Batman has a somewhat complex attitude towards dangerous women. Talia gave birth to his son and stabbed him, not figuratively but literally with a metal object, yet he endured it.
Catwoman betrayed him, and he forgave his former lover, acting as if nothing had happened.
Even with the later half-mad Harley Quinn, his approach leaned more towards criticism and education, in stark contrast to the relentless beating he often delivered to the Joker.
With this somewhat neurotic mindset, facing off against Lady Shiva in combat, the result was predictable..
There were too many places he couldn't strike! The chest was off-limits, as were the waist and any overly sensitive areas. And the face? Looking at Lady Shiva's cold and elegant countenance, striking there was completely out of the question!
With so many restrictions, and already being slightly inferior to Lady Shiva in martial arts prowess, the gap between them widened even further. He only managed to maintain a stalemate thanks to the sturdy protective gear he wore.
Wanting to check on Catwoman's situation, he didn't realize that all surveillance in the area had been disabled by Felicity, fearing the imminent arrival of the police. Anxiously enduring two punches from Lady Shiva, he turned to look at Catwoman, ready to call for a ceasefire. But what he saw almost made him bite his tongue.
At this moment, Catwoman and Thea were standing side by side. The intense fighting from earlier seemed to have never happened. They were casually leaning on each other's shoulders, almost pulling out popcorn and chairs to watch the spectacle. Little did he know that behind the camera, Felicity was quietly cheering him on while snacking.
Occasionally, snippets of their conversation reached his ears.
"Lady Shiva didn't put enough force into that punch, did she forget to eat?"
"No, it's your perspective problem. That punch was a feint. The key is this kick. Nice! Beautiful side kick!"
Batman truly felt like kneeling to these women! Who was he enduring all this for? Who was he fighting for with a full stomach? He became increasingly certain that he would never fight women again. He wanted to call for a ceasefire, but Lady Shiva was clearly enjoying herself and didn't give him the chance.
Thea was attentively watching the movements of the two. Their footwork and technique transitions were the mark of true martial artists, while she, at best, was just a martial arts practitioner, not even deserving of the title of enthusiast.
"Thea, retreat now. The police will be here in a minute," Felicity hurriedly said through the earpiece.
"The police are coming!" Being fellow martial artists, Thea felt it inappropriate to abandon them and run off on her own. She shouted towards the fighting ring.
None of them were upright and lawful persons; Thea still had to maintain her innocent persona. Catwoman and Lady Shiva were a thief and an assassin respectively, while Batman was a wanted man in Gotham. All four heroes would meet their demise in the limelight.
Everyone immediately stopped. Mainly because Lady Shiva had stopped. Batman had wanted to run away long ago, and she seemed a bit reluctant to stop. With a slight grimace, she nodded at Selina and called out to Thea, "We'll continue training tomorrow morning." Before the words had finished, she had already disappeared into the dense forest.
Batman nodded at Thea and, realizing that she had no intention of arresting them, he knew she would have called the police by now if she did.
Wrapping his arm around Catwoman's waist, he fired a grappling hook into the sky, and the two of them quickly ascended thirty meters, disappearing without a trace.
As the layers of the sky blurred and shifted, Thea finally made out the rough outline of the Batwing. The fuselage was elongated, with propellers positioned on each wing's underside, which must be crucial for vertical takeoff and landing. Just as she was preparing to examine it more closely, the Batwing had completely disappeared into the air.
Sighing, Thea could already faintly hear the sound of sirens, so she quickly followed the route provided by Felicity and made a speedy retreat.
Upon returning to the venue, Thea thought her face-saving plan had completely fallen apart due to Catwoman's disruption. However, Moira really knew how to handle a crisis.
Taking advantage of the fact that the journalists and officials hadn't left yet, Moira launched a crisis PR campaign. When Thea entered, she only caught the latter half of it.
"We should not be intimidated, we will not be defeated! We should join hands and strike against these criminals who threaten and intimidate us. They fear us, they fear the power of our unity. Edward and I have each submitted proposals to the city government and council, and the Queen Group will donate equipment worth five million to the Starling City Police Department to combat criminals!"
"Please, everyone, lend us a helping hand and help us maintain the good image of Starling City, to save our home!"
"Finally, the Queen Group and the city government will each provide a reward of 1 million to informants who can provide clues about tonight's troublemakers! Please, media friends, publish this information. We must resolutely strike at their arrogance!"
The celebrities in the audience, even if unwilling, could only grit their teeth and express their willingness to donate money! Even the shameless ones couldn't say anything; they just handed over their contributions reluctantly, feeling like, "Here, take this paltry sum! Don't ask for more!" Seeing others donating tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, they could only retract their contributions of a few cents, sign a check to make up the amount, and then pretend to be happy about it! It was a feeling that couldn't be described.
Seeing her mother successfully defuse the crisis, turning a bad situation into a good one, while also shaping the Queen Group into an image of perseverance, Thea silently praised her political talent.
As for the donations of equipment and the bounty offers, who knew if they would actually happen? Anyway, Thea's goal was the vast world beyond Starling City, whether the city was good or not doesn't matter much to her. If she could help where she could, she would, but if she couldn't, then so be it. No matter how well the city was developed or how strict the regulations were, there will always be a breeding ground for evil.
After numerous social celebrities finished their donations, the police chief joyfully announced that this year's revenue target had been successfully achieved! He hoped everyone would come again next year, although he couldn't say it like that. He said it with a heavy heart, saying that no matter where in the world, they must catch today's criminals, and if they couldn't do that, he wouldn't come back to the police station next year! Yes, he would be transferred by the end of the year, so he definitely wouldn't be back next year.
Watching the police chief on stage swearing as if he were about to write a blood oath and a few grand vows, Thea couldn't be bothered with this political show. She simply nodded at Moira from a distance and pulled Felicity to leave first.
As the two women left, they could still hear the reporters in the hall clamoring like madmen, all trying to ask questions.
"Mrs. Queen, can you tell us how deeply you and the police department are currently cooperating?"
"Chief Edward, can you tell us the goals for combating criminals next year?"
"Detective Lance, do you have anything to say about your youngest daughter and your eldest daughter's boyfriend going missing together?"
Thea listened to the hurried calls in the hall, faintly hearing someone shouting to stop, and thought, Have these reporters never been punched before? Why stir up trouble where there isn't any? They're really tough for the sake of sales. Leaving the police station hall, the two women whispered to each other.
"Felicity, did you capture everything that happened today?"
"Of course! But wow, Batman is so cool. Thea, do you know his real identity?"
"How would I know? It's the first time I've met him. All I know is that he's a man!"