Arrow: Reckoning Part 2

A Ghost Came Calling

The open office was warm and inviting, as Captain Lance's greeting had been. Thea entered before him, moving to the desk and waiting while Lance closed the door behind them. It had been awhile since she had visited the police station, thankfully she had moved past her self destructive ways from her younger years.

"Thanks for comin' down." Lance began while sitting behind his desk and smiling to his young guest.

"Ofcourse, not that I really had a choice though." Thea replied, keeping her attitude friendly and positive. Lance smirked at the comment and reached for his coffee mug.

"Well I just figured it would be better to speak to you in person about this, rather than send a couple uniforms to tell you." He said before taking a gulp from his mug and reaching for a group of files beside him.

"About what?" Thea asked, defensively adjusting herself in her chair. Lance pulled a few photos from the files and placed them at the edge of his desk near Thea.

"These three gentlemen were recently discovered in the Glades over the past two weeks. Each dead from an overdose of Vertigo." Lance answered, as he seperated the photos to show each man's face clearly. Thea studied the pictures and shook her head.

"I don't recognize them." She stated, assuming that was what the Captain was aiming toward.

"I didn't think you would. The thing is, these guys were all dead within hours of leaving your club." Lance explained, jumping straight to the point. Thea stiffened in her chair as she glanced up at the Captain, trying to read his true intentions for bringing her here.

"Do you think they got the drugs from my club?" Thea reluctantly asked, hoping that Lance would think higher of her than to be a drug pusher.

"I'm not sure, but we can't rule anything out right now." He replied, leaning back in his seat while he took a deep breath.

"What I'd like to do is post a few undercovers in your club for a few nights, just to check things out." Lance added, expecting to hear a hesitant answer with the mention of a warrant and lawyers.

"No problem." Thea quickly answered, not wanting her club to be a den for drugs dealers and junkies. Lance cocked his head and smirked, somewhat surprised by her accepting response.

"Alright then..." Lance replied, unsure how to continue with a conversation that wasn't rapidly turning into a verbal throwdown. Thea sensed the growing awkwardness in the room, slowly nodding her head while she smiled to the Captain.

"I...normally this is the part where I would be reciting some speech to appeal to your better nature. I'm not really sure what to say." Lance admitted, nervously looking around his office. Thea laughed and stood.

"I'll just let you get back to your work." She stated while moving toward the door.

"Thanks." Lance said while smiling to her and reaching for the files beside him.

The night air was refreshing and warmer than that of the Metropolis wilderness, bringing an energetic step to Oliver's movement as he scaled the rooftops one by one. Even if the air was cleaner in the woods the scent of the forest was something that brought Oliver back to Lian Yu and all the horrors that he had encountered while there. His past was filled with tragedy and regret, which had no doubtly shaped him into the man he had become but after four years he knew that the man he was just wasn't enough anymore. The Arrow represented who he was after that island, who the island had made him. Upon returning home and learning what it meant to be a true hero, he knew that something more was needed than the Arrow. Even more, the internal battle for Oliver Queen was still waging. The struggle for his true identity was tugging at him more and more now, ever since his realization several months ago. During his final year on the island after Waller had dropped him back off, Oliver came to terms with who he had become and what he was capable of. It wasn't until he saw what his inner demons could push him to do that he truely feared what had happened to him. The sound of his boots shuffeling from his landing stretched out across the rooftop. The slight amount of pain in his knee stung him as he gently reached down and rubbed his old injury. He stopped near the ledge of the roof and looked out over the skyline, taking in the beauty of his city while he momentarily rested. A strange chill crept up the back of his neck, standing his hairs on edge. His senses kicked into an ultra-awareness mode, searching for any slight detail to connect to his sudden uneasy feeling. It was the haunting voice breaking the silence that stopped his heart midbeat and nearly caused him to choke on pure fear.