Despite Oliver Queen’s connections as the heroic adventurer called The Green Arrow, it took the best part of the day to track down the slanderous teenager - Monica Coleman. Normally a nobody - just a homeless, teenage junkie, she had managed to stay under the radar of most of his informants. It was only her recent publicity in the papers, and the knowledge that she was going to sue The Queen Foundation that enabled him to finally track her down.
* * *
Star City was once a thriving manufacturing base, but recent years had seen the city’s working class heart ripped from it - one by one the factories closed, as new factories opened up overseas, taking the city’s jobs with them. The once proud factory district was now mostly a ghost town; the factories crumbling and derelict, it’s warehouses empty and overgrown with weeds.
It was one of these broken warehouses that Monica had claimed for her home, since fleeing the burning hostal. Cold and desperate for a fix, she shivered in the corner, burying herself in brown, fallen leaves for warmth.
The sight of this young woman struggling for survival should have broke Oliver Queen’s heart, made the wealthy businessman offer anything he could to help the unfortunate soul. He should have strived to show her things could be better.
Yet now, all the felt was anger.
At first Monica could only hear his footsteps, slow and steady. Scared the stumbled to her feet, peering into the shadows, desperately trying to locate the source. Having lived on the streets for over a decade she knew the dangers of being a female and alone. Her hand scrabbled over the cold concrete floor, seeking the pipe she had collected as a weapon.
Slowly as he approached, his form took shape. She saw that he was tall and slender, moving with a slow, deliberate pace. His face was hidden, but as he moved closer into the light, she could see the shine on his shoes, the cut of his suit. She could see that he had money.
“Jerome…” she whimpered, mistaking him for a gang member who had sought to own her in the past, her hands grasped the iron pipe tightly. Jarome wasn’t going to get his hands on her again. Screaming she swung the pipe at the shadowed figure.
He caught it easily, deflecting it from his head and then holding it still. A shallow growl rumbled from within his chest, and a deep voice commended her. “Drop it. Now.”
She wavered, her surprise at the stranger’s defence confusing her. She half laughed and half cried, as she tried to assess what to do next.
“Let it go.”
His voice was harsher this time… impatient. It was clear that he wasn’t used to having his orders ignored. Yet, instinctively Monica knew this was wrong. She screamed and thrust her knee up towards his crotch. His other hand moved down to block it and brush it aside, as he shook the pipe. Unprepared for her attack to be so casually stopped, she lost her grip on the pipe, and heard it clang on the floor as he tossed it aside. Before she could even realised what was happening his hands had her by her wrists and he pulled her forward, the quick, sharp action making her arms ache.
As he pulled her closer, his head entered the light and she saw who he was. “Queen.” she gasped, as she recognised him. Her first thought was that she had come to rescue her, to take her away. To take her somewhere warm, and dry… “I’m sorry… “ she stammered.
“You will be bitch.” he said cruelly, pushing her arms behind her back, making her chest thrust forwards.
“Wha…?” she replied, her mind wheeling.
“You ungrateful little cow. You think you can sue me after everything… EVERYTHING… I have done for you?” he growled.
Monica sobbed. She didn’t understand what was happening. What was he on about? She wasn’t trying to sue him. How could she? “I don’t…” she started.
“Don’t what whore?”
“Please you’re hurting me. I don’t understand what..”
“You won’t get another penny out of me, bitch. From now on, I’ll be getting money out of you.”
* * *
Oliver looked down at the vermin in his grip. The worthless little skank had protested her innocence, just like Mr Base said she would. He remembered his friend’s advice. “Human trash like this lie when caught out. Don’t ever believe a word they say.” Of course she was lying. Of course she was going to try and suck as much money out of him and The Queen Foundation as she could. As Mr Base had warned, “Scum like that are like flies around shit if they think free money is involved.”
For the first time he appraised his prisoner. After only two days on the street, her skin was dirty, her clothes stained. But… yes, he could see the whore held promise. An enticing dark skin, thick, strong lips, a full rack sticking out, and wide, rounded hips. He clasped both of her wrists in one hand, as his other hand stoked her face.
“Our records show you sold yourself for a few dollars at a time.” She grimaced and turned her head away as his fingers stroked her cheek. “I’d say you’re worth more. All you need is a bath and change of clothes. Yeah, you’re worth at least a hundred…”
She spat at him in the face. His palm smacked into her face as he let go of her, the force making her stumble and fall on the floor, her legs collapsing beneath her. Screaming, she threw her arms over her head for protection.
“Stupid Bitch.”
His hands pulled at her clothes, yanking them off, leaving her naked except for her tattered sneakers.
“Get up Slut”
She whimpered on the floor.
“I said ‘GET UP’”, he yelled, grabbing her hair and lifting her to her feed. Her hands grasped at his, in an attempt to stop the pain. Finally she stood before him,, naked. Alone. Afraid.
* * *
Mt Base (the Corruptor) sat in his office, his mind in deep meditation. It hadn’t taken much for him to get the Newspapers and TV News to report on Monica’s claims. That she had made no such claims wasn’t important. A few words with a few ambitious reporters and each and every one were convinced not only he was telling the truth, but that the story would win them the Pulitzer Prize. And now that he and memorised Oliver’s brain patterns he’d not only been able to subtly push feelings of humiliation toward him, but he’d been able to focus those feelings into anger and resentment.
Concentrating, he synced his mind with Olivers and laughed, as she saw through Oliver’s eyes, seeing Monica Coleman standing terrified before him, her arms and hands unable to hide her nakedness.
The Corruptor laughed. The Queen had taken his first pawn.