Chapter 19: Of Misunderstandings and Motorized Marvels

[ Queen Consolidated HQ, Star City ]

Thea hurriedly clarified the truth. "That's not what I meant. It's like this..."

She launched into a detailed explanation, hands waving animatedly as she tried to dispel the growing misunderstanding.

Felicity stared at her with squinted, sleepy eyes, her brows furrowing. She seemed unsure whether she had actually heard Thea clearly or was still dreaming. After a pause, she spoke slowly, "You have intentions towards me..."

Thea blinked. How did she jump to that conclusion? Felicity had always been kind of spacey—brilliant, but definitely a little offbeat. Now, she was suddenly sharp?

Thea's momentary surprise didn't go unnoticed. Felicity pounced on it. "Ha! I guessed right! Thea, you're not being honest."

She spun her laptop toward herself and began typing furiously. "Let's see... our state law does allow this kind of marriage. Did you plan this all in advance?"

Thea could only stare, mouth agape, as Felicity launched into an investigative frenzy.

"But you're still a little young," she mumbled to herself. "You have to be at least 16... Maybe I can help you change your identity information? Ugh, this firewall's awful..."

Her fingers danced over the keys. "I've never considered this kind of relationship before, but it's... intriguing. And It seems more exciting than being with a man. Could I have that kind of tendency?"

"Oh, wait, we can't have a church wedding, but I can let that slide since I'm Jewish..."

Thea watched with stunned disbelief as Felicity spiraled. Her cheeks burned redder with every muttered word. How did this get so off-track? She had only come to ask for help—not propose marriage!

Despite repeated attempts to explain, Felicity refused to believe her and stubbornly thought that the explanation was a cover-up. She was completely caught up in her own whirlwind of theories and even said, rather nonchalantly, that she would consider giving a relationship a shot.

It wasn't that Felicity was completely unreliable. On the contrary, she was brilliant. The stuttering, the awkwardness—it all stemmed from her mind moving too quickly for her mouth to keep up. In the original timeline, both the Green Arrow and the Atom had fallen for her. Her strength, charm, and spark were undeniable.

Thea liked her too—well, not in that way, but as someone with immense potential. She admired her skills, not her lipstick.

Still, as Thea stood at the desk trying to speak sensibly, her eyes accidentally wandered just below Felicity's neckline. Something about the soft curve there caught her attention.

What the hell am I thinking?! She shook her head quickly, trying to dispel the rogue thought. This girl is scrambling my brain!

Just as Felicity began looking up honeymoon destinations in states with favorable laws, Thea slammed her hand on the desk. "Stop! Just—stop! I just want your help! We can talk about... that other stuff later, okay?"

In truth, Thea had considered using her looks to win over the IT genius, but only as a last resort. Weapons, suits, armor—none of that worked without software. She needed talent. If a misunderstanding got the job done faster... well, so be it. It wasn't like she was losing anything.

As for the original Arrow team? If they needed tech support, they could turn to that metahuman in Central City who commanded bees and coded like a wizard. She could also recommend Felicity's father and ex-boyfriend—both high-tier hackers and villains. Thea Queen was feeling generous. The Green Arrow could have the entire Felicity family—minus Felicity herself.

Felicity folded her arms and gave Thea a long look. "There's definitely something up. Spill it."

Thea nearly fainted. She had already explained—twice! Felicity hadn't heard a word. She was completely immersed in her own fantasies or imaginations and didn't listen to what she said at all.

With no other choice, Thea pulled out Moira Queen's official authorization letter and explained her new directive to establish a software division under Queen Consolidated.

Felicity stared, stunned. "Me? What can I do?"

At this point in time, Felicity had only recently stepped away from her hacking days. Though she still dabbled, it was more out of habit than necessity. She hadn't found her calling yet, hadn't realized what she could become.

Originally, Thea intended to do it alone. But reality proved otherwise—there were simply too many problems to tackle solo. Felicity was the first and only person she thought of.

She trusted her. It was early, sure, but the timing felt right. This was the perfect moment to reveal her vision.

Connecting her phone to Felicity's computer, Thea laid out her plan.

In the past weeks, her conversations with Dr. Hoffman had taught her a lot about the weapons R&D department. She identified several high-tech gadgets that were non-lethal but incredibly advanced. Then she combined that knowledge with a spark of creativity.

The result? On Felicity's screen appeared blueprints of a sleek flying board.

A prototype inspired by the Green Goblin's glider—but rebranded for heroism. Red instead of green. She would call it the Red Arrow Skateboard.

Thea Queen already had two potential vigilante names: "Red Arrow" and "Speedy." The latter sounded too much like a petty thief. So Red Arrow it was.

The board would use a rescue transport platform as its base—something that could hit 400 km/h and carry up to a ton. It could hover, fly, and was just waiting to be weaponized. Thea will strip out its remote controls and instead integrated brainwave command systems.

To do that, she needed the shark-tracking helmet she'd seen earlier. It had excellent positional tracking and could remember unique bioelectric patterns. With Felicity's code, the two could transform it into a mind-controlled interface.

The final piece? The anti-gravity suit. It would act as a buffer, protecting Thea's internal organs while she zipped through the air at breakneck speeds. Mr. Andre, the suit's inventor, would unknowingly become a part of her vision.

Combining all these parts could create a simplified version of the Red Arrow skateboard. As for the weapon system—well, that's still firmly in the dream category. The other gadgets can be justified with enough creative excuses, but missiles? Their uses are a bit too... singular. Aside from destruction and arson, Thea really couldn't think of any practical reason to have them. Honestly, what excuse could she possibly give? She was only fifteen and didn't even have a gun license. Asking Moira for missiles would be like casually ordering a side of grenades with a burger—completely absurd.

So, No missiles. No firepower. Just speed, control, and a stylish red blur.

Even crafting this simplified setup will take her a monumental effort. Thea finally understood how implausible it was for Tony Stark to build the Mark I armor in a cave. Genius or not, that was divine intervention.

Felicity studied the blueprint with wide eyes. "Cool! This invention is perfect! You're so smart! Let's get started!"

Thea smiled. She and Cisco Ramon are going to be best friends someday, she thought. Both were tech-obsessed and fun-loving.

Still, they couldn't just jump into building mode. Secrets had to remain secret. Trust in Felicity was one thing—trust in others was another matter entirely.

The two of them drove out to the old Queen Consolidated Steel and Welding Company—an abandoned site with lingering potential. Processing machines and welding equipment lay scattered around, half-buried in dust and rust.

This would be her future fortress. Her lair. Her lab.

Her legacy had just begun.

To Be Continued...

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