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86.55% DC: The Queen Anomaly / Chapter 103: A Real Change

Chapter 103: A Real Change

The thunderstorm continued to rage over Gotham for a day and a night. When the rain eased up slightly, Thea had Commissioner Gordon fire two more rounds into the sky, aiming to disperse all the cumulonimbus clouds.

Even during this downtime, they couldn't afford to waste time. It was unlikely that Arkham's villains would strike during a thunderstorm, so a few of the less tech-savvy members practiced combat while the others, who understood technology, helped Batman create sonic weapons. Most of their previous equipment had been exposed when the Batcave was compromised—either taken by Bane or destroyed. But luckily, Bruce's brilliant mind was still intact. He managed to procure some equipment from A.R.G.U.S., and the three of them rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

Bruce's extensive experience in mechanical engineering made him exceptionally skilled at hands-on tasks. Thea's creative mind allowed her to come up with things like magnetic hoverboards, and Felicity had been trained in Star City and was familiar with this kind of work. 

Midway through the processing, Firefly, who usually kept to herself, also joined in. With her expertise, the construction progress was significantly accelerated. Firefly was a top-notch welder. She mastered various temperature controls perfectly, and, most importantly, she wasn't afraid of fire at all. Given her expertise, Thea couldn't help but wonder if she graduated from some top technical school.

The sight of them in their work attire, wearing goggles and towels around their necks, and wielding soldering irons and hammers seemed out of place to the few non-tech-savvy individuals. They couldn't help but feel a sense of disharmony. 

These two billionaires, who had more wealth than most, were now working side by side, seemingly abandoning their upper-class status. She wondered if they'd receive an award next Labor Day. Barbara had always imagined high society life differently, but perhaps she should stick to her petite bourgeoisie identity.

With the equipment ready, the next step was the debugging phase. Just as Thea was considering going out in the rain to capture an enhanced individual, Lyla made a breakthrough. 

For some reason, one of her agents picked up a broken arm from an enhanced person on the ground during the retreat. They wrapped it in cloth and brought it back. Later, they handed it over to Lyla.

They gathered in the laboratory to observe the severed arm. In fact, when the enhanced individuals appeared that day, they didn't have a face-to-face confrontation with them. Only Thea shot and killed one from a distance, while the others only caught a glimpse.

Seeing the severed arm up close today made them realize the danger they were in at the time.

"Is this fused with some kind of animal?" Felicity pointed to the claws on the arm and asked.

"It looks like some kind of lizard." Bruce, the walking encyclopedia, observed and offered his conclusion.

They decided not to dwell on the specifics of the creature and began measuring trace radiation levels on the tissue while searching for unique biological wavelengths.

At this stage, Thea couldn't be of much help. Her current level of expertise barely qualified her as a graduate student in mechanical engineering, and she had only a vague understanding of genetic biology.

It seemed like she still had a lot to learn. After the events in Gotham, she should dedicate some time to learning. Princeton's library would likely become her frequent haunt in the coming days.

Since she couldn't be of help, she decided to watch Bruce as a learning experience. Regardless of whether she understood it or not, Thea recorded the deduction process. She occasionally exchanged a few words with Felicity in a low voice. Although Felicity was a computer science major, she had dabbled in various fields and could barely keep up with Bruce's train of thought.

Barbara and Dick felt that this time Bruce had brought glory to Gotham, showing that the Starling City duo weren't omnipotent after all. Despite not understanding anything, they enthusiastically accompanied the group.

Ever since being half-coerced and half-voluntarily robbed of half a lifetime's savings by Shiva, Selina has been in poor spirits these days. She couldn't focus for more than two minutes and sat alone in a corner, lost in thought.

Now, not only was she at risk of losing her man, but her money had also been taken away. She couldn't describe how bitter she felt. What's worse, this matter wasn't over yet. With most of her savings plus the crazy crime spree she had committed recently, she barely managed to make a down payment. With half of her savings gone and the debts piling up, how was she going to survive in the future?

As she looked out at the thunderstorm, she wondered if she should take advantage of the dark and stormy night to go out and do some jobs. But then she thought about how Bruce had already returned, and he had always been against her line of work. Before, she could do as she pleased, but now that he was back, going out to commit crimes again would easily damage their relationship.

After considering her options, she ruled out the idea of borrowing money from Thea to repay her debts. She didn't have the notion of borrowing money without being able to repay it. Growing up in poor districts, Selina had a rather traditional mindset in this regard.

The rain had stopped around midnight that day. The next morning, everyone coincidentally gathered outdoors. Thea, whose sleeping schedule had gradually returned to normal, arrived early, eager to see if the feng shui of Gotham could truly change.

On the streets, one could often see sewage flowing downhill into the sewers. Thea couldn't quite make out the composition of this murky rainwater, but she made a mental note to ask Gordon to give the city workers a raise; the workload seemed considerable. The workload looked considerable. Fortunately, Killer Croc had been arrested and brought to justice. Otherwise, the stench would have leveled up his foul aura by two levels.

Looking at her watch, it was 5:15. All the heroes came outside, including Bruce, who had been busy all night. His spirits seemed good, and his lips were tightly pursed as he stared towards the east. Rumor had it he only slept an hour a day; Thea made a mental note to ask Selina about it later. Her mind wandered.

"Here it comes!" Commissioner Gordon, deeply devoted to this land, exclaimed.

First, a glimmer, then a ray, and finally, a whole beam of sunlight gradually shone on this land that hadn't seen the morning glow for a long time.

Thea was momentarily blinded by the scorching sunlight, raising her hand to shield her eyes. Countless golden rays seeped through her fingers, casting a reddish hue over her entire being. As the sun rose slowly, accompanied by its dazzling rays, it dispelled the last remnants of mist hanging over Gotham.

Thea couldn't help but want to laugh. She wasn't sure why she felt so amused; she just felt invigorated, ready to sweep away everything, including Arkham and Bane, into the trash heap!


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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