Just as Arias ended the call with Slade after getting confirmation of Shade's demise and some minor information, he made another call of his own. He was still in his penthouse, as it was late and he only had to make a statement the following day. The person he was currently calling would ensure he wasn't the only one who would have to answer to the media tomorrow.
In a short moment, the phone call went through, and a familiar feminine voice resounded from the other side.
"Well, I didn't expect you to call first. Miss me?" she asked rather provocatively, but Arias wasn't in the mood and just cut to the chase. "Listen, Vicki, I have some information for you that could make some rather interesting headlines..."
As infatuated as Vicki was with Arias, it wasn't to the point where she'd give up a headline-worthy scoop. So, she too took a serious tone and asked, "And I suppose you're not just going to give it to me for free, so… what do you want in return?"
Arias appreciated her quick understanding of the matter and showed a small smirk as he replied, "Oh, nothing too difficult."
The call only lasted a few minutes with either side exchanging words until finally, a conclusion was reached.
Vicki didn't sound too motivated to do what Arias asked, but his information was more than worth it for her, so with great reluctance, she agreed. "Fine, it's a deal. You really do like playing with fire. I gotta admit though, that side of you is what makes you sexier than other—"
Before Vicki could go off topic, Arias cut the call unceremoniously and made another, this time to Slade once again, who picked up almost instantly.
"New instructions?" he asked casually, as if expecting something of that nature to arise. He was right, as Arias's next words soon revealed. "Yes, very delicate instructions, so listen carefully…"
Slade listened without interrupting Arias, wearing a small grin on his face the entire time. When Arias was finally done explaining what he expected of him, Slade couldn't help but comment, "Lex sure is in for a surprise this time around. But something is fishy about this—don't you think this whole thing was too sloppy to be that egghead's plan? As much as I hate to admit it, he's one tricky snake to deal with."
Considering how easily they handled the situation, it wasn't wrong for Slade to have doubts. Arias also thought that things seemed far too simplistic, but he didn't have the time to overanalyze. Instead, he reached a different conclusion.
"That's because he didn't directly plan these events—Roulette did. And I doubt even she expected the group to get captured. Shade got sloppy, and we were lucky enough to capitalize on it, ruining their entire plan and using it as a means of counterattack. It's just that simple. So, can you manage what I've said?"
Hearing Arias's words, Slade's grin grew wider before he replied, "Consider it done. This is turning out to be more interesting than I thought."
Arias said nothing more and just cut the call. Slade was useful, but Arias knew he still had to be careful with what he did and said while also providing the illusion of trusting him.
Slade thought along similar lines—people like them always put themselves first, and that wouldn't change easily.
…
The following morning, Lex Luthor had awoken expecting to find good news regarding the incident that occurred in Gotham. But instead, as he watched the news in his living room, he wore a very visible frown on his face. The broadcast currently highlighted a very disturbing point…
"[In regards to the sudden and horrific attack Gotham City experienced late last night that took the lives of many and caused damage throughout the city, police have just released a statement to the public. The statement says that the Gotham police have discovered evidence that the group had managed to come into the city using a container carrier that docked at the harbor owned by LexCorp CEO, Lex Luthor.]
"[Upon further investigation, it was discovered that numerous containers at his harbor housed illegal weapons and drugs. The people of Gotham are in outrage and are currently demanding that Lex Luthor be tried and sentenced for his role in the deaths of their loved ones. Gotham Police Commissioner Gordon had this to say.]"
The image shifted from the reporter on the news desk to the interview with Gordon at Lex's harbor, near the container the trio Roulette sent had emerged from.
Gordon looked visibly angry, and his tone also showed it as he said, "Gotham is just from working hard to clear out the filth that was once polluting it. I'll be damned if we allow that to happen again, right under our noses. As of now, all property under the name of Lex Luthor has been confiscated and closed until further notice. We are working with Metropolis police and hope they will have Lex Luthor delivered here for questioning by the end of the week. Thank you."
"And there you have it. In light of this, though, Gotham residents are also thankful to the odd duo of Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn, who stopped the villains before any more lives could be lost. If this event has shown us one thing, it's that Gotham is indeed in good hands with Commissioner Gordon, our heroes, and the man who brought them here, Arias Markovic. This has been Vicki Vale with your early morning news. Have a good day."
Lex was in complete disbelief at what he had just heard. This wasn't supposed to happen… at all.
With anger all over his face, his phone rang, and he quickly picked it up, his voice showcasing his current mood. "Yes?"
"[Mr. Luthor, it's Mayor Davis. Look, both me and our city's police commissioner have held back the Gotham police's request as long as we could, but this situation has reached the national eye. If you postpone the request any longer, we could all be questioned. So please prepare your things—a group of police will be there to escort you soon.]"
"Wait, listen here—" An angry Lex Luthor tried to argue, but his attempts to do so were only met with static as Metropolis's mayor cut the call.
Lex clicked his tongue in irritation and sighed but didn't look defeated at all.
"Well played. It was my mistake leaving even such a simple task in the hands of fools. But it'll take more than this to make me stumble," he muttered under his breath while dialing another number to call.