A/N: How awesome was the Olicity in last night's episode?! It's going to be torture waiting another whole week. As for the twist at the end, I refuse to panic right now and will wait to see how the season plays out. But until then, here's the next chapter for you guys. Please read and tell me what you think. Thanks!

Chapter 4

The police station was bustling with activity. The phones rang off the hook, and officers came and went in a blur. One man the cops brought in started yelling and shoving at people despite being handcuffed. When he wouldn't calm down, the officer closest to him pulled out a taser. The unruly criminal spasmed like a Mexican jumping bean before dropping to the ground mere feet from Felicity.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. It wasn't a surprise that she was being brought in for questioning. This was a possibility Felicity had planned for, but planning and executing were two very different things. It was intimidating to be escorted through the precinct. People stared, no doubt trying to figure out what she was in for. It was the first time in her life-and that included when she was hacking into various companies' systems-that she actually felt like a legitimate criminal. Maybe she did deserve to be there after everything she'd done.

"Inside here, Ms. Smoak," Detective Lance directed.

Felicity's heart was pounding as she entered the "interview room." In her opinion, it was just a sugar-coated way of saying interrogation. There was a table and set of chairs. Immediately, Felicity's eyes went to the glass wall. The thought of someone watching them but remaining unseen seriously creeped her out.

"Please, take a seat."

"You know, I think I'd rather stand," Felicity replied, feeling her nerves getting the best of her.

In response, Detective Lance slammed the door. She sat down without protest.

"Not exactly a hardened criminal, are you?" he said while observing her.

Felicity placed her hands on the table and interlaced her fingers. It would keep them from tapping anxiously. "No, I'm not any kind of criminal."

"What do you call computer hacking?"

"A hobby?" she innocently answered before realizing it was probably the worst thing to say. "That I do not engage in." She winced at her own lameness. Real smooth.

"I got a whole mess of computer gobbly gook that I don't understand, but your companions say otherwise."

"I don't have any companions. I'm companion-less. I swear."

"My guys brought in three men last night. They're believed to be part of a cyber-terrorist group called Brother Eye. Sound familiar?"

"I might have heard of it on the news."

Detective Lance spread their mugshots out for her to look at, and Felicity did her best to keep her expression vague. "They've done quite a bit of damage over the last few years. Now they're facing a slew of civil and cyber felony charges. They didn't say much, but you want to know the one thing they all agreed on?" He didn't give her a chance to respond before continuing, "That it was you we should be looking into, Ms. Smoak."

"They're wrong."

"Are they? I've got to say that your record is clean. Then again, if you truly have the ability to hack into any database, unleash a destructive virus and pocket a truckload of cash without anyone the wiser, this paper-thin file I'm holding really doesn't mean much. You could make this say anything you want." He slammed it on the table, making her jump. "But there are other factors to consider. I find it interesting that you and the three suspects all graduated from MIT at the same time."

Felicity shrugged. "Lots of smart people have gone there."

"You were in the same classes."

"Lecture halls are pretty big."

"You were involved with one of the guy's roommates."

"That's ancient history."

"You just happen to be in Starling at the exact same time and staying in the exact same hotel. That can't be a coincidence. So, tell me, Ms. Smoak. What am I thinking?"

She bit her lip. Felicity had been hoping that her clean record would give her an advantage. Unfortunately, Detective Lance was a good investigator and wasn't letting any detail slide. She moved her hands under the table to hide the shaking. "I really don't know," she answered, stalling for time. Felicity wasn't sure if it was nerves or leftover exhaustion, but she was having a hard time remembering the story she'd conjured up. "I'm not an oracle, though that would be a pretty cool super power when you think about it."

"You're hiding something. If you're innocent, there's no reason not to tell me what you know. If you're lying, well, this can turn out very badly. But if you tell me the truth and cooperate, I might be able to get you a lighter sentence."

Before Felicity could reply, there was a knock on the door. Detective Lance huffed in annoyance and told whoever it was to come in.

"I'm sorry, Detective," the officer said, "but Oliver Queen is here. He said he knows the suspect and wants to have a word with you."

Detective Lance didn't look any happier about this turn of events. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let him in."

As soon as Oliver walked through the door, Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know how he was going to get her out of this, but she trusted him.

"Detective Lance," Oliver greeted. "Thank you for meeting with me. I don't know what you and Felicity were just discussing, but I hope I can clear a few things up."

He gestured to the empty chair by Felicity. "By all means, take a seat, Oliver. We'll make a party out of it."

"You okay?" Oliver murmured under his breath as he sat. The moment he walked in he could tell that she was nervous.

"I am now," Felicity whispered back.

"I must say this is a surprise. It's not every day the CEO of the company that was targeted comes in to defend the suspect."

"It would only be odd if Felicity was guilty, which she isn't," Oliver confidently declared. In the rush over to the precinct, he'd managed to come up with a cover story. Now it was a matter of selling it. Oliver hoped that Felicity would be able to play along and not give in to one of her nervous babbles.

"She has a personal connection to the perps and just happens to be present in Starling at the same time your company was hacked. How do you explain that?"

"Felicity and I are old friends."

"Really? I didn't realize you had women who were just friends," Detective Lance quipped. "How did you two meet?"

Felicity watched Oliver, just as curious to find out what he was going to say.

"We met in Las Vegas years ago. My dad let me accompany him on a business trip. Felicity's mom is a cocktail waitress, and she ended up being our server every night at the hotel bar. One night Felicity was there helping her out."

"So you became friends. Just like that?"

"My dad was laying into me about failing one of my math courses. Felicity's mom mentioned that she was a genius and could probably help me. It took a bit of convincing, but Felicity graciously agreed to tutor me."

"And you passed?"

"Actually, I still failed." He made a point to add, "But not as spectacularly as I would have if she hadn't helped me." Felicity made sure to smile and nod eagerly in agreement.

"What's her reason for being in Starling now?"

Oliver turned to Felicity. "You didn't tell him?" he asked, like it was so simple.

The blonde sent him a measured look. "I was just going to, but then you interrupted. Now that you're here, though, it would probably be better coming from you." Felicity had no idea where Oliver was going with all of this, but he'd done a pretty good job so far. If she attempted to say something now, she'd probably screw it all up.

Oliver took the lead once more. "I asked Felicity if she could carve some time out of her busy schedule in Boston and come evaluate QC's security system. We were experiencing some problems before the cyber attack even occurred."

"So it's a coincidence that her old acquaintances showed up simultaneously."

"No. There's definitely a reason." His voice took on a softer, more somber tone. As an added effect, he placed his hand atop Felicity's to portray some intimacy. Detective Lance zeroed in on the gesture, like Oliver had hoped. "Felicity really doesn't like talking about it, but in the interest of full disclosure I have to bring it up. I don't know if one of the suspects told you that Felicity used to date a friend of his in college."

"Might've mentioned it."

"Well, that boyfriend-"

"Cooper Seldon," Felicity interjected, trying very hard not to be distracted by the fact that Oliver was touching her. She was getting that tingling feeling like at the club all over again.

"He wasn't exactly happy with the way things ended between them," Oliver pressed on. "Just recently he reached out to her again."

"But I wanted nothing to do with him," she added. Cooper being an ass was the one part of the story she could describe perfectly. Felicity hadn't expected to have Oliver Queen vouching for her, but it was better than the original explanation she'd concocted. It gave Felicity much more to work with, and a new backstory was already unraveling in her head. "Cooper was being aggressive, and I needed some time away. So when Oliver asked me to come to Starling, I accepted his offer. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of mentioning my trip to Cooper. He's got sort of a grudge against Corporate America and guys like Oliver, so that's probably why QC was targeted. As a way to get back at me."

"So you're implying that your ex-boyfriend is really the person behind Brother Eye."

"I don't know for sure, but it's a strong possibility. It would also explain the whole hotel thing. He could've easily found out where I was staying." She'd taken precautions with that, as well. Felicity purposefully checked in at a different time than the guys and made sure to steer clear of any cameras that could record her with them.

Detective Lance silently scrutinized them. He was probably searching for more ways to poke holes in their story. It felt like forever before he finally said, "All right. That's it for now. Just don't go skipping town just yet. This investigation isn't finished."

"Okay." They all stood.

Detective Lance's expression softened for a moment. "If you think your ex-boyfriend is a threat, I can assign a couple of my officers to keep an eye on you."

"Thank you, Detective, but that won't be necessary. Felicity will be staying with me from now on. My own personal security will take care of her."

"It's nice to see that you've taken a real interest in her safety." Detective Lance turned to Felicity. "Trust me, when it comes to Oliver, that's not always the case." With that parting shot, he let the door slam behind him.

Oliver's expression remained blank as his body tensed. Felicity could tell that the detective's words had hurt him. She knew all about Oliver's involvement with his daughters Laurel and Sara. Many of the articles she'd found about Oliver's disappearance on the Queen's Gambit relayed the scandal of his involvement with the younger Lance daughter despite his relationship with the older one.

"Hey," Felicity said quietly. When he finally turned to face her, Felicity impulsively threw her arms around him.

The hug completely took Oliver by surprise. It wasn't very often that anyone dared invade his personal space. It took a few seconds for him to respond. Tentatively, he placed a hand on her back. "What's this for?"

"A thank you for saving me. Again," she murmured. "I really didn't see myself fitting in at Guantanamo Bay."

"Don't worry, Felicity, they don't send blondes there."

"I dye it, actually." She pulled away and pointed a stern finger at him. "I keep your secret."

Oliver shook his head, grinning. "Come on, let's get out of here."

It was a relief to be back at the loft. Felicity sat curled up on the couch with a hot mug of tea in her hands. The huge fireplace was on in the living room, which added to the calming effect. It was the first time Felicity got to truly take it all in. There was a modern feel to the decor with its neutral coloring and wide open space. The only furniture present was the long kitchen table in the dining area next to the kitchen and the couches in the living room. Regardless of the lack of color and decoration, it was still better than any of the bachelor pads Brother Eye had occupied. The view also couldn't be beat.

"Are you okay?" Diggle inquired, sitting on the couch across from her.

"I think so. There's been a lot to take in, you know."

"I get it. But Oliver said you held your own today."

Felicity snorted. "He's giving me too much credit. I probably would be in a cell right now if it wasn't for him. Thanks for calling him."

"It's what we do. We look out for each other."

"I'm beginning to see that."

Oliver's heavy footsteps could be heard on the stairs. He'd changed out of his work suit into a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt. It was the most at ease she'd seen him, and yet he still managed to look ruggedly handsome. The shirt clung to his defined muscles in all of the right places, leaving little to the imagination. Felicity forced herself to look away before she started drooling like some swooning adolescent.

"Did you guys eat?"

"We were waiting for you," Diggle replied. He'd gone to Big Belly Burger to get dinner, which was now spread out across the coffee table.

Oliver gestured for them to dig in while he went to the kitchen to grab a water. Afterward, he sat down next to Diggle. He was glad to see that Felicity's appetite remained intact. She bit into her hamburger and let out a small groan.

"I have to say that it's kind of comforting to know that whatever city you go to, Big Belly Burger is always going to taste like Big Belly Burger."

Diggle chuckled at that. "You mean full of grease and salt."

She placed a hand to her mouth. "I thought those were the secret ingredients."

Oliver listened as Felicity and Dig made small talk. He was trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject of her working with them. Felicity was much more at ease now than earlier, and he hated to put her on the spot again. Unfortunately, both their problems remained at large. It wouldn't be long before they were forced to face them once more.

There was no right way to do this. Oliver would have to bite the bullet. "Felicity," Oliver said, "what did you think of what I said earlier about you visiting QC?"

"I think it was a smart cover story. Why?"

"QC's IT team is having trouble fully restoring our system. They'd like to have it restored by Monday, and I was hoping that you might consider coming in for real tomorrow to help them out."

"Of course. I'd be happy to." It was the least Felicity could do to repay him for his kindness. The computer nerd in her also wouldn't mind getting a chance to play with Oliver's equipment. Felicity nearly choked on her burger as the naughty thought popped into her head. She didn't want to get her hands on Oliver's equipment. Well, she did but it wasn't like that.

Shut up, brain, Felicity commanded to herself. Oliver and Diggle were already studying her, and the last thing she needed was for them to question why she'd turned as red as a cherry in the middle of their serious conversation. She was going to see QC's advanced technology. That was it.

Oliver exchanged a look with Diggle. "There's something else. We've been impressed with everything you've done and told us so far. As you know, we have our own network at Verdant that we use to aid us in our investigations. Diggle and I do what we can to protect Starling, but the truth is our skills in that area are limited."

"You want me to help you," Felicity interpreted.

"Yes, but it's more than just catching common criminals." Oliver had discussed this with Diggle, and his partner was adamant that Oliver tell Felicity exactly what she would be getting into. Oliver didn't disagree. "We're trying to take down Malcolm Merlyn."

"The man who destroyed The Glades."

"It's a little more personal than that." It took Oliver a second to rein in his anger. Felicity was strong but had a gentler nature. He didn't want to intimidate her. "Merlyn killed my mother."

"I read that she'd passed in the earthquake. I'm so sorry."

"No," Oliver said, shaking his head. "It wasn't the quake. That's just what I told everyone. The truth is both my parents knew about the earthquake. Merlyn called it the 'Undertaking.' I believe my father was looking for a way to stop it, which is why the Queen's Gambit was sabotaged. Merlyn then threatened my mother for years, so she'd go along with his plan.

"After I uncovered the plot, I questioned her as The Arrow. She told me everything she knew. I was going to try to stop it, but I think the guilt was too much for her. She anonymously tipped off the police, which resulted in Merlyn figuring it out and moving up the timetable of his plan. Destroying The Glades wasn't enough, though. He wanted to get back at my mother for her betrayal, so he killed her."

"Does Merlyn know you're The Arrow?"

"No. We've been trying for months to track him down with no success. It's like he's gone completely off the grid," Oliver explained. "Felicity, you know what it takes to make things disappear. If anyone can cut through the noise and track him down, it'd be you."

Felicity was silent for a moment, taking it all in. "What if I say no?"

"I'm not Cooper, Felicity." He wanted to make that clear and assuage her fears. "You have a choice. What we do and how we live...it's dangerous. I won't force you into anything. But you should also know that I will protect you from Cooper, Merlyn and anyone else. You have my word."

Felicity looked between Oliver and Diggle before staring at her half-eaten hamburger. She wasn't that hungry anymore. "I...I need some time to think about it." For five years she'd been dragged around by Cooper, jumping from one horrible situation to the next. Felicity appreciated that Oliver was offering her a choice. She just wasn't sure it was the right one.

"Okay." Admittedly, Oliver was disappointed that she wasn't jumping at the chance to work with them. He understood her trepidation, however. What he was asking of her was no small thing.

"And I would be staying here, with you?"

"Yes. It's the best way I can protect you until Cooper is found. It'll also throw suspicion off of you with Detective Lance." Oliver sensed that Felicity was uncomfortable depending on him for so much and he added, "I'll pay you for your work at QC." At least she could be earning something of her own.

"I have money. Not stolen," the blonde quickly clarified. "I always donated my share to charity." Felicity figured if she couldn't give the money back to the companies without creating suspicion, then giving it to a good cause was the next best option.

"I'm paying you for your expertise, Felicity. It has to be an equal partnership. That part's nonnegotiable."

"What about rent?"

Oliver shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"I can't just live here for free, Oliver. It doesn't feel right."

"Felicity, we already told Detective Lance that you're staying with me as a friend. Friends don't pay rent when they're a guest, especially since I own this loft outright." She looked like she was about to protest again so Oliver proposed, "If you do decide to become part of our team, consider your help in our mission as payment. Sound fair?"

"Okay," Felicity finally agreed. She could live with that. "If you don't mind, I'm going to turn in early." Felicity had some big decisions to make. She wondered if this was how Oliver felt all of the time as The Arrow. Like one single choice, good or bad, could cause a ripple effect in everyone around him. It felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She'd been strong enough to bear the burden of taking down Brother Eye thus far. Now that that part of her life was nearly over, what Felicity really had to decide was if she had anything left to offer.

The next morning, Felicity got up early to accompany Oliver to Queen Consolidated. She chose to wear one of her nicer work dresses. It was a rich blue with long sleeves and a peplum cut at the waist. After pulling up in front of the building, Diggle got out to open Oliver's door. Felicity slid across the backseat and followed him out.

Looking up, Felicity was in awe. "Whoa." She'd only ever seen the building from afar. Up close, it towered over the neighboring structures with its long frame and sleek paneling. "It must take forever to wash all of those windows." She nervously readjusted her glasses. None of the companies she'd consulted for even came close to the size and scale of QC. Felicity knew it was a ridiculous thought, considering how many major corporations she'd been able to breach with her super virus.

Oliver led her inside and to the front desk, where she was given a guest pass. "You've got full access, so you shouldn't have a problem getting around," he informed her.

"Where exactly will we be going?"

"There's a conference room next to my office. We'll be meeting with the IT team there in ten minutes."

"Great," Felicity muttered as they waited for the elevator.

"Don't be nervous," Oliver said knowingly. She shook her head like she wasn't, but the biting of the lip gave her away.

Finally, the elevator doors opened. Oliver pressed the button for the top floor and tried to get the doors closed when another man rushed on.

"Man, that was close." He pushed the button for the fourteenth floor. The second he noticed Felicity his grin of relief formed into a cocky leer. "Where you headed, sweetie?"

Irked, Oliver answered for her, "The executive floor." The guy's expression immediately dropped, which gave Oliver a thrill of satisfaction.

"Oh, Mr. Queen, I didn't see you there."

Oliver remained silent, enjoying watching him squirm.

"Great weather we're having this week, right?"

"I don't know," he curtly replied. "I heard it might rain later today."

"Oh. Yeah. Bummer," he stuttered. When they reached his floor, the guy practically ran off of the elevator.

"You do realize you almost gave that poor guy a heart attack," Felicity told him. "You can be kind of scary when you want."

"Maybe next time he'll treat my female employees with a little more respect."

"How very chivalrous of you," the blonde teased.

"Oh yeah, I'm a real white knight." Oliver let her get off the elevator first and then took the lead through the double doors to his assistant's area.

Carrie was already standing to greet him. Since it was a Saturday, Oliver hadn't expected her to be in. He'd told her as much, but Carrie was dedicated to her job. If Oliver was working this weekend, she would be, too. "Good morning, Oliver. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes. One black for me and the other with cream and three sugars for Miss Smoak."

"Excuse me?"

He stepped aside to reveal Felicity, who'd been too busy staring at the giant office to pay attention. At the sound of her name, Felicity looked over at them. She nearly took a step back at the redhead's intense glare. It was obvious that she'd been annoyed with Felicity at the club because of the stain debacle, but Felicity hadn't expected her to hold a grudge. It only took seconds for Felicity to figure out the problem, since Carrie was suspiciously all smiles again when she had Oliver's full attention.

"Carrie, you remember Felicity Smoak. Felicity, this is my executive assistant Carrie Cutter."

"It's nice to formally meet you," Felicity responded, offering her hand like an olive branch.

Carrie barely shook it as she gave Felicity the once-over before declaring in an overly-bright voice that she'd get their coffee.

"Well, she's delightful."

Oliver shrugged and directed her into his office. The conference room, as he said, was next to it. There were already four men sitting down, talking.

"Is that the entire team?"

"It's the CTO and his top technicians."

"Oh, frack," she whispered to herself. When Oliver had mentioned her meeting with his IT team, she didn't think he'd meant the guys at the very top. Almost instantly she'd recognized Ray Palmer. The SmartWatches he'd developed were practically legendary.

"Here you are." Carrie's high-pitched voice jolted Felicity out of her internal meltdown. She added much more quietly, "Try not to spill it this time."

Felicity stared at the coffee and contemplated taking a sip. With her luck, Oliver's assistant probably poisoned it. It seemed like everyone was out to get her.

"You ready?" Oliver inquired.

Taking a deep breath, Felicity centered herself. She could totally do this. It was her creation that had them stumped, after all. There was no reason she should feel lesser than them. If Felicity could digitally erase her criminal involvement with a high-profile cyber-terrorist group run by her ass of an ex-boyfriend who she effectively set up, then she could surely handle one measly meeting. "Let's do this."

In between reading proposals and returning emails, Oliver checked his watch. It had been about five hours since Felicity had gone off with Ray and the IT team to work on the system. They must've done something right, because their internal network was running smoothly once again. Oliver had stayed in the initial meeting for only ten minutes before he realized that Felicity no longer needed him. The more intense the tech talk, the more confident she became. Oliver had to bite back a grin at the way the guys had been staring at her, dumbfounded, as she told them exactly what they needed to do to reboot the system. All of it sounded like gibberish to his own ears. He learned to understand Chinese in less time.

Carrie buzzed in, "Oliver, would you like me to order you lunch?"

"Get enough for two," he replied when he saw Diggle come through the door and close it behind him.

"How's your day going?"

"Busy but boring. You?"

"I spoke to my contact at Glades Memorial. He said that the trucks being targeted were carrying medical-grade opiates. There's talk of the Chinese Triad being involved in the hijackings. No concrete evidence, but it's a lead."

"Good. We'll do some reconnaissance tonight and see if we can narrow it down further."

"Speaking of, has Felicity given you an answer yet?"

Sighing, Oliver rubbed his hands over his eyes. "No, not yet." It had been in the back of his mind all day.

"Clock's ticking, Oliver."

"I know, Diggle," Oliver bit out. He'd expected Felicity to say something this morning during breakfast. Instead, nothing. Not even an acknowledgement of his offer. Patience was not one of Oliver's virtues.

"Oliver," came Carrie's voice once more. "Miss Smoak is back. Want me to tell her to wait?"

"No, send her in." Felicity was grinning from ear to ear when she entered. Oliver took that as a good sign. "How'd it go?"

"Oh my God, it was so awesome!" Felicity gushed. "Ray let me hook into the mainframe. I swear I've only dreamed of touching his equipment." Realizing the wrongness of what she said-she really needed to rethink using that phrase-Felicity hastily clarified, "I mean, not his equipment equipment. What I meant was QC's equipment that Ray just happens to be in charge of. Anyway, your system is back and better than ever."

"I've noticed. Have you eaten lunch? I can have Carrie add to my order."

"Actually, I just came from the cafeteria. Have you ever eaten in there? It's pretty great. There's this huge latte machine and if you push a button, it makes this pattern on your foam-"

"Yes, I know about the cafeteria."

She smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sure. Of course you would, since you run the company and all."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Felicity."

"Your assistant hates me, but other than that it's been great. I have to say, I could get used to Corporate America. If only Cooper could hear me now. He'd totally freak," she gleefully declared.

It was the perfect segue for Oliver. "Now that you mention Cooper, have you thought about what we discussed? Not to pressure you, Felicity, but time is of the essence."

Felicity took the seat in front of his desk. "Yes, I have. I'll help you find Merlyn while taking down Cooper, but that's it. Then I want to finally have the life of a normal IT girl. That's my offer. Take it or leave it."

"Okay," Oliver agreed. Her offer was fair enough. He stood and held his hand out to her, which she tentatively took. "Welcome to the team. If everything is all set here, we can head out."

"Where are we going?"

"It's time you saw the other part of my world."

They were back at Verdant. It was odd to see it so empty during the day. Felicity had become accustomed to the loud music and packed crowds. They crossed the dance floor and went down another hallway that led to a secured door. Oliver punched in a code on the keypad, and it popped open a second later.

Felicity stared at the long staircase that led into the darkness. "This isn't the part where you say you'll kill me if I ever reveal your secret identity, is it?"

"That goes without saying."

She eyed him skeptically. It seemed like Oliver was joking, but it was hard to tell with him. He flipped a switch near the railing and motioned for her to go ahead. It's now or never. Felicity took the lead and descended the stairs. When she got to the bottom, her mouth dropped open in awe. It was dark and dank despite the florescent lights and filled with equipment. Some of it for sparring while displays held arrows and other weapons.

"So this is The Arrow Cave."

"We don't call it that," Oliver said from behind her.

"Was that van your designated Arrow Mobile?" she teased.

"Stop."

Grinning, she walked over to the glass case that held The Arrow suit and bow. Felicity ran her fingers along the limbs and bow string. "Cool." Glancing to the right, she noticed a table set up with a few computer monitors. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." Oliver watched as she took a seat and started typing away. Felicity must've been in her element, because she didn't speak for a few minutes. Oliver looked to Diggle, who shrugged back as if to say "let her do her thing."

Finally she declared, "No wonder you need my help. This setup...it literally hurts me in my soul."

"That bad?" Diggle questioned.

"This system looks like it's from the eighties." Felicity spun in her chair to face them. "And not the good part of the eighties, like Madonna and, well, leg warmers."

"How long would it take you to fix it?"

"A few hours to make some upgrades, but a serious overhaul will take me a few days. I might even need something with more processing power."

"Let Diggle know, and he'll get it for you. Until then, we've got a bit of a situation. The FEMA trucks with emergency medical supplies for Glades Memorial are being hijacked. We need to figure out when the next delivery is going to be made and make sure it gets there safely."

"I'll see what I can do." She was just about to whip back around in her chair when something caught her eye. It looked like a tall pull-up bar but with odd rungs. "What is that?"

"A salmon ladder. It's for working out," Diggle explained. "You do pull-ups and then hook the bar up into the next level."

Felicity's eyes widened. "Yeah, pull-ups were never my thing. Pretty sure I would crack my skull on that, too."

"It's not for you. Don't worry," Diggle reassured her. "But now that you'll be working with us, it wouldn't hurt for you to learn some self-defense. Starling City is a lot rougher than what you're used to. I'd sleep better knowing you can handle yourself-at least a little bit."

"Thanks, Diggle, but I probably couldn't even take down one of your arms." When he chuckled, she added, "Just saying."

"We'll teach you a few basics as a precaution," Oliver agreed. "You won't be in the field, so I doubt you'll ever have to use them."

"Yay," Felicity muttered with as much enthusiasm as a kid at the doctor's office. She swiveled in her chair, eager to return to a world she fully understood. Stretching her fingers, Felicity dove into the network. Once she was finished with these upgrades, the bad guys wouldn't stand a chance.