Into the Unknown - Arrow

Glades Betrayed

"Oliver?"

Aurora walked into an empty Verdant and called out her brother's name. This was the only other place she could think of in finding Oliver. The vastness of the space shocked Aurora as the last time she was in the club was when it was filled to the brim with people.

"Oliver?"

Aurora walked around the premises thinking Oliver was hiding in a storage closet. When she checked the last door, she gave up hope. She walked back towards the front but she didn't get too far.

"Aurora? What are you doing here?"

Aurora turned to see Oliver dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, you haven't been home in a while and I just wanted to check in with you."

Oliver gave a kind smile. "That's nice of you, but I'm fine."

Aurora tilted her head. "Mckenna's gone and you've been hiding." The sister was clearly worried.

Oliver took a step forward. "I'm fine, really. Mckenna and I made a mutual agreement."

"Then why haven't you been home?"

Oliver got his words caught in his throat for a moment. "I've been working on the club. Trying to get some more bartenders."

"You've been doing interviews?" Aurora didn't quite buy his story.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I just needed to do something to pass the time."

Aurora swallowed but nodded. "Okay, as long as you're okay."

Oliver nodded with a smile. "Thanks for checking in on me."

Oliver didn't wait for a response. He turned his back on her and walked behind the staircase. Aurora stood and watched his movements. The brother slid around the corner with ease, but Aurora didn't follow. She trusted Oliver.

***

"I don't know. I feel like Oliver is hiding something."

Aurora looked across the table at Tommy. They were at a very nice restaurant, but all Aurora could think about was Oliver's behavior.

"What do you think it is?"

Aurora shrugged. "I don't know. It has something to do with the club. He's always there. Maybe he's doing...I don't know. It's not drugs is it?"

Tommy quickly shook his head. "No, Oliver's not like that."

Before anything else could be said, both Tommy and Aurora's phone buzzed, along with almost everybody in the restaurant. Aurora pulled her phone out of her bag and clicked on the link that said 'GLADES BETRAYED'. It was a link to a video. The video was of a man in blue lighting with duct tape on his mouth.

"If you make the Glades your home you know who this man is." The speaker's voice was masked. Aurora didn't know the man in the video, but she continued to watch. "John Nickel. He owns your tenements. Manages your slums. Provides the leaking roofs over your head. The lead in your pipes, the asbestos in your walls." The man started to struggle. "Basically, he makes money off our suffering. But the police aren't interested in helping us. They may have let us down, but I won't."

The man in the video had started to breath heavily through his nose. "John, I want to give you the chance to state your case. Why shouldn't you be punished?" The tape was ripped of John's face and he let out a pant.

"I knew there was bad stuff in my buildings." His voice was trembling. "Okay, yes, I made a little profit! At least they had a place to live. Without me, people like that would end up on the street."