Shadow

The Boy Meets Mr Diggle the Big Brother

Verdant

The following morning found Scott 'waking' to knocks on Thea's car's back seat window with Thea sleeping with her back to his front between his legs, a blanket over them.
—
Flashback

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Scott said, standing by his motorcycle and Thea leaned against her driver's side door after they returned from Zoo City and he took her to collect her car. "I had a great night, the best I've had in what feels like years, and I want it to end on a good note."

"Same here." Thea responded. "But I don't really want it to end. What would you say if I asked you to spend the night with me?"

"Are you asking me to spend the night with you?" Scott asked to clarify, and received a nod. "Then yes! Definitely yes."

It took a moment for Scott's enthusiastic answer and smile to click and make sense and when they did...

"Not like that Scott!" A blushing Thea exclaimed, realizing the implication of her question. "I mean spend, er, keep each other company.  (She added semi-playfully.) We would at least have to go on a date for that kind of invitation."

"I don't know about you but these couple of hours with you feel like a date to me." Scott replied, and they locked eyes for a moment before he added. "But, my answer is still the same."

"Follow me." Thea said after a moment.

She led him to Verdant and when they arrived she disappeared into the club and reappeared with a blanket and invited Scott to join her in the back seat of her car.

Since Thea learned something about his past, she told him a little about herself including having entered a few archery competitions when she was younger, something that got an unreadable smile out of him, and her love of art, specifically paintings.

Somewhere along the way, they...
—
The knocking persisted and returned Scott to the present.

"Wait a minute." He said, and worked on repositioning himself and the sleeping Thea so that he could get out of the car.

John, the person who was knocking on Thea's car window, turned away from the car, not wanting to see if Thea and whoever the boy she was with were naked under the blanket.

After hearing Ray's idea to reuse Verdant as their base of operations and everyone's opinions, he wanted to hear what Thea had to say since her opinion was the most important one as the club was hers and so he called her but her phone went straight to voicemail and he didn't find her at her loft.

John made an educated guess and checked Verdant, only to discover a motorcycle beside Thea's car and said girl in the arms of some boy he didn't know with a blanket covering them, looking quite comfortable, the most relaxed John has seen Thea in months. That was probably the only reason he stopped knocking on the window when the boy 'woke up'.

"How can I help you?" Scott asked, drawing a surprised John's attention since he didn't hear the car door open or close.

"Who are you?" John inquired, deciding to play the big brother role since Oliver wasn't around and practice.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Scott responded, brows furrowed.

"Not if you know what's good for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means..." John began to answer only to be interrupted.

"It means nothing." Thea said, getting out of the car. "Er, Scott this is J..."

"Mr Diggle." John interrupted, and earned a questioning look from Thea which he ignored.

"Mr Diggle, a close family friend." She completed, regardless. "And Mr Diggle (she said playfully) this is Do..."

"Scott McCall." Scott interrupted, offering a handshake to John who folded his arms, looked at it the offered hand then at Scott before he settled on Thea.

"Which name do you know him by?" John asked Thea who looked at Scott for a moment and an understanding passed between them before she answered.

"Scott McCall. He manages and fronts Star City Band and Scott McCall and will be performing here on Friday night."

"Uh, I'll see you later, Thea." Scott said to Thea, retracting his hand and got onto his motorcycle, pressed his thumb on a fingerprint scanner which acted as ignition and once it started gave John a silent nod before driving away.

"What was that?" Thea asked John.

Road to Scott's House in Starling City

"Command navigation, bring all communication systems online." Scott ordered the AI system in his motorcycle once he was out of sight.

"All communication systems are online, sir."

"Is there a high priority communication alert?" He inquired.

"Yes, sir. The highest comes from Shadow1."

"Command navigation, call Shadow1." Scott instructed.

"Calling Shadow1."

A moment later a call was sent out and half a moment later the call connected.

"What is it, Shadow1?" Scott asked.

"We've identified and located every gang leader and drug and arms dealers in Starling, along with their associates and suppliers including but not limited to most of their bribed and/or blackmailed government personnel." Shadow1 revealed.

"Send Shadow2 and her team to silently take over the entire Starling City's underworld community. If anyone refuses to willingly submit to her, tell her to use the modified Vitura and to kill if things become extreme. Her presence in the city should be kept secret by any means necessary."

"Understood, sir."
—
Flashback

"Don't stop them, lead them."

Verdant

"Oliver is not around so I'll be taking over his brotherly duties and that includes chasing away boys you sleep with." John said.

"We didn't sleep together." Thea said. "Well, we did but we didn't. We just kissed and..."

"Stop right there, I don't need to hear that." John cut her off. "What I do need to hear is what you think about reusing Verdant as our base of operations."

He proceeded to share Ray's proposal with Thea and everyone's opinions.

"I don't see a problem with it." She responded afterwards. "But you're right, I need a life outside Speedy and I think I found one. I'm thinking about volunteering to help Beacon Fundraisers."