Chapter 10: Vertigo and a Sidekick's Struggle
The new year in Starling City was off to a terrible start. A new drug, "Vertigo," was on the streets, and it was causing hallucinations and death. Adam, with his meta-knowledge, knew this was going to be a rough one. He knew about Thea's involvement, about The Count, and about the sheer chaos that was about to unfold.
"A drug called Vertigo? In a city with a lot of tall buildings? The metaphors are so obvious they're almost insulting. It's like a writer's room meeting where they said, 'What's the most dramatic drug we can create? How about one that makes you dizzy and fall off a building?' And everyone just said, 'Yeah, that's great.'"
The mission, as Guido so eloquently put it, was to save Thea Queen from a self-destructive path. A path that was going to lead her straight to a drug dealer named The Count. A guy who was, to put it mildly, a little unhinged.
[Mission: Save Thea Queen from a self-destructive path.]
Adam sighed. "Guido, I'm going to need more than that. I'm going to need a lot more than that. I can't just wave my magic wand and make her not be a teenager. That's impossible. I'm going to need to be a little more… Stiels-like."
He knew he couldn't just walk up to Thea and tell her to stop. That would just make her more rebellious. He had to be subtle. He had to be a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A sarcastic, chaotic, and very-much-not-a-hero protector.
He found Thea at Verdant, the club she owned with her friends. She was looking tired, stressed, and a little lost. Adam sat down next to her, a casual smile on his face.
"Hey, Thea," he said, his voice low. "You look like you need a hug. Or a new therapist. Or both."
Thea just sighed. "I'm fine, Adam. I'm just… stressed."
"Yeah, I get it," Adam said, nodding. "Being a teenager is tough. Being a Queen teenager is probably even tougher. You're dealing with a lot. A lot of drama. A lot of secrets. A lot of… vertigo."
Thea's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"I'm a PI," Adam said, shrugging. "It's my job to know things. But I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to tell you that there's a better way. There's always a better way. You don't have to deal with this alone. You have a family. You have friends. You have a sarcastic guy who knows way too much about your life. We're all here for you."
He used his D-Rank Logic Gu and his B-Rank Mind Gu. He wasn't controlling her mind, just nudging her thoughts, a little whisper in the back of her head. He made her think about the dangers of the drug, about the people who had died from it, about the future she had ahead of her. He made her think about a different path, a better path.
He didn't just stop there. He used his Mind Gu to subtly guide Oliver and the team. He made them think about The Count, about his hideout, about his plan. He made them think about a way to stop him without resorting to violence. A way to save Thea, and the city, from a dangerous and terrifying drug.
When The Count was finally apprehended, Adam felt a sense of relief. He had saved Thea. He had saved the city. He had done it with his mind, his magic bugs, and his signature sarcasm.
He looked at his mental screen. It was a good day. A very good day.
[Mission Complete. Thea Queen Saved.]
[Reward: C-Rank Illusion Gu and 1,000 Coins.]
[Gu Acquired: C-Rank Illusion Gu.]
[Coins Acquired: 1,000.]
He felt a new buzzing sensation in his mind, a feeling of creativity, of imagination. The Illusion Gu. A Gu that could create illusions, that could manipulate perception, that could make him a master of misdirection. A sarcastic, pop-culture-obsessed master of misdirection.
"An Illusion Gu. This is going to be so much fun. I can finally create a hologram of myself making a sarcastic comment. Or a hologram of a salmon ladder that actually works. The possibilities are endless. I'm a wizard now. A very, very sarcastic wizard. It's a good look for me."
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