A/N; I was asked whether or not you had to re-read the story to tag along with the edits I've made, the short answer is: No, but-... You don't have to re-read it to follow along with the coming chapters, and I can/will notify beforehand if I'll deal with something that's been altered. On the other hand, perhaps a quick perusing of the story after it's completed could prove to be a different read entirely.

Synopsis: When Team Arrow receive news that put Floyd Lawton's daughter in danger, Diggle decides to break out his unlikely ally in hopes of doing the right thing.

3x15: Sins Of The Father

Felicity pushed her glasses up the ridge of her nose as she glanced closer at the ads on her laptop. "How about this one?"

Quentin glanced over her shoulder and shook his head firmly. "No. Do you know how many calls we get to that neighborhood every night? Pick another."

The blonde ran a weary hand over the back of her neck as she slumped lower in her chair. Seated by the kitchen aisle in Quentin's rustic, homily kitchen, she felt strangely relaxed. She felt almost at home, thanks to Lance's care and affection. He'd gone out of his way to make her feel at ease and had even gently scolded her once when she'd been overly polite in turn ("This isn't an hotel, Felicity. I keep telling you; feel at home. Relax. You don't have to apologize for one dirty sock on the floor.").

Felicity felt complete and utter gratitude for their friendship and the time-out it offered from everything else that threatened to rip her apart. He'd even encouraged her to take a few nights off, and she hadn't realized how badly she'd needed the relaxation until one evening when she'd fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation with him. Lance had shrugged it off afterwards when she attempted to apologize, assuring her he understood her need for some shut eye.

Felicity still felt like somewhat of a burden, but did everything she could to help him around the house and had even updated his firewalls for him. It had almost been two weeks now since she'd come to stay temporarily, and she felt ready for a new place on her own. She'd gone over several ads and even gone apartment hunting with Quentin, but nothing had yet to meet her simple expectations. A lack of rodents and proper internet didn't feel like so hard a challenge, but surprisingly few landlords seemed to share her opinion on this matter.

She sighed as she kept flipping through the suggestions on her laptop. "I can't stay with you forever. I've already taken up your precious space for two weeks."

Quentin waved off her concerns as he stepped back over to the stove. "And you can stay for as long as you need. It's not an intrusion. I promise. You'll find a good place soon enough, sweetheart. In the meanwhile, I'm happy to play father for a while."

Felicity heard the slight strain to his voice and dared a glance in his direction. Quentin had his back towards her as he fixed some pancakes for them. His shoulders and neck was tense all the sudden and it was evident his mind had wandered to a place it visited more often than not these days.

"...I'm sure your daughters are fine," Felicity breathed in a low hum. "You raised them well."

"Yeah?" Quentin arched an eyebrow as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Still wouldn't hurt if they could call home once in a while. I don't care what the... Demon?... thinks. I just want to hear Sara's voice. And Laurel... I want to know where she is in the world. I haven't heard from her since she left her mother's place three months ago. She sent a cryptic postcard a while back telling me she was doing great, but I still worry."

Felicity smiled reassuringly. "Neither Sara nor Laurel left Starling because of you, you know."

"I know, I know..." Quentin gruffly agreed with a tense shrug. "I still can't help but feel somewhat... inadequate. Both felt the need to leave Starling, and I couldn't find a way to keep them here. Couldn't help them."

"Someone very clever once told me... that people have to make their own way in the world. We can't hold them back."

Quentin snorted as he placed a plate with pancakes before her, before serving himself and taking a seat beside her. "I thought I was supposed to be the one with all the wisdom, kid?"

"You're a good father, Quentin," Felicity assured slowly as she picked up her fork and focused on her food.

"Which is why I'm not letting you move to a shady neighborhood unless you want around the clock surveillance. Any other options?"

Felicity sighed as she eyed the results on her laptop once more. "This might be one... A two bedroom apartment... Recently renovated, it seems open and clean... Good, no roaches. Or raccoons. I'd say it's a possible winner."

"Want to check it out?"

"Sure, yeah," Felicity nodded eagerly. "You don't have to come along, though. I'm sure you have more important things to do on a Sunday."

"Not really," Quentin glared at her in amusement and ate a size-able chunk out of his breakfast.

Diggle opened the front door and smiled down at his guest, "Hey. Since when are you the last one to arrive, Felicity?"

"I'm late?" the blonde asked as she shrugged out of her trench coat and offered her friend an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I had a good reason though. I found a new place today. I'm signing the contract tomorrow and moving in on Thursday. So there were a lot of things to take care of tonight. I haven't missed the fun, have I?"

"Nah. Dinner's not even ready yet," Diggle shook his head with a soft smile. "Last time I looked, Lyla and Oliver were discussing their favorite gun brands while Maya listened tentatively to their discussion. I'm positive her first words will be either 'Glock' or 'Sig Sauer'. How that child won't grow up screwed, I'm not sure."

"With you and Lyla as her parents, and Oliver and I as her godparents... What could go wrong?" Felicity smiled as she followed the man further inside. Diggle merely snorted in response.

The two of them stepped into the living room in Diggle and Lyla's home. Felicity took in the sight before her. The couple had moved here a few months before the baby was due. They'd decorated it in warm, light colors and kept the furnishing quite simple. Apart from all the kid toys strewn across the wooden floor, the place was always quite neat. Lyla and Oliver were seated on the floor in front of the sofa, with the giggling baby crawling between them. Upon noticing the new arrival, Lyla flew up from the floor and stepped over to give Felicity a brief hug.

"I'm glad you're here, Felicity," the brunette assured with a warm grin as she stepped back. "Now the fun can truly begin. Dinner'll be ready in about ten. Make yourself at home." Lyla smiled up at her partner and reached out for Diggle's hand as Felicity stepped past them towards Oliver and Maya.

"Hey," Oliver breathed as he lifted the baby into his arms and pulled himself onto the couch. He leaned back against the soft cushions as he continued, "How did the apartment hunting today?"

"I found a place," Felicity beamed as she sat down beside him and stroked the top of Maya's head. "I can tell you about it later."

"Guys?" Diggle cleared his throat. Oliver and Felicity swiftly turned towards their friend. John glanced down at the woman beside him and his gaze softened. "Eh... We wanted to say something."

"You're making it sound so serious, Johnny," Lyla grinned as she leaned into his side and turned back to their expectant guests. "We're getting married. Again."

"You're renewing your vows?" Felicity's smile widened as she flew up from the couch almost the exact same second as Oliver stood beside her. They crossed the room in unison and embraced their friends.

Felicity stepped away from Diggle's embrace and pulled Lyla close for a hug. "Congratulations! ... Again. I mean, I wasn't there for your first wedding or anything, but still... Yay! When are you planning on doing it?"

Lyla shrugged. "In May."

"Congratulations," Oliver breathed as a warm smile spilled across his relaxed face. His eyes darted between Diggle and Lyla before it briefly landed on the baby in his arms. His smile slowly faded as it was replaced with a thoughtful expression.

After dinner had been served and enjoyed in the happy company, Oliver found himself standing out on the balcony, in need of some cool air to calm his mind. He listened to the distant sounds of the city and inhaled a deep breath as he let his thoughts be pulled away by the Eastern wind.

"I saw you come out here," he heard Felicity's voice behind him, but didn't turn as he felt her stepped outside and close the door behind her. "... Am I intruding?"

"No," he breathed. She leaned against the steel balustrade next to him, her shoulder brushing against his, as she, too, gazed out into the cool night. They stood side by side in silence for a few seconds, before Oliver wearily sighed and opened up, "... I'm happy for them, Felicity. I really am. They both deserve happiness... It... it means a lot to see that they can have it all. That they can do what we do every night, and still have each other, and have a beautiful daughter."

Felicity carefully peered up at the tall man beside her, seeing the shadows wash over his face one after another. "... You can have that, too, Oliver. Someday. Remember?"

The man's eyes shut tightly upon hearing her words and Felicity wondered what caused his sudden onset of gloom tonight.

"Did I ever tell you..." he swallowed briefly before his eyes shot open. "... what Thea and I fell out over the last time we spoke."

"I don't think so," Felicity gently encouraged.

Oliver shook his head slowly before he turned to face the blonde beside him. He slowly exhaled and his shoulders slumped low as his eyes danced with raw emotion he'd clearly bottled up for too long. "I've never told anyone, Felicity. I wouldn't have told Thea, but she already knew the truth."

"Okay..." Felicity frowned and turned more towards him, giving him her undivided attention as she watched him struggle to find the words to his personal plague.

His eyes searched her face for a second before he said, "... Eight years ago, I... I got a girl pregnant. It was a mistake. I was with Laurel at the time, but one night... I regretted it, but still wanted to do things right with the girl and the baby. The girl lost the child and moved to Central City, however, and that was the end of it. Or so I thought," He inhaled deeply before he continued, "I learned the truth during the years I was away. You see, I wasn't on the Island the whole five years I was away."

"Where were you?" Felicity's voice was low as she tried to process all the new information.

"Hong kong for a short while... and Russia, but that's a different story," Oliver cleared his throat and stayed on track. "After I killed Slade on Lian Yu, I was knocked out. When I woke up, I had been taken to Hong kong by A.R.G.U.S. That's when I first met Amanda Waller. She... sought to control me. Among other things, she used the truth about my son to keep me under her control. She threatened to go public with the information and I knew I couldn't do that to anyone... It would have ruined several lives. So instead, I started working with her agents. Following orders. Killing people. A lot of people. Hong kong made me into a monster."

"A monster you've shed since then," Felicity breathed as her hand came up to grip his arm tight. "It's the past."

Oliver could feel her desperation linger like electricity in the air between them as he lowered his head to his chest and further explained, "... The truth Waller told me, though, was that my mother had paid off this girl. She was told to pretend she'd had a miscarriage and to move to Central City. To get out of my life, essentially. My mother wanted to protect me, and I can understand that. I wasn't ready to be a father then, but... I still have a son. His name is Connor and he'll be eight in January."

Felicity remained silent for a while and Oliver dared a glance in her direction. He could see her eyes cloud over with thought but decided to stay silent. He wanted her to look at him the same way as she always had, but knew this threatened to destroy everything. Oliver knew Felicity had grown up with an absent father, and couldn't help but be terrified now that she'd rightfully judge him for his actions these past few years. As he waited, he felt his heart constrict inside his chest but he did everything he could not to show her his true fears.

At length, she raised her gaze and locked her eyes with his. "Have you... contacted the woman?"

"No," Oliver shook his head once. "I've... kept my distance. I'm still not ready to be a father, Felicity. I don't want to ruin their lives."

"But you are the kid's father, Oliver," Felicity argued in a soft tone.

Oliver gritted his teeth as he exclaimed in a raw voice that simmered with emotions he'd rather wanted to hide, but couldn't from her, "I don't know what to do, Felicity. There's been so much bad stuff in my life... I'm not sure I can ever..."

"You can. You're right, though," the woman breathed and Oliver gazed down at her in surprise. Her pale eyes seemed unaware of his scrutiny as she explained her own reasoning, "You've been through more than anyone ever should in a lifetime, and I don't even know half of it. But... this doesn't have to be a bad thing, Oliver. Think about it. You have a son... He's not evil or ruined. He's good. He's something good that you made out of a bad thing... out of a mistake."

"I'll screw it up," Oliver said, his eyes pleading with her to understand his case.

Felicity gazed at him without judgment but with a heavy dose of conviction. "Or maybe you won't. Maybe... it's worth the risk."

"He can't be a part of my life, Felicity. I can't but my son in that danger."

"He lives in Central City. No one else knows the truth. You can keep him safe. We can keep him safe. Dig and I can help you, whenever you feel ready to take the plunge," Felicity argued back in a softer tone than before. "Take it from someone who grew up fatherless... I would have surrendered all my computers and all the world... if my dad had willingly returned to our lives because he wanted to be there for me. You want to do this right, and I am so proud of you for that. I know... it's not easy. I know you need time to see things the way I do, but I have faith you will eventually. You want to be a better man, you-"

Oliver swiftly interrupted as he shook his head fiercely, "Felicity. Only a few months ago, I was willing to stop being Oliver Queen in favor of being Arrow."

"But you didn't make that choice," Felicity contended. "You once said that you were your own worst enemy. I think... you're your own worst critique and you're too tough on yourself. But who isn't, right? You just take it to the extreme, blaming yourself for things you could never have affected."

"I have to be tough with myself-"

It was Felicity's turn to interrupt and she gently cupped his cheeks, his stubble grazing the palm of her hands, and he silenced at once. She held his gaze as she tried to make him see and accept her trust in him. "Do you believe you're a hero, Oliver?"

"... I try to be." For you. The last part went unsaid, but Oliver knew Felicity had heard it judging by how her eyes widened a fraction before her hands fell away to her sides. Oliver sighed wearily. "There are too many lies, Felicity. I don't know how to make anything right. With Thea, Jane or Connor..."

"Then we'll break it down. Together. Find one matter at a time to amend," Felicity assured fiercely. "I know you, Oliver."

"Yes... you do."

"You call the person you became on the Island and in Hong kong for a monster... But even that monster made a decision not to hurt the people he loved at home. Even the man you were back then wanted to make things right... but chose a path of self destruction and loneliness. You were never a monster, Oliver. But you were on a dangerous path. You're not on that path anymore and doing the right thing doesn't have to mean losing yourself to Arrow," Felicity licked her lips as she tenderly exhaled. "... I know it's easier being Arrow than being Oliver Queen, but Thea needs her brother. As does Jane. If I can give you a piece of advice, I'd advice you to start in that end."

Oliver searched her eyes for a few seconds before he pulled her into a hug. Felicity's blinked in surprise as she felt him exhale in relief. "Thank you, Felicity."

Felicity smiled into his shoulder as she wrapped her own arms around his strong back. "For what?"

Oliver pushed back gently so that he could meet her gaze. His eyes shone with affection as he smiled, "For not giving up on me."

The red-headed girl sighed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, swinging her blue backpack in her right hand. School had been out for thirty minutes and her mother had still not come. Not that it was unusual or anything, her mother was usually a bit late on Mondays. Knowing it didn't make the wait any easier or more fun, though.

"Bye, Zoe!"

The red-headed girl swirled around as she heard her name being called and saw her classmate, Stella, walk across the parking lot with her father. Zoe waved her hand and smiled politely. "Bye! See you tomorrow!"

She watched Stella and her dad get into their car and watched as the vehicle drove off into the distance. Zoe sighed as silence descended upon the parking lot beside the school yard once more. She kicked at a pebble and watched it roll across the asphalt unevenly.

Zoe followed it and kicked it again. As she watched it skip playfully across the ground this time, she wasn't paying attention to the black van that quietly crept up next to the sidewalk.

Before she knew it, the van had reached her and the side door was thrown open. She shrieked as a pair of gloved hands reached out for her and she was pulled into the belly of the beast. The car door slammed shut once more and the van sped off down the road thrice as fast as it had arrived.

The parking lot once more fell silent as a breeze swept past. The only thing that remained to testify of the cruel event was the blue backpack that lay discarded on the sidewalk.

The following night, everything was back to normal in the foundry. Felicity was busy working behind her monitors as Oliver and Diggle sparred on the training mats ahead. The lair was quieter these days, with several members of the team missing, but still it was complete as long as the three of them were present.

Oliver grunted as Diggle managed to hit him over the shoulder and stepped back with a grimace. "Good one."

"You seem distracted, Oliver," John commented with a frown. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"I'm good," Oliver grinned tightly, offering his friend an honest, open gaze, as he raised his staff to the ready position. "Go again?"

Before the guys could restart, they were interrupted by a low beep coming from the monitors.

Felicity squinted as she gazed down at the screens. "Woah, guys. Is that... Zoe Lawton? Floyd Lawton's daughter?"

Diggle hurried around the workstation to gaze down at the photograph of the red-haired girl being pulled into the back of a van. "It is. What's this?"

"Lyla just sent me the photo," Felicity explained as a frown slowly crept across her fair features. "Apparently the girl's been kidnapped by H.I.V.E. Waller just gave A.R.G.U.S orders not to get involved. Lyla felt the need to act."

Diggle gritted his teeth as he leaned heavily against the tabletop. "H.I.V.E ordered the death of my brother. They're targeting Deadshot's daughter now? Why? He used to work for them."

Felicity shrugged. "Don't ask me. Ask him."

"What do you want to do, Dig?" Oliver asked in a tentative voice as he watched anger roll off of the bigger man wave after wave.

Diggle exhaled slowly and raised his gaze to meet his friend's. "The right thing."

"Alright, Diggle. The security system will go offline in thirty seconds. You'll have three minutes to get him out of there. Do you remember the route?"

Diggle subtly pressed the earpiece as he walked through the underground corridors of A.R.G.U.S and tersely breathed, "I got it. Thanks, Felicity."

He sauntered a few more steps, smiling politely at a guard that passed him and came up to the familiar corridor with all the cells. He waited a breath and right on cue the corridor suddenly went pitch black. Diggle felt adrenaline pump through his veins as he flew forward as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He punched out both guards and glanced about to see if someone was coming, but everything seemed calm. He rushed over to the yellow cell door and unlocked it.

He threw open the door with a tense, "Lawton?!"

The low, familiar drawl came swift enough through the dark shadows, "Johnnyboy?"

"This time it is a rescue mission," Diggle explained. "No time to explain. But you'd better pack your things and come with me. Come on."

"Good thing I travel light," Floyd replied as he hurried after the other man.

Twenty minutes later, Diggle led Floyd down the stairs to the foundry. Floyd had turned off his mechanical eye as ordered and his good eye widened in appreciation as he gazed into the secret lair.

"I like what you've done with the place," he drawled as he reached the bottom step and pointed to the single flower beside Felicity's computers. "The vegetation makes it homily."

"Thank you," a female voice spoke from behind him and Floyd spun around to face a blonde woman and a tall man Lawton recognized only too well. The blonde spoke, "The flower was my idea."

"Lawton, meet Felicity Smoak," Diggle explained in a short tone and then nodded his head towards the other man present in the underground lair, "and Oliver Queen."

"Pleasure is all yours, I assume," Floyd grinned before he turned back to the man beside him. "You still haven't told me why you busted me out of A.R.G.U.S. Going on soft on me?"

Diggle's expression turned more lenient as he firmly voiced the truth, "It's Zoe. She's been kidnapped."

Floyd felt panic fill his veins and his face faltered at the news. "...What? Why?"

"There's, eh, a lot to explain," Felicity spoke rapidly as she stepped past the men towards her computers. Floyd followed her close behind, his lips pulled into a tight line as he listened to her swift explanation. "Apparently H.I.V.E has kidnapped your daughter. Presumably because of you. I think you know more about H.I.V.E and possible reasons than we do."

Floyd inclined his head sharply. "...There's an old debt. Haven't been able to pay back exactly, what with being locked up and all."

"Well, someone apparently wants their money's worth," Felicity explained as she pulled up the files Lyla had sent her earlier. "She was taken yesterday afternoon outside of her school by a dark van."

"I need to find her!" Floyd breathed in a harsh voice. He spun towards the exit without hesitation and felt ready to raise a little hell if need be.

"First things first," Diggle raised his hands placidly as he tried to get through his friend's manic panic. "You're not going anywhere with the chip in your spine. Won't have you blow up in the middle of a rescue mission. And we need to make sure A.R.G.U.S can't watch your every move by hacking your eye."

Floyd exhaled grimly. "And how do you propose we do that? Their tech department was thorough, I assure."

"Good thing our tech department is better," Oliver said pointedly and nodded towards the blonde woman before him. "Felicity can fix it."

Floyd snorted in disbelief as he whirled around to face the pretty woman once more. "How?"

Felicity held his gaze firmly as she explained, "The mechanical eye is easy, I could fix that in my sleep. The tricky part is the chip. When Diggle first mentioned that A.R.G.U.S had operated those nasty little buggers into your spines, I thought it was inhumane treatment, regardless of your heinous crimes. We know the chip can't be surgically removed sine it's attached to your spine, so I started working on a device that could still affect the chip... Sort of."

Floyd shrugged both his eyebrows. "Neat."

Felicity shrugged. "...We'll see about that."

"Well, what does it do?" Floyd questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "How can it help me? This device of yours?"

"... Do you know what an EMP is?"

"Electromagnetic pulse?" Floyd frowned.

"Exactly," the woman nodded eagerly as she crossed the room and opened a drawer. She pulled out something that reminded the others of an advanced taser as she continued to explain, "This is kind of like that... except stronger. Just like cardiac pacemakers aren't supposed to be affected by small electric magnet pulses, neither are these chips. The chips are designed to withstand overvoltage thanks to a thin metal case... Which is kind of cool, when you think about it."

"If you say so, Blondie," Lawton deadpanned.

"Felicity," she corrected him with a grimace. "Point is: If my device works, it will be strong enough to bypass the metal case and security settings of the chip. In short; it will blow the circuits, rendering it useless, meaning it won't explode, and you'll... be a free man again."

"Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming," Floyd drawled with an air of disbelieving hesitation.

Felicity scrunched up her nose. "I can do it."

"You don't sound too sure, darling."

Felicity shook her head and her loose hair flowed around her shoulders with the sudden movement. "No. I am. What I'm unsure about... is whether or not you'll... survive. I have to send a strong current of electricity into a very concentrated area in your body, which happens to be your spine and very much connected with your brain and heart. I could end up frying both. And that's... my uncertainty."

Floyd blinked as he remained silent for a long second. "... At least you're being honest about it. What if the chip explodes at once, a detonation triggered by your device? I imagine The Wall would like a failsafe like that, in case anyone tries to remove it."

Felicity exhanged a glance with her teammates and slowly shrugged. "Well... That's certainly a possibility."

"Again, with the honesty."

Felicity offered the man a tight smile before she waved the device in her hand. "So... do you want to...?"

Floyd shrugged and tilted his head to the side as he sighed, "If Diggle trusts in you, so do I. Do it."

"But, I-"

"I know," the man interrupted with a slight nod. "Do it nonetheless."

Felicity slowly inclined her head as she held the assassin's gaze. "... Okay."

Diggle cleared his throat as he stepped forward. His eyes danced with something unreadable as he held out a hand expectantly. "I'll do it, Felicity."

The blonde shook her head and swept a strand of long hair behind her ear. "No, John... It's my device, it's my responsibility."

"John..." Floyd breathed as he saw the other man about to start an argument. "I need you alive, in case I don't make it... I need you to-"

Diggle placed a heavy hand on the man's shoulder and inclined his head. "I'll look after Zoe. If you don't make it."

"Good to know..."

Felicity took a small step towards Diggle. She lowered her voice as she gently pleaded, "Take Oliver and get out of the building... Just in case."

"I'll see you again," Diggle promised as he squeezed her shoulder. He glanced back at Floyd's tense expression. "Both of you... Good luck."

Lawton grimaced, "We'll need it."

Diggle turned his attention back to Oliver, who was looking very stiff and irritated all the sudden. He, too, seemed about to cause trouble, but one look from Felicity made his shoulders slump low in unspoken defeat.

"Careful," Oliver tensely instructed as he held her gaze for another second before he turned and climbed the steps, Diggle hot on his heel.

Felicity exhaled through her mouth as she turned back and waved the man over towards the medical area. Floyd hopped onto the steel table with a weary sigh and pulled his shirt off over his head. He watched as the woman froze in place, her gaze flying over the numerous names tattooed onto his chest and back. Her gaze lingered on 'Diggle' for a second longer before she lowered her gaze.

"Are you ready?" Felicity asked in a strained voice.

The one-eyed man eyed her. "You're gorgeous, you know."

Felicity glared up at him. "... Thanks. You're not helping, though."

"Wasn't trying to," Floyd shrugged before bowing his head. "... Yes, I'm ready."

"It will probably hurt."

"If it doesn't hurt it can't be called living, can it?"

"Right," Felicity inclined her head sharply and distractedly as she stepped around the man and faced the small surgical scar at the top of his spine. "Just... eh... If it doesn't work, I promise Oliver and Dig will do everything they can to save your daughter."

Floyd closed his eyes. "I know."

Felicity swallowed as she started the device and exhaled sharply as she felt the electricity surge within it. She pressed the item towards the scar and adjusted the settings. The man gave her a sharp nod and she pushed the lever hard, releasing the current into his spine.

Oliver paced in front of the door impatiently. "We should have heard something by now."

"Not hearing something means they haven't exploded," Diggle countered dryly where he stood reclined against the wall, hands crossed over his chest. "I don't know about you, but I take that as a good sign."

Oliver opened his mouth to argue when his phone started vibrating in his hand. Both men gazed down at the familiar photo and the name 'Felicity', exhaling in relief in synchronized unison.

Oliver and Diggle ran down the steps two at a time as they smelt burned flesh and metal from below. They came to a halt by the foot of the staircase when they saw Felicity's wide eyes gazing up at them. She still held the device in one hand as she wearily glanced down at the man who lay slumped over unconscious on the steel table before her. Floyd moaned and stirred slowly as the guys stepped over to the medical area.

"You okay?" Oliver asked as he came up beside the woman.

"Yeah," Felicity nodded fervently as she let him take the device from her trembling fingers. "I was worried I'd killed him."

"Nope... Still here," Floyd's voice was hoarse and meek as he managed to crack his good eye open. His hand immediately flew to his head and he winced in pain. "That thing had sting, though."

"Did it work?" Diggle questioned as he glanced between the others.

Felicity swirled around to find her tablet. She picked it up and turned back to the others to check the results. "I'm not getting any readings from the chip. It's fried, alright. A.R.G.U.S won't be able to do anything with it."

Floyd rubbed the back of his neck tenderly as he sat up. "What do you know? Just like that. I owe you one, Ms Smoak."

Felicity snorted. "A world-known assassin owing me a favor...? There's a first for everything."

"Let's make it a last, too," Oliver commented dryly.

An hour later, Floyd was still walking off the pain, as he tested his altered mechanical eye after Felicity's improvements to it. He had to admit he was a little impressed by her talent with technical gadgets.

"How's the eye?"

Floyd spun around and eyed the blonde doing research behind her computers. "It's good. Better than before, I dare say."

"I may have improved the software while I was at it," Felicity shrugged.

"You haven't found anything more about my Zoe, have you?" Floyd asked as he paced in front of her computers.

"I tried tracing the van that took your daughter by running the number plates, but that obviously didn't work. So I tracked the van hacking into the security cameras and it seems to be a few miles West of Starling City. Granted, that's old footage by now, but hopefully it will give us something. It could help if you can think of anything."

"How come you're not scared of me? I saw the way you looked at my tattoos, clearly you know what they mean," Floyd drawled as he leaned on the table beside her. "I suppose I get why Diggle's doing this, but not why you and Queen are helping me?"

Felicity held the man's gaze for a few seconds before she turned back to her monitors. Floyd watched her in amusement. She pressed several keys on her keyboard before she brought up a few photos and Floyd's face fell as he recognized his young red-headed girl.

Felicity turned back and noticed the shift in his expression. She lowered her own voice and gently remarked, "I know you put the money you earn from your living into a fund for her. That you would do anything to see her safely restored to her mother."

Floyd frowned. "Johnnyboy told you that?"

Felicity shook her head. "I have my own ways of finding out. Fear comes from ignorance. I know too much about you to be scared of you, or rather scared of the man you want the world to perceive. I'm not saying what you do isn't scary because you are a hit-man and you were the one who killed Dig's brother, but... I also believe in the trace of goodness I see in you. As does Oliver. Or, well... Oliver believes in Diggle, which isn't exactly the same thing, but good enough."

"Huh..." Floyd breathed. "... and here I don't know anything about you."

Felicity smirked. "Scared?"

"A little, yeah," the man winked and pushed away from the table. "So... the assassin and the IT girl. Imagine the delinquency we could accomplish together."

"I'd rather not."

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned as John and Oliver joined them.

Diggle frowned as he walked towards them, explaining as he went, "Lyla couldn't give us much. Waller was apparently, to say the least, not amused by us breaking Lawton out. Since she hasn't made contact yet, I'm guessing she's waiting for the opportune moment. We have to be more careful in what we do next or she will stop us."

"Have you found anything, Felicity?" Oliver asked.

The blonde showed her results to the men as she explained, "The van seems to be a few miles West of Starling. With any luck, Zoe's still with them and I can triangulate the position."

Floyd hesitated a second before he gruffly explained, "... I've never been, but I've heard of a safe house that H.I.V.E use outside of town. I know it's location. If it's me they're after, they'll keep her in a place I know of. Since they can't contact me, they'll be more blunt. And they can't exactly be blunter than this."

Oliver frowned. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Floyd shrugged as he glanced down at the woman before he met the man's gaze once more. "Wasn't sure I could trust you to help me. Now I am. We've wasted enough time... Can you get me there?"

"Alright," Oliver said an hour later as he pulled up his green hood and turned to the others beside the open door to their van. He glanced into the back of the van, at Felicity who sat hunched beside her laptop. "You stay in the van and guide us, while we break in."

He glanced about the vast area around them, consisting of abandoned industry buildings and storage units that had clearly stood empty for years. He adjusted his mask as he turned back to Felicity and waited until she nodded her head in agreement before he offered her a tense smile in return.

Floyd adjusted his mechanical eye and made sure his vest was secured before he turned back to the others further away. He raised his voice so that they could hear him across the distance, "Don't waste more time making heart eyes at each other! Clock's ticking."

Diggle smiled as he stepped over to Deadshot, shifting his grip on his own handgun as he did. "Felicity managed to hack the security cameras in the warehouse you pointed out. You were right. H.I.V.E is using it to store your daughter inside."

Lawton's jaw clenched. "I know."

"She's alive," Diggle reassured more firmly.

Floyd exhaled unsteadily as he eyed his unusual ally beside him. "... I almost forgot. I believe congratulations are in order. I heard you're a father now, Johnnyboy."

John's features warmed briefly as he nodded. "I am."

"Is that why you're helping me?" Lawton questioned. "One father to another."

"Maybe partially," Diggle shrugged his shoulders. "Mostly because it's doing the right thing, though."

The men exchanged a smile as Arrow stepped away from the van. Oliver raised his voice and called to the others, "Ready?"

Oliver crept across the rooftop of the warehouse without making a sound. His muscles were tense as he stepped towards the window further ahead. He cracked it open and easily slipped inside. Oliver pulled out an arrow from his quiver as he crept through the shadows on the steel walk hanging fifty feet above the ground. Far below, he could see a dozen men gathered around a table not far from Zoe. The latter sat tied to a chair in the center of the room with a blindfold covering her eyes, her sobs echoing meekly in the vastness of the empty space that surrounded her. The men looked quite disinterested and tired as some of them played cards while other cleaned their guns, plainly waiting for Deadshot to appear and make things interesting.

All of the hostile men rose to their feet, the sound of the chairs scraping across the ground echoing above Zoe's sobs, as Lawton entered the storage unit, pushing Diggle in ahead of him. Oliver drew a sharp breath as he saw the gun pointed at the base of John's head. Oliver tensed and aimed the bow directly at Lawton as he waited for things to play out.

"Took you long enough, Deadshot," one of the men gruffly spoke and stepped forward. "We were beginning to think you weren't scared about-"

"A dozen of you and only one of me?" Lawton interrupted briskly, sauntering towards his opponents almost mockingly as he pushed his hostage forward. "Doesn't seem fair."

"You came unarmed, I assume," the man growled as he eyed the men before him.

"Don't worry, Marcus," Lawton drawled. "I I remember the rules."

"And have you brought the head you owe H.I.V.E?" Marcus asked, nodding in Diggle's direction.

"Not exactly," Floyd disagreed cheekily. "I'm willing to compromise tonight, though. I can give you a life, though not the one owed."

"Oh, yeah?" Marcus questioned with a frown. From his perch in the shadows, Oliver tensed. "Whose head then?"

"The brother of Andrew Diggle," Floyd grinned and tugged on his hostage's collar roughly. John grimaced as he was tugged back and glared back over his shoulder. "See, he came here with Arrow tonight, with the intention of helping me free the girl. Not expecting a last minute twist, though. If you agree to release the girl without harm being done to her... they're both yours."

"Yeah? And where's Arrow then?"

Floyd nodded upwards. "Perched on the steel walk above your heads..."

Oliver grimaced. He pushed up from his crouched position and dove to the side as the men turned their automatics and fired in his previous direction.

"I saw him!" one of the H.I.V.E-men shouted as the sound of the guns died down once more. "Where did he go?"

"Oh, probably to the second hideout we decided beforehand," Lawton spoke and the H.I.V.E-men turned to him in surprise. Lawton and Diggle stood side by side, with their own guns aimed at their opponents. Floyd shrugged. "Just trying to even out the odds a bit."

Without wasting another breath, he started firing. Diggle dove towards the young girl and pushed her chair out of harm's way as the bullets ricocheted around them. She cried and screamed even as John tried to calm her, her body trembling in fear as she tried to make sense of what was going on around her. John exhaled stiffly as he realized it was futile to calm her now as words would not suffice. Instead he whirled on the spot, as his body hovered before the girl. He noticed Oliver had joined the fight, using hand to hand combat as he helped Floyd defeat the others.

John turned sharply to the side as a shot passed his right ear by an inch. A gun was trained at him and Diggle froze. He didn't have the time to raise his own weapon and before he had time to react, something solid connected with him, knocking him off his feet. He heard Floyd's grunt as both men hid the hard ground as the shooter fired his gun. Floyd recovered quickest and pushed off the ground, firing a single shot that embedded itself in the other shooter's forehead.

Diggle gazed up at the one-eyed man with a wide-eyed frown. Floyd shrugged as he extended a hand towards the other man. "The right thing?"

Diggle chuckled as he accepted the help and hauled himself onto his feet. He nodded. "Yeah. Right thing." He noticed a splash of red spreading across Lawton's left shoulder and frowned. "You were shot?"

Floyd shook his head once. "Scratch." He turned to the tied up girl and hesitated a beat. Ultimately, Lawton knelt beside the chair and started to untie the ropes. "You'll be safe now, girl."

"Wh-who are you?" Zoe asked in a frightened voice.

Lawton gritted his teeth as he gently tugged the girl up from the chair. "You... should keep the blindfold. Trust me. It's for the best."

"O-okay..." The red-head nodded fervently as she blindly searched for his hand. Floyd watched tensely as her smaller, paler hand found his and clasped it tight.

"We better get out!" Oliver called as he knocked out the last of the opponents. "Get Zoe and let's move out before A.R.G.U.S-"

All four of them jumped as several men clad in battle uniform stormed the vast storage unit, their automatics drawn at the ready. They sized up their opposition, but Oliver merely sighed at the expected sight ahead of his small team. He hastily withdrew a special arrow from his quiver and fired it at the wall beside the new arrivals. The second the arrow pierced the wall, white smoke shot out of it and surrounded the agents of A.R.G.U.S. Within seconds, the agents started to fall to the ground, knocked out by the strong sedative.

"Cover your nose," Floyd told the girl beside him and she followed orders with hesitating.

"Go, go, go," Diggle beckoned and pushed the girl ahead of him as all of them exited in the cover the sedating smoke provided.

Floyd sighed as he gazed out the car window. He watched the young girl run across the lawn towards her house. The front door opened and a slender woman with short, red hair appeared, her face stained with tears and eyes wide with fear. As soon as she lay eyes on her daughter, the woman's face erupted into a relieved laughter. She pulled her daughter into her arms, violent sobs escaping from her trembling frame.

"She'll never know who I am," Lawton breathed and turned to his company as he gingerly rubbed a hand across his wounded shoulder and the bandaid. "It's for the best."

"You saved her," Diggle disagreed. "She'll know that."

Lawton closed his eyes tight as he nodded in understanding.

Diggle glanced one last time at the man beside him as he started the car engine and drove down the street. At length, he turned back to the man in the passenger seat. "Where to?"

A deep sigh seemed to reverberate in Lawton's chest as he replied, "Train station. I think I'll travel the world for awhile."

"Don't get caught this time," Diggle remarked and Floyd snorted in amusement.

"There!" Felicity exclaimed a few days later as she placed the last carton down on the wooden floor. "That's the last of... random stuff. I really should have tagged these boxes better."

Oliver and Quentin exhaled in amusement as they stepped over to the woman in the center of the mostly empty living room.

"The perks of having your place burned down is, of course, that you don't have a lot of packing to do," she smiled up at them and ran a hand through her messy ponytail. "Still, thanks for the help, guys. I really appreciate it. How about I buy you dinner?"

Oliver stepped closer and glanced sideways at Lance once before he lowered his voice, "Can I take a raincheck? I... have someone I need to see tonight. I need to make something right."

Felicity beamed up at him as she mutely nodded. Oliver gently touched her forearm as he turned and sharply inclined his head to the other man, "Goodnight, Lance."

"Goodnight, Oliver," Quentin echoed and watched as the man walked out of the apartment. As soon as they were alone, Quentin shook his head and sighed. "Never thought you'd be friends with that boy."

Felicity shrugged. "A good boss, a better friend."

Quentin eyed her in disbelief. "...Sure."

"Listen, I..." Felicity searched for any words that could voice her thoughts, but found none suitable enough. "...just wanted to say thank you."

"You already did, sweetheart," Quentin smiled. "Twice."

"No, I don't mean for helping me move, though of course I'm grateful for that, too," Felicity stopped herself from rambling and closed her eyes shut. "I mean... I never had a father figure growing up. I never thought I needed one, either... and I still don't think I need one, but... it was nice, for a while, to sort of have you as one. If that makes any sense."

Quentin stepped closer and squeezed her shoulder firmly. "I'm not going anywhere, Felicity. My door's always open for you. You know that."

"So..." Felicity pursed her lips as she held his gaze. "How about takeout pizza?"

"Perfect."

Oliver stepped into the office on tentative legs. "Working late?"

Jane's head shot up and her eyes widened in surprise. She leisurely rose from her chair and stepped around her desk. "Oliver..."

Oliver noticed how her eyes danced with trepidation, uncertain as to why he'd come to her office this evening. He exhaled slowly and let anxiety leave his lungs as he moved towards his half-sister.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to process..." he began with an apologetic grimace. "What happened back then wasn't your fault. It was our fathers' doings and their sins should not be ours..."

Jane inclined her head slowly seemingly unsure in what direction he was leading them.

"You carried a heavy lie that shouldn't have been yours in the first place," Oliver continued. "And I should have been more understanding of it. I know what that's like, after all. I shouldn't have left you like that. After everything you've done for me, you'd think I'd be better at showing gratitude."

"It's alright," Jane shrugged. "There's not much to be grateful of yet."

"Yes, there is," Oliver disagreed. "You're helping me reclaim QC, and that's certainly not an easy task. Felicity tells me you've been talking to the other boardmembers in my favor, even after I turned my back on you... Like a sister."

"Well..." Jane started tentatively and decided to cut straight to it., "Your other sister is our biggest opponent. She's talking to the board members, too, but in her own favor."

Oliver slowly nodded as he let the words sink in. "I... There's still a lot I need to figure out about Thea. Things I need to do right by her that won't solve itself over night."

"I figured as much," the blonde offered a friendly smile. "Ollie... Tell me what you want me to do. Tell me how I can help you."

"You can start by giving me a chance to be your brother," Oliver offered with a meek smile. "And... you were right. I have to do most of this myself. I have to prioritize QC and the charity foundation. I have to do this the right way if anyone's going to take me seriously. If anyone's going to believe in me."

"People believe in you," Jane disagreed with a heartfelt sigh. "You have to do the same."

"I'm trying to," Oliver slowly inclined his head. "So, how about dinner?"

"I'd like that," Jane smiled.

"Come on, sis," Oliver breathed jokingly as he jerked his head in the direction of the door.

Jane gathered her stuff and followed Oliver out the door without hesitation. "I've heard great things about this place called Big Belly Burger. Have you been?"

"Yeah," Oliver shrugged innocently as they entered the elevator. "A few times. They have great chili cheese fries with jalapeños. You should try it."

"Eh... I'll pass," Jane hesitated as the elevator doors closed.

To be continued!