Chapter Title: Chapter 1 :Into the Valley of Death We Ride

Chapter Rating: T- for language

Word Count: 1528

Chapter Summary: Introduction of Felicity Smoak and Robert Queen before the island. Robert recruits Felicity to help him in his crusade but then he disappears.

AN: The bold writing is the inner thoughts of the character! This is more of a set up for the story. Then the story will eventually begin to follow the storyline of the show with one major change Felicity is one step ahead of everyone. I OWN NOTHING!

Story Summary: Felicity has been a genius her whole life, and genius attracts attention, carries demands, as Felicity would say "With great genius, comes great responsibility!" What if from the beginning Felicity was in some way part of everything the undertaking would unfold? Her genius garnishing that attention from a very specific guilt ridden person wanting to undo years of sin. How far would she go to help, to solve the unknown, The puzzle that was everything Queen Family related, the chaos that was the return from the dead of the prodigal son.

Ever looked back at your life and wonder how in the world did I get here? When in my journey did I come upon that Frostian fork in the road and made a choice? I don't, I know the exact moment that my life changed, for the…well frankly I still don't know if the end of that sentence is better or worst. But I know when it happened, what was said and more importantly I know that I am exactly where I chose to be at that exact point of my life. Do I still want to be here? Do I regret it? Not yet!

By the time Felicity was 14 yrs old she already had a sealed juvenile record and within the "Hacker", a word she hated, community she was infamous, notorious, and respected. For those that knew her personally she was infamously notorious for babbling, going off on long winded completely off-topic tangents full of freudian slips and sexual innuendos that left her covered in the flush red of her own embarrassment. Being a walking cliche and contradiction all at once only propelled her insecurities. Physically, she definitely did fit the role of "hacker" with an undisclosed number of piercings, a couple of strategically placed tattoos, hair that rivaled the rainbow and a bit of an antisocial personality in that CPUs were her bffs, she was the total cliche package. With all that also came an uncomfortable awkwardness and shyness, that as many discovered over the years should never be mistaken for weakness. Her tendency to inappropriately babble well, that was the icing on the contradictions cake. Throughout her teens life hadn't been easy and that was putting it lightly, but she always figured that the teen years were never easy, a rite of passage of sorts, but she was happy and typical in every aspect, well minus the hacker part and some other minute details. Sixteen, yes, sixteen had been the last time in her life she felt typical, shortly after her high school graduation an opportunity to earn enough money to pay her way through any university and work out of love rather than need presented itself, with a delightful addendum, a mysterious puzzle. Nothing from then on was ever again typical!

At 16 yrs old she met a handsome older man, full of poise, obvious money, charm and a debonair smile that still held a twinkle despite his age. This man stepped into her life and turned it upside down.

"Hello Miss Felicity Smoak, it is a real pleasure to meet you I must say your reputation precedes you, Robert Queen" he said extending his smooth hand with a wrist wrapped in elegant gold.

"Excuse me, Reputation? Wait, Queen? As in Queen Consolidated? As in that monstrosity of a building that blocks all views of the sunset from the glades? Dammit! Sorry… Queen you said, right uhmm Hello Mr. Queen" Foiled once again by her notorious foot in mouth disease she avoided looking at Mr. Queen directly, much to her surprise once she did she found what seemed like amusement, at least she hoped that's what it was.

"Relax Miss Smoak, and please call me Robert. Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of time and must be rather blunt in my proposition and for that I apologize. I was told you possess a certain set of computer skills which I would love to utilize, How would you like to work for me Miss Smoak?"

"Ohhh, Thank God, for a second I thought you meant…absolutely nothing" fuck "Computer skills, yes, of course… proposition, what sort of proposition? Wait you said job, What sort of job?" Interest piqued Mr. Queen.

That was her life altering moment, one year later she was a full time student at MIT, while simultaneously working as Mr. Q…Robert's personal researcher. At first she was fully aware that he was only feeding her bits and pieces of a much larger and terrifying puzzle. To his misfortune she fully lived up to her label of genius sprinkled with cat killing curiosity and slowly began to piece together said puzzle. It didn't take much longer before he trusted her fully and decided to make her part, as much as he could without endangering her, of his crusade to right his wrongs, the diplomatic way, sneakily under the table.

As time passed they developed a father-daughter relationship, one fueled by illegal activity and mysterious puzzles, but close nonetheless. Like in any relationship they developed a routine, every time he wanted to let her in a bit further into his crusade it would begin with files being delivered, packets for her to tediously examine and research until she had her EUREKA! moment and knew exactly what they all meant, or at least had a plausible theory. She would then send him her findings, which 99% of the time were spot on, with a proud satisfaction he would put her out of her insomnia filled, caffeine fueled misery. It wasn't until years later that Felicity came to a realization that would only make her heart swell with more admiration and love for Robert.

I never realized that this was our game, he knew very well that I was a child and piquing my interest was a hard driving force and the best way to keep my curiosity at bay therefore keeping me safe. I never got to thank him for that, I never got to thank for many things.

Her second life altering moment came after the biggest delivery she had received to date. A large box filled with files, pictures, layouts, thumb drives and even audio files. More importantly there was a note attached. There had never been a note before. Interest piqued Robert;

My dearest Felicity,

I know you must be thinking that I've finally lost it well, with this delivery and all, but I promise it will all make sense in due time. When I was at school I was forced to memorize a poem, at the time I hated it but in time I learned just how meaningful and true those stanzas read. You might be asking yourself where I am going with this random factoid, maybe I have finally been infected with your amusing ramblings, foot in mouth disease as you call it. Rest assured you are still the sole carrier of said disease.

I have a point, I promise. The Charge of the Live Brigade, Tennyson's masterpiece. A poem of balance, sacrifice, and loyalty but above all, the brutality of nobility. I admit, I might read a far darker side than Tennyson intended but it is there, you need only look closer.

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!

"Charge for the guns!" he said:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"

Was there a man dismay'd?

Not tho' the soldier knew

Someone had blunder'd:

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die:

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred…

Now, my smart girl I know I need not say more but, I will. I have faith that you will solve this puzzle much like you have all the others. I will not be in contact for a while, I will be taking a trip with my son not sure yet, when I will return. Just know that once I do everything will change. All I ask is no matter how difficult it gets or how much time passes, do not come to Starling City. For it is from this city that the six hundred never rode out of. I will see you soon and then this crusade will become a war. Best of luck, take care and remember Miss Smoak every puzzle must be solved for without a solution it is only chaos.

Fondly,

RQ

Her enthusiasm was short lived. The night the Gambit went down she was as always tediously working over their puzzle. When she heard the almost deafening news she felt her heart sink, and then completely stop. When it started again she realized one very cold hard truth, it would never ever beat the same again she had lost a father, again, but this time around she was determined to not lose her hope.

The crusade had seized, cold turkey. It took every last bit of her control to not go to Starling City, she couldn't betray him. She knew that just her luck, which she greatly lacked, the minute she got there he would appear and find her there exactly where he had told her not to be, cheeks red as can be and foot in mouth disease at full blast.

But, the puzzle. Dammit.

She couldn't leave unfinished business just be, well, unfinished. It wasn't in her nature.

I hate unsolved mysteries and a puzzles sole purpose is to be solved. If it isn't then it could no longer be called a puzzle, it is simply chaos. I cannot allow a puzzle to live its days unfulfilled! Double Dammit!

Hope to hear from you guys. Enjoy!