Chapter Text
Felicity opened her eyes to a world that was blurred and grey. Everything around her was covered in dust, with each breath, it crept down her throat, suffocating. Or maybe it was the smoke. A few feet from her, there were dancing flames, threatening, burning, devouring. The screams, the roar of the fire, her frantic heart pounding in her ears made it difficult to think clearly.
“Oliver?”
Her voice was hoarse, troubled.
By instinct, she adjusted her glasses on her nose, the movement igniting a searing pain in her right arm, making her cry out. A piece of glass the size of a hand was sticking out of her shoulder. Feeling nauseous, she looked away and tried to sit up, to no avail. Her lower body was completely numb, a dead weight she recognized all too well. Swallowing back a hiccup of distress, she looked around frantically, trying to find her husband.
People were screaming, running, crying. Others remained on the floor, unconscious or stuck under rubble. Oliver had been right here, in front of her, giving a speech for all the volunteers who had created this youth support center. Everything was destroyed now.
“Felicity!”
The relief brought tears to her eyes. Oliver was rushing towards her, favoring his right side, with scratches on his face, but alive. He got down on one knee, asking her if she was hurt, scanning her from head to toe. His fingers hovered over her wound as if trying to make it disappear. He always hated to see her in pain.
“I can’t feel my legs,” she said in a hoarse voice that didn’t sound like her. “The implant must have been damaged when I fell, I don’t know...”
He placed a hand on her cheek and locked eyes with her, conveying some of his strength.
“We have to get out of here. I’m going to carry you but your shoulder is going to hurt.”
“It’s fine, let’s go.”
With an incredible gentleness despite the urgency, he slipped one arm under her knees, the other behind her back, as she clung to his neck with her good arm. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, and a sense of security instantly washed over her. With her face buried in his neck, she breathed in his scent despite the smoke, reassured to have him by her side.
With a slight limp, Oliver made his way through the rubble and the people on the floor, towards the exit. Felicity gripped him tighter, realizing how lucky they were to still be alive. The bomb could have killed them instantly. As soon as she’d get her hands on a keyboard, she would find out who had attacked the mayor to make them pay.
In front of them, one of Oliver’s bodyguards was supporting a woman who was limping along with an injured leg. Behind them, the screams and cries for help were unceasing, and with a heavy heart, Felicity prayed for the emergency services to arrive quickly.
Two steps from the exit, her husband stopped. She looked up at him in confusion.
“What–”
“I can’t leave them.”
Of course. Oliver would never turn his back on someone who needed help, no matter the risks. It wasn’t anything new, it was in his DNA. Still, she could see hesitation and turmoil in his eyes, something was holding him back. He needed her approval; she was hurt and he would stay by her side if she asked him to.
“Come back to me in one piece.”
Relieved, he whispered a promise and kissed her, telling her that he loved her. Felicity had no time to reply, her husband was already calling Alan, their bodyguard who was coming back into the destroyed building after dropping off the injured woman outside. He gently handed Felicity over to him, taking care not to hurt her injured shoulder. She immediately missed his warmth.
“Set her down away from the entrance and keep a close eye on her.”
“But–”
“She’s lost the use of her legs,” he asserted firmly. “You stay by her side and you keep her safe. End of discussion.”
He strode back to the chaos without waiting for an answer, taking Felicity’s heart with him.
Thankfully, she was used to this feeling and knew how to deal with life and death situations. She trusted him to come back to her safe and sound.
Alan huffed in frustration at seeing his protégé throw himself headfirst into danger and Felicity suggested it was time to leave. Just like Oliver, Alan carried her like she was a featherweight – he wasn't part of the mayor's security detail for nothing, she could feel his powerful muscles moving to get them out of there – but he was far from offering her the same sense of safety.
She was relieved to be placed on the ground on the other side of the street, a little way from the other survivors. Everything was grey because of the explosion, but the air was more breathable outside. Injured people were lying or sitting on the pavement, waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Alan was about to help her lay down, but she refused and clutched his shoulder, the very idea turning her stomach. She was too nervous and anxious to lie down; she had to keep her eyes on the door of the building, watching for her soulmate.
“All right, I’ll get someone to support you, just give me a minute.”
Her grip tightened on him. Just like Oliver, she didn’t want him to head back into danger. And a part of her was completely distraught and frightened that she could no longer feel her legs and craved a protective presence by her side. Oliver realized it before she did.
“Don’t leave me alone with a stranger. Please.”
Alan pursed his lips, and for a moment she thought he was going to refuse but he yielded, seeing her obvious distress, and sat down beside her, draping an arm across her back to support her. He asked her if she was comfortable, and she leaned against him a little more before nodding. Her shoulder was throbbing and her lungs and throat were still sore from the acrid taste of smoke, but she could wait like that for as long as it took to see her husband again.
In front of her, the youth center was a sorry sight. Huge cracks split the façade, flames were bursting out of two of the upstairs windows, the door had been blown open and rubble littered the floor. Wounded people were still trickling out of it and she prayed for Oliver to get out of this hell quickly.
When she finally heard the sirens, she managed a small smile. The reinforcements were there, Oliver would soon be by her side.