Guilt Trap

Chapter One

**Oliver Queen**

Oliver Queen was nothing more than a mayor that didn't know what he was doing; a mayor that was leading a town that was nothing but crap. At least, that was what the people that lived there said. His secret identity as the Green Arrow was somehow still a hidden secret, even though he had been suspected of being the hooded vigilante more than Oliver would like to count. He was shocked that no one had figured out that he really was who everyone thought he was. He was surprised they had all seen straight through his lies.

Oliver was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as a woman entered his office, holding what looked to be a newspaper. He sat up just a little bit straighter as he looked at his deputy mayor. She handed him the paper and then without a word, left him to read the paper in peace. The thought of reading it alone made him wonder if anything written in the Star City newspaper would ever be considered peaceful.

The island that blew up in the North China sea was finally deemed safe for investigation by officials, giving investigators and China police access to the explosion site. Though the island had recently been deemed uninhabited, twelve bodies were found in various locations throughout the island. It has not been released whether or not any of the bodies discovered were those of the dead or the living. The identities of the people have not been disclosed either. We have only been made aware that some of the bodies belong to new or previous residents of Star City. When we receive more information on the subject, we will send out a new story as soon as we can.

The short, highlighted article caused Oliver's emotions to flare up inside of him. He wanted some of those people to be alive; he wanted his friends and family to be okay. He was beating himself up more than he should - he should have stopped Adrian Chase from killing himself. There had to of been a way to save both his son and his friends.

The small clock on his desk chimed, indicating a new hour. He glanced at the clock a few minutes later, relieved that the clock showed that he had worked past his normal times. He was happy that he was able to go home. He needed his son. He needed to use him as a distraction from his feelings. His jacket was hanging on the back of his chair, and he reached behind himself to grab it. The keys to his car jangled inside the front pocket, and he reached inside it to grab it as he walked towards his car.

Instead of driving home once he was inside the car and it was turned on, he drove to one of the local elementary schools. He didn't have to wait in the parking lot long; the school bell rang to signal the end of the day. He caught a glimpse of his son leaving the building.

The passenger side door opened and someone sat down, and after seeing William heading toward the car, he immediately assumed it was his son. He listened for his son to buckle up. When he heard the familiar click, Oliver started to drive away from the building.

"You could have at least said hello, Oliver," a female voice said mockingly.

Oliver felt his foot jam into the brake, causing the car to lurch forward. His gaze fell onto the person beside him, gaping just a little when he saw Caitlin Snow sitting in the passenger side of his car. He didn't register the honking that came from the car he had nearly hit.

"I have to pick up my son," he said slowly. "What are you doing here, Caitlin."

"Why must all of you insist on calling me, that?" she said viciously, but shook her head after a moment. "I need a lift to Central City."

"I'm sorry," Oliver said, his voice still slow. "I can't give you a ride that far. I have to get my son home from school."

"I'm sure your son would have made it to the car by now if he was really coming," she said, a look on her face that made the Green Arrow nervous. "I told him that you sent someone else to pick him up. I'll make sure he gets back to you once you take me to Central City. The Flash and The Vibe put out a warrant for my arrest. I can't have some taxi cab driver recognizing me and calling the police, can I?"

His face gave away more emotions than he meant when she mentioned his son, but he didn't care. His hand reached for the small device he had been given to contact the team in Central City, but Killer Frost noticed before he could really do anything. Her hand grabbed his wrist tightly.

The temperature in the car began to drop quickly as the metahuman began using her cold powers. His wrist was being coated in ice, causing him to grunt in pain. The feeling was similar to that of receiving frostbite.

"There is no way I will let you call those blasted members of Team Flash."

His other hand pushed against his pocket until he heard the familiar beep. Her gaze fell in the direction of his pocket and she rushed to find whatever item had made the sound. He smirked a little.

"Too late."

The world went dark.

7/7/17