Part 7
The whole thing made no sense in his mind, but for now, he was here, so he knocked on the door and waited.
Prior to this moment, there had been one strict rule: no phones, no electronics, or in short, no outside communication of any kind. All for a prospective employee by the name of Roy Connor. Whoever he was, his credentials were solid, but whatever message Tess was trying to send his way, he was clearly missing it. All Victor could hope for was that if Tess wasn't giving answers, then maybe Roy would.
Little did he know how true that statement was when the door opened. He blinked a couple of times, for while everything made a lot more sense, that didn't make the news any easier to believe. "No way," was about all he could say.
Oliver stood at the other side of the doorway, chuckling lightly. "Victor Stone, long time." He figured Tess would be bringing more people into the loop soon, and Victor was a logical choice.
Stepping through the doorway, it was Victor's turn to laugh. Of all the possibilities, this wasn't one that Victor thought possible, and after everything Victor had done after he heard about Oliver's passing, it seemed perfectly reasonable. "Roy Connor, really?"
"Says the man who should have changed his name," Oliver remarked. Sure, Victor had made a name for himself, but when the two men had first met, things weren't so great for Victor.
It, a name change, was something that Victor thought about. The reason he never did was because he knew there was no way he was escaping who he was. Finding someone to accept him allowed Victor to accept himself, to accept life and stop running. "Fortunately for me, I had a really great boss." After all, Oliver was more than instrumental in helping that come to fruition. "And then he had to disappear."
Of all the people Oliver had to leave behind, Victor was one of the few that he felt guilty about. The younger man didn't seem to have many people in his life, but the resulting consequences were better than Oliver expected. "Things seemed to work out in your favour."
Victor scoffed, aware of what Oliver was insinuating. "Thanks to you," he said, figuring that some of his good luck might not have been luck after all.
But Oliver was quick to refute that idea. "No, actually your skills... and loyalty got you that position." It took awhile for Tess to come around, but even she saw his value. It's the reason Victor saw promotion after promotion, ending up as Tess' current right-hand man, the vice president of the entire company.
"Well, I appreciate it," Victor replied, staring at his suit, his overall appearance. He really had come a long way. "Not everyone would take a chance on me like you did."
"As far as I'm concerned, that was one of the best decisions I've ever made." Oliver knew all about the man's past, but seeing how everything had panned out, he truly believed that hiring Victor was worthwhile. But Oliver didn't want to reminisce for too long, as they both had work to do. Sitting down in one of his living room chairs, he asked, "How are things?" Things could have been related to the company, Victor's life, or something else, Oliver didn't care. He just wanted to start looking at the present.
Cracking a smile, Victor sat across from Oliver. "Things are good." He thought about saying more but feeling his briefcase hit the ground reminded Victor of the visit's purpose. "So... what's going on? Are you coming back?"
"Eventually," Oliver replied, realizing that there was no point in delaying the obvious. "There's just some details to hammer out."
Opening the briefcase on the table, Victor pulled out the folders within which included detailed information about Queen Industries deals and projects. He may not have seen the case's contents prior to now, but his purpose was even clearer now. "How much has Tess told you?"
Looking down at the files, Oliver replied honestly, "Believe it or not... more than you think."
~0~
"Coast City? Seriously?"
Chloe watched as Emily dropped her car keys on the front table, but all she could do was shrug. "Trust me, I was more shocked than you are." Closing the door behind her, Chloe leaned against it, reminded of her initial reaction when she first saw Oliver, the moment she realized that it was true. Everything was still setting in, but Chloe didn't expect to wake up tomorrow and see a different reality. She knew this was the truth.
Emily could understand her friend's shock, after all, Chloe loved the man. But as the details piled up, it was harder for her to stomach how close they were. "And he knew Hal?" That fact alone almost felt too good to be true, one that had to be stomached with coffee.
Pushing herself off the door and back into reality, Chloe nodded as she slipped off her shoes. "Saved Hal from a bar fight that had gotten out of hand."
It was a story she even confirmed with Hal, as apparently the guy had a few too many to drink and flirted with the wrong girl. Oliver's good nature got him to step in-between the feud, but as a consequence, he suffered a black eye from the other guy. The rest of the story was fuzzy depending on who she asked, but that really didn't matter.
Meanwhile, Emily was still trying to process everything Chloe had just told her. Even if she was less involved in Chloe's life at that point, it was still a shock to Emily. Sipping her coffee, even though it was cold, it felt good to have something go down her throat. She shook her head for what felt like the millionth time before asking, "How did we miss him?"
Chloe didn't have an answer for that. The only thing that made sense was that, "We didn't give Tess enough credit. After all, if you're looking to hide an infamous billionaire, you have do it right. So stop looking at me like it's your fault."
For a second, the women shared a glance, and eventually Emily gave in. "Sometimes I forget how well you know me." However, there was one thing Emily wanted to know for sure. "How much does he know?" If nothing else, she had to know how to talk in front of Oliver when they inevitably ran into each other once Oliver moved back to Star City.
Walking up to stand beside Emily, Chloe poured herself a cup of coffee. After all, temperature was far from a reason Chloe would consume caffeine. "Everything Lex related."
Her friend had averted her eyes subtly after that statement, and it helped that Chloe began to drink her coffee, but Emily was smart enough to see through it. "That's your way of saying that he knows nothing about us?" When Chloe didn't immediately reply, Emily added, "Chloe, you could have told Oliver."
Chloe placed her cup on the counter, not expecting Emily to be so open to the idea of telling Oliver. That didn't change anything though, as Chloe didn't regret her decision. At the time, the whole truth would have been too much. "It didn't feel right," she finally said as she took a couple steps from the counter, but it wasn't long before Emily spoke again.
"Just... do me a favour."
"What?"
"Don't look for a reason to run," Emily said firmly. She waited for Chloe to turn her head, and when she did, Emily pressed on, "You have a second chance with Oliver, so please, don't do what you normally do."
"Really?" Chloe asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're giving me that kind of advice?"
Rolling her eyes, Emily sipped the rest of her cup of coffee, the implication not lost on her. It was the reason she was giving Chloe this advice, because they did have similar tendencies. However, there was a glaring difference, one Emily was more than willing to point out after she finished her coffee.
"I was a wanted criminal Chloe... and disowned by my own family." The way Emily saw it, Chloe was wanted for a completely different reason, and it was much better than hers.
LuthorCorp turned her into a fugitive until Lex wiped her records clean, and from there Emily would start everything over. Birthplace, schools, everything had been altered, even if the photo would mostly remain the same. Like Oliver, she used colour contacts and instead of a dye job, she settled on cutting her hair to shoulder-length.
From there, she lived as best she could, and she never expected to have company. Instead of having a life on the run, Lex gave her a life she could enjoy, and as much as she thought about going back, telling the whole truth, Emily wasn't going to take any chances.
Fisting her fingers on top of the counter, she frowned, thinking about her childhood. Her family and her used to be so close, but now, she figured she would be a stranger in her own home, even if they knew who she was. So Emily asked sarcastically, "You really think I can go back now?"
Chloe looked over to Emily. She could sense the worry in her friend's eyes, and she knew that Emily was only looking out for her, but that feeling was mutual. "Oliver and I are looking to start over... you know that you can too." Smiling as their eyes met, she added, "You have character references."
Emily appreciated that, and seeing how things were looking up, not to mention the sudden reappearance of Oliver, there was always the small chance that things were less impossible than she thought. However, that didn't change what was important now. "We'll figure this out, allow you and Oliver to regain what you've lost, and then we'll talk about me."
~0~
It had been a long week for Victor, as plenty of unknown blanks were suddenly filled. Oliver, Tess' real involvement in his life and more insight into a Luthor family that Victor swore that he'd never figure out. Maybe that was why he was so glad to come home to something reliable. Then again, he didn't always think of her that way.
Back then, Victor was a street bum on a corner in Florida, and she was this mysterious presence that brought him dinner for seven straight days, never asking anything of him. Eventually, he stopped taking the food, started moving from spot to spot, but she always found him, so Victor gave up. Even then it was clear she knew who he was, yet she never took him anywhere against his will, a fate much kinder than most people who knew about him.
Victor Stone, the successful lab patient of a risky procedure for a new kind of metal prosthetics. Everything looked normal, everything ran like skin and bones, but beneath the surface was a completely different matter. There were days that Victor thought that he was a machine, a lab subject, more than a human. It didn't help that the doctor died soon after and with no sign of his research notes, everyone figured that the only option was to examine the guinea pig.
It's why Victor ran, content with street life if it meant he could live his life. The only reason he agreed to the procedure was because he had nothing more to lose; as he had already lost his family in a car accident. But he knew that a second round of experiments would be too much.
Then she showed up.
~0~
"You're still here," she remarked as she crossed her arms.
Victor scoffed as he brought his legs to his chest, averting his eyes. He really didn't understand this woman, whoever she was. "What do you want?" he muttered, tired to trying to figure out the woman's intentions.
Leaning against the wall, she just looked straight ahead, maintaining her casual stance. "Technically I was hired by LuthorCorp, but I have no intention of handing you over." She laughed once before turning her head towards Victor. "Lex has given me the utmost trust, but... I refuse to trust a Luthor in regards to anyone else." She knew what they were capable of, and while Lex was the only reason she was still alive, she wasn't pushing her luck.
Victor wasn't stupid either though, as he figured she was admitting this only so she would gain his trust. That was something Victor wasn't willing to give easily. "That didn't answer my question."
"Okay, I'll make this easier on you." She pushed herself off the wall to walk over to him, and eventually sat down next to him. "I hacked into LuthorCorp's finances, and Lex is keeping me alive because it pisses off daddy dearest." Looking skyward, she smiled, knowing that it wasn't everyday she got to introduce herself. "I'm Emily, and what I want... is to offer you a safe haven. One that will hide you from LuthorCorp and everyone else."
He doubted that. The only way Victor could see himself being safe was to stay off the radar and off the streets. Besides, he didn't want to owe anyone anything else. "I don't want to be a charity case."
"Oh no, you'll work," Emily replied, completely serious. "I run a business that doesn't require you to show your face, or even remotely reveal your identity."
It seemed like a nice offer, but Victor was aware of his lack of skill sets. High school was all about football and once he lost that opportunity, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. "Probably wouldn't be much help."
Emily expected as much from a guy who had given up on life, but she hadn't tracked him for nothing. "I'm aware of your father's position at S.T.A.R Labs. Something tells me the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." She grinned at him again, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, what type of boss would I be if I didn't mentor you in some way?"
The more she talked, the more he wanted to believe her. But Victor had learned early that most, if not all things, came with a price. "Why would you do this?"
A valid question, one that Emily was ready for, regardless of whether or not he believed her. "I'm a sucker for lost souls," she replied as she got up. "And a fan of second chances. You haven't gotten one yet." Walking slowly away from him, Emily figured it was best to take her leave. If he wanted to follow her, or take her up on her offer, now would be the only time.
~0~
To this day, Victor wasn't sure why he believed her. Maybe desperation had finally hit him, maybe even loneliness, but he was grateful to her. Emily had kept her word, as even though Lex would stop by, she never compromised his location to him. Together, they had created identities around the names they were familiar with, allowing them to blend in plain sight before Victor began to work for Queen Industries.
Truth be told, Emily probably saved his life. Victor never imagined that he'd find someone who'd understand him as well as she did, but that was just who Emily was.
Stripping down to his boxers, he crawled under the covers, moving himself as close to her as possible, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.
"You're late," she muttered in the pillow, her voice a little groggy. She had expected him four hours ago, dinner had even gone cold. However, she trusted him, and knew there was a good reason behind it.
He smirked, knowing that she couldn't see it, but he still felt a little guilty for waking her up. Seeing her head lift up slightly, Victor slid his other arm underneath it, noticing how she grabbed his hand in response once her head rested on the pillow again. "Sorry," he whispered, initially thinking that he'd let Emily fall back asleep, but Victor knew her curious nature enough to know that would never happen. "I had quite the surprise in Coast City."
Squeezing her eyelids tighter together before opening them slowly, Emily started putting pieces together in her head, even in her tired state. "You sure you can disclose that?"
"No," Victor replied, leaning in to kiss the back of her shoulder, "but I trust you."
"Hmm." Emily turned in his arms, smiling as their eyes met. "You better." Sure, trusting herdidn't usually always include work details but if he was telling her this, Emily had a pretty decent clue as to why.
Reaching forward to tuck her hair behind her ear, Victor whispered, "I missed you," before kissing her softly. One disadvantage of being VP was the increased travel, but Emily was the whole reason Victor even took the promotion. He could still remember the look on her face when he first told her. Even since, they had managed to keep their personal lives separate from Victor's business life, as Emily never attended any of the functions, but that worked for Victor.
That way, he had someone outside of work, and she'd still could be someone that he could come to no matter what. It was things like that which made it easier to go on trips, but Victor was diligent of reaching out at least once. "I would have called but Tess took my phone... didn't give it back until the limo ride home."
Victor expected a confused reaction, but Emily just grinned as she looked up at him. "Makes sense considering why you were there."
"Is that so?" Emily was great at reading people and figuring things out, but he hadn't given her much to go on. But Victor knew that look, she was pretty darn confident, and she seemed eager to share her theory.
"Chloe ran into Oliver in Coast City... I'm assuming Tess took you there to see him."
All Victor could do was nod. "She wanted a familiar face for when they started working him back into the limelight." Hearing that was some of the best news Victor had heard in awhile, as the company could use some positive press to help the falling stock prices, not to mention a different leadership direction. It wasn't that Tess wasn't cut out for the job, the problem was that her heart wasn't in it anymore, and it was clear that she was looking to get out.
"He's... Oliver's... coming back?" Emily asked, not surprised that the sentence came out choppy. The way Chloe talked about this made it sound like Oliver was living as Roy Connor for good. If Chloe knew, she would have said something, but she never did... which meant Oliver never told her.
This could be problematic.
Sera's Scribbles: Again... my head-canon, please bear with it. Chlollie is back for part 8, I swear. This was necessary gap-filling.
