Technical Assistance

Chapter 53: Integration of Old and New Hardware

As Saphira sniffs the ground in front of her with a wagging tail, Felicity wonders when she's had a Sunday this relaxing. She hasn't had a chance to read that book on new firewall encryption procedures since she bought it months ago, and the chill in the air has subsided enough to venture outside for the warmer weather. Of course the Queens have expensive patio furniture in the garden, but she has to admit it's the nicest lounge chair she's ever draped herself across.

Because Saphira isn't on a leash (there's no point—she never wanders too far), Felicity keeps an eye on her, watching with mild amusement as the little dog wanders over to the pond. Felicity had noticed earlier that it's stocked with brightly-colored fish, and apparently Saphira is making the same realization, staring into the water with her head tilted to the side while pawing at the water.

With a smile, she shakes her head and turns her attention back to the book, only to find coding no longer at the forefront of her mind. Instead, she wonders how things are going with Oliver and Diggle in their reconnaissance mission. Sometime between last night and early this morning, Felicity decoded the logs to find that the plaza complex in the downtown area was the arranged meeting location. With the meeting tonight and time of the essence, they had decided to scope out the building in broad daylight to find the best locations for stopping Deadshot. Mostly it involved a lot of military jargon that she didn't understand, and she knew that she'd only slow them down, so she decided to get some sleep while she could manage it.

Yet here she is at eight a.m., already up two hours, rising as though she's had more than three hours of sleep. She's starting to think that Oliver's insomniac tendencies are rubbing off on her. As far as Felicity knows, he hasn't slept in thirty-six hours. She thought it was getting better since he was managing four hours a night at her apartment, but now he's back down to two or three—if he even sleeps at all. Felicity can't help but think being home has something to do with it; the Queen mansion seems to bring out the worst in him. It's obvious in the lack of personality in his room and the way he spends as much time away from it as he can.

A soft bark brings Felicity out of her thoughts, her eyes snapping up. It isn't a growl and Saphira isn't tense like there's a threat, but it's simply a warning that something else is out there in the shrubbery. She scans the scene around her, but she doesn't see anything. Still, the hair on the back of her neck prickles like a bad horror novel—which is followed by the reminder that she really needs to stop reading those before bed.

Just when she's convinced it's her overactive imagination, a soft female voice calls out, "It's just me, Felicity." It takes her a moment to place the subtle familiarity of it, but then she realizes she's never heard it without a synthesizer. Before Felicity can respond, a woman in a Starling Rockets cap and baggy, non-descript clothes steps out from behind a particularly tall tree.

When she can finally find her voice again, Felicity wonders aloud, "Is there a secret, let's-scare-Felicity club I'm not aware of? Because, if there is, you, Oliver, and Tommy are honorary lifetime members." The corner of Sara's mouth turns up, and it's only then that Felicity realizes she's spoken. Another thought crosses her mind. "You don't need to be here—Laurel and Tommy are supposed to be here today."

"That's exactly why I'm here," Sara corrects, stepping closer, but still keeping some of the foliage between her and the house. "Someone tried to hurt my sister. Dead to the world or not, I'm not going to let something happen to her." She crosses her arms, and Felicity knows better than to try and talk Sara out of this. It wouldn't work, anyway. "I know Oliver is out of the house right now, so I'm going to keep watch while he's gone. You won't even know I'm here."

Felicity's thoughts fly out of her mouth. "Well, if this guy is as bad as they say, it might be nice to have someone around who can actually fight. Somehow I think even Saphira would take down Tommy, and I'd rather not have a repeat of the last time I tried to fight an assassin." She bites back a grimace. "I don't mean to make this an awkward, current-girlfriend-versus-the-ex thing, but if you need anything, I'm staying in the room across from Oliver's. Feel free to drop in if anything comes up."