Chapter 1: In the Dark

Music pumped through the warehouse, spot lights shot through the darkness showing flesh and movement best left to late night HBO. People crashed into one another, reaching and tearing into each other right there on the floor. Searching for something, someone in the black.

Captain Lance had never felt so old. Sitting there at the bar, Verdant might as well have been on a different planet altogether. When did ravers get so young? When did he become that guy who thought that? Few years ago, he'd probably still be too hoary for this place, but at least the booze would have kept him occupied. When his old classmate from Gotham asked for a favour he never expected a midnight stakeout at Oliver Queen's club looking for verbatim "something odd"

"Gordon's losing it," he muttered. Aside from a few rowdy frat kids there had been nothing out of the ordinary all night. The music started to die as the DJ's set finished.

"Can I get you anything kind stranger I have never met before," the bar's hostess inquired, grinning at him across from the other side of the counter.

"You're enjoying this a little too much Thea."

"Have to get my kicks somehow," she said as she stocked bottles the other bartender was handing to her. "Glamorous world of Nightclubs not all you imagined?"

Over near the staircase the clear sound of retching rang out.

"Yep the fun never ends," She sighed. Poor girl, still he was proud at how Thea Queen had turned out, a successful mature young woman despite that crap hand life dealt her. Probably cause you didn't raise her. He finished up his drink and pulled out a couple of twenties.

"Nope, on the house," Thea said pushing his wallet away. He went to protest.

"Nope, officers drink free tonight, plus the last two ginger ales were on that Blonde woman over there," she pointed to table far away from the crowd.

There sat the most gorgeous woman he had seen in years. Long legs, beautiful eyes and those lips. He couldn't imagine how amazing she must have look when she smiled.

He could feel Thea smirking behind him. What was a stunner like that buying drinks for him. He had stared down the worst that Starling City had to offer, so why was he paralyzed by this.

"You should go talk to her," Thea shouted as the house music started up. "I will, I'm going," Lance checked himself, patting down imaginary creases in his jacket and smoothing his hair. What was left of it anyway. This was a bad idea.

As he reached her table she was facing away towards the exit where some yahoos where doing some dance thing, he tried to yell Hi over the thumping beat but it was too damn loud. He awkwardly tried waving for a bit, than in a moment of desperate stupidity he taped her on the shoulder. Crap, that worked, he needed to do something. He could she her lips moving but couldn't hear anything over the music. She at least looked pleased that he'd come over.

He tried to converse back but it was useless. He felt increasingly frustrated as the seconds passed and he couldn't hear what she was saying. Was it good, was it bad, was she saying the drinks were a mistake that they were for someone else? It didn't look like she was upset. Slowly she reached across the table, slipped her hand over his and pulled him towards the dance floor. What should he do? Should he let go or give in but she was leading the way and they danced. And danced and danced. Moving with her was the most alive he had felt in years. He nearly had forgotten about…

Suddenly like a flash the mysterious blonde dragged him towards the exit, out the doors and into the dank alley behind Verdant.

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

She had him pressed against the wall. Normally his was the one doing the pinning. In less pleasant circumstances than this.

"Close your eyes sugar," she purred. What accent was that? Her hands moved across his body. He tried to kiss her. Who was he right now? He wanted to look at her, make sure this was real. She was real.

"Not till I say so"

That's when he felt her thumbs go into his eye sockets.

The man screamed and screamed. Collins had only been living in the Starling for a month but he already knew the screams were normal, but this was so close. He moved quietly towards them, he wanted to help but he wasn't about to stick his neck out for some rich clubber who had no sense to avoid the Glades.

Under the glowing Verdant sign he saw a knock out standing close to some old guy.

But he wasn't screaming any more. The women's fingers where sticking out of the poor dude eye balls. He watched, out of sight, as the man crumpled to the ground.

Then Collins saw, well he thought he saw, the woman use a finger to trace a line of blood across the width of her face.

A thin red line over her mouth, spreading ear to ear.

She started to chuckle quietly as she walked into the darkness.

Then she laughed, and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.