Chapter 20: The Dark Archer and the Storage Ring
The Arrowcave was a tomb of despair. Oliver was gone, presumed dead after his duel with Ra's al Ghul. The team, what was left of it, was reeling. Felicity was a wreck, Diggle was grim, and Thea was lost. Arrow S03E10: "Left Behind." Adam knew this was a dark time, but he also knew Oliver wasn't dead. And he was going to help find him, even if it meant dealing with Malcolm Merlyn.
"He's not dead, Felicity," Adam said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Oliver Queen is like a bad penny. He always turns up. Usually with more emotional baggage and a new scar."
Felicity looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because he's Oliver Queen. He's too stubborn to die," Adam said, forcing a small smile. "And because I've seen this episode. And because the plot demands his continued brooding existence." "We'll find him, Smoak. We always do."
The team, led by a grim Diggle, was investigating a crime scene, hoping to find any clue to Oliver's whereabouts. Malcolm Merlyn, ever the opportunist, was hovering in the background, offering his "help," which mostly involved being creepy and manipulative.
"Oh, Malcolm. The human embodiment of 'I'm helping, but also I'm secretly evil.' Always a pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to steal some evidence right under your perfectly coiffed nose."
A crucial piece of evidence, a small, encrypted data chip, lay half-hidden beneath a pile of rubble. It was easily overlooked, but Adam knew its significance. He discreetly activated his Storage Ring.
"Diggle, I think I saw something over here," Adam said, gesturing vaguely towards a different pile of rubble, drawing Diggle's attention away. As Diggle moved, Adam quickly reached into the rubble, his hand passing through the invisible portal of the Storage Ring. The chip vanished into the pocket dimension.
[STORAGE RING USED. COST: 0 NON-PLP (ITEM STORAGE).]
"What did you see, Adam?" Diggle asked, looking confused.
"Oh, just a really, really shiny piece of glass. Thought it might be important. Guess not," Adam said, shrugging innocently. "My bad. My eyes are still adjusting to all the grimness around here. It's very... dark."
Diggle just shook his head, a familiar exasperated look on his face. He didn't understand Adam's methods, but he couldn't deny that Adam always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Later, back in the Arrowcave, Adam pulled out the data chip. "Alright, Felicity, I found something. It's a data chip. Very encrypted. Very important. And I totally didn't steal it from a crime scene right under Diggle's nose."
Felicity's eyes widened. "Where did you get this?!"
"Let's just say I have a knack for finding things. Especially when they're trying to hide from me," Adam said, winking. "Now, can you decrypt it? Because I have a feeling it's going to lead us to our favorite brooding archer."
Felicity, with her usual brilliance, quickly began to work on the chip. As she did, Adam pulled out his Pen of Creation.
"And just to speed things along," Adam said, "I've got a little something that might help. A map. A very, very accurate map. Of where Oliver is. Probably."
He quickly drew a detailed map of Nanda Parbat, complete with a small, glowing X marking the exact location where Oliver would be found.
[PEN OF CREATION USED. COST: 35 NON-PLP (DETAILED MAP).]
"Thirty-five LP for a map? That's a bit steep for Google Maps, but if it gets Oliver back, it's worth it. Plus, it's a magic map. That's inherently cooler than Google Maps."
Felicity looked at the map, then at Adam, her jaw dropping. "Adam! How did you...?"
"Trade secret, Smoak. Involves a lot of intuition and a little bit of magic," Adam said, shrugging. "Now, get to it! Our brooding hero isn't going to rescue himself!"
With the data chip decrypted and the map in hand, the team had a clear path to Oliver. Diggle, though still baffled by Adam's methods, couldn't deny the results.
[MISSION COMPLETE: LEFT BEHIND. REWARD: 200 NON-PLP.]
"Two hundred LP for being a human GPS and a master thief? This System truly understands my talents. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I've earned a celebratory nap. Rescuing Oliver is exhausting."
Adam watched as Diggle prepared to leave for Nanda Parbat, a sense of relief washing over him. Oliver would be back. The team would be whole again. And Adam would be there, ready to annoy him with more jokes, more impossible "tech," and more unexpected saves. The Arrowverse was, as always, a chaotic masterpiece, and Adam Stiels was its most sarcastic, and luckiest, participant.
System Status After Chapter: Non-PLP: 765. PLP: 5.
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