"Let me ask something a bit abrupt—do you know how to do any kind of work?"
Thea honestly couldn't figure out whether the girl was a student or had already worked before. She looked quiet, well-mannered, cultured—surely she hadn't dropped out of school like Oliver did?
"I was studying forensic medicine… but I didn't graduate."
Shado now had a clear idea of Gotham's 'law and order.' International capitalist metropolis? Nonsense. This place was a disaster. Luckily she had decent skills—otherwise, taking care of a vegetative father alone would have gotten her killed long ago.
Forensics, huh? That sounded like a pretty high-end profession.
Thea waved her hand generously—leave it all to her. With her current relationship with Star City PD, even if she stuffed a completely useless person into the department, no one would dare complain.
She told Shado to pack her things—they were heading to Star City immediately.
On the way, Thea called both Detective Lance and the new detectives at Star City PD. With today's increasingly close police–civilian cooperation, the new detective didn't even ask what Shado's major was, what skills she had—not even whether she was a man or a woman. He agreed instantly.
Detective Lance had some opinions about her shoving people into the department, but he didn't interfere.
After helping Shado settle down, Thea arranged a place for father and daughter. Back when Robert and Moira ran Queen Group, they aggressively bought up the slums' land. Even though Thea had recently slashed Star City's housing prices by twenty percent, she still had tons of properties in hand. Knowing Shado had a strong sense of pride and wouldn't accept too much help, Thea found a small apartment—just enough for the two of them.
She reminded Shado to contact her if anything happened, but knowing she tended to vanish unpredictably (even ending up in space wasn't impossible), she also left her Felicity's phone number.
"This is someone you can trust. If I'm not around, talk to her."
After a full day of running around, Thea made sure she hadn't forgotten anything, then flew back to the Queen mansion—ready to discuss a big political operation with Moira that she and Batman were coordinating.
Everything progressed in an orderly fashion. Privately, several high-ranking government officials mocked the Queen Group's efforts—but since it didn't harm any of their interests, they took the money easily. When asked specifics, they neither nodded nor shook their heads.
One senator named Hammond was particularly obnoxious.
He took Queen Group's money and didn't say a single good word in return—instead, he lectured Thea using historical allegories, and finally stared at her with the "sympathetic gaze people give to mentally challenged children," advising her to be grounded and stop chasing unrealistic goals.
"I'm going to kill him!!"
Moira had to hold Thea back at the dinner table, terrified her daughter would slap the mouthy senator into paste on the spot.
"I'm so pissed off!"
The whole way home, Thea kept muttering. Several times she nearly sent the Court's Talons to drag the bastard in front of her so she could teach him a lesson, but ultimately Moira's pleading made her hold back.
Once she calmed down, Thea had to admire Superman's patience.
With the shameless attitude of these so-called leaders, even she—a human—wanted to kill them. Yet that insanely powerful alien had tolerated it for years. His mental fortitude truly wasn't simple.
Calm or not, she had no intention of letting the senator go.
She had killed Ares—why would she fear a useless senator? If Washington ever annoyed her enough, she'd strike them too. But if Hammond died right after meeting her, even an idiot would connect the dots. Thea decided to wait a month—once things cooled down, she'd end him.
She wrote his name on the first page of her little black notebook:
Senator Hammond, Coast City, and marked the date beside it.
"Don't make a move now…"
Moira saw her writing something so solemnly and immediately knew this wasn't gratitude. Knowing Thea's capabilities—and that she was far from softhearted—the mother glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then whispered a warning.
"I know. He still has one month to live."
Mother and daughter shared a silent smile.
Exactly who "he" referred to needed no explanation.
Time passed quickly. A week flew by. Batman contacted Thea and confirmed the address, flying his Batwing over at night.
"This city is so peaceful…"
Damian, sitting in the copilot seat, had insisted on coming. Batman, wanting more father–son time—and knowing Star City didn't have much fighting—hesitated only briefly before agreeing.
But now, hearing his son's question, he didn't know how to answer.
Star City didn't just lack battles—it barely had fistfights. Compared to Gotham—where once night fell, submachine guns roared nonstop—Star City looked like paradise.
Could the difference really be that big?
Star City also had millions of residents, yet it was unbelievably calm. Flying above in the Batwing, Batman didn't spot a single robbery or violent crime. Without criminals, you didn't need superheroes.
Soon they reached Thea and Felicity's secret base.
As soon as they met, Batman impatiently asked,
"Your city is incredible. What's your secret?"
When Thea finally understood his question, she was speechless.
What secret?
All the major gangs were controlled by Malcolm. The remaining small gangs were insignificant. Unemployed troublemakers were given new jobs. Those who still wanted to stir trouble were quietly "redirected" to other cities. The few tiny gangs left couldn't even recruit new members.
All these factors combined created Star City's strange stability.
And with Moira's excellent reputation after taking office, nearby cities' residents had even migrated here—hundreds of thousands over the past half-year.
"We're a small city… small cities are just like this."
Thea replied awkwardly.
Batman had brought Damian and Barbara—everyone had met before. Thea mainly introduced Damian to Felicity. Learning the kid was Batman's son, Felicity—who was close to Catwoman—couldn't help worrying for her friend.
The kid is already this big! How is Selina supposed to compete now?!
Thea led them to an isolated room.
The moment they walked in, everyone covered their noses.
"So much blood…"
"Exactly. This is an ancient Egyptian secret technique developed by pharaohs seeking immortality—called the Blood Pool. It works slowly, but has no side effects. Perfect for Talia's recovery."
Thea pointed at the large, square pool in the center.
"Talia will absorb the essence in this blood to slowly repair her injuries. With luck, she'll need about a month. If you have no questions, then let's begin."
The hidden meaning was clear—
Doctor doesn't want to talk. Pay the fee, get in the hospital.