The Rise of Athena (An Arrow: Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 10: Prospective Nightclub

                                                                                 Evelyn's POV

My leg still hurt after one to two days, but given that I took plenty of painkillers, it was fine. We stood in front of the Queen Industrial building as Oliver opened the doors, the building that currently served as mine and Oliver's base of operations on our nightly 'Robin Hood' outings. That was underneath this building, thank God. But for now, Oliver had his sights set on a different prospect for the top part of the building, one that could provide a perfect cover-up for our operations as the Hood and Athena. 

'So, what do you think?' Oliver asked, raising his arms out wide as if to encompass the whole building. 'Great spot for a nightclub or what?' Tommy was with us, as was Diggle. The latter was walking quietly behind, dressed as a bodyguard working for a rich family normally would, and the former was incredibly interested in the prospect. 

'I think it's a suitable venture, Oliver,' I remarked, slipping my arm through his, eyeing the dark building, dripping with water in some places. 'It'll need a real do-over, but I think it's a pretty good spot. Big, too.' 

'Sweet,' Tommy chimed in, moving around in a circle, eyeing the place. 'Though, I got to tell you, man, if you're thinking about calling it Queens, I don't think you're gonna get the clientele that you were hoping for.' 

'Private office,' Oliver remarked, pointing ahead of him. 

'For the one-on-one meetings, I would imagine.' 

'Hopefully for the occasional two-on-one meeting,' Tommy chimed in. The three of us all laughed. Tommy strolled up to Oliver, stopping him in his tracks as he eyed the roof of the building, checking his surroundings. 'Man, are you sure you want to do this?' he asked Oliver. 'It's not like you really have any experience in running a... well, running anything.' Oliver's eyes settled on him, meeting Tommy's browns with his blues. 'How about, tomorrow night, the three of us, we go and scope out the competition?' 

'That's a wonderful idea, Tommy.'

'Who knows, you might score,' he said, gesturing to me. Oliver gave him a hard look for a second. 'There's a new club opening downtown. It's called Poison. Max Fuller owns it.' Oliver looked at him. 

'Max Fuller?' he asked. 

'Mn-hm,' Tommy hummed in response. I frowned. 

'Hey, didn't you sleep with his fiance?' I asked. 

'I slept with his fiance,' Oliver repeated my sentence, affirming that fact. 

'Uh-huh. So you did.' 

'Yeah, before the wedding,' Tommy added. 

'It was at the rehearsal dinner,' Oliver butted in. 

'The rehearsal dinner is technically before the wedding. Right?' Tommy remarked. 'Besides, who stays mad at a castaway?' he added before his phone beeped. He pulled it out and looked at it. 'Ah, damnit, I gotta roll. Anyway, I'll see you later, man.' He slapped him on the stomach, then started to walk away. 'Good place. See you,' he added, tapping Diggle on the arm. I looked around at the area with pursed lips. 

'For the record, I think this is a great place to learn something new. Hm?' I asked Oliver. 

'Yes, it is,' he said with a smile on his face. He turned to Diggle. 'So... what do you think?' 

'Well, I'm here to provide security, not a commentary, sir,' Diggle replied, his hands behind his back. 

'Oh, come on Dig, do us a favor,' I said softly. 'Speak freely. Please.' 

'Well, this is the Glades, right? Your rich white friends wouldn't come to this neighbourhood on a bet.' 

'I am Oliver Queen, right? People would stand in line for three hours if I opened a club.'

'And no one who actually lives in the Glades would see a penny of those cover charges.' 

'Damn right, Dig,' I said, unlacing my arm from Oliver's. 

'So we make it a successful business, we gentrify the neighbourhood,' Oliver chimed in. 

'I was wondering when we would get to that,' Diggle replied. 'The white knight swooping in to save the disenfranchised. And all by his lonesome, with no help from anybody.' If only he knew, I thought to myself. 

'Ooo,' I said, a smile growing on my face. 'Now that sounds romantic... oh, and dreamy,' I replied. 

'Wow,' Oliver said in a shocked whisper. 'You don't think very much of me, do you?'

'No, sir, I have a very high regard for how perceptive you are.' There was a moment of silence. 'Sir. Ma'am.' He walked away and I shouted to him. 

'I've told you, Dig! It's Evelyn!' He laughed as he walked out the door. I turned to Oliver. 'A white knight. That's quite the image. You're definitely more of a 'Robin Hood' than anything else. You should have seen what the press are calling me.' 

'What? Do I want to know?'

'Bad-ass Maid Marian. How's that for nicknames?' I said, punching him in the arm. 

'Ouch! That still hurts, remember?' 

'Right. Sorry.' He looked around, as did I. 

'The nightclub will conceal our base underneath perfectly, Evelyn. And it will provide an alibi as to where we spend our nights.'

'Right,' I said, entangling my arm with his again, 'because we really need to get Mom and Diggle off our case.' He laughed. 

'That's right.'