Chapter 154: The Usual Suspects

Alura took Kara and Kal to another building, one close to the High Council Chambers. It was a knowledge repository, the equivalent of a library on Krypton. She had them wait by a nearby table while she drew out a small orb from one of the compartments there, and then brought it to them, placing it in the center of the table. She pressed a button on the top, and a projection started playing.

"I don't know who Reign is exactly," the former judge started with. "But I do know where the symbol she was wearing came from. Tell me, Kara, do you know of Yuda Kal?"

Kara pursed her lips. "No. Except that one of the assassins who tried to kill you earlier is apparently devoted to them."

"Yes. I'm not surprised you don't know — when you first left Krypton, you hadn't been old enough to learn about her in school yet," Alura commented. "Yuda Kal is a Kryptonian goddess — specifically, the god that the Juru, the first people of Krypton, worshiped. She was their chief deity, symbolizing life and rebirth, and was heavily intertwined with the arcane. All of her priestesses were great wielders of vast magical power."

"However, as Krypton began to evolve and change, later generations began to gradually phase out our studies of magic, putting more emphasis on our studies of science. This eventually culminated in Yuda Kal being removed as the chief deity of Kryptonian religion and replaced with Rao. She was subsequently rechristened 'The Beast' and derided as an evil entity. Her remaining followers, those who refused to convert to Raoism, were hunted down and went into hiding. Some opted to become terrorists, in hopes of one day usurping the Rao-enforced authorities so they could supplant Rao with Yuda Kal as Krypton's chief deity again."

"I see," Kara said, watching the images of the Juru worshipping Yuda Kal projected by the orb. "So Reign is somehow connected to Yuda Kal's followers."

Alura nodded. "The emblem on her chest is Yuda Kal's symbol. I know of it because of your father — part of his work was combating the Children of Juru, a Yuda Kal cult and terrorist organization that had been gaining power during our planet's last years."

"Combating…? But Dad was a scientist. How was he supposed to fight against terrorists?"

Her mother adopted an uncomfortable look. "Your father was a scientist, Kara, and the Children of Juru were users of magic. His job was to figure out ways to combat their magic using scientific developments; essentially, trying to force them to accept that teachings of Rao were superior to the teachings of Yuda Kal. He… he had to do some questionable things in order to achieve that, things that you wouldn't want to hear. It's why we hid the information about Yuda Kal in the Fortress of Solitude — we didn't want your memories of us to be tarnished."

Kara stepped forward, and took her mother's hand. "Mom, you guys were my parents. I loved you, and I still do. Whatever you did, it doesn't matter anymore." She turned a touch melancholic. "Besides, I've done some things as well that wouldn't make you very proud either."

Alura frowned. "You're my daughter, Kara. No matter what."

That caused the younger woman to briefly exchange a look with Kal. "You don't know how happy that makes me to hear that," she said honestly.

Meanwhile, in Star City…

It had been several days since Astra In-Ze had fallen into a coma, in the wake of her ill-fated duel with Reign. Since then, she had been unresponsive, even as the periodic treatments of yellow solar radiation helped her body heal from the damage. It was only in the last twenty-four hours that she had started regaining consciousness, though no more than for a few minutes at a time.

Astra's first period of prolonged consciousness arrived with a groan escaping her lips. She blinked her eyes open, looking up at the ceiling, and sat up. The doctor monitoring her vitals quickly helped her to a glass of water, before asking her questions and doing their best to increase her comfort.

By the time Hal Jordan, the Leaguer on guard duty, swung by to visit, Astra was fully cognizant and dutifully eating hospital food. When the two saw each other, Hal broke up into a grateful smile. "You're awake," he said in relief.

Astra nodded. "And alive," she noted. "From what little I remember, I have you to thank for that."

"If I had gotten there sooner—"

"Reign might've killed you too, Hal," Astra finished, cutting him off. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I'm alive to fight for another day. We should all be grateful for that. I certainly am."

Hal tried to protest, but a glare from Astra silenced him. Instead, he sighed and sat in the chair that had been pulled up next to her hospital bed. "I'm guessing you want to know what happened while you were out?"

"You guess correctly. Where is Kara? She would've stayed by my side all day the very moment she heard I was beginning to regain consciousness." These words were spoken fondly; how Astra relished in the fact that they were so close again.

The Green Lantern winced. Oh, this wasn't going to be a fun conversation. "Well, you see…"

"Argo still exists?" Astra exclaimed in shock.

"Maybe," Hal answered, crossing his arms. "The signal matched Argo's signature but Jor-El wasn't sure if it was genuine. So, Kara and Kal used J'onn's cruiser to fly to the location and see if it's the real deal — and, if it is, to find information on Reign."

Astra scowled. "I need to see it for myself," she decided. "Take me there now."

The other Leaguer blinked. "What? You just got out of a coma, you're still recovering! Besides, we don't have another ship!"

"No, but you're a Green Lantern," Astra pointed out. "You can take us both there easily as long as your ring has enough charge."

"But—"

"Please, Hal," and this time the former general didn't hide the desperation in her voice. "If this is Argo, truly Argo, I need to know."

Hal stared at her, and then sighed.

"I'll call J'onn to fill in for me at Star City. We're still on the lookout for Reign."

Upon hearing that, Astra adopted a triumphant smile.

Meanwhile, in another part of Star City, Thea Queen was having a much ruder awakening. Smelling salts assaulted her senses and jolted her to consciousness. The young heiress blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of their bleariness. She tried to move, and made a most horrific realization — she was currently tied up in a chair, with rough ropes wrapped around her and her hands thoroughly restrained. Kidnapped, perhaps for a ransom?

Thea struggled through them, trying to loosen her restraints, but they were tied tightly. Eventually, she gave up, and began to look around, her vision cleared. She was in some kind of underground area, one with lots of stone columns and torches. She was all alone.

"Hello?" she called out.

The flames flickered. The room darkened for but a moment.

When the light return, Thea suddenly found herself surrounded by dozens and dozens of darkly-dressed figures, each of whom had bows and arrows and swords trapped to their persons. Archaic weapons that made her think of the Green Arrow. The appearance of so many intimidating figures all at once caused her to yelp and shake in fear. She kept looking around, trying to find someone or something she might recognize.

There were two figures that stood out in the group, both because they weren't wearing head-coverings like everyone else. One was an unfamiliar middle-aged man with brunette hair and a beard. He was dressed simply, with a simple tunic and pants, and a ring on right hand. There was a sword strapped to his side. Despite his simple appearance, however, he had the coldest eyes Thea had ever seen.

And as for the other…

"You're Helena Bertinelli," the college student blurted out before she could stop herself. The woman had been all over the news after her father's downfall, mainly because of her decision to leave the city and practically disappear after the feds questioned her. There had been whispers for weeks about where she went, before the city got distracted by the newest bout of breaking news and she was forgotten.

The older woman observed her cooly. "Helena Bertinelli is dead," she declared. "My name is Walesyadh. The Huntress."

Thea whimpered. "Where am I? Who are you people? Why am I here?"

This time, it was the man that answered. "You are at the Sacred Grounds of the League of Assassins. We are an ancient order of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of evil; I am Ra's al Ghul, their leader. And you, Thea Queen, are here because you are very important to an enemy of ours, and we are seeking to draw him out so we can finish him once and for all."

"Who?"

Ra's' expression darkened. "Your natural father: Malcolm Merlyn."

"And you still don't have anything?" A furious and frantic Moira screamed into Malcolm's face.

Malcolm held up his hands in a calming gesture. "My men are doing all they can to find her—"

"It's been hours, Malcolm," Robert pointed out, equally panicked. The Queens had been going absolutely spare ever since their daughter's disappearance had been confirmed. "Thea could be dead, for all we know!"

"She is not."

The three adults stilled at the unfamiliar voice, and they whirled around to find the source. They saw it in a woman a few years younger than them, walking down the staircase. She had long red hair tied up into a braid, and pale skin. Her most distinctive feature, however, was the scar across her left eye.

"Who are you?" Malcolm demanded, already reaching for his hidden knife.

"Really, Al Sa-Her? Have you forgotten me after all these years?"

Malcolm frowned, and then his face dawned with recognition. "Athena?"

Athena smirked. "The master knows you are alive, Al Sa-Her. He also knows that you are the new leader of the League of Shadows. Normally, that alone would be enough for him to send in every member of the League and hunt down every Shadow that you have in this city until you are all wiped off from the face of the planet, and then burn the city itself to ash."

"But you haven't," Malcolm pointed out, still on edge. "Why?"

"Simple. Two of the master's favored agents reside in this city — one of whom I'm sure you know quite well," Athena noted, and the other assassin scowled when he realized who she was referring to: Green Arrow. "The master doesn't wish to anger them and lose their favor. So instead, he is offering a boon: a duel between you both, with the winner assuming leadership over both Leagues."

Went unsaid was the logical conclusion of such a battle. Malcolm was a remarkable warrior, and he had spent the last several years sharpening his skills in preparation for another encounter with Green Arrow. But as good as he was, he was no Ra's al Ghul.

"Why would I accept that?" Malcolm asked. Why would I throw myself to my death?

"Simple, Al Sa-Her. We have your daughter."

There was a brief moment of silence. What? Malcolm, Moira, and Robert all collectively thought.

"Do not try to play the fool, old friend. You did your best to hide Thea Merlyn from us, but we found out regardless. If you do not arrive to this city's Sacred Grounds within the next six hours, your daughter shall be the one to pay for your crimes, and we will hunt you all down anyway."

It was then that Malcolm was beginning to realize what was happening. They think Thea is my daughter. They don't know about Oliver. How Ra's had even come by the information he had another child besides Tommy, he did not know, but it was a relief nonetheless. Oliver was safe, for now.

Athena walked past the trio, opening the front door so she could exit. But before she left, she glanced back and gave Malcolm one last look. "Choose wisely, Al Sa-Her," she warned him.

The moment she was gone and they were all sure she was out of earshot, the Queens turned to Malcolm. "What. The Hell," Robert said flatly, clearly confused.

Malcolm shrugged. "I don't know how, but for some reason they think Thea is my daughter. They don't know they've got the wrong child."

"That doesn't matter — it means Oliver is safe," Moira pointed out, still filled with worry. "We need to get her back. Can you defeat Ra's al Ghul in a duel?"

That particular question caused Malcolm to burst out in hysterical laughter. "No one can defeat Ra's al Ghul in a duel," he said, completely mirthless. "If I fight him, it'll be a miracle if I last longer than five minutes."

"So then what do we do? We can't just leave her with them! And you can't leave either, because he'll just hunt you down anyway!"

That was true. Now that Ra's knew he was alive, fleeing was pointless. There was not a place in the world that Malcolm could hide from him. The only option left was direct offense.

"I think I have a plan," Malcolm finally said. "Let me convene the Shadows here, and we'll get started on it."

"No word from Barry yet?" Tommy asked, voice soft.

Oliver shook his head. "None," he confirmed. "I guess he hasn't found anything yet."

"He will, Ollie. You know he will."

"Yeah," the archer said, breathing out.

A small noise suddenly caught their attention, and they turned to the kitchen, where Laurel was currently preparing her bag, her phone sitting next to it on the marble island. It looked like she was preparing to go somewhere. Oliver frowned. "Laurel?"

Laurel sighed, and turned to her boyfriend. "I can't do this anymore, Ollie. This thing with Thea… it's the last straw."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm going to finally tell my family I'm the Black Canary."

Her two best friends reacted with surprise at that. "Now? Are you sure?"

The lawyer nodded. "I'm going to take them to the Foundry and show them everything. That way they won't be caught off guard like Thea was, that they can have something that will allow me to track them down in case they get into any serious danger. I can't let what's happening to Speedy happen to any of them as well."

"Well, okay. But be prepared, Laurel. They might not be supportive of you voluntarily putting yourself in constant danger." God knows Oliver's parents wouldn't be.

Laurel smiled. "Thanks for your concern, Ollie. Whatever their reaction is, I'll handle it."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tommy suddenly blurted out. "I can provide you with some emotional support, maybe help them work through it easier than I did."

"Are you sure, Tommy?" the Black Canary asked, a little confused.

"Positive," Tommy said, smiling. "When we get word about Thea, all I'm going to be doing is sitting on my ass while Oliver does the legwork. Might as well do something useful."

Laurel turned to Oliver. "Ollie?"

"I'm fine with it," Oliver said, waving her off. "He's right, anyway — all we're doing right now is waiting for news."

"Okay." She beamed at Tommy. "Thanks for doing this."

Tommy smiled. "Always happy to help," he replied.

Central City

Meanwhile, in an entirely different city, another person was awaking from unconsciousness. This particular person was male, and he had no aid in being brought back to the land of the living. No, his rousing had been entirely due to the enhanced biology that his super speed afforded him, allowing him to heal from his wounds much easier and wake up much faster.

Barry Allen groaned as he came to, glancing around at his new surroundings the moment his vision cleared. He was in a dilapidated building of some kind, and it took a moment for him to realize what it was: an old clocktower. The assassin tried to move his arms, and was not surprised to see they were restrained behind his back, with meta-dampening cuffs. Wonderful, just wonderful.

He turned to his right upon hearing another groan, and saw Eddie Thawne, similarly restrained with his own pair of meta-dampening cuffs, coming to. When he finally saw Barry, he practically jolted wide awake. "Barry?"

"Eddie," Barry greeted him.

The detective looked around. "Where are we?"

"Old clocktower of some kind. Other than that, no clue."

"Where's Shelby?"

"Right here!"

A cascade of wind suddenly assaulted them both, along with some dust and dirt, forcing them to close their eyes. When they opened them again, they saw it was Shelby, eyes glowing scarlet, with crimson lightning dancing around him. Barry swallowed when he saw this.

"Didn't take you two long to wake up," he noted. "Unsurprising, you're both powerful metahumans."

"Who are you?" Barry demanded once again. "And how do you have those powers?" There was no way a second speedster could go this long unnoticed in Central. Not after all the precautions they put in the wake of Zoom's defeat.

Shelby shrugged, and smirked. "Because I gave them to myself. Many, many years from now."

A stone dropped in Barry's stomach. Time traveler.

"Ah, I see you've realized it, Barry. That's right — I'm a time traveler from the future. One that won't be born for many years."

"Is Aryton Shelby even your name?"

'Shelby' laughed. "No. It's just a random one I chose so I wouldn't draw too much attention. My first name isn't common in this time, and my last name… well. It's a bit famous in this time."

"Enlighten us, then."

The other speedster's smirk deepened. "Thawne. My real name is Eobard Thawne."

And it's finally out. The true identity of Eddie's therapist. I've been waiting for this reveal for so long, and I can't wait to hear all your reactions. And next chapter, Central City is about to get rocked again.

'Aryton Shelby', by the way, was just an alias I made up. I didn't want to use an actual fake name for Eobard Thawne because I didn't want anyone to cotton onto it too early. 'Aryton' is a misspelled version of the first name of the late race car driving legend Ayrton Senna de Silva, an idea I got from Okoriwadsworth a while ago. 'Shelby' is from Doctor Shelby, the anger management counselor that helped from the wrestling tag team known as Team Hell No back in 2012 — congrats Anakinflair, you guessed part of the name's origin correctly.

As for Argo, Kara and Kal get the lowdown on Yuda Kal, while Astra prepares to reunite with them with Hal's help. Meanwhile, in Star City, Ra's is revealed to be Thea's kidnapper, and for some reason he believes she is Malcolm's child, not Oliver. It will all make sense soon, trust me.

As always, feel free to make comments, flames will be ignored and deleted, and don't forget to update the TV Tropes page!