[ Merlyn Mansion, Star City ]
Malcolm thought quickly, "It was a dark day, and I was found by a woman. She wore a long windbreaker, had flowing black hair, and carried a long sword in her hand, and then..."
Thea listened with a bemused expression. The first half clearly described Lady Shiva, didn't it? Dad, you really know how to sell a story. When Tommy wasn't looking, she gave Malcolm a subtle thumbs-up, as if to say, You've got talent.
Malcolm, despite feeling wronged, held his ground. Fearing more awkward questions might follow, he feigned dizziness and quickly ushered them both out.
Since he wasn't willing to tell the truth, there was nothing they could do. Thea said her goodbyes to Tommy and turned to handle the media outreach.
Things went off without a hitch. The combined influence of the Queen and Merlyn families opened every door. Every outlet that received the invitation responded enthusiastically, eager to be part of a major civic event.
...
[ Star City Police Department HQ, Star City ]
Three days later, the Star City Police Department and Queen Consolidated officially held a joint signing and donation ceremony. Thea, of course, wasn't the center of attention this time—after all, Moira was still the company's president.
Thea had briefly told her mother about the police funding plans, and neither of them made a big deal about it. Compared to the political goodwill they would gain, the money involved was negligible.
As Moira stood on stage, praising the police force's sacrifices and envisioning a brighter future for Star City, Thea had to admit—her mother was a natural politician. Empty as her words were, they somehow stirred emotion and hope. If Moira ever ran for office, today's performance would be a brilliant start.
Not wanting to upstage her mother, Thea dressed down: a simple T-shirt, jeans, canvas sneakers, and her long hair pulled into a casual ponytail.
Felicity was seated beside her, clearly unimpressed by the political fanfare. She was only here because she had nothing better to do. The two of them whispered back and forth throughout the event.
From a distance, they looked like two friends chatting about gossip. The scene was light and sweet. But if one happened to catch snippets of their conversation, jaws would drop.
"Haven't you solved the missile problem yet? Flying fast is pointless if there are no weapons onboard."
"I'm worried about it too, but it's really difficult. To access the weapons, three people have to sign off, and the combination lock changes every day. It's genuinely hard to bypass—ugh, it's a nightmare."
"I can hack the locks and overwrite the protocol. By the way, your code sucks... don't glare at me, I'm just being honest. You'll still need to handle the final authorization."
"Fine. Let's finish the hoverboard build first. I'll knock over a few gang dens—they should have some thermal toys. Probably no missiles, but hey, never know."
"Sounds fun! But how do you plan to handle the gang members?" Felicity asked, miming a fist. "They won't exactly hand you their stash."
"I have arrows. Trust me, a pistol's only accurate up to fifty meters. My arrows? Quiet, accurate, and double the range."
"Flying through the sky, robbing thugs? Girl, you're like a stealthy Robin Hood!" Felicity's eyes gleamed with excitement, already imagining the upgrades.
Meanwhile, the ceremony continued. Moira, intent on expanding her influence, had brought nearly all the key figures of the city with her. Concerned for their safety, the police commissioner pulled all units back to HQ for full security. Though Detective Lance had some objections, he eventually relented.
Just as Moira wrapped up her speech and signaled the dinner service, a sharp "click" echoed through the hall. The main lights went out. More clicks followed as emergency lighting failed. Darkness swallowed the room.
"What the—? John! Stay close!"
"Where are you, honey?"
"Officer, someone stole my purse!"
Chaos erupted. The scene was straight out of a heist movie. Clearly, this wasn't an accident. But Thea was stunned—someone dared to cause a disturbance in a room filled with over a thousand police officers?
She and Felicity had chosen a back corner, assuming they'd avoid trouble. She whispered a quick warning to Felicity to be careful, then closed her eyes and focused, locking onto her mother's location. Without hesitation, she dashed through the dark.
"Follow me," she told Moira as she grabbed her arm. But the crowd was dense and panicked. It took several minutes to move just a couple of meters.
Just as Thea was about to throw diplomacy out the window and start shoving people aside, her senses flared. A figure was approaching fast—targeting Moira's handbag?
Oh, no you don't. Someone was robbing her mother right in front of her? Not happening.
With one hand, she pushed Moira behind her. "Stay back."
"Be careful," Moira whispered. She didn't dare shout her daughter's name in front of thief, wary of retaliation from the thief. Even under threat, she stayed calm—Moira Queen had faced worse in her time.
It was too dark to count enemies. Thea decided to strike first and fast. She lunged toward the figure.
As she got close, she noticed faint red lights blinking from the figure's face. Infrared equipment. No wonder they found their target so easily. This isn't some street thief—it's a high-tech pro.
Thea loathed this thief for ruining the plans she had meticulously arranged over the past few days, and without hesitation, she drove a punch into their chest. Though the thief was equipped with infrared gear, they couldn't clearly distinguish who was who. They only sensed that the figure before them didn't match the woman that was their target, so they dismissed the threat and deflected her fist to the left.
But it was a trap. That punch had been a feint. Using the momentum, she launched a spinning kick.
"What the hell?" The thief hadn't expected resistance, let alone skill. Still, they weren't just anyone. With practiced agility, they dodged and tried to snatch Moira's bag.
Not happening. Training with Lady Shiva hadn't just improved Thea's fighting—it had sharpened her awareness. Blocking out the panicked crowd, she tuned in to her opponent, matching their movements with precision.
The chaos around them made it hard to use fancy legwork, so she stuck to close-quarters combat: throws, strikes, classic martial arts. She wasn't trying to win—just stall until the lights came back on. And there would be 1,500 angry police officers waiting for the thief.
The attacker realized this too. They'd failed to complete their job cleanly. Now it was all about escape. But first, they had to neutralize this fighter.
They dropped the restraint. Time for an all-out fight.
To Be Continued...
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[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]