Lost and Found

15. We Aren't in Starling Anymore

PART ONE: FAMILY VALUES

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:  WE AREN'T IN STARLING ANYMORE

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TEAM ARROW, CENTRAL CITY, USA

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Someone was killed.

They were urged to act faster than before. The meta-wolf seemed only interested in Felicity, there had been no other attacks or sightings reported outside of the instances they had seen with their own two eyes. But this new werewolf, well, Oliver was starting to believe it might actually be just that - a werewolf. The full moon had came and with it was blood shed and a flurry of damages being called in so fast Team Arrow hadn't been able to keep up come the morning sun.

Unfortunately, the Arrow Cave didn't have the technology necessary to find out what they needed to know about this new breed of wolf. So, he had grudgingly came along after many hours of badgering from all of the teams to Central City. The place was too bright and the people were far too friendly for Oliver's liking, though he wouldn't admit there was one part of Central City he did like - the hope. What he wouldn't have done for a place like this when he was stuck on that island.

But the plans weren't to revel in the hope and joy of Central City. It suited Oliver just fine because let's be honest, these days that tended to focus mainly around Barry Allan and 'The Flash'. Oliver hadn't quite forgiven Allan for nearly stealing Felicity's heart and was secretly quite pleased when he had found out the guy had been struck by lightening. Then rather disappointed when he woke up, and slightly happy to see a light back in Felicity's eyes. Mostly he felt a tad guilty about thinking that when Felicity got such obvious joy out of her visits to Star Labs.

Star Labs was a hi-tech facility teaming with secrets ever since the destruction of the Particle Accelerator. Unfortunately for Oliver, the same incident gave Barry Allan super speed and the team of scientists that stood around a microscope now in the largely empty science facility. Felicity fit in here, and it pained him to say it but he always wondered if she'd be happier if he just up and left her here. If he moved all of her computers and cat calendars to Star Labs with a note 'have a great life, you deserve it,' would she even bat an eye?

He shifted uncomfortably in the middle of the room, hands clasped behind his back as he looked awkwardly around. He didn't know what half of the things in the room were and as a result decided it was probably best if he didn't touch anything. No one seemed to object, nor did anyone even seem aware of his presence standing centered and away from every surface in the lab.

"Oliver, come look at this!" Felicity encouraged, waving him over with a frantic hand. "This is incredible!" Hesitantly, he joined them around the microscope and looked through the eyepiece. Squiggling blobs, that's what he saw. Tiny blobs that meant nothing to him, squiggling around on the slide lit by the microscope - fascinating.

"Now watch this!" Cisco urged, a smile plastered across his mocha skin as he presented them with a wad of flesh in a petri dish. Oliver looked up at him with an intense gaze and the smile lessened on his face. The sharp jab to his ribs made him grunt and he looked around to see Felicity giving him a death glare, her grey eyes practically steaming. He slowly turned back to Cisco and plastered a fake smile on. 

"Sorry," he apologized halfheartedly but Cisco didn't even seem to register the falsity of it, his face breaking out in a giant grin again. 

"Look," he stabbed the tool he had into the flesh, pointy end first and the object in his hand lit up. "The skin itself is producing energy! That means-"

"The monster-"

"Meta-wolf," Felicity interrupted to another smile from Cisco.

"The meta-wolf," Caitlin corrected, "not only has regenerative properties but an energy of it's own, likely why it could absorb more energy than the average human."