Standing outside the conference room, even through the tightly sealed heavy doors, she could hear a man inside shouting furiously.
The voice sounded familiar—especially the way he kept ranting, "Amanda this, Amanda that." The commander, whose expression was always grim, somehow managed to look even darker now as she pulled the door open and walked in.
Ah. No wonder the voice was familiar—it was him.
As soon as Thea stepped inside, she saw a tall man loudly declaring... well, who cared what. Judging from Amanda's deadpan expression, he certainly wasn't singing her praises.
The patriotic captain who once crashed onto Themyscira was now shrouded in gloom. The fire still burned, but the hearth was crumbling. Time had weathered him, viruses had altered him. Though he had been promoted from captain to colonel, it was fair to say Steve Trevor had sacrificed far too much.
The old man sitting at the head of the table finally interrupted Steve's tirade. Even the seasoned politicians present couldn't withstand the oppressive aura he projected. If this matter didn't involve A.R.G.U.S., the Secretary wouldn't have wanted to see Steve at all.
"Miss Queen, you've urgently demanded we hand over the alien corpse. Do you have new intelligence to report?"
"Mr. Secretary, Generals—you all know me."
Thea glanced around the room, nodding lightly to everyone—except Steve. Amanda took this as Thea drawing a line in the sand, siding with her. But in truth, Thea simply couldn't stand Steve. Honestly, she wasn't too fond of Superman either. In short—anyone connected to Diana was automatically an enemy!
"You all more or less know who I am. And you may have conducted your own investigations. But I still need to explain the context..."
"You found no remains of today's alien creature—that's normal. He isn't a lifeform our current science can explain. His biology is something entirely unknown to us. What I want to talk about today is the body you recovered earlier. He was a warrior..."
"I'll stop you right there. If you say we don't understand it, doesn't that mean we should study it even more?"
The interruption came from a lieutenant general, his tone clearly hostile.
This old bastard. Thea shot him a look. Not only did she know him, he was infamous. Officially, he oversaw logistics. In reality, he ran the human enhancement programs. General Sam Lane. The father of Lois Lane, the future father-in-law of Clark Kent.
With men like him, diplomacy was wasted. You had to slap them in the face with reality before reasoning could sink in.
With a pleasant, dangerous smile, Thea said, "General Lane, I was just getting to that. This corpse was not a solitary individual. His Corps monitors the entire universe. I am proud of Earth's civilization, but in their eyes..."
She paused for effect.
"...in their eyes, the universe is divided into 3,600 sectors. And Earth is just a speck of dust within Sector 2814. The corpse you're dissecting—he was the warden responsible for this entire sector. Does that give you a sense of what kind of organization you're provoking?"
To drive the nail deeper, she added, "He was one of their greatest champions. And his closest friend now commands the entire Corps. So I urge you—look at the bigger picture. Do not recklessly invite a war that Earth cannot win."
Establish the moral high ground first, then crush them with fear. That was the strategy.
Her words made several attendees hesitate. Over the years, countless alien artifacts had fallen to Earth, yet useful research was pitifully scarce. If they failed to study this corpse and brought about an alien invasion instead? They would be the ones to take the fall.
"I still don't quite understand. Even if we agree to return the body... how exactly do we hand it over?" General Lane refused to give up.
Of course they'd ask that. Thea had prepared her answer long ago. She raised her hand, summoning the yellow power ring, and transformed instantly.
"Obviously, I'll deliver it myself. Unless you believe you can fly a spaceship to outer space?"
"The yellow figure we saw earlier today—that was you? So you're a superhero? And once you remove the ring, you're just a normal human?" General Lane fired off rapid-fire questions, his eyes narrowing.
Thea sighed internally. The live broadcast had been watched by millions; there was no hiding it. But it wasn't time to reveal her magic yet—the yellow ring made the perfect cover.
"There was an accident at the A.R.G.U.S. Coast City base. This ring chose me and dragged me to their planet. After learning about the alien threat, I rushed back. The ring chose me—I didn't choose it."
"What's the criteria for being chosen? Because you're a pretty girl?" A weaselly, sharp-faced man asked with a mocking smirk.
Thea memorized his face. You're on the list. Calmly, she replied:
"Willpower. My will is absolute."
Her answer didn't impress them. Willpower? Too abstract. She took off the ring and stepped back, letting it float on the table.
"I'll leave it here. Whoever wants to test their willpower may step into the ring's aura."
Their eyes lit up instantly. Why had they fought so hard to keep the alien corpse? To crack alien technology, to gain power, to extend their lives. And now, the ultimate weapon was right in front of them.
"If I put on the ring, can I fly?" A burly officer stood up, greed written all over his face.
Thea nodded slightly. It wasn't arrogance—it was fact. Among all humans, perhaps only Batman had the psychological fortitude to wield fear. These politicians and soldiers? Not a chance.
As expected, the first brave volunteer stepped within a meter of the ring's yellow aura and collapsed within seconds. Frothing at the mouth, screaming in terror. It took a full panic and emergency medical intervention to save him.
"Anyone else want to try? But let me warn you—if the ring recognizes you, it'll teleport you to space for training immediately. Think carefully." Thea smiled sweetly, looking like a harmless angel.
Just as she expected, the men who claimed to have "strong wills" instantly backed away. They weren't stupid—why go to space? On Earth, they were generals enjoying power and luxury. In space, they might end up as cannon fodder.
General Lane still refused to give up. "My subordinate is known for his iron will. Can he try?"
Thea shrugged. She was curious to see how Earth's "iron will" compared to the terror of Parallax.
The "Iron Will" soldier arrived quickly—an officer of respectable rank, with a firm expression and decisive bearing. He followed the order without hesitation, stepping into the yellow aura.
To his credit, he was much stronger than the previous man, lasting a full minute. But then his eyes turned blood-red, his face twisted beyond recognition into a mask of pure horror. He drew his pistol, screaming, and began firing wildly around the room.
And Thea?
Wanting to maintain her image as a "frail, normal human" without the ring, she had already taken cover under the conference table, watching the chaos with mild amusement.