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quirkysmuseFandom: Arrow
Title: Dark Stranger
Chapter Title: Ten
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Felicity Smoak, Slade Wilson, Oliver Queen; Felicity/Slade, Oliver/Felicity, and Oliver/Sara
Rating: M
Warnings/Spoilers: adult content, spoilers for "Heir to the Demon"
Notes: I'm shooting for about six chapters for this to be finished soon.
Summary: Felicity must make peace with Oliver's choice, even if it means turning her attention to a charming and mysterious stranger. Her attentions to someone else, however, do not go unnoticed.
Other Links: AO3 | FFnet | Dreamwidth
Previous Chapter
Oliver’s mind was trapped in a void. His body rushed as humanly possible through the streets of Starling City on his bike. Diggle was somewhere behind him, trying to catch up no doubt, but Oliver couldn’t think of that now. He trusted that Diggle would move just as fast as he was.
He had to get to Felicity. He had to save her from Slade. If he didn’t he’d never forgive himself.
If he failed her, out of everyone in his life, then he would be failing himself. If Felicity Smoak died because he’d been too dense and conflicted to show her the sort of attention and regard she deserved, then he didn’t know what kind of man he would become.
Oliver didn’t know what would be left inside him if Felicity Smoak died.
He wasn’t tracking how much time had passed; it wasn’t important. Lights and sounds flew by him, swallowed up by the void as he charged ahead, a chariot of determination with only one goal: get to Starling City Business Airport. He had to make it. There had to be time.
“Oliver,” a voice said in his ear, and his heart almost stopped when he thought it could be Felicity, like she was always there, by his side in every mission. Instead, the voice belonged to Oracle, who had hacked into his system again and was aiding him along.
“The plane hasn’t left yet, but you have less than ten minutes. The pilots are beginning their departure procedure.”
“Damn,” he swore; he was barely 12 minutes away from where they were at his top speed. There were no more shortcuts, and he could push his bike only so fast.
He kept going. He had to hope for some delay. He’d get there.
“Wait for me, Felicity. I won’t let you go,” he thought. The void began to swallow him too, but he charged on. Nothing could get into his way.
---
Barbara heard the anticipated sounds of struggle outside her computer station inside Slade’s secret compound. She had divulged the information to Sara via Roy’s bluetooth and expected a speedy arrival.She was not disappointed.
Slade had a lot of goons around her, probably to end her once he had secured Felicity Smoak’s reluctant agreement to work for him and betray her trusted friend Oliver. Barbara didn’t think Felicity was going to do that. She was smarter than Slade gave her credit for, and she wasn’t as heartbroken to turn to Slade and want revenge on Oliver.
Barbara wondered if Slade would ever learn that people were not as messed up and jaded as he was.
Regardless of Felicity’s decision, Barbara knew she had outstayed her welcome. It was obvious she was becoming more of a liability to him than his other goons and comrades. He probably suspected that she’d clued Felicity in on his real identity, spooking the girl before she could get deeper in a relationship with him.
Barbara hoped it wasn’t too late for her. While the guards were busy outside, she patched into Oliver’s comm system and directed him to the airport, hoping he’d have time to get to the plane before it departed to save her.
Barbara knew where Slade was taking Felicity, but she refused to divulge that information until the Canary saved her from the death order over her head.
Hearing the last guard outside her computers go down, Barbara turned in her chair to an old friend, panting and catching her breath in front of her. She looked up at her, smiling as she took in the costume.
“I always enjoyed the wig. Not too sure about the cleavage,” Barbara teased.”Just like old times when we were back in the League, right? I sort of miss those days.”
“Barbara,” Sara said, and she could feel the woman’s gaze on her chair. “What did he do to you?”
“No time for that now. You have to get me out of here. There are more of Slade’s goons coming for us as we speak. He doesn’t have just these guys in his home base,” Barbara said.
“I can take care of them,” Roy said confidently.
“I’m sure you can,” Barbara said. “But the blow must be more than just against his men.” Barbara turned back to her computers, speaking into her earpiece. “You have five minutes, Oliver!”
Sara watched as Barbara’s fingers flew over the keyboard. Screens rapidly popped up and around, as seizure-inducing flashes.
“Okay, we can go,” Barbara said.
“What did you do?” Sara asked.
“I gave his computer a virus, targeting anything about Oliver Queen and his associates. I’m trying to blind him and give you guys the advantage. Now, we have to go save Felicity Smoak. I’m afraid if Oliver doesn’t get to her in time, she could be lost forever,” Barbara said.
Sara charged forward and pressed a hand against Barbara’s chest, pushing her chair back against her computers. “You seemed to believe you didn’t know where Slade was taking her!”
“Oh I know,” Barbara said, returning Sara’s rage with a steely glare. “I had to insure you would save me, Canary. Now let’s go.”
“No!” Roy said, pushing Sara aside and barely controlling his anger as he approached Barbara. “You’re telling us now, where he’s taking her!” Fists were balled at his sides, and Barbara looked at him bemused.
“You...you have the same juice as he does,” she said, and she turned to Sara. “You have to be careful with this kid, Canary. He’s dangerous. The things he could do…”
“Don’t you worry about Roy,” Sara said. “He’s right, Barbara. Just tell us where the plane is going.”
Barbara pursed her lips, not thrilled that they were pressuring her, especially Roy. “Okay, fine, he told me to book a flight to Hawaii and then call up a contact at another smaller airport to take him wherever he wanted to go. I can only imagine that it’s remote, and off the grid.”
Sara’s face paled, and she tore her gaze from Barbara and looked ahead, almost in space. She gasped. “Not just remote, but almost unreachable.” She turned to Roy. “He’s taking her to the island, the one where we all met, and the one place where Oliver betrayed Slade, or so he believes.”
“Well, wherever that is, he wants Felicity at his mercy so she will make the hardest decision of her life,” she said, and Sara turned back to meet the woman’s eyes.
“He wants her to betray Oliver and join him, and she probably won’t have any other choice, not stuck out on that island.”
“No choice, except death,” Sara said with worry.
“Death won’t be the option by his hands alone,” Barbara said. “No, he wants her to choose him, or try to survive on that island.”
“Let’s go then,” Sara said, wasting no time. She went behind Barbara and motioned to Roy. “Lead us out, and cover us for anything that comes in our way. I’ll protect us from the back.”
And swiftly, on the edge of borrowed time, they hurried out, securing Barbara’s escape.
---
Slade was ready to close the door on the plane as he barely caught an arrow soaring at him through the air at his other eye.
He grinned.
“SLADE!” Oliver yelled, and he was coming closer as his friend Diggle, the bodyguard, drove him through the airport runway at almost an impossible distance, assuring them they would not catch up. Oliver was shooting long-range arrows at him, standing up in the passenger seat of the convertible they must have commandeered at the last minute.
Many of the arrows had great aim, but Slade was faster at knocking the closer ones from his face. Some of the arrows caught the side of the plane, but none of them posed any threat.
Slade chuckled at Oliver’s wasted attempt before shutting the door. The plane was already driving ahead with Oliver and his man behind them barely catching their speed. Oliver was screaming at the plane, he was sure. Yet the plane eventually outran them, speeding up as the pilots began to lift them into the air.
Slade gazed out the window to the open sky as Starling City became smaller below them. He smiled at the sleeping form of Felicity Smoak talking in her sleep, saying Oliver’s name and calling out to a hero that failed to save her.
Her hero that he would destroy. And she was going to help him.
Eleven
Title: Dark Stranger
Chapter Title: Ten
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Felicity Smoak, Slade Wilson, Oliver Queen; Felicity/Slade, Oliver/Felicity, and Oliver/Sara
Rating: M
Warnings/Spoilers: adult content, spoilers for "Heir to the Demon"
Notes: I'm shooting for about six chapters for this to be finished soon.
Summary: Felicity must make peace with Oliver's choice, even if it means turning her attention to a charming and mysterious stranger. Her attentions to someone else, however, do not go unnoticed.
Other Links: AO3 | FFnet | Dreamwidth
Previous Chapter
Oliver’s mind was trapped in a void. His body rushed as humanly possible through the streets of Starling City on his bike. Diggle was somewhere behind him, trying to catch up no doubt, but Oliver couldn’t think of that now. He trusted that Diggle would move just as fast as he was.
He had to get to Felicity. He had to save her from Slade. If he didn’t he’d never forgive himself.
If he failed her, out of everyone in his life, then he would be failing himself. If Felicity Smoak died because he’d been too dense and conflicted to show her the sort of attention and regard she deserved, then he didn’t know what kind of man he would become.
Oliver didn’t know what would be left inside him if Felicity Smoak died.
He wasn’t tracking how much time had passed; it wasn’t important. Lights and sounds flew by him, swallowed up by the void as he charged ahead, a chariot of determination with only one goal: get to Starling City Business Airport. He had to make it. There had to be time.
“Oliver,” a voice said in his ear, and his heart almost stopped when he thought it could be Felicity, like she was always there, by his side in every mission. Instead, the voice belonged to Oracle, who had hacked into his system again and was aiding him along.
“The plane hasn’t left yet, but you have less than ten minutes. The pilots are beginning their departure procedure.”
“Damn,” he swore; he was barely 12 minutes away from where they were at his top speed. There were no more shortcuts, and he could push his bike only so fast.
He kept going. He had to hope for some delay. He’d get there.
“Wait for me, Felicity. I won’t let you go,” he thought. The void began to swallow him too, but he charged on. Nothing could get into his way.
---
Barbara heard the anticipated sounds of struggle outside her computer station inside Slade’s secret compound. She had divulged the information to Sara via Roy’s bluetooth and expected a speedy arrival.She was not disappointed.
Slade had a lot of goons around her, probably to end her once he had secured Felicity Smoak’s reluctant agreement to work for him and betray her trusted friend Oliver. Barbara didn’t think Felicity was going to do that. She was smarter than Slade gave her credit for, and she wasn’t as heartbroken to turn to Slade and want revenge on Oliver.
Barbara wondered if Slade would ever learn that people were not as messed up and jaded as he was.
Regardless of Felicity’s decision, Barbara knew she had outstayed her welcome. It was obvious she was becoming more of a liability to him than his other goons and comrades. He probably suspected that she’d clued Felicity in on his real identity, spooking the girl before she could get deeper in a relationship with him.
Barbara hoped it wasn’t too late for her. While the guards were busy outside, she patched into Oliver’s comm system and directed him to the airport, hoping he’d have time to get to the plane before it departed to save her.
Barbara knew where Slade was taking Felicity, but she refused to divulge that information until the Canary saved her from the death order over her head.
Hearing the last guard outside her computers go down, Barbara turned in her chair to an old friend, panting and catching her breath in front of her. She looked up at her, smiling as she took in the costume.
“I always enjoyed the wig. Not too sure about the cleavage,” Barbara teased.”Just like old times when we were back in the League, right? I sort of miss those days.”
“Barbara,” Sara said, and she could feel the woman’s gaze on her chair. “What did he do to you?”
“No time for that now. You have to get me out of here. There are more of Slade’s goons coming for us as we speak. He doesn’t have just these guys in his home base,” Barbara said.
“I can take care of them,” Roy said confidently.
“I’m sure you can,” Barbara said. “But the blow must be more than just against his men.” Barbara turned back to her computers, speaking into her earpiece. “You have five minutes, Oliver!”
Sara watched as Barbara’s fingers flew over the keyboard. Screens rapidly popped up and around, as seizure-inducing flashes.
“Okay, we can go,” Barbara said.
“What did you do?” Sara asked.
“I gave his computer a virus, targeting anything about Oliver Queen and his associates. I’m trying to blind him and give you guys the advantage. Now, we have to go save Felicity Smoak. I’m afraid if Oliver doesn’t get to her in time, she could be lost forever,” Barbara said.
Sara charged forward and pressed a hand against Barbara’s chest, pushing her chair back against her computers. “You seemed to believe you didn’t know where Slade was taking her!”
“Oh I know,” Barbara said, returning Sara’s rage with a steely glare. “I had to insure you would save me, Canary. Now let’s go.”
“No!” Roy said, pushing Sara aside and barely controlling his anger as he approached Barbara. “You’re telling us now, where he’s taking her!” Fists were balled at his sides, and Barbara looked at him bemused.
“You...you have the same juice as he does,” she said, and she turned to Sara. “You have to be careful with this kid, Canary. He’s dangerous. The things he could do…”
“Don’t you worry about Roy,” Sara said. “He’s right, Barbara. Just tell us where the plane is going.”
Barbara pursed her lips, not thrilled that they were pressuring her, especially Roy. “Okay, fine, he told me to book a flight to Hawaii and then call up a contact at another smaller airport to take him wherever he wanted to go. I can only imagine that it’s remote, and off the grid.”
Sara’s face paled, and she tore her gaze from Barbara and looked ahead, almost in space. She gasped. “Not just remote, but almost unreachable.” She turned to Roy. “He’s taking her to the island, the one where we all met, and the one place where Oliver betrayed Slade, or so he believes.”
“Well, wherever that is, he wants Felicity at his mercy so she will make the hardest decision of her life,” she said, and Sara turned back to meet the woman’s eyes.
“He wants her to betray Oliver and join him, and she probably won’t have any other choice, not stuck out on that island.”
“No choice, except death,” Sara said with worry.
“Death won’t be the option by his hands alone,” Barbara said. “No, he wants her to choose him, or try to survive on that island.”
“Let’s go then,” Sara said, wasting no time. She went behind Barbara and motioned to Roy. “Lead us out, and cover us for anything that comes in our way. I’ll protect us from the back.”
And swiftly, on the edge of borrowed time, they hurried out, securing Barbara’s escape.
---
Slade was ready to close the door on the plane as he barely caught an arrow soaring at him through the air at his other eye.
He grinned.
“SLADE!” Oliver yelled, and he was coming closer as his friend Diggle, the bodyguard, drove him through the airport runway at almost an impossible distance, assuring them they would not catch up. Oliver was shooting long-range arrows at him, standing up in the passenger seat of the convertible they must have commandeered at the last minute.
Many of the arrows had great aim, but Slade was faster at knocking the closer ones from his face. Some of the arrows caught the side of the plane, but none of them posed any threat.
Slade chuckled at Oliver’s wasted attempt before shutting the door. The plane was already driving ahead with Oliver and his man behind them barely catching their speed. Oliver was screaming at the plane, he was sure. Yet the plane eventually outran them, speeding up as the pilots began to lift them into the air.
Slade gazed out the window to the open sky as Starling City became smaller below them. He smiled at the sleeping form of Felicity Smoak talking in her sleep, saying Oliver’s name and calling out to a hero that failed to save her.
Her hero that he would destroy. And she was going to help him.
Eleven