Arrow: Visceral Barrage Part 1

Torn

Dozens of drinking glasses sat on the counter top, packaging foam scattered all around them. Thea stood behind the bar at Verdant, inspecting the various alcoholic beverages being stored in the small refrigerator near the floor.

"So I was under the impression that I had the night off?" A voice began from over the counter. Thea glanced up from her work, seeing only a pair of fingers wrapping around the edge of the bar.

"Because I did have plans with my girlfriend." Thea smiled, standing as she placed her hands on her hips. Her boyfriend and club DJ, Chase, leaned against the bar devilishly smiling at her.

"Really? And does she know that?" Thea replied, batting her eyelashes.

"It was a surprise." He answered, doing his best to maintain control over the conversation.

"A surprise?" Thea whispered, leaning over the bar toward him. Chase smirked, his hands slowly moved closer to Thea's.

"That's right...I was gonna take her out to eat at some fancy restaurant, she likes places like that." Chase began, moving closer to Thea with every word.

"Oh I'm sure." Thea quickly added, also leaning in closer to her boyfriend.

"And then I was gonna take her to the bay for the sunset, she's really into pretty sunsets." Chase continued, smiling as his suave attitude and shear confidence.

"Classy girl." Thea stated, smiling at her boyfriend's romantic advance.

"And after that...well I guess I'd just wait and see what happened next." He ended, moving in to kiss her.

"I don't like surprises." Thea responded, abruptly pulling away from Chase's kiss. She moved away from the bar, collecting her clipboard in the process. Chase sighed, knowing he had upset a very stuborn and strong woman. He moved around the bar to follow her.

"Ok, I'm guessing this is about last week?" Chase asked, stepping around a few boxes on the floor.

"What, you mean you leaving me a note saying I'll be back in a few days? Because yes, that is what this is about." Thea angrily replied, throwing him an envelope. Chase snatched the object in midair. He already knew it was his paycheck from the week before and considering how Thea worked it was most likely his last paycheck as far as she wanted him to believe. It didn't take Chase long to catch onto Thea's tactics, especially when she was upset. He sighed, refusing to open the envelope. Thea stormed off into a room, not looking back. Chase followed after her, cautiously. She stopped beside a group of extra chairs and tables, beginning to inspect them.

"I'm sorry. A personal matter came up and I really needed to deal with it." Chase explained, palms open and to his sides. Thea ignored him and continued to look over the spare furniture. Chase slowly approached her.

"If I could've called I would have, but I left my phone," He began as Thea finished for him.

"At my place. Yeah I know, you always leave your phone at my place." Thea hastily replied, tuurning back to him.

"You leave it there so that you have a reason to stop by after you've been gone for days at a time." Thea continued, staring daggers at Chase. She felt subtlety wasn't nesecary at this point any longer, especially since this had been going on for months. It seemed almost every couple of weeks Chase would dissapear for days at a time without a single warning.

"That's not the reason I stop by, believe me." Chase replied, sending her a wicked smile. Thea shook her head, Chase's cavalier behavior toward the subject was only infuriating her further.

"I'm busy, so be at work tonight and hope that the crowd convinces me to keep you on the payroll." Thea ended, storming out of the room past him.

Baby toys cluttered the floor, covering the living room from wall to wall. Diggle laid on the floor playing with his daughter. Sara's inability to form coherent words didn't stop her from communicating, Diggle laughed as she babbled about the current stuff animal in her hand. He playfully wiggled another fluffy animal into her stomach, causing her to giggle and flay her arms around. Lyla stopped at the entry way behind him, she stopped and watched her family for a moment. She cherished these happy moments away from the ugliness of her work at ARGUS. Her work wqs something that she believed in however, but everytime Lyla looked at her daughter she found herself questioning all the difficult and extreme choices she had to make on the job. Diggle glanced over his shoulder and spotted his wife silently watching him.