Melanie Queen, the oldest child of Moira Queen and Robert Queen, oldest sister of Oliver Queen and Thea Queen, an Avenger, a former member of the League of Assassins, the CEO of Queen Consolidated, and Steve Rogers's girlfriend.
Eleven years ago, Robert and Oliver went on a yacht trip to China, at the same time Melanie took a private jet flight to Tibet to learn Shaolin at Monk monastery. While flying over the Himalayan mountains, there was a freak unexpected blizzard and the plane crashed. Ra's Al Ghul watched from the mountain in fascination and intrigue as Melanie fought off (she learned Ninjitsu and Brazilian Jiujitsu from age nine to nineteen) five of his assassins that were trying to kill the unknown intruder. Ra's finally came down from the mountain after fifteen minutes of watching her knock his well trained men down.
"That is enough. All of you. Leave her," Ra's said to his men in a commanding yet dismissive tone as he got to the bottom. All three assassins (the other two were unconscious) got up, bowed, and went back into Nanda Parbat. Melanie was still holding the sword (she took it off of one of the unconscious ones) like she was prepared to use it despite her whole body shaking. Ra's looked at this young woman that couldn't be older than 22 (she was 21) looking at him with fear mixed with determination in her brown eyes.
"It's alright, little one. I won't harm you. I promise," He said while taking cautious steps towards her, knowing a scared person with a sword can be the most dangerous if approached incorrectly. He gently took the sword from her, pulled her into his coat, and walked her to the mountain.
"Let's get you inside. It's too cold out here for a woman like you to survive," He had said as he walked her into Nanda Parbat. He didn't mean 'for a woman like you' in a derogatory or condescending way, he meant it in a respected kind of way, because he respected her will to survive. "Where were you headed?" He asked her while sitting her down and ordering someone to get her a hot cup of tea.
"A monastery to learn Shaolin from a monk. But I guess I'm not getting there now," Melanie answered, tone slightly hysterical from all the trauma that just occurred to her. She sat there shaking in a warm blanket, watching everyone train around her.
"You're right, you won't. But I can teach you that and more right here if you'll let me," He said back as she watched her take the offered tea. Her eyes lit up at the offer, excited to still learn what she flew all this way to learn.
"Can you really," She asked excitedly. That ended up being day one of six years of training and being an assassin.
After five years on Lian Yu, Oliver was "rescued" and was happy to go home to his sisters. He got to the mansion, saw that but not Melanie.
"Where's Mel?" He asked Moira with forced hope, even though he had a feeling deep in his gut about what happened.
"Sweetie...the same day you and your father left on the yacht for China, she left on one of the private jets to Tibet for that training thing. There was a freak blizzard, and two days after all three of you went missing they found the jet crashed in pieces in the Himalayan mountains. There weren't any survivors," Moira answered, voice shaking and tears forming.
"So, Melanie is dead? My sister is gone," Oliver asked, voice shaking and cracking in a way he thought wasn't possible anymore, but that's what happens when you find out that one of your reasons for surviving hell has been dead this whole time. Obviously no one knew that Melanie wasn't dead, just a part of a secret society of Assassins.
"Yeah. She is. It wrecked all of us. But hey, at least I got my best friend back," Tommy Merlyn said from the doorway of the mansion, his eyes filled with tears and his tone filled with grief. Tommy and Melanie were seeing each other casually before she went to Tibet. It was basically just two players occasionally having sex with each other, but they loved each other deeply, they were even talking about potentially making it serious when she got home before she got on the jet.
"I wanna go home, Ra's," Melanie said six years after the crash, dressed completely in black like every other assassin there. She had become his best assassin and like a third daughter to him, so she knew he wouldn't say yes easily.
"Okay. You can go home," He said simply with a soft smile, standing up from his seat elegantly. Melanie furrowed her eyebrows.
"What's the catch," She asked him, not expecting him to agree that easily to let her go. He chuckled softly and walked towards her, pulling a sword off the wall and drawing his own. He tossed the second one at her.
"You've gotten smart, little one. The catch is, you have to beat me in a fight. One on one, just swords. But if I win, you stay. Are you up for the challenge?" He answered as she caught it, getting into a ready stance.
"Yeah. I'm up for it." After Melanie said that, the sword fight began. Both of them held their own, but a few minutes in, she got his sword away from him (he let her), got behind him, and pressed her sword to his throat and his own sword to his stomach.
"I guess you're going home," Ra's conceded, as if he didn't literally let her win so she could go home. "Since, you won, you will be taken to Starling City," He added as she released him.
"I don't wanna be taken back. Just let me go outside, back to the crash site. I wanna be found," She said as she handed the swords back to him. He took his and put it back on his hip, but pushed the other one back to her.
"Keep it. Consider it a parting gift." After saying that, Ra's helped her pack a few things in a duffle bag, sword included, mess up her hair (putting dirt and sand in it), and put on a raggedy outfit so she really looks like a woman that spent six years alone in the Himalayan mountains. Thirty minutes later, a group was hiking the mountains when one of them spotted a woman on her knees in the dirt, looking filthy, waving her arms at them.
"Help me! Please?!" Melanie cried out, playing the scared stranded victim perfectly. They called emergency services, and a rescue chopper came to get her. As she was lifted, she made eye contact with Ra's who was watching from the mountain. He gave her a loving smile and a nod of encouragement.
"My baby. You're really home," Moira sobbed as she saw Melanie in her room at Starling City general hospital. She quickly walked in and hugged her long lost daughter that she thought died six years ago.
"Hi, mom," Melanie sobbed back, the first real emotion she'd shown since the 'rescue'. Moira pulled her into the tightest hug imaginable, and they just sobbed together. Tommy and Melanie got back together shortly after he found out she was alive, him and Laurel Lance agreeing that Melanie couldn't know they were ever together because it would hurt her.
She found out anyways six months into being home (and becoming Shadow Reaper plus the CEO of Queen Consolidated) when she found out. She came home early from the office because she forgot a file, and saw them together on the couch, naked and having sex.
"Get out. Both of you. And Tommy, we're done. Obviously get dressed first," Melanie had said way too calmly, picking up Laurel's clothes off the floor and holding them out to her. She wasn't screaming or crying because she expected it, she knew that Tommy never truly changed for her, that he was still a playboy. After they both left, Melanie pulled out her phone and called a contact in New York to instruct him to reopen the Queen Consolidated branch in New York City, then called Nick Fury to tell him yes to his offer to join SHIELD.
That was five years ago, and she's thriving in Manhattan, with her second family and her soulmate.
