A flash of red speed force enveloped Su Sheng and Thea Quinn, shielding them from the intense friction caused by super speed. Thea, her arms hooked tightly around Su Sheng's neck, watched the world blur by, eager to see how he managed such a feat. She swore she didn't blink, yet the scenery shifted like flipping through photos, each scene transitioning instantly to the next.
Familiar stores and streets zipped by, leaving Thea momentarily speechless.
"Not getting down?" Su Sheng chuckled, still holding her.
"Ah..." Thea realized she was still in his arms.
Gently, Su Sheng set her down, and she touched the clothing racks around her in disbelief before stopping in front of a black tube top and narrow skirt. "This is the dress. What do you think?" She turned to ask Su Sheng.
"The dress is nice, but it doesn't suit you," Su Sheng commented, giving her a once-over.
"Why not?" Thea demanded, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"You won't be able to fill it out," Su Sheng teased, his eyes twinkling.
Thea huffed, "Are you saying I'm flat-chested?"
Without waiting for a response, she defiantly began to take off her small jacket. "Aren't you going to look away?"
"If you dare to take it off, I'll dare to watch," Su Sheng said, not even attempting to avert his gaze.
Thea smirked, "You think I won't?"
True to her word, she changed into the dress right in front of him. But after glancing in the mirror, she frowned. "You know what, I don't like this dress after all," she admitted, quickly changing back. "What's next?"
"By now, the police should've noticed you're missing. It's time to take some 'kidnapping' photos to let your family know what's happened," Su Sheng said with a mischievous smile.
"How do we do that?" Thea asked, intrigued.
"Follow me!"
Su Sheng led her to a desolate, harsh-looking location. After tying her hands and feet and covering her mouth with a black cloth, he prepared to take a series of photos that mimicked a hostage scenario.
"Fear, Thea! You're supposed to look scared, not like you're enjoying yourself!" Su Sheng groaned in frustration as he looked through the camera lens at Thea, who was struggling to convey the right emotion.
"I'm not an actress," Thea retorted, trying her best to comply but clearly out of her element.
"Fine, we'll try blindfolding you," Su Sheng said, covering her eyes. "Okay, that's better."
With a click, the camera captured the moment, and Su Sheng walked over to untie Thea.
"Let me see!" Thea asked eagerly, examining the photo. "What do you think they'll feel when they see this?"
"Anxiety, worry, anger," Su Sheng replied with a chuckle. "Regretful?"
"No, not really. I'm just..." Thea hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. "Maybe a little. My mom and brother will be genuinely worried."
"Actually, they've been lying to you," Su Sheng said casually as he sat beside her. Thea shot him a suspicious look as he continued, "Robert Queen isn't your biological father."
"That's a pretty lame lie," Thea scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Su Sheng smiled knowingly. "It's true. He's not your real father. In fact, he was probably killed by your real father. As for Oliver, he's not just your brother; he's also the Green Arrow. He got involved in my business in Central City, so I came here to deal with him."
"Seriously?" Thea asked, her skepticism evident.
"Wait here!" Su Sheng instructed before disappearing in a flash.
Thea stared blankly at the empty spot where Su Sheng had been just moments before.
Back at the Queen Consolidated office, Moira Queen received a call from Quentin Lance at the police station.
Thea had vanished from her holding cell.
"Officer Lance, do you expect me to believe that my daughter simply disappeared from a police station cell? I know you dislike Oliver, and I'm aware of your feelings toward the Queen family, but you're a police officer. I expect you to maintain the professional ethics required by your position! I'm coming down to the station, and I hope you've found my daughter by the time I arrive!" Moira snapped, hanging up the phone in anger. She turned to call for John Diggle to prepare the car, but as she did, she noticed a photograph suddenly lying on her desk.
"Thea!" Moira gasped, picking up the photo. It showed Thea with her hands and feet bound, blindfolded and gagged, lying in what appeared to be a desolate area.
Her daughter had been kidnapped?
Was Quentin Lance telling the truth? Could someone really have abducted Thea from a police station?
But how did this photo get here?
"Moira Queen," a voice suddenly echoed through the room, startling her. She jumped up, turning to find a man sitting calmly on the sofa where she usually received guests.
"How did you get in here? And where's Thea?" Moira demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I'm not telling you where Thea is. But if you don't answer my next question truthfully, I promise you'll see her soon enough," Su Sheng said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
See her? Moira's heart pounded. He meant she'd see her daughter's corpse if she didn't cooperate.
"Please, don't hurt Thea. I'll give you anything you want," Moira pleaded.
"She's beautiful," Su Sheng said with a light chuckle.
"Please, don't hurt her. She's just a child," Moira begged, her voice trembling.
"She is beautiful, but she's not Robert's child, is she? Her real father is someone else."
Moira's face paled, her earlier panic replaced by a deeper fear. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, she's—"
"Think carefully, Moira. This is about Thea's life and death," Su Sheng warned. "Don't ask who I am, how I know, or what my motives are. Just answer truthfully, because you know the consequences if you don't."
Moira hesitated, torn between the potential fallout of this revelation and her daughter's safety. After a long, agonizing moment, she finally spoke. "Thea... she isn't Robert's biological daughter," Moira admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
The confession seemed to drain the strength from her, and she swayed slightly, struggling to remain standing.
Boom!
The door suddenly burst open.
...