[ Mountains, Star City Outskirts ]
Although she was eager to learn Wing Chun, it was too late for that today. Even though Thea was now training independently, she knew better than to push things too far past their time.
"Master Shiva... Can I call you sister? I always feel like calling you master makes you sound old." Their battle earlier had pulled them closer, and now that the intensity had faded, Thea finally had the chance to notice Lady Shiva's graceful form and perfectly proportioned figure. Unlike the bulk of muscular men, this was a beauty that Thea genuinely envied.
Lady Shiva was well aware of the girl's attempt to get closer but didn't mind. "It's up to you. It's just a name anyway."
"Sister, can I develop abdominal muscles like yours?" Thea asked, brushing Lady Shiva's smooth belly with her curious fingers. It was firm, soft, and held so much strength. "So beautiful!"
Lady Shiva felt slightly off-kilter when Thea's fingers brushed against her, but she quickly buried the feeling and replied coolly, "Practice slowly, little girl."
After putting on their coats, the two slowly made their way out of the valley, casually agreeing to resume training tomorrow.
Thea had turned sixteen just last month and had finally secured her driver's license. She hadn't chosen a personal car yet, so she simply picked a Ford from Merlyn Global's vehicle pool for transportation.
As she drove back towards her base, Thea's sharpened senses picked up every irritating sound along the way. The cacophony of the city was overwhelming. No wonder Lady Shiva preferred deep forests and mountains—the chaos truly interfered with perception. Maybe I need to invent some kind of noise-filtering earmuffs, she mused.
...
[ Queen Consolidated's Software Division, Star City ]
She guided the car smoothly into what used to be an old factory and now served as the software division. From a distance, she could see a familiar face waving at her. "Hey, Thea, come here!"
"What's wrong, Felicity?"
"Good news! The facial recognition software is finally ready!" Felicity was practically glowing. The past few days had drained her. While building and upgrading software could be thrilling, reverse-engineering a high-end version into something simpler had been mind-numbingly boring. This breakthrough was a huge relief, and it meant she could finally return to working on brainwave acquisition code.
"It's good news for you, but not for me. I'm exhausted and starving. Bring me a Big Baileys burger. I'll take care of everything else after I wake up!" Thea groaned, already thinking about the press coordination, police notifications, and venue arrangements that would follow. Too much work!
Everything was spinning. Her vision doubled for a moment. She muttered something nonsensical to distract Felicity, shut the office door, and collapsed on the guest sofa.
...
The nap was glorious. The world outside bustled, but in her private haven, Thea Queen drifted in warm dreams. When she finally woke up, the sun had tilted westward, the cottage of her thoughts brimming with spring water and serenity. She munched a few bites of the burger with plain water. No soda—her dream of perfect abs wouldn't allow it.
It was nearly lunchtime when she and Felicity headed to the police station. Strategically, she picked that time so the officers would be in a good mood. Nothing strengthened relationships like food.
...
[ Police Station HQ, Star City ]
Upon arrival, she found Detective Lance waiting for his lunch box. "You old man," she thought fondly. Every single person at the station had been spoiled by Ciara's catering. The Queen Consolidated budget covered everything. Whether the drinking affected afternoon productivity wasn't her concern.
During the meal, Thea pitched the idea of creating a special protection fund for on-duty officers. It would grant monthly subsidies based on years of service. Too much focus was always on fallen officers, but Thea knew—the living needed support the most.
Despite the many flaws in American policing—gang ties, systemic racism—the reality was grim. The prevalence of guns made every shift a gamble. It wasn't rare for someone to head to work cheerfully in the morning and return in a box that night.
Officers who stuck around did so out of sheer conviction. Especially in a world of meta-humans and villainous aliens, law enforcement had become the most dangerous job imaginable.
Citizens rarely understood why anyone would choose such a risky path. Many blamed the chaos in the city on police incompetence. Some took matters into their own hands and sought justice through powers or training—but too often, idealists were corrupted. The pendulum swung too far, and good intentions decayed into extremism. The city darkened further.
Detective Lance had spent two decades in the police force, witnessing countless young officers who had once vowed to fight crime eventually fall into the very underworld they swore to oppose, their ideals corroded by temptation or despair. Yet despite all he had seen, his own influence remained limited, unable to spark meaningful change. That was why, regardless of Thea's true intentions, her ability to shift the current state of the police force stirred something deep within him. It moved him.
Both parties left satisfied. No one actually kneeled in gratitude, but Thea was pretty sure that even if she got caught speeding, she'd be let off with a smile in Star City now.
Back at the station, Felicity and the tech team finished installing the facial recognition software. Within ten minutes, the cross-comparison algorithms flagged two fugitives who had long evaded capture. Their faces had changed, but their bone structure and micro-expressions hadn't.
The arrests were made almost immediately. The station was stunned. Normally, tracking people like that would've taken weeks.
The usually elusive Lieutenant suddenly emerged from seemingly nowhere and openly praised the Quinn Consolidated's recent initiative, regarding it as yet another strong testament to police-civilian cooperation. He promised to bring top brass to the signing ceremony. The media would be notified—and the Quinn Group would be responsible for that part.
...
After leaving the station, Thea turned to Felicity. "Know anyone in the media?"
Felicity blinked. "I'm a hacker, not a socialite. Sure, I've hacked their computers—changed speeches, crashed live broadcasts—but I've never met one in person."
Upon learning that Thea planned to meet some media personnel, Felicity made a quick excuse, declared herself unqualified, and bolted.
Abandoned by her tech comrade, Thea was left to figure things out alone. She could've asked Moira or Malcolm for help, but it didn't feel worth cashing in a favor. Not for this.
Flipping through her contacts, Thea sighed. Her social circle was painfully small. In the end, she had to call Tommy to the café nearby her.
She still didn't know if Malcolm had told him the truth about her parentage. Were they still friends? Siblings? Could her being an illegitimate daughter impact Tommy's standing as the legitimate heir?
In the past, Tommy would've rushed over the moment the phone rang. But this time? He took an hour. Just as Thea started to worry he was done with her, Tommy finally arrived—sunglasses on, cane in hand, striding toward her like a casually dashing Daredevil.
To Be Continued...
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[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]