Technical Assistance

Chapter 9: Digital Photography Analysis

Felicity sits by her window, finally starting to get antsy after waiting for several hours.  It's the first time she's actually waited for the Vigilante to show up by her open window, but it's also the first time she called him.  He let her know how to contact him a few days ago, returning her sticky note with his own number written across it.  She immediately plugged the number in her phone, though she never thought she'd use it.

Then all hell broke loose earlier in the day.  Felicity saw the news on the Internet—apparently someone attempted to kill Moira Queen.  After dialing Oliver to make sure his mother was all right, she returned to the SCPD database to check some information.  She gathered all she could, then called the Vigilante.  She expected him to turn her down—especially when she mentioned Oliver and made the stipulation that no one was to be killed—but, surprisingly, he agreed.

She continues to keep exhaustion from overtaking her; there have been several days of long work hours, and the sleep-deprivation is starting to catch up with her.  She doesn't have any more coffee in her apartment, and staying awake is proving impossible.  After a few more moments, she ends up losing the fight.

When she awakens, it's to a gentle, leather-clad glove on her shoulder, shaking her gently.  "Felicity," he says sharply, in that synthesized voice.  She opens her eyes to find him closer than she expects—too close.  She can see the mask over his eyes and the dark irises underneath, the color still hidden by the dark room.  Startled, she immediately scrambles backward, tripping over a lamp.

She waits as both her and the inanimate object fall to the ground, but it doesn't come.  The Vigilante darts out at alarming speed, catching the lamp with one hand before steadying her with a hand on her elbow.  The leather glove feels cold but soft against the skin of her arm, and his grip is both firm and oddly gentle, as though he's concerned about hurting her.  He sits the lamp firmly on the ground again, helps her into a solid standing position, both hands on her elbows.

"Are you all right?" he asks carefully as he releases her.  His eyes are piercing—and oddly familiar.  She can't understand why, but then she shakes her head and remembers adrenalin is coursing through her veins and she's sleep-deprived.  Maybe she needs to calm down.

"Yeah," she assures him, rubbing her forehead with her palm, willing her heartbeat to slow down.  "It's just usually that I wake up to a cup of coffee and a mouthful of Saphira's fur, not a Vigilante."  She shakes her head.  "Sorry."

"I didn't mean to startle you," he responds, and she thinks it's as close to an apology as she's going to get.  Speaking of Saphira makes her curious, and she sees the dog sitting at the Arrow's heels, nose in the air and tail wagging furiously.  She paws at him once, screaming to get his attention.  Surprisingly, he doesn't balk at the shrill sound; instead, he reaches down and pets her on the head, then reaches into his pocket and palms her some sort of treat.

Felicity shakes her head, but it makes her a little dizzy, so she stops immediately.  "Okay," she says, holding her hands out in an I'm-done gesture, "the Vigilante is feeding my dog treats and stopping me from falling on my ass.  Clearly I've stepped into some weird, parallel universe, and hopefully when I wake up it will be back to normal again."  She frowns as the feeling gnaws at her.  "Should I check the sky for a fleet of zeppelins, or do I just need to wait for the army of Cybermen to show up at my door?"

"What?" he asks her, tilting his head to the side as his mouth turns into a confused frown.  He looks adorable like that, she can't help but think, but then she remembers he's the Vigilante, and she should in no situation find him adorable.  She doesn't see him as a killer, sure, but that doesn't change the fact that he's dangerous and that people around him tend to turn up dead.