Tommy, who had once had a pleasant personality, now looked like an eggplant with cream—disheveled and haggard.
"Hey, Thea, wait a minute."
Looking at the man in sunglasses, leaning on crutches in front of her, it was hard to believe that this was the same Tommy who had once been so full of energy.
"Man, what are you doing, Daredevil? Did you wander into the wrong universe?" Thea thought. Not to mention that they both had long, expressive faces.
She remembered meeting Laurel a few days ago, and Tommy had still looked full of life. How, in just three days, had he turned into this walking ghost?
"Has the original plot changed that much? Did he go blind? Did my little butterfly really have that big of an impact?" Thea stared at his glasses for a long time, unsure if she should help him sit down.
Hesitantly, she asked, "Your eyes…?"
"Oh, it's nothing, just a little swelling," Tommy replied, quickly taking off his sunglasses to prove he wasn't blind before putting them back on just as fast.
Seeing his eyes, Thea almost spat out her coffee. He had clearly been punched in the left eye, and his right eyelid was swollen as well.
"Did you fight with Laurel?" she asked cautiously.
"Fight? No... Oh, yes..." Tommy was confused for a moment, but soon realized what Thea meant. He hurriedly explained, "My father hired a master to train me. You know I want to protect Laurel, right?"
Tommy, at least, had enough sense not to reveal that his father had gone out of his way to recruit a combat master for him.
But how could Thea believe that? Star City seemed to be the starting village of the DC world! True masters were rare—so how had Shiva just appeared out of nowhere? That didn't make any sense.
Realizing that Malcolm had started training Tommy, Thea noticed the plot taking an unexpected turn. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or worried, so she decided to focus on business first.
When Tommy found out she needed to contact the media, it wasn't difficult for him. Although he had never seriously engaged in business, he knew plenty of people—whether through friendship or mere acquaintance. After a few phone calls, he managed to arrange a meeting.
Tommy's help was welcome, but between friendship and blood ties, Thea saw no need for formalities.
Seeing Tommy swaying back and forth in his chair, she hurried to send him home before he collapsed in the café.
"Do you want me to drive you?" she asked, not knowing exactly how to address him.
"No need, I'll manage." Tommy staggered toward the door. The café's customers and employees watched with concern, ready to help him if he fell.
Before leaving, he turned around and said in a serious tone, "Thea, be careful. A dark force is rising in Star City. My father was hurt by them."
"Who was hurt?" Thea asked, alarmed.
"Malcolm." Regardless of whether he was a good person or not, he had always treated her well—certainly better than Shiva, for example. Hearing that he was hurt, Thea naturally worried.
"Again?" Tommy frowned. "Has he been hurt before?"
"Oh... I mean, where did Uncle Malcolm get hurt?" Thea tried to cover up.
"It was a stab wound under the ribs, really deep—about four inches long."
Oops... The old liar. Wasn't that the wound my mother gave him?! What's this 'dark force' nonsense now?
Judging by Tommy's condition, Thea already suspected that Malcolm was staging all of this to create the illusion of a mysterious threat—and, in the process, strengthen the father-son bond.
Tommy might not have realized it, but Thea was already convinced.
Even though he said he didn't need help, she took him home anyway. She was tired of all the deception and wanted to hear the truth directly from Malcolm.
When she arrived, she found Malcolm resting. With all this chaos, he hadn't even had time to think about his grand plan to wipe out Star City's poor—he'd been too busy training his son.
"Hey, Uncle Malcolm, I heard you got hurt. Are you okay? I came to check on you!" Thea entered without ceremony, smiling.
Malcolm opened his eyes and stared. When he noticed her playful look, he understood immediately.
Thea had used his injury to confirm that Malcolm and the Dark Archer were the same person. In the end, she just wanted to test him.
But when he saw Tommy standing next to her, Malcolm realized that his lie had already been exposed.
"Thea, it's been a while! Thank you for your concern, I'm much better now."
Thea arched an eyebrow and pointed at Tommy with her chin, winking at Malcolm. The message was clear: "Are you going to confess soon, or keep up the charade?"
Malcolm hesitated. Tommy still felt admiration and longing for his mother. If he discovered that his father had betrayed her, their relationship would be shattered beyond repair. He was trapped in his own lie.
As for Thea's knowing look, Malcolm only shook his head slightly, making sure Tommy didn't notice.
She huffed, dissatisfied, but she couldn't push too hard. After all, if she seemed too eager for the truth, Malcolm might think she was scheming to inherit his fortune.
Changing the subject, she teased, "I heard you were injured by dark forces. Care to share more details?"
"Yeah, Dad! When I asked, you said you were attacked by a woman, but you never gave any details." Tommy backed her up.
"Oh? What woman did that?" Thea asked, crossing her arms.
Caught off guard, Malcolm was speechless. He was cornered—surrounded by his own children, and with no way out without spinning yet another lie.
It was a rare moment: Malcolm Merlyn, the master manipulator, finally trapped.