Disclaimer: I don't own DC or the Marvel universe.

Chapter 1 Remembering Oliver

Felicity Smoak was never meant to be a superhero, just meant to be that tech girl for the big crime fighting superhero. That superhero who was handsome, attractive, muscular, and had a charming personality to top. The girl on the side that you can trust, that was always her. That's why when Oliver died, Felicity resolved to keep doing the one thing she always loved to do. Felicity Smoak took upon S.H.I.E.L.D.'s offer to work for them after quitting Queen's Consolidated and moving to New York. That way, she could be the tech girl again.

She and Diggs came to terms with Oliver's death with eventual ease, and promised to keep in contact with each other often. They worked together during the days after Oliver's death to fix loose ends, but both knew that they couldn't stay in Starling City. Diggs remarried and moved to Europe with his new wife, eager to start life anew. Felicity believed that Diggs was the happiest he had ever been since he received his closure.

Starling City wasn't crime-free, but the vigilante's job had made its impact and it no longer needed the Hood/Arrow long before Oliver even passed away. Felicity was glad that Oliver got to see it briefly. Oliver had passed away from a slow growing cancer that they didn't detect until about a year ago. Felicity suspected that it came from the island, but doctors disagreed and said it was more likely from the carcinogens in the Glades, since cancer rates had spiked in the past couple of years. It was shocking at first, but it gave Oliver enough time to finish what he needed to do and earn his peace and closure. His mother, sister, and Laurel never discovered his secret. Not yet, Felicity assumed anyways. Oliver told Felicity and Diggs that they were allowed to learn of his secret identity, but he did not specify when that time will be. "You'll know when the right time will be."

Putting it all aside, Felicity packed up her things, said good-bye to a few friends she had, and flew to New York. All Felicity Smoak knew about her own future was that she was going to be living in a paid-for apartment, this being part of her contract for her new job at the government facility. This was going to be in the middle of the city, close to where S.H.I.E.L.D's headquarters were located. One of the directors of S.H.I.E.L.D discovered Felicity after finally tracking down her hacks in the past two to three years. They saw her potential and immediately gave her the offer, much to Felicity's relief. She thought she was going to end up in federal prison. Thankfully, S.H.I.E.L.D never managed to discover why Felicity had hacked their database in the first place. But her boss' boss, Nick Fury, was very suspicious of her. In his presence, she felt two eyes on her despite his eyepatch and the assumed loss of function of that particular organ. Meanwhile, her current boss, Maria Hill, was less wary of Felicity. She deemed Felicity less of a physical threat and was friendly enough. If Felicity was up to no good, she figured that they could easily put a bullet in her, or wipe her memory or something like that. Felicity shivered when she thought of all the secret technology they had.

"Yes, I did hear about what happened in New York a few months ago. I was just, going through some personal things," Felicity stuttered while talking to a few co-workers. Some of them were amazed or outraged that she wasn't more clued in about the city's recent alien attack. They questioned her skills and social awareness. Truthfully, Felicity had been busy mourning Oliver's death and trying to run Queen's Consolidated all while trying to find a new CEO for the company. The alien war that had raged on had been the last thing on her mind. She often wondered if Oliver could have fought with the Avengers if he had lived long enough for the event.

"We're trying to rebuild the city," Maria Hill told her team of four an hour later (which included Felicity, the newest member of the four). They were situated in an underground facility a few blocks away from Felicity's new home. "And a lot of our Headquarters, machinery, and equipment. The city is in wreck because people find it easier to steal and do crime, even with non-local police forces. There are a couple of gang leaders we need to trace, some people we need to keep an eye out for, and locations of a few non-dangerous suspects."

Felicity grinned to herself and looked down at her hands. She'd be able to find them without much trouble, they would all be in some sort of database or spotted on a security camera somewhere in the city. As usual, she would pass the information along to someone else more physically capable, who would go out into the field and fix everything. Felicity was the brain, and was never going to be the brawn.

"Felicity, wow. You got us the names so quickly," Maria commented that evening. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you," she smiled lightly. Felicity pushed up her glasses and glanced back at her computer screen. "Background checks, recent police records, death tolls taken into account… Including security camera footage... The technology here is fascinating by the way."

"I know you'll probably never have to leave the office here, and we'd love to keep you here forever. However, Fury kind of made it a rule that every agent has some kind of physical training."

Felicity gaped at her supervisor. "I…I do have some background," she stammered, her face going pale. "Wait, I'm considered an Agent? That's pretty cool."

"Yes you are, Agent Smoak."

"I did not read this in the manual." Felicity's grin faded when she remembered Maria's earlier words. "Wait, no I don't do exercise. I have slight asthma and a bad knee and ankle."

"You're going to have to start. Tomorrow morning, 06:00, be at the north gym. I have a list of physical activities you must complete each week." Maria said it with a strict but not unfriendly tone. She gave her a sheet of paper and nodded curtly.

Felicity put her head to her desk. They were just like Oliver and Diggs. Of course, Oliver had eventually succumbed to simply teaching Felicity how to shoot an arrow, and Diggs taught her a few chokes. She wondered if that would be a good enough requirement for the team here too. Her team was a humourless bunch. Three other men, in their thirties and forties, were the people assigned to go out and did missions. Maria Hill led them out on the field and was the overall best agent. They weren't friends with her, much less with each other, and it seemed like a job to them. To Felicity, doing what she did was her passion, but she couldn't enjoy it completely with this team.

"The technology here is a lot better than I'm used to though. If I can meet who designed the equipment, we could exchange ideas," Felicity said out loud a couple weeks later. She was trying to look on the bright side of her joining S.H.I.E.L.D as she jogged around S.H.I.E.L.D's aboveground new office-tower. She had gone through a couple of cases without any problems, and was adjusting well to her new life in New York. It was rebuilding, yes, but it the city was flourishing too, and it was a lot different than Starling City in many ways.

"Tony Stark and his inventions… I wish I could do that too, if they let me." Felicity gasped for air and wiped off her sweat. "Man, it's a hot day out."

"Agent Smoak, you're needed in headquarter's main, downstairs." One of her teammates appeared out of thing air with a sharp look and a slight wrinkle of his nose. "I'd change quickly before I go, though."

Felicity rushed towards the enormous, polished room in headquarters that reminded her of a university classroom but filled with better technology and fancier equipment. She was surprised to see that Agent Maria Hill was talking to Nick Fury, the big man behind S.H.I.E.L.D. One other man sat a few chairs away with crossed arms and a grim appearance. She had seem him around HQ before, but he looked extra sulky that day.

"We figured you would be the best person for the job. There is a new threat, Felicity," Maria told her seriously. "This hooded archer is supposedly from your hometown, Starling City."

Felicity froze. The room had no screen, but a holographic projection of a familiar looking figure. There was the dark hood pulled up over a shadowed face. A quiver attached to his back, an arrow already in one hand, a bow in another. The figure was perched on top of a roof of a tower that Felicity recognized from downtown New York.

Nick Fury, whose expression seemed to be permanently fixed to one raised eyebrow, turned towards Felicity. "You were quite the hacker back in your hometown. Weren't you ever curious as to discover who the Hood is?" His stare was so intense, Felicity almost squeaked.

She forced herself to speak. "I was under the impression that the Hood worked for the law. How can they be the same person?" Especially since Oliver was dead, Felicity thought to herself. Of course, nobody knew that the vigilante always passed away. The disappearance of the Hood and Oliver's passing didn't happen at the same time.

"Did you, Agent Smoak, ever find out what the Hood's identity was?"

Felicity felt all three pairs of eyes pierce through her skull. "He contacted me on several occasions," she deterred from answering completely. "Often to help with police investigations, or a kidnapping, or something. He saved my life on many occasions. Whoever this guy is," she waved at the blue-ish hologram, "it can't be him. Give me some time, and I will dig up information and find out who he is." Felicity was surprised that she kept good control of her emotions.

Maria let out a sigh and handed her a few documents. "For this one case, you've been reassigned to work with someone else, more specific to this case." The tension eased up and Felicity let out a breath of relief. "Felicity, meet Clint Barton." The man in the corner stood up and gave Felicity a firm handshake.

"Why am I working with someone new? I mean, not to be rude or anything. I'm just curious."

"Barton is the best archer we have," Fury said with a look at the other man. "An archer knows the mind of another archer better than anyone else."

Felicity nodded, internally squeaking. She never thought she would work with arrows again.

"Wait, weren't you from the Avengers too?" Her admiration and eagerness for this mission was peaked.

"I see you've been doing your research," he gruffly said to her as he passed her out the door. "You should focus on answering questions, not asking them."

And there goes her admiration.