Chapter 2: The Geeky Gambit
The hospital, surprisingly, let Adam go without much fuss. Apparently, a "nasty fall" resulting in a concussion and no lasting damage wasn't enough to warrant a psych evaluation, even after his rambling about superheroes and "CW shows." "Either they're really good at their jobs, or they just assume everyone in Starling City is a little unhinged. Probably the latter. It is Starling, after all. Home of the perpetually grim and the surprisingly well-dressed vigilante."
He stepped out into the crisp Starling City air, the familiar, yet unsettling, skyline looming above him. The Queen Consolidated building, a gleaming monolith of corporate ambition and future arrow-fodder, stood tall in the distance. Arrow S02E08: "The Scientist." The episode title echoed in his mind, a helpful, if slightly ominous, reminder of his current narrative waypoint. Barry Allen was here, or would be soon. But more importantly, she was here. Felicity Smoak.
"Okay, Adam, this is it. Phase one of the 'Operation: Charm the Nerdy Genius and Disrupt the Canon' plan. Step one: get to Queen Consolidated. Step two: find Felicity. Step three: unleash the full force of your questionable humor and undeniable charm. This is going to be like a romantic comedy, but with more potential for explosions and gratuitous shirtless scenes. Mostly Oliver's, sadly."
He pulled out the cheap, pre-paid phone the hospital had given him and, with a mischievous grin, activated the System. [ASK A QUESTION. COST: VARIABLE NON-PLP.]
"Alright, System, my benevolent overlord," Adam muttered, walking down the street, blending into the bustling city crowd. "I need an inroad. A reason. A perfectly plausible, completely fabricated excuse to get into Queen Consolidated and directly to the desk of one Felicity Smoak. Something that makes me seem incredibly smart, but not, like, 'secret government agent' smart. More like 'eccentric genius with too much time on his hands' smart."
[PROCESSING REQUEST. ESTIMATED COST: 10 NON-PLP. CONFIRM?]
"Ten LP? For a lie? That's a steal! In my old life, a good lie cost me at least a broken friendship and a public apology," Adam chuckled. "Confirm, you glorious, information-dispensing machine!"
A small, almost imperceptible shimmer pulsed on the System interface, and then, a new message. [INFORMATION ACQUIRED: QUEEN CONSOLIDATED'S APPLIED SCIENCES DIVISION RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A MINOR THEFT. A PROTOTYPE GADGET, DESIGNED FOR ADVANCED DATA ENCRYPTION, WAS STOLEN. NO PUBLIC REPORT HAS BEEN FILED.]
"Aha! A non-publicized theft. Perfect. That makes me seem like I'm in the know, without being a literal psychic. Which, technically, I am. But let's not overplay our hand on day one."
He hailed a taxi, giving the driver the address for Queen Consolidated. The ride was uneventful, giving him time to rehearse his lines. He settled on a blend of earnest concern and casual brilliance, seasoned with his signature sarcasm.
Upon arriving, the lobby of Queen Consolidated was exactly as he remembered it from the show: sleek, imposing, and probably filled with more secrets than a high school gossip column. He approached the security desk, where a burly guard with a permanent scowl stood sentinel.
"Good morning, sir," Adam began, flashing his most disarming, slightly goofy smile. "Adam Stiels. I'm here to speak with... well, ideally, someone in the Applied Sciences division. Specifically, a Ms. Felicity Smoak, if she's available."
The guard, unimpressed, grunted. "Do you have an appointment?"
"An appointment? Oh, if only life were that organized," Adam sighed dramatically. "No, no appointment. More of an... urgent, civic-minded intervention. You see, I have reason to believe there was a rather unfortunate incident in your Applied Sciences division recently. A... delicate matter involving a certain data encryption prototype? Not exactly front-page news, I gather."
The guard's scowl deepened, but a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "How do you know about that?"
"Let's just say I have a knack for putting two and two together, and sometimes, those two and two involve highly sensitive corporate espionage," Adam said with a conspiratorial wink. "Or, you know, I just have very good sources. Either way, I assure you, I'm here to help. And I'm pretty sure Ms. Smoak is the only one who can truly appreciate the nuanced genius of my... insights."
The guard hesitated, clearly torn between protocol and the unsettling specificity of Adam's claim. Finally, he picked up the phone. "I'll call up. But no funny business."
"Funny business is my middle name, pal," Adam mumbled under his breath, then cleared his throat. "But I promise, only the hilarious kind."
A few tense minutes later, he was being escorted to the Applied Sciences division. The guard pointed to a desk piled high with monitors and wires, where a woman with bright blonde hair was furiously typing. "Ms. Smoak, this gentleman insists on speaking with you."
Felicity looked up, her wide eyes framed by her glasses, a slight frown on her face. "Insists? About what?"
Adam stepped forward, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "Ms. Smoak, the legend, the myth, the woman who makes hacking look like interpretive dance! Adam Stiels, at your service. And I believe we need to talk about a missing... thingamajig."
Felicity blinked, her expression a mix of confusion and mild alarm. "A thingamajig?"
"Yes, a thingamajig! The one that encrypts data, makes it all super-secret squirrel, and then, poof! Vanishes into thin air like a magician's rabbit," Adam explained, gesturing wildly. "I'm talking about the data encryption prototype from your Applied Sciences division. The one that wasn't reported stolen, but totally was."
Felicity's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly. "How... how do you know about that?"
"Let's just say I have a very particular set of skills," Adam began, channeling his inner Liam Neeson, then immediately broke character with a snort. "No, not really. More like, I have a very particular set of hunches. And my hunches are usually spot-on, especially when they involve shadowy corporate malfeasance and the theft of incredibly cool tech. Besides," he leaned in conspiratorially, "I figured you'd be the only one here who wouldn't look at me like I'd just escaped from a padded room when I started talking about it."
Felicity stared at him, her mind clearly racing. She was flustered, intrigued, and a little overwhelmed. "Bingo. Hook, line, and sinker. Now, for the charm offensive."
"Look," Adam continued, softening his tone slightly, "I know this sounds crazy. But I'm genuinely here to help. And I promise, I'm not a supervillain. Unless my supervillain power is 'annoying people with excessive sarcasm,' in which case, I'm practically Lex Luthor."
Felicity, against her better judgment, let out a small, nervous laugh. "Okay, you're... interesting. And you seem to know something. But I'm going to need a lot more than 'hunches' and 'thingamajigs' if you want to be taken seriously here."
"Oh, I assure you, Ms. Smoak, my insights are anything but superficial," Adam said, his eyes twinkling. "And as for being taken seriously... well, that's a goal for another day. For now, let's just focus on getting your thingamajig back, shall we? Consider me your friendly neighborhood, highly sarcastic, and possibly unhinged consultant."
"Nailed it. She's confused, she's intrigued, she's laughing. This is going to be fun. Sorry, Oliver, but the Felicity Express just got a new conductor, and he's got a one-way ticket to 'Happily Ever After'… or at least, 'Hilariously Ever After'."
System Status After Chapter: Non-PLP: 90. PLP: 0.