Afire Love

Chapter 2

"In the flesh" he said and Felicity could see now that he had his back turned on her, facing the window, the city. "I've always wandered how come Los Angeles, such a magnificent city, doesn't have a hero to protect it. But if you think about it, it's not called the City of Angels for no reason."

"How?" 

"How I found you? How did I manage to escape? You do have to be more explicit, but I believe you meant both" he said turning to face her.

She didn't move an inch. Fear ran through her veins like cold water, keeping her in place. He, on the other hand, was walking slowly towards her.

"I may say I have a benefactor. He broke me out of that useless prison and gave me a goal. Or better yet, he brought my old goal back to life."

He was now very close to her. Closer than she would ever like him to be. She could see his emotionless face perfectly, the patch over his right eye making it scarier than it should be.

"What do you want, Slade?" 

"What I've wanted for every day since she died. To see him suffer. To take everything he ever loved and turn it into ashes" he said with rage in his voice, the accent making every word to stick in her bones.

"So now what? You'll kill me?"

"What a fantastic idea. But I'm afraid I cannot do that. As much as I would enjoy to."

"Why?"

He took a few steps till he was right in front of her, so close she could sense the heat radiating from him body and with his hand he lifted her chin, making their eyes to meet. She needed all the strength in the world not to jump or scream.

"He always had a thing for strong and well determined women. Too bad it's gonna bring him his end." He let his hand fall and turned his back on her walking back to the window.

"Everything at its time, miss Smoak. I believe you will find out soon enough anyway."

And with that he broke the window and jumped over the sill, leaving Felicity stunned and wordless.

She would have stayed like that for a long time if someone hadn't burst into the room, almost breaking the door. This time she screamed. 

"It's me" Diggle said putting his hands up, one of them carrying a gun. "I was coming to check on you and then I heard the window breaking. What happened?" he said inspecting the broken glass on the floor.

"Slade Wilson happened" she answered surprised how easily the words came out.

"What?" 

John looked shocked for a second and then his face became inscrutable as thoughts started to puzzle up in his brain. Then her mind made the connections too. How could she not make them sooner? It was so obvious, it didn't even cross her mind. Or maybe she didn't want it to.

"John, he was the one. Because of him, Oliver now is in that state, because of him, he doesn't even remember who we are."

The last words came out more like a sob. A cry she's been keeping inside for too long. Saying everything out loud made it all real and at the same time, unbearable.

John didn't move. He didn't even look at her. His eyes were fixed on the broken glass.

"We have to go. Now" he said moving away from the window. "Take just what you need for the road and nothing more. We are leaving for Starling tonight" he finished walking out of the room.

Felicity did as she was told, grateful that someone told her to do something instead of leaving her in a corner to cry, how she felt it was expected of her for the last three weeks. In five minutes she was out of the hotel and in John's car.