Thea did not hide her identity. Concealment only bred suspicion. Being open and straightforward was safer; those who needed to know already knew, and those who shouldn't never would. Queen Industries also funded S.T.A.R. Labs, so she carried herself with polite confidence.
"Dr. Wells, your laboratory is truly impressive. I'm honored to study here."
Her tone held a trace of natural pride—common among young Western elites. Geniuses like Ray Palmer existed, but most wealthy heirs were spoiled and aimless. Oliver and Tommy in their early years had been prime examples.
"Harrison Wells" smiled warmly, unbothered by her subtle arrogance.
"I hope your time here proves worthwhile. Our lab is exceptional."
He shook hands with both women before returning to his duties. He had many responsibilities; the only reason he had taken the time to meet them at all was because of Thea's true status.
Once the director's greeting was done, work proceeded as usual. Even the President's daughter wouldn't be kept idle.
Caitlin Snow was assigned to the biology division, led by a strict middle-aged African-American supervisor. One look at their faces earned nothing but a disdainful "hmph."
Thea's appearance drew attention no matter what she wore. Caitlin, who followed workplace rules a bit too seriously, still wore a pencil skirt and heels in the lab—paired with her timid demeanor, expecting kindness from that supervisor was unrealistic.
"From today on, this area is yours."
The supervisor—who waddled slightly and looked like she could be a distant relative of a walrus—led them to a remote corner on the northwest side, pointed at several low buildings, then walked off without another word.
The two exchanged a look. Caitlin wasn't ignorant—this level of targeting was obvious.
But she had no idea who she had offended. She bit her lip, uncertain and uneasy.
Thea didn't take it personally. Society judged by appearances—shallow people were everywhere. Getting angry was pointless.
"Come on, let's take a look."
With her usual composure, Thea tugged Caitlin along. Anyone watching might have assumed she was the mentor, not the student.
The moment they stepped inside, a harsh, pungent smell hit them like a physical blow.
You've got to be kidding me.
Gritting her teeth, Thea surveyed the room—hundreds of cages, each containing a gorilla.
Her irritation caused a ripple of fear energy to leak from her.
The noisy gorillas instantly fell silent; a few even trembled.
They expect me to take care of gorillas?
Thea steadied her breath. The last thing she needed was a red lantern ring flying in from deep space because she lost her temper.
She reminded herself internally: Stay calm. Getting angry won't help. Breathe.
The last person who had angered her this much was Senator Hammond of Coast City—but at least he held real authority.
That supervisor? She was nothing.
Thea's plan was simple: get the AI and leave.
But the very first step had already gone wrong.
Their appearance had drawn hostility, and they were shoved into this isolated corner.
In a male-dominated lab, Caitlin might earn sympathy—but for Thea, it meant nothing.
Seeing Caitlin still confused, Thea—long accustomed to leadership—didn't wait.
"Is anyone here? Who's in charge of this place?"
They clearly weren't expected to care for hundreds of gorillas alone; there had to be handlers. Their real work was biochemical research.
Soon, seven staff members—three women and four men—stood before them.
"Just the seven of you?"
"I'm Thea Queen, and this is Dr. Caitlin Snow. She'll be overseeing this area. If anything comes up, report to us. Otherwise, continue your work."
Thea spoke casually—seven or seventy thousand people made no difference to her.
The young handler leading them almost spoke up to request tranquilizers, wanting to warn them the gorillas were usually aggressive.
But the silence behind him made him pause.
He turned and saw every gorilla sitting quietly—some even pressed flat to the ground.
What on earth…?
No tranquilizers needed here.
He glanced back at Thea, whose beauty made speaking awkward, and swallowed his words.
Instead, he gave them a quick explanation of the area.
Thea only half-listened.
Her focus remained on the artificial intelligence she needed.
A few gorillas more or less meant nothing.
If she wanted, she could lock Reverse-Flash and the animals in the same cage.
Caitlin, however, listened diligently, taking notes and asking questions.
The group continued deeper inside.
Thea picked up a bunch of bananas from a table and casually tore off pieces, tossing them into cages of gorillas she found tolerable.
Her throws were precise, even without practice.
Each banana arced through the bars perfectly—sometimes landing right on a gorilla's head.
Any other day, the animals would have erupted in fury.
Today, they simply accepted it, even showing faint submissive looks.
What is going on?
The young handler was bewildered.
Are these gorillas masochists?
He treated them kindly and they snarled at him; Thea hit them with fruit and they obeyed.
He suddenly felt he had discovered the secret to raising gorillas.
Unaware she had just ruined a future beast-tamer's career philosophy, Thea walked past a row of young gorillas.
Her enhanced visual memory naturally recorded each name on the tags—even without intention.
Henry…
Grodd…
Coen…
She took two steps, stopped abruptly, and turned back.
Her eyes locked on the tag: "Grodd."
Inside the cage was a small, thin, exhausted young gorilla.
Grodd.
A chill ran through her.
Grodd—the future nemesis of the Flash.
A gorilla capable of telepathy, mental domination, and near-genius intelligence.
A villain who would one day surpass most Earthbound threats.
But seeing this frail creature, she couldn't help but wonder—
Was this truly the Grodd she knew?