In the days that followed, Moira Queen began making regular appearances across newspapers and radio broadcasts. One day she was discussing the city's long-term urban development plans; the next, she was lauding recent police efforts to seize illicit substances and crack down on gang violence. For a moment, it felt like Moira was becoming the new star of Star City.
Thea Queen wasn't particularly surprised by her mother's sudden political fervor. Some people were simply born for the arena of public service. For years, Moira's talents had been buried under the responsibilities of business and personal tragedy. But now that opportunity had knocked, she was soaring.
In her previous life, Thea had often heard people say that President George W. Bush had a low IQ and was a mediocre student. While it was true his academic performance wasn't stellar, what impressed her was something else entirely—while at Yale, he managed to get to know nearly a third of the student body. He could recall not just names, but hobbies and quirks as well. That, Thea thought, was real ability. In the real world, most people consider themselves well-connected if they know a few hundred individuals. But that kind of social memory? That was a power of its own.
Moira's newfound drive, however, came with complications—especially in her relationship with Walter Steele. She was now so busy she barely had time for her daughter, let alone a boyfriend. Thea didn't mind this development. Walter was a good man, no doubt, but marrying him would mean Thea officially gained a stepfather. She just wasn't ready for that. Lovers were fine. Let it stay that way.
After finishing an exclusive media interview one evening, Moira returned home physically drained but mentally exhilarated. She had finally come to terms with the fact that business was not her calling. A few trusted employees had even subtly encouraged her to step away from Queen Consolidated and enter politics full-time.
She wanted to consult her family about her decision to enter politics. Of course, in her heart, the term "family" only included one and a half people—Thea counted as one, and Walter, well, he counted as half.
So she brought up the topic that night while lying in bed beside her daughter.
"Thea, you've been working behind the scenes for a while, but suddenly it's your mom on every screen. You're not mad at me, are you?" she asked softly.
Thea smiled. "How could I be? If it were me up there, I would've messed things up ten times over. You deserve at least ninety percent of the credit for everything that's happened."
It was true. Thea had made a few strategic phone calls, but the real execution—and the real charisma—had been Moira's. Most of the technical success had been thanks to Felicity.
They hugged. Moira searched her daughter's eyes and saw no resentment. Relieved, she continued, "What do you think about me going into politics? I've never felt more alive. It's nothing like being in the corporate world."
Thea nearly shouted in victory. Finally! I've been pushing you in this direction forever! Her mother wasn't an easy person to nudge—smarter than most, and someone she saw every day. It had taken countless subtle cues and sheer luck to plant the idea.
But outwardly, Thea kept her cool.
"If you feel it suits you, then go for it. Maybe I can cash in on some political influence one day. But what about Walter? If you leave Queen Consolidated...?"
In most Asian households, discussing stepfathers in bed would've been a recipe for awkwardness, but here? Totally normal.
Moira had already thought this through. Politicians, after all, thrive on appearances. Her husband and son were gone, and sympathy was a powerful card. A sudden remarriage would cast a shadow on her newly forged image.
After a thoughtful pause, she said, "Let's just keep things the way they are..."
Thea got it immediately. Classic American sword-of-wisdom move to cut emotional baggage! She probably had the same mentality when she sent her husband and son out to sea. She silently saluted Walter's kind soul. He didn't deserve this, but hey, her stepfather problem had solved itself.
In the original timeline, Moira and Walter hadn't rekindled their relationship. But now, who knew? A single butterfly wingbeat could've given her a new sibling. And while Thea had no issue with race, the idea of a baby sibling just complicated everything.
Three siblings. Three different fathers. One mom. That was a mess she had no interest in living through.
The mother had entered politics, and the possible stepfather had been tactfully pushed aside. Both objectives were accomplished. Success! Thea planted a loud kiss on her mother's cheek. "You brat…" Moira wasn't irritated by her daughter's sudden display of affection; instead, she patted Thea warmly, her eyes soft with maternal fondness.
...
[ Undergound Secret Base, Queen Consolidated's Software Division, Star City ]
In the days that followed, Moira began gradually transferring the responsibilities of Queen Consolidated to Walter. Though their relationship had entered a somewhat ambiguous phase, there remained a foundation of trust between them, enough to justify handing over the role of company president to him.
Walter, unaware of the true reason behind Moira's recent coldness, chalked it up to his own lack of conviction and emotional sincerity. Determined to fix things, he resolved to keep trying and earn back her warmth with perseverance.
Meanwhile, Thea was preparing to leave for Princeton. Unlike universities in China, American colleges didn't have grand ceremonies or bureaucratic red tape. Show up, complete your credits, and you were good.
Thea passed all her responsibilities in the software department to Felicity. When she told her friend she'd need to upgrade the facial recognition software from version 1.0 to 6.0 solo, Felicity nearly lost it.
"No way I'm doing all that alone! Your Queen family's loaded—you won't mind if I hire a few dozen coders, right?"
And she did. Thirty employees joined the department overnight. Felicity's three original assistants were promoted, each now leading their own teams. Felicity would code at her own pace while delegating the rest.
Thea, meanwhile, was completing the final debug tests on her custom-built skateboard. Before leaving Star City, she planned to make a fortune with it. Being a tech-savvy vigilante was expensive, and her allowance had long since vanished. If it weren't for Felicity treating her to meals, she might've starved.
"Thea, why'd you call it the Red Arrow Skateboard? Green Arrow sounds way cooler." Felicity finally questioned, as the two women found themselves in a spirited debate over what color to paint their project.
"Red is so nice. Isn't red the color of passion, cheerfulness, and sunshine?" Thea argued with a grin, thinking it was better to leave green for her brother's vigilante persona.
Felicity, pen tucked between her lips and eyebrows furrowed in concentration, mumbled, "Isn't red the color of violence and blood?"
"How do you even come up with this stuff? I always thought green represented decay and oldness!" Thea shot back, dramatically placing a hand over her heart as if personally offended by Felicity's taste.
The debate continued late into the night.
To Be Continued...
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