[ Café Near Queen Consolidated HQ, Star City ]
Thea's mood was clouded, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She felt strangely restless, unwilling to return to the office just yet. Laziness or not, she needed air. Picking up her phone, she dialed Moira Queen.
"Mom, I'm heading out for a bit. Just to relax. I won't be coming back for now."
"Thea, did he say something to you? Are you okay?" Moira asked, voice laced with worry.
"I'm fine. We had a good talk... haha." Thea laughed softly, hoping to reassure her mother. Truthfully, the conversation had gone better than expected, but she didn't want Moira to stress over it.
"Dear, no matter what you decide, just remember—your mother will always support you."
"Thank you, Mom."
After ending the call, Thea sighed, her heart heavy with thoughts. To the world, her parents might not be saints—but to her, they were everything. Whatever it took, she would protect them in the future.
She had agreed with Malcolm that she'd start martial arts training in the evening. Since it was still morning, she decided to spend the interim at the library, soaking in knowledge and catching up with this world's context.
But fate had other plans.
As Thea stood to leave, a soft bang echoed. A pink blur collided with her, and she stumbled back onto the coffee table seat. No harm done. But the other girl didn't fare as well.
Sitting on the floor in front of her was a dazed blonde in a pink dress and beige coat. She wore square-framed glasses and looked completely stunned, blinking at Thea like a deer caught in headlights.
Thea blinked too. This girl looked familiar. The hair, the glasses... the Queen Consolidated employee badge gave it away. Felicity Smoak. A fan-favorite in Thea's past life—brilliant, beautiful, and charismatic enough to attract three heroes: Green Arrow, Flash, and Atom.
Crossing her arms, Thea raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Felicity Smoak, why exactly are you here during working hours?"
Felicity stammered, clearly flustered. "Drink coffee? No, I mean... I'm writing a report! Yes, a report!"
Thea chuckled internally. This girl looked awkward, but she was one of the sharpest minds in the future vigilante team. Right now, though, she seemed to be enjoying a lazy stint at Queen Consolidated.
"And who is the report for?" Thea pressed, pulling out her phone for dramatic effect.
Felicity blinked rapidly, her mind scrambling to come up with a name. Just as she prepared to hack her way out of this mess, she paused.
"Wait... who are you? Why should I explain anything to you?"
Oh. She doesn't recognize me.
Thea sighed. She really hadn't met every employee yet.
She pulled out her ID and showed it.
"Thea Queen? Who is that? Hey!" Felicity yelped, loud enough to catch the café staff's attention.
Thea winced. "I didn't yell at you. But yes, that's me."
"Are you really the lady from the Queen family?" Felicity asked, covering her mouth in surprise.
Thea nodded.
Still not entirely convinced, Felicity whipped out her laptop and typed rapidly. She spun the screen toward Thea and pointed. "Is this you? I always thought this photo was gorgeous. So much melancholy and beauty!"
Thea stared at the image. It was a candid shot—herself at a bar, looking drunk and introspective. The lighting was perfect. Who took this? Still, hacking a server right in front of her?
"Ms. Smoak, where did you get this photo?"
"Uh... I found it in the newspaper archives!" Felicity said, clearly panicking.
Thea's expression didn't soften. She leaned in slightly. "Ms. Felicity Smoak. Second place in the National Information Technology Competition at nineteen. Master's in cybersecurity and computer science from MIT. You really think I haven't read your resume?"
Felicity gulped. She'd just been profiled better than she'd expected. Maybe Queen Consolidated had been watching her all along?
Seeing the hacker visibly nervous, Thea felt a small sense of pride. Finally—a chance to flaunt her knowledge of future events. She couldn't do that with Malcolm, but this? This was fair game.
"Want to grab a drink with me? My treat."
Felicity pointed to the Queen Consolidated building in confusion. "Shouldn't you be working?"
Thea grinned. "I'm playing hooky. Come on."
"You're out here to relax and I... I'm out here to work," Felicity mumbled.
"We're both working, technically. And whatever you order goes on my tab."
To be fair, the bills were handled by Malcolm anyway.
Felicity hesitated, then shrugged. Her job wasn't exactly mission-critical. A conversation wouldn't hurt.
They settled into a comfortable rhythm, chatting over coffee. Thea cracked jokes about corporate executives; Felicity regaled her with stories from MIT and college life. Eventually, their chat drifted back to the bar where Thea's photo had been taken and decided to visit the bar.
...
[ Bar, Star City ]
When they arrived at the bar, the bar owner's mistress recognized Thea and offered them drinks on the house and the two continued to chat. Felicity—still donning her neat, reserved look—relaxed visibly. Once upon a time, she had smoky eyes and punk fashion. That changed when her boyfriend went to jail. Bars weren't unfamiliar—they felt oddly nostalgic.
As the drinks flowed, Felicity shared more of her story: high school graduate at sixteen, college at eighteen, master's degree by twenty. A certified genius.
"Thea, you're smart too," Felicity slurred slightly. "You could finish high school early. College is amazing. High school? Boring."
Thea listened, intrigued. She had considered skipping ahead before, but always put it off for business and martial arts training. Now, she was reconsidering. U.S. high schools went from grade nine to twelve, and she found the material laughably simple. Compared to her past life's education? A breeze.
And if all else failed—Queen Consolidated had deep enough pockets to smooth the way.
To Be Continued...
---xxx---
[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]