Oliver, armed with the anonymous information, finally made a breakthrough in his investigation, identifying a small group of individuals with ties to their Lian Yu captors. He was preparing for a direct confrontation, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
Michael, however, saw a different opportunity. He approached Oliver with a carefully constructed narrative, revealing a small portion of his enhanced senses and his growing understanding of the symbols and methods of their enemies. He framed it as a lingering effect of the island, a heightened awareness he was only beginning to comprehend.
"Oliver," Michael began, his voice low and serious, "I've been… remembering things. Not just the torture, but… other details. I can… sense things now. Subtle shifts in the air, a tension in people's movements. And those symbols… they resonate with something inside me." He deliberately kept the magical nature of his abilities veiled.
Oliver listened with a mixture of skepticism and grudging curiosity. He had witnessed Michael's uncanny insights before and couldn't entirely dismiss his claims. "What are you saying, Michael?"
"I think they're more sophisticated than we realize," Michael replied. "Charging in blindly might be a mistake. Let me… observe. I might be able to see things you can't." He was subtly positioning himself as an asset, guiding Oliver towards a more strategic approach.
Reluctantly, Oliver agreed to let Michael investigate alongside him, unaware that Michael was not just observing, but actively manipulating events, subtly guiding their enemies into carefully laid traps using his enhanced senses and burgeoning understanding of their tactics. Their alliance was formed, built on a carefully constructed partial truth.