Unravel Me | Arrow [ COMPLETED ]

chapter twenty three

NOTE: This chapter is dedicated especially to @PinkDiamond1016 for their consistent and ongoing support of this story. It's appreciated. All of the support from everybody is appreciated. Thank you so much.

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"Oh, but I'm not bitter, I'm just tired

No use getting angry at the way that you're wired

Ignorant trauma in one afternoon"

DODIE - 'Guiltless'

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Felicity called her the next morning; Cali was only half-awake, her garbled sounds unintelligible, and her brain working at a pace not unlike a snail's.

That did not stop the great Felicity Smoak.

"I know it's early," Felicity started off, and somehow didn't sound apologetic about it, "but Walter asked me to do something else about the Moira thing, and he gave me a book, and Miss Merlyn, I know it's not proper of me to assume things, but this book is full of names. Crazy right? Now I know you're wondering why a list of names is such a big deal, but listen to this. I cross-checked the names against news articles and the media, and it's a match. All those millionaires that were being killed off by the Hood? They were all on the list."

Cali blinked blearily at the blank TV, rubbing a hand across her face in a useless attempt to scrub the sleep out of her eyes. "It's 6 in the morning, Felicity dearest," she slurred, pulling the blanket closer to her chin. "Also, when did you start calling me 'Miss Merlyn'? I don't like it. Makes me feel old. Cali is fine."

"Sorry." Felicity's tone changed abruptly, her voice suddenly clipped. "I told Walter all this last night - I just thought I should tell you too."

Cali sighed into her pillow before pushing her blankets back and surrendering her claim to sleep. "No, Liz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just had a rough night and woke up in a bad mood. Keep talking. You told Walter about the list of names? What did he say?"

Felicity went quiet for a moment, and Cali took the chance to sit up a bit, yawning as quietly as she could while stretching out against the back of the couch. The kinks in her back straightened with a satisfying and yet grotesque series of cracks down her spine.

Felicity still hadn't said anything.

"Felicity?" Cali prompted around another yawn. "Li-Li? Flick? Lexi? Fifi?" Still silence. Worry made her stomach cramp. "'M running out of nicknames here, honey."

Felicity inhaled rather sharply all of a sudden, and Cali flinched away from the phone at the suddenness of it all. Air-driven sounds were always so much sharper over a call; electricity always managed to twist the soft into the edged, and the angry into the gentle.

Finally, Felicity managed words. "This is Moira's book, right? So theoretically, we can assume that Robert knew about it."

"She could have made the list after he died," Cali pointed out. "The killings only started a short while ago." She very carefully didn't mention that Oliver had only gotten back a short while ago. No use opening that can of worms this fucking early in the morning.

Unfortunately for her, Felicity didn't like to let sleeping lions lie. Much like a dog with a bone, she just wouldn't give it up. "How does the 'Gambit' tie into this then?" She sounded frustrated. "Why keep it so under the radar? Why kill people over it? It was a freak accident, yeah, but nothing more."