That night, after leaving Oliver in the warehouse, Arias returned to the vehicle he had arrived in and waited in the back, leaving only once he received confirmation that Oliver had boarded the ship.
His drive home was accompanied by Mercy and Cheshire, with Rose having left to continue her investigations.
Although he had yet to return his assets under his own name, Mercy had resumed her role as his chauffeur and assistant, while Cheshire now acted as a sort of hidden bodyguard in the absence of Rose and Slade.
During the drive away from the warehouse, Mercy kept casting glances at the rearview mirror, showing displeasure every time she looked at Cheshire.
Arias noticed this but didn't bother addressing it; after all, Mercy was the type to find problems with anyone. As for Cheshire, she seemed to have a talent for making people hate her.
Thankfully, Arias's silence during the drive kept the two of them from sparking a fight.
Upon arrival at the residence, Arias dismissed them both and left on his own, heading to the tower's lower levels, where Poison Ivy was currently housed.
Arias arrived at her cell in a modest and calm fashion, showing a relaxed demeanor despite coming alone.
An angry Ivy immediately frowned upon seeing him. She stood up from her isolated corner, her hostile gaze locked on him, but it was only met with a mocking smirk from Arias.
"Happy to see me?" he asked, clearly mocking her.
Ivy glared at him with both disgust and anger, her frown deepening.
"I'll only be happy once I get that pretty little head of yours on a pike!" she yelled before launching a fast attack.
A long vine emerged from underneath her leafy sleeves, swinging toward Arias with vicious force.
Not bothering to dodge, Arias's smile vanished, and he quickly immobilized the vine using his telekinesis, leaving it hanging in the air, mere inches away from striking his head.
"Tsk," Ivy clicked her tongue in clear disappointment at her failed efforts. She now looked worried and took a step back, realizing how much she had relied on that attack.
She had hoped to catch him off guard and bring him down with a single strike, unaware of Arias's recent exploits, which still made her see him as beatable.
"You really are as short-tempered as your profile says. It makes me wonder how you got along with Harley… for a time at least."
Hearing him mention Harley, Ivy's eyes flared with anger.
"We did, until the treacherous little bitch betrayed me for Batman's little playmate, Joker. And now what? You keep her around as your personal little fuck doll?"
Arias tilted his head, as if in deep thought, before nodding slightly at her accusations.
"More or less, but with more features."
He smiled mockingly, further fueling Ivy's rage. She continued trying to retrieve her vine while stalling for time, but it was clear that Arias had her entirely in his grasp.
Her paranoia had her glancing at the door, wondering if he had backup waiting outside.
Noticing this, Arias followed her gaze and asked,
"What? Thinking of making a run for it? You're welcome to try, but it won't end well for you."
The casual tone with which Arias spoke caused Ivy to feel both frustration and helplessness.
It soon became clear that any chance of escape wasn't going to appear anytime soon, and more worryingly, she didn't know how long Arias planned to keep her captive.
"What will it take for you to let me go? What do you want?"
Swallowing her immense pride, Ivy took the initiative to start negotiating.
This brought a smile to Arias's face, but surprisingly, he turned to leave the next moment.
"From you? Nothing. It's more about what *you're* willing to offer for your freedom. I'll leave you to ponder that."
"Wait—" Ivy tried to rush toward him, but the door shut quickly, cutting off her attempt to speak.
"Dammit!"
She angrily kicked the door and paced around her plain cell in utter frustration.
After leaving the lower levels, Arias entered the elevator and was about to head toward his private floor when the display indicated that it would stop at another floor along the way.
The doors opened midway to reveal Mercy, who was also on her way to her room.
She furrowed her brows at Arias as she entered the elevator, choosing to stand opposite him with her arms crossed.
"Have fun with the dyke plant?" she questioned, her tone dripping with displeasure.
Arias, choosing to push her buttons, responded,
"About as much fun as I have with you."
As the elevator doors closed, Mercy turned her head to stare menacingly at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Taking offense, she sought an explanation from Arias, who in turn decided to press her further.
"Oh, nothing. Just that you both seem equally angry at everything and have poor people skills—especially toward men, it seems."
Unsurprisingly, Arias's remark caused Mercy to erupt in defense.
"Fuck you! I have plenty of people skills. And just because I don't fuck the nearest guy I see doesn't mean I have trouble getting into relationships."
Arias cracked a smile.
"I never said anything about relationship trouble, but knowing you, I wouldn't be shocked. You don't look—never mind."
Stopping halfway only made an already upset Mercy even more irritable.
"No, tell me. What the hell don't I look like?"
The smile didn't fade from Arias's face as he looked her up and down before answering,
"How do I put this… you don't look sexually active. I wouldn't be surprised if most men you meet confuse you for a fairly attractive lesbian feminist."
"Fairly!?"
Ignoring the now menacing glare she was giving him, Arias nodded and even emphasized the point.
"Yes, fairly. But that's just my opinion."
"Well, fuck your opinion, it's wrong."
"Is it really? Care to prove that point?"
Having had enough, Mercy soon punched the emergency stop button, bringing the elevator to a halt.
"Fine, take out your stupid cock and I'll show you what's what!"