With the events over, Arias put his jacket over the still-trembling Raven and led her upstairs, where they found both Rose and Cheshire standing right by the door leading to the basement. As soon as the door swung open, both women looked poised to attack but quickly relaxed when they saw Arias.
"What the hell happened down there?" Rose asked while looking at Raven with caution. From what she had observed, Raven was the center of all this strangeness, and as to why, she didn't know, but her instincts told her it was nothing good.
Arias could see the wariness Rose now held for Raven, and understandably so. But now wasn't the time to discuss it.
"Something dangerous, but it's over now. Continue with the task I assigned you in case of any more threats."
Rose didn't look very pleased with the answer, but she couldn't refuse her orders, so she nodded before walking away, giving Raven a side glance as she did.
With her gone, Cheshire looked at Raven before asking Arias, "Who's the girl? She looks pretty shaken."
"She is. Come on." Without shedding any more light on the matter, Arias gestured for them to leave, and Raven followed silently, clutching onto Arias's jacket.
Cheshire simply shrugged off the reply and followed while sighing inwardly. *So this is the type of guy that gets on Ra's al Ghul's radar. Never a dull moment, I'll give him that.*
As nonsensical as she seemed most of the time, Cheshire had a keen interest in understanding what kind of person Arias was. The kind of man who would attract the interest of the Demon's Head himself. She knew it couldn't simply be his power or wealth, as many individuals ticked those boxes.
The most well-known, perhaps, being Lex Luthor, but it was widely known among League assassins that Ra's despised Luthor. So what made Arias unique? So much so that Ra's would give away one of his best tools? She could only wonder as the trio returned to the vehicle before driving off.
The ride was silent, with no one saying a word. By now, Cheshire would have spoken, but given the presence of a new guest, she chose to behave herself and stay quiet.
Thus, the entire drive was uneventful until the vehicle pulled up to the Markovic residential tower, which was unsurprisingly swarming with media and reporters.
"Wow, that's a lot of cameras," Cheshire commented, looking toward Arias, but his reaction to the sight was one of annoyance.
"No, it's just a lot of vultures. Quickly pull in, this is getting out of hand."
On the surface, one would think Arias's comment was directed at the reporters, but in truth, it was aimed at the instigator of this entire situation. Arias had most of the sensible Gotham media stations in his pocket, so the chances of them pulling a stunt like this were incredibly low—unless pushed by another figure of power or wealth.
*No, they must be networks from other states. Someone is really hell-bent on ruining my image. Fine, I'll play your game,* Arias thought as he glanced at the reporters trying to swarm his car through the tinted windows.
Releasing the statement was one thing, but since the instigator was going the extra step to ruin Arias's reputation, Arias was now keen to do the same—tenfold. The cold glint in his eye was seen by no one, but Cheshire could sense he was troubled, if not tense.
Soon, the ordeal came to an end when the car pulled into the underground parking area, where the trio exited. After doing so, they took an elevator up to the main tower lounge. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Arias didn't lead them out. Instead, he looked toward Cheshire.
"I'll meet you here."
Cheshire needed no further explanation and strutted out, giving a small wave. "Sure thing, I'll just help myself to a little drink… or two."
Arias said nothing in response and just pressed another button inside the elevator, which took them up a few more floors before halting again. This time, Arias led the way, with Raven cautiously following behind, her face now looking far less messy than before.
He led her to a luxurious but plain bedroom, showcasing a stunning view of Gotham City.
"A doctor will be here to do a quick check-up on you soon. Until then, is it alright if I ask you a few questions?" Arias gestured for her to enter but stayed near the door, asking in a steady tone, his arms crossed.
Raven sat at the edge of the nearby bed, keeping her head lowered, unable to meet Arias's gaze as she muttered a reply. "My father…"
"What?" Arias asked, confused, before Raven gave clarity. "That thing, that monster… it was my father."
Arias was silent for a moment, not at all expecting that answer, but he couldn't ponder on it for long and continued his questioning.
"And what was he trying to accomplish?"
"He's a demon and conqueror. He wanted to use me to invade this world and conquer it, like he's done to so many. That's all I am to him… a means to an end," she spoke, her tone now recovered but shifting toward anger.
Arias couldn't fully understand due to his lack of both occult and multiversal knowledge. The one thing that was clear, though, was that Trigon was indeed powerful, but to Arias, that only meant the girl before him also had the potential to be a terrifying existence—one he could control.
His interest in the occult and magic had been rising, but he lacked sources to learn from. Slade had some contacts, but those with great power in magic were often elusive and hard to find, especially those with a bad alignment.
Aside from Slade, the only other source was Diana, but her knowledge was often greatly exaggerated, so Arias couldn't pinpoint what was and wasn't true, as Diana seemed to believe the tales her mother taught her down to the letter.
*What to do…* Arias was at a crossroads regarding Raven. She had potential, but Arias lacked the means to teach or even understand her, so her value would remain stagnant, in other words, pointless.
The question now was: was it worth the investment of time, or would his efforts be better spent finding a few accomplished beings in the occult genre first?
Seeing Arias's silence, Raven looked dejected but not surprised.
"It's fine if you tell me to leave. I get it. Every single person who has tried to help died… he just won't stop until he gets what he wants," Raven softly spoke.
Arias saw this weak state of emotion and wanted to strike at it. "You don't need to leave, as long as—"
However, Raven cut him off. "Don't lie to me! Everyone said the same thing: 'It'll be alright, you'll be safe.' But I never am. Anywhere I go, he finds me. My mother was right. I was better off not being born," Raven spoke with a cold tone, directed at no one but herself.
She clutched her clothes, showing a lost gaze, as if she had given up trying.
Seeing this, Arias knew it was pointless to try winning her over with words. She was not only broken, but deeply scarred. In such a case, one can only be helped by not only showing them what they desired most but also helping them overcome that which had scarred them.
In Raven's case, it was clear she was scarred by Trigon, and as long as he lived, she would never truly relax or open up. As for what she desired, it was unlikely that even she knew the answer.
Given how fresh her wounds were, her only real desire was likely a safe place, which she thought she found at the Ark Academies… but with that failed, it was understandable why she had simply accepted that she was better off dead.
Hearing her words, Arias could see how far gone she was—a truly broken person. But it was such people who showed the most loyalty to those who saved them from their sorry states.
"My father once told me the same thing—that I was better off dead. In the end, I took his life in a feeble attempt to try and protect what I cared for most. Do you know what that taught me?"
Raven looked up at Arias before lowering her gaze again. "What?"
"That the greatest pain one can feel is total helplessness in the face of true tragedy. I understand how you feel, Raven… I know what it's like to be so young and carry such hollow eyes, like nothing matters anymore," Arias revealed, surprisingly truthful with his words.
Raven looked up to meet his gaze, and she could indeed see the pain behind them.
"Just how… how do you live with that pain?" she asked, quite genuinely.
"You become numb to it with time. You accept it and the world for what it is, and finally… you promise yourself to never let it happen again."
Raven was slightly moved by Arias's words, but words were just that—words. They could only do so much.
"I don't think I can keep that promise," she responded, showing a pained, self-deprecating smile.
"You don't have to. Be it your father or anyone else, no one can lay a finger on the students of my academies without consequences. Consider that my promise," Arias boldly declared, just as there was a knock on the door.
Arias approached and opened it,
revealing an Ark Academies doctor who had come to see Raven. He spoke with the older man briefly before turning back toward Raven.
"Remember my words, okay? For now, get checked and rest. Use the ringer by the bed if you need anything." Arias turned to leave, but he was halted by Raven calling out, "Wait…"
"…Thank you… for everything."
Arias paused, giving her a nod and smile before exiting. He inwardly sighed, knowing he had gone far with his words, but he understood the power they carried.
Upon stepping out, Arias found Diana right outside the door, her eyes looking at him oddly.
"Diana, is everything okay?" he asked, curious as to why she had come.
"Sister Cheshire told me what happened, and I came to see if you were alright or needed to speak. I heard what you told that girl. You're truly a warrior with a good heart."
"Millions of people would disagree with you," Arias said, humoring her, but his answer drew out Diana's anger.
"They are fools, then! All of them!"