Chapter Text
Her shoulders seemed to sag slightly as the word–her name filled with so much hope and promise–hung in the damp night air. She took a shuddering breath before she spoke, “Oliver. I can’t stay. I have to go back.”
That was all it took to stir him from his stupor, to move towards her–halting only when she held up a gloved hand. His brow furrowed, “No. Not until you tell me why.”
If the weight of all that she had done, all that she still needed to do wasn’t pushing down on her–threatening to crush her beneath it all–she would have laughed at the total reversal of their roles. “If I leave now my father will burn entire cities–Starling, Central City–to the ground for my treachery. I know this is probably the hardest thing you’ve ever done, Oliver, but you need to trust me.”
Felicity felt if he looked at her any harder he would drill a hole in her head. Almost as if by sight alone he could assure her continued existence in front of him. Giving a slight shake of his head, he said, “I’ve always trusted you, Felicity.”
“Then let me go. I’m safe and I have a plan,” She paused to draw up her hood once again. “Tell Diggle and the others. I’ll send you guys a signal when I need you do all your ‘superheroing’. You know, saving the day and all that.”
And even as her familiar babbling clashed sharply with her wardrobe of darkness and death, Oliver felt for the briefest of moments that they were just out in the field–a mission like any other. Perhaps it was, however twisted and unfair the circumstances might be.
She stepped up to the roof ledge, glancing down quickly and letting out a groan. “That’s my cue.”
Oliver wasn’t quite sure what she was referring to, although clearly whatever training Darhk had put her through hadn’t stamped out her fear of heights completely.
“Oliver?” She asked, turning back to him suddenly.
“Hmm?”
A small grin of mischief tugged at her lips. “Run those coordinate numbers in program 103 when you get back to my computers. Password is ‘red pen’.”
As he watched her disappear for the second time with just a wink, it finally hit him. Why he had heard Darhk’s voice. Why the warehouse location had popped up suddenly after months of searching.
It was all Felicity.
His eyes widened in awe and a smile stretched across his face. All to talk to him, to give him hope and quell his fears. To give him a message for the team. And to give him something meant just for him.
All that with a blade hanging over her head. Over all of them.
Slade was right. He did have a thing for strong women.
A strong, remarkable woman.