Author's Note: As requested by one reviewer, I've put in a little more Roy (he has dialogue) and to give a little more hint at the romance to come, more Oliver and Felicity interaction. Hope you enjoy this Oliver POV chapter.
"Oliver, I think we have a problem."
Those words terrified him. He hated the idea of problems he wasn't in control of. He hated surprises. But being the Arrow meant dealing with problems and surprises far too often. It was the only part of the job he disliked.
He raised his head, looking away from the letter he had been skimming to see Felicity staring warily into a box. Her brows were furrowed and it looked as if she were trembling. He resisted the urge to rest a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "What is it, Felicity?"
She handed him the note, and he found proof of her terror as soon as he saw her shaking hand. He brushed his fingers against hers as he took the note from her.
Hello Mr. Queen.
This is your first clue.
Courtesy of The Master
He read the words over and over. The fear Felcity felt seemed strange, but he had yet to see the contents of the box. "Felicity, what's the clue?"
She held up a wooden figure, whittled by a professional. It was an archer with a hood. Felicity's fear suddenly became clear. Someone knows who I really am.
"Well, it's a good thing the day is almost over. We need to take this to the team, see what they think about it." He spoke calmly, attempting to keep his nerves from jumping out of his skin.
"Oliver," Felicity stammered. "This can't be good. I mean, every time someone has known your true identity, it hasn't worked out well for us. Well, except for us: Me, Digg and Roy. And Sara." She lingered on that thought with sadness. Oliver tried not to think about it. "I have a bad feeling about this. He knows you're the Arrow. That the Arrow is you. What if-"
"Felicity," he interrupted.
"Yeah...?"
"Please stop. We just need to show this to the team. All right?"
For a few moments, he thought she would protest and begin another tangent about how scary the situation was. I know how scary it is. He loved her concern. It reminded him that there were people who weren't simply attached to the mission; some people were attached to him and cared about his well-being. But sometimes it was difficult to handle.
Finally she nodded, her eyes dancing about the room in embarrassment. "All right."
"This isn't good, Oliver," John Diggle said as he turned the figurine over in his hands and read the note.
"I'm well aware of that fact, Digg. Thank you," he said, his patience running thin. "But what are some other thoughts."
Digg continued to examine the figurine, squinting at the woodwork.
"Well, if you ask me," Roy began, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "I think you have a secret admirer. And I think we all know who might be nerdy enough to try something like this." Roy eyed Felicity. Oliver was grateful her back was turned. Her embarrassment would be overwhelming.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Roy," Felicity called over her shoulder as she went through all the security measures.
Oliver glared at Roy and shook his head. His brotherly teasing was often just what the team needed, but at other times it wasn't appropriate.
Roy gave a slight pout and then went back to reading the note.
"No return address, correct?"
"Right."
Diggle set the figurine on the table and crossed his arms, never letting his eyes leave it.
"Is it too hopeful to say it's just a joke?" Roy asked.
Oliver sighed. "Who would leave a joke like this? Only the three of you know who I really am."
"Are you sure?" John asked, turning toward Oliver with such an intensity that he felt small. "I mean, you didn't think you'd ever see Slade again, but he came here and nearly destroyed this whole operation. We lost Sara as a result. What makes you so sure that no one else is still out there, wishing Oliver Queen and his Arrow persona would disappear?"
Oliver puzzled over the question. He wasn't sure. If Slade could come back, what made it impossible for others to make their way to Starling City to take him out. But he knew no one who would go to elaborate lengths to destroy him. They are quiet, subtle and trained to take targets out without notice. They would never play games.
"I'm sure," he lied, his heart beating slightly faster. Keep it together.
"How about we call it a night?" Felicity asked, leaving her desk. "Nothing seems to be going down on the crime front tonight and I've been really itching to catch up on the latest season of Girls." She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "Not saying that a television show is more important than our mission or anything. But everything seems quiet tonight."
Oliver sighed. "All right. Let's come back tomorrow morning and try to figure this out."
Digg and Roy gathered their stuff and went up the stairs and out of the lair. But Felicity stayed by her computer, awkwardly holding onto her coat.
"Why haven't you left? I'm sure that show of yours is really calling to you right about now."
Felicity looked up at him, her eyes bright with concern. "I can tell this is scaring you a lot more than you're letting on."
He hesitated before nodding.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay? Or come by. I'm just gonna be burrowed under blankets on the couch." She let out a sigh. "Not that you needed to know how I spend my time away from here."
"Enjoy your night, Felicity. I'll let you know if I need anything."
She nodded and made her way out of the lair, her brightly colored coat leaving a dark void where it once was folded on her chair.
He paced the floor, running everyone he'd known on the island in his head. Their habits. Their methods. None of them seemed to be the type to leave clues like a sinister scavenger hunt. This had to be someone new. And the uncertainty terrifed him.
Oliver tossed and turned in his makeshift bed in the lair. His mother's lies and the revelation about Thea's paternity had driven him away from Queen Manor. He rarely ventured there; his only reason for stopping by was to see Thea. But with Thea running Verdant, he didn't have to go home much. That is not home... he thought to himself as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Somewhere above, people were dancing and drinking; having the time of their lives. He glanced around, seeing the shapes of their gear and equipment in the darkness. This is home.
The night began to drag and sleep would not embrace him. Impatiently, Oliver grabbed his phone and thumbed through his contact list. He kept scrolling back to one name: Felicity.
With hesitation, he clicked on her name and pressed the 'Call' button. Half a ring later, Felicity answered. "Oliver? Is everything okay?"
Some of his worry lifted at the sound of her confusion and concern. "Yeah," he said. "I remembered you said that I could call you."
A small silence filled the connection between their phones. "Yeah... I did."
"So I'm calling you."
"Yeah..."
"So... How's your night going?" he asked, awkwardly. He remembered being so much better at communicating with women.
"It's fine. I was about to head off to bed actually."
Oliver brought his palm to his forehead in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I'll let you go."
"No!" Felicity shouted into the phone, and he pulled it away from his ear. "Please don't. I can stay up."
"Thanks, Felicity."
"So what has you up this late? Working the salmon ladder thing?" A lengthy pause began. Oliver grinned with amusement. Finally she spoke again. "I mean... are you working out?"
Laughter escaped Oliver's lips, reminding him of how little he laughed. Their lives were so serious and their mission too important to think about such things. And losing Sara had torn away most of his humor. He often found himself pretending to be his old self. He wondered if anyone noticed.
"Oliver. Please stop laughing." Felicity begged.
He took a deep breath and then said: "Okay... No, I wasn't working out. I was trying to sleep, but that clue is really getting to me." He waited for a moment before saying: "You're right. It is scaring me more than I'm letting on."
"Well, I was thinking about it too, and I remembered something." She waited for him to question her. When he didn't, she continued. "Well, yesterday when I was bringing back the food, I saw some graffiti on a wall not far from the foundry."
"What'd it say?" Oliver asked, unsure where this was going.
"'Follow the clues, find The Master.'"
He sat up in his bed, his heart pounding. All the amusement from moments before disappeared. "Tell me where."
"Why don't we both go? I'll meet you outside Verdant."
Oliver sighed. "Felicity, just tell me where it is."
"No. I'll just show you. Meet you outside Verdant in twenty minutes." And then she hung up, leaving Oliver to wait impatiently for twenty minutes.
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