Barbara, sedated, lay quietly on the medical chair. Batman didn't really understand the rhythm of her treatment, but he still picked up a stack of medical reports thick as a book and handed them to Thea.
Thea glanced at the massive stack in his hands, pulled out just two X-rays for a quick look, then waved off the rest. She didn't need them! If she had to read all of that, when would she be done? She planned to go home for dinner… at this rate she'd finish reading by tomorrow morning.
"You have something like Superman's x-ray vision, don't you?"
Batman watched her look at the X-rays while staring intently at Barbara — not lifting her, not removing any of the layers of clothing. What could she possibly see? He held it in for a long time before finally asking.
"Nowhere near as good as his."
In truth, the difference wasn't that big, but Thea always downplayed her own abilities.
Jim Gordon didn't care one bit about x-ray vision! As long as his daughter could be saved, he'd accept any method. He shoved Batman aside rather roughly.
"Thea, look at Barbara — can you save her?"
Batman knew the old man was resentful, but what could he do? He couldn't just pin Gordon to the ground and punch him. All he could do was smile bitterly and watch silently from the side.
Thea examined Barbara carefully — the injuries weren't actually that serious. With current medical technology, this would be a lifelong disability, but to a magic-user, especially one with strong light-based spells like Thea, it was a matter of minutes.
But she absolutely couldn't heal her that easily. The more precious the help, the more complicated the process needed to look. If she finished too quickly, they'd say:
"Oh? This easy? We'll treat you to a nice dinner as thanks!"
…which obviously wouldn't do.
"It's… too dark here. My magic needs a lot of light energy. Down here the effect is very weak. Can we go outside to do the treatment?"
Thea pretended to check again, then turned to the two men. To make them believe it, she casually summoned a light sphere. That wasn't acting — deep underground really did restrict light-attribute absorption.
"Let's go to my old manor. There's a direct access from here."
A reasonable request. Batman regretted that he couldn't use the Batcave's high-tech equipment to record her spellcasting, but he remained composed and led them to a nearby elevator.
Gordon pushed his unconscious daughter along. The four of them rode the elevator through the dark caverns. Before long, Batman pulled open a disguised door, revealing a luxurious living space.
"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Miss Thea."
"This is my butler, Alfred Pennyworth."
Hearing movement, the loyal old butler had arrived. Thea respected him as well, exchanging a few polite lines such as "heard so much about you."
Without wasting time, they moved to an open lawn on the estate. Sunlight was plentiful. Thea surveyed the surroundings and gestured for them to stand aside as she began drawing a recovery magic circle.
She used celestial spells from the unicorn's memories. Even if Batman later took this formation to ask Zatanna, it wouldn't match her system — she wouldn't be able to explain it. Besides, Thea doubted Batman discussed magic with his childhood friend that often anyway.
It took her a full thirty minutes. Finally, a magic formation that looked holy and ethereal appeared across the Wayne lawn.
The old butler's heart hurt — he had tended that grass for so many years, and now Thea's "scribbles" had torn it apart. But seeing Gordon's stone-cold face, he held his tongue.
Thea squeezed out a few beads of sweat, acting exhausted.
"Alright, bring Barbara in— actually, no, you'll ruin the formation. I'll do it."
She wrapped Barbara in magic power, lifted her gently, and floated her into the center.
This little display strengthened their confidence even more.
The spell itself would only take a minute, but Thea deliberately stretched it out — chanting, gestures, circling the formation again and again. She dragged it out for a full hour before finally stopping.
"That should do it. The remaining magic will operate on its own."
After working so "hard," Thea sat down to rest and took out her phone to text Moira, telling her she had found her "patsy" and to call in and cooperate with the act.
The two hadn't discussed details, but Moira understood instantly. Soon, she called. At first they spoke softly, then louder and louder, until Moira's choked sobs echoed through the phone. Only then did Thea hang up.
Batman, Gordon, and Alfred looked at one another, clueless about what to do.
"Miss Thea, are you in some kind of trouble? Is there any way I can help?"
Gordon was anxious — he didn't know if his daughter was healed yet, and he was terrified something might go wrong on Thea's side.
Of course Thea couldn't just confess immediately. She declined several times, insisting it was nothing serious, but Gordon felt deeply indebted. He kept pressing her, until she "reluctantly" connected her abilities to the Temple of Artemis in a carefully crafted explanation.
"Repair a temple?!"
Batman, Gordon, and Alfred — together over 150 years old — were stunned at the sudden topic shift. But hearing that her powers were divine blessings, they felt it explained why Thea suddenly knew magic.
"Mrs. Queen means… she doesn't want you to appear in person?"
Once confirmed, Gordon began calculating.
The debt was too big. If he didn't repay it, he wouldn't sleep at night. And repairing a divine temple wasn't dangerous — just a little public criticism at worst. He prepared to accept it.
"This matter, I think—"
Batman cut him off:
"I'll take care of it."
Gordon owed Thea a debt, but Bruce Wayne owed even more — not just to Thea, but to the Gordons as well. Whatever criticism Gordon could foresee, Batman foresaw too.
Gordon was about to retire; getting entangled in something like this might stain a lifetime of good reputation.
But Batman? His name had long been tied to scandal. Even recently, joining the Gotham Police had only helped a little. He had enough social influence — and enough thick skin — to handle this.
He quietly asked Thea for the necessary details. Thea acted hesitant and embarrassed. Batman, however, insisted:
"Compared to what you've done for us, this is nothing. Leave it to me."
After refusing a few more times for form's sake, Thea finally accepted their arrangement under their earnest persuasion.