The following day, the world—or to be precise, the U.S.—was still largely shaken by the deaths of Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller.
The sheer number of conspiracy theories online was incredible. One could be amazed at just how much nonsense people could claim about you once you were dead.
Needless to say, Arias had already moved past those matters and was contemplating other plans. With the world's focus elsewhere and the distraction of Luthor and Waller taken care of, it was an ideal time to spring into action.
First and foremost, the official opening of his institutions for meta-humans and aliens was nearing, and he needed to be adequately prepared for the benefits and problems it would present.
This was very important because the young talent the institutions attracted would be the foundation of the world Arias had in mind.
But progress couldn't be rushed, and he needed to wait a little longer. Until then, he could only go about his days normally without making any major moves, as he was sure there were many eyes on him right now.
Some watched him out of suspicion, while others because of his relationship with Mercy. Along with her value came danger—not for him, but still an annoyance he could do without.
That morning, he made it to his office without much hassle, as his security detail kept reporters at a good distance.
Judging from the crowd and the questions being asked, he could safely assume that Mercy had come to work that morning—the first step to making her yield.
As he approached the entrance to Markovic Tower, numerous reporters began yelling out to him.
"What does it mean to have a bigger billionaire working under you?"
"Is your relationship with Miss Graves strictly professional?"
"What comments do you have concerning the passing of Mr. Luthor?"
Whatever the question, Arias just ignored it and continued walking until he was inside the building.
On his way to the office, his steps reverberated loudly in the many empty halls of the building. Despite it being such a large structure, Markovic Tower had very few employees.
Cleaners, tech junkies, and his security force mostly. Despite all his wealth, Arias had no real major business that required him to employ a large workforce.
Because of this, many mocked him as a fool for spending so carelessly without having a solid source of revenue.
This was especially true after he sold the majority of the properties he first acquired. Those that he did keep weren't even in much use.
Like the building where Mercy and much of Slade's security detail stayed. It housed only people on his payroll—important ones at that—so aside from staff, there really wasn't anyone living there.
The same went for his own personal residential tower.
With such a setup, it was no wonder many financial analysts predicted that he would be bankrupt in a few years if he didn't find a large source of income or gain investments in what he had.
This side of Arias was especially highlighted because of the fact that Mercy seemed to have chosen to keep working under him despite her newfound wealth.
So it came as no surprise to Arias that, when he arrived at the door near his office, Mercy looked at him with a narrowed gaze.
"Is this all a joke to you? Do you really not care about how much you're losing each day?" she asked, absolute wonder in her tone.
When she arrived this morning, she had found some extra privileges had been granted to her, one being access to Arias's expenditure, which left her absolutely surprised.
She knew he had crazy expenditures, but even she didn't expect that he was blowing through millions each passing week.
At the rate he was moving, it definitely wouldn't be long before he went broke. But money carried little value in Arias's eyes now; it only served as a tool to help him navigate the world as it was right now.
"I'd assume it's a lot. Are you worried you won't get paid?" he teased, but Mercy looked absolutely serious.
She placed a stack of papers against his chest and spoke in a loud tone. "Could you take this seriously? These are offers from major investors looking to buy into your company, but most want shares in your institutions when they fully open, and also—"
Before Mercy could continue, Arias dropped the smile he had been putting up, and his expression turned serious.
"Reject them all. I understand your concern given the circumstances, but I don't plan on selling company shares under any conditions. I made billions in a single day, and I can do it again anytime I wish."
His eyes met Mercy's, showing a look of utter confidence. His words weren't just hollow. As she thought about what to say, Arias continued,
"Lex kept accumulating wealth, and yet he died before he could enjoy it fully. Do you really want to spend your better years slaving away for some idolized paper? Or will you use what you have to create your own comfortable space where you can truly live freely?"
The question struck deep at Mercy and really made her wonder. She had been acting CEO of LexCorp before, and it was anything but shallow and uninteresting.
It came with many privileges, but she just didn't see them as worth it to keep living such a stale and calculated life.
She could now understand why Arias wasn't slaving away, trying to plan for and make timed financial decisions.
Before the conversation could be brought to a close, Slade appeared out of the elevator with an annoyed expression.
"We've got a problem. Federal agents are here saying they want to investigate the building and our networks. They're asking for you downstairs."
Arias furrowed his brows for a moment before turning to face Slade. He clicked his tongue in annoyance while shaking his head, then walked toward the elevator.
"It's true what they say: become too quiet, and people will start to think you're easy prey. I think it's time people start to gain a sense of fear when it comes to… certain matters."