12 Despicable.

Several hours later, Malcolm Merlyn was pulling into the driveway of the Queen estate. He didn't bother driving close up to the front door. Instead he parked several meters away from the gate and exited his vehicle impatiently. Just as he was about to march towards the front doors, he paused and looked up as he sensed movement.

In the window on the second floor, he saw the shape of his daughter. She was pulling on a blue pea coat of navy-coloured heavy wool, on top of a black tank top. When she noticed him down below, she pulled the window and the curtain closed.

He stood there for a few moments, then looked to the front door as he could hear Moira shouting at her. Telling her that she can't leave and that dinner was almost ready. That didn't seem to phase her at all, as he watched her open the front door and walk outside. Slamming the foyer door shut behind her.

"Hi Malcolm, bye Malcolm," Thea shoved passed the man, or at least attempted to until he grabbed a hold of her arm and stopped her in mid stride as she tried to storm onward. "What do you want!?" She almost immediately snapped at him, clearly her anger was towards him, not her mother.

"You're my Daughter..." Originally he had come here to talk with Moira, to confront her about not telling him. In his eyes were sympathy and compassion. It was clear he loved her simply for the fact that she was his. Even without the loss of Tommy, he was a family man and he had murdered his daughter's parental father.

Thea stiffened as he had said this the way he did. She knew that what Caden had said to the police captain was going to bring him here to her. "You took two beloved people away from me," She shook her head. "You're a murderer, a liar, a thief, a coward and conspiring to commit terrorism. Why would I accept you as my father?"

All of these accusations, these truths, stabbed him several times with metaphorical arrows which felt more real than anything else.

She knew almost everything that he had done and planned to do. She was not only a liability, but she was threat to everything he had ever planned.

"You killed the man who raised me, nurtured me. Gave me a world to smile for. You took my big brother away from me... The people Idealized... You filled the empty graves in my backyard." Thea's teeth clenched together as she pulled herself away from him.

Security was lax, no one else was outside.

"Thea... I'm sorry, if I had known I wouldn't have..."

"Wouldn't have what!?" Her voice cracked as she stomped up to him, shoving him back freely as he allowed himself to stumble. He wouldn't hurt her no matter what she did to him, unless she tried to kill him. "You wouldn't have planted the plastic explosives on the boat after Frank Chen told you about my dad's expedition to China!?" Thea planted a clumsy punch on his chest, unlike the shove it didn't make him move an inch, it hurt her more than it hurt him.

Watching as she retracted her hand in pain, holding her wrist, Merlyn just stood there looking at his daughter. Marveling at how she looked so much like him, and thinking how much of an idiot he was for not noticing this before.

All it had taken was a suggestion supplied to the police Captain to give to Malcolm and he knew it was fact. She was definitely his daughter.

"Where did you learn all of this?" Malcolm discretely worried for her clumsy injury to the hand, planted his hand on his chin, wiping his face.

It was as if she was glaring knives through him, hatred and devastation that someone so close had committed such an atrocity and got away with it. "Caden Price, my boyfriend." Caden had made it clear to Thea that he didn't fear the former member from the League of Assassins and that she shouldn't either.

Malcolm's face became impassive, "The one who claims to have been stabbed in the back of the head...? You're taking him seriou–" He paused seeing her expression, as if anything he said would be used against him rather than be used to turn her against Caden. "He was the one who told the Captain," he sighed in realization, palming his face.

"Uh-huh," Her eye twitched slightly as her eyes flicked over to the gate and then back to him. "Give me a lift to Jade Dragon." She immediately changed her tempo, "I'm late for a date and it's your fault."

Malcolm stared at her for a few moments, not understanding how she went to accusing him of killing her father and brother, to demanding a ride. He cocked his head to the side as he loomed over her petite person. "You're not afraid of me," he disclosed a knife from his jacket pocket and flipped it open. "Hypothetically I could cut your throat and leave you in a ditch."

"Caden told me you wouldn't try to harm me, and that you can't harm me even if you did." She stated with her arms now crossed, gripping at her coat. "He said you're more inclined to protect me than to kill or maim me."

Malcolm swallowed slowly as he heard this, rather serious, but surprised by this impasse. "Just how much does he know about me?"

"As much as he hinted to you at the Pizzeria, apparently he was hiding 'code' in casual talk." Thea said as she yawned involuntarily, before snapping her sights on his car. "It's going to rain again soon," she rolled her fingers along her bicep impatiently as she was standing mere meters from a large puddle.

From what she had just said, apparently her boyfriend knew everything about him. This meant he had more questions, so going to Jade Dragon's Restaurant didn't sound too bad. Throwing his hands up in what appeared to be defeat, he gestured towards the car as he began to walk away.

Thea walked over and got into the back of the car as he went to open the passenger side. As she did so, he closed the door and walked over to the drivers side before slipping in.

They took the short route from their little wooded area all the way over to the Core City where the restaurant was located. It was a silent ride, neither of them spoke. Thea kept her eyes outside, but Malcolm kept glancing back at her through the rear view mirror. They shared a similar solemn expression... Malcolm was kept loosening and tightening his grip on the wheel, the idea of his own blood being against him because of his own machinations, it didn't sit well. He could never bring Robert or his son Oliver back, even though unknowingst to him he was still alive.

Within the hour he pulled the car up into the parking lot near the restaurant and they both got out.

Thea paused slightly about half way across the lot noticing that he was following. "What part of Date don't you get? Your not my father, piss off." She said coldly as she scrunched up her lips and harshly turned away as she'd march quickly towards the restaurant.

"I have a question for your dear Caden," Malcolm stated as he walked up beside her as she began to stride for the front door of the restaurant. Within minutes they entered and directed to the table.

As they entered the seating area, Thea gazed over the floral silk-like fabric which covered the tables. There were dark wood chairs with soft cushions. It was a grand place for a date.

The waitress lead her over to a two seated table with none other than Caden himself as an occupant of one of the seats. Thea quickly sat down as Malcolm stood beside the table.

"We'll order in a bit," Caden said in Mandarin as he looked over at the Waitress was rather confused about the arrangement that was going on at the moment. She simply nodded and left after leaving the menus on the table.

"Since you're dating my Daughter," Malcolm began only to be interrupted by Thea.

"You're not my dad, prick." Her voice cracked again due to the amount of emotional pressure she was putting it under. "GeT oUt NoW..."

Malcolm looked over at her for a few seconds before turning back towards Caden who was looking at him with a point blank dead expression. "Who killed my wife?" This was a test to know how much he knew. If he gave a name, then it was likely he knew too much, but it was clear the boy didn't fear him. He wanted to know why, but he needed to figure out a way to do so.

"Danny Brickwell, you killed the wrong man in retribution, Arthur King." When the boy had given him this answer and addressed him with his birth name, Caden noticed Malcolm tense up and stare down at him.

Malcolm was rather surprised that someone would even know his birth name as Arthur King which he hadn't used since his membership with the Hidden and the Airforce. "Why did he kill her?"

"Gang Initiation rite. Now if you don't want me to spoil the Game of Thrones: A Dance with Dragons, coming out next year, it's best that you leave now." Caden grinned deviously as Malcolm took a step back hearing the threat. It was unorthodox, and it wasn't even violent. He threatened to spoil a piece of popular literacy that hadn't even come out yet.

Malcolm gave the boy a blank smile, then turned away as he patted Thea's shoulder roughly. "Your boyfriend is a monster," he said with a snarky tone.

"Oh, I know~" Thea chimed as she shrugged off his hand as he made his way out.

Though when she had agreed with what he said, he felt as if she was agreeing with the literal sense that he was a Monster. Just as he was about to exit the building, he turned his head and looked at Caden.

Caden who had been looking at the menu, glanced up at Malcolm, his pupils turning to draconic slits and glowing with bright blue-green accented vapor leaving his eyes. Then when showed his teeth with a smile, he revealed the sharp dragon-like fangs.

Malcolm slowly turned his head forward as he muttered, "Huh... He really is a monster," and took several strides out the door with wide eyes as he made his way towards his car in the lot across the street.