Language is an art. Even with the exact same words, the meaning can shift dramatically depending on the tone, pace, and context. From "don't… stop" to "don't stop" and then to "don't… stop," those three variations were more than enough to reflect Felicity's emotional and physical state.
In the wake of that sudden storm—her first real plunge into something wild and untamed—Felicity was still reeling, as though she'd barely survived a shipwreck. Lying there, her body aching in unfamiliar ways, she stared blankly at Jack Kadere.
Ever since he came into her life, everything had spun completely out of control.
"What… are we now?" she finally asked in a daze.
Jack smiled faintly. "We can be friends. Or lovers. Up to you."
"Friends don't usually do that," Felicity replied dryly.
"It's the little bed of friendship," Jack quipped. "You just hop on. Things happen."
"So all the nice gestures before… were they just leading up to this? Or was it after last night that you decided I was just easy to get?" Felicity frowned, thinking back on his recent behavior. A small, nagging suspicion crept in.
Jack let out a breath and gently brushed her cheek, his tone soft but sincere. "Not last night. Just now."
That earned him a glare. Felicity turned over abruptly. "So you do think that!"
"Don't be mad. You're the first girlfriend I've had since I arrived in this world," Jack said with a laugh, pulling her back into his arms. "If your reactions just now hadn't been so fun, you wouldn't have gotten this lucky."
"You're serious?" she asked suspiciously, some of her indignation melting as she laid her head on his chest.
"Tell me about yourself," she said softly. "I barely know anything about you. Like—were you really going to kidnap me at the beginning?"
It was a clumsy question, but she couldn't think of any better way to describe the strange tension between them when they first met.
"Yes," Jack said without hesitation, flashing a brilliant grin. "That's how I used to handle things in Gotham. Direct. Efficient. Works every time. Speaking of which, I actually kidnapped someone earlier today."
"…Excuse me?"
"A police officer's daughter," he added casually.
Felicity narrowed her eyes. "That's not even remotely funny."
"I'm not joking."
"What?!"
She bolted upright, staring at him in disbelief. "You actually kidnapped a cop's daughter?!"
"Well, she thinks she was kidnapped," Jack said with a shrug. "So far, no reports. Maybe she hasn't told anyone yet."
"You're insane," Felicity said, leaping off the bed. She dashed to the living room, grabbed her laptop, and quickly got to work. Sliding on her glasses, she began typing furiously, breaking into the Starling City Police Department's internal network within seconds.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard like lightning, but she found nothing. No record of Jack Kadere. No mention of a kidnapping. She glanced back at him nervously. "Are you really not making this up?"
"Laurel Lance," Jack said calmly. "Her father's Quentin Lance. Pull their records."
Felicity hesitated but followed his lead. When both files popped up, she turned slowly toward Jack, her brow furrowed.
"Why her?" she asked.
Jack stretched lazily. "I'm interested in her."
"You're interested in her so your first move is kidnapping?"
"That's your boyfriend for you," Jack said with a smirk, walking over and hugging her from behind.
Felicity frowned, her fingers dancing rapidly across the keyboard. Her brows furrowed deeper with every line of code she read. Not only were there no kidnapping reports connected to Jack Kadere, but the police database didn't even have a record of him. Suspicious, she remembered he mentioned being from Gotham. With a few swift commands, she broke into the Gotham City Police Department's database—only to discover something even more unsettling.
Jack's file was flagged Top Secret. So highly classified that even the commissioner lacked access privileges. She could have forced entry with a stronger setup, but her current laptop just couldn't handle it.
Jack saw her unease and simply grinned. "I'm your man. What, forgetting already? Or are you even faster than me when it comes to moving on?"
"Moving on?" she echoed, puzzled.
Before she could say more, Jack casually added, "Pull up the surveillance feed from Queen Industries' Steel & Welding Plant."
With practiced ease, Felicity hacked into the nearby street and internal surveillance systems. The video footage popped up quickly on screen.
"What is this?" she asked, half to herself, then turned to glare at him. "You actually brought her there? That police officer's daughter?"
"Yeah. That's where I met her. Told her if she wanted answers, she could come find me," Jack said calmly.
"You actually want to see her again?" Felicity's voice grew sharper. "You said you were interested—do you like her or something?"
"If I liked her, I'd have taken her already," Jack said with a smirk. "Why would I wait around for her to make the first move?"
Felicity stared at him, incredulous. "That's your idea of affection?"
"What's the point of confessing if you know you'll just be rejected?" Jack shrugged. "If you want something, you take it. If you can't get it, use leverage. And if it all blows up? So be it. Go to jail, come back out, and try again."
Felicity was stunned. That wasn't just arrogance—it was borderline sociopathy.
And she wasn't sure if he was serious or not.