The sun hung high in the noon sky, its rays beating down on the earth below. Inside the hotel room, Thea Queen, who had slept for nearly a full day and night, finally stirred awake.
The throbbing headache from her drunken stupor had finally subsided. As Thea looked at Su Sheng, who was still fast asleep beside her, memories of the past day rushed back. She had been caught by the police, only to be 'kidnapped' by him, witnessed his seemingly impossible superpowers, and discovered a shocking truth about her own origins. It was a whirlwind of emotions and revelations, leaving her unsure of how to process it all.
But one thing was clear to her—she wasn't ready to go home.
Suddenly, the sharp ring of a phone cut through the quiet, startling Thea. She watched as Su Sheng stirred, slowly waking up.
Their eyes met.
Su Sheng casually flipped over to find his phone, paying no mind to his state of undress. Thea felt a momentary urge to turn away—his nonchalance made the situation feel almost too intimate. But then, the rebellious streak in her kicked in. If he wasn't embarrassed, why should she be? So, instead of looking away, she deliberately watched him, trying to appear mature and unfazed.
Su Sheng's physique was undeniable, toned and muscular even as he lounged about. Thea found herself momentarily mesmerized by the sight, her mind wandering.
"Any news?" Su Sheng asked, breaking the silence as he opened a bottle of wine and took a sip, his attention now on the person on the other end of the line.
"We found the body of Harrison Wells, right here in Starling. Harrison Wells was a rising star in Starling's science community fifteen years ago. Then, he had a car accident that killed his wife, and he left Starling City. We investigated the scene of the accident and found a body, which has been identified through technology as Dr. Harrison Wells," Felicity's voice crackled through the phone, laced with disbelief.
The idea that someone had lived as Harrison Wells for fifteen years was terrifying.
"Keep the body for me. I'll come get it later," Su Sheng said, a sly grin forming on his lips. Reverse-Flash had some explaining to do this time.
"Are you also in Starling? Did you kidnap Oliver Queen's sister?" Felicity asked.
"Yeah," Su Sheng replied nonchalantly, glancing over at Thea. "Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow. He went to Central City to help The Flash set a trap for me, so I found some time to play with him. Don't interfere with this. Thea's safe for now. By the way, is Catwoman with you?"
"Yes."
"Su Sheng!" Catwoman's voice cut through, her tone sharp.
"I'll call Wayne Enterprises shortly. You can head to Gotham now and get what you want. I'm sure Felicity filled you in on why I left so suddenly, so let me apologize."
"Apologize? You, a lunatic, apologizing to me?" Catwoman scoffed. "Just don't mess with me again."
"Go on." Su Sheng chuckled softly.
Hanging up the phone, Su Sheng made another call, this time to Talia al Ghul. Though they hadn't spoken in years, it was clear that Talia remembered his voice well. Su Sheng's tone turned threatening, and though Talia responded with angry words, she ultimately complied.
"Y-you…" Thea stammered, unsure what to say after overhearing the conversation. Su Sheng sounded dangerous—talking about corpses and making threats. He didn't seem like a good person. Yet, he hadn't hurt her, so while she was surprised, she wasn't as scared as she might have been.
"What are you going to do next?" Thea asked.
"That's up to you," Su Sheng replied, walking over to her and gently caressing her cheek. Thea tensed up, wanting to lower her head to avoid his touch, but she stubbornly held her ground. "If you want to go home, I'll mess with Oliver a bit more and then send you back. But you heard I have other things to attend to. If you don't want to go home just yet, I'll take you with me, and they can keep searching here."
"I'll go with you!" Thea said without hesitation.
"Good!"
"Then let's get something to eat first." Su Sheng smiled, heading to the bathroom. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he and Thea left the hotel.
They found themselves in a pleasant restaurant, where they sat down to eat. Thea, clearly starving, ate with a slight greediness, while Su Sheng, despite his appetite, ate with a refined elegance.
"Are you done?" Su Sheng asked after some time.
"Yeah, I'm full." Thea patted her stomach, satisfied.
"Then stay calm, and don't be afraid," Su Sheng said with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean someone's coming to rescue you!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a whistle sounded, and an arrow shot through the restaurant's window, heading straight for Su Sheng. He tilted his head slightly, letting the arrow embed itself in the wall behind him. The other patrons screamed and fled, as more glass shattered and figures dressed in black with masks jumped in, weapons drawn. The assassins wore the garb of the League of Assassins.
Within seconds, the restaurant was empty, save for Su Sheng and Thea, surrounded by at least twenty or thirty assassins, their bows and arrows trained on Su Sheng.
Two figures then entered.
One was clad in the black uniform of the League of Assassins, the other in a green costume.
"Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer, and Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow," Su Sheng said with a smile, clapping his hands. "The two of you teaming up? Does that mean you've revealed your true identities to each other? And Thea's parentage must have come out as well, right?"
"But…" Su Sheng paused, his smile widening. "Are you sure you want to team up? Oliver, he's the one responsible for the sinking of the Queen's Gambit, the man who killed your father, and the one behind every name in that little book of yours. And you, Malcolm Merlyn, aren't you supposed to be busy trying to destroy the Glades in Starling City? Or don't you want revenge for your wife anymore?"
With those words, both Malcolm and Oliver turned to each other, distrust flashing in their eyes. Without another word, they instinctively moved away from each other, as though any alliance they had was already unraveling.