Through her bloodline transformation, Thea's perception had undergone a dramatic shift. The previously intangible perceptive power within Thea's body had now merged with the spiritual energy derived from her bloodline, forming a subtle, shimmering energy. For now, she decided to call it "mana."
When she used this trace of mana to connect with the inscription on her dagger, it transformed the raw energy in a unique way before releasing it. The process consumed very little of her own reserves. The dagger itself supplied most of the power, with Thea merely guiding its direction.
This small role, however, marked the fundamental difference between an ordinary person and a mage. Having played plenty of games, Thea quickly understood the purpose of this weapon.
It could generate a cloud of pitch-black fog within her line of sight. She wasn't sure what the original designer had intended, but the fog was impenetrable to outsiders and blinded everyone inside it—including Thea herself if she entered. She couldn't see a thing.
Was this thing originally meant for escape? In today's world, with smoke bombs readily available thanks to modern tech, the dagger's magical effect felt underwhelming. Moreover, the fog only obscured human vision; thermal imaging could still detect a living person inside.
Thea tossed the dagger up and down a few times, catching it idly. In stories, protagonists stumbled over a rock and found storage rings or dragon eggs. All she got was this underwhelming blade. Her luck was truly terrible!
She rewrote the contents of the parchment she'd hastily memorized earlier, comparing them to the dagger's inscriptions for similarities. Truthfully, the results were meager—there just wasn't enough to work with.
Online searches yielded some results of stories about Merlin and ghosts, or yetis fighting Merlin the magician but the information was a confusing mix of fact and fiction, impossible to verify. Thea didn't dare experiment recklessly. In stories, masters went mad at high levels; if she veered off course at the start, she'd be a laughingstock.
There was no one to guide her. Swamp Thing had mentioned Madame Xanadu, but he'd also said she was elusive—a descendant of some ancient race, immortal, and ageless. Compared to her, Ra's al Ghul was a child. Someone like that probably had little concept of time. She might not notice Thea's existence for a decade, and waiting around wasn't an option.
This world did have a few magic-based heroes. Thea knew of Constantine, at least by reputation, but she'd heard he was a notorious flirt. With her appearance, she figured it was best to steer clear.
With no clear path forward, she decided to take it step by step. First, she'd recover fully and get her condition back to peak form. Then, she'd try the "Earth Fruit" Swamp Thing had given her.
Although physically weak and unable to train in martial arts with Batman, she didn't rest completely.
Her future enemies would be increasingly formidable, so she needed to boost her strength. Magic wasn't something she could master quickly; it required extensive study and practice.
Of course, there were shortcuts, like Shazam. Dreaming of flying high and changing the world, then shouting "Shazam!" when trouble arose, getting struck by a thick bolt of purple lightning, and transforming from a skinny kid into a muscular magic-user nearly six feet tall...
Thea looked down on such instant power-ups. It didn't increase one's fundamental strength or foundation at all, and might even drain vital energy with each transformation. She found such methods lacking real substance and potentially having hidden costs.
In a fantasy world, someone like that would be possessed in seconds.
During this time, with her relationship with Batman at an all-time high, Thea asked to borrow his utility belt for a closer look.
Bruce didn't refuse. He valued her as a protégé.
Finally, Thea got her hands on the legendary belt. It had been hyped up endlessly, but its principles were surprisingly straightforward.
Batman had incorporated advanced nanotechnology into it. His weapons didn't suit her style, but the tech itself was impressive and sparked an idea.
Batman's nanotechnology differed from Ray Palmer's. One focused on weaponizing nano-tech, the other on shrinking the user. It was a classic example of starting from a similar point but taking different paths. Given Batman's pride, he wouldn't shrink himself down to fight, and similarly, The Atom couldn't effectively use Batman's diverse weaponry without the corresponding martial arts skills.
The belt inspired Thea greatly. She began designing her own tech-based gear.
Her hoverboard had limited room for short-term improvement and was quite ineffective against brute enemies like Bane. Dealing with one or two might be manageable, but America seemed to have an abundance of super-strong villains.
Her physical strength was becoming her biggest limiting factor. Whether in close combat or drawing her bow, her lack of raw power increasingly held her back.
After weighing her options, she turned her gaze to Marvel's Winter Soldier.
Of course, she wasn't crazy enough to chop off her arm for a metal one. Instead, she'd use Bruce's tech to create a nanotech arm. Normally, it would split into three parts: an arm ring, a bracelet, and a ring—common accessories that wouldn't stand out in any setting.
In combat, she'd activate a switch on the bracelet. The ring would expand to cover her hand, the bracelet would form a wrist guard and forearm armor, and the arm ring would shape into upper-arm plating.
Powered by an energy cell from Queen Industries, the arm's theoretical limit was ten tons of force. She also designed three slots in the palm armor; clenching her fist would extend three sharp claws—an idea borrowed from Wolverine, naturally.
Knowing she might catch Ra's al Ghul's attention someday, facing enemies unarmed made her uneasy. Carrying a sword everywhere wasn't practical, so this was a compromise.
As for whether to have one mechanical arm or two, she ultimately decided on a single arm, specifically the left one, just like the Winter Soldier. This wasn't out of fandom; she reasoned that her right hand needed to be free for shooting arrows and firearms. A mechanical arm, no matter how precise, couldn't match her natural dexterity. She just needed raw power, and the left would do.
Magic had to stay hidden for now, but tech weapons were fair game. She didn't waste the opportunity to consult Bruce, the master of mechanical engineering, showing him her blueprints.
Bruce could only express admiration for her ingenious idea. The mechanical arm conflicted with several aspects of his existing equipment, so he wouldn't adopt it himself, but he could certainly offer guidance.
Together, they refined the design, blending tech from both their families. The new design made the metal arm lighter and capable of delivering greater power output over time.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at the hidden claws meant for surprise attacks. Thea explained her concerns—needing concealed self-defense options, mentioning how typical female attire in public settings offered few places to hide weapons. Bruce, finding it hard to comment on her constant anticipation of encountering villains, ultimately conceded to the design feature.