The train ride back to Starling City was far less exciting this time. Lucy had a hard time not dozing off into slumber as the train pulled into the station, but she fought the impulse and stretched. Gathering her things, she noticed Felicity pacing outside on the platform. Felicity nearly slipped on the pavement. Lucy raised an eyebrow in response but knew that Felicity was likely still upset by whatever she had seen on the tape.
Felicity collected herself and waited for Lucy to exit the train before she whispered, "Okay… so I know I was a bit… unhelpful…"
"Not really. You did exactly as I asked," Lucy responded quickly and followed Felicity to her car. "I'm just happy that you found something… anything, really."
Felicity stopped and fumbled with her keys for a few seconds before unlocking the car. Lucy narrowed her eyes in suspicion. There was clearly something that Felicity was keeping secret, and it seemed to be more than whatever Felicity had seen on the camera. Lucy opened the car door but waited outside.
Felicity looked at Lucy nervously and stammered, "Uh, yeah?"
"Oliver's up to something, isn't he?"
"Uh, no! No. What? No," Felicity responded unconvincingly before sighing and changing her tone. "Okay, yeah. But we just have some questions. That's all."
"So why did Oliver send you? Was he too angry? Was the plan to surprise me with 'just questions?'"
"Well… Oliver had some business to attend to," Felicity replied with a meaningful look at Lucy. "And we were going to have Dig pick you up, but… we assumed that you wouldn't go with someone that you've never met."
Lucy nodded and got inside the car. Felicity didn't seem as nervous now that their plan was out in the open. She wondered at what questions they'd ask. While Lucy was aware that she had told them as little as possible, she had at least told Oliver quite a bit more than she'd ever planned to. He knew that she wasn't from this world, that she's running from a demonic entity, and that Barry is this world's version of her brother. What more did he want to know? Just what had Felicity seen on the tape?
Lucy watched the people on the street and tried to imagine what could possibly be on the video. Maybe they had seen Dr. Wells, but that didn't seem like something that they'd want to ask her about. With a small sigh Lucy waited for Felicity park the car.
The sun had already started to set over the horizon, giving the building an odd glow. Felicity gestured for Lucy to follow her inside. After taking in a deep breath, Lucy followed her inside and down the stairs. Oliver stood by the computers with his arms crossed in front of him. A man that Lucy hadn't seen before noticed Lucy and Felicity walking in and nudged Oliver.
"Uh, hey," Lucy said, and the man gave her a little wave. "I'm Lucy."
"You can call me 'Dig,'" the man replied. "So I hear you run with some dangerous people?"
"I could say the same about you," Lucy replied, and Dig laughed and shrugged.
Oliver frowned and said, "So before I show you what Felicity found…"
"You want to ask me some questions. Okay. Shoot. Not literally," Lucy said quickly, and Dig hid a small smile.
"Okay then… I have a few concerns about the company you keep," Oliver said with a look to Lucy's watch, which had glitched for a second.
"I don't think he likes me," Anti said with fake sadness. "Oh, no. What am I to do?"
Dig looked to the watch with shock, and Lucy sighed as Oliver glared at it.
"I need him. He helps me defend myself from the other one," Lucy defended Anti irritably.
"But why though? And how long will that last? You don't think that he'll eventually turn against you."
"I trust him. For now. Trust but verify," Lucy admitted, noticing that Anti had gone silent. "He's been the only one that I haven't had to explain myself to here… or anywhere… at least, the only one besides Barry. He may only be helping me out of amusement. But that's okay. I'm not asking for his unwavering loyalty. Just his help."
"We're just concerned about you," Felicity said with pleading eyes. "I don't want to judge, but… you're taking big risks… and you don't seem to care about the consequences."
"I'm fine," Lucy snapped at Felicity then took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'll be okay. I'm not that easy to hurt. And I recover pretty quickly. You think that I'm being overconfident… or even arrogant, and maybe I am. But that's something that I'll handle on my own. My flaws, my consequences. After you show me what you've found, I plan on leaving. You won't see me again, hear from me again… I'll be gone and, hopefully, on my way home."
Oliver looked like he had more to say but gestured for Felicity to show Lucy the laptop. Felicity grabbed the laptop and clicked a few icons before giving it to Lucy. It was the feed outside of Lucy's old room in Starling, and a woman appeared in front of the door, carrying roses. Lucy felt a weird prickling sensation travel up her arms. The woman seemed to be glitching on the camera feed as though the image of a man was being superimposed over her. With a sudden movement she looked up to the camera. Lucy flinched as Dark's eyes looked into hers, and the camera lens cracked and went black. Before the feed cut off, a scream echoed through the hallway.
"That's… that's not good," Lucy said lamely and noticed that she had unconsciously grabbed the broken talisman in fear.
"Nope," Anti answered nonchalantly, and by the expression on Oliver's face, Anti was only talking to her. "But I don't feel his presence in this world anymore. Whatever the witch gave you seems to have weakened him significantly."
"I did something," Lucy admitted. "To protect Barry. It seems to have at least weakened him. I doubt that he'll be able to cause too much trouble."
"What did you do?"
"A shaman gave me a talisman. One of the requirements she gave me for meeting her was that I wouldn't reveal her, or her… magic, to anyone else," Lucy replied to Oliver's irritated glance.
"So that's where you ran off to," Oliver replied evenly.
"Yes, it worked out, didn't it? Barry's safe. My enemy is weakened. Now we just need to find out the identity of the woman. See if she's alright. I doubt it. Dark has an 'effect' on people."
"An 'effect'?"
"Yeah, he seems to… uh, heighten and feed off of emotions. Particularly negative ones."
Oliver nodded, and Dig and Felicity gave each other a worried look. Lucy fidgeted before replaying the tape.
"She looks… familiar?" Lucy muttered mostly to herself. "I can't place where though."
"That Barry Allen tunnel vision?" Oliver asked with a slight smile. "She works for Mercury Labs. One of the scientists. She's not so fond of you… apparently."
"She's not the first… and won't be the last," Lucy replied with a sigh. "She probably thinks that I have it easy or that I don't care enough about the work to receive the benefits that I do."
"Is she right?" Dig asked.
Lucy shrugged and replied, "I guess. My work more than merits the amount that I was paid, but… no, I don't care about the benefits of what I created. It was all for money. But in my defense, it's not like I have that many options to make money here. I don't even have a valid social security number."
Dig nodded and said, "I'd like to help, but… fighting demons is a bit above what I can deliver."
"No worries," Lucy said and put the laptop down. "This is something that I started. I need to finish it. You guys have done more than enough. Thank you."
"So what are you planning to do?" Oliver asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I… I guess try to talk to her. Maybe her hearing me apologize will snap her out of whatever Dark did to her."
"Or maybe she's already beyond helping. What will you do then?"
"I… don't know. Maybe killing me will give her the release she needs," Lucy joked. "I do hope it won't come to that."
"Okay, now I'm really worried," Felicity muttered and gave Oliver a look.
"As I said… I'm not really worried. I'll be fine."
"What if I just stay nearby as backup?" Oliver asked. "I'll make sure to keep you in view and step in if it gets too…"
"Bloody?" Lucy asked, and Oliver rolled his eyes.
"Heated," Oliver finished his sentence irritably. "It's better than going alone."
"For once I agree with the idiot," Anti spoke up with begrudging agreement. "I don't trust that girl. She's not going to listen to reason. Dark had far too much influence over her for this to end peacefully. Whatever good she once had… it's probably gone now. We're better off just cutting our losses."
"But I at least need to try to reason with her," Lucy replied angrily. "I'll wear an earpiece if that'll make you feel better, but I won't leave before I speak with her."
Anti sighed, but Felicity looked a little more at ease. Oliver said something to Dig before he walked back over to Lucy.
"Ready if you are," Oliver said before grabbing his bow.
Lucy reluctantly nodded as Felicity handed her an earpiece. She was as ready as she'd ever be.