DCU: Split

Chapter 243 243: Landing

A plane soared through the sky, blasting above the clouds as Gotham slowly disappeared behind them. What had once been a sprawling city of steel, stone, and perpetual misery was now little more than a dark smudge on the horizon.

"Looks more peaceful like that," Dre remarked as he gazed out the window.

Nolan followed his gaze and nodded. "It does, doesn't it? Though I'm sure I'll miss it soon enough. There really is no place like home."

"Ain't that the truth."

The conversation faded after that, leaving only the steady hum of the engines. Nolan settled deeper into his seat and stared out across the endless sea of clouds. Home. The word still felt strange sometimes. Three years ago he hadn't possessed anything remotely resembling one. Home wasn't an abandoned subway tunnel or a bridge overlooking the harbor. It wasn't a shelter cot or the backseat of a stolen car. Those were places a person survived. Gotham, for all its flaws, had somehow become something more.

The realization was ridiculous when he thought about it. Gotham was violent, corrupt, overcrowded, and perpetually one bad day away from complete catastrophe. Most sane people spent their entire lives trying to leave. Yet Nolan found himself feeling uneasy at the thought of being gone for even a week.

Too much could happen in seven days.

The Underpass was no longer a small operation that could be monitored from a distance. It stretched across the city and beyond it now. Thousands of people relied on decisions made by Nolan and his leadership. While he trusted Marcy, Naima, and the countless others who kept things running, trust and comfort weren't the same thing. Nolan had always preferred to be present. Preferred seeing problems with his own eyes rather than reading about them in reports.

"You look nervous," Dre observed after several minutes.

Nolan glanced away from the window. "I am nervous."

Dre laughed. "Thought you trusted the people back home."

"I do."

"Then what's the issue?"

Nolan considered the question for a moment before shrugging. "I like knowing what's happening. I know everyone can handle themselves just fine without me, but I still prefer being there."

"So you're a control freak boss that's okay."

"I prefer involved leadership."

"Control freak."

"Visionary."

Dre shook his head while Nolan smiled. Some conversations never changed no matter how much money, influence, or power a person accumulated.

The flight continued westward for hours. Gotham eventually disappeared entirely, replaced by endless stretches of countryside, mountain ranges, forests, and rivers. Reports were reviewed, calls were made, and plans were discussed. By the time the pilot announced their descent, the sun had already begun its slow journey toward the horizon.

Nolan looked out the window as Star City came into view.

His first impression was that it looked entirely too happy.

The city sat nestled between forests and water, surrounded by enough greenery to make Gotham seem almost alien by comparison. Even from the air the difference was obvious. Gotham's skyline looked like a collection of knives pointed toward heaven. Star City's buildings appeared modern and clean, surrounded by parks and open spaces. There was a sense of life here that Gotham lacked.

"I don't trust it," Nolan muttered.

Dre raised an eyebrow. "The city?"

"Too much sunlight."

Dre snorted, "Boss this isn't a lot of sunlight,"

"Compared to back home it is."

The plane touched down shortly afterward. Unlike Gotham's perpetually chaotic airports, Star City's terminal felt organized. People moved with purpose rather than desperation. Security looked relaxed. Nobody appeared to be preparing for a supervillain attack.

The differences were subtle but impossible to miss.

A black SUV waited for them outside. The driver immediately stepped forward as they approached and shook Nolan's hand.

"Mr. Everleigh. It's good to finally meet you."

"Likewise. How are things progressing?"

The driver smiled. "Construction remains ahead of schedule. There have been a few minor issues, but nothing significant."

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

The drive through Star City took nearly forty minutes. Nolan spent most of it watching the city pass by outside his window. The people moved differently than Gotham's citizens. They weren't constantly looking over their shoulders. They weren't scanning rooftops or alleyways. There was caution in their behavior, but not paranoia.

That would complicate things.

People in Gotham joined the Underpass because they understood desperation. Many had lived through circumstances so miserable that any opportunity looked appealing. Star City's homeless population still struggled, but they hadn't been forged by the same environment. They were cautious in a different way.

"They're comfortable," Nolan finally said.

Dre looked up from his phone. "What?"

"The city. The people. They're comfortable."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is if you're trying to convince them they need something new."

Dre considered that for a moment before nodding. "Fair point."

The Continental eventually came into view as the SUV rounded a corner. Even unfinished, the building dominated the surrounding district. Glass and steel reflected the evening sunlight while cranes loomed overhead. Workers moved across scaffolding near the upper floors, their silhouettes visible against the fading sky.

Nolan felt a small smile form.

It was one thing to see blueprints.

It was another thing entirely to see an idea become real.

The SUV pulled to a stop and several construction managers quickly approached. The next hour was spent touring the building. Nolan inspected everything personally. The lobby was nearly complete, featuring marble floors, towering columns, and enough luxury to make Gotham's elite feel at home. Security systems were already operational. The elevators worked. Most of the lower levels only required finishing touches.

By the time they reached the upper floors, the construction crews had begun leaving for the evening. The sounds of machinery grew quieter with every passing minute until only a handful of workers remained.

"The west wing is fully functional," one of the managers explained as they walked down a finished hallway. "Several suites are completely operational if you'd like to stay here."

Nolan looked around and nodded approvingly. The carpeting had been installed. The lighting worked perfectly. Aside from a few unopened rooms, the floor looked ready to receive guests.

"This will do nicely."

The manager seemed relieved. "Excellent. We'll have staff assigned immediately."

After a few more discussions, the construction team finally departed, leaving Nolan and Dre alone inside one of the completed suites.

The room overlooked most of Star City. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed thousands of lights stretching across the landscape while the last traces of daylight faded beyond the horizon. Nolan stood near the glass with his hands in his pockets, silently observing the city he intended to conquer.

Not through violence.

Not through fear.

Those methods were temporary.

No, if things went according to plan, Star City would embrace him willingly.

Beside him, Dre studied the skyline for a few moments before speaking.

"So."

Nolan glanced over.

"So?"

Dre smirked. "You planning on behaving while we're here?"

Nolan looked back toward the city. The answer came immediately.

"No."

Dre laughed.

"Yeah, that's about what I expected."

Outside the window, Star City sparkled beneath the night sky. Somewhere out there, Green Arrow was likely living his life completely unaware that Nolan Everleigh had just arrived in his city.

Nolan suspected that wouldn't remain true for very long.

***

Morning arrived slowly.

Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. Star City's weather continued to feel unnatural to Nolan. Gotham mornings were usually accompanied by rain, overcast skies, or at the very least some threatening clouds looming in the distance. The sunlight streaming directly into his room felt almost suspicious.

Nolan groaned contentedly and stretched beneath the blankets. Joints popped pleasantly while muscles relaxed from the previous day's travel. Years ago mornings had been considerably less enjoyable. Sleeping on concrete, in abandoned buildings, or beneath bridges had a way of making a person appreciate proper mattresses.

The transformation still caught him off guard occasionally.

His body bore little resemblance to the one he had possessed when he first arrived in Gotham. Back then he had been lean in the way hungry people often were. Now years of training, fighting, and generally surviving had added muscle across his frame. His shoulders had broadened. His arms carried the kind of strength that couldn't be purchased in a gym membership.

Satisfied that remaining in bed all day would unfortunately be irresponsible, Nolan dragged himself upright and shuffled toward the bathroom.

The suite's bathroom was larger than some apartments he had lived in.

Marble countertops lined one wall while a glass shower occupied another. The entire room screamed wealth and luxury in a way that still felt faintly ridiculous.

"Three years ago," Nolan muttered, "I would've stolen everything in here."

Quentin's voice immediately appeared.

"Three years ago? I'd still steal half of it."

Nolan laughed as he took care of business before stepping into the shower. Hot water cascaded over him almost immediately. He sighed as tension melted from his shoulders.

Now this was living.

For several minutes he simply stood there enjoying the heat while steam filled the room. Eventually he remembered he actually had responsibilities.

"You guys know the plan for today."

His voice echoed faintly through the shower.

"Kieran handles the meetings. Quentin, you're meeting with Dre."

"Sounds boring," Quentin complained.

"That's because you're emotionally allergic to professionalism."

"It's a legitimate medical condition."

"Sure."

A familiar shift occurred in the back of Nolan's mind.

The change wasn't physical.

It never was.

Instead it felt like stepping aside and allowing someone else to take the wheel.

Kieran immediately took control.

The first thing he did was adjust the water temperature.

Nolan preferred his showers bordering on volcanic activity. Kieran preferred something considerably more reasonable.

"Much better," Kieran said.

"You lowered it by like three degrees."

"Three very important degrees."

He mock saluted toward nobody in particular before reaching for entirely different shampoo and conditioner than Nolan had been using.

"Why do you even care?" Quentin asked.

"Presentation matters."

"We're washing hair."

"Exactly."

Quentin made a noise that suggested profound disappointment in humanity.

Several minutes later Kieran stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Unlike Nolan, who generally dressed for comfort whenever possible, Kieran approached clothing as if it were a strategic weapon.

A wardrobe had already been prepared for the trip.

He examined the options critically before selecting a dark tailored suit. The fit was impeccable, hugging broad shoulders while remaining comfortable enough for an entire day of meetings. A crisp dress shirt followed, then polished shoes and a watch that cost more than Nolan's entire net worth from three years ago.

Kieran paused in front of the mirror while adjusting his tie.

The reflection staring back looked every bit the successful businessman Gotham's newspapers loved to write about.

Professional, confidant and trustworthy.

The sort of man investors wanted to shake hands with.

The sort of man politicians invited to charity galas.

The sort of man nobody would ever suspect spent his evenings discussing criminal expansion strategies with former homeless people.

A final touch of cologne completed the transformation.

"There." Kieran smiled at his reflection, "Perfection."

"You're insufferable," Quentin informed him.

"Yet somehow remarkably successful."

"Unfortunately."

Still smiling, Kieran grabbed his phone and headed toward the suite's door. A full day of meetings awaited him. Investors, contractors, local business leaders, and several politicians all wanted a piece of Gotham's newest success story.

***

Oliver Queen stood in front of the massive windows of his office, a cup of coffee resting comfortably in one hand as he overlooked Star City. Morning sunlight reflected from skyscrapers while traffic crawled through the streets below. It was a beautiful view and normally one he enjoyed, but today his attention wasn't really on the city. Ever since returning from the Watchtower his thoughts kept drifting back to Batman's briefing. More specifically, they kept drifting back to one particular name.

"You're doing it again."

The comment came from across the room where Dinah sat reviewing reports. She didn't bother looking up when she spoke. Years of experience had made it unnecessary.

"Doing what?" Oliver asked.

"Thinking."

Oliver snorted and took a sip of his coffee. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is when it leads to whatever idea you're currently cooking up."

The annoying thing was she was usually right.

Oliver turned away from the window and walked toward his desk before dropping into the chair behind it. For a few moments he remained silent, staring at the reports scattered across the polished wood surface. Eventually he picked one up, glanced at the contents, and tossed it back down.

"I don't like it."

That got Dinah's attention. She lowered the report she had been reading and studied him carefully.

"The Underpass?"

Oliver nodded. "The whole situation. Batman spent nearly an hour warning us about Nolan Everleigh and somehow I walked away with more questions than answers. Half the briefing made him sound like a criminal mastermind and the other half made him sound like a social worker with a ridiculously large budget."

Dinah couldn't really argue with that assessment. Batman's explanation had been unusually complicated. Normally things were straightforward. Someone was trying to rob a bank, destroy a city, conquer the world, or unleash an ancient evil. Nolan didn't fit neatly into any category.

"Batman wasn't worried about what he's done," Dinah said. "He was worried about what he's building."

"Exactly."

Oliver leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. "That's what bothers me. Gotham didn't suddenly become safer because crime disappeared. According to Batman, crime got organized. One group pushed everyone else aside and took control. The Falcone family still exists. Penguin still exists. The cartels still exist. The difference is they're all operating underneath somebody now."

He picked up another report and flipped through several pages.

"A few years ago this guy was sleeping in shelters. Now he's opening luxury hotels in multiple cities while somehow building a criminal network underneath everybody's nose. If Batman is even half right, that's not something I can afford to ignore. Half the meeting I was deciding if Batman was speaking of a criminal or someone he wanted to recruit."

The office fell quiet for a moment. Outside, a helicopter passed between buildings while the city continued moving beneath them. Dinah watched Oliver carefully. She knew that look. He wasn't simply curious.

He was evaluating a threat.

That was a very different thing.

"He's in Star City now, isn't he?" she asked.

Oliver nodded.

"He arrived yesterday. Apparently construction on the Continental is almost complete."

"And you're thinking about meeting him." It wasn't phrased as a question.

Oliver smiled. That smile immediately told Dinah she was correct, "I'm considering it."

"You're planning it."

"I'm considering it aggressively."

Dinah rolled her eyes, "You know Bruce never actually told us not to approach him."

"No, he just spent an hour explaining why he thought Nolan was dangerous."

"Which is exactly why I should meet him."

Oliver stood and wandered back toward the windows. His reflection stared back at him from the glass while Star City stretched out below.

"Think about it from my perspective. Bruce has been dealing with this guy for years. By the time he realized what the Underpass was becoming, Nolan already had roots everywhere. Shelters, businesses, community programs, hotels, connections in neighborhoods Batman barely pays attention to. If the same thing starts happening here, I'd rather identify it now instead of three years from now."

Dinah considered that for a moment.

Unfortunately, there was logic in what he was saying.

Star City wasn't Gotham. Their criminal landscape was different. Their homeless population was different. Their communities were different. But ignoring a potential threat simply because it hadn't become a problem yet wasn't exactly a sound strategy either.

"So what are you hoping to accomplish?" she asked.

Oliver shrugged. "I want to get a measure of him."

"That's vague."

"It is."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Oliver turned from the window and spread his hands. "People tell you things without realizing they're telling you things. The way they carry themselves. The questions they ask. What they focus on. What they avoid. Bruce gave us reports and surveillance footage, but that only tells part of the story. I want to see the actual man."

"And if you decide Bruce is right?"

Oliver's expression hardened slightly.

"Then I start preparing."

The answer came quickly enough to make Dinah pause.

That was the heart of the issue.

Oliver wasn't planning some casual social visit. He wasn't interested in networking or satisfying curiosity. As far as he was concerned, a potentially dangerous organization was entering his city. Meeting Nolan was simply the first step in determining how seriously he needed to take that threat.

"And if Bruce is wrong?" she asked.

Oliver laughed, "Then I get a free tour of a luxury hotel. But then again when has he ever been wrong,"

Dinah shook her head despite herself, "You're impossible."

"I've been told that."

"Frequently."

"Very frequently."

The grin returned to Oliver's face as he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. Whatever concerns he had, they clearly weren't enough to stop him from enjoying himself.

"You know Bruce is going to be annoyed when he finds out you're not taking this seriously."

Oliver slipped the jacket on and headed toward the door.

"Bruce is always annoyed."

"Fair."

"Besides," Oliver said as he opened the door, "if Nolan Everleigh really is as dangerous as Batman thinks he is, then I'd rather meet him before he decides to introduce himself to Star City."

The door closed behind him a moment later, leaving Dinah alone in the office. She stared at the empty doorway for several seconds before releasing a long sigh.

Years of experience had taught her an important lesson. Whenever Oliver became interested in something, events tended to follow. Sometimes those events were harmless.

Sometimes they weren't.

Given Batman's concern and Nolan Everleigh's reputation, Dinah had a feeling this particular meeting wasn't going to be harmless. At all.