At the end of the meeting, Felicity once again made her presence felt by hacking into two commercial drones while the group was engaged in casual conversation. Although they were commercial drones without weapons,, this simple act left Commissioner Gordon, who was not tech-savvy, astonished.
Barbara, who always prided herself as a computer expert, couldn't help but show a pleased expression at Felicity's feat.
Commissioner Gordon immediately took Felicity to set up defenses while indicating that the rest could take a break.
Indeed, some mundane tasks didn't require the superheroes' involvement, which was one of Thea's objectives, to shift from being on the front lines to a secondary role.
Many tasks were simply inconvenient for superheroes.
For instance, evacuating civilians from conflict zones was easier for the police. They could knock on doors and say, "Excuse me, could you please open up? We're here to conduct a routine inspection of the water meter," Once they saw it was the police, people would follow without question, abandoning everything in the face of conflict. Once they saw it was the police, people would follow without question, leaving behind even their belongings amidst the chaos.
However, superheroes faced difficulties in such scenarios. People wouldn't readily follow someone wearing a mask and cape. There was always the risk of being deceived by criminals, leading to potential danger. In this day and age, danger lurked for everyone, regardless of gender.
Barbara insisted on playing her part by assisting her father under her real identity, while Robin reluctantly had to follow suit.
Selina, standing in place, appeared somewhat lost in thought. While she wanted to lend a hand, she felt uncomfortable being among a large group of police officers. She feared the possibility of a cop suddenly losing their mind and brandishing their badge and gun, yelling "Hands up, I'm with the GCPD!" This scene had appeared countless times in her childhood dreams, and although she had turned over a new leaf, the memory occasionally resurfaced in her mind.
Seeing her lost in thought, Thea wasted no time in pulling her along. It was a rare opportunity for her to visit, and it would be a waste not to take advantage of it. Selina also found an excuse for herself. While she talked about whether they should go and help, her feet were already carrying them quickly out of the campus.
As an international metropolis, Gotham had its fair share of temptations despite its residents enduring constant hardships. As she and Selina strolled through a few relatively calm neighborhoods nearby, they unexpectedly stumbled upon a Japanese-style restaurant. This discovery delighted Thea. Despite Selina's claim that the restaurant had ties to the Yakuza, amidst the city's current chaos, even minor criminal organizations could be considered part of the law-abiding populace.
Seeing that even an heiress like her wasn't afraid, Selina felt even more at ease. She had grown up in this diverse and chaotic environment since she was a child, and returning here felt like returning home. While it might be an exaggeration to say she felt completely at ease, it was certainly more comfortable than staying in upscale neighborhoods. This difference in perspective might also be the root of the differences between her and Barbara.
Selina and Barbara Gordon represented the two sides of Gotham's complex society. Selina's background is marked by hardship and survival on the streets, which led her to become a skilled thief. Her moral compass is not black and white; she often walks the line between right and wrong, driven by self-preservation and sometimes a desire to do good.
Barbara Gordon, raised by her father, Commissioner James Gordon, grew up with a strong sense of justice and a desire to uphold the law and had a black and white view on life. Selina's past as a thief and her tendency to work outside the law led Batgirl to distrust her. Conversely, Selina viewed Batgirl as too rigid or moralistic, leading to mutual mistrust between the two characters.
As the conflicts grew and misunderstandings deepened; both of them had their flaws, but under the premise of not liking each other, those flaws were magnified infinitely by the other.
Although Batman, who had self-studied psychology to the level of a post-doctoral degree, and Commissioner Gordon, who had lived for over sixty years, saw the conflict between them and tried to reconcile their differences, the results were not very significant.
Batman lived a lifetime filled with hatred and never had a proper girlfriend. Commissioner Gordon's marriage was short-lived, effectively making him a lifelong bachelor as well. Neither of them understood women's psychology, so the conflicts between these two women were mistakenly dealt with using the approach they used on criminals—stating facts and reasoning.
What might have been a mendable rift in their relationship shattered completely during their incessant discussions about the future and life. Now, when they meet, they exchange greetings like "Nice weather today" or "Have you eaten?" When they're not in a good mood, they pretend not to recognize each other.
The final outcome was that their reputation between each other permanently solidified as "neutral."
Now, Selina, encountering the wealthy but carefree Thea, surprisingly got along quite well. They weren't exactly life-and-death friends, but they could certainly be considered friends. When Selina sought help, Thea didn't hesitate to assist, which further improved Selina's view of Thea.
The two of them entered the restaurant and ordered some dishes. The dishes here were essentially American versions of Japanese cuisine. It was unclear what the chefs were thinking, or perhaps they were paid off by McDonald's and KFC to vigorously advocate the supposed health benefits of fried foods, even going as far as researching and promoting the idea that fried food was healthier than boiled food due to nutrient loss during boiling, which dealt a heavy blow to traditional Japanese food.
Some Japanese restaurants continued to maintain their tradition of serving raw food, while more flexible restaurants had to adapt to local tastes. If customers preferred fried food, then they would fry it. All kinds of deep-fried dishes were heavily seasoned with oil and salt. After searching for a while, Thea couldn't find any light-flavored dishes and could only randomly order a few dishes and a fish to share with Selina.
Selina, whether due to her name or personal preference, immediately starts devouring the fish once it arrives. She handled chopsticks just as proficiently as Thea did, surprising her with her skills.
Seeing her enthusiastically eating the fish, Thea also picked up a pair of chopsticks. The taste was indeed good; it was braised!
"What's the deal between you and Bruce?" Thea had been holding onto this question for a long time. They've known each other since childhood, yet their relationship status still hasn't been defined, which is quite unusual.
Just look at Talia; she made her move when she had to, seizing Batman with some indescribable actions. Now their child is old enough to 'take the wheel,' so to speak, having gone from the other woman to having a chance at becoming the legitimate wife. Yet Selina's relationship with her childhood sweetheart is really not going well.
Selina had no clue either. Their relationship should have naturally progressed long ago after both hardware and software had been thoroughly tested, coupled with their expertise in martial arts, they had unlocked quite a few positions. They had done what they should and shouldn't have, but she still felt uneasy, especially after learning that Batman had a son. This unease turned into a breaking point, and the conflicts between them became even more apparent.