Shadow

Whatever You Say, Thea Queen

Quentin Lance's Apartment

"What did you want my input on exactly, dad?" Laurel asked her father once she arrived at his apartment.

"This." Quentin replied, leading her towards his home office where he laid out all the files he received. "Files on corrupt police officers and evidence to put them away."

"What?" Laurel responded in surprise at the amount of the files.

"My reaction exactly. There are about fifty... Fifty four files in total for corrupt police officers all around the city and they were given to me as a 'test'."

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked, going through one of them.

Quentin revealed how he acquired the files and showed her the typed note left for him which she read.

"'... Or maybe do both and divide and waste city resources?'" Laurel finished reading, and then looked at her father. "Wow. So, what are you going to do first?"

"It's obvious whoever this is has eyes on me, which means I can't look for him without his knowledge. I have to verify if these files and their contents are authentic and make arrests if they are and I need your help with that." Quentin replied, but he wasn't done.

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to find out who this person is. He's trying to keep my attention from him but regardless of how well intentioned he wants me to believe he is, he can't say "I can't allow that" and expect me not to be concerned.

You've been trying to get me to work with your vigilante buddies for the last few months, well; I have something for them to work with me on. I need them to find who our 'whistle-blower' is while you and I verify the authenticity of these files and do what we do best."

"Put criminals behind bars..."

"And ensure they stay there."

Verdant

"Oh my God, I can't believe you eat this much and manage to keep those abs!" Thea exclaimed after witnessing Scott eat two big meal burgers and chips plus half of her burger. "How do you do it?"

"Intense cross-training and occasional spars with Theo and some of the security guards." Scott replied, chuckling.

"Why do you hide all that body when you work so hard to chisel it? I don't get it."

"The plan was to introduce Star City Band and let them find their place, not take up all their fame and glory." Scott explained, and then paused to take a sip of his soda before he continued. "But the songs I wrote for them just didn't click with Lucas; they were too personalized for me so they all voted for me to perform them.

I couldn't steal their entire spotlight with showing off this (motioning all over his body) work of art."

"So humble." Thea commented, and then admitted. "I was planning on asking you to show off that work of art this Friday, even just a little, like maybe wear a muscle shirt."

"You've already had your way with my abs on our way to Big Belly Burger then here, Thea." Scott responded, and a blushing and embarrassed Thea avoided looking at him. "You didn't have to buy me dinner and give the band that I manage a gig for you to spend time with me or ask me to see my body.

All you had to do was walk up to me, tell me what you wanted and ask if I was interested. You know, you can still do that."

"I didn't buy you dinner and give Star City Band a gig just so I could do that, Scott." Thea denied.

"I wouldn't hold it against you, but whatever you say, Thea Queen."

"You asked me to buy you dinner so that we could talk business and I did."

"Yes, you did. And thank you." Scott replied.

"You're welcome."

"So, what now that we're done with business and dinner? Do you want me to take you to your car?"

"Not yet." Thea responded, not wanting to go home because she knew that she would be out and about as Speedy soon enough if she did.

Other than that, she enjoyed Scott's company. Maybe it was the fact that Scott wasn't involved with Thea's vigilante life and didn't seem to know anything about her apart from Verdant but she found him to be an easy person to be around and speak with, and to look at as well.

"What do you have in mind?" Scott asked, glad.

"What do you do for fun?"

"I visit animal clinics and shelters. Sometimes zoos."

"Really?" Thea inquired, surprised.

"Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I didn't expect that. At all." Thea responded honestly, and then added, thoughtfully. "You know, I can't remember the last time I visited a zoo."

"How about I take you to one of my favorites?" Scott proposed. "It's thirty minutes outside the city."

"There's no zoo thirty minutes outside Starling and even if there was, it would be closed by now, just like all the others."

"I drive a hyperbike and I'm a great driver, Thea. We can make it to the zoo I have in mind in thirty minutes and be granted access after-hours."

Quentin Lance's Apartment

"So far, everything looks authentic, dad." Laurel said, impressed with the amount of evidence they had and how solid it was.

"I know. I just don't know if this is a good thing or not." Quentin replied.

He was internally worried about what it meant for him, Laurel, his career and dealings with Damien Darhk, the bastard that has been blackmailing him into helping him and his 'Ghost' thugs commit organized crimes around the city for about two weeks now.

Once that thought crossed his mind, Quentin's phone rang and the caller ID revealed that Damien was the one calling.

"I have to take this." Quentin informed Laurel before he excused himself to the furthest room from his home office then answered. "What do you want?"

"I want you to watch your tone when you address me." Damien said, and his voice warned Quentin that he wasn't in a good mood and not to try his luck.

Indeed Damien wasn't in the best of moods at the moment. He had organized and synchronized the hit on Scott with two simultaneous attacks in the city to divide police resources and terrorize the city but with the failed hit everything fell apart and the two attacks failed as well.

"Other than that, I want you to ensure that your department doesn't respond fast enough to stop my operations from now on." Damien added.

"I can't. I have someone's attention at the moment and one mistake could mess everything up."

"I don't care!"

"You should because if we're not careful we will both be exposed along with your operations." Quentin responded.

"Whose attention have you got?"

"I don't know. But I'm working on finding out."