A/N; This underwent a lot of changes in its development, but I'm confident the end result matched my own expectations.
Synopsis: Nyssa al-Ghul returns to Starling City in need of Felicity's skillset on a secretive mission that takes them out of the city. Meanwhile, Diggle has a heart to heart with Oliver regarding their favorite hacker.
3x16: Killing Heart
The small 'inauguration' of Captain Quentin Lance was executed on a sunny Thursday in the beginning of March. The small crowd consisting of police officers and media all gave the man a standing ovation as he stepped up onto the podium to deliver his speech. Quentin's smile was wide enough to concur out the sun, but there was still a twinge of something darker in his emotional eyes.
Felicity stood on the sidelines, applauding along with the others as she noticed Lance's gaze dance across the crowds on the town square. Whoever he was searching was evidently not there, and his eyes fell to the ground in the end. Felicity felt her heart constrict at the familiar look. He'd been searching for his daughters, and once more found them both to be missing from this pivotal moment. Felicity had tried to reach out to both Sara and Laurel through every channel she could think of, but unsuccessfully so. There had been no replies, and though that single fact didn't raise any alarms in her head, she'd still felt sad for the father in need of his family.
After the long celebration, however, Quentin met up with Felicity, and his sorrows seemed to have drifted off with an Eastern wind. He carried himself with a juvenile spring in his steps, seeming both proud and giddy over the promotion.
They'd ended up at Big Belly Burger to celebrate. Quentin had changed out of his uniform and into plain, everyday clothes while Felicity kept the pink dress she'd worn to work and his inaugeration.
"To Captains," Felicity suggested as she raised her cup of water.
Quentin chuckled as he raised his own and downed the last of his drink. "Thanks, Felicity."
"I took the liberty of filming your speech and the highlights of the ceremony," the blonde babbled. "I'll find a way to get the film to your daughters. I promise. They would have wanted to be there today."
Quentin offered her a tight grin as he turned his attention back to his fries. After a few seconds of comfortable silence, the man offered, "How did you like the speech? I thought it only fitting that my first order of business was to call off the Anti-Vigilante Task Force..."
Felicity beamed. "A very kind gesture. I'll make sure he knows it was all your idea. Though I have a feeling he already does."
"He doesn't have the same support since Slade escaped," Quentin said. "But that's why he deserves to know he still has support, people who believe in him. That he's still doing things right, and ought to keep doing them. Killing or no killing. I just figured he deserved a small bone thrown his way. Wish I could do more."
"It's more than enough," Felicity assured.
They once more succumbed to the tranquil silence in the calm, quiet diner as they continued to eat their dinner. Not even a minute passed before a lean shadow settled across the table top, seemingly stretching towards the salt and pepper.
"Hello, Felicity," a soft, dark voice spoke beside them and both Quentin and Felicity turned their heads to face their new company.
Felicity dropped her napkin and scrambled to her feet. She gaped up at the woman, trepidation flashing through her pale orbs at the unexpected sight. "Nyssa?!"
The tall, fierce brunette merely grinned and bowed her head in greeting first to Felicity, and then to the still seated Quentin. The woman wore burgundy pants, a simple top and a black leather jacket on top. She looked quite normal when not dressed in her usual combat gear, branding herself 'Heir to the Demon'.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Quentin frowned in evident confusion. "And where the hell is my daughter?"
"Occupied," came the evasive reply. Nyssa's eyes betrayed no emotion as she explained herself in a gentler tone, "She was sorry to miss the ceremony today. Sara had much desired to be present."
"Sara sent you here in her stead?" the man snorted in his seat.
"No," Nyssa shook her head firmly. "I came by my own free volition."
"To see me promoted?" Quentin's voice bordered on disbelief as he squinted up at the woman. "Now I know hell has frozen over."
"I have only just arrived. I did not come for your ceremony," Nyssa admitted in a voice that sang with both humor and irritation. "My mission tonight is not with you."
Felicity watched the warrior with intrigued eyes as she tried to understand her sudden visit. Last time, her visit had been associated with Slade's escape, and Felicity couldn't help the sudden increase in her heartbeats. The sound of the Australian's raspy laughter still haunted her in her dreams and she couldn't quite hide her stiff stance as Nyssa turned back towards her.
When Nyssa remained quiet, her amused gaze searching Felicity's in turn, Felicity was suddenly able to her what went unsaid. Her eyes darted between her company as her mouth fell open in a mute 'O'. "... With me?"
"Nyssa?" Oliver asked as he jogged down the steps and pulled off his domino mask. He crossed the lair in a few, long strides and came face to face with Diggle, Nyssa and Felicity beside the latter's workstation. All three of them looked noticeably more relaxed than he'd anticipated for the warrior's return. Whatever she wanted couldn't be too bad then, though Sara's absence was a huge warning flag in Oliver's mind.
Nyssa's eyes danced with respect as she bowed her head to the man clad in green leather. "Oliver."
"Is this about Slade?" Oliver cut straight to the point, his voice dancing with concern, as his eyes searched those of his team members.
"It is not," the Heir to the Demon assured firmly. "I am here on another mission for the League."
Oliver's frown merely increased as he questioned, "Sara?"
"She is away on other work unrelated to my own," the brunette explained without missing a beat.
Oliver shuffled from one foot to the other as he found himself as clueless about the assassin's presence as he'd been before his questions. Exasperated, he exhaled and shifted his bow from his right to his left hand and shrugged his eyebrows, "... What's the mission then?"
"Classified to all outside of the League," Nyssa shot him a pointed look that said it all.
Diggle sighed as he stretched tall and muttered, "So you keep saying..."
Oliver exchanged a glance with his friend before he turned back to the assassin. "Do you need our help?"
"You ask too many questions," Nyssa remarked with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Yes, I am in need of some assistance, but no, not yours. I already have many capable warriors at my disposal. I do not need more."
Oliver features fell into a deep scowl. "I don't understand."
Felicity took a slight step in the man's direction and her heels echoed against the cold floor. Her pale eyes searched his for a second before she exhaled, "She needs me."
"You?"
Felicity shrugged, as if the notion was beyond her own comprehension. "The League of Assassins need my help, it's mind boggling for me, too. I think I'm becoming the go-to-girl for vigilantes and assassins worldwide. Wonder if I can put that on my resume... Or a business card. Can we get business cards?"
"No," Oliver shook his head as he ignored her ramblings. "Not happening."
"I have need for someone with great technical skills whom I can trust," Nyssa raised her voice, speaking above the couple's arguing. Her calm explanation left little room for debate or questioning. "I need Felicity."
Oliver hotly stood his ground, glaring down at the assassin beside him. "I told you, she's not going."
Felicity huffed, "Since when is that your decision, Oliver?"
"Fe-li-ci-ty-"
"I'll hear her out," Felicity interjected, her eyes burning bright with a fervor Oliver knew only too well. "Then I'll make up my own mind."
Nyssa smiled as her eyes danced between Oliver and Felicity. When the green-clad man grumpily lowered his gaze, Nyssa turned her impressed gaze back to the blonde woman and explained, "Fair enough. My father needs me to acquire an important device hidden in a fortress of sorts, blocked behind high-tech security my people cannot get past. I need you to help me bypass the technological roadblocks. Get me and my small team inside. I cannot give you more details right now."
"A device? Oh, so no... What about the... assassinating?" Felicity asked with a sheepish grimace. "Cause, I mean... You're a League of... assassins."
"I am well aware of your moral values and though I may not share your reticence, I respect your team's choice not to kill," Nyssa said, her voice lowering an octave with sincerity. "This is not a mission to assassinate. I cannot guarantee there will be no deaths, for plans have a way of altering, but..."
Felicity inhaled slowly, letting her head fall down sharply into a brisk nod. "Okay."
Nyssa frowned. "Okay?"
"I'll do it," Felicity shrugged. "Okay."
"Okay?!" Oliver blurted in a loud voice.
"There seems to be an echo in here..." Diggle drawled. Only Felicity rewarded his comment with an amused grin, while the other two were busy glaring at each other.
Felicity turned back to Oliver as she sighed. "I'm going. I'll help Nyssa with this one mission – without casualties –"
Nyssa shrugged vaguely. "We will see."
"- and if anything happens I have Nyssa, Sara and the League to protect me. I don't see the harm in that."
"I do," Oliver contended in a heartbeat, his temper rising inside his chest like a furious tidal wave. "I can't- I don't want you to work for the League!"
"Technically, I'm not. I'll ...be a freelancer. Just this once."
Oliver snarled and opened his mouth to retort, but Diggle beat him to the finish line. The bigger man raised his voice as he nodded towards the exit. "How about we give you two a minute. Hmm?"
When neither Oliver nor Felicity replied, too occupied with glaring at the other, Diggle turned to Nyssa and inclined his head wordlessly. The warrior suppressed a grin as she turned and followed the man up the steps.
As soon as the sound died out in the corners of the lair, Oliver lowered his gaze momentarily. He silently counted off the visible signals in his head. Felicity was tense and very much prepared for a battle if he forced her hand any further. Oliver wanted nothing more than to yell at her for making a terrible decision, but in the end his shoulders slumped low and he held her gaze steady. If this was truly what she wanted, he had no business refusing her the decision. He'd done too many errors where she was concerned as it was.
"...I don't want you to go with Nyssa," he admitted in a whisper.
"Oliver…" Felicity began as she took a firm step towards him, her anger simmering not far beneath the surface. "I know you trust me."
The man sighed and his intense gaze roamed hers for a quiet second. "Implicitly."
"Then trust that I can do this."
"It's not about trust, Felicity. It's concern."
The frown wrinkles between her eyebrows increased by the second, but the anger seemed to have subsided entirely. "You don't think I can take care of myself."
Oliver mirrored her expression. "I never said-"
"-that I'm a liability in the field?"
"No! You're the best asset I have on the team. You're a national treasure, Felicity, and I can't do this without you. I trust you, I believe in you… But I..." Oliver grimaced and paused briefly, before he let the truth pour out, "...I want you away from danger. I don't trust my reaction in letting you go out there. I've done the unthinkable once… and I never want to do it again. Next time I won't be as lucky, none of us will... Slade had you… he would have killed you. Twice."
"You stopped him."
Oliver stiffly shook his head in disagreement, letting the cold, harsh truth slap him across the face as he diverted the conversation somewhat, "We stopped him. Don't think I underestimate or take for granted what you did then. You're not a liability. You're not a weak link... but you are my weakness."
Her azure eyes widened at his confession. "… Oh."
Oliver offered her a soft smile at the sudden shift in her fair features, "... And my strength."
He held her gaze captive and let all of his emotions pour into that one, single look. He knew he didn't need to say the words aloud, and didn't feel ready to speak them yet either, but still she understood. Recognition flashed through her eyes for a second before it was replaced by something warmer and brighter. An emotion he knew ran wild inside his own heart and soul.
In the end, Oliver sighed and offered her a meek smile, "I won't hold you back."
"You never have," Felicity breathed in a low whisper as she took a tentative step closer to the man before her.
Oliver smiled as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She stiffened momentarily under his touch, but relaxed into the affectionate kiss a heartbeat later. Oliver lingered a second longer before he pulled back and held her gaze.
"Ready?" Nyssa questioned an hour later as she watched the blonde woman rush around the lair, gathering gadgets and gizmos she might need.
"I think so," Felicity replied distantly. "Hey, do you think I'll need a Bluetooth adapter where we're going?"
A sparkle lit up Nyssa's eyes as she slowly shook her head, long tresses of brown gold swirling around her shoulders - in amusement or in reply to the question, Felicity wasn't entirely certain. Either way, she put the device back in its drawer and swiped a hand up and down her thigh to calm her nerves.
Felicity had changed out of the pink dress she'd worn earlier, having the distinct feeling that it was far from appropriate for whatever mission Nyssa had in mind. Instead she'd opted for the outfit she kept in the lair for any mission that let her enter the field. She wore a black tank top over a pair of dark, stretch jeans and a slim fitting leather jacket to top it off. It wasn't comparable to Oliver's vigilante outfit, but it was the closest she had. There was something about the leather that boosted her confidence, too, and helped her keep a level head.
"What about a balaclava?" she waved the dark item in her hand but scrunched up her own nose at the prospect. "Actually, scratch that. They're a pain in the ass with lining up the eyeholes. Better off without them."
Oliver exhaled in amusement from the sidelines where he stood next to Diggle, watching the spectacle with a mix of pride and heart-wrenching worry. He didn't like seeing Felicity dressed up for the field. Not that he didn't trust her capabilities, but, as he had told her earlier, he didn't want her associated with the danger that inevitably came with the missions. Based on Diggle's silence, the other man wasn't too amused by the prospect either, but knew better than to question the decision at the present time.
"You ought to carry some form of protection," Diggle suggested in a strained voice, pulling everyone's attention towards him. The large man sighed as he rose from his seat and stepped towards the blonde. "In case someone comes too close for comfort."
"I have Nyssa," Felicity shrugged her shoulders and the other woman smirked in reply. "And all my tech stuff. What else do I need?"
"I've got a suggestion," Oliver breathed and stepped towards the glass case next to his own by one of the walls. He glanced up at Sara's Canary jacket before his eyes drifted to the small item at the base of the case. He grabbed it and stepped back towards Felicity. "Sara'll want this back anyway."
Felicity accepted the item and grinned in response as her fingers trailed across the technical device. "Thanks."
"If it would not suffice," Nyssa suggested from the sidelines. "I have smaller, blunt force weapons among my arsenal that might suit your needs."
Oliver turned his attention back to the brunette with sharp amusement, "I didn't take you for a woman who carried non-lethal weapons."
"It is a habit I picked up after meeting Sara," Nyssa admitted and her words surprised Oliver into silence. He offered her an apologetic smile that she returned in favor.
Felicity exhaled sharply as she stuffed the device in her small, black backpack. This would be her first time flying solo without anyone of her team. She'd grown to trust in Nyssa, how absurd it might sound to put any faith in an assassin. She was honored that Nyssa felt she needed her help, and Felicity only wanted to repay that trust and respect in any way she could. It didn't mean she wasn't scared as hell at the same time.
"I'm ready," she nodded as she stretched tall and turned towards the others.
Nyssa and Felicity took a plane out of Starling City without a target goal specified to Felicity. She tried to get some intel on the way, but Nyssa kept assuring her it had to wait until they were safe from prying ears and eyes. When they landed in Nepal, Felicity was tired despite sleeping a few hours on the plane, and all the more confused than before. The mystery of their mission threatened to engulf her even as she tethered closer to the truth.
As the two of them stepped out of the small, simple airport, Felicity wasn't sure what to expect. She'd never been to Nepal before, and was pretty certain this wasn't their final destination either. People passed her on the curb, hurrying around with their luggage in tow, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the disarray and stress outside the airport. Nyssa calmly stepped up to the edge of the curb and stopped. She cut quite an intimidating profile with the setting sun on the distant horizon.
Felicity slung the strap of her backpack over her shoulder and stepped up next to Nyssa, gazing about her expectantly but uncertain what she was looking for. Her gaze connected with a few cab drivers, lazily waiting for customers and basking in the final light of the day.
Both women turned as a black car quietly rolled up beside them. Felicity frowned as Nyssa reached for the backseat and held the door open expectantly. The two of them climbed into the car as the driver placed their luggage in the trunk, and as she heard it slam shut, Felicity exhaled tersely.
She leisurely turned her head in Nyssa's direction and breathed, "You know, i really hate mysteries,"
"I had not noticed," Nyssa replied dryly and a warm smile spread across her lips as she turned to meet the blonde's gaze. They gazed ahead as the driver returned to the driver's seat and they rolled away from the airport in a steady pace.
Felicity tilted her head to the side as she glanced back at her companion. "Can you tell me where we're going now?"
"We're driving through Nepal," Nyssa explained, her gaze straight forward towards the colorful display on the heavens. "And to the border close to Tibet, where my team will meet us in a safe house. The rest will be explained then."
"Can I ask a quickie now?" Felicity wondered. "What is this important device we're meant to retrieve?"
Nyssa hesitated and the tension that followed came as a surprise to Felicity who eyed her companion carefully. The confidence in Nyssa's dark eyes faded as she seemed to contemplate something. She exhaled slowly through her nose and seemed to lose the final barrier as she confessed, "... I didn't tell you the whole truth in Starling City. I could not, for fear that your friend would interfere with my mission."
"O... kay?"
"Our mission is to retrieve a bomb," Nyssa explained bluntly.
"What? Woah..." Felicity frowned intensely at the prospect. "Why would the League need a bomb?"
"Precautionary methods."
"Yeah, I'll need more of an explanation than that..."
"In time. But that is not the full extent of it, Felicity," Nyssa pleaded in a low voice and Felicity closed her mouth. "My mission - my personal mission - goes beyond my father's orders. We attempted to enter the safe-hold of Marton Fallon, were the bomb is kept, once before, Felicity, but we failed. I lost several of my finest soldiers in the battle and... Sara was captured."
"What?" Felicity shook her head fervently as she felt cold sweat slick against her palms. She licked her lips as anxiety spread through her veins like wildfire. "Is she... I mean, is she... alive?"
"I believe so," Nyssa inclined her head once. The movement was stiff and controlled, with emotions barely contained behind a thin veneer of taught patience. "Fallon is keeping her hostage to ensure Ra'as does not attempt to retrieve the bomb. Fallon has threatened to kill Sara should the League attempt anything. Hence the need for a most capable mind like your own, and the significance of secrecy. Which is why I could not tell Oliver, for fear that his involvement would cause more trouble than gain. Also... Someone asked to keep him out of the picture."
Felicity frowned. "Who?"
Diggle stopped a few feet ahead of the small desk and took in the sight before him. Diggle was still unaccustomed to seeing Oliver in this room; in a considerably more modest office than the CEO-office he'd once inhabited. This little cubicle was three floors further down, about half the other office's size and sparse in its decoration. It was still a corner office with panorama windows that offered quite an impressive view of Starling City's skyline. Diggle watched the pale morning light cast across the white room, the desk and the lone man behind it, his head buried in a thick pile of work.
It was an interim office, according to Jane's suggestion, but Oliver hadn't hesitated in accepting the offer. He needed someplace to sit when he worked with the Charity foundation and it seemed to have a great impact on Oliver to simply be present in the QC building, even if it wasn't in the CEO chair he coveted. Diggle had to admit he saw a certain sparkle in the younger man's eyes he hadn't seen before. It seemed he'd found a purpose in his personal life, though it was modest in its hope and aspiration. John still had a feeling the man still needed a gentle push in the right direction, to set him on his rightful track in life.
After a few seconds in silence, Diggle cleared his throat wearily and called attention to himself, "Alright, man, let's do this."
Oliver slowly turned his head up from his work. The open, azure eyes curiously peered up at his stoic friend. The tease of a frown appeared beside Oliver's eyes as he questioned, "Do what, Dig?"
"Have a heart-to-heart," Diggle explained simply as he set down the extra coffee cup he'd brought for his friend and proceeded to sip from his own. He swallowed and waved a hand in Oliver's general direction. "Strictly confidential, of course."
Oliver accepted the olive branch and brought the cup to his lips. "... Why?"
"I'd like to keep my rep intact. If Lyla found out I'm a touchy feely guy, I'm never getting a minute to myself," John joked dryly.
Oliver exhaled in amusement, his entire body filling with a warm energy as he ran a hand over his green tie and leaned back in his seat. "That's not what I meant."
"Oh, I know," Diggle shrugged his eyebrows with a knowing glare. "You're just trying to evade the topic, however."
"I don't know the topic," Oliver innocently commented and sipped from his coffee.
"I'll give you a hint," John played along as he slowly sat down in the chair opposite the small desk. "It's about your feelings for a certain short, blonde woman who's too brave for her own good and can verbally kick your ass any time of the day."
"I fail to see how my dislike of Miley Cyrus means we need to have a chat," Oliver deadpanned.
John shook his head as he chuckled low. "You've caught up with some essential pop culture, I hear."
Oliver stiffly nodded his head as he smiled tightly. He knew he'd strayed as far as he could from the main topic and had painted himself into a corner. Judging by the look in Diggle's eyes, the only way out would be to agree to the discussion.
"Alright..." Oliver breathed and agreed to drop the act for a change. "What did you want to say?"
"Oh, it's not about what I want to say, it's about what you need to get off your chest," John countered with a meaningful gaze. "I'm not blind, Oliver. I've noticed the changes between you two ever since Dick left Starling City."
Oliver slowly tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips in silence.
Realizing he had an uphill battle ahead, John sighed. He knew he needed to repeat the one single fact over and over again, until Oliver got the message. "It matters what you want, Oliver."
Remembering the past conversation between them, Oliver slowly shook his head. The easygoing expression on his face quickly faded into nothingness as he remarked, "It still doesn't. Nothing's changed, Dig."
"You got to get over this whole attitude you've got going on," John argued with a little more force than intended. "How come it's fine for me to want and have both a family and do what we do for a living, when you can't have the same?"
"Because... it's just different, Dig," Oliver sighed in exasperation and twiddled a pen between his fingers. "I want her to... I want her to know how important she is to me. How much I care. I don't want her to think I... but I don't know where to go from here, Diggle. I can't be with her... without endangering her life. When Slade took her..." Oliver's face fell and the silence lingered between the men for a strained second. "... I thought I'd lost her forever. That Slade had won. And he did, in a way, because it only clarified the truth: My feelings for Felicity put her in constant mortal danger."
"... I can't sit here and say that you're wrong about that, man. Because we both know that would be a lie," Diggle bluntly remarked and watched Oliver barely conceal his flinch. John could see tormented emotions pass his friend's gaze as the inner struggle threatened to break the surface once more. John grasped the opportunity and leaned forward in his seat, waiting until Oliver met his gaze before he continued, "...The point is, though, that she wants that danger just as much as you and I do. Felicity chose this life, and I'm just as scared for her as you are... but we respect her choices regardless. We respect that while we might not keep her safe, we can keep her protected. But what you're doing right now? That's not protecting anyone."
Oliver pursed his lips. "I'm not there yet... I can't screw things up with Felicity. What if... we give it a chance, and everything falls apart? I couldn't live with myself, Dig."
"Everything worth living for comes with a risk, Oliver," John said in a gentler tone. "For people like you and I the risk is more profound, because of our choices. But we can't stop searching for those things worth living for because of risk. You've got two lives, Oliver. You have to live both of them now. Or risk not living at all."
"Diggle... I..."
"How about a hypothetical scenario?" John suggested with an innocent shrug. "Picture your life ten years from now. Don't think about it. Just picture it, man. Do you see yourself as a weak-kneed, scarred vigilante... or a loving father with two-three wiz kids running after your tail?" As Oliver remained silent, his blue eyes glazed over, John tilted his head to one side and asked, "...Or both?"
"I don't believe it..." Felicity mumbled as she unceremoniously dropped her backpack on the floor and gazed ahead into the shabby room.
The small flat was worn and had certainly seen better years. The paint was flaking, the wooden boards creaked loudly beneath her steps and the ceiling fan seemed to be broken where it hung askew above their heads. The safe house itself was situated at the base of a mountain, in a small town Felicity was pretty sure she couldn't pronounce correctly, where no one seemed to be speaking a lot of English. Or speak, period.
For the moment, Felicity forgot about all of this. She forgot she was still expecting an explanation. She forgot about the cockroach she'd seen run up the stairs outside the flat. She forgot Nyssa as the warrior stepped across the room to dispose her own luggage further inside. All Felicity could see was one thing, one person standing at the center of the room.
Laurel Lance.
The eldest Lance girl was standing right before her in this dingy apartment, in flesh and blood, looking very much alive and well. She had a healthy color to her cheeks and seemed to have gained a few pounds. Judging by the unmistakable tricep visible, those pounds had to be all muscle. The most profound change to her character, however, was in her pale eyes. They were actually glowing with something Felicity had never seen in them; peace of mind.
Impressed, and somewhat intimidated, Felicity walked closer.
"Laurel..." Felicity muttered in awe as her eyes travelled up and down the woman's frame. "You're packing heat!"
Laurel laughed as she crossed the short distance and hugged the shorter woman. "It's good to see you again, Felicity."
"Likewise," Felicity assured as she stepped back awkwardly. "It's just... a surprise. A big one. We had no idea where you were."
"I needed time for myself," Laurel explained with a shrug. She exhaled slowly and admitted, "I still do. I came here to train with Sara and Nyssa. Since I'm not part of the League, Sara and Nyssa come here as often as they can to help me train."
"Train for what?" Felicity breathed and resisted the urge to touch Laurel's triceps. "The Assassin-Olympics?"
"It's great here," Laurel continued with a soft grin as she guided them over to the table by the window. They could hear the distant sounds of night filter in through the closed window, and a lamp post outside cast an orange glow over the room. "It's peaceful, quiet. It's giving me the time I need to just... find myself again."
"I'm glad for you, Laurel," Felicity assured with a widening grin. "Your father will be thrilled to know you're doing great. He misses you."
"I miss him, too," Laurel breathed and swept a strand of her long locks away from her face. She slowly sat down on one of the chairs and her eyes darkened with the truth. She sadly smiled up at the blonde woman and continued, "And the rest of the team."
"Oh, before I forget!" Felicity searched through her backpack and fished out the small technical device. "Oliver gave me this when I left. He thought Sara might want it back, so... Eh... Well, why don't you hold on to it in the meanwhile? It belongs with you, I think."
Laurel smiled as she accepted the gadget, fingers tracing across the surface as a sad shadow swept across her face. Eventually, she gazed up at Felicity once more. "How is Oliver? Last time I saw him he was... in a dark place."
"He's doing better. He didn't give up and..." Felicity trailed off, uncertain how to describe things back home. "I think he's still kind of struggling, but he's working through it. We all are, in a way."
"He's lucky to have you, Felicity," Laurel smiled. Felicity was taken by surprise by not only the words themselves but also the genuine emotion with which they were said.
Felicity cleared her throat and scratched her right temple somewhat flustered by the situation. "He's lucky to have you as well, Laurel."
A knowing smile swept across Laurel's face as she shook her head. "Not in the same capacity, though."
From the other end of the room, Nyssa tiredly spoke up, "He's lucky to have several strong women in his life. But if we are done talking about Oliver Queen, may we move onto the matter at hand?"
"Of course. Sorry," Felicity muttered as she spun towards the other woman. "You said Sara was taken by someone...?"
Laurel pushed a photograph towards Felicity on the table top. "Marton Fallon. He's a trader of illegal weapons, with his base of operations situated here in Tibet. He controls the shipment of illegal weapons in the area and basically has a monopoly on the market."
"And the bomb...?"
"My father received news Fallon intends to use it to target Nanda Parbat," Nyssa explained as she joined the other women by the table. "The League have had several altercations with Fallon in the past due to many aspects. It seems he has decided to eliminate his greatest threat in the area once and for all. Ra'as ordered me to prevent such an occasion, which is why we must take the bomb from Fallon."
Felicity nodded sharply as she placed both hands on her hips and gazed up at Nyssa. "Tell me what I can do."
"Tonight I desire you to familiarize yourself with the blueprints of the safe house," Nyssa said and pointed towards the different papers on the table before them. "You must be certain you can find your way because there will be no opportunity for wrong turns once we are inside. Fallon prides himself on what he, himself, refers to as 'The Impenetrable Fortress'. I trust in your capabilities to prove him wrong tomorrow."
"And me?" Laurel asked.
"We rest tonight," Nyssa explained. "My team will arrive at the break of dawn, and we shall be prepared to strike at sunset. I want you both to have a good night's sleep before the fire rises. We'll require it to retrieve the bomb... And Sara."
Felicity yawned loudly as she padded barefoot across the cold, wooden floor. Over on a mattress beside the window lay Laurel sound asleep, her chest rising and falling in a calm pattern. Felicity walked silently, careful not to wake the woman. She walked around the table towards the open fireplace beside the rustic bedroom.
"Done. Despite the spotty wifi in this place, I managed to check out the firewalls to Fallon's dig. Hardly impenetrable. I think I can easily take down the alarms, security and CCTV cameras and keep an unlocked path for us tomorrow," Felicity grinned as she sat down beside the open fireplace in hope of getting some heat. She ran her palms together rapidly and felt the welcoming heat of the flames grace her cheeks as she scooted closer. She smiled in appreciation as Nyssa handed her a blanket.
"I didn't doubt for a second, Felicity," Nyssa assured as she leaned her back against the wall beside the fireplace, where she kept a tense vigilance. The light of the fire danced across her face almost playfully and made the darkness inside of her all the more visible for a second.
Felicity hesitated as she snuggled beneath the checkered blanket. "May I ask you something?"
Nyssa looked bemused for a second as she offered her company a smile, "You may."
"Your orders..." Felicity cleared her throat as she searched for the right words. "You said your personal mission was to save Sara. Not the official mission?"
Nyssa nodded. "My father's orders do not include the rescue of Sara. When we received Fallon's threat that he would kill Sara if we tried anything, the Demon's orders remained firm. Regardless of the risk Sara is in, the bomb must be our first priority."
"But it isn't, really... is it?" Felicity asked and watched her companion lower her gaze as she clenched her jaws. Felicity didn't very much like what meaning that look might entail, so forced another question to escape her mouth, "Do you see a future with her?"
"Of what do you speak?" Nyssa asked as she once more raised her gaze, the stiff tension still lingering in her dark pools.
"You are the Heir to the Demon, as you said yourself. So technically one day you'll be... the Demon," Felicity frowned at her own words, but found her curiosity insatiable. "Can Demons love? Can Demons have a family and a life outside of the League?"
Nyssa carried herself straighter and more poised as she replied, "I have been taught the noble art of-"
"I'm not asking about your childhood games of whack-a-mole with live targets," Felicity argued and raised her hands in a placating manner. "I'm asking your heart... What is it you want?"
"The League is my family. I need no other," came the swift reply.
"And Sara?"
"She is part of the League, which makes her family."
Felicity licked her lips before she cautiously asked, "And if she ever leaves the League?"
Nyssa's air of confidence faded instantly. A sad shadow swept across her strong face as she breathed, "... Then she would have to leave me. Again."
Felicity pushed her long locks behind her shoulders and shook her head. "She loves you, Nyssa. If she ever wants to leave the League, it won't be because she wants to leave you."
"...The affection is mutual," Nyssa managed with a soft smile.
"I can see that," Felicity gently teased with a smile. "I'm just saying... Sara wanted a normal life in Starling, once. And I think she deserves a chance at a normal life again, you know. Away from assassinations and demons... So do you. You'll always have a home - a family - with us, with our team."
"... You should get some sleep," Nyssa gently commanded and her tone hinted that they'd reached the end of the line tonight. "You can take the bedroom, I will sleep on the sofa."
Next morning, the team gathered around the small table to go over the plan one final time. Nyssa's team, consisting of three masked assassins who looked exactly the same with their costumes - Felicity had even decided to call them Huey, Dewey and Louie in her own mind - were stiff and silent, but seemed loyal to their leader.
Nyssa leaned over a map, pointing out possible entrances they'd advance towards after Felicity would take down their technical obstacles.
"Remember, Marton Fallon is a dangerous man who knows how to defend himself," Nyssa concluded. "I do not need to remind you of what happened last time we made a similar attempt. We shall not have the same results. Not while I draw breath."
"Eh, question?" Felicity asked and raised her pointer finger into the air. Nyssa nodded for her to continue. "I did some research on this Fallon earlier. The US gave him a posthumous medal for his involvement in the Middle East a few years ago. He saved thousands of civilians from dying in an air-raid... and was believed to have died in the chaos that ensued. He was regarded as a hero back home..."
"History's not written by the winners, Felicity," Nyssa contended. "It's written by men who think themselves winners. There's a difference. Your homeland put their trust in the wrong man. They believed Fallon would bring an end to the widespread terror in the area, when in fact Fallon was the instigator of the very air-raid you mentioned. When Fallon escaped, protected by the very people he'd come to defeat, your government hid their mistake behind a veneer of deception to save their face."
"Fabricated lies? Oh well, that makes sense, I guess..." Felicity shrugged. To once more have the lines blurred between hero and villain made her mind rebel as she processed the truth. "Cause, I mean, obviously he's not a hero. Smuggling bombs and other weapons to dictatorships. He's not a hero in any way, size or form. Well, maybe form, he seems quite fit in these photographs. Reminds me of my High Scool Swim Coach, actually. He's got that same dimple in his chin-"
"Felicity," Laurel gently chided.
Felicity grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry."
Nyssa smiled as she turned back to the map and pointed out the different vantage points she wanted her team to cover before the heist.
Felicity took down the security in less than fifteen minutes. Child's play, really. Which meant that Nyssa's team could stalk across the lawn outside the building with no interference. Felicity crept as silently as she could behind the team as she gazed ahead at the impressive fortress that lay ahead. The building was modern and luxurious, a standard and decadence that lay way above the average income in this small country, if Felicity had to take a wild guess. It seemed Marton Fallon wasn't even attempting to hide himself in this country, too proud and confident he was untouchable after his past as a 'hero'.
Nyssa suddenly raised her fist in a mute command and everyone ducked to the ground. Felicity threw herself down next to Laurel. The eldest Lance girl wore a costume not too unlike the Canary outfit Felicity had become accustomed to seeing on Sara's fit shoulders. It was black leather, smooth and worn to be comfortable fighting in. The short, black jacket had a higher collar than Sara's jacket back home in Starling City. Laurel wore a small domino mask and had even given one for Felicity to wear for the occasion. At least the eyeholes of the mask were considerably easier to align than a balaclava would have been. Not surprisingly, Laurel had chosen two expendable batons as her main choice of weapons, matching them with a thin blade attached to her thigh.
Felicity glanced down at the tablet in her hands, reading the information as she informed her friend, "We're still good. Fallon's men haven't figured out the problem or the source of it yet."
Nyssa waited another breath before feeling certain the coast was clear and waved Huey, Dewey and Louie to take the front as she joined Laurel and Felicity.
"Stay low, stay sharp and stay quiet," Nyssa advised in a tense whisper. "Let us advance."
They crept across the final distance, hiding in the cover of darkness as if they belonged in the shadows of the lawn. Felicity opened the lock to one of the doors with the help of her tablet and pulled the door open carefully. Nyssa took lead as the three of them stepped further inside.
They'd made it barely ten feet into the first corridor when the first onslaught of soldiers came at them. Arrows and bullets flew through the air as Felicity pressed herself down on the floor behind one of the corners to complete her own task. She managed to hack into the mainframe once more and unlocked a few security doors down the left corridor as she searched for Sara's cell in the vast building.
"We're on the right floor," Felicity breathed to Nyssa, who fired an arrow straight into her opponent's chest, a bullet barely missing her head. "We have to get further inside. The path is cleared."
"Advance. Laurel, you too," Nyssa ordered. "The others will provide us with cover-fire."
The lock to the door beeped twice as Felicity overrode the control and smiled up at Nyssa. The masked assassin pushed open the door and raised her bow at the ready, watchful of any dangers that might be lurking in the narrow hallway. Laurel carried her batons at the ready as she walked second, with Felicity taking up the rear.
"Wait, wait," Felicity gazed down at her tablet and froze in her spot. "The bomb's here. There are two rooms on this floor with their own security cameras. This one -" Felicity pointed at the door to her right. "- is more protected of the two. I think it's the bomb..."
"Open the door, Felicity," Nyssa commandeered.
Felicity's fingers flew across her tablet as she sought to override the controls. In a matter of seconds, the lock beeped and Nyssa threw open the door.
The cell wasn't too big, just a little bigger than Felicity's bedroom back home. The walls were bright and bare, standing in stark contrast to the five black-dressed men with guns awaiting them inside. Felicity ducked low as Nyssa and Laurel advanced towards the men. The loud noise of the guns firing towards the two women echoed inside the room, but managed to barely miss their targets.
Nyssa whipped out her personalized knife attached to her left thigh and slung it towards one of the men. The knife impaled his throat and the blood splashed across the room as he fell down. Meanwhile, Laurel threw a punch with her baton towards her own opponent and sent his gun flying. She kicked him in the chest as another men attacked her from behind. In record speed, she spun and aimed a punch at the man before turning back to her first opponent. Laurel leaped towards him, managing to hook her arms with the mans. Using his back as leverage, she flipped over him and used the momentum to send the man flying into the wall.
A third assailant wrapped his arms around her waist and Laurel grunted at the surprising grip. She slammed her head back and the man moaned in pain as she broke his nose with the blow. Laurel easily slammed her elbow into his gut and dropped low, kicking the man's feet from under him. She panted as she glared down at the unconscious man.
At the other end of the room, the last opponent fell a quick victim to Nyssa's bow and the assassin towered over her prey with a tense expression. As soon as the sounds of battle died out, Felicity scrambled to her feet and gazed down at the five fallen opponents. Her gaze barely lingered on them before her eyes were drawn to the technical device they'd protected. She swallowed thickly as she stepped over a few legs and moved closer to the bomb.
The narrow, oval bomb had a bright orange color with black stripes and seemed to scream 'DANGER' in its own right. The bomb itself, though heavy it was, rested upon a small wheel carrier for easy transport.
Felicity felt her throat go dry as she recognized the design of the bomb. Her hand hovered an inch away from the metal case as she breathed, "... It's a MOAB. We're transporting a MOAB?!" Felicity blinked and her gaze sought out Nyssa's as the assassin stepped up beside her. "You failed to mention that part. Do you have any idea how dangerous these are? It's one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs ever built, which is very bad for us if we get caught in its vicinity when it blows... Yet another sentence I never thought I'd say."
"We cannot leave it here, Felicity," Nyssa replied cooly. "Fallon will use it against the League... or against a larger target."
"I've made a path," Laurel panted from behind them and the other women glanced back to see that Laurel had pulled the fallen men to the side and thus created a free passage towards the door. "What are we waiting for?"
Nyssa and Laurel pushed the bomb on wheels through the corridors, making as little sound as possible as they headed towards the exit. Felicity followed only a pace behind as she read the information on her tablet. She soon found what she was searching for and stopped dead in her tracks. The other women noticed her abrupt halt and slowed down. Nyssa frowned.
Felicity's gaze flew from Nyssa to Laurel and back again. "I found Sara's cell."
Laurel turned towards their leader with an intimidating expression. "I'm not leaving without my sister."
Nyssa clenched her jaw as pondered the options ahead. Ultimately, she sighed and inclined her head sharply. "Me neither. Take us to it, Felicity."
"Good," Felicity nodded and sped ahead, pointing towards the corridor on the right. "This way."
The lock beeped twice as Felicity overrode the controls once more and pulled the door open. Felicity stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that met her. Behind her, she could feel both Laurel and Nyssa tense up.
Sara was before them, held up by the strong hands of Marton Fallon. Sara had several cuts and bruises on the exposed parts of her skin, and seemed weakened by whatever torture they'd made her undergo in her time here. Still, her eyes burned with a fervor as she watched the three women in the open doorway, she was weakened but far from broken.
A sneer spread across Marton's face as he pressed the gun closer to Sara's temple and let his gaze wander from one woman to the other as the three of them stepped inside the room. His young face seemed to betray his years of wrongdoing, but the wickedness was plain none the less.
"Well, well..." Marton cooed as his gaze landed on Nyssa. "Ra'as sent his own daughter to complete the task. Who would have thought he'd be so careless with his own flesh and blood? And all for a bomb, at that... Or, perhaps more likely;... for a loved one?"
Nyssa's face was strong and determined, never once faltering despite the implications aimed at taunting her. Her fingers clenched on the arrow that rested on the bowstring beside her thigh. She managed to shuffle to the side, halfway blocking Felicity with her bigger frame.
When silence continued to reign the room, Marton sighed. "The reason matters not. As I made quite clear; the bomb will stay in my hands. And now, none of you are getting out of here alive."
"It is you who must die," Nyssa growled in a low voice that held much anger and frustration. "You will not see my League defeated by your dirty hands."
"The moral duplicity to your League astounds me. You cannot be both hero and villain... Believe me, I should know," Marton mocked in a dry voice before he glanced down at the hostage in his arms. Sara grunted as he jostled her lightly and turned his grin towards the other three. "Any last words?"
"How about a shout-out?" Laurel snarled.
The other women ducked low and covered their ears as Laurel withdrew the sonic device from her pocket and activated it. The high-pitched sound reverberated in the small room and Marton grimaced in pain. He dropped Sara to cover his ears from the sound, and the blonde warrior easily escaped his grasp and control.
As soon as she was out of immediate danger, Laurel turned off the device and stepped forward with a growl. As Marton recovered, Laurel pulled something else out of her pocket. She blew a powder at his face and the man staggered backwards as he sneezed violently.
"Bless you," Laurel breathed in jest as she whipped her batons in his direction. The punches threw him back against the wall with a grunt, but still he recovered. The man extended his gun and aimed it straight at Laurel's chest. The woman paused as her gaze fell to the weapon, loaded and ready to inflict a mortal wound.
A swishing sound interrupted the moment and an arrow penetrated Fallon's chest. The man gasped before he slumped over and fell dead to the ground.
Laurel spun around and met Nyssa's gaze head on. "Thank you."
Nyssa barely nodded as she spun towards Sara who'd lost her balance and fallen to the floor beside Felicity. "Sara!"
Sara stirred upon hearing her name and managed to raise her head as she leaned heavily against Felicity for support. As Sara's pale eyes peaked out beneath the curtain of blonde, Nyssa exhaled in relief.
"Are you alright...?" Nyssa breathed in a tender whisper, her hand seeking out Sara's cheek.
Sara leaned into the touched and licked her dry lips. She croaked, "Never better. I thought Ra'as would have-"
"I don't care," Nyssa exhaled with an emotional smile. "Did you think I honestly would have left you behind?"
"No..." Sara muttered as she pulled herself to her feet, slinging her other arm across Laurel's shoulders. "Hey, Laurel..."
Laurel shook her head in amusement and rolled her eyes. "Hi, Sara."
As Felicity slipped away from them, Sara turned her attention back to Nyssa. "Nice rescue party you've assembled."
"Only the best for you," Nyssa assured with a wink.
Felicity hurried back towards the bomb in the corridor and grimaced wearily before she decided to dive in with her head first. The only way to win right now, was to risk it all, and she could but pray that the bomb wouldn't explode, literally, in her face. Her trembling fingers found the control panel and she opened it, taking in the sight of wires and displays before her.
"What are you doing, Felicity?" Laurel asked with an intense frown. "That's dangerous!"
"Tell me something I don't know," Felicity muttered in response as she crouched on the floor beside the bomb. She removed her backpack and searched through it with scrambling hands. She found what she was looking for and rose from the ground.
"What's that?" Nyssa asked with trepidation in her voice as she eyed the small control.
"It's a device that will allow me to detonate the bomb via remote control," Felicity breathed, surprised at how even her voice remained despite the words that came out.
"My orders were to retrieve the-"
"I know!" Felicity cried and her head whipped up to face Nyssa's eyes. Felicity felt her heart beat furiously inside her chest and knew her eyes were dancing more with fear than conviction, but still she kept to her path. "Your father also ordered you to leave Sara to her demise... You made the right choice regarding Sara, and I'm giving you a chance to make the right choice now!"
The strained silence somehow seemed deafening in reply as Felicity gazed at her three companions. They all looked bruised and worse for wear, but still held themselves strong after the battles they'd endured. Felicity knew in her heart that this could be her own biggest contribution to their quest. Her strength had never rested with combat skills, but rather in the technical skills she'd mastered throughout her years.
"Let me detonate it via remote control!" Felicity urged when no one else spoke up. "There's no one else alive in the building. The rest have either fled or... well, you know. Get your other team members to meet us at the rendez-vouz spot and let's escape. Let me do this."
The moon was thankfully full on the dark heavens above, shining a much needed sliver of light over the vast, open landscape as their team rushed away from the fortress. Felicity still managed to stumble in her steps despite the pale light, but kept her balance by pure force of will. She glanced ahead and saw Huey, Dewey and Louie expertly run up the mountain.
Felicity stopped as she turned around and waited for the others. A cold wind tore at her thin frame and she shivered in its crude grasp, watching the steam of her breath mix with the night. Nyssa and Laurel were not far behind, holding Sara up between them to move quicker away from the dangerous location.
As they passed her, Nyssa let the others continue ahead and remained with Felicity. Even in the dark night, Felicity could see the firm resolution on the woman's features.
"Do it," Nyssa ordered in a short, soft tone.
Felicity nodded as she looked down at her tablet and pressed in the correct code. She glanced up at her company one last time, before she turned back and activated the command.
The explosion was miles away, yet still made an impressive show of fire-power in the dark of night. The explosion roared loudly across the landscape as the entire building went up in flames further down in the valley. The fires stretched upwards as it devoured the complex, putting an end to the business which had transpired within its walls.
Felicity exhaled in relief as she saw her work below. A light weight landed on her shoulder and she glanced down to see Nyssa's hand linger there for a second.
Pride danced in Nyssa's eyes as she breathed, "Well done, Felicity."
"Yeah," Felicity nodded as the two of them turned to follow the others up the mountain.
"There's someone who wants to meet you, you know," Nyssa remarked in a low voice.
Felicity frowned. "Who?"
"My father, Ra'as al Ghul."
"The Demon?" Felicity whipped her head to the side so fast, she was certain she'd wake up with a particularly stiff neck in the morning.
"Yes. I told him about how you helped stop Slade Wilson, and he was most impressed," Nyssa explained matter-of-factly. "My father is not easily impressed. I imagine he would respect your conduct and standpoint today also, though I dare say he would not have agreed with the choice."
"Wow, that's… Actually, I'm not sure," Felicity admitted with a shrug. "Is it an honor when it's the head of a league of assassins that's impressed with you not killing someone?"
"My father and the League respect fine warriors," Nyssa explained. "You are accounted among them. It takes a brave soul to battle the devils you do on a regular basis, and constantly come out victorious."
"Thank you, Nyssa... For... all of this," Felicity murmured at length and waved a hand in a grand gesture to include the whole mission. "Though... I kind of just want to go home right now. Can I take a raincheck with your father?"
"Yes," Nyssa chuckled. "I understand."
The following afternoon, Felicity waved goodbye to her friends at the airport. She felt a pang of sadness to leave them, but knew they were all alright. Sara had been patched up as good as possible and her eyes had sparkled with a familiar gleam when she'd hugged Felicity and wished her good luck. Felicity had even asked if Laurel wanted to come with her, but the brunette had declined and explained that she wasn't quite ready yet to return to Starling City.
Felicity spent the majority of the flight home pondering her recent adventure away from Starling City. When she landed it was already late at night and Diggle picked her up at the airport. He welcomed her with a grateful hug Felicity was sure was mainly due to her unharmed state.
Felicity dosed off during the ride back to her apartment and only came to when Diggle gently shook her shoulders. Felicity wiped the sleep out of her eyes and sheepishly smiled, "Sorry, John..."
The man smiled and waved off the excuse. "It's been a long week, I get it. I'm just glad you're alright, Felicity. That's the only thing that matters to me."
Felicity smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt and hesitated with her hand on the door handle. "Diggle...?"
"Mm?"
"... Never mind," she pulled back in the end and offered her friend a tired smile as she opened the door. "I think I'm too tired for words, right now."
"That would be a first," Diggle chuckled low.
Felicity stepped out of the car and as she slammed the door shut behind her, she retorted, "I heard that!"
"Goodnight!"
"Night!"
Quentin frowned as he heard a soft 'ping' come from his computer standing alone on the kitchen aisle. He took a swig out of his water bottle and stepped across his apartment in a few, lone strides.
He eyed the computer with suspicious eyes. Before Felicity had stayed with him for a few weeks, his computer had never made any sounds to his knowledge, but ever since it had the strange habit of introducing him to new, strange sounds he needed to find the source for.
As he opened his inbox now, he realized he'd received a mail from the young blonde in question and frowned down at the subject. 'Watch this'. Quentin yawned as he sank onto one of the chairs and lazily leaned against the countertop as he opened the mail and the video file that was attached to it.
The video opened up and Quentin almost dropped his bottle at the recording that met his eyes.
Laurel and Sara were sitting side by side behind a table, wide grins spread upon both their beautiful, familiar faces. A grateful sob escaped Quentin's lips as he watched his two girls.
"Hi, Dad," Laurel began. "We wanted to send a greeting with Felicity. We miss you. Terribly."
"We're sorry we couldn't be there when you were promoted," Sara continued. "Believe me, we hated that he missed it just as much as you did. But we'll make it up to you someday. Someday soon."
"Sara and I are doing fine, Dad," Laurel threw a smirk in her younger sister's direction before she faced the camera once more. "I know this doesn't answer any of your questions, but we wanted you to know that. You'll get all the answers you want when we see you next time. Love you!"
"Love you lots, Dad," Sara grinned and winked. "Take care, Dad."
"See you soon!" Laurel finished and the recording ended.
As the video ended, Quentin sniffled and felt his throat clog up with emotions he'd kept buried deep inside. He wiped at a stray tear and exhaled tensely. He wiped a hand across his face as he tried to compose himself once more and turned back to the computer. He quickly sent a short reply to Felicity that simply read 'Thank you' before he shut down the laptop with a widening grin on his face.
Felicity smiled at the email from Papa Lance before she put her tablet aside on her bedside table. She suppressed a yawn as she turned off the lamp on the table and snuggled happily under her covers, feeling the heavy pull of sleep already fill her mind.
A slight creak caught her attention and she flew into a seated position in a heartbeat, her eyes wildly looking about for danger. Her gaze landed on the familiar shape who'd just stepped in through her window, clad in green leather.
Felicity tilted her head to the side. "Aren't you're supposed to be out patrolling?"
Oliver sheepishly shrugged and leaned his bow and quiver against the wall. "It's a quiet night." His words had barely blended with the comfortable silence when police sirens passed by on the street below. "Mostly."
Felicity laughed in a low voice as she shuffled back and settled more comfortably against her pillow. "I have a front door, you know."
"I do know," Oliver deadpanned as he stepped further into the room. His hood was pulled down and he wasn't wearing the mask as he walked through her bedroom, curiously taking in her homily decoration. "It was locked. The window wasn't... But you should consider locking it, Felicity. It's a nice neighborhood and all, but you can never be too careful."
"If I did, you wouldn't be able to sneak in here in the middle of the night," Felicity gently teased.
"Ah..." Oliver pretended to consider her point as a smile crept across his strong features, illuminated by the pale moon outside. "You got me there... So, how did it go?"
"Great, actually. We got Sara out of the-"
"What?" Oliver's voice raised an octave with concern.
"Eh... Right. There's a lot to explain, Oliver, and I'm really too tired to give you the whole picture right now," Felicity inhaled slowly. "But the short version is; Bomb threat to the League. Sara captive. Laurel badass. Huey, Dewey and Louie doing their thing, I suppose. Me doing mine and getting us inside the fortress. Nyssa let me detonate the bomb, too, which was great fun. All in a day's work."
Oliver eyed her curiously as he sank onto the covers beside her and leaned back against the headboard. "I can't tell if you're kidding or too tired to make sense."
"Nyssa kept me safe, as she promised," Felicity yawned and slowly turned towards him. "She's actually kind of... sweet. I see why Sara likes her so much. They seem happy together. And- you're staring. Why are you staring like that? Do I have something between my teeth? I had a spinach smoothie at the airport and brushed my teeth when I came home, but maybe I-"
"No, no," Oliver assured in a soft breath. "I was just... remembering something Diggle asked me."
"Mhm?" Felicity's eyes dropped close as she snuggled against her pillow. "What was it?"
"He asked me..." Oliver hesitated and his gaze drifted away from the tired woman to settle on the wall opposite her bed. "... how I envisioned my future ten years from now."
"... Mm?"
Oliver allowed himself to smile. "When I came home after the Island... I didn't see a future for myself. Certainly not one ten years down the road. But now... when he asked me... I did. I did, Felicity, and..." he turned towards her only to recognize the steady rhythm of her breaths meant she'd already fallen asleep. He exhaled in amusement and shook his head.
He lingered a beat before he pushed off the bed. He paused and turned back, gazing down at the sleeping woman captured beautifully in the moonlight with her hair spilled out over the pillow. Oliver leaned down and gently pecked her cheek before he hurriedly withdrew. He gathered his equipment once more and suited up before he headed out her window and disappeared into the night.
To be continued!