Moira wanted to ask Ethan for more information, but his answers remained the same as what Thea had already told her.
Furthermore, Ethan's attitude was clear: believe it or not.
Moira felt helpless. Perhaps she thought that if she didn't believe, he should at least prove his words. But she didn't expect that Ethan didn't care about this at all. Or rather, whether she believed or not had no impact on Ethan whatsoever.
Thinking about it carefully, Moira realized this was indeed the reality of the situation.
If Ethan was truly a god, did her belief matter? Could it affect him? As for taking Thea away and keeping her from Ethan, would a god care if a mere human stayed away from them?
Just as Moira was struggling with how to face the fact that her daughter had been chosen by a god (possibly not), was being taught and trained by him, and she had no idea why he was doing this, she noticed that Ethan had recently stopped staying in the manor all the time.
He had started going out more frequently, and his agent Ada often accompanied him.
"Ethan?"
When Moira asked this question during dinner, Oliver immediately gave an answer.
"It seems he's preparing to go to Central City. I remember he also invested there."
"S.T.A.R. Labs."
Thea had spent every day there, so she knew more details, including that Ethan had invested in and become a shareholder of S.T.A.R. Labs.
"Something happened at S.T.A.R. Labs a while ago, didn't it?"
"Yes, the particle accelerator, which was S.T.A.R. Labs' main focus, exploded some time ago, causing significant damage to Central City. So S.T.A.R. Labs is currently closed."
It had been over half a year since the explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs. The news caused quite a stir at the time, but Oliver had been busy with many things as the Green Arrow, so he hadn't paid much attention to what was happening in Central City.
Thea hadn't paid much attention either. If Ethan hadn't occasionally checked on the situation there, and she hadn't learned that Ethan had investments in S.T.A.R. Labs, she wouldn't have cared about the matter.
"Oh, by the way, that Slade..."
At the time, Thea and Oliver had handed Slade over to Ethan, and then Ethan seemed to have just waved them off. Moira didn't know what had happened to Slade afterward and was worried that this dangerous man might suddenly show up again.
"He's being held in a special prison, where only criminals like him are incarcerated."
Slade was ultimately confined by Oliver contacting the A.R.G.U.S. agency. Ordinary prisons couldn't contain someone who had been enhanced like him.
Although Oliver believed many of Slade's actions were side effects of the Mirakuru, he had indeed done many terrible things and injured many innocent people. If he were simply released, even Oliver felt it wouldn't be right. (As for what his mother had done back then? She was coerced. The real culprit was Malcolm, and he had already faced justice.)
The conversation returned to S.T.A.R. Labs because Thea had graduated and had no plans to continue her studies, so she wanted to travel around.
It just so happened that she learned Ethan was planning to go to Central City soon, so she wanted to go with him.
"Thea!"
Moira was still a bit uneasy about Ethan. If Ethan truly turned out to be a god, then she would be thrilled that her daughter had been favored by one. Even if it was just to stay by his side as an attendant, she wouldn't find it wrong.
As ordinary people, how many could refuse an opportunity to serve a god? Even a minor blessing from a god could benefit someone for a lifetime.
"Don't worry, Mom!"
Moira's worry was meaningless. Thea's recent good behavior wasn't because she had suddenly become obedient. It was because most of her energy had been devoted to training during this time, leaving her without the strength to do anything that would worry her parents, which gave the illusion that she had become a good girl.
She was still a rebellious young woman with her own ideas who did whatever she wanted. Besides, she didn't think this was a bad thing. It was just a trip to Central City.
So, when Ethan set off for Central City, Thea was still part of the group.
Star City wasn't close to Central City, but it wasn't like they were on opposite coasts either. According to DC Comics' settings, Star City was a West Coast city, while Central City was in the Midwest.
The TV universe didn't provide a clear description, but Ethan had been here for nearly two years and found that these major background settings largely followed the comic versions. Plus, it wasn't very important, so after learning about it, he didn't think much of it.
When Ethan and his group arrived in Central City, looking at the bright sunshine, he felt something was off.
Star City was supposed to be located in California, known for its sunshine and pleasant climate, but why did Central City look more like a Californian city?
"That question... I can't answer that either."
Thea was the only 'local' among them, but she couldn't answer this kind of question. Like her brother Oliver, she was also a poor student who didn't enjoy studying.
"Don't worry about it, I was just thinking out loud."
As they walked out of the airport, Ethan noticed someone waiting at the exit.
It was a tall young woman with slightly wavy blonde hair, holding up a sign that read: Welcome Mr. Tony Stark.
"Oh, is this lady here to pick me up?"
"She's here to pick all of us up."
Due to his appearance, Ethan often used the name Tony Stark when interacting with others. However, even without the sign, Ethan knew this woman was there to pick them up.
He recognized her immediately: Caitlin Snow, currently working at S.T.A.R. Labs.
Since the particle accelerator explosion more than six months ago, S.T.A.R. Labs had been closed, and most of the staff had left. Only a few remained.
Dr. Caitlin Snow was one of the few still working there. Today, she was likely representing S.T.A.R. Labs to welcome these investors.
Although S.T.A.R. Labs was closed, it was only to avoid public scrutiny. When the time was right, the lab could reopen and resume various operations. Even without new projects, the lab's own "output" was a considerable source of income. This was why the Flash team was never short on money after inheriting the entire lab.
But not lacking money didn't mean they could afford to offend investors, especially during such a sensitive period. An investor suddenly appearing did not seem like good news from any angle.
So Caitlin was very nervous, which was obvious at a glance. She was worried that she might say the wrong thing and offend Tony and the others.
They got into the extended luxury car Caitlin had rented in advance, which had enough space for everyone to sit and talk face to face.
"Don't be so nervous. We just came to take a look."
Caitlin managed a stiff, awkward smile, feeling that the task she had taken on was truly dreadful.
She was a researcher and not suited for reception work, but there was no one else in the lab who could handle such tasks right now. Considering the situations of the other two, she had no choice but to accept it.
However, it seemed these people weren't hard to deal with. The middle-aged man should be the investor Tony Stark, and the other young man seemed to be one too? But wasn't he a bit too young? Was the girl next to him his sister or girlfriend?
As for the Asian woman, she already knew who this was. She was the investor's agent, and this woman named Ada usually handled related affairs. Now that the investor himself had shown up, she seemed to have taken on the role of an assistant. At the very least, she looked like an ordinary secretary now.
"What's the situation at S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"Uh..." Caitlin was momentarily stunned, then slowly responded, "It's still in a closed state."
The particle accelerator explosion was a major incident, requiring various investigations, and it wasn't unusual for such investigations to last a year.
However, the investigation had basically concluded. The reason S.T.A.R. Labs hadn't reopened was that it was still avoiding the spotlight. The explosion had caused a major impact in Central City and was a heavy blow to the lab's reputation. Until people forgot about it, it was better for S.T.A.R. Labs to keep a low profile.
Caitlin could never have imagined that Central City would soon experience a wave of metahuman crimes. The dark matter released by the particle accelerator explosion had transformed many people into metahumans. These individuals repeatedly reminded the residents of Central City of the explosion, so S.T.A.R. Labs continued to remain closed. Even after reopening, it kept a low profile and never returned to being the center of public attention as it once was.
The internal staff also remained unchanged. Although it was called a high-tech laboratory, it mainly served as the Flash's base. These scientists no longer focused on professional scientific research, but instead spent each day figuring out how to deal with various enemies.
It was quite interesting to think about. While Barry Allen was in a coma, not a single metahuman appeared in Central City. But as soon as Barry woke up, it was like a starting gun had gone off, and all these guys began appearing one after another, only to be sent, one by one, into specially designed prisons by the Flash.
The car fell silent. Caitlin let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had been worried that these investors would keep asking questions endlessly. The more she said, the greater the chance she would slip up. It would be best if she didn't have to talk at all.
When they arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Harrison Wells would naturally take over hosting these guests.
(To be continued.)
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