AN: thank you all for reading and sticking with me. A huge thanks for the reviews and private messages they really bring a smile to my day. I am so sorry this has taken so long I didn't think writing kidnappings was so difficult. I hope this reads okay.
A massive thank you to tealrose for your help and joining me in co-writing and taking on Thea's kidnapping scenes you are brilliant.
I do not own Arrow/Mutant X I just wanted to try something different
Chapter 14 - Kidnapped
Felicity started to stir. The blackness receded leaving a throbbing head behind. She tried to remember what had happened. Her head felt heavy then she remembered she was on Oliver's bike when something struck the bike, I'm still in the helmet. I must be in the street still, she thought feeling the cold solid ground under her body. She flexed her arms, body then legs and screamed. Her right leg was in agony she hadn't noticed over her throbbing head until she tried to move her leg.
She calmed herself down as much as she could then opened her eyes. Her helmet was still in place. She looked through the visor and realised she wasn't in the street she was in a small dimly lit room. The floor was cold and concrete but the walls looked like logs. She shut her eyes again the pain was intolerable and it was making her head hurt worse. Blackness took over before she could try to fight it.
Some time later the darkness drifted again. Felicity remember faster this time the accident and injured leg so she refrained from moving. She opened her eyes, she had the same view as before so she hadn't been moved. The throbbing in her head was hardly noticeable now and she started analysing what to do.
She decided to try to sit up. Bracing herself for the pain in her leg she moved her arms to push herself up from the floor. The pain shot up her leg and she screamed unable to stop herself. It helped enough that she could get herself on her back. She waited a few minutes breathing deeply to calm herself down and ease the pain.
When the pain subsided from searing Felicity lifted her arms to her helmet unbuckling it then pushing it from her head. The room was brighter than before and Felicity realised the visor was tinted slightly. She looked around the room. All 4 walls were made of logs and no windows. There was a door a few feet from her feet and that was wooden with no handle on her side of the door. The room was bare. Felicity lay her head back down and looked at the ceiling a single bulb hung there providing the lighting.
She stared thinking. She couldn't get up her leg was in too bad a shape sl no escaping by herself. She then had a thought and instinctively went for her wrist and found nothing there. Her tracker bracelet was missing. In a desperate idea she checked all of her pockets and found them all empty. She had no technology on her and no tracker for Oliver to find her. She hoped he wouldn't be too stubborn and get Mutant X to help him find her.
She drifted off into sleep mulling over ways to help herself escape and Oliver find her.
PAIN. White hot searing pain in her leg brought her out of sleep screaming. After a few minutes the cause lessened and the pain subsided leaving Felicity able to breath again. As she opened her eyes and saw who was stood towering over her she wished she hadn't looked.
The man had a crazed look on his face with a twisted sadistic smile. Felicity guessed who this man was and when he spoke her worst nightmare was confirmed, "Finally awake Ms Smoak." The thick Australian accent sent shivers down her spine. "Now we have a bit of a problem. You discovered my plans and I can only assume Oliver knows which puts you in a tricky spot."
Felicity remembered what they had seen in the emails, the plan to kidnap Thea, she was now the substitute but Oliver didn't know she hadn't told him yet. Slade wouldn't believe her and as soon as John finds out he'll tell Oliver. At least Thea is safe for now she thought. "Oliver will find me." She boldly stated, in her heart she knew he would she just hoped she was alive. "I don't doubt that." Slade sneered, "Not before I have had my use from you."
"This won't avenge her, Shado, if she's the brave woman that helped you and Oliver then she wouldn't want this." Felicity tried to reason with Slade it backfired and only made him angrier. "You know nothing." He roared, "I loved, I love her and he took her away he never loved her not enough to save her. It's time to see how much he loves you and his family." Felicity panicked this was not sounding great. "He loved Shado he tried to save her. Ivo was a sick twisted man..." "ENOUGH," Slade boomed. "Shado wants him to pay any way possible and that means you." He spat out. He had had enough of talking to her. "I know starvation and dehydration are a slow and painful death Ms Smoak. Let's see how long you fight for your precious Oliver." He sneered then stood on Felicity's leg once more to ensure her suffering before leaving. Felicity's screaming brought a happy smile to his face thinking about Oliver's suffering when he heard her screams.
Felicity had no concept of time she spent most of it sleeping or thinking. After making several attempts at trying to stand which only resulted in her being in the grips of severe pain she gave up and instead maneuvered herself across the room to prop herself in the corner facing the door.
She wished she was physically strong like Oliver or John she would be able to try and break down the door. Instead she was a typical damsel only good for thinking and even now that was hard. If only her helmet had had the built in bluetooth or cloaking tech Adam's had she'd be able to access the components and contact someone. What's the use of being a new mutant if its not helpful, wish I had something like Brennan I could have electrocuted Slade and escaped.
Her situation seemed hopeless but she continued processing different ways to help herself or that the team, Oliver, would be doing to find her.
Thea woke feeling like she had a hangover. Her head pounded, but she felt comfortable on soft blankets. She frowned groggily, wondering why she couldn't remember drinking, and cracked her eyes open she reached out for her cell to call Roy. Hitting an unknown object, she froze, opening her blurry eyes more to see around her. Was she at Roys?
The dimension of the room she was in was just not right. Still feeling strange, she slowly sat up, her head demanding her attention, and her senses warning her that something was wrong. As her eyes focused she noted the color theme throughout the room she was in was silvery gray, with deep blue accents. Frowning because it looked familiar, she slowly got up to find the bathroom. When she did she quickly washed her face and used the water to rinse out her mouth. Looking around her now that she felt more alert, she saw the little containers that a hotel would use, and noted the name Starling Ritz, well at least she knew where she was. The why was another matter. Her memory was still unclear on the details, and she did not like that.
Slowly she walked to the bedroom door, uncertain to what she would find outside, as there had been no phone in the bedroom. Her hand touched the knob, and she hesitated for only a moment, then she grasped it firmly and yanked it open, furious with herself. What she saw outside made her freeze. "Hello, my dear daughter, nice of you to finally join me. Are you hungry?" Malcolm Merlyn sat on the couch of a grand great room, which was also decorated in silvers and blues. In front of him sat a tray of covered foods to which she could smell the aroma from, and her stomach growled. She couldn't move…couldn't think straight. Was she dead? She must have said it aloud, for he chuckled, stating, "No, my dear, you are not. Come, have some coffee and breakfast. I have your favorite." Truly uncertain now and a little terrified, she slowly let go of the door, again angry with herself that she was showing her emotions as her headache was clouding her memory of last night.
"I am truly sorry for yesterday, Thea, but you see I needed to make sure that you were safe. I want nothing to happen to you now that I know you are my last legacy." As Malcolm stated this he poured her a cup of coffee and handed it out to her, to which she automatically took. Thea sat down gingerly on the other side of the table, and taking a sip she narrowed her eyes at him. "Yesterday!? Let me guess, I have you to thank for this headache?" Malcolm truly looked penitent for this and nodded sadly yet smugly. She had always hated that of him. Now that she knew who he was, it infuriated her more. She really wanted to throw her cup at him and run for the door, but had a feeling she would not even make it halfway.
A sudden thought made her wonder if anyone had realized she was gone. Would Oliver realize? Hopefully, but she was unsure, tense as things were between them right now. Roy, on the other hand, would definitely realize something hopefully soon; so, she would find out what Malcolm wanted of her and why. "You seriously think in your daughter? What do you want with me? You are supposed to be dead," Thea spoke carefully yet angrily, her face expressive. Malcolm sighed, looking at her with a 'fatherly' expression, one that she truly wished he had no right to. She hated this man!
He had ruined her family, tried to kill Roy and all of the people she knew in the Glades! She glared at him now, gripping the cup hard. "You tried to kill thousands of people, some of whom I knew and loved!" Malcolm opened his mouth to speak, but Thea stopped him with a head jerk and a furious glare. "Oh yeah, I heard about your wife being killed by people in the Glades. Everyone knows, it is widely known! Really? As if you are the only one who has been hurt by the Glades? What about the people who actually have no choice but to live in the Glades? The people who you and your cohorts - the 'rich and famous,'" Thea spoke using air quotes for the latter, already disgusted with everyone she once thought she knew, but continued with her rant. "Oh yes, my mother, her friends, the people the vigilante was going after! How many of them did you work with? How many of them with you made money off the people in the Glades? Guns, the mobs, drugs?" Malcolm sighed, shaking his head ruefully, nodding. "Yes, I made my money by any means. Is that a crime? Not to me. I do what I have to, to survive and protect my family, you Thea!" Malcolm snapped, his usually mild demeanor warped now with irritation.
Yet he had to be proud, his daughter was a strong force and with training someone to be reckoned with. At this he smiled proudly, "Oh yes, you are my daughter! You are strong, just like me! Your brother was sadly not so strong," He sighed with unhappiness, then brightened, looking at her with affection. She glared back, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance even as her head began to pulse in more pain, and that irritated her more. "I want to leave now. I want to go home." Malcolm sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I am sorry, but you are home. You belong with me, and I will teach you everything you need to be stronger than you already are." Malcolm smiled at this, his plans for her already at the top of his mind. Thea stiffened at this, "What, I get no say in my life? Do you actually think that you have any say in what I do, just because you think I share my DNA with you?" She laughed bitterly, continuing. "I may not know what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I am happy with where I am right now. I have a business, I have good friends who help and actually listen to me…"
She got no further as Malcolm broke in. "Do you actually think you will be happy with what you have now for the rest of your life? I can give you anything you want or need. I will hire someone to run your business so you can have more time…" This time Thea interrupted, wondering why her head hurt worse and her entire body had gone cold. "Do you actually think I give a rat's ass about what you think of me? I. Want. Nothing. From. You! Leave. Me. Out. Of . Your. Plans!" Malcolm nearly growled in frustration, yet his face remained blank with lifelong practice. "You will have the best training and you will learn all that I can teach you to become a formidable daughter. There are things that I can teach you that you will not learn anywhere else. We will travel to…"
Thea put a hand to her head, closing her eyes, fighting past the unusual pounding in her head. It had a strange vibration to it, and it hurt. Her body was deathly cold but random areas kept flaring with sudden bursts of heat. He was lying to her, yet he was telling her partial truths as well, that much she knew, as she had learned to read people all her life, and hated being lied to. Was he truly so warped that he believed everything he himself said?
She wasn't sure about this strange vibration inside her brain and how her body was behaving, but it was definitely creeping her out, and it hurt! What was going on! What is wrong with me? Even as she thought this, her body was listing to the side, her hand holding the coffee cup let go, and she slid to the floor, unconscious. Malcolm leapt to his feet, at her side in seconds, shocked. "Thea? Thea!" Quickly he called for his men, one whom brought a medical kit to check her over.
Malcolm did all the checking personally, not trusting even his own men with her right now, wondering if the sedative he used on her yesterday was more potent than it should have been. He knew she had been into drugs fairly recently until everything had been upturned with the Glades and her mother, but any allergy to a drug would have shown much earlier than this. Did she have an injury he didn't know about? Had she hit her head, causing a concussion, a slow bleed on her brain? He would have to call in his personal doctor to check her over. He snapped out orders for the doctor to be summoned.
Carefully he placed her on the couch in a comfortable position, in case she did have a head injury. He opened one of her eyelids to check for any dilation, and jumped back in shock as her beautiful brown irises were hideously coloured. Flecks of blue and red scattered around the brown colouring. Panicking slightly Malcolm lifted the other eyelid and found the same strange coloured markings. He angrily walked away from his precious daughter and paced cursing the Queens for ruining his one last hope.
Thea knew she was dreaming, as she saw words flow around her, both warped and jagged and smooth and flowing. Lies…half truth mixed with wishful thinking….convoluted lies….truth. Every sentence she had heard the past half hour seemed to vibrate around her. What was going on? She shuddered feeling the bitter coldness consume her, not knowing that her body was also shuddering, first slowly, then violently. She didn't realize that her actual body was now in the clutches of a seizure. Malcolm was truly disconcerted now, holding her down so she would not fall off the couch, and that this was not what he thought it was, and hoping his doctor would be here soon, or he would be fired! Well, killed, but fired first. He had too many secrets he was being paid to keep quiet for.
A bike came racing down the street and lurched to a dead stop at Oliver's feet just minutes after he had ended the call. He hopped on the back and the bike instantly sped forward into an arc to return from the direction it came.
Minutes were passing like hours for Oliver, he spent the time beating himself up for not protecting Felicity like he should have and not having Roy at Thea's side permanently. When they arrived at Verdant he was off the bike before it came to a stop and ran inside not waiting for Sara.
He found Roy sitting in front of Felicity's computers watching the screens. "You found any leads?" He asked the really stupid question. "No I'm trying to bring up CCTV in the city but seriously haven't a clue how to operate Felicity's systems." Roy answered frustration pouring from his voice. He was thanking Emma and Shalimar for their calming technique earlier for him keeping control so far.
Oliver moved to stand behind the chair Roy sat in. Both heard the door open to the lair but remained trained on the computer screens. Sara joined both men and watched closely what Roy was trying to do. "Here." She stated leaning down and across Roy to the mouse and clicked the app Felicity used for the city's CCTV.
The screen changed into a quad grid showing different cameras with real time images. On another screen was a list of all the cities cameras and search parameter boxes. The third screen displayed a map of the city with a camera symbol at the position where a camera resided. Roy clicked on the cameras nearest the street where Felicity was taken from and typed in the time of the incident and hit play.
3 images filled the boxes on the quad view screen. They showed the collision, fight and Felicity's capture. Then they watched as the car left the street and headed towards the City. Roy paused the replay and turning back to the map screen he selected the cameras on the next street and input the time parameters. They followed the car using the CCTV until it hit the highway to Central City then it disappeared between the blind spots in the cameras.
Oliver stormed over to the training dummy and gave it a fast but fierce pounding, it was that or throw the computers but he knew they were still needed. While Oliver had his tantrum Roy turned to Sara, "Any idea how to do the facial recognition software?" He didn't know where Thea had been through the day except they were having lunch so he had no idea where to look for her. "No that's her thing she said she has to borrow the program." She answered.
They were out of options. Oliver heard the exchange from his team and beat down harder on the dummy. Slade couldn't win, he wouldn't let him win. Felicity, Thea. He broke the arm off the dummy and fell to his knees. Before anyone could say or do anything singing blared out into the silent area. Roy jumped, Sara appeared unfazed but Oliver remained a statue. The singing was coming from him, well his pocket and Roy guessed it was Felicity's phone. She liked picking songs that reminded her of who was ringing.
Sara moved towards Oliver and when she reached him she gently laid a hand on his shoulder trying to bring him back to the room. He didn't move. She changed tactic and went for the phone, she unzipped his pocket and pulled out the singing and vibrating device answering it before the voicemail could.
"Felicity we have a hit." Jesse informed Sara. "This is Canary." She answered. "Is Felicity there I need to speak with her." He asked. "She can't..." Sara started to answer before the phone was wrenched from her grasp. "What do you have?" Oliver demanded his voice set in the Arrow tone. "Oliver, we got several hits from our searches I need to speak with Felicity to clear up some details." Jesse answered. "Do you have a location for Slade!" He roared down the phone his anger at breaking point. "What's happened? Where is Felicity? Oliver." Jesse asked hurriedly his worry building.
"Slade attacked us, he took her. He has Thea, my sister, too." Oliver finally answered who was he kidding they couldn't find her he was useless with computers, he needed her. Jesse was silent for a few minutes before speaking, "If he has Thea and Felicity then he's altered his plans. I have a theory give me a few hours and I'll call back." Jesse replied before hanging up.
Oliver slid Felicity's phone back into his pocket and dug out his own phone and hit speed dial #2. "Oliver what's wrong?" Dig answered concern thickly laced his voice. "Slade has Felicity and Thea." Oliver stated. "S**t Oliver, I set up an extra security detail for Thea after what Felicity and Jesse uncovered. How did he get Felicity?" John was all business putting on his army head. "Slade attacked on route to Felicity's apartment. I tried John, Slade seems stronger than before I couldn't keep her safe, I failed her John." Oliver admitted.
Roy and Sara used this time to go their separate ways. Roy went up to the club to take over Thea's jobs, he knew if someone didn't look after the club she would be mad. Sara got changed to go up to the club and do her bar job and help Roy.
"Oliver Felicity won't blame you, Slade is a psychopath. She and Thea will be fine we will find them both." John tried to reassure him. "I can't even find them. Roy and Sara have been on the computers, we hit a dead end. Jesse may have a lead he said he will be in touch." Oliver explained the current situation. "Oliver do you need me to come over?" John wasn't going to let his brother in arms suffer alone if he needed him. "No John thanks, I'll just wait for the call. As soon as I know anything I'll be in touch." " You know where I am if you need me." John responded before Oliver disconnected the call.
He was alone, all alone. He had been alone for so long on Lian Yu and started his mission alone. This loneliness was different somehow it felt crippling but he fought it knowing Felicity and Thea needed him to find them and save them from his insane old friend. He stripped of his leather jacket putting the phones on the computer desk and started a gruelling exercise regime to keep his mind from thinking while he waited.
Jesse ended the call to Oliver he was in the Double Helix by himself. He took a breath before speaking, "Emma." A few seconds of silence before he heard a response. "Yeah Jesse." "Emma I need some help, Felicity is missing, her and Oliver were attacked by Slade. Can you get any information from Felicity with your connection?" Jesse asked. "I'll see what I can do." She replied. "Thanks Emma."
Jesse jumped straight into the results the searches had generated. A Dillsan Woes another anagram for Slade Wilson had ordered a lot of building materials just after Isabel Rochev obtained a stake in QC. The list appears to include everything to build a cabin however the invoice had no delivery address. The company was a large establishment called Starling Merchants. There was a server name on the invoice a Graham Smith. Next Jesse tried to follow the money trail but as with Slade's personal money it went into countless offshore accounts until it stopped with no trace. Same modus operandi so highly likely its him, Jesse thought.
There was one other hit under another anagram Sonwil Dales. This alias was used to purchase in cash a plane ticket to Starling City Airport from the UK and a week in the airport hotel again cash up front. The arrival date was 2 days prior to QC takeover and the last date for the hotel stay was the day of the proposed delivery of building materials. Everything was adding up that Slade had been in Starling a while and been planning for just as long if not longer. Now he needed to speak to the worker at the building merchants and get a location otherwise it'll be a long search for a cabin.
He set to tracking contact details for Graham Smith.
Emma had been in her room resting it had been a really hard afternoon for her. She had never been around so many people with such overpowering and dark emotions, it had pushed her blocking strength to the maximum. She had dropped her defenses for a rest knowing that everyone was preoccupied with their own activities.
Jesse's call hadn't been unusual until he'd asked for her to find Felicity. She was willing to help but she wished it had been another day when she wasn't so exhausted. She sat herself up into a meditation cross leg position placing her hands on her knees. She relaxed her body in stages starting from her feet up to her mind. Breathing deeply and evenly.
She concentrated, focusing on Felicity what she knew of her and specifically her feelings of love for Oliver. A few minutes passed and Emma just let these thoughts envelope her mind until she suddenly felt Felicity. She could feel her love for Oliver, Felicity was tightly wrapping herself in the green blanket. Then Emma saw the blood patch on the blanket over her right leg and felt the pain from Felicity. She was hurt and bad. Emma then noticed Felicity was surrounded by wooden logs like a log cabin. She couldn't keep the connection any longer it was too much for her to deal with after already being pushed in the day.
She lay back down before collapsing, "Jesse." She said into the empty room. "I'm here, what did you get?" Jesse asked. "She's hurt, its her right leg. She was surrounded by logs like a room in a log cabin." Emma started to struggle speaking. "Emma are you okay?" He asked concerned for his partner. "It's been a hard day, I just need to rest I'll be fine Jesse." "I'll be right there." Jesse replied. Emma shut her eyes and drifted to sleep.
Jesse swiped his work from the terminal in the Helix onto a tablet and made his way down to his room. When he got there he creeped the door open quietly and slipped inside. Emma was on the bed gently snoring. Jesse carefully sat down next to her on the bed propping himself against the headboard. He stroked her hair back from her face and watched as her face relaxed, then he settled in to finish his work.
AN: I hope you all enjoyed and let me know what you think and if there is anything you want to see happen with a review or private message.