Arias followed Slade down to the first-floor lobby, where many figures in black suits were present. The majority of them were already in the midst of inspecting the lobby. One of them stood at the forefront with his hands behind his back, his gaze directed toward the elevator.
As he saw Arias step out with Slade by his side, a smile crept up on his face as he approached to shake Arias's hand.
"I apologize for the unannounced arrival of my team, but protocol requires we be discreet in our operations. I'm sure your employee has already told you why we're here. We only ask that you cooperate with us fully." The man, average in height, with a clean appearance and a confident look, spoke as if it were already decided that Arias would agree.
Arias sized up the man with little emotion before a smile crept up on his face. He ignored the man's outstretched hand, not bothering to shake it. This left the man a bit disturbed, but the arrogant smile on his face remained. However, Arias began to pace around the man like a predator stalking his prey, his voice low and inaudible to the scattered audience.
"Agent Michael Raunch. Let me guess—with Waller out of the way, you finally got that promotion you were so desperate for, and you decided it would be a good idea to bring down a big name to solidify your position. But did you ever stop to wonder if this person knew about operations 430 and 876-GY?"
The moment Arias said those words, the man's face froze, and he looked at Arias with eyes of disbelief.
"How do you—" Before the shocked man could pose any questions, Arias came to a stop by his right-hand side and spoke first. "That information Waller used to keep you on a leash? Just know she wasn't the only one in possession of it. And unless you want your life—and your family's—to meet a miserable downfall, you'll leave my building and ensure no one tries coming here again."
The situation shifted dynamics in the blink of an eye, leaving the man speechless for a brief moment. The agent's expression turned sour, and he looked around to ensure his colleagues couldn't hear what was being said.
"Fine, it was my mistake," he admitted in a cold sweat before turning to leave, but Arias wasn't done yet.
"Now, hold on."
The man paused, a visible frown present on his face. "What?"
Arias approached the man with a small smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think there's something you're forgetting. I have your life in a chokehold—you're my dog now, got it? I have no interest in petty politics… not that they'll matter soon. But until then, I want you to update the contact I give you on all necessary happenings."
Arias's request caused the man to look very disturbed. "That's practically treason. I could go to jail for life if I'm caught," he whispered, great reluctance in his voice.
However, the smile on Arias's face didn't fade. As far as he was concerned, the dog before him had no choice.
"Then don't get caught. Now leave."
Arias stepped away from the man, walking off with Slade in tow.
As they were walking, Slade glanced back at the agent with some concern. "Waller really kept dirt on everyone, huh? He looks absolutely shattered. Must be some crazy baggage to make him willing to betray the government."
Arias smiled at the comment and nodded. "You'd be shocked how far some people would go to ensure their secrets remain hidden."
Once inside the elevator, Slade switched topics. "About the Bedlam Syndicate and Baron Bedlam… he says he's talked to his brother, the king, and convinced him to allow a partnership to form with you."
Arias raised a curious brow at this. He had expected it to take far longer for feedback to return, but it wasn't an unwelcome piece of news.
"Oh really? I thought the king and queen were incredibly hateful towards foreigners ever since their daughter went missing. The biggest suspect being meta-human traffickers."
Slade crossed his arms and leaned against the side paneling while nodding his head. "Bedlam must've sold them the idea really well. What should I reply?"
Arias fell silent for a moment in contemplation before answering. "We'll do as planned, so he can send over an account through which the funds can be transferred."
…
With the deaths of Lex and Waller taking up much of the news headlines, the fact that Arias was putting up close to a billion towards a project in Markovia was largely overshadowed.
And once again, the project was seemingly one that would generate little to no income, making even more financial and business analysts wonder just what was going through his head.
Baron Bedlam, or as the public knew him, Fredrick Delamb, made sure that the news of the project was the biggest piece of news in their country. He also made sure, of course, that all the citizens of Markovia knew that *he* was the one who brought Arias forward. In his mind, he already had thoughts of taking the throne by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the man he thought was doing all this so they could form a great partnership was actually plotting Fredrick's downfall.
This time, though, he wasn't doing it alone. Slade had shown great competence and loyalty toward Arias, making it clear that he was there for more than just money. So Arias chose to give him a more inclusive role as his right-hand man.
Inside his office, Arias was going through profiles of all members of the Markovian royal family who were eligible to take the throne. He himself couldn't do it for two reasons: the first being that he had no real interest in such a minuscule role, and the second being that if a foreigner took over, it would just present even more problems. So he had to dig through various profiles to see who could make a good puppet king or queen.
Thus far, the most appealing option seemed to be the current heir to the throne, Gregor Markov. What made him so appealing was his interest in superheroes, meta-humans, and aliens, making it clear that he was at least open-minded.
However, his record was clean, and Arias had nothing he could use against him to force him to submit. At the same time, Gregor had a righteous heart and was naive, so Arias doubted he would fit the bill of the kind of ruler he wanted to control Markovia on his behalf.
"The best option here is to force him to see the world differently—a great tragedy that shakes him to be willing to make hard decisions, and a great miracle that has him see me as a close friend."
Slade watched Arias mutter these words with keen eyes. Arias's ability to dissect people's emotions and thoughts was terrifying, so much so that Slade wondered what Arias thought of him. One thing was clear to Slade—in terms of manipulation alone, he couldn't fathom Arias. And unless he wanted to meet an untimely end, the best course was to stay by his side.
Being neutral wasn't enough, as Slade had witnessed Arias willing to sacrifice innocent lives to meet a goal.
After pondering for a while longer, Slade decided to speak up.
"If it means anything, I think I have a piece that might make your plans for Markovia easier," he revealed, causing Arias to put down the profile on Gregor Markov and look at him.
"I'm listening," Arias replied with a look of minor interest.
Slade approached the desk and picked up a profile at the very bottom. He showed it to Arias, who then raised a brow in curiosity. Slade then smiled and pointed at the image of a figure on the profile.
"What if I told you the person who has that missing princess… is me," Slade revealed with a slight smile.
Arias also showed a smile and threw the folder back down after quickly skimming through it, the name reading **"Tara Markov."**
"Then I'd ask you how much?"
Slade pretended to contemplate it for a bit before shrugging his shoulders. "For you, boss? No charge. I can't sell you an unfinished product, after all."