Chapter 7 :)
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"Ouch. Again." Felicity's voice came out muffled by the training mat where she was lying face down. She pushed herself back up until she was sitting on her knees and raised pleading eyes on Diggle. "Do we have to keep doing this? I really don't see the point at even attempting something I suck at." Diggle rolled his eyes with a small smile.
"You're not even trying, of course you're not gonna manage. Come on, get up." he reached a hand out to help her and reluctantly she accepted it. Once again Diggle helped her get into the right fighting stance and stood in front of her. "Now, remember, I just want you to attack me. Come at me and try to take me down, this time without falling on your face. Not very difficult, right?" Felicity frowned but held her body up in the right stance.
"You know, you might think it's not very difficult but you are like twice my size so that already makes you hard to take down, and I was never very good at hitting things because I always feel bad about it and you're like a towering wall of muscle that I have no chance against so how the hell am I supposed to take you down?" she finished with a whoosh of breath and Diggle just chuckled. Oliver smiled too, watching from the corner. He watched as they went over the same things again and again, but he could tell Felicity's heart wasn't in it. It was almost like she was letting Diggle knock her out of the way.
"He's taking the wrong approach with her." The voice came from his left, and Oliver jumped as Mina stepped quietly out of the shadows. He still wasn't used to seeing her around, to walking into the foundry and finding her there, and to searching for Felicity and finding her busy and talking to her newfound sister. She was an interesting girl, with a lot of secrets, but he could relate to that, to the darkness that he could see in her when she fought and trained. She was watching her sister training with a small frown.
"What do you mean the wrong approach? She needs to know how to fight, how to handle herself – you might have saved her last time but you can't always be there, and neither can we." He said pointedly, but Mina shook her head.
"I know that, and I wasn't saying you shouldn't teach her how to fight – I'm just saying that with that approach she'll never learn, she doesn't want to."
"Then how do you suggest we teach her?" Oliver asked, folding his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrows. Mina turned her blue eyes on him.
"She doesn't want to feel that she's hurting anybody. If there's anything she's afraid of it's hurting someone who doesn't deserve it, and even if they do she won't automatically do it, which makes that a weakness in a fight. I've been watching her for a few weeks now, and I know that that is what's stopping her from doing well right now." As she spoke Felicity landed on the mat again and they both flinched. Mina let out an aggravated sigh. "Ok, that's enough. Cut it out, John, this isn't working." Both Diggle and Felicity turned to look at her in surprise. She walked towards them with her back straight, carrying herself with purpose, and came to stand in front of Felicity.
Before any of them had time to blink she had Felicity in a choke hold, careful not to actually hurt her, and both Oliver and Diggle jumped towards them. "Wait," Mina held up her hand. "Felicity, Oliver is in trouble. He's locked inside a room after a hard fight that left him bruised and injured and there are guards headed his way. The only way for him to get out is for you to unlock the door but that has to be done from inside the control room, and a guard caught you. I'm the guard. You want to get to Oliver. Do it." Her voice was gentle but commanding, and Felicity turned wide eyes on Oliver. His whole body was tense at the sight of her being held down, and it took every bit of restraint he had to stop himself from ripping Mina off of her, but he understood what Mina was doing. Felicity would rarely ever fight for herself alone – but when someone else needed help, she would do everything in her power to be there for them.
"Mina, I… I don't know how." She whispered, but Mina just shook her head.
"Yes you do. You got away when the guy grabbed you when you were trying to get to Laurel. You're small and you're fast, use that to your advantage to just slip away. Now take a breath, and take in your surroundings," she whispered, and Oliver watched with wonder as Felicity closed her eyes and evened her breathing. He watched her body melt out of its unnatural stiffness and her muscles ripple with purpose. Mina nodded, looking at Felicity, and then leaned in a little closer to her ear and whispered tauntingly, "now come on… Oliver needs you. Take me down, if you can." Felicity's mouth twisted into a smile.
"I can."
Her eyes flew open, and Oliver's breath caught in his throat as she brought her hands to the back of Mina's head and gave a strong pull, curling her body down and forcing Mina down with her. As Mina stumbled from the sudden pull to the ground Felicity slipped out of her grasp, sliding her body and canting it away from her while her hand reached out and pushed Mina down to the ground where she just reached her hands out in time before she fell. Felicity's eyes met his in a moment of disbelief and joy and then she laughed a carefree giggle that shocked him. She looked down at Mina who was sprawled on the floor with a grin, and then at her hands and down at her body, as if not truly believing she had done that.
"Good job," Mina said, getting off the floor."See? I told you she could do it with the right approach," she told Oliver, but he just gave a small grin and turned to Felicity.
"How did that feel?" He asked, and she turned joyous eyes on him.
"I did it, Oliver! I finally did something right! And it felt… It felt good." She finished, and Oliver couldn't help the smile of wonder that touched his lips. Seeing Felicity like that was new to him, but he found the look on her face and her body language as she fought just made her even more attractive. Even as she took her sister down to the ground he could see the innocence behind her eyes, but the strength of her body and the determination of her movement reminded him once again how strong she really could be and already was.
"Alright, that was very good, now let's see if you can do it again," Diggle said, a smile tugging at his lips as well. Felicity rolled her eyes but turned to him and let him grab her. Oliver backed away, giving them the space they needed to train.
Felicity's body language was completely different now, her movements more at ease and controlled, and from that moment she managed everything Diggle showed her. Oliver stopped watching after a while, knowing that he needed to train too. Just as he was putting on his gloves and stretching, he caught Mina's eye across the room. The amusement that sparkled in them showed how mature she was, but the playful smile that tugged at her lips reminded him that she was still a child, younger than his sister. As he watched her she gave a little smile, raising her brows, and then she disappeared into the shadows of the training room.
When Felicity stepped out of the shower she couldn't help the smile on her face. After a lot of frustrating lessons she finally got the hang of some things, and was finally starting to learn how to use her body and her personality to her advantage in a fight. She had changed into a t-shirt and jeans, and she padded out barefoot with the towel still wrapped around her hair and headed towards Oliver. When she found him talking to Laurel she stopped on her tracks, suddenly feeling out of place. She was still in the doorway, and neither had noticed her, so she decided she would try and get away as quietly as possible without them noticing her. She could tell they were in the middle of a heated argument, which already made the situation awkward, but when she heard her name thrown in she froze. Slowly inching closer she focused on what was being said, and watched as Laurel stared at Oliver and spoke with barely concealed anger and hurt.
"… attacked me, Oliver, and you let him! He yelled at me, turned me into a total bitch and her into a saint, and you did nothing to stop him!"
"Laurel, she was injured and she still carried you and made sure you got here, I think it just bothered him that you didn't show that much gratitude." Oliver's voice was soft, soothing, but she could hear the impatience in it, and so could Laurel.
"Oh, so now everyone needs to thank her for one act of bravery that I could have done too? I'm sorry that I was still a little focused on the fact that I was nearly kidnapped Oliver, and not for the first time!"
"Laurel-" Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Felicity had no idea what they were talking about, but obviously it was about her and about Laurel's reaction to the whole incident. The frustration that radiated off Oliver got to her and made her clench her fists in impatience too, made her angry at this woman who was pestering him to madness. "I'm sorry, but I understand why he reacted like that, and I can't be mad at him for it. I sure as hell won't talk to him about it or even try to convince him to apologize. This isn't you, Laurel. It's not like you to belittle someone like this, and to be so offended by the words of a troubled teen." Laurel looked at Oliver like she didn't even know him, her brows furrowing into a look of hurt and confusion Felicity had come to know well. It was a look that was unleashed every time Oliver did something she didn't like, usually meant to guilt him into saying sorry, and until then Felicity had seen it work every time.
"I don't get it, Ollie," Laurel said quietly, her anger thinning and the yells stopping. "You used to love me so much; no one was allowed to say anything to me like that when you were around. If you thought something was wrong you told me, you didn't wait for someone else to come and throw it in my face. What happened? You're just so different… it's almost like you don't love me any more." She tilted her head, staring up at him with big eyes and a pleading look. She was nolonger radiating the anger she had before. "Do you love me, Ollie?" Oliver's shoulders sagged and his head fell forward and Felicity held her breath.
"Yes, of course" he answered hoarsely. Felicity let out an uneven breath and shook her head at her own stupidity. Of course. It was gorgeous Laurel, who always looked like a model and would always have a place in Oliver's heart. She was about to step away when Laurel's voice rang out again.
"I know. I know you love me, but that was the wrong way to ask you, because it could mean many different things and you know it. You love me, but not the way you used to, not the way I remember you loving me – not anymore, do you?" her voice was small, quiet, and she was looking at Oliver with a sadness and a defeated sag to her shoulders. Oliver hung his head for a moment. Then he raised his eyes he looked at Laurel evenly and answered calmly.
"No."
Felicity's heart jumped to her throat.
Laurel gave a small nod and pursed her lips, taking a small step away from him. He reached out to grasp her arm gently. "Laurel, I'll always love you, you know that, right?" he looked broken, but he was holding himself together better than Felicity had ever expected. Laurel gave him a small smile.
"I know. And I'll always love you. It's just…" she trailed off, thinking, "It's just that to hear you say it like that, it's like you popped a bubble I had made a long time ago, that we were made for each other no matter what this shitty world threw at us."
"But now you've realized it's not true, and even though you understand it you don't know how exactly you're gonna live without that bubble around you." Oliver finished for her, giving her arm a small squeeze. She smiled again and nodded.
Felicity's heart was beating so fast, she could barely breathe. She couldn't believe this was happening.
"Well, um, I'm gonna go. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same as you so you didn't hurt my feelings, but I just… I just need some time to understand and take everything in." Laurel said, and stepped away slowly, looking down at the ground.
"But you'll come back, right? I still want you to be there, I still need you; just not the way I used to." Oliver's voice was so sad, yet it was steady and sure. At that Laurel looked up and at him.
"Of course, Ollie. I'll always be here. Don't worry, you aren't losing me completely." Oliver gave her a grateful smile and nodded. With that, she turned around and walked away. Oliver didn't watch her leave; instead he closed his eyes and let his head fall back.
Felicity felt her heart clench at the movement. Was he regretting what he just did? Did she even understand what she'd just seen? Oliver and Laurel had officially ended things. They had both agreed that they no longer had feelings for each other, no longer wanted to be together. Oliver didn't want to be with Laurel – gorgeous Laurel, who was made for him.
Oliver's eyes were still closed, and Felicity watched him for another moment before moving away. She kept her eyes on him as she inched away.
Right before she rounded a corner and would no longer see him he opened his eyes and met hers.
Blue met blue in a moment frozen in time.
Felicity held her breathe, scared of what she would see in the deep blue orbs she was staring into. First there was surprise, and then something she couldn't quite identify. Was it anger at her hearing what had happened between them? Was it just the lingering sadness? Or was it something else?
And then Oliver's eyes softened. And he smiled.
She smiled back, staring at him shocked. Then she turned away. The moment was broken, but the depth of what she had seen was still there, charging the air as she walked away, wondering what on earth was going to happen now.
"Hey guys, have you seen Mina?" Felicity walked up to Roy and Dig who were sitting near her desk and eating. Oliver had disappeared shortly after the talk with Laurel. Felicity assumed he just needed the air, and she understood that now was not the time to look for him or to bother him unless it was urgent. A lot of crap was going on in his life at that moment, between losing his house and money to his sister leaving.
Thea leaving was something no one spoke about. The only time she had been mentioned Oliver and Roy had both stilled, and had later spent hours unleashing their frustration on the training gear. Needless to say, losing his sister had hurt Oliver terribly.
And now Felicity was looking for hers, and she couldn't seem to find her anywhere.
Dig shook his head and Roy shrugged, "no idea. Why, is something wrong?"
"No, it's just… I really need to talk to her. Are you sure you haven't seen her anywhere?" Roy shrugged again.
"I haven't seen her since our training a few hours ago. I think she went out before we were even finished." Dig said, and Felicity nodded, pursing her lips in thought. It was more than possible that Mina had simply needed a break and decided to head out for a few hours, but Felicity couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Mina would have let her know she was leaving, and where she was going. She would have answered the phone. She would have come back by then.
"Let me know if she comes back, ok? I'm worried about her." Felicity said quietly, looking at the screens of her computers in absentminded thought. A dot on the screen that hadn't been there before caught her attention, and she jumped up and towards it. It was flashing, a bright red against the map of the city.
"What is it? Felicity?" Roy asked worriedly, but she ignored him, typing to figure out what the dot was.
"I… I don't know, I think it's a tracker, but that makes no sense, the dots are showing all of us where we are." She pointed to the 3 dots that signaled her, Dig and Roy, and at the one moving dot that was Oliver, probably riding his bike, on the highway.
"Then what do you think that one is?" Dig asked, looking at the screen. Felicity just shook her head in confusion.
"I have no idea. For it to show on the screen whoever that is had to activate it with the little button on it to make it work. Why the hell did it only show up now, two seconds ago? It wasn't there the last time I looked at it." She looked at Dig, but he looked just as confused and unsure as she felt. Roy was silent next to them, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face. As she watched his frown grew and his face darkened. "Roy?" she asked quietly.
"That's Mina, it has to be." He looked at her, his eyes on fire. She raised her eyebrows. He pursed his lips, pointing at the screen and then at her impatiently. "Think about it! It's one of our trackers, so it came from here, and she's the only other person who's been here the past few days and even come close to the trackers!"
"Laurel was here too," Dig interjected, but Felicity knew that Laurel hadn't gone anywhere near the shelf where they kept their trackers. Roy was watching her intently.
"You know I'm right," he said quietly, "it has to be her." Felicity nodded grudgingly. She was surprised by the intensity in Roy's eyes as he willed her to agree.
"But why would it suddenly pop up now?" she wondered out loud.
"I think I know why." She turned to look at Roy expectantly. "She took the tracker probably just to have, right? In case she needed it. Chances are she needs us to track her down now which is why she activated the tracker. You said it yourself, she disappeared and you have no idea where, which isn't like her. But she didn't just disappear; and she needs us to know that." He waited for a minute to let it sink in. Felicity felt her face warm and her hands started shaking.
"You're saying you think she needs us to find her." She said quietly, her voice shaking only a little bit. Her vision narrowed down to just the flashing red dot in front of her. Roy spoke, but he sounded distant, and she just barely heard what he said.
"I'm saying I think she was taken. Someone took her. She needs our help."
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