With the final piece collected in the form of Dr. June, Arias was more or less content with this new group of his.
Having gotten that out of the way, his attention now turned back to the current state of the world, and how best to use it to bring about disaster.
Physical disaster was always the easiest to implement, but it was also the most brash and obvious.
Not only did it increase the likelihood of him being found out, but it also brought far more fear than was necessary.
To truly bring out the desired results, he needed to establish more than just one disaster and do so in such a way that none carried obvious comparisons.
Such thoughts lurked in his mind as he stood on the deck of his yacht that cold night out at sea.
With his phone in hand, he was constantly breezing through the current social trends and problems, many of which came from individuals who claimed they were working toward a better future.
To him, this sight was akin to a menu. It was just a matter of him deciding which meal he'd devour.
One of these meals just so happened to be the Justice League's second team, or junior team to some.
It had been slowly picking up traction and gaining fans, as numerous people adored the young heroes who strove to fight crime.
Their popularity was in large part due to their understanding of social trends. Kid Flash was growing popular among them for his channel on a social platform, where he sometimes addressed problems, showed battles, and even just fooled around.
This particular trend had been growing lately and could trace its source back to Harley, who also had such a channel where she posted similar videos.
Its popularity had already reached millions of subscribers, with many fans loving her bold and carefree nature and Wonder Woman's blunt and ignorant nature.
Though a good chunk of them were simply there because they idolized these two women and fantasized about them in ways that would make even the devil blush.
One needed only to see the most trending video of Wonder Woman and Harley apprehending escaped convicts to see the level to which some individuals were beginning to worship superheroes.
[ Doggo67: Oh my beautiful queen, yes so s*xy, I wish to be tied by your lasso too. ]
[ Harley's Doormat: I was there when they fought, I even got to lick the pavement she stepped on *tongue emoji* ]
[ Civilized Simp:@Harley'sDoormat That's gross. But for reference, where's the place located? ]
[ I'mBatman44: @CivilizedSimp don't bother looking, someone stole the pavement the other night ]
[ Civilized Simp: @I'mBatman44 How the hell does someone steal pavement? ]
[ PavementStealer101: @CivilizedSimp It wasn't easy… ]
Within this cesspool of degenerate comments, there were, of course, those who posed questions or opinions with actual thought to them.
And these are the ones that caught Arias's eye.
[ Mrs. Loraine: Harley Quinn, instead of just posting useless fights, use your platform to speak up on child heroes. It's not right!! How can children who are probably not even old enough to drink be allowed to put themselves in such danger?! And without supervision too!! The Justice League is really a f*cked up place. #FightForChildren #StopEndangeringChildren ]
Many more comments like this popped up here and there on similar videos or social posts.
As with everything on the internet, people had varying opinions on the matter of child heroics, some saying they were trained, while others argued it was still irresponsible.
It was because of opinions like this that Arias hadn't yet implemented courses that would involve controversial training or even heroics.
No matter how powerful a superhero seemed, a parent would always worry, especially having seen what could happen in the dangerous situations that surrounded superheroes.
So although the Young Justice League team continued to rise in popularity, a good number of individuals were protesting their very existence.
Sadly, platforms would always promote what was popular in order to make the most profits, sometimes leading to controversial decisions.
In this case, they obviously knew it was wrong to show children in such dangerous situations, as the younger generation would grow up emulating such actions, but they didn't care. All they saw were dollar signs.
As for the government stepping in, how could they? Their structure was currently in shambles.
Metropolis was now a prime example of what could happen in the absence of heroes.
And although the government did possess a fair share of superpowered individuals, they weren't enough to stop the rising crime rates in some cities.
If they did cut down on child heroics at this moment, they would be shooting themselves in the foot.
*'Seems like as good a place as any to start.'* Arias showed a content smile and turned off his phone before leaving the deck and entering inside, a plan already in the works.
...
At the same time, at an unknown location, some of the young members of the Justice League were meeting.
They convened in what looked like a building under construction. Several floors above the ground, the group of six stood facing each other in a circle-like pattern.
The members present were Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Artemis, and Batgirl.
"Looks like Zatanna is a no-show, no biggie, maybe next time." Kid Flash's gaze wandered over the others before he nodded approvingly while holding out a recorder.
The sight of this caused Artemis, in particular, to frown.
"Don't tell me you called us all here to make content for your stupid channel."
Kid Flash showed a nervous smile while shrugging his shoulders at the clearly displeased audience. "Oh, come on, it's not stupid. It's helping clear the League's name and better our image. With others focused on finding Green Arrow, clearing their name, and locating the remnants of the HS group, it's up to us to hold down the fort."
Robin sighed at these words but found that he couldn't refute them as he stepped forward and showed support for them.
"As much as I hate to say it, Kid Flash is right. The platform is helping show the public our good side, which overall makes it easier to do our jobs. Better yet, it shows just how much the world needs us. What do you think, Aqualad?"
"I agree. And if this was a problem, I feel a member of the senior team would have told us so. But we must also show caution. Should we make a mistake, its consequences will be much bigger."
As this conversation carried on, Batgirl listened in silence without contributing. But she ensured everything being said was recorded.
Despite her unsorted thoughts and worries regarding Batman, she didn't forget the duties she owed to Arias.
Thus with every meeting, be it important or casual, she would record the audio and sometimes even video and store it away.
The only time she hadn't yet done this was when she was in the Batcave or Batman's presence, in part due to fear of getting caught.