Technical Assistance

Chapter 7: Person Location Services

Felicity nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears her window open behind her at work. It's a quiet night, and she doesn't expect any visitors, especially on her floor, since most of the business leaders don't want to get caught dead in the nerdy IT department. It takes her a long moment to return her breathing to normal, and it's only then that she turns around, only to find herself staring at the Vigilante's chest. She tilts her head up higher to focus on his face, but she can't even make out his eyecolor between the shading from the mask and his hood.

"You know," she starts, her voice a little high from the surprise, "I'm starting to think that you're trying to scare the crap out of me." She tries to sound collected and calm, but she knows her voice is too fluttery to pull that off properly.

Some sort of breathy sound goes through the voice synthesizer before he responds, "If I meant to frighten you, I would have you hanging by your ankles down at the docks until you told me what I wanted to know." The sinister statement sends a chill down her spine, but then she notices that one corner of his mouth is upturned. Was that a joke? Since when did the terror of Starling City make jokes? Something tells her this relationship has made a turn for the insane, and all Felicity wants for a moment is to get off this roller coaster ride now.

Still, she responds in kind, her voice not as high this time as she teases, "What, did your mother never tell you how to say 'please'?" She thinks it's a little silly, but this is the most normal conversation she's had with anyone in months—and she's discussing this with the Vigilante, of all people. Her life has suddenly hit a new low, she can't help but think.

The Vigilante, for his part, seems amused by her statement, but then the partial smile falls from his face as he grows serious again. "No," he says finally, slowly, "I don't think she ever did." It surprises Felicity for a moment that he's so willing to share details about himself, but then she thinks that it might be a tender subject. She knows her own mother is a sensitive spot, so she doesn't press any further.

Instead, she dares ask, "What have you brought me tonight, Mr. Arrow? A shot-up laptop? A police server hack? Or do you just want me to make bugs again?" She waves to the chair near her desk. "Sit down—you make me nervous when you stand over me impressively like that."

He does as she asks, but it makes him no less intimidating, with his arms crossed over his chest and the impressive glare he wears. As he goes through the motions, his muscles ripple; Felicity is reminded once again how tightly that green leather clings. He wears it better than his counterpart she met the last time, she thinks. Not-Vigilante was pretty impressive, sure, but the Vigilante's strength is more understated. Felicity shakes her head a couple times to clear it so she can stop ogling a man who kills people. Still, Felicity reminds herself that it's okay to look, just so long as she returns to reality afterward.

His glare is quickly replaced by an almost smile, though, when he responds, "I thought I'd change things up this time. I'm looking for someone who might be part of the Royal Flush Gang."

"Royal Flush Gang?" she repeats, that paranoid tone creeping into her voice. It was just a few days ago that she was telling Oliver that the Vigilante should go after criminals like them. Her thoughts spill out as something akin to, "Do I need to check my clothes for bugs?" When he tilts his head and doesn't answer, she continues, "I was just discussing with a friend how you could do so much more good in this city if you'd stop going after billionaires exclusively and start trying to stop the real criminals running around."

He's quiet for a long moment, but when he responds, it's vague. "I don't like the idea of criminals hurting innocent bystanders in my city," he says finally, his tone a little possessive.