundry don't feel like home anymore.

I will always be the IT girl. No matter how many times I prove how heroic I try to be, it is never going to be enough. The rest of the team are the heroes. I understand that I am strong, but everything seems to be escalating. I am average. The brave face as tech-savy Girl Wednesday I've put on for weeks is finally starting to crumble.

"Does anyone care for you Miss Smoak? Love you?" Clock King asks with a wispy smile on his face as he tightened the last knot on my wrist. "Parents, siblings, friends, a lover perhaps?"

I wince as the rope rubbed against my skin, but didn't answer.

"Come on now, play this game with me and maybe your time here will be interesting. You were the one, after all, that ruined my perfectly timed schedule."

Time. Something I hope I don't run out of too soon. I still refuse to answer him. I was not putting anyone else in danger for my mistake. He makes a tsking noise and shakes his head.

"I happen to know someone that might care about you." I try to breathe calmly, hoping he didn't come to the same conclusion the Count did. "I know that vigilante Arrow cares for your pretty little blonde head. He did save you once before right? I did a little research."

I close my eyes briefly. "No. You're wrong."

I'm neither an idiot nor a petty schoolgirl. I know what happened between Oliver and Sara. My reasons for feeling left out go beyond their rediscovered relationship. I have no claim to him whatsoever. They went through that island together, sharing some of the same scars. Was I disappointed? Yes. But not in them. In myself. I should've known not to get too close to the once infamous playboy. I am aware of my feelings for Oliver Queen. I'm pretty sure everyone is. However, it is time to finally let go. Seeing him in a relationship with someone he really cares for opened my eyes to the reality. I don't need someone to make me happy, and I can't hold out for Oliver. If he's happy, I will support him. I will stay as his partner, his friend, and close the door on whatever feelings I have. Keeping a distance is better than abandonment.

Clock laughs, "Whatever you say dear, I know you are working with him. Oh well, I don't need him ruining perfectly laid plans anyway. I have enough vigilantes on my tail. I am the master of organization after all. He should be sufficiently distracted."

Distracted? By who? What? Who knows what this guy is thinking. He turns away to tinker with a large grandfather clock. A sheet covers most of it, and his entire body covers the front so I can't figure out what he is doing. A part of me doesn't want to know.

They are going to find me.

Gosh, I didn't even know how long I had been missing. Did they even notice I was gone? I left the Foundry at around nine while Dig and Roy were on patrol. Sara and Oliver went to have the awkward family dinner. Would they think that I just went home? There were no windows in the room so I couldn't tell whether it was night or day. I seemed to be in a basement or something. The sound of ticking resonates everywhere. It is obvious how he got his name.

My main bodily concern is my pounding head. I have no idea what he hit me with, but it did the trick of incapacitating me.

"Did you know that humans are they only species that use the concept of time? They understand how it is short and fleeting," He questions with his back still turned. "Do you know how much longer your time will be?"

I failed to hold back the whimper of fear with what he is insinuating. I shake my head, trying to calm my erratic breathing.

"You are no fun. I guess I shall tell you what my new plan is for you, my dear." He sighs deeply, looking quite content. "Your story is going to be a spectacle."

Chills run down my spine. My entire body is shaking and I can't hold back the tears anymore. I try again to shake the ropes but all I feel is scratching on my skin. He smiles at me like I'm a prize.

"What are you going to do with me?" I finally ask, trying to seem strong.

"Well, sweetheart, I am going to make you an example. You are going to cause terror in the hearts of Starling City. You are going to be the beginning of chaos."

"What does that mean?" I whimper, chest heaving.

He chuckles and pulls the sheet off the grandfather clock he has been working on. It looks like a regular clock to me, but a little deeper in the posterior. "This is my newest invention. This clock is very special, you see. After every hour passes, you will be cut by a very sharp knife in a new place! You have much to look forward to. But don't worry, you will be alive for the final act."

My sobs have taken over my body. My eyes are squeezed shut as I hope that this is just one big nightmare.

"You have twenty-four hours before the finale. I am going to be recording every single minute of your stay here. I will make sure that there are enough copies for your loved ones to watch over and over, reveling in how they failed you."

I freeze as I imagine my mother watching the video. It will truly break her. Oliver and Diggle will add this to their lists of guilt. I at least hope that my death will cause them enough fury to avenge it before Clock King harms anyone else.

"I will become a ghost, never stopping until everyone feels what I felt when I lost everything," he taunts. His smile turns into a smug grin. "When that Arrow sees your dead body, it will also be one less hero vigilante, which is an extra reward."

"He will find me," I argue. At least one part of the team has to realize that something is wrong. I may have felt left out, but I am still a crucial part of the team. I can't accept my death yet. I've still got time.

"I thought you said he didn't care about you, dear? He's probably off with the other blonde in black leather. Where on earth do you fit into his world? Do you really belong?"

I sputter incoherently. He smirks like I finally gave him what he wanted. Oh, no.

"You may be more interesting than I thought. I am honored that you will be the first victim in Starling City. However, he will not find you. He will be too busy, as well as the police force. I have carefully placed other special little clocks all around the city that may or may not explode at the same times you get stabbed. Surely the life of one is better than hundreds."

He really was an organizer. He had everything planned accordingly and on schedule. I just made his plan even more of a show to terrorize. I have never felt more stupid, but I won't give him the satisfaction.

"You are never going to get away with his," I insist. "If I die, my death would be the catalyst to your end, not the city's."

"You seem to have much faith in this vigilante fellow," he muses, moving me directly in front of the clock. It is about a six inches away from the chair, close enough so that whatever comes out of there will not miss. "I can see why he wants you on his side. Such loyalty."

I stare at him with blurred eyes. "You are going to regret this."

"Not as much as he will for not protecting you."

Another sob scratches at my throat. I guess I might not be apart of anybody's happy stories or even remembered in jovial way. My legacy will be a tragedy.

A beeping noise causes the Clock King to jump excitedly when he checks the time on his pocket watch. "The moment has arrived. As of right now, it is four o'clock in the morning. You have exactly twenty-four hours. Now would be a good time to reflect."

"He will find me," I strongly repeat, trying to convince the Clock King and myself. He just shrugs and makes sure the grandfather clock is working properly, more confident than before.

"We shall see. Only time will tell."

I scream as the tenth knife enters my abdomen. The cuts aren't extremely deep, exactly the right amount of pressure for me to stay alive for the next fourteen hours. They also miss anything major that can cause an early death.

First cut: left forearm

Second cut: right thigh

Third cut: right bicep

Fourth cut: chest

Fifth cut: right shoulder

Sixth cut: left thigh

Seventh cut: chest

Eighth cut: right calf

Ninth cut: left bicep

Tenth cut: abdomen

I start to shake as the knife finally retracts and returns into the clock. Blood is dripping slowly from every cut, and I'm afraid to look down anymore. My clothes are soaked with blood and sweat. My breathing is heavy and the tears have stopped flowing.

Ten hours. And I still haven't been found. I try to keep in mind that the others have survived much worse than what I am going through, but I'm not sure if I can last the remaining amount of time before my body goes into shock.

They're going to save me.

I know they are. They will come.

When the twentieth knife leaves my body, I have almost given up hope. I've stayed strong, but my body is sagging with blood loss and exhaustion. I can't feel anything anymore but the pain. Sleep can't even come because my mind is too anxious about the next hour passing.

They are going to come soon. I know they will. They couldn't have just abandoned me. I've been gone with no contact for over twenty-four hours.

They're going to save me.

I hope.

Once the twenty-third knife was done, I start counting down the minutes.

Forty-five minutes left.

They aren't going to come.

Tears start flowing freely again as I realize that the finale is soon to be. I am going to die, killed by a psychopath with a thing for clocks. My team, my friends, can't find me. Or they have fallen into the Clock King's distraction. I finally decide to reflect on my life.

I didn't get to say good-bye to anybody, so much unsaid. So many regrets. I didn't explore, didn't visit my mom enough, didn't have kids, etc. All the things I have looked forward to in the future are the impossible.

I think about all the people who matter and how my death will affect them. My mom will probably spiral. She will have lost both her husband and her daughter. She will be alone and heartbroken. I'm not sure she will ever move on, mourning until her dying day. Diggle will be saddened by my death, the loss of a friend. I have no doubt that he will seek revenge for me like he does with his brother. I myself think of him as the big brother I never had. If Barry wakes up, he will probably have the same reaction as Diggle, looking for the truth like with his father. I regret not fully exploring any kind of relationship with him before he fell into a coma. We might've had something special. I will never know.

And Oliver. Oliver will feel guilt about my death. He will think that it is his fault that he couldn't protect me like he said he would. He's going to feel the same way as he did when any friend of his had died. He will shut himself away from the world for a little bit. He probably won't run away to Lian Yu like he did when Tommy died, but he's going to seek revenge. I will become another one of his unhappy stories.

They will all move on until I was just a moment in their lives. I just hope it was significant.

The finale is two long swords that spring up from the sides of the clock in order to decapitate me. The Clock King is one twisted man. I can't hear anything except for my heavy breathing and screams as I wait for the final blow.

BOOM!

They came! They didn't leave me! They came!

Something is imbedded in the head of the grandfather clock, making it explode. The impact throws me back onto the concrete floor, but I only feel the joy of finally getting saved.

I start to shake in the chair, hoping that the ties have loosened, but the cuts make it too painful to move. A silhouette emerges from the smoke and releases me from the chair.

I can't help but let out a relieved cry as I am set on my feet, but my legs fail and I begin to tumble. The person immediately grabs onto my waist and carefully picks me up. When we leave the room and enter better lighting, I freeze before nearly jump out of his arms.

"The hell? Batman?" I mumble incredulously. Although near death, my word vomit never seems to end. Gotham City's own vigilante just saved me life. Where was Team Arrow? Did they send him to get me? I don't understand. "Are we in Gotham? Not that I'm not grateful, but you weren't the hero I was expecting. I mean, thank you. Thank you. You're my new hero. Oh wait. Shutting up now. 3, 2…"

"Miss Smoak, you need to rest. Your body just went through a traumatic experience and the adrenaline will soon end. You lost a lot of blood." His voice is gravely and deep, a little deeper than Oliver's when he's in character.

I need answers now. Who cares if my head is spinning and my vision is blurry? "Questions first."

He sighs, shifting me in his arms. "We are not in Gotham. The Clock King has recently paid a little visit there, and I have been tracking him ever since. I managed to catch the signal he was using to transmit the video of you to him. I couldn't find him, but I luckily found you in time."

Hearing the Clock King's name makes me flinch, and a shudder goes down my spine. I stare at him face, nearly delirious as the pain starts to return. Even with the mask, you can tell that his is one good-looking man.

No doubt he has gorgeous face under there. And body too. Are all superheroes impossibly delicious?

His mouth twitches in an attempt to hide a smile.

"Oh crap. Did I just say that out loud?"

He nods shortly and notices that I can barely keep my eyes open. "Sleep. I promise you that you are safe. I'll contact your other superhero after I tend to your stab wounds."

"Do you have to?" I mumble. I'm not sure how to face them yet. I have no idea what is even going on. Did they even try to look for me? Did they fail? Did they give up? I'm afraid to know the answers.

"Rest Felicity. You need it," he ordered firmly. I just let his walking lull me to sleep, exhaustion and pain finally getting the best of me.

Note: Hello to whoever decides to read this. Thank you! I appreciate it. I am not new to FanFiction. I used to write a couple of years ago, but lost all inspiration. I still actively read though. I have fallen in love with Oliver and Felicity, and this came spilling out. I really hope you enjoyed it.

I'm not sure how often I can update this if you guys even want me to, but I will try.

Thanks you! – smilingunderthemoonandstars