Arrow: Visceral Barrage Part 1

Guest of Honor

Nearly a week had gone by since Oliver and Felicity's latest disagreement, leading to yet another rift in the team. Felicity had taken a few days off from her night job as she did her best to calm herself and understand Oliver's reasoning for being upset with her. Even though she knew there were still things Oliver kept from them, she couldn't help but feel as if she betrayed him and it pained her. She had spent the majority of her off time with Riley, enjoying his comfort and ability to remind her of what a normal life could entail. Felicity finished her last minute additons to her latest project and sent the files to Wayne Tech for their associates to look over her work for the two companies combined project. She was wearing her dress for the evening's event, deciding at the last minute to stop in the office and finish up a project and postpone her arrival at the party. Felicity didn't enjoy being late but she didn't want to face Oliver either, especially with Riley by her side. It was bad enough when Oliver had attacked Riley in the alleyway, now they were going to be stuck in the same room with the woman they both coveted. Felicity began to inspect her makeup as she visualized just how awful the night could become if things escalated between her date and the man she loved. She knew how jealous Oliver could be, she witnessed it first hand when they first met Barry. Though she couldn't help but argue that Oliver had no right to get jealous, they weren't together nor had they ever been. Perhaps it was his way of expressing how much he cared for her, even though he had simply told her to her face twice that he loved her. Felicity smoothed a few wrinkles on her green dress and took a glance in the mirror. As vain as it made her feel, Felicity took note of how beautiful she looked tonight. She smiled, wondering if Oliver would look at her the same way he had when they tried to stop the Dodger. Diggle slowly entered the office, smiling as he spotted the way Felicity was looking at herself in the mirror. He had always thought that Felicity never fully appreciated how beautiful she was no both the inside and out, and it was something that always upset him. The team knew of Felicity's abandonment issues, even though she fought incredibly hard to hide them. Diggle could see it in her eyes, every time one of them was faced with an unimaginable danger and she begged them not to go. The night Oliver went to face Cyrus Gold after barely escaping with his life following their previous encounter, was the moment they all saw it. It wasn't only the fear of losing the man she loved, it was simply the fear of losing someone again. Diggle understood why she had distanced herself from Oliver once her returned from the duel, she had lost him and that was one pain Felicity couldn't live with. Diggle cleared his throat, not wanting to interupt her glow. Felicity turned toward him, embarassment taking ahold of her.

"You look amazing Felicity." Diggle sincerely began, smiling toward his friend as he waited near the door.

"Thanks. I wasn't really sure about the color." She announced, craning her head around to inspect the rear of the dress in the mirror.

"Oh I don't know...I think green suits you very well." Diggle confidently stated, sending her a meaningful glance. Felicity looked at him from the mirror, knowing exactly what he had meant by the comment. She sighed, staring at herself in the long reflective surface. Her mind went to spotting every flaw that she presented, picking away at her selfconfidence.

"Do I really have to do this?" She asked, her voice full of doubt.

"Even Cinderella had butterflies Felicity." Diggle explained, doing his best to reassure her. Felicity turned and smiled to him, thankful that she had such a wonderful friend. She grabbed her purse and coat while moving toward the door. As she passed him she planted a warm kiss on his cheek, thanking him for supporting her as he always did. Diggle blushed a little, turning to follow her.

The crowd mostly consisted of business associates and some of the project's founders, as well as anyone truely appreciative and believing in the project. The banquette hall that Oliver had secured was located on the top floor of the hotel. After deciding that Queen Technologies wasn't the proper place to hold the event, Oliver searched for a suitable replacement and had settled on this room. The giant glass windows stretched across the entirety of the room, revealing the frosty skyline of the city. Oliver stood with a group of investors, doing his best to act interested in their ideas and concerns. He hadn't missed this part of the lifesytle when he was robbed of his company, and it didn't help that he was out of practice. He constantly scanned the room, searching for Felicity. It had been days since they had spoke and he hadn't stopped punishing himself. He spotted Thea and Riley standing near the bar, talking to one another. He fixed on Riley and uncontrolably balled his fist, thinking on what he was doing to his loved ones. Ever since returning, Riley had done nothing but lie to Thea and Felicity. Oliver forced himself to look away, next he saw Captain Lance speaking to a few members of the mayor's political cabinet. Oliver excused himself from the group of investors and made his way over toward Lance, hoping a familiar face would help him pass the time.