After spending some time training them, Thea sent out several combat-capable Indigo Lanterns to spread the word.
Unlike the Yellow Lanterns—who had plenty of bad apples and needed neutral factions as cover—the Indigo Lanterns had no such issues. They could openly promote their ideals, and whenever they found suitable candidates, they'd send back a ring for professional training.
The Indigo Priestess's persecution complex was genuinely severe. She spent the first few days in constant anxiety, as if hordes of aliens would jump out at any moment to annihilate them. Only after several returning tribal members reported on the outside situation did she realize she'd been overthinking things.
Thea stayed for half a month. Once she was confident everything was on track, she bid farewell and returned to Earth.
Incorporating Indigo Lantern techniques had elevated her teleportation magic to the next level. The sensation of being able to traverse nearly the entire universe in an instant felt absolutely exhilarating.
The emotion of compassion was now functional, though it would take considerable practice before she could wield it as naturally as the fear emotion.
Back on Earth, affairs were running smoothly. However, with six mechs under construction simultaneously, this had exceeded Queen Consolidated's maximum production capacity—after all, they were a corporation, not a nation.
With Thea's approval, the executives gradually outsourced some of the simpler construction work to other corporations. Conservative estimates put the number of workers involved in the manufacturing project at over a million by now.
Thea only cared about maintaining control. Making money was truly secondary to her. Just as she was preparing her next research objectives, Diana came to see her.
"You're going on a trip?" In her London apartment, Thea looked at Diana packing her things with some confusion.
"I'm not entirely sure. It's just a feeling. Ever since I removed my Bracelets of Submission during the fight with Doomsday, something inside me seems to have changed." Diana tried repeatedly to describe it, but even she didn't know how to explain it properly. Her words remained vague.
Thea asked a few more questions. Diana's situation seemed more like some kind of premonition.
Having never encountered anything like this before, Thea naturally couldn't offer any reasonable advice.
"Do you feel some kind of calling?" A thought struck Thea, and she asked.
"I'm not sure. It's a very vague feeling, as if something is urging me to search for something." The warrior goddess had never been this confused before. Diana sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. Even the usually resourceful Thea was at a loss, which only deepened Diana's sense of bewilderment.
Thea wasn't completely without ideas. She suspected Diana was about to encounter her "Source." This kind of conceptual thing was impossible to predict clearly. Her foreknowledge advantage offered no help with such matters—she didn't even dare say much for fear of interfering with Diana's choice.
Diana, already at the pinnacle of demigodhood, had perhaps vaguely sensed something during the process of removing her Bracelets of Submission when her divine power surged. That had led to today's conversation.
In the original timeline, Diana had removed her Bracelets of Submission during her battle with Ares. Perhaps she'd had some insight then too. Unfortunately, fate had played a cruel joke—Diana had accidentally killed Ares and inherited his position as God of War. That event had severed her path to becoming a New God and halted all further progress.
Now, through this twist of fate, she'd reached the pinnacle again. Without Ares's interference, Diana's future prospects looked incredibly bright.
Naturally, Thea wouldn't stand in her way. She'd originally wanted to warn her about the power of the Source Wall, but learning that Diana's premonition was still on Earth, Thea could only remain silent.
A wild "Source" still on Earth? This formless, conceptual thing was completely beyond her understanding. The young Miss Queen had no firsthand experience with anything like this—she could only watch as Diana, dressed for a long journey, set off on her quest.
All Thea could feel toward Diana was envy. Born at max level, needing only minimal practice to achieve godhood—she radiated the unmistakable aura of destiny's chosen one, making Thea feel utterly inadequate.
But everyone had their own path, their own starting point, their own encounters. It was truly difficult to say whose journey was more comfortable.
Thea thought Diana could level up just by sightseeing, but perhaps others envied how she could gather the power of the masses through persuading ordinary people and forcibly grasp her "Source."
Diana set off with a sacred aura to find her answers. Naturally, Thea couldn't disturb her every few days. At such a critical moment, one's state of mind absolutely could not be disrupted.
Feeling somewhat restless upon returning to Metropolis, Thea received tremendous good news from Rose Wilson, Deathstroke's daughter who now managed Earth's intelligence network.
The personnel planted in Dr. Sivana's expedition team had sent word. This doctor—born into immense wealth but loving archaeology more than money—seemed to have made a major breakthrough.
"Forty-five miles north of Baghdad, they appear to have discovered a location that closely matches historical records," Rose Wilson reported respectfully.
"Hahaha!" Unable to control her emotions in front of her subordinate—usually maintaining a somewhat somber demeanor—Thea burst into delighted laughter.
"Tell your father that Target B has appeared. Have him bring his people back to Earth immediately." Thea didn't explain to Rose Wilson, simply instructing her to make preparations.
Rose Wilson bowed and left. Thea was beyond excited. Target A was Shazam, Target B was Black Adam. After years of careful planning, this day had finally arrived.
She was no longer the naive girl she'd once been. Thea knew very well that if she could obtain the power of either of these two, she would reach the pinnacle of demigodhood.
Her previously restless mood about Diana's advancement immediately lifted. This had nothing to do with love—it was purely the dynamics between two equally strong-willed women. To put it crudely, they were another form of being well-matched. Their "match" was power, their level of existence.
When they'd first met on Themyscira a century ago, Thea had been strong while Diana was weak. Over the following hundred years, the warrior goddess had trained relentlessly while Thea remained stagnant, and their positions had reversed.
In recent years, Thea had caught up furiously. The two had reached parity, and with her diverse methods, Thea had even regained the advantage.
In the battle against Doomsday, Diana's choice to go all-in had certainly included the desire to reach new heights.
Thea had thought she'd be inferior to Diana for a while, but unexpectedly, fate still favored her. After absorbing Black Adam, then heading to the Source Wall to seek the "Source"—perhaps Thea could achieve godhood even before Diana.
That was the real reason for her joy. To outsiders, both women seemed seriously afflicted, but this was simply how they related to each other. They were both lovers and rivals—lifelong rivals.
In the original timeline, Diana's abandonment of Steve Trevor had been caused by exactly this kind of power disparity. It wasn't about who was right or wrong—they simply had no common ground. An elephant might befriend an ant, but if it tried to live long-term in an anthill, neither party could endure it.
Thea suppressed the wild joy in her heart. She knew there was still a tough battle ahead. Black Adam wasn't as easy to fool as Billy Batson.