One Month Later
Mike woke up on Sunday and followed his usual routine. Not much had happened that month. He had been suspended from school for a month due to his involvement in the fight.
He used the time to build a smartphone from scrap. A thought crossed his mind: If smartphones don't exist yet, then I'll invent them myself—and profit from it.
He spent money he earned from selling scrap-built devices, started coding on his laptop, and taught himself hacking. These were just ideas for now—but he knew he would succeed.
Monday Morning
When Mike entered the classroom, several students looked at him with respect. He sat next to Tommy.
"Mike!" Tommy said excitedly. "This month was awful without you. I told everyone what happened—you're kind of a hero now."
Mike stared at him."I told you, it wasn't a big deal."
Laurel leaned in from behind."Oh yes, it was. You're the class hero. Even the teachers were praising you."
Mike smiled awkwardly."I'm just glad to be back. What did I miss?"
Tommy grinned and pulled another student closer."Mike, this is Oliver Queen. He transferred from another class to replace Derek."
Oliver examined Mike."I heard you saved Laurel. You must train a lot. I hope we become good friends."
Mike shook his hand."Looks like something good came from Derek's actions. Nice to meet you—call me Mike. I'll call you Oli."
"Sounds good," Oliver said.
Laurel handed Mike her notebook."I prepared everything so you don't fall behind."
Mike smiled warmly."You didn't have to. Thank you."
More students approached him throughout the day. Mike had become popular.
Two Years Later – March 1994
Mike, Oliver, Tommy, and Laurel had grown close. Laurel wanted Mike to become class representative due to his grades, but he always declined—knowing she wanted it. She eventually got the position.
Mike had learned to feel happiness again. Privately, he built laptops, smartphones, and computers—dreaming of mass production. He lacked capital, but his skills in programming, hacking, and even AI development grew rapidly. He also began learning Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.
Then tragedy struck.
Tommy's mother, Rebecca Merlyn, had died. Today was the funeral.
Mike – POV
He sat in a limousine with Oliver and Laurel, provided by Oliver's family.
This is the first time I'm meeting Oliver's and Tommy's families. After everything, I'm certain we're in the Arrowverse. No Clark Kent, no Kara Danvers, no Lex Luthor—this must be Earth-38.
They arrived dressed in black.
Oliver hugged Tommy first. Laurel and Mike followed.
Malcolm Merlyn looked down at them."You must be Tommy's friends. Thank you for being here."
Mike bowed his head slightly."My condolences. Losing your wife must be incredibly hard."
Malcolm nodded gratefully.
After the funeral, Tommy turned to Mike.
"Mike… you always have answers. Why did my mother die? What's the meaning of life? Why cry if she won't come back?"
Mike placed a hand on Tommy's chest."When does a person truly die?"
"When their heart stops," Tommy answered.
"No," Mike said softly. "A person dies only when they're forgotten. As long as you carry your mother in your heart, she lives on. It's your responsibility to keep her legacy alive."
Tommy whispered,"Then what is the meaning of life?"
Mike answered,"Everyone has their own meaning—success, money, power. But none of it matters without family. Life has meaning as long as there's someone you live for."
Malcolm and Robert Queen stood stunned.
Malcolm finally spoke."You're remarkable for your age. Tell me—why does man take another's life?"
Mike met his gaze."Humans have the greatest potential of all species… and yet we discard our reason and act on instinct. That's why crimes like murder exist."
Malcolm smiled faintly and handed Mike a coin."For your words."
Mike nodded and said quietly,"Thank you… Al-Saheer."
Malcolm looked at him with curiosity."And what does that mean?"
Mike couldn't help but smile."It means 'The Magician'. You're quite good at it."
Malcolm chuckled softly, clearly amused, then turned and walked back toward the others.
Laurel had been watching Mike the entire time, but she held back her question. Oliver did the same.
Later, everyone was taken home.
That evening, as Oliver sat with his parents at home, he finally spoke up.
"Dad… Mom, I have a question. How does Mike know all these things? We're the same age."
Moira looked surprised. It was rare for Oliver to ask such questions. She hadn't witnessed what had happened at the funeral, having been busy with company matters.
Robert, however, answered calmly,"Oli, you shouldn't worry too much about that. But if you really want to know… it's likely that Mike has experienced a lot of sadness in his life. That's usually why someone seems so mature at such a young age."
Oliver felt a pang of sympathy for his friend.If he knows so much, he thought, it must be because he's suffered a lot.
Laurel received a similar answer when she asked at home.
Some time later, Malcolm Merlyn traveled to Nanda Parbat, seeking out the League of Assassins.
As he entered the sacred grounds, he saw a young girl engaged in combat. She moved with deadly grace. She turned toward him and said calmly,
"I am Nyssa al Ghul, daughter of the Demon."
"I'm not here to fight you," Malcolm replied.
"There is no other reason to be here," Nyssa said coldly. "Why shouldn't I kill you?"
Malcolm performed a small trick—one he had used before—and produced a coin seemingly out of nowhere.
Nyssa's eyes narrowed slightly."Al-Saheer."
Malcolm blinked in surprise."The Magician?"
She studied him closely."It seems you speak Arabic."
Malcolm frowned slightly and shook his head."No… but it's not the first time I've been called that."