After leaving Bruce, Arias walked past the cut ribbon at the entrance of the academy, where even more reporters hounded him for photos.
The opening of the academies had two phases: one was the official opening and public address, and the other was a welcoming of the current student body.
This took place at the senior section of the academy, on the large football field, currently one of the largest in the state with a capacity of over 90,000.
The many seats were filled with mostly students from both the junior section (high school level and below) and the senior section (college level and above).
Also present were the various members of staff and invited guests.
On the field, there was a single but grand stage where the most special guests were seated. As Arias walked onto the field, many of the younger and some more upbeat older students began to cheer and chant his name.
He gave a small wave and walked directly to the single podium present on stage, with a jumbo screen on all sides of the stadium showing a zoomed image of him.
No time was wasted, and he directly began to address the antsy crowd. "Good morning, students of Ark Academy. I'm sure many of you are excited to start your new lives here, but before you do, I thought it only fitting for you to better understand why this place exists."
Many students watched Arias speak with eyes of admiration, their ears lingering on his every word.
He soon lifted the microphone off its stand and began to pace around the stage as he continued to speak.
"As I'm sure most of you know, I didn't have an easy past. Many of you can relate to this, as I've seen from the many applications written. However, I didn't let that past hold me back. To me, it was either keep moving or just give up on life."
"I understand what it's like to not fit in, which is why I didn't see the sense in pretending to be a successful billionaire whose only focus was making hollow money."
"Think about it—what's the point of all this wealth when you're still not at peace with yourself? When you still have to pretend to be someone else because the world doesn't accept who you are, or worse, when you yourself don't accept who you are."
"You're all here because you have something that makes you special. It may not be the flashiest or the most appealing, but it's a gift—yours alone. Rather than hide it or fear it..."
Arias paused and raised his hand into the air. In the next moment, all the people seated within the stadium began to hover in the air as he declared...
"...embrace it!"
Surprise, awe, and confusion filled the stadium upon seeing this shocking display. He could see that even his own people—Slade, Wonder Woman, and the others—were taken off guard by what they saw.
Arias didn't lower his hand and continued to speak while the stadium erupted into cheers. The many reporters present were all fighting gravity to try their best to capture the moment.
"As you enter these halls to train, study, and live your best lives, remember that you're special, and that you're in the safe hands of someone just like you." Arias slowly lowered his hand, causing everyone to return gently to their seats, many still amazed and confused by the experience.
Many were just in awe of the spectacle, but those with some understanding of superpowers could immediately tell that Arias was powerful.
In reality, Arias's mastery over his telekinesis was at an immense level. That, along with his telepathy, easily made him a planetary threat.
Add in the abilities gained from becoming Infinity's vessel, and you have a clear Omega-level threat.
Before they could linger on the spectacle any longer, Arias ended the brief student opening with some final words.
"Welcome to Ark Academy."
While the academy grounds were abuzz, mostly centered around joy and amazement, the rest of the world, which witnessed this display via live broadcast, had mixed feelings.
The heaviest of these came from the White House itself, where even before the start of the broadcast, measures to take against Arias were being discussed.
Many had underestimated his means, power, influence, and cunning, making it so that by the time they realized just how big of a threat he was, it was too late.
No government would be happy knowing a single individual had a personal force that could rival a country's entire army.
This fact only became a matter of national security after an extensive investigation into some of the children who applied for the Ark Academies was done.
It didn't take a genius to realize that many of them could prove deadly once older and properly trained.
Although Arias seemed like a saint on the surface, they only now suspected that it was nothing more than a very daring cover. Even if it wasn't, the idea of it all unsettled the government and many other figureheads.
Now, as the president sat in the main chair inside a secure conference room, his gaze on the large screen mounted on the wall, he frowned.
"What do you suggest we do?" the president inquired of those present. He knew all too well that this situation couldn't be handled rashly, and they needed to be careful.
If what they suspected was true, then Arias was not someone who could be dealt with easily.
To his side, his advisor racked his brains and was the first to voice a suggestion. "We can't outright demand he shut down his institution—not after he was cleared and given permission to open and run it by our educational department. It won't look good. We can't risk that with the election coming up."
Many nodded at his words, including the president, who asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
The older-looking advisor sank into thought for a brief moment before raising his head and revealing his idea. "We can plant observers in his institution. Given the uniqueness of it, we can simply say it's to ensure the children aren't being used for their gifts."
"If he really is planning on weaponizing them, then he won't be able to do so under the watchful gaze of government agents. We just need to do this until the election phase passes. After that, we can create a false enough profile to warrant his arrest and even a government takeover of his property."
The president frowned but pondered the idea. "What about the backlash from the people?"
The advisor understood the president's worries but simply shook his head. "Maybe some social noise for a few months or a year, but given time, it'll fade. We don't have many options open to us at the moment."
Having heard this, the president could only sigh and agree. "Get it done, immediately."