John Diggle was far from the seasoned hero he would eventually become, so when Oliver Queen called him, urgently requesting that he protect his mother, Moira Queen, and sister, Thea Queen, he was genuinely worried. How was he supposed to justify his presence to a powerful corporate president and her rebellious daughter?
Fortunately for him, fate intervened.
Moira Queen had just received a call from the police informing her that Thea had been detained for drug theft. To call it theft was a bit of a stretch; Thea had spotted a beautiful dress in a closed store while under the influence of drugs, so she simply smashed the door and walked in to claim it.
Moira, fed up with her daughter's rebellious antics, decided to let Thea learn her lesson and refused to bail her out. After all, what could be safer than a police station?
John Diggle sighed in relief, now needing only to focus on protecting Moira.
Unlike Gotham, where the police force was either corrupt or ineffective, the Starling City Police Department was somewhat competent. Sure, there were dirty cops, but overall, they hadn't lost the public's trust. The city's vigilantes—like the Huntress and the Birds of Prey—had helped improve public safety and the reputation of the police department.
Meanwhile, Thea Queen sat cross-legged on a chair in the detention room, her expression indifferent. She had long, slightly curly blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, and she wore a blue school uniform: a white shirt with two buttons undone, a loosely hanging tie, a dark blue plaid skirt, and blue over-the-knee pantyhose. Black leather shoes completed her look—rebellious schoolgirl chic.
Thea had grown increasingly rebellious after her father and brother's accident. Grief, combined with her mother's leniency, had turned her into the kind of girl who smoked, drank, and took drugs but still claimed to be a good girl. Later, after Oliver Queen returned and became the Green Arrow, Thea joined his team as the second Red Arrow, eventually becoming the superhero Speedy. Along the way, she discovered that her biological father was the villainous Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer, and that she had killed Sara Lance under his control—a trauma only heightened when she was later resurrected in the Lazarus Pit alongside Sara.
These experiences hardened Thea, turning her into a resilient member of Team Arrow, but for now, she was still in her rebellious phase.
As she sat in the detention room, Thea began to sober up, realizing that her mother had no intention of bailing her out. She didn't care, though. This was her life now, and she was determined to live it on her terms. As she sat, legs crossed in a manner both unladylike and defiant, she gazed out at the busy officers, already planning her next move once she got out.
"Who are you? When did you come in?"
Startled, Thea turned to find a young, cool-looking Asian man leaning against the corner of the detention room.
"Want to do something exciting?" Su Sheng asked, his voice dripping with temptation.
"Exciting?" Thea's interest was piqued, her green eyes widening, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're not a cop, are you? No cop would offer me excitement. They're all too scared, too uptight for that. So... I won't ask who you are or how you got in. Just tell me—what kind of excitement?"
"How about a kidnapping?" Su Sheng suggested with a mischievous grin. "I'll snatch you from the police station and let your mother and brother play a little game of cat and mouse."
Thea frowned, considering the offer.
"Your mom probably won't bail you out, and when you do get out, you're likely to be grounded. If you're okay with that, I'll leave you be." Su Sheng's voice was calm, almost casual.
Thea was instantly tempted. She didn't want to go to jail or be grounded, and the idea was thrilling. But she eyed Su Sheng warily. "You're not really planning to kidnap me, are you?"
"If taking you out for some fun counts as kidnapping, then yeah, I'm going to kidnap you."
"And then what?"
"We'll figure that out later. I just want to remind your brother, Oliver Queen, that meddling in other people's business has consequences."
"You have a grudge against Oliver?" Thea huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, he does love to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. Ever since he came back, it's been one thing after another. So, how exactly are you going to kidnap me from here?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Su Sheng smiled.
"Are you ready?"
"You're starting already? Okay, let's see how you plan to get me out of here with all these cops around..." Thea's words trailed off as the room around her suddenly shifted.
The detention cell was gone, replaced by a vast wilderness.
"Am I... am I still dreaming?" Thea stammered, pinching herself. The sharp pain confirmed she was awake.
Everything had changed, except for the chair she was sitting on.
"Where are we?" Thea asked, rising to her feet and scanning the surroundings. Gradually, she recognized the area. "This is... this is the hill behind my house! But I was just at the police station! How... how did you do this?"
Her voice quivered with shock.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Su Sheng asked with a lighthearted smile.
Thea nodded, still in disbelief. "Do you have superpowers? Can you teleport, like in those sci-fi movies?"
"No, it's not teleportation. It's just that I move so fast you can't even perceive it."
"Really?" Thea still found it hard to believe.
"Where do you want to go?" Su Sheng asked, his smile widening.
Thea thought for a moment, then grinned. "Take me to that clothing store. The one with the dress I wanted. That's why I got arrested in the first place."
"I'm sure you'll look stunning in anything, though you'd look even better in nothing at all," Su Sheng teased, bending down to scoop Thea into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.
With a flash of red lightning, the two vanished, leaving only the empty chair behind.
...