A/N: Had a blast writing this for obvious reasons! I would also like to say a thank you to your fantastic support in the reviews and interesting arguments regarding different topics! It's always such a treat to see one of your reviews.

Synopsis: Nightwing makes a return in Starling City's hectic nightlife, and his real identity is revealed to Team Arrow in the process. The big news comes as a surprise and they must all deal with the fallout that could change much in all their lives. Meanwhile, Jane has an offer regarding Oliver's role in Queen Consolidated.

I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!

3x05: Nightwing

Felicity wrung her hands as she settled into Dick's comfortable sofa. Her blonde waves cushioned her head as she leaned against the backrest and let herself enjoy a moment of silence and comfort after a long evening of talking.

She distantly heard Dick say goodnight to their dinner company by the front door. It had been their first couples' dinner with two close friends of Dick's that he knew from the police force. Overall, Felicity would grade the evening as pretty successful, but her heart hadn't been entirely in it. She'd been back a handful of days since her grandfather's funeral in Vegas and life was no less hectic than before.

As far as work went, Amanda Waller had taken a particular interest in a case she wanted to debrief Team Arrow about later that same evening. Felicity knew she ought to have prepared herself more for that, but had ended up prioritizing this dinner instead.

Because more than anything right now, her boyfriend kept overshadowing the rest of her troubles. Boyfriend...The word still tasted a bit funnily, even in her thoughts alone. She'd never really had a proper boyfriend in the past. She really liked Dick and he was good for her in so many ways. Still, to be in a relationship was brand new and at times difficult, and things weren't exactly made easier by the heavy secret she carried locked inside her guarded heart. And that was the very core of the problem.

"Earth to Felicity Smoak," Dick called from the open doorway and the blonde jumped in her seat. The man flashed her a crooked grin as he stepped into the living room and sat down beside her. His arm landed behind her head as he leaned closer, his side gently pressing against hers. "You were far away just now…. Everything okay? Were you thinking about your grandfather?"

"Eh, no…" Felicity smiled timidly. "Just… thinking about the dinner party tonight. It was nice meeting Laura and Phil. They seemed pretty normal. Nice."

Dick's eyes sparkled in the lit candles he'd placed here and there on the open surfaces in the room. "You said that once already."

The woman grimaced as she fully turned to face him and felt his proximity almost intoxicate her. She stuttered, "I-I'm really sorry I said that joke about toupees. I didn't even consider that Phil was sitting across from me with his own horrendous toupee askew. I just wanted to make a good, first impression and be naturally funny, but that was just a natural disaster. I-"

"Felicity…" the man breathed as he tugged her closer to his side. She stopped babbling at once. Her eyes darted up to meet his and his piercing gaze held both worry and affection as he pointed out, "You're doing that talking thing."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Not at all. Just want to make sure you're doing alright before I let you continue."

"I'm fine. It's just…" she hesitated on the edge of a hurdle she'd never leaped across and decided to throw herself over it. "We've been going out for almost two months now. And, I've never had a relationship last beyond that. I think we need to talk. The talk, I mean."

Felicity could literally feel his strong, impressive muscles tense where his side touched hers. Dick seemed frozen in trepidation and his voice held a weary edge, "You're saying we're over?"

"No!" she reassured hurriedly. "I'm saying I don't want us to be over… I like you-like you. A lot. More than most other guys I've dated in the past. Not that there's been too many of them, or anything. I don't want you to think… A regular amount of guys. Or fewer, perhaps... I don't really know what counts as a regular amount."

The smile returned to the man's face as he relaxed back against her. Felicity, too, shared his relief. She much preferred him like this. Warm and relaxed. It was a pleasant change from other broodier people she hung around. In the glow of the candles, she noticed how the relaxation brought out the best in his sharp features. Dick was a handsome man, she's always thought so. Still, she felt like a child as he flashed her a confident smile laced with so much affection.

"So you're essentially saying you like me?"

"In my own roundabout way, yes."

His hand gently stroked a lock of hair from her cheek and his touch lingered there for another second. "And don't want to break up?"

"No!"

"… Then why do we need to have the talk?"

Felicity shrugged as she pondered his question. "I wanted to warn you that I'm not good with this…?"

"You're good at talking."

"But not good at relationships," she pointed out without missing a beat. "I feel like I should be honest with you."

"You're not being honest?" Dick asked and his eyes danced with laughter. "Hmm, let me guess… A husband and four kids in Canada? A sex change?!"

She swatted at his arm as he made a ridiculous face. Her laughter rang clear in the air as he leaned down to steal a kiss. His lips brushed against hers with such utter affection it nearly caught her off-guard and she lost herself to the sensation. She particularly liked the butterflies in her stomach that made for a pleasant tingle.

Before long, he pulled back and whispered, "Whatever it is… I'm not going to rush you, Felicity. You can tell me in your own time."

"I can't, though," she muttered and shook her head when words failed her. She'd practically said too much already about her secret life, and this was a line in the sand she couldn't cross. "It's complicated."

Dick nodded. "It always is."

"... And I'm afraid I have to go," she said as she glanced down at her watch and leisurely pulled herself up from the couch. She hated to leave like this, but Amanda Waller woulndn't be very happy if she was late. Not that much seemed to make her happy, but some things made her especially unhappy.

Her boyfriend held onto her hand and rose along with her. "Must you?"

"You know I have that meeting tonight."

"Ah, yes…" Dick nodded slowly as he followed her into the hallway. "The meeting you can't tell me anything about either?"

"That's the IT business for you," she half-lied and flashed him a bright grin. She hated lying to him, but this wasn't optional. She pecked his cheek as she shrugged on her jacket. "What can I say? Even we nerds have strict confidential contracts."

"Doctor Death?" Felicity moaned as she eyed the file in her hand. "Why can it never be Doctor Cuddles or even Strangelove? …Well, maybe not Dr Strangelove."

Her eyes rose to her company in the small conference room at the A.R.G.U.S HQ. Oliver and Dig sat beside her on the ergonomic, Danish chairs that made her butt itch. She'd made Oliver promise never to purchase anything of the sort to their lair. She shuffled in her seat as she turned her eyes to Amanda Waller's steady frame. The stern woman stood poised before them, with her head held high as usual. The monitor on the wall behind their boss showed a photography of a man in his fifties. His hair was thin, but quite flattering despite of it. His pale eyes were normal, and didn't seem to echo well with his colorful moniker. His nose was long and narrow, while his cheekbones were quite sharp despite his age.

"His full name, Agent Smoak," the Wall began in her smooth, yet roughly impassive, voice, "is Seth Hellfern."

"Who is he?" Oliver asked as he looked up from his own file. "What's his relevance to A.R.G.U.S?"

"Dr Hellfern used to work as a scientist in Gotham City over six years ago," Amanda explained. "He used his intelligence and advanced skills with different chemical compounds to create a drug with which he aimed to blackmail the Gotham City elite for funding."

"Why?"

"His son was dying of a rare muscle disease. He needed funding to experiment in hope of finding a cure. Before he could put his scheme into action, he had an accident."

"Accident?" it was John's voice that interrupted this time.

Amanda changed the photo on the screen behind her to a more recent shot of the same man. This time he was disfigured; the right side of his face badly burned and covered with old scar tissue that greatly distorted all his previous features.

"His lab blew up," the Wall explained simply without any emotion. "Dr Hellfern was present in the lab when it exploded and some of the chemicals hit his body, leaving him disfigured on the outside but they also affected his mind. He went into a coma for a brief period, and while he was in the hospital; his son passed away. When he came to, the chemicals and his sudden loss had changed his mind forever. He became a-"

"Supervillain?" Felicity supplied.

Amanda eyed the younger woman but eventually gave her a slight nod as if she could accept that term. "When he'd recovered from his injuries, he left Gotham never to return and settled here in Starling. He became obsessed with the idea of controlling someone's mind like a toy soldier. While he was doing experiments in his laboratory, the police caught him. He was sentenced and placed in Iron Heights."

"Don't tell me..." the blonde closed her eyes tight. "He's one of the prisoners who managed to escape last month in the mayhem?"

"His absence wasn't documented, but A.R.G.U.S recently received word of Doctor Death's escape. It appears he may have been the cause for the heist against the prison."

Felicity bit her bottom lip as she processed the news and follower the other woman's line of thinking. "The hackers. They must have altered the records. Made Doctor Death disappear entirely from Iron Heights data base? I'm assuming he's the only one missing from the data base?"

"Correct," Waller inclined her head briskly. "I let my team follow your instructions after you returned from Las Vegas. They tracked the users and compared their digital identity with the robbers you encountered in Las Vegas. It appears they were indeed the same hackers: The Barnes' twins."

"Well, the twins won't be giving us a hard time again, at least," Diggle sighed from his seat. "One dead, one imprisoned. Of course, he could lead us to whomever hired them to break into Iron Heights in the first place."

"We tried. The brother in prison refuses to talk," Amanda clarified. "There are other methods to try, of course."

"How?" Oliver interrupted with a curious tone and everyone turned to him. "You said Dr Hellfern wanted to control people here in Starling; how?"

"It's mainly uncertain. He was arrested while still experimenting on the drug in question and everything destroyed as the police took him in. The drug remained unfinished and the chemical compounds not identified."

"You're suspecting he's back in the game, doing more experiments?" Oliver asked. "That it was the very reason he was taken out of Iron Heights?"

"He's been spotted in the area around the secluded North Street. Before he was caught by the police, we suspected he had a secret laboratory in that neighborhood," Waller explained and squared her shoulders as she gazed at her employees. "I need the three of you to head to the location tomorrow night and bring Doctor Death here before he can create the dangerous drug. I think we'd all prefer to avoid another Mirakuru-incident."

"Tonight was good. It was nice to see you again, man! I feel like I hardly see you anymore these days," Sin breathed as she stepped onto the dark streets and felt the chill of the dark night creep inside her leather jacket. She glanced back over her shoulder as her friend stepped onto the curb next to her. "I mean, between your job in the bar and whatever else you're still refusing to tell me… You're a man with a very busy calendar."

Roy chuckled as he shrugged on his own, worn jacket and nodded to the guard at the entrance. After everything with the Mirakuru and Thea leaving Starling, he'd longed for some normalcy again. He didn't want to trade his night-time activities for anything, but his personal life was a different matter entirely. He'd gotten as a busboy at the night club Poison, which gave him enough money to pay his rent and still gave him time to don the mask in the dead of night afterwards. All in all, he felt pretty content with his life nowadays.

"What can I say," he joked, "I'm a popular guy."

"You haven't heard from Thea, have you?" Sin asked and her voice was hesitant as if walking on pins and needles.

"Not since she left," came the gruff reply as Roy looked ahead into night as they walked side by side down the street.

The young woman grimaced. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to step on any toes… I just kind of miss the lanky chick, you know?"

Roy listened with one ear as they stepped past a group of people and his eyes caught sight of a familiar shape in an alley further ahead. The body stepped out of sight almost immediately, and Roy hesitated on the curb.

"Abercrombie? Hello…? Is this thing on?" Sin asked as she tapped the side of his head.

"Eh, what? Sorry… I didn't mean to space out like that."

The young woman frowned and something terrified flashed past in her big eyes. "Are you okay? This isn't like some late side-effect to your... flu-shot?"

"No, no! I'm fine," Roy swiftly reassured and suppressed the memories of his Mirakuru-enhanced days. He glanced back towards the alley and explained himself, "I just remembered that I need to do something before going home. But you're right; it was fun tonight. We should do something soon again. Call me?"

"…Sure thing, Abercrombie."

He hugged his short friend and rushed across the street. He glanced back and saw Sin walk in the opposite direction. He released a breath. Positive neither Sin nor anyone else was paying him attention, he slipped unnoticed into the dark alley.

The sound of his shoes against the ground echoed in the narrow alleyway as he walked past a few dumpsters. The smell of garbage invaded his nose, but he easily tuned the notion out of his head. His eyes scanned the deep shadows until he caught sight of the tall figure further into the alleyway.

The muscular man clad in a simple, black costume stepped out of the shadows and met him half-way. Though part of the man's face was hidden behind the domino mask, Roy recognized the wry grin that spread on his full lips.

"Did I startle you?" Nightwing asked in a teasing tone.

"Kind of," the younger man agreed, not in the mood for brotherly teasing at the moment. "It's been awhile, you know."

The masked vigilante shrugged his broad, muscular shoulders as he read his friend's body language. Accepting of the more honest approach, the man admitted in a clear voice, "I've been busy."

"Blüdhaven?"

Nightwing nodded. "The mob's been scattered. Blüdhaven is clean again."

"And Starling?"

"There's still a lot of work here," the other man shook his head and disappointment flashed in his dark eyes. "Which is why I came to you. I could need your help with something. It's a small favor, but still."

Roy shuffled from his feet as he recognized the pleading tone to his friend's voice and carefully pondered what went unsaid thus far. "You mean… my curricular activities. My team."

Nightwing inclined his head sharply. "Do you know anything about Doctor Death?"

"Eh, except for it not sounding like a doctor I'd like to treat any illness of mine? No."

"This mission may be related to A.R.G.U.S," the vigilante clarified.

Roy shrugged his shoulders as he held his friend's gaze. "You know I don't work for them."

"But your teammates are working his case."

"Doesn't mean I have the same information as they do, you know that…" Roy explained pointedly. He paused to consider his options. It was true, he hadn't talked to Nightwing - with or without normal clothing - in a while and he'd preferred their meeting to be between old friends instead of potential partners. Still, he also knew the man well enough to know there were never any ulterior motives behind his actions, and that he wouldn't have come to him with this if it couldn't be potentially life changing. "You've never asked about our missions before. A.R.G.U.S or otherwise. Why bother now?"

"I can't say, Roy."

"Right. Well, I hate lying to my team."

Nightwing exhaled slowly and nodded his head. Understanding flashed by in his eyes like a clear day on the sea, and he said, "I never meant for you to protect my lie like this, Roy."

"It's cool, man…" the younger man reassured. "We all have secrets. Sometimes you need someone to share them with."

Reading between the lines, the masked vigilante tilted his head to the side. In the light from a nearby lamppost, Roy could see his eyes squint with intellect and curiosity. "You want me to tell your team the truth?"

"I think you want to… Nightwing."

"Point taken," the other man said in an amused tone that still carried a darker undertone which he could not disguise.

Roy sighed slowly as he held his friend's gaze. "I'm sorry, I can't help you with this."

"Then I'll have to find out by myself," Nightwing said and bowed his head low in acceptance of the momentary defeat.

Early next morning, Oliver stepped out of the familiar elevator with doors the color of molted amber. He glanced to the right, in the direction of his and Felicity's old offices. He saw an unfamiliar woman sitting in the office straight ahead, busily typing on her keyboard. He exhaled deeply and turned to the left instead. He walked down the corridor, which felt like the Green mile this day, and turned to the office on the right. He knocked on the open glass door and walked into the small empty office. No executive assistant to meet him, he noticed. That was somewhat unexpected.

"Ollie!" he glanced to the side and saw Jane open the glass door to her wider, adjacent office. She wore a pale, figure hugging dress and her hair loose as she smiled up at him. "Please step on in."

He followed her beckoning call and stepped into her office. He'd been in this particular room only a handful of times in the past and his eyes darted across the room. It was mainly the same as his old office, except the view out of the panorama windows faced the East instead of the West.

"CFO…" he mused and his gaze followed Jane as she stepped around the wide desk and she nodded for him to join her.

"I know," the Brit grimaced wearily. "It's not quite the title we were hoping for, but the board wouldn't surrender the CEO post to me. Not yet. Simon Cross is too influential over the board members at present time. In fact… They voted him full CEO. I voted in his favor, too."

"Why?" Oliver frowned as he took a seat.

Jane hesitated. A shadow crossed her fair features as she admitted, "It was a trade of sorts. Simon Cross won the CEO title… in exchange for you gaining one of the empty seats of the board. If you want it."

Stunned into silence, Oliver blinked and rose from the chair. He walked over to the windows and looked outside. One step forward, two steps back, it seemed. The CEO post would have given him indirect control of his company while he saved up for the purchase. Still, it wasn't an entire loss. Jane's suggestion had come out of the blue, and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. While he hadn't truly believed they'd win the CEO-post so soon, he hadn't expected direct influence on the board either. A seat on the board wouldn't afford him much power in the grand scheme of things, but it was a foot in through the door from which he could reclaim the rest.

"Being on the board won't be enough," Jane whispered as Oliver's gaze steadfastly looked out the window. "We both know that. You've always been a public figure, Ollie. If you want to get QC back… you have to be one again. With all the pressure, scrutiny and stress that comes with it… I only advice you to take that into consideration. The press will go wild when they learn you're back on the board. Think about it. I want your answer by the end of the week, if you don't mind."

Oliver glanced back over his shoulder and saw her hesitate. "Is there more?"

"I have one more piece of advice," her voice was firm and warm at once, and reminded him more than a little about his mother. Her tense posture was goal-driven yet held a certain warmth as she said, "You'll need all the help you can get. With the press and the board. A public work on your resumé could be the first step for you. I know you don't actually work with investments, as Walter claims you do."

Not entirely surprised, Oliver turned to face the young blonde. "You checked up on me?"

"I was asked to help recover a multi-billion company to a playboy billionaire son with more than a few questionably drunken years and who practically handed off the company to begin with due to a lack of commitment and faulty taste in women."

"… Guess I'm not the only one with trust issues, Killer."

Jane shook her head. "I don't need to know what you do right now. You don't have to confide in me, Ollie... All that matters is that I believe you can do this, despite popular opinion. But the change has to start with you. If you don't take this seriously, if this is all about stroking your male ego… Please tell me now. If you won't actually commit to your family's business if you don't understand what it will take… why should I help you?"

That night Oliver suited up in his green costume and brought Felicity and Diggle with him to apprehend Doctor Death, or at the very least find evidence that could lead A.R.G.U.S to his whereabouts. Amanda Waller had sent them to a remote location in the Northern corner of Starling City. The modern building in question looked seemingly forgotten from the outside, but Felicity soon hacked into the security system and noticed it was running on high alert. From her computer, she hacked into the security cameras and informed the guys that the coast was clear. There was no sight of Seth Hellfern, but Oliver figured there was a chance they could still find evidence to lead them forward unto dawn.

Felicity remained in the front seat of the van, with her laptop resting across her knees, as Oliver advanced towards the building from the front and Diggle made his way round back. The woman easily shut down the security system from her device and gave them the go-ahead to enter. She watched the camera feed as her friends crept towards the heart of the building, through long shadows and mysterious corridors that seemed hellbent on swallowing them whole.

"Wait," Felicity breathed as something caught her eye. Both Oliver and Diggle froze in their respective positions on the screen before her. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she enhanced the image. She squinted her eyes at the shadows. Something was moving - moving very fast at that. "… Someone's coming!" she watched as several people in combat uniform rushed into frame and through the corridors in different directions; some straight towards the hooded vigilante and some towards John. "I count at least eight armed men headed for you both. Get out of there!"

"Any sight of Doctor Death?" Oliver's voice was strained but alert in her ear as she saw him pull out an arrow from his quiver.

"No," she breathed and felt her heart start to pound in her chest as the armed men came closer to her guys. "I don't see him on any camera feed. Maybe he's not there. Maybe this is all a trap to get to you, Oliver. Please, get out. They're blocking your exits West and East of you. There's a narrow hall-"

Before she could finish her sentence, movement from the right side of her car startled her. She turned her head in the direction and watched one of the black gates open and a van drive out of a garage. She'd been positive this was a mainly deserted area with nothing but storage units, but this was turning out to be quite the crowded field.

"Oh no..."

"What is it?" Oliver growled. The blonde glanced down to her screens and watched as he fired an arrow towards his opponents and prepared for hand to hand combat.

The other, big van stormed towards her like a bull towards a matador. It slammed into the side of her car and rocked the bulky vehicle. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she clasped onto the steering wheel tightly. "They're charging at me!"

"Felicity; go!" Diggle shouted, and his voice was somewhat out of breath as he fought his own enemies.

She watched the other car back up for another tackle and stuttered, "B-but what abou-"

"Go! We'll be fine! Drive!"

The blonde didn't wait further instructions as she put the car in reverse and sped off. Her mind remained with her teammates momentarily, before the other car bumped into her from behind. She grunted in panic as she willed her car to go faster, like a wild horse across a plain. The other van was close behind and she wouldn't be able to outrun it with speed alone.

While she pondered a plan of action, the other van swerved up beside her and kept a steady pace with her fast vehicle. The side door to the other van suddenly opened to reveal three masked attackers. She heard a metallic clang from above and saw a wire stretched between the cars. As panic rose inside her chest, Felicity tried to swerve out of the way, but the road was too narrow and there was nowhere to go right here. She watched as the three attackers, one by one, used the wire to climb onto her van.

She turned the steering wheel madly back and forth so that the car could shake unsteadily, alike a wet dog trying to shake off unwanted drops of water. She glanced into the side-view mirror and saw the black-dressed guys still holding onto the side of her car.

As the highway broadened to a more open landscape only a few miles out of the city center, Felicity changed her tactic, and instead swerved back towards the other van. To avoid collision, the second van turned and rammed the railing in the middle of the road. The woman sighed in relief as she saw that it meant she'd conquered at least one foe for now.

Before she could come up with another idea to shake off the remaining three; a loud thud on top of her van startled her. She heard one of the attackers yelp and glanced back to see him rolling down the side of the road as she sped onward into the dead of night. As she glanced back once more, she noticed that the other two had climbed atop of the van and she heard the sound of a fight from above as the men stepped around on the metal. She figured Oliver had somehow caught up to them and she exhaled in relief.

Something small suddenly pierced the roof atop the passenger seat and Felicity shrieked. She looked up at the small object and thought it looked like a black, oddly sized knife of sorts. Nothing more happened with it, and she tried to calm her nerves back to normal under the circumstances.

"Now!" A man's voice cried from atop the roof.

"What?" she called back.

"Stop! Now!"

She stomped down hard on the brakes. The wheels screeched against the asphalt and she held on tight to keep in control. The sudden halt sent two figures flying forwards over the hood of the car, while a third shape – the one who clung on to the black knife that stuck through the roof – landed hard on the windshield. Felicity's eyes widened and she practically stopped breathing as she noticed it was a masked vigilante – but it wasn't Oliver Queen. The dark-haired man breathed heavily as he slid off the hood of the car and and grunted in pain. He glanced at the two attackers on the road ahead who were slowly attempting to stand up after their hard fall. As Nightwing turned back, his eyes met Felicity's through the windshield.

The woman blinked and inclined her head to the passenger door. "Get in!"

The masked man didn't ask or say a word as he climbed into the seat next to her and watched as she turned the car back around and drove away from the attackers in high speed.

Felicity's mind reeled a mile a minute as she tried to focus. She could hardly make sense of what had just happened, let alone understand why Nightwing had intervened. That he'd accepted her invitation and entered the car was even more surprising and she wasn't sure what to make of any of it.

Only thing she felt fairly certain about, was that Waller had unwittingly led them into a trap, and could only hope Oliver and Diggle were safe.

"Felicity?" John spoke over the comm links just then and some of her anxiety evaporated at the sound of his voice. "Are you okay, Felicity?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine… You?" she breathed in return.

Diggle assured her that both he and Oliver had gotten out of the building without too much harm and that they were awaiting her at the pre-decided pick up location. Felicity sank back in her seat and relaxed at hearing the good news.

"I'll come for you at once," she promised and turned off her microphone as she glanced sideways at the masked stranger. His intense gaze was already resting on her face, something unreadable seemed to brew just beneath the surface. Perhaps he was regretting entering the car with her, after all.

Felicity focused on the road as she tried to relieve the tension, "When I moved away from home years ago, my mother told me never to pick up strangers on the side of the road. I'm not sure how she'd feel about masked vigilantes on the side of the road… Not sure how I feel about it. Do you want me to… drop you off somewhere? I mean, thank you for saving my life. I should have led with that. I-"

"… Felicity," the man's tone was soft and beckoning. There was something familiar about it and it drew her attention like a moth to a flame.

She swallowed tensely as her eyes darted back to meet his. "How do you know my name?"

Oliver and Diggle stepped out of their hideout in the shadows as they saw the van enter the deserted alley in the middle of nowhere. Both of them were marveled to see the outward damage to the car. There more than one bump on the sides and the hood, but all in all it seemed mainly intact and the damage superficial.

As the blonde woman stepped out of the car, both guys drew a sigh of relief. She was unharmed, despite the car's appearances, but she looked paler than normal nonetheless.

Oliver opened his mouth to speak when the door to the passenger seat suddenly opened and another figure stepped into the night air.

The masked man was tall and held himself stoically as he stood by the side of the car. The blue bat across the chest of his costume was unmistakable, but his presence remained a mystery.

Felicity slowly stepped towards her teammates as her gaze flickered back to the stranger. "Oliver, John… This is Nightwing."

At being introduced, the dark-haired man stepped up next to the woman and offered the others a slight grin, "Real name's Richard Grayson."

Recognizing the name, the guys heads whipped back to their teammate. Felicity looked shell-shocked as she simply nodded. "…My boyfriend."

To avoid a possible scene and unwanted eyes to witness, Oliver suggested they all return to the lair to discuss this unexpected turn of events.

When they stepped down into the foundry, Roy was busy beating the crap out of a punching bag and Laurel was doing sit-ups on the floor further away. Both Roy and Laurel stopped what they were doing as the others entered under mute silence and tension descended over their little group.

"Hey…" Roy greeted as he stepped towards the open area and the others. "How did it go?"

Felicity's eyes were unfocused and refused to meet his as she stepped past them and towards her workstation. "It was a ruse. Waller's source evidently had the wrong information. Someone wanted to kill the Arrow. Doctor Death wasn't there. Neither was the laboratory."

Laurel hesitantly joined them and her eyes searched Oliver's for answers not given. He merely shook his head. Instead, her inquisitive gaze flew up to meet Dick's. He'd removed his mask, but she still recognized him easily enough. "... You're Nightwing."

"He is," Felicity once more spoke up before anyone else could get a chance. The blonde woman was evidently worked up and the others remained behind as she cleared the air to some extent. "He saved me. Tonight. He… He's my boyfriend. I didn't know he was. But apparently he is. Apparently Dick… is Nightwing."

Roy's gaze wandered back up to the dark-haired man. He offered a meek smile and gently asked, "You told her, huh? Did you tell her everything?"

The blonde whipped around in the younger's man's direction and her long ponytail grazed her shoulders as she turned her questions on her friend, "I'm sorry… You knew?"

"Yeah… I…" Roy faltered with an apologetic grimace. "I met Dick in Blüdhaven years ago. Before all of this with the Arrow. It was back when I was a rebellious kid trying to escape a bad childhood. Dick was working as a cop, and instead of putting me in juvie, he helped me find some balance."

Oliver took a step towards his protégé and squared his shoulders tensely. "You knew all along who he was?"

The younger man shook his head and his eyes pleaded for understanding. "I didn't know he donned a mask back then. I swear!"

Oliver shook his head as if the answer was insufficient. There were still too many blanks that needed to be filled and he asked, "Did you tell him my secret?"

Dick spoke up then and everyone turned in his direction, "Roy's telling the truth. He didn't know who I was back then. When I came to Starling after Slade Wilson, I found out the truth about Roy's secret persona and got in touch. He didn't tell me anything about any of you. He refused. I found out all of that on my own. To be fair, you left a clear path to follow, man. You haven't exactly kept a good secret if you know where to look for clues. Roy being on your team was an unexpected bonus that I did benefit from, but he had nothing to do with this. I worked alone… and he was simply a friend."

Oliver raised his hands in apology and stood down. "I believe you. I didn't mean to point fingers, Roy. I'm simply trying to understand all of this."

"… You're not the only one," Felicity muttered from the other edge of the circle and ran a weary hand across the base of her neck.

Anguish flashed through Dick's eyes as he stepped towards the young woman. He kept his distance, as if wanting to accept whatever emotional outburst that might come after she'd processed the news. His voice was filled with honest emotions as he admitted, "...I've been meaning to introduce my true self for a while. I didn't like keeping my secret from you, Felicity. I knew you were the Arrow's partner-"

"That's right," Felicity interrupted and her eyes flew up to meet his for the first time since they'd entered the lair. Everyone seemed to take pause as they watched her process the news and her eyes cleared briefly. "The bomb in the toy store. You saw my face. You knew who I was… before I met you. I mean: Dick. Before I met Dick. You. I don't…"

Her words trailed off into the night and the lair fell silent and tense once more. The revelation of the truth seemed to weigh them all down like a heavy cloak as it surrounded them and kept them in place.

Hoping to relieve the apprehension somewhat, Laurel took a step forward and curiously asked, "We've met. Do you remember? When Helena Bertinelli and I went to the Flynn Bauer's safe house. You were there. You helped her."

At the suggestion, Felicity whipped her wide, blue eyes to her boyfriend's and something hurt flashed by in her deep orbs.

Dick grimaced, unwilling to agree to the DA's choice of words. "There's more to it than that. I don't know Huntress or the woman behind the mask. I only went there that night to keep an eye on her. It was the second time I met her, the first was when I suggested we take Bauer down together. It's… a long story. Short version is that we both hate the mafia. I had been after Bauer for a while and when I found out she was going to take him out… I couldn't let her mess it up. Roy had previously given me some information about her situation, and I knew she was unsteady at best."

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest where he stood beside Diggle and glared across the space at their visitor. "Did your plans involve dropping more bodies?"

Dick seemed surprised at the question and his chocolate colored eyes danced with confusion as he shook his head. "Huntress was the only one who killed that night. I only take lives when necessity gives me no other option."

"Then necessity forces your hand a lot," Oliver pointed out dryly.

The dark-haired man shrugged. "It does, yeah… Look, our present tactics are different. Yes, I kill on occasion. Doesn't make me the enemy. We still fight the same bad guys. Besides, I know you used to drop bodies, too."

"I don't anymore."

"... Fine," Dick backed down. "I'm not looking for a fight between us. I want the opposite. I want to work together towards a common goal. I want to eradicate the mafia that's infested our country and the corrupt cops that make it impossible to get to them. Those are my main targets. I'm not asking you to accept me now… But I want you to know that I'm here to stay and fight for what I believe in. Preferably with you."

"I have a question," Felicity's voice was softer and her barriers lowered as she took a step towards the visitor.

"Of course you do," Dick smiled.

Felicity licked her lips as she tried to form the right sentence. "How did you know about our mission tonight? I haven't said a word about it, and you can't have learned from our sources anyway because I haven't uploaded anything to our servers. Based on you appearing here and there during these past months and the… Helena business… You have access to A.R.G.U.S files, don't you?"

"I have my ways of finding out what I need."

"Hacker?"

"Occasionally," Dick drawled and his crooked grin widened. "I also have a special device with which I can tap into different communication devices. It's virtually untraceable."

Felicity slowly nodded. "Impressed."

"… I'm glad."

"But mainly confused," she concluded with a pointed glare. She released a heavy breath that carried with it some troubled emotion and she seemed lost in a desert as she gazed up at her boyfriend. "I... need some time to think. About all of this. I need some air."

Dick raised his hand and his soft smile bordered on sadness. "This is your safe haven, Felicity. I'll leave. Give you some time."

The team and Laurel watched as their visitor turned towards the exit and slowly climbed the steps out of sight. As soon as Dick was gone, the tension seemed to lessen by a fraction. Oliver and John exchanged a glance before they turned their worried eyes back to the blonde who, upon noticing, shook her head without uttering a word and walked out of the main area.

Next morning, Oliver found himself at the familiar police station without a solid battle plan in mind. He'd gone there simply because his heart had pleaded with him to do the right thing, and his mind was inclined to agree this once.

His eyes scanned across the numerous police officers and people in handcuffs as he searched for the man in question.

"Oliver?"

The young man turned as he recognized the confused drawl. Quentin Lance stepped towards him with a deep wrinkle between his thick eyebrows.

"Hello, Detective Lance," Oliver greeted with a warm grin.

"Are you here to see me?" the older man questioned with no room for small talk.

"Actually… I'm here for someone else," the younger man apologized as he nodded to the familiar figure by a desk in the back. "And I see him now."

Oliver excused himself as he made his way further into the station. He knew Dick had already sensed his presence because he'd seen the Dick's shoulders tense in the uniform. The man rose as Oliver came to hover beside his desk. Oliver hadn't noticed the other man was a couple of inches tall than him, and the realization only made him stand all the taller in his own plain jacket.

Amusement sparkled in the man's dark eyes as Dick asked, "You're not here to mark your territory or anything, are you?"

"Excuse me?"

The dark-haired man threw the other man a pointed look as he lowered his voice as to not be overheard in the hectic buzz of people, "You're here to tell me to stay away from her, aren't you?"

Oliver pondered a more tactical approach, but in the end decided to cut to the core of it. If Dick didn't mind, neither did he. "…You'll only endanger her if you stay together."

"Oliver, no offence, man…" Dick began and nodded for them both to head into a backroom for more privacy. "But you don't know me. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Oliver questioned gruffly as he followed the other man to the secluded corridor in the back. He shuffled from one foot to the other and met the other man's gaze head on. He decided to wait him out as he expected an explanation to come.

Dick opened his mouth to speak but his words seemed to get caught in his throat. He exhaled slowly and tried again, "…I agreed with your way of thinking once, man. That our line of business is... is too dangerous for others. That we end up risking the lives of those we hold dear if we tell them the truth, but that's not true. I can't speak for everyone, but it wasn't in my case, anyway. I... It didn't end well once long ago. I thought I was protecting someone I loved… and I didn't. I failed her. I won't fail Felicity, Oliver. The whole reason why I opened up about who I really am was for her."

"You're not protecting her this way, Dick," Oliver disagreed and set his jaw. He knew it was too late to take back what had already been revealed, but could still not help but argue his point of view. "The truth is more dangerous than the white lies we tell to keep these people safe."

"No, Oliver," the dark-haired man shook his head in defeat. "I can't believe that. The only way to keep people safe is to be honest and open. If we continue to lie to one another… I'd lose her. I'd lose Felicity… and I don't want that. I know she's on your team and that you want to keep her safe, Oliver. But so do I. And now that she knows my secret, I can protect her. And she can protect me, in turn. I know we don't know a lot about each other and that you don't trust me right now. But that's not what's important here. She's what's important."

"Are you mad at him?"

"Hmm?" Felicity managed distractedly as she turned her gaze up to Laurel.

The other woman smiled kindly as she leaned back against Felicity's workstation and gently prodded, "That he lied to you. That he didn't tell you. I know we're not the best of friends, and I don't want to intrude. It's just… I can imagine it's a lot to take in, and Oliver did tell me you just lost your grandfather… It's a lot at once for anyone."

"Oh!" the blonde breathed and shook her head fervently.

She'd been so consumed by Dick's revelation the previous night, that she'd barely talked at all about it with the others. She'd been so busy working through things in her own head, that she hadn't fully realized she wasn't alone in the lair. Laurel had come to workout earlier during the afternoon, but this sudden interruption had thrown Felicity. Personal questions were uncommon between the two young women, though there had never been anything but kind words between them. She even considered Laurel a friend by now, but their relationship wasn't even remotely close to what she'd shared with Sara.

Still, the sentiment moved her and she honestly admitted, "Why would I be? It's not like he was the only one lying about a secret life. I understand why he did it… I was just caught by surprise. I love this life… but it was nice to know I had something of my own. A life outside of the team again. I wouldn't trade this life for anything, you know. But…"

Laurel nodded in understanding. "I get it. This life is extraordinary, though I've only had a small glimpse of it now when me and Oliver can work as business partners. Him on the streets, me in court... But I do understand it consumes a lot of your life. Both good and bad. Mainly good, of course. In a way I can't see myself going back to not knowing the truth again..." Laurel offered. "When I found out about Oliver's secret, I didn't know what to think. When I'd worked through the news, I realized how proud I was of him. Of the man I'd always seen in him, and the man he'd finally embraced in himself. I'm glad, Felicity, that he didn't do all of it alone. That he had you and John to support him. That he had Sara, too, even if that might sound strange coming from me of all people."

Felicity nodded leisurely as she let the words sink in. Her mind was still a hurricane of thought, but she felt more anchored against the strong wind today than the previous night. Still, there were issues to process that she could see no clear answer to. She offered up a smile which Laurel returned warmly.

They heard a throat clear behind them and both turned to see Diggle stand at the base of the steps, wearing casual clothes as usual these days. He looked at the Lance woman with a stoic gaze and patiently waited for her reaction.

Laurel's gaze wandered from John to Felicity and she nodded her head. "… I'll leave you two alone."

Without lingering, Laurel headed for the steps and was out of there before long. John slowly stepped towards his younger friend as Felicity sighed.

The blonde glanced up at her friend and felt some relief to have him present in this hour of need. She valued her friendship with Diggle just as much as her friendship with Oliver, and he was the only she could talk to about this who'd understand her to the core. She knew she wouldn't need much, because he already had a pretty good idea of her thoughts. Instead, she offered a meek, "I sure know how to pick the masked ones, don't I? Am I a vigilante groupie, Dig?"

"Barry, Dick… Oliver…" the man tested gently, and when she didn't object he offered her a supportive smile and concluded, "They're all good, strong men with the heart in the right place, Felicity. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Isn't there? I thought Dick was… normal," she confessed and hated how none of it seemed to make sense when she voiced it aloud. "I didn't realize how important that was to me before now when he isn't. But I like him, John. I really like him…"

Diggle grinned wider as he nodded towards the steps and winked, "Then what are you still doing here, girl?"

"Oliver!" Jane's crisp accent was jovial as she held open the glass door for him and let him step into her office. "Have you met Simon Cross?"

The man standing opposite them in the modern office wore a classic, black suit and tie. His tanned face was clean-shaven and though he was in his mid-fifties, his smile took years off his rugged face. His eyes were clever like an owl's as he gazed at the new arrival and smiled.

Oliver managed a meek grin as he extended his hand for the other man. "Briefly in the past."

"Oliver Queen…" Simon drawled as he shook the offered hand and the sarcastic dismay did not go unnoticed. "I was just telling Jane here how I thought her suggestion was irrational and hasty. You back on the board? Clearly managing QC was not among your many talents. I imagine being free from this place has made you happier. That it's given you time to find more… suitable past-times. I haven't heard about any new model conquest of yours, but then again, maybe you've become better at avoiding the press over the years."

Oliver clenched his jaw as he tried to keep his smile polite to parry the low, verbal punches. He felt Jane's irritation practically exude from her body where she remained beside him, but she didn't say a word.

"I think you misjudge me, Simon," Oliver said at length.

"Then I must be misjudging your whole family, Oliver," Simon disagreed with a chuckle. "I mean… Your father lost the company first. Then your step-father, your mother and ultimately yourself. There's only… your sister left to try the helm, isn't there? Except she's not in town any longer, is she? Sounds like she's the smart one. The only one to see the limitations that come with the Queen legacy."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but QC lost its status as a Fortune 500-company under your rule as acting CEO, didn't it?" Oliver retorted and saw Jane nod in affirmation beside him. "With you as full CEO, can the stock holders expect a further drop in value?"

Simon stretched tall against the accusation, but remained silent even as his eyes betrayed his furious heart.

Oliver took a step closer as his dark smile widened. "I have made mistakes in the past," he spoke slowly. "But I have learned from them. QC belongs in my family, and I'll do it right this time. I will win it back... and nothing will tear it from me when I've earned it."

The elder man held his gaze for a second longer, before he flashed him a frosty smile. Simon excused himself, stepped around Oliver and walked out of the office. All the tension left with him, and Jane laughed.

"Good work, Mr Queen," the blonde nodded in admiration as she stepped in front of him and met his gaze.

Oliver exhaled in amusement. "I came to tell you I've given it much thought. I'll happily take the position on the board, Jane."

"Good," she smiled and her eyes sparkled unmistakably. "Now we just have to figure out how to make an honest man out of you. I'd encourage you to run for mayor, but in the wake of your mother's death… I'd say it's too soon."

"I'm not a Messiah, Jane. You can't take who I am and make me into a flawless character. The city won't believe that."

"This city will rally behind any strong force," the blonde Brit argued faintly. "They rallied behind your mother when she ran for mayor, and behind Sebastian Blood when he was elected. You'll find a way that works for you."

Oliver frowned as he contemplated her words.

Seth Hellfern grinned to himself as he unlocked the doors and stepped inside the familiar, open area. The previous night his new partner had helped him throw the Arrow off-course. He'd planted a seed of doubt in A.R.G.U.S about a hidden laboratory and was pleased to see it had done the trick. The Arrow and his sidekicks had attacked the wrong building and hopefully gotten the message not to trifle with 'Doctor Death'.

His real laboratory thankfully remained secret in an old bunker outside of town. In fact, it was to this location Seth had wandered tonight, to start working on his little project. Now that the trail was hopefully at a dead-end, he could set to work without further interruptions. Freedom had never tasted as sweet, and he certainly didn't miss the insides of Iron Heights. This time around, things would be different.

He turned on the overhead lamps and paused as the light enveloped his hole in the ground. There were intricate machines here and there that hadn't been there when he'd last used the laboratory for experiments. He recognized some of them from the most high-tech of hospitals, and some were so new he'd only read about in different medical journals. They were all gadgets and tools he had great use for, but not yet gotten around to ordering. With all of this at his disposal, the game field was something completely different. He'd get his revenge sooner rather than later, after all.

"Do you like it?" a voice drawled from somewhere in the depths of the chamber.

Seth whirled around as he saw a figure slowly step into the light from behind a couple of storage shelves. The tall, lean man had his hands casually resting in his pants pockets as he walked in a semi-circle around the scientist and his recently expanded laboratory.

"Mr Merlyn…" Seth breathed in astonishment.

"I took the liberty of ordering you some useful tools. I did get you out of that awful prison for a very good reason, as you know," Malcolm explained in a soft, controlled voice that hid a sliver of exillerating danger. "And when I have a goal in mind, I tend to be impatient. I thought I'd do us both a favor and help you along…"

"Yes, thank you," Seth nodded his head fervently. "It's everything I need to commence."

"That's all I wanted to hear, Doctor Death," Malcolm reassured with a predator-like grin as he came to a halt beside his new partner. "I imagine I've saved you a lot of time in your process in finding and producing your charming, little drug… What was it you called it again?"

Seth grinned from ear to ear as he shared the dark passion. His reply was swift and raspy, "Soul."

Felicity unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She'd tried calling Dick all night and swung by his flat, but she hadn't been able to make contact with the man. As she stepped inside, she stopped dead in her hall and stared with mouth open into her little home.

Even from the hall, she could see the soft glow of candles from within her living room and she slowly stepped further inside. She dropped her handbag on the wood floor as she cautiously peeked around the corner. She sucked in a breath as she saw her living room bathing in lit candles, the warmth of them caressing her skin.

Her gaze landed on the lonesome figure in the dead center of her room. Dick smiled sheepishly as he looked about at all the candles. "Too much?"

"A bit," she confessed and stepped forward.

"Okay," Dick nodded, leaned down and blew out a single candle on her sofa table. "Better?"

Felicity chuckled and mutely nodded as she proceeded to head in his direction on slow, determined feet. "What's all this for?"

"I… I should have told you sooner, Felicity," the man began in a self-depreciating tone. "You shouldn't have found out like this. I wanted you to know sooner because… I know it's early in our relationship, but I really like you. There's something special about you that… I can't even describe the feeling."

"Dick," she interrupted and hesitated. She raised a hand and let it rest against the soft fabric of his shirt, at the middle of his chest. Her gaze remained on her hand over his heart as she tried to voice what hid in her heart. "You know I'm not angry, right? I mean, yes, you lied to me, but I lied to you, too… It's true: you knew I was lying to you, which did give you an unfair edge… but, still…" she inhaled slowly and tried to find the courage to let him into the closest circle of her well-guarded heart. It was harder than she'd imagined. "Before I was a bit bothered by the fact that you weren't a part of this world, and that I couldn't tell you the whole truth… but at the same time, I didn't think you had anything to do with it. Please understand… I love this world, but I hadn't realized how consumed I'd become by it before I met you. Working for Oliver during the day as I used to, working with Oliver during the night… It was everything to me. You offered a bridge back to normalcy, in a way. And I hadn't realized that I… kind of missed it. I known normal is a relative word, especially in our little bubble… I had a life of my own with you. That wasn't related to all of this. And now, I don't…"

"Yes, you do," Dick disagreed and reached for the hand against his chest. His bigger, warmer hand enveloped hers and he squeezed tight as he pulled her closer.

She frowned but willingly followed his mute beckoning. "What do you mean?"

"We are who we are, Felicity. Neither of us wants to change that, but it doesn't mean we have to give up our real lives either," his chest seemed to vibrate against her hand as he softly spoke, "I'm not talking about Nightwing or sexy IT-geek/vigilante go-to-girl."

Felicity scrunched up her nose. "Vigilante go-to-girl?"

"Bear with me," he laughed. "I'm saying I don't have all the answers, but a life of our own apart from Team Arrow-… You're smiling because I used that term, aren't you? Roy might have used it once. I gather it was your idea."

"Do go on," she grinned wider as she stepped further into his warm embrace and his arms wrapped around her waist. "I'm all ears."

Dick matched her smile with one of his own, "How about this: as long as we're not in costume or in a secret lair… Vigilante business is the Bermuda Triangle of communication. Okay? When we're off-duty we're just you and me: Felicity and Dick. Nothing else matters."

"Deal!" she nodded and stood up on her toes to give him a kiss which he happily reciprocated.

To be continued!

Preview for Episode 6: Did I hear 'twist ending'?

(I'm sorry, but there's just too much going on in the next episode and I don't know how to spoil it. The twist ending is something I've been looking forward to, however!)