The financial and political world was in shock over the death of one of the richest and most influential people alive. His arrest alone had drawn attention, but this turn of events had flipped everything on its head.
anwhile, the person responsible was on his way ho, sporting a smile over what had been done. Arias acknowledged that Lex was smart, but far too complacent toward individuals he deed beneath him. It was that foolish sense of superiority that led to his demise.
As he sat in the car, Arias received a call from none other than Amanda Waller, who was likely as shocked as everyone else by the news.
"What the hell did you do? If you planned on getting rid of Lex, you should have told clearly! His funds were needed in many areas!" Amanda's frustration was palpable.
Arias found it difficult to suppress a laugh. She should have suspected sothing the mont he asked her for that favor, but like Lex, Amanda had a bad habit of underestimating people. The idea of Arias attempting to kill Lex hadn't even crossed her mind. Why would it? It brought no obvious benefits and would only cause trouble. Furthermore, the odds of success seed almost impossible given the circumstances.
Her plan had revolved around making Arias a threat to President Ross, just enough to regain her power within the governnt by painting him in a negative light. With that power, she would have had the ans to release Lex by dropping charges with fake evidence—or by any other necessary ans—in exchange for a lump sum of money and assistance. At that point, neither Arias nor Lex would be needed. She even planned to expose Arias' past and take over the tahuman and alien institutions he was currently constructing.
Even Arias hadn't fully grasped the depth of Amanda's ambition. He simply saw the attitude of soone who considered herself superior and acted accordingly, showing her that this wasn't the case.
In response to her angry words, Arias smirked and spoke boldly. "That's a wild accusation, Ms. Waller. Lex's death is a loss for —maybe not emotionally, but definitely financially, as he and I had plans together."
"Cut the bullshit, or I will make you regret it. You caused this ss, so I fully expect you to cooperate to fix things," she snapped in an angry tone.
Arias, maintaining his composure, couldn't help but snicker slightly. "You really are the delusional bitch people claim you to be. Here I was, worrying that you might be plotting sothing grand and worthy of my attention. But no."
"Choose your next words carefully. With the click of a button, I could end this entire facade you've created."
Her heavy threats didn't move Arias in the slightest. In fact, they amused him. "That's funny because all it takes is a word from to end your ager life."
"Are you threatening ? That's it. I hope you enjoy losing everything. I will personally ensure your coming days are hell."
Beyond angry, Waller cut the call. But before she could even put her phone down, she felt the cold sensation of tal against the back of her head.
"You have no idea how happy I was when he sent to do this," mused Slade, the one holding the gun pointed at Waller's head. There was a smile beneath his mask.
"Slade... Whatever he's offering you, I'll triple it, and I'll make sure your record is wiped clean. Don't ruin your chances over so upstart billionaire."
Amanda's eyes were wide with fear. But even so, she tried to act as though she were still in control of the situation, believing that her words held power. After all, she had worked with Slade before, back when he was a part of her early Suicide Squad. Slade rembered those days all too well—another reason why he was so eager to carry out this mission.
Although Arias had instructed him to shoot her as soon as the call ended, Slade wanted to savor the mont, like a predator watching its prey struggle.
"If Arias was just your everyday rich guy drunk on power and ambition, I'd have taken your offer in a heartbeat. But that's not the case," Slade said, his words causing Amanda to feel an even greater sense of unease.
"What do you an? Everyone has a price, Slade. Just na it," she replied, her desperation becoming more evident.
But Slade wasn't swayed. He kept the gun trained on her.
"Not this ti. Not with him. Truth is, even I don't know how he killed Lex, but the more I observe him, the less I want to make him my enemy. Tough luck, Waller. You bit off more than you could chew on this one. I'm honored I get to pull the trigger."
Panic flashed across Amanda's face. "Wait! Don't do anything you'll regret!"
Slade simply smiled beneath his mask. "Save a spot in hell, Amanda."
*Bang.*
...
A few minutes later, Arias received a text reading *"It's done"* from an unknown contact. He closed his phone and crushed it with one hand before tossing the remnants out the window.
As he rested in silence, Apeiro's voice resounded in his mind.
"You are slowly embracing your nature as an entity far above these... people."
"I am," Arias replied. "With every passing day, the world looks so much more... clear. Just focus on getting your body so you can witness firsthand how I plan to shape the world in my image."
"I have no doubt you'll succeed, and I look forward to it—and more."
"And more..." Arias trailed off for a mont, as if lost in thought. "To shape the world—and more—in my image."
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