The events surrounding Arias's rise to power were received quite differently throughout the world. Many theories emerged in a very short span of time.
Scientists offered their own opinions on the matter, while those who believed more in the occult settled on their various theories. Even some religious groups had something to add.
All in all, given that the damage caused wasn't major in most parts of the world, the mystery quickly began to settle as the world continued to focus on the many more interesting stories trending globally, especially those related to the League.
The culprit behind all this had since returned to the interior of the yacht, where he found Cheshire waiting by the hall leading to his room, her gaze curious. As curious as she was, though, she knew better than to question Arias haphazardly.
Seeing Cheshire waiting just outside the door to his quarters, Arias casually approached and met her gaze. "Let me know when we arrive at the port of Markovia. Until then, don't disturb me."
Saying this in his usual tone, Arias walked into his quarters, leaving Cheshire perplexed. Appearance-wise, he still looked the same. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was certainly different about him.
With nothing to go on, she could only sigh and lean against the nearby wall with her arms crossed. *'What is it with him and his strange secrets?'*
Meanwhile, inside his quarters, Arias paused in the center of the room and turned his attention to the watch on his wrist, tweaking it slightly and setting himself an alarm. Then, without warning, his figure simply vanished.
Only to reappear in the chaotic metropolis, draped in different hooded clothing. *'Very interesting, this sensation…'*
A small smile crept onto Arias's face under the hood as he observed himself in the window of a nearby store on the sidewalk where he stood. Coming to terms with his newly attained power, Arias found himself feeling a sensation he could only describe as true freedom.
It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He truly felt like he could accomplish so much without exerting the least bit of effort.
At this time, Apeiro's resounding voice appeared in his mind.
*'Do you see now, the difference between us and them? Do you understand why their existence matters not? How pointless it is to bother with them?'*
Although lacking her usual distasteful tone for lower life forms, Apeiro didn't hesitate to speak what she felt were facts. Arias, however, a being who was just a mere human not long ago, still thought differently, despite this sensation and power.
"If anything, this only serves to solidify my motivation."
*'Motivation for what?'* Apeiro questioned, a bit of worry and curiosity apparent in her voice.
"If I am to one day reach the epitome of existence, then it only makes sense for me to unite all lower life forms under my beliefs. Isn't that what gods do? Well, you said it yourself, I'm becoming something far greater, and so are my ambitions."
Arias's words, although bold and unfiltered, were a completely honest reflection of how he felt in that moment. The concept of a god or gods had long been in existence, but ever since he attained power, he slowly came to realize that even gods were nothing more than strong beings exerting their beliefs on those beneath them.
It was only natural for him to want the same: to shape the greater world in his image.
The thought alone brought an even wider smile to Arias's face as Apeiro realized his mindset wouldn't be changed.
*'If that is what you wish, then I support you fully.'* Her resonating voice added before fading as quickly as it had come.
As Apeiro's voice faded, Arias took out his phone, and on it, a profile loaded on the screen. The name read **[Kara Kent]**.
…
At the same time, at Metropolis's St. Mary's Academy for Girls, a still shaken Kara was seated at the edge of her bed, hugging her legs. Her eyes trembled ever so slightly as she remembered the gruesome encounter she had not long ago.
Her large open window allowed the moonlight to shine in aesthetically, adding unique lighting to the otherwise dark room. Suddenly, the curtains began to flutter furiously, causing her to raise her head in caution and rush to her window.
Peering out, she was immediately met with a familiar sight.
"Clark…" she muttered, a look of complexity appearing on her face as she saw Superman's grand figure hovering right outside her window, alive and unscathed. It made her wonder—was the video she had seen fake?
*'No, it couldn't have been,'* she thought to herself. But on the surface, she forced a smile that Clark quickly saw through.
"What's wrong?" he asked, the light smile he initially wore shifting into a look of concern.
Kara felt a great deal of nervousness rise within her heart. A big part of her wanted to reveal everything to her cousin, but an even greater part knew it was a bad idea. If the video truly was real, then what she saw was enough to tell her that even he was powerless against the figure she encountered.
"The video that was on the news… with you being away so long, I thought…" Thinking quickly, Kara chose to use the video as an excuse for her current weary and nervous mood.
It worked, of course, as it matched quite well with the situation. What person wouldn't be concerned if they saw someone close to them brutally beaten to near death on live television?
Thinking about this, Superman now felt at fault, and a sense of guilt arose in his heart. But just like Kara, he chose to hide his side of the events.
"It's all fake, Kara. It's just some Joker wannabe trying to incite public panic. I was busy investigating the HS group, but I'm here now, unharmed, cleaning up Metropolis."
Clark struck a valiant pose, placing his hands on his waist and puffing out his chest while wearing a slightly forced smile. However, his words and actions only served to solidify what Kara feared most: that her cousin truly was the one who got brutally pummeled on live TV.
"I can help too, you know. If you'd just give me a chance, I—"
"Absolutely not, Kara." Superman's once soft tone immediately became stern, and visible worry etched across his face. How could it not? He had to helplessly look at the corpse of a young hero not long ago, whose killer was someone even he couldn't match.
In truth, he was terrified of what could happen to this cousin of his. His initial hesitation toward her becoming a hero like him had completely changed to absolute refusal.
"Why? Metropolis—no, the world—needs another hero like you. People are dying every day, and I'm just sitting here, forced to listen to these girls gossip when I could be making a difference! Why can't you just let me join those young heroes? I could even be your sidekick, and you can teach—"
"Enough, Kara! I said no, and that's final." Superman gazed at Kara sternly and let out a sigh as Kara angrily shut her window.
He gave her a fleeting glance before flying away at breakneck speed. But just as he left and Kara returned to the edge of her bed, Arias's voice resounded in the room.
"Unfair, isn't it?"
"W-what?!" A surprised Kara jolted off her bed and looked toward the source of the voice with panic, only to see Arias casually leaning against the wall opposite her bed, his gray eyes illuminated in the dark.
"Why so surprised? I did say I would contact you soon, didn't I?"
"You… how did you get in here, how did you find me?" Kara shuffled away from Arias, adopting a cautious stance, her eyes trembling in anticipation.
Before answering, Arias let out a light chuckle and showed a small smile. "You're asking the wrong questions, Kara, but that's understandable. You're very scared right now, aren't you?"
Arias's tone turned echoey, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her. His figure towered over her as he held her in place using only two fingers, which seemed to affectionately hold her chin.
Her eyes widened immediately, and she was about to use all her strength to separate herself from him when he casually warned, "I'd avoid doing what you're about to do, lest you accidentally rip your own head off."
Kara's eyes trembled even more as a suffocating sense of helplessness overwhelmed her. Her once-flexed muscles stiffened, and her angry gaze turned to one of terror as her mind raced to understand what this person wanted from her.
"Hm, no need to look so frightened. I'm not a monster now, am I?" Arias smiled again, his tone casual, as though the situation were completely normal. "No, I can see it in your eyes—you think I'm something far worse than a monster. Is that why you're so scared? Because you know I could bring about so much horror, and no one could stop me?"
Kara's lips trembled slightly, but no words came out. She found herself unable to even muster a response.
Arias's questions were, of course, rhetorical—meant to shake her already traumatized state of mind while it was still fresh. Her body language alone told him everything he needed to know.
Seeing that she was too shaken to respond, Arias removed his hand from her chin and casually rested it in his pocket while tilting his head slightly. "No need to be scared. If I were here to hurt you, you'd already be dead. Rather, I'm here to help you."
Arias stepped away from Kara and walked over to her lone study desk, pulling out the chair and sitting on it instead.
Kara felt confused by what he meant. In her mind, she saw only a cold-hearted killer and nothing else. Even now, he showed no remorse for his actions and teased her happily about them. How could she think any other way of him? And yet, he claimed to be here to help her?
Anger began to rise within her, but she lacked the courage to voice it. Even if she didn't value her own life, Arias knew enough about her to make it a living hell.
So, with great reluctance, she curiously asked, "Help me how? And what if I don't need your help?"
Arias chuckled at this miniature display of courage, even showing a smile as he replied, "It's cute that you think you have a choice. As for what I'm helping you with, that would be becoming the thing Clark just denied you: a superhero."
"Why would you do that? You kill heroes. I'd rather die than do what you do..." The anger was hard to hide in her voice, and she found her fear overwhelmed by the raw rage she felt toward Arias.
He, on the other hand, didn't seem to care in the least about how she felt and answered plainly and bluntly.
"Why? Because you're young, and you have the right mindset—only it's flooded by the parasitic rules that govern this world. What I do is my business, and if you still feel the Justice League's way of doing things is right by the time I'm done helping you, I promise to leave you and your family alone. Metropolis, too."
Arias wore a grin that reeked of confidence as he spoke. This unsettled Kara, but it wasn't like she had any other options when faced with him. Her lips parted as she tried to ask another question, but she stopped herself halfway.
*'It's stupid to ask if he'll keep his promise.'* She thought to herself, completely at a loss as to what to do.
"Fine. I accept your help," Kara helplessly conceded, seeing no other way out of her predicament.
"Good. I look forward to seeing your growth."