Shado sighed softly as Felicity explained her current situation. It seems that no matter one's knowledge and skill, humans endeavoured to be particularly predictably unpredictable.

It had not occurred to any of them that Laurel would seek out technological help but Shado grudgingly admitted that it was a somewhat logical move for the lawyer to make.

However it was an alarming coincidence that Laurel just happened to choose the one person that they themselves had trusted to manage their technology.

But Laurel's decision, as unexpected as it was, did provide an invaluable opportunity to further their plans, and remain informed of Laurel's progress without the need for Oliver or Slade to masquerade as Jonas or William Wintergreen.

It was unfortunate, Shado mused, that she was unable to contact any of the others to discuss the situation, after so many years of working as a team, it was natural to make decisions of weight together.

However, Oliver was at the construction site of Verdant Tower, Slade was with his children, and Yao Fei was picking up a delivery of the pliable metal that they preferred to make their arrow heads from.

"I know that you have this covered, Felicity." Shado warmly reassured her, "Just go along with whatever Laurel asks you to do, but make sure that you notify me before you give her anything concrete."

"Ok." Felicity was terribly nervous but Shado's words had a calming effect on her, "But what if Laurel wants the information now? Or if she suspects that I work with you? Or if she…"

"It will be fine. Laurel has no reason to suspect you, nor does she know that Oliver and the Emerald Archer are the same person. She won't want the information now, she has already expressed an anxiety to leave quickly. Don't worry. Just agree to whatever she asks – with a suitable amount of surprise and caution. You were already coming to the warehouse tonight to help us anyway, we can discuss the details then."

Felicity Smoak breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, she then realised that Shado couldn't actually see her and blurted, "Um… sorry I just nodded. I mean, I agree. Uh… no I understand what you were trying to say?"

Shado grinned gently at Felicity's habit of placing her foot in her mouth and decided to give Felicity the little push that she needed in order to go back and talk with Laurel.

"It's ok. Just go now and talk with Laurel, you shouldn't keep a lawyer waiting."

Felicity listened to the soft yet somehow disquieting beeps after Shado had hung up, she was still unsure of her role and was even less convinced that she would be able to play her part without somehow accidently releasing important information.

But Felicity was no shrinking violet, and thus she walked resolutely back to her living room where Laurel was waiting anxiously on the edge of her seat.

"That was…" Felicity cringed internally as she already found herself in an awkward position with no answer, "That was an old friend, well not anoldfriend per say – I've only known her for a few months – but she is a good friend, one that I can see becoming an old friend – not that I imagine her being old, or me being old."

Laurel interrupted the tangent with a certain amount of urgency as if she desperately needed to say the words, if only to share the burden of what she now believed, "Anyway, I need you to help me because I think that Oliver is alive."

Felicity blinked, unsure how she should react, especially as those words were supposed to be a revelation of a sort.

"Oliver as in playboy Oliver Queen? Oliver as in the son of late Robert Queen, the billionaire. Oliver as in your ex-boyfriend who died on the Queen's Gambit with your sister, except that she actually didn't die."

Laurel winced as Felicity's words honed straight into the festering wound that she carried with her for so long.

"Yeah.ThatOliver." She flinched as the words left a sour taste in her mouth.

Laurel knew how crazy she sounded, only days ago she would have called the asylum if someone had insisted to her that Oliver bloody Queen was still alive, and that he might be worth saving.

Even now she was unsure of her true motives behind this far-fetched operation. Did she truly believe that Oliver was alive? Or was she only investigating to confirm that he was not? And even if she found him dead – Would that really bring her anymore peace?

And what of she found him alive, what would she do? She wanted so desperately to continue to hate him, to compassionately despise him with every fibre of herself.

But what if she couldn't? What scared her most was that she would look into his bright blue-green eyes and forgive him for all of his lies. Just like she had forgiven him for all of the time he had strayed, and all the times his loyalty waned.

However despite her fears she knew that she had to investigate, shehadto find out if he was alive or not. But she also knew that she couldn't do it alone, with the almost insurmountable barriers of time and distance, it was unlikely that many of her skills cultivated as a lawyer would help her reach the absolute truth regarding Oliver.

"Um… ok. What do you need me to do?"

Laurel blinked, not expecting Felicity to blatantly accept her announcement so easily.

"You don't think I'm crazy?"

Felicity looked at Laurel with a half-shrug, nervous that she was close to blowing her cover, "I guess that considering your history with him that you wouldn't be asking for my help if you didn't believe in at least the possibility of him being alive."

Laurel once again was surprised by the bright, and frankly strange woman before her – from what she had gathered at the Merlyn IT department, Felicity was a very unique person, however she had not realised just how perceptive yet somewhat naïve she was.

"I want you to start investigating into any digital remains that may indicate that Oliver is still alive. I doubt that you will find much but-"

Felicity interrupted, "If Mr Queen is still alive there will undoubtedly be some form of digital trace, unless he remained in complete isolation from the technological world."

Laurel glanced at her watch and panicked for a moment, realising that she had but minutes before she was due to meet with Tommy, "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. I'll be in touch about this – I promise."

Laurel briskly walked to the door, hesitating with her hand on the doorknob, "Thank you, Miss Smoak."

"Please call me Felicity." The earnest genuine grin that followed those words only heightened Laurel's opinion of her.

She smiled widely before exiting the apartment, already feeling lighter that she had confided in someone, that she was already on the way to the truth.

Felicity let out an anxious breath before texting Shado.She trusts me.

Oliver studied the near complete building with significant satisfaction. It was a towering structure of impressive architectural innovation and magnificence.

Fifty stories high, it rose above well-above the surrounding buildings, and while it was by no means the tallest building in the Starling City skyline, it was certainly one of the most striking.

The first twenty-five floors were like any other skyscraper on a square layout. It was the top half of the building that made it so memorable. The building splits into four equal columns over the space of five floors, giving the appearance of warped 'V' from all four sides of the building. The four 'Vs' are characterized with light green tinted glass while the rest of the structure was of black metal and dark concrete. The overall effect was brilliant against the light grey concrete and clear glass of most of the Skyscrapers of Starling City.

This building, and the extensive floors below were to become the main headquarters for Verdant International – Oliver intending to transfer his company's base from Hong Kong to Starling.

The underground and the first forty levels were complete and furnished, ready for the workers to stream in from all corners of the world. The top ten floors were structurally sound but not yet habitable.

Oliver smirked knowingly, this building was grander and more ambitious than anything his father or Malcolm Merlyn had ever achieved. But it was Robert Queen's foresight that had allowed for this to become reality.

At the time Oliver believed that the trip to Hong Kong was yet another of his father's many bi-annual routine business trips to secure investors and ensure the consistent stability of Queen Consolidated; but clearly there were ulterior motives for the trip as Malcolm Merlyn was especially determined to stop Robert Queen from ever reaching China.

In the previous timeline Oliver believed that Malcolm had targeted the Queen's Gambit for two reasons; convenience, and fear.

Fear that if Robert made it to China he would be able to use the significant resources and allies in that country to attack him, physically by the means of Triad assassins, and economically – many business men in China would kill for an opportunity to gain exclusive access to the American market, something that Robert could not only give, but also manipulate it so that Merlyn Global would suffer considerably because of the new competition.

But Robert Queen was not as naïve as everyone assumed; while he had in fact planned to arrange an assassination attempt upon Merlyn's life, he had the foresight to activate a contingency plan.

It was only by accident that Oliver had uncovered this plan and the resources that Robert had placed behind it. There were hidden bank accounts that could only be touched by a Queen family member in the event of Robert Queen's death, millions squirrelled away over years – it's originally purpose was a fallback in case there was a sudden recession or depression that significantly disadvantaged Queen Consolidated.

But after Malcolm Merlyn started the Undertaking, Robert Queen changed the purpose of the accounts; giving the access of the account to Walter Steele with a simple series of instructions – invest the money prudently on the market, buying shares just shy of controlling stock and on the event of Robert Queen's death, the stocks shall be transferred to the oldest living and of-age child of Robert Queen.

In the event of the child being not yet old enough to assume control, Walter Steele was to continue his work, increasing the money and investing in shares. In the event that there were none of Robert Queen's children could inherit, the money would be divided equally among Moira Queen, Walter Steele, Tommy Merlyn, and the Starling City Mayoral Trust.

During his year in Hong Kong under the ruthless Amanda "The Wall" Waller, Oliver had stumbled across a USB drive that informed Oliver of these counter-measures. In one of his many attempts to escape Oliver had found Walter Steele and took his rightful place, in control of the money and assets that his Father had kept aside.

However, Amanda Waller had threatened Akio, Tatsu, and Maeso if he didn't come back. Oliver had no choice to go back but once Amanda Waller worked out the resources he had under his control, a mutually beneficial arrangement was struck. Oliver would fund some of ARGUS's more covert operations, while Waller would help him grow his business Verdant by ridding him of the corrupt competition such as the Triad by blackmail or murder.

Without competition Verdant flourished in China, growing by acquiring controlling stocks in other businesses rather than building a core business that would slowly expand. Later Oliver would find himself in Russia, and there he made another bargain, but this time with Anatoly and the Bratva. Similar to his deal with Amanda Waller, the Bratva would get rid of the corrupt competition in certain industries, and Oliver would provide legitimate employment for the woman and children, as well as increasing the infrastructure and services available to the Russians.

Now, over three years since he took control and six since his father had first started the initiative, Verdant was a powerful and rich organization. Of course, Oliver knew that most of this was only possible by illegal activity however the only people truly damaged by Verdant were corrupt business men and Triad thugs; hardly much different than what he was doing as a bow-wielding Vigilante.

Once Oliver revealed his continued existence to the world after they had defeated Malcolm Merlyn, Oliver intended to keep Walter Steele in his current job of CEO of Verdant. While he had invested copious time and impressive effort into Verdant, but it was only one of the tools that he used as he much preferred his work as a vigilante to that as a business man.

Oliver finally reached the top floor of the third column, it was situated to catch the mid-afternoon sun and was to be, once finally finished and furnished, his main office. Walter Steele as CEO had his own office in the first column, the board of directors and the committee meeting room was upon the second column, and the fourth column was the location of the security office and computer mainframe.

As he stood surveying the city from his vantage point, he tensed as he felt his phone vibrate from his pocket, taking out the thin rectangle of electronics that Felicity had insisted upon – apparently it was difficult to hack, faster internet usage, and there was a wide range of 'apps' that he could use.

Glancing at the screen he was both surprised but somewhat pleased at the words Shado had sent:Laurel went to Felicity to find Oliver Queen. Laurel knows nothing yet. Felicity played along. Laurel trusts her. The Plan is still intact.