Kara frowned deeply upon hearing Arias's reply. She couldn't help but think that he was just trying to gain her help for his own interests. Despite all the valid points he made, she still didn't trust him.
However, if she chose to ignore his words and he ended up being right, she could never forgive herself if countless people died. For someone as selfless as her, there was only one logical answer.
"Fine, but I'm going to do it on my own terms, not yours." Saying this, Kara turned and walked away, taking the opportunity to leave first.
Arias tilted his head and smirked slightly at the sight. It was clear to him that this was her way of saying she couldn't be used or manipulated by him, something he certainly found amusing. Because even without knowing it, she had already fallen into his ploy.
He soon turned to Raven and asked, "What do you think about her?"
Raven watched Kara leave and then turned to Arias, avoiding his gaze as she replied in a low tone, "I guess you could say she's... loud." Raven flatly answered.
She wasn't particularly good at describing people in complex terms, as she didn't have much interaction with others to begin with. Arias began to understand this, hence why he had posed the question. On the surface, though, he nodded and simply said, "I suppose you're right. Let's go."
Raven couldn't help but wonder what the purpose of the question was, but considering how casually Arias responded, she simply brushed it off as him being cryptic.
…
The following day, headlines caught word of the story about not only Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman escaping but also Supergirl moving from the recently attacked Metropolis to aid the situation in Markovia.
Coincidentally, the first news station to reveal this information was the *Gotham Gazette*, with none other than Vicki Vale as the reporter. It became immediately clear to anyone with critical thinking that something was orchestrated, as the circumstances seemed too good to be true, especially for Markovia.
Why? Because ever since various nations had collectively agreed that the situation in Markovia needed to be dealt with, they heavily restricted reports about the country. It was only on platforms like social media, where free speech was somewhat protected, that people would occasionally stumble upon posts about Markovia—if it was trending.
But there was no way the world would overlook the involvement of big names like Wonder Woman heading to Markovia to support the metahumans there.
It quickly sparked controversy and divided public opinion once more. Some claimed that Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, and Supergirl had been bought off by Princess Tara, using the wealth she inherited from Arias in collaboration with Mercy, who now controlled LexCorp.
It was a bold, yet obvious claim to make. However, it lacked solid evidence, but evidence never really mattered in cases of national self-interest.
Despite the attention the situation garnered, most nations didn't back away from their stance that Markovia needed to be handled.
Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, and Supergirl's involvement only further confirmed that. In addition, the presence of the Junior Justice League also unsettled governments. However, the Justice League clarified that their mission was solely to protect civilians and not to intervene in the broader conflict, which seemed odd coming from a group that claimed to look out for everyone.
But they had no choice. The League needed to make it appear that they were merely observers, while working to resolve the situation behind the scenes.
Arias had predicted this course of action from the moment he saw the Justice League heading to Markovia, and thus the spore attacks served as a perfect distraction. Not only did they divert the League's attention, but they also made the League look incredibly bad in the eyes of the public. Now, it seemed like they had no reason to stand by while metahumans were at risk of being slaughtered.
Choosing to remain passive would suggest that the League was against their fellow metahumans and in support of the government. But why would a group of super beings side with the government? The answer was simple: to monopolize power.
Arias didn't even need to manipulate public opinion directly—people naturally reached this conclusion on their own. It made sense.
The Justice League and governments alike felt threatened. So, naturally, they wanted to crush the one nation that sought to nurture metahumans to their full potential. It was a logical narrative, one that even those of lower intellect could understand.
Still, this didn't lead to a collective decision among humans, and Arias knew it was impossible to achieve one. But he knew that a good majority now viewed Markovia as the underdog and metahumans as an unfairly treated group.
No matter how powerful a nation or organization was, when the foundations of their power became unstable, it caused concern. Concern that led to a need for consolidation.
That very afternoon, various nations were quick to issue statements denying the claims. Some stood firm on their stance against Markovia, while others became more hesitant, stating they only wanted their citizens returned to them and their families—along with other diplomatic words of sophistry.
In reality, it didn't matter what these nations said. The point remained: their progress was now hindered, and public opinion had shifted.
The one most impressed by this was none other than Ra's al Ghul himself, seated in his study at Nanda Parbat, listening to reports on the current world affairs.
He couldn't help but smile.
At that moment, his daughter, Talia, who stood by his side, asked, "Is something the matter?"
Ra's al Ghul shook his head. "No, but let us keep observing the situation."