"Mom, are you okay?"
Oliver Queen rushed into the room, quickly positioning himself between Moira and Su Sheng, his eyes blazing with anger. "What do you want?"
"He kidnapped Thea," Moira said urgently, her voice trembling with fear.
Oliver had raced back to Starling City after hearing that Thea had been caught by the police. Relieved that Su Sheng hadn't found her yet, Oliver felt confident that Su Sheng wouldn't dare make a scene at the police station. He went back to Queen Consolidated to ensure his mother's safety—but he was still a step behind.
"You…" Oliver began, but before he could finish, Su Sheng interrupted.
"Meddling in others' affairs comes with a price. Let's play this out slowly." Su Sheng flicked his finger against the coffee table, and with a soft chuckle, he vanished instantly.
"Look out!"
Oliver reacted instinctively, pulling Moira to safety as an explosion shattered the coffee table. Glass shards flew in all directions, and Oliver winced as several pieces embedded themselves in his back, protecting his mother from the blast.
"Oliver!" Moira gasped, rushing to his side, her face etched with concern.
"I'm fine," Oliver assured her, grimacing in pain. "I'll find Thea. I promise!" He vowed, his voice filled with determination.
Moira, shaken by the explosion and Su Sheng's sudden disappearance, could only nod, speechless.
A streak of red lightning zipped through the city and stopped in front of Thea Queen.
It took a few seconds for Thea to register Su Sheng's return. "Where did you go?"
"I sent the photo to your mother and Oliver, and I got an answer as well," Su Sheng replied with a sly smile.
"An answer?" Thea asked, confused.
Instead of responding, Su Sheng picked up the camera, his interest in photography evident once again.
Thea had felt a pang of guilt seeing her mother's worried expression in the photo, but when Su Sheng mentioned the question he had asked and the answer he received, Thea was stunned.
"This... is this true?" She looked up at Su Sheng, her eyes wide with disbelief. She seemed to be searching for a confirmation but was also terrified to hear it.
"It's true."
"Why!" Thea suddenly screamed, her anger bursting forth as she hurled the camera across the room. "Why, why, why!"
Su Sheng didn't intervene, allowing Thea to vent her frustration and pain.
After what felt like an eternity, Thea slumped to the ground, her makeup smeared by tears, making her look fragile and broken.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. She looked up at Su Sheng, her eyes pleading. "I want a drink."
Su Sheng extended his hand towards her.
Thea hesitated briefly before taking his hand. He led her to a hotel room, where red lightning whirled around the space, and suddenly, a mountain of alcohol appeared on the floor.
"Is this enough?" Su Sheng asked as he reappeared.
Without a word, Thea grabbed a bottle and began drinking.
People often turn to alcohol when they're sad, hoping to numb the pain or drown it in the fire of intoxication. Thea wasn't an exception, and she quickly found herself overwhelmed by the alcohol.
She drank fast, emptying three bottles of different types of liquor in quick succession before passing out, unconscious from the heavy drinking.
Thea remained unconscious for an entire day. When she finally woke up, a splitting headache greeted her, along with a parched throat. Groaning in pain, she struggled to open her eyes and figure out where she was. She realized she was lying on the floor, surrounded by a darkened room and piles of empty wine bottles.
"This..." she croaked, her voice hoarse from the alcohol and dehydration.
Struggling to sit up, Thea glanced around and noticed Su Sheng asleep on the bed next to her. Memories of the previous night slowly returned to her.
"He left me to sleep on the floor?" she muttered, annoyed, before dragging herself to her feet and staggering towards the bathroom.
The lights flickered on, and soon the sound of running water filled the room.
After more than half an hour, Thea emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She approached the bed and pushed Su Sheng, her frustration clear in her voice. "Hey, is there anything to eat?"
"Wake up. Do you have anything to eat?" she repeated, her patience wearing thin.
Su Sheng groggily opened his eyes, squinting at Thea. "What's with the noise? Do you know how late I fell asleep? You're hungry in the middle of the night, huh? How about I feed you something next?"
"Feed me…?" Thea blinked, momentarily confused. "You mean noodles? Does the hotel even make those?"
"Why not? Isn't that what hotels are for?" Su Sheng mumbled, rolling over and lying on his back.
"This is a hotel, not a restaurant!" Thea snapped, clearly irritated that he hadn't fully woken up yet.
She looked around but found nothing to eat except for some water bottles among the empty wine bottles. She downed a bottle of water, feeling slightly better, before returning to the bed and lying down on the opposite side.
As soon as she lay down, Su Sheng reached out and pulled her into his arms. Thea struggled a few times to break free, but when it proved futile, she gave up and fell asleep in his embrace.
While they slept soundly, Starling City was far from quiet.
Oliver Queen pored over the photos Su Sheng had left behind, desperately trying to identify the location where Thea was being held. His search led him to a chair on the mountain behind his villa—the same chair from the police station. Su Sheng had first taken Thea from the police station to Oliver's home and then left the chair there. But why? Was it a provocation? A taunt? Oliver spent hours trying to track down the location in the photos but found nothing.
As for Moira and the police department, they had mobilized nearly every available officer to search for Thea.
The sudden large-scale police operation unsettled many in Starling City, from gangsters to wealthy politicians, and even ordinary citizens who sensed something was amiss.
Day turned into night with no leads.
The police decided to escalate their efforts, while Oliver made plans to seek outside help.
The Huntress or the Birds of Prey.
Although Oliver had known of their existence before, he had never reached out to them, but this time, for his sister, he was willing to make an exception.
"Oliver."
Just as he was about to leave, Moira stopped him, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "We need to talk."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Alright." Though anxious, Oliver turned back to face his mother. "What do you want to talk about?"
"The man who kidnapped Thea… he's not just anyone, is he? He said meddling comes at a price. Oliver… aren't you going to explain what's going on?"
...