Oliver Queen stood ready in his Green Arrow suit, bow and arrows slung across his back, green paint accentuating his eyes. He looked every bit the vigilante, but there was a hint of nervous excitement as he glanced at Su Zhan, who was also holding a bow for comparison.
"Let's go back, and you can teach me archery sometime," Su Zhan suggested with a grin.
Oliver gave him a look halfway between exasperation and amusement. "With your abilities, do you really need a bow and arrow?"
Su Zhan laughed. "It just looks cool! Sometimes, it's all about style."
Oliver shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. There was something about Su Zhan's easy confidence that made it hard to stay annoyed, even when he made light of things that Oliver took seriously.
"Let's go," Oliver said, and with that, Su Zhan enveloped him in a field of energy. The two of them soared out into the night, heading straight for the port terminal.
At the docks, Somers was frantically packing, shoving documents and cash into a bag. Sweat beaded on his brow as he barked into his walkie-talkie, "Is the boat ready, Wallace? Wallace, do you copy?"
Only static answered him. Somers's unease grew, and he tried again, but still nothing.
Suddenly, a distorted voice crackled over the radio. "Wallace isn't here, but I am."
Somers froze. He recognized the voice instantly: Arrow.
"Move! We need to get out of here now!" Somers barked at his men, panic rising in his chest.
"But boss, we've got at least a dozen people outside," one of his henchmen protested.
Somers shook his head. "It's not enough!"
An arrow whistled through the air, dropping a guard before anyone could react. Oliver moved quickly, nocking another arrow and firing again, taking down another gunman.
Gunshots rang out, but Su Zhan was already moving. He conjured a massive green shield, blocking the bullets that flew toward Oliver. One of the gunmen stared in disbelief as his shots bounced harmlessly off the shimmering barrier.
"Thanks!" Oliver called out, not taking his eyes off his targets.
Su Zhan grinned. The shield surged forward, knocking the gunman off his feet and sending him sprawling.
The dock was chaos. Gunfire echoed, men shouted, and the darkness provided plenty of cover for anyone hoping to take a cheap shot. Most of Somers's men were ordinary thugs, no match for either Arrow or Green Lantern. Su Zhan let Oliver handle most of the fighting, only stepping in to block bullets or disarm a particularly bold attacker.
Soon, the dock was littered with unconscious henchmen. Oliver spotted Somers making a run for it, ducking between shipping containers and heading for the water.
"Damn it!" Oliver muttered, sprinting after him. He fired several arrows, but Somers was quick and knew the terrain. Each shot missed by a hair, and Somers kept running.
Su Zhan appeared at Oliver's side, floating effortlessly. "Leave him to me. The police are on their way—you should get out of here."
Oliver hesitated, frustration clear on his face, but the sound of sirens in the distance convinced him. "Alright. I'm counting on you."
He melted into the shadows, disappearing just as police cars screeched to a halt nearby.
Somers, meanwhile, was running for his life, glancing over his shoulder for any sign of Arrow. He could see his boat just ahead. If he could reach it, he might escape.
He rounded a corner and stopped dead. Su Zhan was standing there, arms folded, waiting calmly.
Somers tried to bolt in another direction, but a dark green energy rope snapped out, wrapping around him and lifting him off the ground.
"You—" Somers started, but Su Zhan cut him off with a series of sharp slaps. Somers's head spun, his face swelling with each blow.
"Look at me," Su Zhan commanded, pulling out his phone and activating the recording function. His voice was cold and commanding. Even through the pain, Somers's eyes snapped up, meeting Su Zhan's gaze.
For a moment, Somers felt himself falling, as if his soul was being pulled from his body. When Su Zhan was satisfied, he ended the recording and released the energy rope. Somers collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Don't move!" A voice barked from behind. Su Zhan turned to see Quentin Lance, Laurel's father, gun drawn and aimed squarely at him.
"You're the Green Lantern, aren't you? I'm grateful you saved my daughter, but I need you to come to the station with me," Lance said, his tone stern.
Su Zhan shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I have no intention of hiding my identity, but I don't want to waste time either. I've helped you, and now I'm leaving. He began to rise into the air. Lance panicked and fired his gun. The bullets struck the energy shield around Su Zhan and bounced away harmlessly.
Su Zhan paused, giving the officer a cold look. He had not expected Lance to shoot at him, especially after saving his daughter and helping catch Somers. The gesture stung, but he let it go, disappearing into the night sky.
Lance lowered his gun, sweat running down his back. He realized just how close he had come to provoking someone far beyond his understanding.
After leaving the dock, Su Zhan quickly found Oliver, who was waiting anxiously nearby.
"Did you get him?" Oliver asked.
Su Zhan nodded. "Somers is in police custody."
Oliver let out a sigh of relief, then frowned. "Even with him caught, I'm not sure there's enough evidence."
Su Zhan grinned. "Don't worry. I took care of it. Just wait for the good news."
Oliver relaxed, trusting that Su Zhan had everything under control. As they parted ways, Su Zhan received another system notification: friendship with Oliver Queen had increased by five percent. It was a little less than he'd hoped, but there was still time to strengthen their bond before he left this world.
Returning to the hotel, Su Zhan found Carol Ferris waiting for him. He recounted the night's events, and she listened with rapt attention, pride shining in her eyes.
"You really are my hero," she said, hugging him tightly.
"Dear, I need to tell you something, but promise you won't be upset," Carol said, her voice soft and apologetic.
Su Zhan smiled. "What is it? Just tell me."
"I… I might need to leave for a while. Something urgent came up at the company, and I have to go back and handle it," she explained, looking genuinely sorry.
Su Zhan laughed. "Is that all? I was wondering what it could be. If it's an emergency, you should go. I'll be leaving in a few days myself, so it's not a big deal. I'll take you back—it'll be faster than flying commercial."
Carol hesitated, then whispered, "Actually… before I go, maybe we could do something special together?"
Su Zhan grinned, pulling her close. "Are you sure? If we start now, you might not be able to leave tonight."
Carol laughed, and the two of them disappeared into the night, savoring their last moments together before duty called them both away.