Chapter 3: The Professor
Jefferson Pierce sat on the worn brown couch that sat in the small living room of his apartment. Looking down, he examined Oliver's clothes as they sat next to him in a freshly washed and folded pile. Jefferson wondered if he should get rid of them, as the clothes were so worn and tattered, he couldn't imagine they were really still usable. On the other hand, Oliver had been wearing these clothes every day for five years, so Jefferson thought it was likely that he had formed some kind of attachment to them. Jefferson ultimately decided it was best to just let Oliver keep the clothes for now.
Looking away from the pile of clothes, Jefferson instead focused on the green duffle bag that sat on the floor. Jefferson briefly considered looking in it, curious as to what Oliver could possibly have thought was worth bringing back with him from the island, but realized that would be an invasion of the young man's privacy and left it alone.
A minute later, the door to the bathroom opened and Oliver emerged, most of the dirt and grime having been washed from his body. He was dressed in a black and green long-sleeved t-shirt with the Star City Rockets logo on it, along with a pair of blue jeans. Blinking in surprise, Jefferson noted that Oliver had cut his hair down to a short stubble, and trimmed his beard into a goatee.
"How are you feeling?" Jefferson questioned as he smirked at Oliver.
"I feel like it's nice to finally get some kind of haircut after five years," Oliver answered as he ran his hand through his much shorter hair, "Thanks for letting me borrow some of your clothes."
"Don't worry about it," Jefferson replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, before he arched an eyebrow at Oliver, "So I guess the question becomes "now what?""
"What do you mean?" Oliver inquired.
"Well, as much as I like having you back, Oliver, you can't stay on my couch for the rest of your life," Jefferson replied, "I know it probably seems daunting to you after being stranded on a desert island for five years, but you do have to figure out what you're going to do now."
"I guess I should find a job," Oliver observed with a chuckle, "Though that might be tough since I dropped out of high school, have a criminal record and have a five-year gap in my resume."
"Well, luckily for you, this is exactly the kind of thing I deal with all the time," Jefferson said as he rose to his feet, "So, why don't we go get started?"
Nodding his head, Oliver walked over and picked up his bag, looping it over his shoulder and following Jefferson as he headed out the door.
Later,
In a part of Star City where the Glades met the more populous and vibrant downtown area was a multistory club. Spotlights that at night would shine into the night sky flanked the main entrance while above the front doors was a yellow neon sign reading "The Birdcage Club."
As it was the middle of the day, the club was largely empty, containing only staff who were going about their business preparing the establishment to open that night. A large section of the first floor was taken up by a raised stage, upon which a band was setting up their equipment and tuning their instruments. The center of the room was occupied by a wooden dance floor, while the area surrounding it was occupied by tables and chairs. The second floor was open to the first, consisting of a large balcony with tables and chairs looking out over the first floor, except for above the stage, which had large windows that led into what appeared to be an office.
"Oliver," Jefferson said, snapping the young man out of his thoughts as he had been quietly taking in his surroundings, "This is the guy I wanted you to meet."
Looking towards the man Jefferson was indicating too, Oliver saw a man with a bald head and Latino features walking over to them. He was dressed in a black suit with a white button-up shirt and a pair of black sunglasses obscuring his eyes.
"Oliver, this is Hernan Alveraz," Jefferson explained, "He runs things here at the Club."
"Good to meet you, Oliver," the man said as he offered his hand to the young man, though his expression was completely neutral, almost bored, "Though Mr. Pierce should know that everyone around here calls me Shades."
Oliver nodded in reply as he shook Shades' offered hand.
"So, Mr. Pierce tells me you're looking for a job?" Shades questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"Uh yeah," Oliver confirmed with a nod, "Though I don't really have a resume or anything."
"That's alright," Shades replied with a shrug, "You don't really need one for washing dishes. When can you start?"
"Oliver still needs to get settled in a bit," Jefferson explained, "Why not tomorrow?"
"Fine," Shades replied with another shrug, "Just get here an hour before we open and someone can show you the ropes."
As Oliver nodded in reply, Shades turned and swiftly walked away.
"Well, that was the easiest job interview I've ever had," Oliver joked.
"Yeah these under the table deals tend to be," Jefferson confirmed with a nod before he turned towards the entrance, "Come on, we still need to find you a place to stay."
"I thought that was you," a voice said, causing Jefferson to stop in his tracks.
Standing before Jefferson was a young woman roughly the same age as Oliver. She was slightly taller than Oliver, with caramel colored skin and an athletique physique. Her amber eyes were highlighted by the thick black eyeshadow and mascara she wore, while her lips were colored with black lipstick. The left side of her head was shaved down, while her hair hung down to her shoulder on her right side, woven into thick dreads that were alternatively colored coal black and canary yellow. She was dressed in a navy blue tank top under a black leather jacket, along with blue denim cutoff short shorts, black thigh high boots and fishnet stockings. Four black earrings ran around the rim of her left ear, with another in her right nostril, while her nails were painted black, except her ring fingers, which were bright yellow.
"What are you doing here, Jeff?" the woman questioned as she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Jefferson.
"I could ask you the same thing, Laurel," Jefferson replied neutrally.
There was a tense pause before Oliver raised his hand and gave a small wave.
"Hey, I'm Oliver," he said, his tone both friendly and awkward, "In case you were wondering."
The woman, Laurel, turned her gaze towards Oliver and studied him for a moment before turning her attention back to Jefferson.
"You know who runs this club, right?" Laurel asked.
"Yes, Laurel, I'm well aware who runs the Birdcage Club," Jefferson replied clearly agitated. At this point, Oliver noticed that some of the hairs on his arm had begun to stand on end.
"Man, you really don't stand for anything anymore, do you?" Laurel commented with a shake of her head before she turned her attention towards Oliver, "Be careful with this one. He'll let you down when it matters most."
With that, Laurel turned and walked away, leaving Jefferson to glare after her as she left.
"What was that about?" Oliver questioned as he looked at Jefferson.
"Ancient history," Jefferson grumbled before turning away and motioning for Oliver to follow him as he headed towards the door, "Come on, Oliver. Let's get out of here."
As Jefferson walked away, Oliver spared a final glance in Laurel's direction before following.
Later,
In a different part of the Glades, a boxy, five story building was crammed in amongst many others like it, with the name "Sherwood Apartments" stenciled over the door. Currently, Oliver and Jefferson stood in the lobby, a room with cement block walls covered in fading gray paint, dirty linoleum floors, and dim, yellow lighting.
Before Oliver was a large bulky man with a bald head and a black goatee. He was dressed in a crimson tracksuit with yellow lining and white sneakers. He was currently reading some papers attached to a clipboard that Oliver had just finished filling out.
"So, you understand leasing agreement, bro?" the man questioned, with an accent that Oliver could only identify as some flavor of Slavic.
"Uh, yeah, I get it," Oliver confirmed with a nod.
"Cool, bro, cool," the man replied with a nod, "Just make sure you get me rent at start of month, and we'll be a-okay, bro."
"Hey, uh, Ivan?" a voice spoke up, drawing Oliver's attention.
Looking towards the source of the voice, Oliver saw a teenage boy standing near the bottom of the stairs that led up to the apartments above. He was a tall but thin boy, with tanned skin and black hair that hung down to his shoulders, which he wore pulled back into a ponytail. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a dirty red hoodie. His brown eyes scanned the room nervously and Oliver noticed his brow was thick with sweat.
"Roy, bro, I'm in the middle of doing business here, bro," the man, Ivan, said as he angrily gestured towards Oliver and Jefferson, "What have I told you about interrupting my business, bro?"
"Sorry, sorry, I know," the teen, Roy, quickly apologized, averting his eyes as he scratched at his left arm, "I just, I need a fix, man."
"Business, bro!" Ivan exclaimed angrily as he continued gesturing at Oliver and Jefferson, "Besides, you're cut off, bro! Owe too much!"
"Come on, man, I need it!" Roy snapped, his previously timid posture suddenly turning aggressive as he took a step towards Ivan.
"Don't be talking like that to me, bro!" Ivan snarled as he whirled on Roy, closed the distance between them and grabbed the teen by the front of his sweatshirt, "You not like what happens!"
"Hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa," a new voice said as a third man suddenly interposed himself between Ivan and Roy, prompting the taller man to let go of the teen's sweatshirt, "No need for that, guys."
Oliver blinked in surprise as he looked at the new arrival, having not even noticed his approach until the man was standing directly in front of him. The man was slightly older than Oliver, with a pale complexion and short, auburn hair. He stood slightly taller than Oliver, and had a wiry build over which he wore a navy blue suit with a red tie and brown leather shoes. The red sunglasses he wore and the white cane he carried immediately told Oliver that the man was blind.
"He's messing up my business, bro!" Ivan argued, "Talking back to me and stuff!"
"Look, I know how important your business is to you, Ivan," the man replied in a calm, measured tone as he tilted his head towards Ivan and flashed a charming smile, "But I'm sure Roy didn't mean anything by it, Right, Roy?"
"Y-Yeah, right," Roy replied, returning to his submissive body language as he looked down at his feet and scratched his left arm again, "S-sorry, man."
There was a pause as Ivan glanced between the man and Roy before snorting in contempt.
"Whatever, bro," Ivan said as he turned towards Oliver, fished in his pocket for a moment and tossed a key towards Oliver, "Your key, bro."
"Thanks," Oliver replied as he easily snatched the key out of the air.
"Rent?" Ivan questioned as he pointed one of his thick fingers at Oliver.
"Start of the month," Oliver answered with a shrug.
"Cool, bro, cool," Ivan replied with a nod and a thumbs up before he turned and walked through a door that Oliver assumed led to his office.
"You okay, Roy?" the man asked as he turned to face the teen.
"Yeah, man, I think so," Roy confirmed with an oblivious nod, "Thanks."
"No problem," the man replied with a shrug, "How about you take a walk? Maybe clear your head?"
"Y-Yeah," Roy agreed, "That sounds like a good idea."
With that, Roy headed towards the front door, sparing a glance towards Oliver and Jefferson before exiting the building.
"Is that you over there, Jeff?" the man asked as he turned his head in the vague direction of where Oliver and Jefferson were standing.
"Yeah, it's me," Jefferson confirmed with a smile as he walked over to the man.
"I can always trust our beloved community leader to be stuck in the middle of some sort of trouble," the man said with a grin as he held out his hand towards Jefferson, who laughed as he shook it, "So what brings you here?"
"I was getting my friend Oliver here settled in his new place," Jefferson explained as he looked at the young man over his shoulder and beckoned him over, "Oliver, I want you to come and meet a friend of mine."
Curious, Oliver walked over so he was standing next to Jefferson.
"Oliver, this is Matt Murdock," Jefferson said as he gestured at the man, "Matt, this is Oliver Smith."
"Nice to meet you, Oliver," Matt said with a friendly smile as he held his hand out towards the young man.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Murdock," Oliver replied as he shook Matt's hand.
"Please, Matt is fine," Matt stated with a chuckle, "What do you do, Oliver?"
"I just got a job washing dishes actually," Oliver replied with a smirk, "You?"
"A friend of mine and I just opened our law practice, actually," Matt answered with a shrug.
"Wow, what's a hotshot lawyer like you doing here?" Oliver questioned as he gestured around at the apartment building.
"Well, I'm far from being a hotshot," Matt explained, "We don't even have any clients yet."
"Well, if I ever get arrested, I guess I'll know who to call," Oliver observed with a smirk.
"Alright, Oliver, I'd love to stand and chat with Matt all day," Jefferson spoke up as he checked his watch, "But I have some work I need to get done today, so how about we get you settled into your new apartment so I can take off?"
"I can do that, Jeff," Matt offered, "I don't have anywhere I need to be right now."
"Are you sure?" Jefferson questioned in surprise, "I don't want to impose."
"It will be fine," Matt replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I'm happy to show the new guy around. We're going to be neighbors, after all."
"Alright," Jefferson agreed with a nod before he turned his gaze towards Oliver, "See you around, Oliver?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Pierce," Oliver replied with a nod, watching as Jefferson turned and left with a wave.
"So, where are you staying?" Matt questioned as he began heading towards the stairs.
"Uh, Room 208," Oliver said as he looked at the tag attached to his key, "Should we take the elevator?"
"It's funny that you think that the elevator works," Matt said with a wry grin as he began climbing the stairs.
"So, where do you live?" Oliver questioned as he followed Matt up the stairs.
"Top floor," Matt answered, "In the penthouse."
"Penthouse?" Oliver asked with a laugh, "I thought you said you weren't a hotshot lawyer?"
"I got it at a sharp discount," Matt explained, "If you ever stop by, you'll see why."
By that point, they had reached the second floor and Matt began leading Oliver down the hall towards his apartment. As the pair reached the door to apartment 208, the door across the hall suddenly opened up and a young woman came rushing out, only to bump into Oliver.
"Oh!" the woman exclaimed as she dropped the laptop she had been carrying. With lightning fast reflexes, Oliver spun around and grabbed the laptop before it could hit the floor.
"Sorry about that," Oliver apologized as he held the laptop out to the woman. She was roughly the same age as Oliver, with bright blue eyes behind a pair of black, horn-rimmed glasses, long blonde hair that was dark brown at the roots and pulled back into a tight ponytail, pale features and a slim build. She was dressed in a grey hoodie under a black jacket, along with ripped black jeans and black boots, with an industrial piercing in her left ear.
"Nice, uh, nice hands," the young woman mumbled before her cheeks colored, "I mean nice catch! That is what I meant to say."
"Everything okay there, Felicity?" Matt questioned as he turned his head in the young woman's direction.
"Uh yeah, Matt, everything's great," the woman, Felicity, replied with a nervous smile as she turned her attention towards Matt, "Who's your friend?"
As the words left Felicity's mouth, a look of embarrassment passed over her features as she turned her attention back towards Oliver.
"Or I could just ask you, since you're, you know, standing directly in front of me and everything," Felicity said with a nervous chuckle.
"Oliver Smith," Oliver replied with an amused smile as he held the laptop out to Felicity.
"Felicity Smoak," Felicity replied as she took the laptop, tucked it under her arm and shook Oliver's hand, "It's uh, nice to meet you. Did you just move in?"
"Yeah, Matt was just showing me around," Oliver answered with a shrug.
"Well, I guess I should let you get back too that," Felicity said with an awkward smile as she began heading down the hallway towards the stairs, "It was, uh, nice to meet you neighbor!"
"Felicity?" Matt called after the young woman.
"Can you keep an eye out for Roy?" Matt requested, "It seems like he's….having one of his bad days."
"Oh, yeah, sure," Felicity agreed with a nod.
"Thanks," Matt replied, prompting Felicity to turn and head down the hall with a final friendly wave towards Oliver.
"Ready to see your new apartment?" Matt questioned as he turned his head and smiled at Oliver.
"Uh yeah, sure," Oliver replied uncertainly as he took out his key and inserted it into the door's lock, "Hey, Matt, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Matt replied as Oliver unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"What, uh, what's up with Roy?" Oliver inquired, "I can tell he's dealing with something but, well I'm not sure what."
"Roy's…." Matt began hesitantly, "Roy's got a bit of a drug problem. I-I know how that sounds, but Roy is a pretty good guy, which is why some of us try to watch out for him. He's just dealing with a lot of issues, is all."
"I get it," Oliver assured Matt, "I….I knew some guys growing up who went through that kind of stuff. What is it, heroin or something?"
"Vertigo," Matt replied.
"W-What?" Oliver questioned, blinking in shock.
"Yeah, I guess if you're new in town, you probably wouldn't have heard of it," Matt observed, "Vertigo is this new drug that hit the streets of Star City just a few years ago. Some kind of hallucinogenic that gets people hooked really bad."
"That….That sounds awful," Oliver mumbled as his face went pale.
"You alright, Oliver?" Matt questioned as his brow furrowed, "You don't sound too good."
"I-I'm fine," Oliver lied, "Just uh, just tired from everything I had to take care of today."
"I get you," Matt replied as he nodded towards the apartment door, "Why don't you get settled in to your new place?"
"Yeah, sure," Oliver agreed with a nod, "I'll see you late…."
Oliver trailed off as he realized what he had said, causing Matt to chuckle.
"It's alright, Oliver," Matt assured him, "I'll see you later."
With that, Matt turned away and made his way back down the hall. Oliver watched as Matt left before stepping into his new apartment.
The short hallway that lay just beyond the door led into the combination kitchen and living room that was bare except for a few appliances built into the kitchen walls. Walking through the small door that led into the bedroom, where he threw his duffle bag onto the bare dirty mattress that sat on the floor.
As the bag thumped onto the mattress, a concerned expression spread over Oliver's face as his left hand began shaking. Clenching his hand into a fist, Oliver got the shaking under control. Grabbing his left sleeve, Oliver pulled it up, revealing his arm and the scars of numerous injections centered around the bend of his elbow. As he looked at the marks, a haunted expression came over his face as he was swallowed up by his memories.
Five years ago
Oliver stumbled onto the simple wooden dock as he was shoved off the boat from behind, barely managing to catch himself as he fell to his knees with his hands bound behind his back.
"Leave him alone!" Robert shouted as he shoulder checked the man who had pushed Oliver despite his own hands bound as well.
"Now, now," China White said as she walked up and grabbed Robert's shoulder before spinning him around and driving her knee into his guts, "None of that."
Grabbing Robert by the back of his shirt as he wheezed in pain, China White shoved him off of the boat as well, causing Robert to land on his face next to Oliver.
"Robert!" Oliver called as his father groaned in pain, "Hey man, are you okay?"
"Get them up," China White ordered as she stepped off the boat, prompting her men to grab Robert and Oliver and pull them roughly to their feet.
"Come on," China White said, motioning for her men to follow her as she made her way down the dock, prompting the armed thugs to force Oliver and Robert to follow her, "We don't want to keep the Professor waiting."
Walking down the dock, Oliver saw that it led to the sandy shores of the island. The beach was cut off from the rest of the island by tall, rocky cliffs that loomed above them, the top of which Oliver could see were covered with tropical trees. A number of other armed men, dressed in tank tops and shorts due to the tropical weather, loitered around the area, including a pair who were flanking a thick iron door that was set into a concrete structure jutting from the cliff.
As the group approached, one of the men opened the door for them, the hinges squeaking loudly as it swung open. Beyond the door was a long corridor made of bare concrete and illuminated by bare lightbulbs that had been strung along the upper corners. Eventually, the group reached another metal door, which China White opened before stepping inside.
The room beyond seemed old and disused, containing nothing more than a pair of metal chairs that sat facing each other, bolted to the floor, with a single light bulb hanging from a wire dangling between them and leather straps attached to the arms. Pushing them into the room, the men roughly sat Oliver and Robert in the chairs and secured their arms with the straps, while China White closed the door behind them.
"What is the meaning of all this!?" Robert demanded as he glared at China White, "Who are you people!?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Queen," China White replied, her voice full of false sincerity, "I'm sure the Professor will have the answers you're looking for."
At that point, a soft knocking came from the door.
"Speak of the devil," China White said as she walked over to the door and opened it, "Good evening, Professor."
As China White stepped to the side, a man entered the room. He was a tall man with pale features and a rail thin form with lanky limbs. He was surprisingly well dressed, wearing a dark purple suit with matching tie, along with a white button-up shirt and shiny black shoes. His features were gaunt, with dark brown, deep set eyes behind a pair of glasses that perched on his long, hooked nose, and a pinched mouth. His lanky black hair had been carefully combed and he carried an old fashioned, black doctor's bag with him into the room.
"Good evening, Ms. Na Wei," the man greeted with a quiet voice, stepping to the side as another of China White's men brought a third chair into the room and placed between Robert and Oliver.
"I have them all set up for you," China White stated as she gestured towards Oliver and Robert.
"I see," the man replied as he looked at Robert and Oliver, a small, creepy smile forming on his features, "Thank you, Ms. Na Wei. Please close the door as you leave."
"Actually, I was hoping to stay," China White replied with a predatory grin, "I like to watch."
"As you wish," the man replied with a nod, walking towards the empty chair as China White's men left the room and closed the door behind them.
"Good evening," the man said as he sat in the chair while resting his bag in his lap, "My name is Professor Jonathan Crane."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Queen," the man, Crane, continued as he looked at Robert before shifting his gaze towards Oliver, "I'm not sure who you are though."
"That's Oliver," Robert answered, bringing Crane's attention back to him, "My son."
There was a pause as Crane stared at Robert for a moment.
"I'm sure there are some who would find that interesting and scandalous," Crane said with a dispassionate tone, "Though it does raise a few questions for me. Do you share the same blood type? Any history of addiction in your family?"
"What is this!?" Robert snapped as he glared at Crane and China White, "Who are you people!? What do you want!?"
"Yes, I suppose you find this all very confusing," Crane concluded with a nod, "But, I'm not really interested in explaining myself to you at this time. All you need to know is that you're advancing the cause of science."
"Science?" Oliver asked in confusion, "What science?"
At Oliver's prompting, Crane opened his bag and retrieved a syringe and a vial. Inside the vial was a liquid that almost seemed to glow with a sickly yellow color.
"This was derived from a rare plant known to grow only on this island," Crane explained almost off-handedly as he inserted the needle of his syringe into the vial and extracted some of the contents, "When inserted into the bloodstream, it quickly targets the part of the brain responsible for the fear response, leading to increased heart rate, paranoia and vivid hallucinations, though at current the effects haven't been fully studied. I've heard the men refer to it as Vertigo."
Crane paused speaking for a moment as he held the syringe up and tested it.
"I misnomer to be sure, but I suppose it's a catchy name," Crane commented as he stood up and turned his attention towards Robert and Oliver, "Now, which one of you would like to go first?"
"You think I'm going to let you inject us with that shit after what you just told us!?" Oliver demanded as he looked at Crane incredulously, "Are you insane!?"
Crane looked at Oliver quietly for a moment before another one of his creepy smirks spread across his face again.
"Thank you for volunteering," Crane stated as he stood up and moved towards Oliver.
"Get away from him!" Robert shouted with anger and fear, "Get the hell away from my son!"
"Don't you touch me!" Oliver shouted as he tried to lean as far away from Crane as his chair would allow, "Don't put that shit in my arm, you-!"
Oliver cut himself off with a grunt of pain as Crane grabbed his left arm, rolled up the sleeve of his sweatshirt and stuck the needle into the bend of his elbow. His eyes wide, Oliver stared at the needle as Crane injected the Vertigo into his system.
"There," Crane said as he pulled the empty needle out and made his way back to his chair, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Oliver said nothing as he looked down at the small wound in his arm, watching as blood oozed out as his heart thundered in his chest.
"Now, tell me how you're feeling," Crane said, drawing Oliver's attention to him as he sat in his chair and pulled out a notebook and pen, "And please, be as detailed as possible. This is for science, after all."
A/N: Another fun chapter! Was happy to get a chance to introduce most of the story's other major characters as well as delve into an interesting bit of Oliver's backstory. Tell me what you thought! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!