"Thank you for joining me Mr Queen" said an unknown raspy voice, a figure stood in the dark room, which was cemented from top to bottom, it was eerie and cold, and the man was hidden well in the darkness. Oliver blinked his eyes repeatedly as he finally woke up with a throbbing headache. His eyes finally focused and he took in his surroundings, he looked round, it was dark, he was in a cold room and he was zip tied to a chair. He noticed that wires were attached to his body, and two pads were placed on his temples, he followed the wiring and saw the machine, he recognized it immediately, he was hooked to a lie detector machine. He attempted to get out of the zip ties until a voice interrupted him, he hadn't realised him as it was so dark.
"Please do not attempt to escape or resist or an electric shock will be administered to you Mr Queen" the man in the dark said. It finally hit Oliver what had happened, his heart started pounding.
"WHERE IS SHE" shouting at the dark figure.
"Oh Mrs Queen" the man moved closer to Oliver, watching him, Oliver still could not make out his face. "She is fine, we have already been through this process, the faster we get this done, the faster we can move on to the main event and you and your wife will be free to leave" the man added.
"You Psycho, I swear to God, if you have hurt her, I will kill you, if one hair on her head is missing …."
"She is fine, your wife, went through the process, there were some complications, she sure does like to talk but we finally finished, I have never met someone quiet like her" the man moved over to the machine, Oliver noticed a tattoo on the man's arm of what looked like wedding rings bound together.
"What do you want" growled Oliver.
"Marriage is for ever wouldn't you say Mr Queen? People get married for the wrong reasons these days, I am merely here to help people realise whether or not they are meant to be together, and if marriage is right for them"
"HOW" Oliver screamed at the man, he needs to find a way to get out of here, he needed to keep calm, who knew what this man would ask, and he could not risk it.
"By asking you a series of questions about yourself", the man fiddled with a few keys on the machine, "first question Mr Queen, what is your favourite colour?"
This left Oliver completely confused "What … why"
"Answer the question, if you do not answer you will be admitted an electric shock" Oliver tried to free himself until a shock was given, it made Oliver's body shake in pain as he let out a small cry. It had caught him by surprise, and flashes of shocks that Slade had given him made him, begin to sweat, but he had to push those flashes away, he needed to get out of here, he needed to find Felicity. "Do not fight it, answer and you will be reunited with your beautiful wife"
"Green" Oliver said.
As Oliver had finished answering the questions the keeper had asked him, he sat in the room as he watched the man drag Felicity in, and watched the man sit her and tie her up to the chair like he was. She had a black bag over head so he couldn't see her face, but he watched as her body, shivered, she must be cold he thought, and winced every time the man touched her.
"Felicity" Oliver managed to say he had been administered a few more shocks as he protested ad argued about the ridiculous questions he was asked. He watched Felicity's body react to his voice, and could see some of the tension in her body release. The man took the bag off her head, and he saw he blink repeatedly to gain focus, her eyes meet his and she softly smiled. The man attached her to the lie detect machine as well and walked back behind the machine, he turned on a lamp facing it away from him, and allowing Felicity and Oliver to see each other clearly.
"Now, I will take it turns to ask you questions about each other, using the answers you gave me earlier, if you get a question wrong, your partner will be administered with an electric shock, so unless you want to shock your partner, think and answer to the best of your knowledge, the machine will not be on for this part of the process, but after questions and answers I will switch it on" the man said.
Oliver watched Felicity, he couldn't read her, but there was something, something that seemed off about her. "Felicity, let's just get this over and done with and we can go home ok" he tries to reassure her, he can tell she's scared.
Felicity nodded and barely managed to say "Ok", she was scared, she had got a shock earlier and it hurt, her whole body tingled and there was pain as her body went numb, she was trying to prepare herself, some of the questions he had asked her, she knew Oliver had no idea, they never discussed her past.
"Ladies first, Mrs Queen, what is Mr Queen's favourite colour, a simple one" the man said.
"Green" she answered.
"Correct Mr Queen what is Mrs Queen's favourite colour" the man looked at the paper in front of him waiting for the answer.
"Purple" Oliver said.
"Correct, Mrs Queen what is Mr Queen's favourite childhood memory"
"Erm" she tried to think, she was sure Oliver has mentioned this when he discussed his dad, "Oliver was used to parties at Christmas, one Christmas during a blackout the party was cancelled and he and his parents and sister spent Christmas in front of the fireplace eating frozen yoghurt" she finally said, God please let this be it.
"Correct" the man ticked his paper, Oliver watched Felicity in amazement, "Same question to you" he motioned to Oliver.
Oliver went blank, he didn't know, he clenched his fists, he didn't know, he watched as Felicity closed her eyes prepared, "I'm sorry … Felicity … I" the man realised he didn't know and shocked Felicity, Oliver watched as she cried and her body shake in the chair that she was tied to.
"Next question" Felicity caught her breath back and looked at Oliver, giving a nod and nod that suggested she was OK. "Mrs Queen, how many siblings does he have".
Felicity looked at him "really that's a question"
"Answer it"
"1" she said.
"Mr Queen how many siblings does she have" the man asked, he had asked this question because of the hesitation that Felicity had shown to this question.
Oliver knew this question "None" after the words left is mouth he saw Felicity get back into her position, taking yet another electric shock. What he thought, she had never mentioned this. He heard her screams and cries. "STOP" he yelled.
"You got it wrong" the man said, "she has 4 brothers" the man answered. Oliver was surprised, in shock, OK she might not have mentioned having siblings but four brothers.
After another series of questions, Felicity had only answered one wrong, and it was a question relating to sexual activities. Oliver had gotten the majority of his questions wrong and had watched her over and over again shake in pain, scream and cry. Oliver had become frustrated and angry, he knew nothing about her, not her favourite show, which side she sleeps on, her values, beliefs, family, childhood experiences, her first gift, he knew nothing about her, she felt like a stranger to him. Yet his anger was at high because she practically knew everything about him. The man had left the room and given them a minute alone.
"Felicity" he said softly, never taking his eyes off her. "Please" he pleaded.
She looked at him and smiled, "I'm fine Oliver" she said as he swore he heard her whimper.
"I am so sorry, I … didn't know …" He couldn't find words.
"It's not your fault, I never told you, I never … I'm sorry that I have never told you those things and …" he could tell she was in pain and she was hurt.
The man came back into the room, interrupting them. He hadn't asked that many questions and Felicity was grateful that the majority were about preferences and beliefs and not many background personal questions.
"So you don't really seem to know her Mr Queen, your wife, the first couple where I have had to administer this many shocks, especially to the woman, so why have you gotten hitched?" the man asked. "It should not have happened, you do not get married for the wrong reasons" he shouted.
"So what" Oliver said, "So what if I didn't know those questions, that doesn't prove anything" he growled.
"Your right" he turned on the lie detector machine.
"Mrs Queen Do you love Mr Queen?" he asked.
Felicity froze, if she said no, he would get shocked because she lied, and she answers yes, she would be admitting her feelings for him, she didn't say anything, she was scared, she could not admit her feelings for him, not like this.
"ANSWER" the man shouted. Felicity didn't and watched as the man shocked Oliver, she still couldn't bring herself to say anything, as she watched Oliver receive shock after shock after shock. Tears rolled down her eyes, she was doing this to him, she didn't open her mouth and he was hurting him.
"YES" she screamed, "Yes, yes, I love him" she cried uncontrollable as her chest moved in a fast paced, her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest.
"Good, and do you love her?" the man asked Oliver.
"Yes" he answered immediately trying to catch his breath.
"That's good, however you got too many questions wrong, you are not supposed to be together" Oliver didn't like that sound of that, he hadn't hurt couples yet, but that's maybe because the couples answered the questions correctly.
The man walked over to Felicity and placed a knife to her throat, she whimpered and winced, it was Slade all over again. "NO, NO, NO" Oliver screamed.
"You got married, marriage is a sacred affair between two people who love each other, know each other …"
"And we do love each other, those things don't matter, so what if I don't know what her favourite Pyjamas are that doesn't mean we aren't supposed to be together" Oliver was heated. "I love her more than I have ever loved anything, she keeps me grounded, and she keeps me from losing myself, she stands up for me and stands against me. She is the most selfless person in the world, if you were to ask her, her life for mine, she would give it without a shadow of a doubt" he noticed Felicity's tears. "She is a part of me, she is in my head and in my heart, every single minute of every day, I love her more than life itself, so what that I didn't know those questions, because we are married we are going on a new adventure, we have a lifetime to learn all these extra things about each other, but don't you dare stand there and tell me that because we, because I didn't know those questions that we are not meant to be" Oliver had tears in his own eyes, please he thought let this man set them free, he had said all this because it's the truth, because he means all of it, there was no time like the present and he was terrified the man would hurt her and she would die not knowing.
A few hours later Felicity and Oliver awoke in a dark alleyway near the Glades, Felicity felt cold she got up and looked around; the last thing she remembered was after Oliver's speech a gas was released and she felt drowsy. She leaned over to Oliver calling his name, when the man finally woke up he realised and was so relieved that they had been let go he took Felicity into his arms and held on to her tight. He removed his suit jacket and placed it over her shoulders, as she put her hands in and wrapped it around herself. Oliver held her hand as they walked out of the alleyway, not saying a word, he didn't know if they were out of danger, when they left the alleyway, Oliver noticed it was quiet and there no one around, he found his phone in his pocket and called Diggle, letting him know they are OK and to come pick them up.
Oliver placed his hands on Felicity's cheeks, watching her close her eyes.
"He let us go, I think I know where the building was located …" Felicity began.
"That can wait … I am so sorry, this was the worst idea ever, and I put you in danger and he hurt you"
"It's fine Oliver, I agreed, my life, my choice" she smiled at him, wrapping her hands around her waist.
"Hmm, he let us go and …"
"You sold it" she said, taking him by surprise, "Again, you sold it again" as she walked out of his embrace as she saw Diggle's car.
"Felicity no …" he called after her, but she walked away and into Diggle's embrace.
She believed he said those things, to get them out of there, said words for the mission like he had done for Slade.