Felicity opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Pain shot through her skull and her stomach rolled in protest. She took several deep breaths in through gritted teeth until the nausea had passed. She listened carefully but heard nothing. She was laying on a cool metal table in a darkened room. Her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings and she tilted her head to the side. The room was small and bare. She could make out a pile of clothes on a hard-backed chair but that was it. Her head was heavy. She turned her head back to stare at the ceiling as her eyes began to close. She was concussed but she couldn't keep her eyes open. A single tear fell down her cheek.

* MIT – 2006 *

Megan's semester started to pick up and she was delighted when the coursework began to challenge her. She had chosen a favorite professor who really challenged his students to outdo themselves. Professor Griffith was excited about the subject he was teaching and Megan loved his lectures. She listened intently, taking the occasional note as he spoke on a subject he was passionate about.

When the bell chimed Megan sighed. She wished that she had more than three hours with Griffith. Or that he taught all of her classes. She smiled down at the older man before making her way out of the smaller lecture hall and out into the cool fall evening. She adjusted the straps of her bag and was headed home when a familiar form materialised in front of her.

"Hey." Marcus greeted warmly.

Megan jumped and took a few steps back in surprise. She noticed that the smile on his face faltered and took on a forced quality.

"You scared me." She told him. "What are you doing here?"

Her voice held accusation but she felt startled by his sudden appearance and their earlier interactions. She hadn't texted him back and it had been a couple of weeks. And there was no reason for a business major to be hanging out around the tech building so late at night.

He smiled bashfully and held up a cup of coffee. "I was hoping we could start over? I came on a bit strong. But I thought maybe I could buy you a coffee after class and make it up to you. Friends?"

Megan opened her mouth to say something but found herself holding a cup of coffee as he walked away from her. "Just think about it." He tossed over his shoulder before disappearing from view.

She stood there for a few moments before coming to her senses and heading towards home. She pitched the cup into a garbage can on the way there.

What had Jess told her? Never trust a drink you didn't see poured yourself.

She carried on towards her home and decided to put the whole encounter out of her mind for the night. She had some homework for once and was hoping to catch the newest episode of Doctor Who with Jess.

Marcus stepped out of the shadows and a growl tore past his lips when he saw the full cup sitting on top of the trash can. He picked it up and threw it against a tree where it exploded on impact. He took three deep breaths before he continued down the path where Megan gone.

* NOW *

Oliver slumped onto the couch at Felicity's house and waited for Lance to meet them. It had been four days since that bastard had come into her home and taken her. Four days since he'd really taken a breath. He could hear Dig in her kitchen digging through the drawers. And Roy was sitting on her bed, taking a moment to miss his best friend.

Lance walked through the front door and the look on his face told Oliver everything he needed to know. The background check on Felicity had come up with nothing. Oliver looked away from him as he took a seat opposite him.

"She's clean. Too clean. Which being Felicity makes sense. Anything she wanted erased would have been. But here's the thing, Kid." He waited until Team Arrow was looking at him again. "Felicity Smoak never attended MIT. She has the credentials but there is no Felicity Smoak in any of their paper copies. Only electronically."

"What are you saying?" Roy asked after a moment of tense silence.

Lance looked around at the three of them. "I don't think that our girl was always Felicity Smoak. We're looking into Marcus Strauss. Obviously with a father as powerful as his, some of his records are sealed but he does have a legal history and he did go to MIT."

Oliver's chin snapped up as his eyes met Lance's.

"There was a restraining order filed against him by a young woman at MIT named Megan Brightham. And that's where we hit red tape and black walls. It's all sealed."

"Megan Brightham? Where is she now?" Oliver asked.

Lance scratched his nose. "Well it's the funniest thing, Kid. Megan Brightham died a few months later. There is an extensive paper trail noting her death. But not a single picture of her available. Anywhere. But she'd be about Felicity's age now."

"Felicity Megan Smoak." Oliver breathed. He looked over to John and then Roy. "You think she faked her own death to get away from this guy. And he's found her."

Lance nodded grimly. "We need to know what else is on his file."

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dig, make the call.