AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know story development is slower than usual compared to my other stories but we will get to Olicity in a way that will throw all of us on a loop. It's going to be a couple of chapters down the road. My wacked brain demanded that I create all the frenetic frenzy first.

After Oliver's POV last chapter, this will go back to Felicity's POV and how she met John Diggle. This chapter completes my Arrow Original Three, the reason why I watch Arrow.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. And, all the mistakes are mine.

I don't want to plead but I am encouraged to write by your show of support so if you have the time:

· drop a review here

· follow me on Twitter and tweet me – lollipopsays

· follow me on Tumblr – everything lollipop

· read my other stories on Archive Of Our Own (AO3) - lollipopdiaries

THE NEW BRATVA CAPTAIN

Chapter 3

Felicity wasn't dumb. Hell, she had an IQ of 155, she was a genius!

As much as the past week had her unhinged with everything Anatoly and being thrust abruptly in the middle of the Bratva business, Felicity still held on to a small amount of her usual cynical look at life.

She was abandoned by her father at a young age. Although largely present in her life, she was left to her own devices by her mother. She took care of herself, knew she could rely on nobody but herself. She never saw the world through rose colored glasses. She also wasn't a half-empty glass kind of girl.

No, life threw her curve balls at a very young age. She pitched each one back perfectly. She was a survivor.

This latest curve ball with Bratva business, she knew something sinister was lurking beyond the calculated smiles of Anatoly Knyazev.

Being appointed Captain of the Bratva was always a careful decision. A position as powerful, meaningful and symbolic is something a man of Anatoly's stature thought about with careful planning. As much as his flowery words about how she had saved his life had sealed her fate, therefore earned her the position of Captain. Felicity knew much, much more was in play.

She needed a core team to work with, her Bratva inner circle. Anatoly had instructed her to have that circle in place as soon as she could. He had even suggested some names she could think about, introduced her to some, the Queens among them.

But more importantly, he gave her a fatherly warning that her life was now a hundred times more dangerous, threats on her life would be abundant. How she felt about Anatoly was polarizing. At face value, he was all charm and support. Beyond that, he was to sum it up in one word, deadly.

She needed a lot of things. Her priorities included a trusted security detail and a fortress of a house to live in.

Money was not an object, she had been given access to at least a couple of Bratva bank accounts, one for her personal use – unlimited funds to buy a sprawling property that was fitting for a Bratva Captain, salaries for the employed workers for that house as well as the security team, car, vans and SUVs, groceries and whatever she needed, whatever she wanted.

The second Bratva account was for official transactions of the Russian mob. Every single transaction was to be recorded into that account which was carefully guarded by a trusted Bratva soldier of Anatoly, a bespectacled quiet man, Andrew Diggle.

She had met Andrew Diggle the day that Anatoly and Felicity had moved into the 2-bedroom hotel suite. She had seen the man come and go, talking in hush tones with Anatoly since then. But it had only been yesterday that Anatoly had finally invited her to join the two of them. His words exactly, 'it's time for you to get your hands dirty and learn the inside of how things worked with Bratva transactions.'

And Anatoly had been serious when he said she learn the ropes. The three of them had stayed up the whole night, Anatoly listening and inserting a word or two as Andrew gave Felicity a detailed account of each of the transactions that were contained in the account.

The account was under a shell company name, Stellmore International. Felicity was dizzy with all the information that she had to grasp, unprepared for the detailed lesson on Bratva business.

What she took away from that orientation was that Bratva was big business, very big business. It had its hand dipped into a lot of different industries, Industries that were important and raked in a ton of money. The way the business worked was Bratva always got a cut of the action and in return it provided security, stability and opportunities to those companies. And these were big named companies not only within Starling but in the surrounding Cities too.

Andrew Diggle recorded the inflows and outflows of those transactions. He was the source of information in case a company defaulted on their 'obligation' to the Russian mob. How the 'disrespect' would be handled - a sudden loss of funds, a defective or faulty product that would ruin a company, a few well placed whispered, a threat of death whether this be family members or to the executives themselves, bodily harm and when merited, the finality of death. These were all now to be the part of what Felicity as Bratva Captain had been entrusted with, the power to decide on behalf of Anatoly.

There would be no more clearances needed from Anatoly, except for some very few exceptions that needed to be elevated to his level, including decisions regarding the Triad.

As much as Felicity had tried to size up Andrew Diggle, the man had quite a poker face. Whatever his thought where about her, Andrew seemed to keep his cards very close to his chest.

The dynamic between Andrew and Anatoly had been cordial at best. No small talk was ever made between the two of them, it was business the moment they sat down until they wrapped up. Although, Felicity sensed a certain courtesy respect Andrew always showed Anatoly, Andrew did not seem anything like the usual Bratva crowd Anatoly associated with.

And it seemed like, much like Felicity, Anatoly didn't quite trust Andrew Diggle fully as well. Andrew, as far as Felicity could observe had two guards with him at all times serving as driver and assistant at the same time. Both the guards would report to Anatoly too, probably giving the Bratva leader detailed information on the day to day life of Andrew.

No, at the end of the day, every one still reported back to Anatoly, not to her. She was probably Starling's version of the Queen of England to Anatoly's Prime Minister. She was the face on display but he was the iron fist still ruling.

It was very clear to Felicity that she was in a lose-lose situation that could end with her losing her life.

But everything had been cast in stone. She had been introduced to the world as the new Bratva Captain of Starling City. At face value, she had been receiving courtesy respect from the Bratva members. What she knew was she needed sooner than later to build her inner circle of trust.

Where to go, what to do. She accepted that maybe for the first time ever she was out of her depth.

On the day of Anatoly's departure, she had dutifully been in his send-off party. A small amount of Anatoly's security team had stayed on to provided her security. She had at least two with her plus a tail car present. Not yet counting the night shift that surrounded her temporary residence, the 2-bedroom hotel suite.

That same evening, Felicity had all but commanded that Andy Diggle meet her for dinner. She was determined to get a read on the mafia accountant. Promptly at 8, Andy walked into the restaurant along with his usual security detail.

"Ms. Smoak, I know you are new at this. It is highly irregular not to mention quite unexpected for us to be seen in public together. Granted you are a new face. But our associates have always been careful about being seen in a public setting. Private meetings are more of our thing," Andy nudged his glasses back up as they took quite a dip to the edge of his nose.

Felicity tilted her head to one side before she answered him. "Well, I have always believed that a healthy balance of public and private meetings make our insides less restless. Relax Andy, I don't bite," Felicity gave him a smile, a public smile that she had been practiced in during the last week.

Andy looked around the restaurant as if searching for somebody before his eyes rested back on his new Captain.

"If I may offer you an ounce of advice, trust no one. I don't what got you mixed up in all this business. Unfortunately there is only one way out for all of us. You are too young to die before you have lived."

Felicity gave Andy a once over and smiled, "you seem particularly interested in my health when we have not even hurdled the lovely swap of stories about the how's and why's we are are the most unlikely mob movers and shakers. All that can be topics for another day. Right now I just want us to enjoy this dinner." Felicity signaled the waiter to approach.

"I'll have a glass of red wine and he'll have….." Felicity's voice trailed off.

"Just water, thank you."

Felicity's hand stopped the waiter from moving away, "Andy," Felicity challenged him.

After a moment Andy exhaled and said, "scotch, neat."

"See, that wasn't really difficult was it. It isn't as if I wanted to loosen your tongue so you could spill some secrets. We are on the same team after all," Felicity raised her brows at him.

Andy leaned back a bit assessing her, "you are tougher than you look, aren't you. I mean, outside…you're as fragile as any innocent girl way over her head but I now see an inner strength inside of you." Playing with his glasses again before he continued, "you will need it. All of it."

Felicity tilted her head again in thought before she nodded.

Unknown to Felicity, she was being observed by a third party, every movement, every pause, every expression on her face, analyzed.

This voyeur had a particular interest in her.

His mission was to assess, appraise and evaluate his subject.

He took careful notes in his mind. He was trained for this.

Across town the Queens where gathered together at Moira's study at the Queen Mansion.

Oliver, Walter and Moira where doing their post-assessment review of Anatoly and the changes he had made. With Anatoly's departure back to Russia, things had quieted down for the day. But, the changes within Bratva was just at the beginning.

"Maybe we shouldn't really care that the girl is just being used by Anatoly?"

"The girl Oliver, is Felicity Smoak. To this day she is a recognized employee of Queen Consolidated as well as our new Captain. It is in our best interest to provide her with at least some semblance of support," Moira insisted.

Oliver and Moira had been on opposing views on how to handle the new Captain. Moira, being ingrained in the traditional Bratva way was loyal to the chain of command so to speak. Her son was more a rebel, a non-traditional thinker, therefore he had yet to throw in his full support in recognizing the existence of the new Captain.

Sure, Oliver had seen it with his own eyes. The eventuality when the naïve and ignorant new Captain would be sacrificed for the greater good of the Bratva. Anatoly had hinted as much to him. As yet, he felt no need to come to the aid of the young woman, no matter how attractively innocent she appeared.

"Oliver, if I may…your mother is partially right. It has always been our nature and I am sure your father will agree, to come to the aid of fellow Bratva members who are caught in the crossfire. At the very least, offer her a temporary home. This fortress will be able to keep her safe until she has moved into more suitable dwellings. There is also the threat of the Triad. No matter how repulsive the new Captain is in your eyes, if anything were to happen to her. It would cripple the Bratva even further more. Make us appear weak in the eyes of the world," Walter reasoned with Oliver.

Oliver rubbed his face in frustration.

In the middle of dinner a screech of tires was heard then automatic weapons were fired at the entrance and windows of the restaurant.

Felicity and Andy, both sheltered by the ugly business of war and guns had both frozen for a moment before someone shouted for them to get down on the floor.

Felicity noted a particular commanding voice shouting, "Andy get down." And it definitely wasn't any of Andy's or her security team.

She could hear the burst of gunfire and it sounded like return fire was being made. Maybe a full battle was interrupting outside or was it inside, Felicity couldn't distinguish anymore. She had her hands over her ears and could feel prickles of glass punching some of her skin conscious of nothing else until a hand landed over her arm.

"Come, behind me. My brother refuses to leave you here. Just follow my instructions so you won't be more trouble than you're worth," came the commanding voice that had Felicity's immediate attention.

Felicity was pulled to the back of the restaurant, following the commands of the big muscled guy as if she had known him all her life.

Many minutes later, they were all huddled on a back street together with the big guy dividing his attention from checking out the extent of their injuries to doing some recon work to find a way to get them to safety.

"I need you press down on Andy's stomach, a large piece of glass cut through, we need him not to lose more blood than he already has. Use this," the stranger removed his jacket, folded it over Andy's injury and pulled both of Felicity's hand on top of the jacket, "press down hard."

Felicity resisted from wisecracking a 'yes sir," given the gravity of the situation around them and automatically followed the commands of the stranger.

"I will have to leave you for a few seconds. I have to find a way to get us out of here. Need to get in touch with my contact. You think you'll be fine with Andy here?"

Felicity nodded her head automatically.

Giving her one more searching glance probably assessing if he should trust her, he nodded to acknowledge her. Before leaving he said, "I'm John Diggle by the way, Andy is my older brother, and I already know who you are."

END OF CHAPTER…

Enter John Diggle! Guess who is making an appearance during the next chapter...i guarantee that you will NEVER guess it right!