"Hey!" Shado ran to Oliver's side, seeing him standing there like a statue in a temple, and felt a bit annoyed. She gave him a normal shove.
She pushed him. He didn't move. She pushed again. Clang! Oliver fell to the ground like a piece of wood.
Thea felt a chill just watching. Did he get a concussion? It would be a real loss for the Justice League if he ended up with brain damage. She quickly snapped her fingers, canceling the spell's effect.
Oliver felt like he was having the worst day ever. He was about to finally achieve intimacy with the girl he liked, only to be interrupted. Then he was inexplicably blinded during a fight, rendered completely paralyzed, and finally thrown to the ground by the same girl, nearly throwing up his dinner.
But at least he knew there was still an enemy present. He called out for Slade a few times but got no response. Panicked, he stood with Shado, watching Thea.
"Oliver Queen, do you want to go home? I can take you back," Thea said, not bothering with pleasantries. Either you want to go, or you can stay here.
Thea was conflicted. His lack of fighting skill wasn't a major concern; Talia could teach him, and so could she. The real issue was his state of mind. He hadn't truly grasped the mindset of a hero yet. Yao Fei's first year of training had clearly been a failure in that regard.
If she revealed her identity, he would undoubtedly go with her, no matter what. But was that truly what he wanted?
Even if he didn't learn martial arts and remained a playboy his whole life, Thea could take over his future responsibilities. Star City didn't have that many villains; she could deal with them in a flash. But that wasn't the point.
As his sister, Thea didn't just want him to save others; she wanted him to save himself.
But saying that was easy, doing it was hard. And this was something no one else could do for him; he had to find his way out of the darkness through self-affirmation and denial.
She couldn't just find some villains to put him through the wringer. The idea of "if there are difficulties, overcome them; if there are none, create them" felt wrong here. That level of effort seemed less productive than simply leaving him on Lian Yu to follow his original destiny.
After asking, Thea watched him silently, waiting for his answer.
Oliver had no idea that this question would determine his future. He was momentarily stunned. His mind wasn't slow, and he quickly reacted. "You... you were sent by my family?"
Thea nodded without speaking. I am your family; I sent myself. Your statement isn't wrong.
My family has someone this powerful? Oliver turned to look at the unconscious Slade on the ground. Before, he had seen Slade as incredibly strong and fast, almost the greatest fighter in the world. Now, this expert sent by his own family had defeated him. This led him to slightly overestimate the Queen family's hidden strength.
"I..." He was about to agree, but stopped after saying one word. Could he really just act like nothing had happened and return to Star City as a playboy? The mission his father Robert had entrusted to him... did he have the courage to actually do it?
"I think..." Oliver began, then saw Shado nodding at him. He immediately understood. "What about them? They're my friends. They have to come with me."
Loyal, isn't he? Thea pointed at Shado. "She can." Her finger moved to the unconscious Slade. "He cannot."
"Why?" Oliver felt a pang of confusion.
Thea considered her words carefully. She could offer a vague, mysterious explanation. "This man... in the future, he will cause you irreparable harm. Do you still want to bring him with you?"
If someone had told him this before today, Oliver would have scoffed. But Thea's recent display of magic had shaken him too profoundly. His worldview was fracturing. He couldn't help but consider it carefully.
However, Thea's words were too ambiguous. What constituted irreparable harm? Was it physical injury or the loss of loved ones? The scope was too broad. Oliver thought for a long time, but couldn't imagine what harm it could be.
He thought back on his time with Slade, their year and more together as part-mentor, part-friend. Slade was like an older brother; though fierce, he had never harmed Oliver.
"If you can't take him, I'm not going," Oliver said defiantly. Here, he played a small game. He fully expected that this opponent was a hired hand sent by his family, someone who would show him some respect. The person would surely compromise for the sake of the mission, or at least discuss it with him, right?
But to his surprise, Thea simply nodded. Alright, if that's how you want it. Oliver was instantly dumbfounded. Why aren't you following the script?!
Under Oliver's bewildered gaze, the mysterious figure turned to Shado. "What about you? Are you ready to leave this island? I can take you to Hong Kong. Your sister is waiting for you."
In truth, Thea had no idea who Shado's sister was; she was just pulling that detail from the TV series she remembered.
"Mei..." Remembering her twin sister, Shado, wavered for a moment. But seeing Oliver's pained look, she hardened her heart and rejected Thea's offer.
Thea naturally saw their subtle exchange of glances but paid it no mind.
"I'll be on the island for a few more days. If you change your mind..." Then she reconsidered. If they changed their minds, they wouldn't be able to contact her. Thea felt her dramatic exit needed work. "If you change your mind, I'll come back again."
With that, she threw down a smoke bomb (borrowed from Bruce's standard kit, in spirit) and quickly vanished from their sight.
"Slade!" Oliver cried out, seeing the mysterious figure gone. He rushed over to his "big brother," who was lying motionless on the ground.
To his surprise, Slade didn't need his help getting up. With a fierce glare in his eyes, Slade sat up on his own.
While Thea's strike was accurate, she had underestimated Slade's extraordinary constitution. Even without Mirakuru, his physical condition was at peak human levels. A chop that would render an ordinary person unconscious for half an hour only knocked him out for less than ten minutes. He had simply been playing possum, feigning unconsciousness, wary of Thea's superior power.
"Kid, was that guy sent by your family?" Although Slade desperately wanted to find excuses for himself, saying the opponent was a metahuman or he was holding back, he knew deep down that even without those factors, he couldn't beat her. If both Theas had attacked him together, his body would already be cold by now.
But Oliver found his question difficult to answer. Not only had he been away from home for over a year, but even if he summoned Moira here, she wouldn't be able to answer.
Keep in mind, this was an era when Superman was still trying to find his place in the world. The Justice League hadn't even formed its shadow yet. Even government agencies like A.R.G.U.S. wouldn't have access to experts of Thea's caliber.
Oliver stammered, unable to give a clear answer. Slade, thinking he was deliberately being secretive, grunted.
He picked up his twin swords. One had been cut in half by Thea, further fueling his frustration.
"That person must have a plane or boat capable of leaving this island. Let's go find it," the determined Slade said to his two companions, his tone part command, part suggestion.
The two agreed without hesitation, nodding in assent.