Lost and Found

01. Credentials

PART ONE: FAMILY VALUES

CHAPTER ONE: CREDENTIALS

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TEAM ARROW, STARLING CITY, USA

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Everyone has a hero, an inspiring figure in their life, someone who did something great, or stood for something good. They are courage and bravery and stupidity personified. They are children's dreams- capes and super powers and fighting bad guys. They are world history, admired by people near and far. They are good versus evil and -

"A royal pain in my ass! Does he think I have nothing better to do than pretend to be his secretary? I went to school Dig, I worked hard, and it got me here!" Felicity shouted, furious once again at her millionaire boss. She stormed down the sidewalk, red heels clacking furiously as she wove her way through the Starling City crowds. The pedestrians gave her wide berth as her shrill shouts cut through the air.

Felicity whirled as she reached the door of Queen Consolidated, her blonde ponytail flashing through the air. Turning, she faced the only person she really trusted in the world of Oliver Queen- John Diggle. Diggle knew the grief of working alongside Oliver Queen, his near impossible demands and his irritating ways. Once tasked with the personal security of Mr. Queen, he knew all too well the kind of energy sapping charades their beloved millionaire was apart of. If Felicity preached something and Oliver didn't listen, Dig was the voice of reason that talked Oliver down.

"Felicity, he knows as well as you and I, that this team wouldn't run without you," he assured her, pushing the door open for her. They fell easily in step, an odd pair; one tiny blonde I.T. girl and a buff father, who was also an ex-army body guard. In a life before Oliver Queen, both would have graced circles completely separate from the other. Neither sphere would have ever touched because there was just too many things that set them apart. Then came Oliver Queen and suddenly way too many spheres were colliding into each other. She had to admit though, it did add a little excitement to her rather plain life.

"Right, well I'll believe that when he tells me himself!"

A dark haired woman frowned as she passed, her lips pinched and her expression overly sour. She stared at the duo, as she walked by, her tight, slicked back hair only making her look less impressed. Her grey suit and mauve lipstick was not something she recognised seeing in the building, but then again, she had never seen Oliver Queen until that one fateful date. That wasn't what weighed on her conscious now though,"Did you see that Dig? Did you see how miserable she looked?"

"That's probably because you're yelling," he pointed out calmly.

"No, that is the look of pure misery Dig! That's what I'm going to look like if I have to fetch another cappuccino for another meeting - eternal misery!"

Diggle watched her with an amused expression, practically seeing the thoughts flooding through her head. "So then why don't you quit? You did say you were only in this to find Walter, we found him." She faltered, her grey eyes giving her away before she said anything. They knew why all of them stayed, without the Arrow life was just too boring. The thought of people dying out there at the hands of someone they could have stopped... it was too much guilt.

"It's like you said, he needs me." He couldn't help but to let his smile break free, as she gave him an annoyed look. "He's like a lost puppy, I like puppies," She mumbled under her breath as she pushed the door open. Dig smiled, Felicity always managed to bring some light to their otherwise grim situations. Whether she liked it or not, she was part of team Arrow for the long haul.

Their way up to the office is a quick one, into the elevator and to the top floor, no one in or out. Most people headed in the opposite direction for their lunch breaks, desperate to get into the fresh air, and away from the confines of their desks. Then again, they weren't most people. Most people went home after a day of work and watched television, maybe ordered some takeout, not them. After all, crime doesn't rest, and neither does team Arrow, or so they liked to remind her.