Thea didn't know that Faora's powerful performance had made Sinestro cautious again for a while. On the way back, she tested Faora's constructs. Faora's imagination was much better than Grodd's, but most of her constructs were technological weapons—pretty standard. Her own physical strength far exceeded the ability of her constructs; the Lantern Ring merely provided her with restorative energy.
Relying on the power of emotions to top up her power mid-fight would have been a fantasy in Faora's eyes a few days ago. But her worldview had been shattered so thoroughly recently that she silently accepted this "unscientific" explanation.
The two returned to Earth. Thea didn't assign her any work, just instructing her to adapt to life on Earth first. Absorbing yellow sunlight every day and seeing her own strength grow, Faora had nothing to complain about.
However, a problem soon cropped up. Superman had Super-Intellect; he could learn all the medical books on Earth in 5 minutes, mastering knowledge that took others 10 years to learn.
Faora wasn't the all-rounder Superman was. The Adjutant's genetic modulation allowed her to know a bit of everything, and compared horizontally to her fellow Kryptonians, her learning ability was considered strong. But compared to Superman, that naturally-born outlier, the gap was huge.
Thea drew a tube of blood from her. The needle was naturally made of Kryptonite. In the original timeline, the ship split into two parts to terraform the Earth's climate, and the Kryptonite sank into the Indian Ocean. Now, the ship hadn't gone anywhere; it crashed right in Metropolis. Kryptonite was scattered everywhere. Taking advantage of rescuing people, Thea had secretly collected quite a bit.
Leaving Faora to study alone, Thea rushed back to her laboratory. She had already obtained her master's degree and was now studying for a doctorate in Bio-genetics.
God's blood was hard to find. Making Malcolm and Moira live healthy and happy lives had always been Thea's wish. Of course, if she was in a good mood, her two brothers could tag along...
Malcolm was elusive; Thea didn't know if he had injected the God's blood or not. But the effect of Moira's injection was immediate. Conservatively speaking, she looked 20 years younger; her skin had regained its luster. Initially, Moira had even complained that she used to wear makeup to look young, but now she wore makeup to look old.
Thea wasn't satisfied with this. Problems that magic couldn't solve had to be solved by science. Coincidentally, the Kryptonian Genetic Configuration Database had fallen completely into her hands. Naturally, she had to put some effort into this area. She didn't have Superman's Super-Intellect, but Thea's learning ability far exceeded Faora's. Combining it with Earth's knowledge, a preliminary Genetic Optimization Serum had already been configured.
It was fully compatible with Earth's technology. The Kryptonian database only provided her with a direction forward. Thea didn't stop there; she needed Faora's blood to extract a substance from Kryptonian cells to create a Super Genetic Optimization Serum.
"Who is it?"
When Thea entered her laboratory again this day, she discovered traces left by a stranger. Her laboratory was a classified facility; only a few extremely intimate people knew this location.
Click. Thea turned on the light. A young woman in a wheelchair was slowly rolling out from the side of the lab bench.
The young woman humbled herself and spoke softly. "Miss Queen, I am here to ask for your help. Please help me."
"Oh." Thea gave an "Oh" and said nothing more. She knew this woman: Mercy Graves, Luthor's secretary and bodyguard. She had been heavily injured during the previous ship crash. It was Superman who saved her from the ruins, and Thea's Medical Pod that kept her alive.
Acting weak to gain sympathy?
Not to mention, Miss Mercy's temperament right now was as miserable as it could get, as if all the misfortunes in the world had landed on her head. If this were a drama, she would definitely be the tragic female lead. Unfortunately, Thea knew her battle record; she was someone who could exchange blows with Deathstroke. No matter how big the mental blow, she wouldn't become like this.
Feeling the atmosphere between the two solidify a bit, Mercy knew the first move had failed. She quietly dropped the pitiful act. Sympathy tactic failed; she began to state the current situation.
"My legs are completely crippled. Mr. Luthor said they need to be amputated to install mechanical legs, but I... I can't bear to part with these two legs." It was impossible to tell if Mercy's words were true or false. Tears that were already hanging in the corners of her eyes flowed down completely.
Thea glanced at them. Although they were covered in scars, thanks to rigorous training, Mercy's legs were very straight and aesthetically pleasing. Combined with her appearance, sawing off such a pair of legs was indeed a pity.
Even knowing the opponent had no good intentions, Thea couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Luthor is supposed to be a genius. If even he has no way, what use is finding me?"
"Mr. Luthor asserted that your Medical Pods definitely have a higher version. I believe his words." A fluorescence still flashed in Mercy's eyes. Listening to her tone, that fanatical note made it sound less like Luthor said it and more like a God said it.
Thea chuckled lightly, pointing her finger at her vaguely. "You worship your Mr. Luthor so much? Why come to me for help? You should know he is my competitor. He has used quite a few petty tricks behind the scenes. Why should I help you!"
As she spoke, Thea's tone became increasingly severe. She put away her usual smile. At this moment, her eyes carried a chilling intensity. Mercy persisted for two seconds before lowering her head. It wasn't that she was cowardly; Thea's gaze was simply too terrifying.
Her gaze avoided it, but the fear didn't dissipate. The immense mental pressure almost caused her to collapse directly. But being chosen by Luthor, her quality truly far exceeded ordinary people. Her hands gripped the wheelchair handles tightly, her teeth bit her lip until it bled, drops falling onto her clothes one by one. She didn't beg for mercy; she just bore the crushing pressure in the spiritual world without a word.
"Hmph!" Thea withdrew the mental deterrence. This woman's willpower was truly extraordinary. In Thea's observation, among unenhanced ordinary people, only a few like Nightwing and Barbara Gordon could reach this level. Laurel and Tommy might not even reach this degree. Of course, a cheater like Batman wasn't within the scope of discussion.
"You really aren't an ordinary person... my judgment was correct..." Mercy said, panting heavily.
Thea naturally wouldn't admit it. "That was just simple psychological suggestion."
Mercy didn't care about her denial. "Mr. Luthor once consciously collected data on all extraordinary people in the world. I was the one specifically responsible for this work. This lady has been with you frequently in recent years."
Finishing her sentence, Mercy threw a large file folder to Thea. Thea pulled out the first page. What came into view was an old black-and-white photo from a long time ago.
It was Diana, in that Belgian village, taking a group photo with Steve Trevor and the others after eliminating German soldiers.