* starter!
ollie wasn’t a big smoker. not really. but his role certainly was, and it was enough of a detachment from the emerald archer that it furthered the gap between him and his cover. you know — it had to be hard to be a silent stalker if you were hacking up a lung from smoker’s cough.
it worked, however. the dealer, a weasel of a man with far too loose a tongue, voluntarily provided the intel oliver needed. how CARELESS. there was hardly any remorse in handing over the dirtied bills in exchange for the vial that had been bartered.
the new drug all the kids were raving about. right in the green arrow’s hands. small quantity for such a high price. but if the rumours he eavesdropped were actually true, then he knew it has to be taken off the streets. the problem now lied in the information he had gleaned. . .
“go on,” the dealer goaded, yellowed teeth smiling up at ollie. “have a taste! it hits you almost instantly.”
“this isn’t for me,” oliver corrected, voice lowered like that of a street urchin. even managed to get a scuff or two on his face to look the part. “i’ll be seein’ you around, rufus.”
waiting around for the dealer to respond was a choice he decided NOT to take. it left open doors for rufus to question ollie — like where he was going or who the viral new drug was for — but leaving in the abrupt way that he did incited suspicion. there were sure to follow him.
too busy trying to see the tail in the reflection of a puddle beside his boot, the usually stealthy archer clipped another in the shoulder rather roughly. enough to throw him off kilter.
“sorry about that,” oliver muttered, glancing momentarily between the other’s face and then behind them. “but that’s ALL the apology you’ll be getting — i gotta run.”
