Chapter Text
i.
Felicity Smoak graduates from MIT with a Masters in Cyber Security and Computer Sciences.
It’d be impressive at any age, she knows, but she’s always been an overachiever and does it at twenty.
Donna’s there, wearing a too-tight beaded cocktail dress and too-high red heels that perfectly match her painted lips, and she splits her time between squealing over her daughter’s newly dyed blonde hair and taking pictures of her beautiful baby girl . Her mother is still totally ridiculous, and Felicity’s still 83% convinced she’s adopted, but she doesn’t have to fake her smile when she has her diploma in her hand and Donna’s taking her picture.
Laughter bubbles past Felicity’s fuchsia-painted lips, and a rush of excitement fills her because she can leave behind MIT.
It’s time for her to reinvent herself, again, only this time, instead of as a rebellious brunette hacker, it’ll be as a blonde IT-expert.
It’s time for her to leave behind the whispers and heartache and memories of Cooper, and explore the world beyond her books and lectures.
Felicity’s a genius, literally , the real literally not the literally where people actually mean figuratively, and she’s headhunted by some of the most powerful companies in the world. She receives offers from Kord Industries, Wayne Enterprises, Queen Consolidated, Stellmoor International, as well as Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories. Or, as it’s more commonly referred, STAR Labs.
Donna wants her to take the offer from Kord Industries because, while they have subsidiaries all over the country, their main office is in Nevada, which will bring her closer to home. Which is exactly why Felicity turns it down. She loves her mother, she does, she totally does, but that doesn’t mean she can live within driving distance of Donna.
Wayne Enterprises nearly wins her over because they develop some of the best tech and their Applied Sciences division is like Candy-land, but Felicity’s running, trying to outrun her mistakes and the memories of Cooper, and she remembers the road trip they took to Gotham City the summer before he died.
Walter Steele, the CEO of Queen Consolidated, is nice to her, but the only position currently available at the company is an entry-level IT-position. “I’m sorry, Mr. Steele,” Felicity says when she turns down his offer, and she is because she likes Walter, but she went to MIT and she’s worked very hard to get where she is and it wasn’t for her to be some nameless IT-Girl.
Stellmoor International gives her the heebie-jeebies.
She interviews for the position at STAR Labs.
Felicity fiddles with her rings and picks at her freshly painted nails the entire time she’s waiting. Her entire outfit is quirky yet professional (pale pink nails that match her printed blouse, a patterned a-line skirt that hits her knees, and a pair of aqua pumps that make her feel powerful and badass) but she can’t help but wonder for the millionth time since she arrived if, maybe, she should have gone with a neutral or classic-red lipstick instead of the bright pink she opted for. “Felicity, baby,” Donna Smoak always says, “There’s nothing classier than a red lip.”
Maybe she should have—
“Welcome, Ms. Smoak.”
Felicity’s head snaps up at the sound of her name, only for her eyes to widen comically, because Mother of Google. “Doctor Wells,” She rasps because he’s been an idol of hers for years. His work is world-changing and years ahead of everyone else and she’s 83% sure she’s fangirling right now. “Thee Doctor Wells,” Felicity adds, dizzy with the sight of him, barely resisting the urge to pinch herself because she hadn’t expected him to be present for her interview.
Amusement flickers across his face as he moves further into the room, “Please, call me Harrison, Felicity.”
“Oh,” She practically squeaks as she climbs to her feet, smoothing a hand over her skirt before she looks at him, pushing her glasses further up her nose because she’s been wearing contacts since she was fifteen and she’s still not used to the added weight on her face. “You know who I am,” Felicity blinks. “I mean, of course, you know who I am, you read my resume. At least, I assume it was you that read my resume and not one of your minions. Not that I think your employees are minions because that makes you sound like a super-villain, which you are not, and I am going to stop talking in 3...2...1.”
“Felicity Smoak,” Harrison Wells continues as if she hadn’t spoken, which she’s incredibly thankful for, but she doesn’t think she’s imagining the amused look on his face. “You ranked second in the National Informative Technology Competition last year at 19 and you graduated summa cum laude from MIT with a Masters in Cyber Security and Computer sciences.” Felicity’s practically beaming under his praise as he continues, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets. “I keep an eye out for promising talent in scientific fields and I believe we will be seeing great things from you... Whether you choose to accept my offer or choose to work elsewhere.”
Felicity stares at him for a moment too long and then she’s closing the distance between the two of them, her brow furrowed. “I don’t want to read too much into this, but I’m pretty sure you just said everything I’m supposed to say to convince you to hire me.” Her confusion is obvious and her heart pounds in her chest but she wants this so bad that she’s not above begging. “Why does it sound like you are trying to convince me?”
“Because I am, Ms. Smoak,” Harrison Wells says before he gestures for her to follow him into his office, “I have been looking to expand our department in research and technology. We live in a technological age and I want STAR Labs to, not only acquire the best software but develop them.” He pauses to take off his glasses, cleaning them before he puts them back on, and then he smiles at Felicity. “So, I guess my only question is, will you help me?”
Felicity blinks, stares at him for a moment, then nods her head. “Yes,” She beams, eyes bright. “Yes, of course.”
It takes time, but STAR Labs becomes her home, and she builds herself a family. It starts when she meets Ronnie Raymond. He’s handsome and smart and they bond over a mutual love of food and wine. When the two of them clock out for lunch, he always insists on pizza, but she always counters with Big Belly Burger. Ronnie is probably the best friend she’s ever had and it never fails to amuse her when he gets into a debate with Caitlin Snow. It’s the most obvious case of playground-love she’s ever seen.
After Ronnie and Caitlin, the next piece of her heart goes to Cisco Ramon, who always understands her pop culture references.
Before long, Felicity has a family of her own making, and the ache in her heat where Noah, where Cooper, used to be doesn’t seem so vast.
She still feels the loss of Noah in her life, but in Harrison, Felicity finds a father figure, one with the most impressive poker face she’s ever seen, which is impressive because she grew up in Las Vegas. She finds friends that she loves like the siblings she never had in Ronnie and Caitlin and Cisco. (Cisco always jokes that Hartley is the annoying cousin that no one likes). And Felicity still misses Cooper, of course, she does; she loved him, she mourned him, but she’s been thinking about putting herself out there again. Ronnie has a cousin that he thinks is perfectly perfect for her.
But Felicity never gets around to getting drinks with Eddie Raymond, she never finds the time.
Caitlin and Ronnie get engaged, Hartley leaves, and STAR Labs launches the Particle Accelerator.
For five minutes, Harrison Wells’ dream comes to fruition, and Felicity’s there, standing proudly beside her family when it happens. “Tonight,” Harrison says, smile aimed at the gathered crowd, “Tonight the future begins. The work that my team and I will do here will change our understanding of physics, will bring about advancement in medicine, and trust me, the future will be here faster than you think. Thank you.”
Felicity, wearing sky-high platform sandals and an ice-blue dress that cost more than her last paycheck, beams from where she’s stood off to the side with Ronnie, because this moment belongs to Harrison, to Caitlin and Cisco, and her heels click-clack against the marble floor as they make their way to the lab where they will watch the beginning of the future once the Particle Accelerator goes online.
“Doctor Wells,” Cisco says as he walks up to Harrison, one of the tablets she designed in his hands, “We just got the latest weather report. There’s a big thunderstorm rolling in.”
Felicity’s mouth curves into an amused smile as she moves to stand beside Harrison. “Then it’s a good thing we’re not launching a space shuttle,” She winks at Cisco.
“Quite so, Ms. Smoak,” Harrison nods with a smile etched into his normally stoic face, leaning against the railing in the lab before he looks at Cisco, “We’ll be fine, Cisco.”
Cisco flashes them a smile before he scurries off, and Felicity turns her attention to Harrison. “So, Doc,” Felicity asks, “How does it feel to be a genius?”
“Assuming that the last fourteen years of my life weren’t for nothing,” Harrison drawls as he leans against the rail, a glass of celebratory scotch in his hand, “And the Particle Accelerator works?”
“Yes, assuming,” Felicity teases with a wry twist of her lips, leaning next to him, her smile widening when she hears Caitlin and Ronnie’s argument from across the lab. It’s been over a year since the two of them realized they were perfect for each other in an opposites-attract kind of way (we’re like fire and ice, Ronnie always says) and the two have been arguing over possible honeymoon destinations for nearly three weeks now.
“Tahiti?” Ronnie asks, staring at the pamphlets in his hands, his head cocked to one side.
“I know it’s a long flight, Ronnie,” Caitlin beams, “But we can binge-watch Orange Is the New Black.”
“But what about Italy?” Ronnie counters for the sake of argument because he’s never said no to Caitlin, “Pizza and wine and more pizza.”
“Yes,” Caitlin’s eyes are bright with happiness as she steps closer to Ronnie, “But Italy doesn’t have Mai Tais, and a honeymoon isn’t a honeymoon without Mai Tais.”
Felicity shakes her head in amusement. “Everyone’s so happy,” She notes and it’s a welcome change because the prospect of a successful launch seems to be acting as a balm for the stress everyone has been under for the past month, stress that only doubled when the protestors set up shop outside STAR Labs. “I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling,” Felicity adds as she looks back at Harrison, and then she leans to bump his arm with her shoulder. “Seriously, this has been your dream for years. You must be ecstatic. Beyond.”
A brief smile flickers across Harrison’s face before he pulls off his glasses and fiddles with them, and then he puts them back on. “Honestly,” He says, almost in a sigh, “Words cannot describe the level of accomplishment I feel. It’s been a long road and I feel like I should say something profound like one small step for man, but all I can think to say is, I feel like I’ve waited for this day for years.” Five more minutes and he’ll have finally achieved his goal of the past fourteen years; five more minutes and he’ll be that much closer to going home.
“Doctor Wells,” a voice calls, “The accelerator is primed and ready for particle injection.”
The Particle Accelerator works beautifully and, for five minutes, they’ve achieved everything they worked so hard for but then an anomaly in the core chamber starts a chain reaction and within minutes the system is collapsing. It could have ended in tragedy for Central City, but it didn’t, it only ended in tragedy for Felicity’s family, because Ronnie— brave, stupid Ronnie—died after he ran into the Particle Accelerator to shut it down manually. “I’m the lead engineer,” Ronnie argues when they tell him it’s too dangerous, “I know how to operate the shutdown valve.”
Ronnie dies, Harrison will never walk again, and employees flee the sinking ship that is STAR Labs.
Felicity’s at home wearing pyjama shorts and her panda slippers, processing her way through a pint of mint chip, when Harrison calls her, says he’ll understand if she leaves too. “I don’t carry the weight I once did, and there’s a chance it will limit your prospects more than anything else,” Harrison adds. “But, if you want me to, I will write you a recommendation. Any company would be lucky to have you. Your presence at STAR Labs has truly been a privilege, Ms. Smoak—”
“I’m going to stop you there,” Felicity interrupts. “I’m not going anywhere, Doctor Wells. If you’re not leaving, I’m not leaving.”
Felicity doesn’t leave, neither do Cisco or Caitlin. Instead, they choose to stand beside Harrison Wells. In the weeks that follow their failed launch of the Particle Accelerator, it becomes increasingly obvious that they succeeded in changing the world, though not in the ways they intended. The news constantly talks about the unexplained deaths and reports of missing persons and tallies of people brought to the hospital with injuries, all the while condemning Harrison Wells.
“He was struck by lightning the night of the incident, and he’s in a coma,” Harrison explains after he announces that a Barry Allen will be brought to STAR Labs, not that he needs to explain himself to them, he’s still their boss and he’s never had to explain his decisions in the past, but they understand without being told that he’s looking for redemption. “The doctors at the hospital don’t understand, they can’t help him, but we can.”
When they aren’t running tests, Felicity spends a lot of time sitting with Barry, babbling about the latest article in a science journal or the current debate she’s having with Cisco. “Cisco— I think you’d like him, everyone likes Cisco —thinks that the Empire is superior to Starfleet.” Felicity babbles one day, her bare feet curled beneath her, her pink pumps abandoned on the floor while her fingers dance across her tablet. “His arguement is that the Empire’s increased numbers mean that they would win, which is ridiculous, because, while their forces aren’t as vast, Starfleet is technologically superior and has cooler-looking ships. I mean, The Enterprise is a thing of beauty, whereas The Millenium Falcon looks like something put together in a scrapyard.”
“I thought Barry was the last of a dying breed, but you clearly come from the same rare species of adorable nerd.” Iris West (who is Barry’s best friend and kind-of sister) says from the doorway with a bright smile before she walks into the room, carefully sitting on Barry’s bed, taking his hand into hers. “Is there any change in his condition?” She asks.
“No. He’s still sleeping,” Felicity says regretfully, shrugging when Iris arches an eyebrow. “I prefer sleeping to coma ‘cause coma sounds, you know, not fun.”
After they bring Barry to STAR Labs, whispers begin to flood the internet of people seeing extraordinary, impossible things; things like people being attacked by something in the sewers, things like a person being able to control the weather or the actions of others, and there are even reports of a real-life Human Torch down by the bridge.
“Metahumans,” Caitlin calls them. “It’s almost as if the dark matter from the Particle Accelerator somehow mutated their DNA.”
“People don’t just have abilities,” Felicity argues because it’s unthinkable. “This isn’t a comic book, this is real-life. I mean, it’s impossible... isn’t it?”
“In the words of Mr. Spock,” Cisco interjects, nodding sagely. “If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Felicity learns to believe in the impossible two weeks later when, while in the STAR Labs facility in Starling City, they’re attacked by a super-solider that looks like a villain out of the comics she used to read at the casino bar when she went to work with Donna. He’s searching for something and sees them as nothing but an obstacle in his path. He kills the security guards but, before he can kill them, Starling City’s vigilantes show up to save them, but the super-villain manages to escape.
“Are you hurt?” The Arrow asks, voice modified, sounding unnaturally deep.
Felicity blinks, staring at the Arrow. “I always thought archery looked utterly ridiculous.”
The woman in black breaks out into a wide smile as she checks Felicity out, and says, “You’re cute.”
An experimental drug from World War II made the super-villain into what he is, turning him into a knock-off version of Red Skull, but the Arrow gives them a sample of his nemesis’ blood — people are calling him Deathstroke — and Caitlin uses it to develop a cure for Team Arrow. It gives her something to focus on, something other than her grief, and it’s the most she’s seemed like herself since she lost Ronnie.
Felicity, however, brushes off the whole ordeal and goes back to Central City, to STAR Labs, to resume her normal life because she has no intention of getting involved with masks and super-villains and evil serums from the 1940s. But then, nine months after the failed launch of the Particle Accelerator, Barry Allen wakes up from his coma and, within thirty-six hours of waking up, decides he wants to become a superhero.
“You’re responsible for this,” Barry snarls at Harrison when he finds out about the meta-humans, “We have to stop them before they can hurt anyone else.”
Barry inspires them to become more than they are, inspires them to become heroes, and Felicity spends her days and nights as a constant voice in Barry’s ear while she hacks various databases and federal agencies as a proud member of Team Flash. It takes them a couple of months to find their groove, but they do, they become a well-oiled crime-fighting machine and then Team Arrow comes to Central City for help, because apparently, Barry is friends with the Arrow.
“Cool,” Cisco announces, mouth curved into a wide smile, “You know who the Arrow is.”
Oliver Queen, it turns out, is the Arrow. He arrives at STAR Labs with his team — a man with arms the size of tree trunks, a blonde woman that looks like she could kill someone with just her pinky finger, and a smart-mouthed kid that looks like a model for Abercrombie — because they’re trying to solve a murder where the murderer used a boomerang to kill the victim, which is awesome, but also terrible, and they’re in Central City on a long shot because they found traces of iron oxide on the boomerang they recovered and Central City has the highest concentration of iron oxide in the country.
“Interesting,” Caitlin says as she accepts the evidence bag from Sara— she was the woman in black last May, the one that called Felicity cute, but she’s more of an honorary member than anything else since she went back to her ‘hot assassin girlfriend’ and she’s called the Canary— and walks into the lab, ignoring the grabby hands Cisco’s making because he wants to run tests and he wants to run them right now. “Did you know Australian aboriginals used boomerangs to hunt? Mostly to hunt kangaroo, which is a surprisingly low-fat source of protein—”
“Caitlin, I’m going to have to stop you there.” Felicity shudders, face twisted in disgust as she walks into the lab, her black-leather pumps clicking against the floor. “I’m sure it’s fascinating, and I mean that because I always find your random facts fascinating, but I have this thing about kangaroos. More of a phobia, really. It’s a long story, but I think they look evil... Huh, I guess it’s not that long.”
Sara breaks out into a wide smile, her blue eyes twinkling when she says, “You’re still cute.”
Felicity’s cheeks flush pink, much to Sara’s amusement, and then Barry introduces her to Team Arrow, “Guys, this is Felicity Smoak.”
“Nice to meet you,” Oliver nods, something akin to politeness in his voice. “These are my partners: John Diggle and Roy Harper, and our friend Sara Lance. I’m Oliver Queen.”
Felicity purses her lips. “Of course. I know who you are,” Felicity says, laughing a little breathlessly before she throws a hand up in a ‘duh’ fashion, “You’re Mr. Queen.”
“No,” Oliver corrects, his voice tinged with amusement, but there’s also steel in his tone that just screams daddy issues, “Mr. Queen was my father.”
“Right, but, he’s dead.” Felicity babbles, and then her eyes widen because Mother of Google. “I mean, he drowned.” Well, that was better. “But you didn’t. Which means you could come here, to STAR Labs, and listen to me babble.” Oliver’s staring at her, but there’s a slight crinkling around his eyes now, almost like he’s fighting a smile, and it makes him look even more devastatingly attractive, which she didn’t think was possible. “Which will end,” She continues, “In 3...2..1.”
“You’re still cute,” Sara says, but, based on his smile, Felicity thinks Oliver’s in agreement with the Canary.