75 The Attention of A.R.G.U.S.

It's an exaggeration to say she woke up; in fact, Felicity had only returned to a semi-conscious state, mumbling words like "Daddy" and "Mommy, don't go" from time to time.

Under Commissioner Gordon's anxious gaze, Barbara also woke up within half a minute, much to the relief of the old commissioner.

Although Barbara woke up later than Felicity, her constitution was much stronger. She had trained herself, unlike Felicity, who could be considered a couch potato. The reason Barbara woke up later was primarily due to the large amount of gas she inhaled, along with being dragged around by someone, causing her to stumble, and she still felt dizzy.

The medical personnel quickly administered injections to boost the strength of both women and accelerate their recovery. After a preliminary analysis by pharmacology experts, although most medications couldn't be used, a small amount of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs wouldn't conflict, especially considering the large lump on Barbara's forehead. If left untreated, it could cause permanent damage.

Despite feeling somewhat weak, Barbara recovered miraculously fast. She could already see her father clearly and speak a few sentences intermittently. Felicity, on the other hand, was still hovering between unconsciousness and semi-consciousness.

Nevertheless, the fact that they were waking up was a good sign. Thea couldn't help but admire the medical staff; they were much more effective than her previous methods of waking people up with cold water and cool air.

"Dad, where are we?" Barbara gradually regained her senses, looking around in confusion. This wasn't the place she had been before. Where were they?

Commissioner Gordon didn't know where they were either. He had been brought here in a daze. Being of such advanced age, his natural recovery speed couldn't compare to that of younger people. However, in order to reassure his daughter, he came up with a half-truth.

"This is a secret location. It's very safe here."

"Where's Robin?" Barbara looked around but didn't see her boyfriend. Feeling a bit uneasy, she quickly asked her father.

Ah, Commissioner Gordon suddenly realized that Robin had been missing the whole time. Thea hadn't mentioned him either. Could it be that they hadn't rescued him? He turned to Thea with a questioning look.

What could Thea say? All she could do was shake her head slightly.

Commissioner Gordon said. He generally supported the relationship between Robin and his daughter, but like any father-in-law, there was still a bit of dislike towards his potential son-in-law. So, he wasn't angry with Thea for not rescuing Robin. Instead, he felt that maybe it was time to teach the young man a lesson.

"Robin is still at the campus. We'll go rescue him later." Commissioner Gordon said. He generally supported the relationship between Robin and his daughter, but like any father-in-law, there was still a bit of dislike towards his potential son-in-law. So, he wasn't angry with Thea for not rescuing Robin. Instead, he felt that maybe it was time to teach the young man a lesson.

It's often said that when people get a man, they forget their father, and when they marry, they forget their mother. Upon hearing that her boyfriend hadn't been rescued, Barbara felt a mixture of anxiety and worry. Under the weight of multiple blows, she fainted again.

Watching Commissioner Gordon clutch his daughter and cry out as if in a movie scene, "Barbara, wake up! Open your eyes!" Thea felt a bit sour. She had only passed out; she hadn't died. Was it necessary to be so dramatic? Since both women had awakened, Thea felt that her efforts tonight hadn't been in vain. She turned and left the room, heading for the laboratory where the researchers were working. She wanted to see if they had analyzed the gas composition. If possible, she still needed to go rescue Robin. Plus, she didn't know where Catwoman had gone, so she needed to find her too.

At the same time, Lyla walked into a sealed room, recited a long password, and Amanda's stern face appeared on the monitor.

"Hmm, Lyla, you've recovered quickly," Amanda remarked.

"Thanks for your concern, ma'am."

Neither of them wasted any words and quickly got to the point.

"Ma'am, these are the blood test reports for me, Thea, and Commissioner Gordon. The toxin levels in our blood all exceeded the normal human tolerance level. The intake levels for me and Commissioner Gordon were about the same, but I am stronger than Commissioner Gordon because of my training. but Thea's intake level far exceeded ours." Lyla reported in a low voice, holding the reports in her hand.

"What are you implying? Is she a metahuman?" Amanda asked indifferently.

"Quite the opposite. Her blood cells, hemoglobin, and so on are all at normal human levels. For her body to withstand such a huge burden and still be able to fight fiercely and rescue three people, it can only mean that her willpower is incredibly strong. At least, I couldn't do it if I were in her shoes," Lyla admitted.

Agents were very pragmatic people and were well aware of their own limits. If they didn't have the ability to complete a mission and forced themselves to do it, the result would undoubtedly be the death of a large number of people. So, Lyla frankly admitted that she didn't have such strong willpower. When she woke up earlier, she struggled to even walk a few steps, let alone fighting enemies. 

"Oh," Amanda didn't feel any particular emotion about this revelation because such people weren't unheard of. Some individuals, relying on their strong willpower, could indeed achieve remarkable feats. These kinds of people existed in the military and elsewhere. Batman himself was a living example of this. He had been attacked by toxic gas multiple times, and though he looked rough afterward, he always managed to escape.

Contrasting Bruce and Thea's past experiences, Amanda searched for commonalities between the two. She found quite a few. Firstly, they were both wealthy, at least richer than herself, who earned a meager salary from the military. Additionally, both had experienced tragic events in their families and were surrounded by danger. The only difference between them was that Starling City was relatively brighter compared to the gloom of Gotham.

Did being wealthy make it easier for children from affluent families to become superheroes? Amanda couldn't help but entertain this thought. Should she consider recruiting more individuals like them for testing in the future? Those who weren't greedy for money, unafraid of death, and filled with ideals seemed quite suitable for her organization.

Pulling her thoughts back, Amanda asked Lyla, "What is your conclusion? Do you think she meets our criteria?"

"Yes, I believe she does. At least... more so than Batman. She can be a partner for A.R.G.U.S." Lyla affirmed confidently.

"I understand," Amanda said, then terminated the remote call.

Sitting in her chair and looking at a document in her hand, Thea's mother, Moira, had officially submitted her candidacy for the next mayoral election to the government. She was currently leading by a wide margin in the polls compared to the other candidate.

Her policy agenda wasn't overly complicated; it focused on restoring employment and developing new economic growth points. Normally, Amanda would have dismissed these as empty words, but this time, because Thea was involved, she had to take it seriously.

If Moira were to be elected, she would come into the spotlight of the country's highest people. As a secret government organization, she would naturally align with Amanda's side. Moreover, she could potentially pull Thea, a superhero, onto the government's side. From this perspective, Thea seemed much more suitable than Batman, who had an unstable mental state and could go crazy at any moment.