Chapter 9

Felicity is walking back up to her room when her phone starts to buzz. She frowns and pulls it out, her heart skipping a beat; it's the trace she had been running for Oliver...for the Arrow… "That can't be right." She breathed to herself. Club Kamikaze, the club she worked and lived at was at the end of the madman's map, the Arrow had been working his way through the map warning the owners and dealers off, threatening them, she thought bluntly to herself. Threatening them with pointy arrows until they gave in to what he was saying. He had got to almost the end of the map before the crazed man had hit another target… but now that crazed man that had a fetish for fire was at her club. She looked around frantically trying to calm down so she could think of what to do. No doubt Oliver, well, the Arrow would be on his way now to stop him. Him and John were always quick to a scene. Deciding she wouldn't let any of her friends or co-workers hurt she started banging on the doors shouting for them all to leave. At first nothing happened but she had barged into rooms shouting that they were being robbed and everyone needed to leave, that seemed to get their asses moving. Once she was sure that the floor of girls who lived there was clear she headed to the club. Nothing seemed to be happening, but she saw him straight away. He was lurking in the shadows, if she hadn't been desperately searching for him she would have missed him. She looked around trying to find Jared, but she couldn't see him. The man, so tall and so scary in the shadows started to move, he was playing with something in his pocket. A weapon? She looked around, she needed to do something. The music was getting louder as she tried to think of something, making her head ache and her heart pound loudly in her chest. Spotting a fire alarm, Felicity rushed forward, "Please please let this work." She breathed and smashed the glass causing a loud, ear piercing alarm to go off in the club.

The feeling of relief didn't last long, as she watched the crowds of men and women race for the door someone grabbed her by her throat, pinning her body to him. "Don't move!" The man from the shadows had appeared in the middle of the club. Felicity tried to turn to see who had a hold of her but she knew instantly that it was no one good. Of course the crazed man had followers. They all did.

"This one set off the alarm." His voice was dark, dirty, it made Felicity feel sick as his fingers ran over her cheek. "I recognise her as one of the whores that work here."

"Well she'll be an example to the rest." The man walked over to her and Felicity tried so desperately to stay calm. Oliver would come. She had to believe in him. Oliver would come and he would save her. Just like he had done at the bank.

-x-

"What the hell is going on?" John frowned in confusion as at least fifty or so people had ran out of the club. He parked the car and Oliver rushed out, John followed quickly. "Who got these people out? He doesn't give warnings…"

"Felicity she's still in there Jared. Please…" Oliver's head snapped to the corner where a girl wearing nothing but a red bra and panties was desperately trying to get Jared's attention.

"Felicity…" John frowned.

"Get these people as far away from the building as possible. Call Lance. If this place blows…" John didn't have time to get a word in, Oliver had already made his way into the club.

Oliver didn't have to look far to find Felicity. She was in the middle of the room, being held by the throat, she had been struggling and had a bleeding nose as a result of it. "Let her go Christopher!"

"Ah you have found out my name!" The man's voice was excited, high pitched and shrill and Felicity was terrified just at the sound of it. This man had killed, how could he sound so...so happy about it all?

"I know all about you." Oliver said trying to calm down and look around. "I know that your daughter was an addict…"

"She was forced into drugs!" Christopher, such a normal name for such a mad man. "Her life was taken from her…"

"You were too engrossed in your work as a doctor that you didn't realise your daughter was struggling! She was addicted to drugs and you didn't help her. The life she led of prostitution and drugs killed her in the end and you were too late to save her!"

"They killed her...I vowed not to let anyone else die at the hands of this City's disease. I will be the cure."

"You are killing innocent people." Oliver spat. Through keeping him distracted he had spotted four armed men that were part of his following. Men who perhaps were in the same position as him? Oliver didn't care. Right now one of those men had such a tight grip on Felicity's neck he could see the bruise forming.

"They are not innocent. They are tainted with the sickness." He pointed at Felicity and raised her hand to her face. Felicity shouted out in pain and her eyes found Oliver. She didn't look scared, Oliver could see the fire and braveness in her eyes and he couldn't be more proud at her. He nodded discreetly at her and she nodded back, she trusted him, whatever his plan was he knew she would go with it.

"I will not let you kill anymore." Oliver snarled. "If you don't move away from her now, I will kill you."

"But you don't kill anymore do you, Arrow? You lost your game!" Christopher was pacing now, looking around the room with a wild fire in his eyes. "A year ago I thought you could be the one to save us, to save us all. But you lost your game. You're weak!"

"So weak that it is you that has five men at your side," Oliver said making sure that John was aware of it. "This ends now." Oliver said drawing his arrow in his bow.

"You're right. It does." Christopher reached into his pocket pulling out a lighter. "I can make this place a house of flames before your bow even reaches me."

Felicity looked at the lighter in his hand and at the men who had slowly started to pour gasoline around the edges of the walls. If the lighter fell, he was right, this place would be in flames. "Do you think this is what she would have wanted?" Felicity hated that her voice was shaky, she wanted to be strong.

"I think my daughter would want to be alive." Christopher flicked the lighter shut and turned to Felicity. "Don't you whore?"

"I think any girl that turns to drugs when her father is in the medical profession is screaming out for help, and all you are doing is spitting on her memory."

"You know nothing." His hand was brought down again and the lighter forgotten. Oliver didn't waste any time, he used his anger as a distraction and shot out his bow hitting two men at a time through the leg making them fall. Before Christopher could say another word the only man left to help him was the one who had his arm around Felicity and Oliver was certain he would be the next to fall.

"This ends now!" Oliver screamed and Aimed his bow and fired, hitting the man who had his dirty hands on Felicity square in the shoulder and he fell down to the floor and Felicity ran to him, standing behind Oliver she held her burning throat. Christopher went to take the lighter again but Oliver shot him through the hand, and went over and kicked the lighter away and knocked him out with his bow.

"Are you okay?" Oliver turned to Felicity who was helping everyone out. Oliver held his breath waiting for her to turn to him, he had missed her so much.

Once a majority of the people were out Felicity turned to him, her face as bruised as her neck but she still looked so beautiful to him. "Are you okay?" Oliver repeated, his voice changer not hiding the concern from his voice.

"That's twice you've saved me." Felicity whispers walking over to him. Her body has finally stopped shaking and she wonders if it's because she's standing there with Oliver.

"Always." Oliver whispered. He wanted so desperately to reach out to her. It had been over a week of not seeing her, speaking to her, not touching her. His body was craving some form of contact. "You're hurt. You need a hospital."

"I'm fine." Felicity breathed. "I… I need to go." Felicity whispered looking down, being this close to him, her body was screaming at him to hold her, she needed to be close to him but she couldn't. Oliver, the man she had most definitely fallen for was the Arrow. A man who had killed, a man who put his life in danger every day, but a man who had now saved her twice.

"You need a doctor." Oliver growled.

Felicity turned and smiled softly at him. "I'll see one. I promise." She took a shaky breath but reached out and took his hand. "Thank you...Thank you for saving me, Oliver."

Oliver tensed and looked at her. "How…"

"I might be a whore, but I'm not a stupid one." She said quietly. "I need...I'll come and find you when I'm ready, okay? Please just give me space."

Oliver just nodded, he wanted to tell her that she's not a whore, that she is perfect and beautiful but before he could even find the words to say she was gone, leaving him alone once again.