Felicity's mail
Thea texted Oliver two days later, making him feel a bit of dejá vu. However, this time, she had no reason to lie and he trusted her to know that.
Thea didn't give any hint about where she was going, but, at least, Oliver knew she was okay and hadn't done something stupid. The text message he received placed her in New York, but he was sure she wouldn't stay there for long. She needed peace and open space, not a crowded city. He trusted her to come back when she felt ready, he was giving her that peace of mind and liberty after dumping a bunch of hard truths over her.
And, in the end, it took two more months until the League returned. They thought this Arrow was a copycat or someone from his team, but the evidence was too high, the power and the agility were too much like the real Arrow and Ra's al Ghul, for the first time, in his rather long life, wondered if he had made a mistake and Oliver Queen was really alive. He couldn't let one of his assassins go and make the inquiries, he had to make sure, it was his own fight, his killing strike and his foot that kicked Oliver from that mountain. He had to know if, for the first time in so long, someone survived.
When Ra's stepped in Starling City for the second time, it was no longer the cold winter of before. Spring was in full, almost summer and the city was vibrant with heat and energy that contrasted deeply with the black dressed men and women that arrived from Nanda Parbat.
"Father…" Nyssa called, entering the room where her father was pacing in front of a big window overlooking the city lights.
Ra's al Ghul turned to look at her, with a curious look on his eyes. It was not every day he had to make sure one of his enemies was alive after a trial by combat.
"Oliver Queen is alive." Nyssa stated with no doubt marring her words. "I saw him perusing the city, using his Arrow clothes." She explained and saw her father move a finger over his lower lip in deep thought.
"That's a very interesting information…" he said softly and Nyssa's brows rose. Noticing his daughter's surprise at his words, Ra's actually smiled. "It's been a while since I faced something like this… It's rather peculiar and interesting, I rather say… I wonder how he did it…"
"There are rumors about a dark archer joining the Arrow some nights…" Nyssa said, feeling the rage grow in her at the mere thought of Malcolm Merlyn and his guilt in her love's death. Her hands fisted on their own accord, action that wasn't missed by her father.
"You can't let your emotions rule you, my daughter…" he said softly. "So Al Sāḥir is helping Oliver Queen… How amusing…"
He turned once again to look at the city view and without facing his daughter he spoke again.
"Send a message to those men, let them know I want to speak with them… Such blatant tactics are for my knowledge obviously, so let's see what they want to say…"
Nyssa stood there for a few moments and then, without another word, left the room, intended on her mission.
What she didn't tell her father was that she had seen Oliver Queen in one other occasion, this time with his civilian clothes on and opening a car door to a blonde woman in a pretty green dress. Nyssa knew that her father was a strategist and he would use every opportunity to make his enemies suffer, even using an innocent perky blonde in his plans. Nyssa would never admit it, but she had a soft spot for Felicity Smoak, especially after Sara told her many adventures they had together, including, Felicity taking a bullet for Sara. For that, Nyssa would be in debt with the woman, keeping her safe from her father's wrath. But, she would that knowledge to transmit her father's message, using a different mean to tell the men The Demon's Head demanded their presence.
When Felicity arrived home after a tiring day of meetings with Heads of departments, she found one of her living room's walls with a strange object in it. For a second, she smiled at herself, remembering the time Oliver had arrowed a note to her wall expressing his appreciation of her work with uncountable vases of beautiful flowers. However, when she turned her lights on, she saw it was not a green arrow on her wall.
Felicity walked towards it, noticing the small piece of paper attached and grabbing both objects, she read the careful handwriting.
The Arrow and Al Sāḥir must appear under The Demon's Head's presence tomorrow at 8 p.m.
Under the words were GPS coordinates.
Felicity opened her bag and took her tablet out, opening her maps app and inserting the coordinates. She breathed deeply when she realized it was an abandoned warehouse and not a mountain.
The VP of Palmer Technologies grabbed her phone and pressed the first number in her speed dial list.
"Oliver?" Felicity called when the call was answered.
"Hey…" he said softly and for a few moments she smiled at herself, until she remembered why she was calling.
"Hum… I received a rather peculiar mail today…" she said, trying to not worry him too much at first.
"What?" he asked and Felicity heard his movements, the clicking of keys and a door closing.
"Are you leaving your house to come here?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes, now tell me what's going on!" he demanded and Felicity huffed.
"Okay, Mister Bossy! Weeeell… Ra's al Ghul is in town and he wants to meet you and someone I think it's Merlyn… It's a weird League name, but since is together with yours and is the only former League member we are currently working with I think it's a right guess…" Felicity said, putting the arrow over her couch and walking toward the kitchen in search of something to nibble while waiting for Oliver, since she knew he was already on his bike, and nothing she says would stop him from going to her.
"I will be there in five…" he growled, before disconnecting the call and Felicity sighed, while opening her fridge and taking out the leftovers from her chicken of last night.
"Salad Cesar it is!" she said, while taking out the veggies and keeping an eye on the clock.
When exactly five minutes passed, she heard a knock on her door and smiled. At least he wasn't kicking her door open…
When Felicity opened the door, Oliver entered with his eyes sending daggers towards her couch, where he could see the arrow.
"Did someone touch you?" Oliver asked, looking at her body, still dressed in her business dress.
"No. It was there when I arrived… It was kind of a dejá vu, actually, minus flowers this time…" Felicity smiled and Oliver rolled his eyes at her tentative of a joke. He hated knowing someone from the League entered her apartment and left no clue they were there, except for the arrow and note.
Oliver walked towards the couch after Felicity announced her plans to make dinner, and grabbed the note to read it. When he put it down after re-reading it at least five times, Felicity brought her tablet to his attention and the map in it.
"I will have to let Merlyn know…" Oliver said looking at his phone. He could call, but they needed to talk face to face. The plan was finally going to be put on practice and Oliver needed to be 100% sure of it.
"Are you going to fight with him tomorrow?" Felicity asked, her mood sobering immediately and her face paling at the prospect.
"Probably not… Ra's likes the formality of it… He gave a respite before, maybe he will do it again… However, if he doesn't, we need to be prepared!" Oliver said and Felicity nodded. "I'm going to talk with Merlyn now, but before I'm calling Roy so he can spend the night here…"
"What? Why? I don't need a bodyguard!" Felicity said and Oliver looked at her worriedly.
"It's the League we are talking about… Roy is not experienced and he can't handle them as I would like to, but at the least you have someone to keep you company and two pair of eyes are always better than one… Diggle should stay with Lyla and Sara, but I will call him too, he and Roy should go with us tomorrow, just in case…" Oliver bit his lower lip, thinking about all the possibilities for the next day.
"What about me?" Felicity asked and Oliver sighed.
"We already discussed this… We are keeping the plan we created… And so, you will stay in the foundry like previously accorded!" Oliver replied. He had lost count of how many times Felicity brought that same issue up.
Felicity closed her eyes, crossed her arms in front of her chest and sighed.
"I will prepare the coms, because you definitely will take them! I don't care if it's just a talk or if it's the final battle, but you are taking the coms with you!" Felicity reiterated her opinion on the matter with her index finger pocking Oliver's chest.
He put his hands over her shoulders and squeezed them, feeling her skin warm under his fingers.
"For you, I will do everything…" he said and Felicity felt her eyes shimmer with water. She sniffed, turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
"You better do, Queen, because I'm not going through that again…" she said, trying to lighten the mood, but feeling her heart heaving.
Oliver walked behind her and crossed his arms in front of her chest, pulling her back against his chest and feeling her quick heartbeat.
"I will, I promise…" he whispered, kissing her shoulder slowly and then the juncture of her neck and shoulder, leaving a path of fire with his lips.
Felicity's breathing quickened and she coughed to hide it.
"You better go, Oliver, you need to talk with Merlyn…" Felicity said and Oliver sighed, feeling his erratic heart calm down when he stepped away.
"See you tomorrow…" he said, kissing the crown of her head and then leaving the house.
Felicity waited exactly five seconds before started banging her head on the fridge.