Disclaimer – all characters/setting are the property of Warner Bros and DC comics

Looking at the sexy brunette staring at her, Felicity couldn't help but be a little jealous. This is who he'd rather take? Who he trusted his life with? How did she get in this predicament anyway?

Three days previous…

Oliver walked into the cave, bringing the blaring music of the club in with him. His go-to IT girl was manning the desk, searching for information on the Hood's latest target, Jack Greenfield. Eyes scanning the screen, she absent-mindedly tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Felicity?" Oliver announced his arrival, not wanting to startle her yet again.

"Oliver?" She slowly spun her chair around and pushed her glasses back. "I still haven't been able to get inside his home network. I've finished the usual scans: email, web search, police records. Wow is he ever dirty! Did you know he swindled hundreds of people in the Glades out of thousands of dollars, by collecting donations for a new clinic there. One he had no intention of building."

"Like everyone else on the list," Oliver replied.

"Yeah… well, I did come across an email I thought you would find interesting." She turned back around, reaching for the mouse.

Click! Felicity sensed Oliver's overwhelming presence as he stood next to her. She could smell his musky cologne as he leaned in to read the screen. "Is that what I think it is?" he turned, looking at her.

She turned to look at him, momentarily forgetting the question as her blue eyes locked with green. "Yes… The Undertaking" she murmurred.

Oliver pushed back from the desk and strode to his equipment. He ran his hands along the bow before picking it up. He chose an arrow, nocked it, drew and fired. Bullseye! Felicity couldn't help but admire the grace with which it was done and the calm it inspired. Returning to bow to the table, he questioned, "What did we learn?"

"Despite the annoying encryption, I was able to determine that the email was an invitation to a meeting at the Starling Plaza Hotel, this Friday night at 22 00. Before you ask, I also managed to find out that this email was sent to at least two other people on that list of yours."

Oliver's eyes darkened. "Definitely a meeting that the Hood should attend…" his voice trailed.

"Oliver?" Felicity attempted to bring him back to attention. "There may be a few complications with that." She held up her fingers as she counted off, "One, the hotel is hosting a charity Art Gala that evening, meaning heightened security. And two, even if you go as Oliver Queen, they will then narrow down the identity of the Hood to one of Starling City's elite. Is it really worth the risk?" she quered.

"Is what worth the risk?" chimed Diggle from the secure doorway.

"Risk crashing the Art Gala to get more info on the rumored Undertaking," replied the blonde.

Both heads turned to Oliver. "As it happens, I already have an invite to the prestigeous event and my mother expects me to attend. So I've got the in. I just need Felicity to use her remarkable skills to hook in and secure the security camera feeds so they don't see me coming and so my secret identity isn't discovered," he drawled.

"I wish I could help you Oliver, but I can't hack into the system from the outside. Their security system is too sophisticated for that. I'll need to be there." Felicity stood and faced him.

"No. You are not going. You can walk me through what I need to do to get you in," the muscular man replied.

"No offense Oliver, but five years on the island left you a little lacking in the tech savvy factor. You need me." Felicity shot back.

Oliver looked back at Diggle, who hadn't come any further into the room. Felicity saw Diggle give him the barest hint of a nod. "Fine, here are the conditions…"

"My date and I will have a planned alibi," he paused, glancing between Diggle and Felicity, "and my date will not be Felicity."

"What? How's that going to work?" she questioned, pushing Oliver's hand.

"Easily, I will be escorting a gorgeous brunette in a little black dress," he firmly replied.

Helena Bertinelli, Felicity thought, dumbstruck.