Hidden Arrow

Chapter 6 : Caught in a Green Leather Lie

Felicity stared at the figure in front of her, the green leather that was skin tight to his formed and sculpted body, the hood that covered his face, the bow in his hand that was closest to her, the quiver of arrows on his back.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" she asked and looked around.

"Why are you frightened?" he asked, his voice coder deceiving her ears to who it really was.

"Because you're probably here to kill me," Felicity face palmed herself in the forehead. "John warned me not to go digging, I should have listened!" she groaned.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity," he promised and Felicity narrowed her eyes.

"I don't believe you," Felicity turned away, and walked to her living room. "Make yourself at home, you've probably already gone through my underwear drawer, so-"

"I'm not a creeper, Felicity," his voice gave off a husky laugh.

"No, of course not, only a crazy person that runs around in a hood all night," Felicity barked a laugh, humorlessly. "If you're not here to kill me, what are you doing here?"

"To ask you a question," he gurgled in a submerged of voice waves.

Felicity frowned and turned around, "Which is?"

"Why are you looking for me?" he asked.

"Because you've been watching me," Felicity said, bluntly. "You're not as sneaky as you think."

"I watch a lot of people that have potential to help me in my crusade," the Hood resorted.

Felicity spun around, "You want me to help you?" Felicity made a face that told him to shake his head and say 'No'. "I would never help a murder," Felicity thought of Oliver and how he died alone. "I had a friend, his name was Oliver and he died, probably cold and scared. I won't help a man that puts through people through the same thing he's going through."

There was beat of silence and then the Hood asked, "I thought he was dead."

Felicity blinked back tears. "He is."

"You just put him in present tense, Felicity. 'The same thing he's going through', that's what you just said," he pointed out.

Felicity didn't want to talk about with this stranger, he didn't know a thing about her Oliver. "So? Why does it matter? Why do you care, anyway?"

"Because you don't think he's dead," the Hood took a step toward her and Felicity took one back. "That means you have a pure heart, and no one should ever lose their pure heart."

"Then why do you want me to join you?" Felicity dared to ask.

"Because you won't be helping me hurt people, you'll be helping me save people," his voice muttered in the dark.

"Well, it might be helpful to know who you are," Felicity smiled, "but I already do, practically, so, I can just throw you over to Dr. Wells for him to deal with you."

"You wouldn't do that," he whispered.

"And why wouldn't I?" Felicity asked and cocked her head to the side, trying to summon the answer.

"Because no matter what you're getting out of it, you wouldn't put a man into a prison so he can be pulled out off a bookshelf to be used when it's necessary," he sounded so sure that Felicity doubted herself. "Oliver Queen was treated that way, you saw what he went through and you hated seeing that in him, you won't do the same thing to me."

Felicity licked her lips, and felt dirty but, also, surprised. "I can't believe I suggested that, I'm sorry, you're just a man that's done bad things, not a bad man. . ." Felicity swallowed, "I won't help you, though. You've killed people, and I won't help you with that."

"I don't take the life of everyone I run into, Felicity," he turned away from her and she frowned, listening. "I warn them, if they don't comply, then I take another step of action. . . I don't like the killing, but it's killed or be killed."

"Or you could go home after a days of work and eat ice cream, not harming a fly," Felicity remarked with a grim expression. "I won't help a killer, I'm not even sorry about it, Hood, so please, leave, now."

"I can't do that," the Hood took a step toward her and she crossed her arms.

Her heart beat a little faster, her palms were sweaty as she squeezed the fabric of her shirt in her hands.

"And why not?" Felicity asked, nicely.

"Because you're trying to find out who I am," the Hood pointed to her computer but Felicity didn't glance, "and you're about to do the same thing I'm doing if Dr. Wells gives you the last piece to the A.T.O.M project."

"How do you know about that?" Felicity's mouth dropped open. "Only a selected few has security access. I know you, don't I?"

He clenched his teeth, "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," Felicity smiled and took a step toward him as he took a step back. "I can tell, I do know you. . ."

"You're wrong," he lied through his teeth.

"Here's the thing, though, Hood," Felicity smiled smugly, "I never told you I was talking about Oliver Queen."