"Also..." Thea began, carefully considering her words.
Also what? Malcolm's mind was currently racing with potential leads: family trees, birth certificates, all sorts of records. He wished he could storm the national immigration archives and pull every file since the country's founding for review. Hearing her say "also," he assumed it was another clue and listened intently.
"You know I've met Talia, right? The information I got from her is that Ra's al Ghul's reasons for taking you in back then weren't exactly pure."
Thea certainly wasn't going to reveal she knew future events, so she conveniently placed the blame on Talia. Since Talia was hidden away in some remote mountain fortress, Malcolm wouldn't likely go seeking verification.
Hearing Ra's al Ghul's name, Malcolm's expression flickered unnaturally, but he forced a smile. "That sounds like Talia trying to use me to deflect trouble. She's afraid the Master will come after her, so she's trying to divert his attention. Humph, Thea, you've been fooled."
That's the trouble with villains, Thea thought. They assume everyone has ulterior motives, always overly suspicious. She decided to apply more pressure.
"People lose spouses every day. Why didn't Ra's al Ghul pick someone else? Why you specifically? Did he just like your face and decide to train you with all his resources, expecting nothing in return? Haven't you ever thought something was off about that?"
Her rapid-fire questions instantly breached Malcolm's mental defenses. Subconsciously, he hadn't felt anything was wrong, but Thea's words pierced his mind like sharp swords.
"Ah—" Malcolm felt a splitting headache as countless thoughts surged, fragmented memories constantly rearranging and shattering. Vast amounts of previously sealed recollections flooded his mind. Trembling, he gripped the desk with both hands to keep himself from falling.
What's happening? I just said it casually, why such a strong reaction? Thea was bewildered. She wanted to help, but had no idea what was going on and could only watch anxiously from the side.
A full half-hour passed before Malcolm's tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. He let out a long breath. "That old fiend... he tricked me!"
"Who?"
"Ra's al Ghul! He hypnotized me long ago. No wonder I never saw such obvious flaws." Malcolm angrily loosened his tie, gasping for breath.
Thea understood now. This was clearly something Ra's al Ghul had done years ago, similar to how she used magic to influence Kathryn, just with different methods – her magic versus whatever Ra's had employed.
"Do you remember what happened back then? How did you not notice anything for so many years?"
"I only remember being very wary at first. But his chambers were filled with incense... the scent was truly intoxicating... At some point, I just... relaxed, or perhaps automatically ignored certain anomalies. Damn it, that old snake! That treacherous old man!"
Malcolm struggled to correct his memories, speaking haltingly, constantly revising words he felt were inaccurate. When he finally mentioned Ra's al Ghul again, his lips trembled uncontrollably. He glared at the window as if it were the old master himself and unleashed a string of curses.
You're not just angry he manipulated you, Thea observed inwardly. You've spent half your life scheming, only to discover you were just a pawn in someone else's game all along. This is frustrated rage.
Having recently studied psychology related to her suggestion techniques, Thea could piece together Malcolm's mental state from the clues.
Ra's al Ghul's methods weren't hard to guess: likely drugs to induce relaxation combined with deep-seated mental conditioning. Truth serums in modern clinical use often work by inducing relaxation; it's just that intelligence agencies widely utilize them now. A man who'd lived for centuries surely possessed far more potent concoctions.
Thea waited for him to calm down somewhat. "Do you remember specifically what he did to you?"
Malcolm thought for a full five minutes before replying uncertainly, "There didn't seem to be anything special... except when I first arrived at Nanda Parbat. He handed me his sword and made me cut my palm to swear allegiance. At the time... I didn't know any martial arts, I just felt very dizzy. I always thought it was because I wasn't used to seeing blood... Could it be?!"
As Malcolm recalled more details, his eyes widened. Many clues he had previously ignored surfaced. Connecting the dots, his intelligence quickly revealed the problem.
He began pacing the office, piecing together numerous details. "That sword of his... apart from my initiation, he never drew it. He always used ordinary weapons for practice. I always assumed he valued me because of my billionaire status."
Thea let out a soft whistle. That sword sounds powerful. Hard to say if it's magical, but definitely not ordinary. In the original timeline, Thea herself was impaled by that very sword, drastically reducing her potential afterward. Maybe I should seek revenge for that?
But considering Ra's al Ghul's unfathomable power, she shook her head. That requires careful planning.
Malcolm had regained some of his usual composure. "Was my bloodline damaged... or stolen by him?" This was his most pressing concern now. Though he suspected the answer, he wanted confirmation from Thea.
Seeing how your future trajectory declines, the answer is obviously yes, Thea thought. But I can't say that directly. I still need to give him some hope.
"My unique talent allows me to summon a personal unicorn from a higher plane. Once the unicorn matures, I can merge with it, gaining access to many light-based attack spells and significant healing abilities. I don't know the exact effects yet, but it should be able to repair damage."
Thea's explanation was deliberately vague. Malcolm felt his worldview shattering throughout the evening. What is all this nonsense? Unicorns? Well, his worldview was already broken; a few more cracks wouldn't hurt. Mustering his courage, he asked, "Can you summon it for me to see?"
Can I summon it at night? Thea hadn't tried. With an experimental mindset, she attempted the summoning.
The little unicorn, usually appearing instantly, took a full five minutes before emerging in a puff of white smoke. Sensing the discomfort of the nighttime environment, it sent Thea an irritated signal.
Thea held it up towards Malcolm. Having spent considerable time campaigning with Moira recently, attending various public events and festivals, Thea had gotten plenty of sun. The little unicorn had grown quite a bit, no longer fitting in her palm. Feeling its displeasure, Thea had to cradle it gently like a baby.
Sensing another person nearby, the little unicorn poked its head out from Thea's arms and immediately spotted Malcolm standing not far away. "Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!" It unleashed a volley of spit right at Malcolm's darkening face.
Haha... Thea gave an awkward, dry laugh and quickly tried to soothe her magical companion. As Malcolm's face grew increasingly thunderous, she hastily sent the little unicorn back to its dimension.