With no major duties to attend to, Arias left the office with Slade and told Mercy to handle things on his behalf, blatantly lying to her by saying he trusted her to do it. Although she complained about the workload on the surface, Arias knew that deep down, she felt happy when even a little bit of praise was given.
For now, he couldn't rush things with her and needed to allow some things to take place naturally between them. In other words, she needed to marinate longer before he devoured her fully.
After leaving the office, Slade and Arias used a private jet to fly to an undisclosed destination—an island just off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
That island served as Slade's personal hideout and home to some extent, nestled in a lovely area filled with pirates, drug dealers, smugglers, and all sorts of other unwanted folk. The island itself was actually a gift to Slade from one of Mexico's biggest crime lords. It came after Slade had successfully killed the then-president of the nation because of his crackdown policies on crime.
All in all, it was an ideal location that even criminals feared approaching. On it was a lavish villa and well-maintained security personnel, most of whom were that very crime lord's goons. It seemed like a nice gesture on the surface, but it was just to maintain good relations with Slade given his reputation.
After all, if the crime lord remained distant from Slade and a competitor put a price on his head, things would end badly. Thankfully for him, Slade valued connections *and* money. And it's thanks to those connections that this island of his became a hub for contract killers under Slade. Nothing as big as the League of Assassins, but still very much capable.
...
They had landed in Mexico and proceeded to the island after driving to the coast and taking a yacht there. On the surface, they looked like tourists just there to enjoy the scenery and weather, both wearing vacation tees and outfits, matched with watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, of course.
"The sweet Mexican sea air, there's nothing like it, huh?" Slade inquired while taking a sip from a glass of whiskey as he stared at the distant sunset.
Arias sat on a seat on the same deck not far away, two women at his sides—one fanning him and the other feeding him well-cut fruits. He nodded at Slade's words while wearing a small smile. "It's hard to appreciate the scenery when you're trying not to get killed. I've never enjoyed my missions outside the country until recently."
Slade laughed, able to relate to Arias's words. Knowing well that the life of a contract killer was difficult and filled with danger everywhere.
"Well, there's a first time for everything. You should find time to relax every now and then, y'know? Drink, smoke, steal another man's woman—whatever your poison is."
Slade finished his drink just as the island came into view.
Having grown up in crime to support himself, Arias hadn't really enjoyed his teenage years. But the fact he was still young remained, even if immortal. And he definitely planned on enjoying the fruits of his and others' labor to the absolute fullest.
...
The relaxed atmosphere ended when the duo arrived on the island, sprawling with security. Most looked at Slade like he was some sort of idol.
"You must not come around much; they look like they're seeing a ghost," Arias commented as they began walking toward the villa.
Slade waved away some personnel who tried approaching him with news of what had been happening in his absence. "I don't. My younger days of orgies are behind me, after all. Now I'm just trying to do whatever catches my eye. With guys like you around, boss, I can't hope to live much longer."
Arias laughed at the sentiment. "I wouldn't worry; there's no one like me."
Slade shared in the laughter and nodded. "And that's why you and I are so alike."
The conversation of unmatched arrogance and self-promotion came to an end when the duo entered the villa and went to its rear, where a vast barren land could be seen. The landscape had holes in different parts, as if someone had been digging randomly. Just as Arias was about to comment on this, he caught sight of a boulder floating in the air not far from them. On it stood a young blonde girl with short hair and brown eyes.
She wore tight training attire that didn't really accentuate anything, as she barely had any shape. At first glance, one would easily assume they were looking at a small-framed boy.
The girl soon caught sight of the eyes looking at her and hovered closer before descending and approaching Slade respectfully. "Welcome back, Slade!"
Her once-serious expression vanished into the air when she spoke to Slade, looking like a fangirl who had met her crush.
On the way, Slade had explained that he had stumbled upon Tara by luck. Normally, girls like her end up being sold to some sick perverted people, but she had developed meta abilities and was instead sold to an underground superhuman fighting ring. He was there to eliminate the owner and the ring, but Tara pleaded to be taken along. He saw potential in her and brought her along, training her harshly but treating her far better than her first owner.
Furthermore, she possessed no memories prior to her capture, so the fact that she was a princess was unknown to her. Currently, her world revolved around Slade, whereas he was thinking of where best to use her. Now, though, he had found it.
"Thank you. I hope you've been training well," Slade replied, his tone much more relaxed than usual. She nodded shyly. "I've been doing my best so I can be of help to you one day and repay you for what you did for me."
The young girl smiled and completely ignored Arias's presence. That is, until Slade continued to speak and revealed his purpose in coming there.
"Actually, that's why I'm here. To tell you the truth, keeping you wasn't my choice," he revealed in a suddenly colder tone.
"What?" The girl looked a bit shaken and asked in confusion.
"I'm a killer, Tara. I don't do charity cases. That meta-human ring you were in? It was this man beside me who hired me to shut it down. As for you, since you had no family, he paid me to take care of you and train you while he worked to prepare a better place for kids like you," Slade smoothly lied, trying to create a plausible story.
Tara looked teary-eyed at the news. It was clear the poor girl was a case of a damsel falling for her hero. But now, she was being told that her hero was someone else.
Slade ignored her look and decided to finish the revelation. "Now that the better place exists, it's time for you to leave my island. My contract in taking care of you is over."
Tara looked on the verge of tears, but Arias stepped forward and joined in on the farce. "Don't look so disappointed, Tara, was it? What Slade forgot to mention is that he works for me on a much closer level now, so by joining me, you're joining the same group he's in."
These words brought some hope to Tara's face, but she still looked a bit hesitant. Arias went on to say, "You've grown a bit now, so I won't be funding your stay here. So it's either you agree, or you leave the island and fend for yourself. This is life, not a fairy tale."
Arias's words were harsh but true. The girl's powers alone didn't mean anything to Arias, but her loyalty was valuable—valuable in that he could place her in Gotham High once it reopens and have her recruit or attract other children with potential to him.
After all, if Arias did so himself, it would come with its own fair share of troubles. That, and there was no guarantee it would work. He needed Tara to act as an example. After all, kids her age follow what's popular—he just needed her to ensure that "something" was him.
"I agree. I don't want to be alone again," she softly replied, a few tears running down her face at the fear of Slade abandoning her.