Chapter 5

The clock starts ticking

Felicity wasn't sure what to think.

When she got to Verdant that same day, she started researching about her father. She could have done that years ago, but that feeling of abandonment was too strong for far too long, and now, that she had some kind of clue it would be easier than if she didn't know anything. She typed her father's name and found some documents in Japanese that looked like a death certificate, with her father's picture annexed. Pulling up a translator she started to decode the documents. It was right, all the information checked with what the man told her, and she felt her body fall against her chair.

It was true, her father was really dead. Unless all this was fake, but then how could the man have a photo of her as a child with her father in their front yard? Or why would he lie to her? She was a nobody… Closing the screens, she sighed. She was being paranoid and she blamed Oliver and Dig for that.

Speaking of the devil...

Footsteps echoed from the lair stairs and she turned around in her chair to see Sara approaching with her leather clothes. Behind her, Roy walked with his hands inside his jacket pockets. A few seconds later, Oliver and Dig appeared, talking with each other in low voices.

"Hey Felicity!" Sara said, while taking her mask.

Since the day she found their clothes, Felicity didn't see anything that resembled a romantic relationship between Oliver and Sara, but she was not sure if they weren't just more aware of the place they were in. They confused her and she hated being confused. It was not a Felicity Smoak trait. And she didn't like that her mind took that walk once again. Oliver was not hers, Oliver had no relationship with her, he could be with whoever he wanted to be, so it was time to let it rest. Just like Williamson said, she didn't need a knight to save her.

"Hey." Felicity said, her mind still far away to show a proper greeting.

"Is everything alright?" Roy asked surprisingly and she looked at Oliver to see a smug smile that clearly said "even the kid noticed".

"Yes, everything is fine. So, what do you bring me?" Felicity asked, ready to make some ruckus in some bad guy's bank account, but Diggle stepped forward, with his hands inside his pockets in a calm demeanor.

"Nothing, actually. The city was eerily calm. You can go home for the night and rest. We are going to train a little bit." he said and smiled at her, expecting her to be happy about that.

"Oh, sure." Felicity said, trying to answer with her own smile.

She didn't want to show her disappointment, shamed that she needed the work to keep her mind from replaying Williamson's words. But the worst part, not that she was sad the bad guys decided to take a break, was that it showed that stark difference between the rest of the team and her. They could train with each other, not that Diggle didn't try to train her, but he would never take her as serious as he did with the rest of the group, they patrolled the city together, while all she did was stay behind her computers. And that cold feeling she felt the last time she saw them train returned once again. She swallowed and got up. Now that she wanted, needed even, to keep her mind occupied and from thinking about her father she had to go home and be by herself with her complex thoughts.

"Well, I will catch up on my Game of Thrones…" she said, trying to keep her voice light.

Oliver was watching all the way, while she tried to keep up the pretenses, and he was not fooled. He considered himself an expert in reading Felicity's mood these days. And he was tired of her hiding things from him.

"Felicity..." Oliver said in a low growl. "What the hell is going on?"

She thought about saying "Nothing", but his voice made her rethink her plan A and jump into plan B, which she hated.

"You know what it is. Remember the family talk? I'm just worried about my mother. She has been kind of weird..." she said and hoped he would catch up. Of course he did and she hated herself for using that to keep things from him, she saw how his face froze and he nodded.

Her mother… Oliver hated that woman even without knowing her. He realized through Felicity's words and tone while talking about her that she was not a role model and someone that made her feel his IT girl like that deserved his rage. He wondered what the woman might have done and felt the need to touch Felicity and assure her that everything would be alright. But he controlled himself, he had made a promise to himself that he would never cross that line, it would be too dangerous for her. And if he lost her…

"Of course, let me know if there is anything I can do." he answered, trying to transmit through his tone his feelings, and she felt a sudden desire to tell him the truth. But she didn't. She didn't want to burden him anymore than he already was and besides there wasn't anything else he could do, he couldn't raise the dead or turn back in time.

"Goodbye guys! Sara, don't hurt them too much!" she said, keeping her mask in place. She was starting to be really good at that, she might rival Oliver someday…

"Starling National Bank is still a place under observations. The SCPD didn't make any comments about the situation, but sources informed us the cameras stopped working during the robbery and the injured security man was taken to Starling City Central."

Felicity was already asleep in front of her TV when the news appeared and the low volume didn't woke her up.

"Our sources say the robbery was meticulously timed. The robbers are already being called, by the forces, the Clock Kings."

I used "Clock Kings" because at the time the police didn't know it was only a man, so they used the plural...

So, what do you think? Tell me in a review! ;)