Between Thea and Diana, their combined influence was substantial.
The next day, female heroes worldwide who'd received invitations hesitated briefly but ultimately chose to attend.
Local Star City heroes—Green Arrow's partner Shado, the Lance sisters (Black Canary and White Canary), and tech specialist Felicity—began setting up the venue.
With deep pockets, Thea had bought up half a city block. Actually, this was real estate Robert Queen had purchased years ago to block Malcolm's plan to destroy the Glades. For a long time, this massive tract had tied up Queen Consolidated's liquid assets.
Times had changed. Robert had long passed, and Malcolm had gone to the New Continent to teach astrology. The property had sat unused.
Two years ago, Thea waved her hand and bulldozed everything. Now it was a district combining dining, lodging, and entertainment—exclusively for women.
She hadn't arrogantly posted signs saying "Men Keep Out." Anyone wanting to stroll through could—but every shop sold women's products. If you didn't mind being pointed at by a crowd of women, feel free to enter.
Female heroes arrived in Star City one after another. First came the Bat-family: Batgirl Barbara Gordon, Catwoman Selina Kyle, Huntress Helena Bertinelli, Batwoman Kate Kane, and young Cassandra Cain.
Half the Bat-team had been poached. Thea even thought maliciously that with Alfred too old to cook much anymore, and Bruce trusting no one else, the Dark Knight was probably home eating instant ramen with his son right now.
"What was Batman's expression when he heard I was forming the Female League?" Thea asked Barbara curiously.
Barbara quickly straightened her face, set her features into a stern expression, walked two steps mimicking Batman's gait, then said in a deep, gravelly voice: "Ridiculous!"
"Haha!" The women who knew Batman laughed until they doubled over. Teasing a familiar figure instantly broke the ice between them. Whether Batman would sneeze, they couldn't care less.
Soon after, more arrived: Supergirl Kara Danvers and her sister Alex Danvers, Starfire the Tamaranean princess, and Miss Martian M'gann M'orzz, the Martian Manhunter's niece. Superman's wife Lois Lane, Flash's girlfriend Iris West, and Aquaman's wife Mera also showed up—quite the superhero family gathering.
Independent female heroes also came in force. Vixen Mari McCabe, who wore a tribal totem and could channel any animal's abilities.
The young Raven, who'd left Thea two years ago to attend high school on her own. Hal Jordan's girlfriend Carol Ferris of the Violet Lantern Corps.
Aquaman's allies: Ya'Wara and Kahina the Seer.
Zatanna, Poison Ivy, Livewire, Killer Frost. Even Fire and Ice, who were planning to join Justice League International, came along when they heard there was no conflict between the two leagues.
Thea had also invited Madame Xanadu, but the elder declined gracefully, saying she was too old for young people's gatherings.
Faora similarly disliked such occasions and chose to refuse.
Some present could fight incredibly well—like the two goddesses. Others couldn't hurt a fly—like Felicity. Regardless of power level, twenty-nine female heroes had assembled.
Compared to the somewhat laid-back Thea, Diana had impressive big-sister energy. Seeing everyone quiet down, she launched into a speech about women's self-reliance and independence, breaking free from patriarchal society.
Thea didn't have such strong feminist views. Everyone here was already a hero—lacking independence, they wouldn't have made it this far. Her purpose in establishing the Female League was to unite these women. Compared to the abundance of male superheroes everywhere, female heroes were too few and often appeared only as support personnel.
In a relaxed, comfortable environment, they could exchange insights, spar with those of similar skill levels, and all gain something.
More importantly, it expanded their social circles. Many female heroes had almost no friends outside their teams. Barbara Gordon, for instance—daytime library manager, nighttime crime-fighter with Batman, then home to collapse in bed. She had virtually no personal time.
"Ladies and gentlemen—wait, that's not right. Got ahead of myself. No gentlemen here today..." Thea lightened the mood with relaxed humor.
"Everyone here is elite among elites. My purpose in proposing the Female League is to give everyone a platform for exchange and mutual improvement. Female heroes aren't appendages to male heroes—we should have our own voices. But we shouldn't make ourselves too tense either. Only by knowing the world, seeing its beauty, can we have sufficient conviction to protect it."
"We won't inspire the world with hope alone, nor intimidate villains through fear alone. Both approaches seem one-sided and arbitrary to me. Everyone should have their own view of the world, but we can't force one standard on everyone. Our principle is inclusivity—using women's unique perspective to observe the world and change it!"
"Alright, I'm done talking. Our Female Justice League is officially established today!"
"One more thing—no matter how heavy the mission, don't forget to laugh. The more joyful memories we have, the stronger our conviction to protect becomes!"
The female heroes applauded warmly. The opening had gone smoothly.
"You really understand what it means to protect people, don't you?" Diana teased her.
Thea laughed it off. She wouldn't admit this speech was distilled from various protagonists' flashback scenes. Constantly recalling beautiful memories to defeat enemies—wasn't that standard hero procedure?
Half a city block plus a substantial stretch of coastline had all been designated for this. Whether swimming, working out, sunbathing, shopping, training, or beauty treatments—every facility imaginable was available. The wealthy Thea had even brought in many entertainment options popular on other planets.
Diana had suggested providing activity stipends for the female heroes. Thea considered it but decided against it.
Female heroes generally had strong self-esteem. Handing out money would only show off her wealth without practical benefit, likely creating the opposite effect.
Most female heroes weren't short on cash anyway.
Felicity was a corporate executive. Carol Ferris's family owned an airline. Zatanna was heir to an ancient lineage. Ice was a Norwegian princess. They naturally had money.
Or there were those like Shado and Laurel whose boyfriends were wealthy. Being a hero required resources—the saying held true most of the time.
Groups of familiar female heroes went out to enjoy themselves in twos and threes. Half a city block exclusively for women—quite the rarity.
Taking off combat suits, setting aside weapons, applying light makeup and changing into casual clothes, walking down comfortable streets with companions.
No need to traverse shadowy high-rises at night. No need to dodge gunfire carefully. Just like ordinary people—openly facing sunlight, entering shops. Such moments were precious beyond measure for them.