13 Chapter 13: Focus On Yourself

The bulk of people were still asleep and many of Gotham's streets were desolate as it was now early in the morning.

It was odd to see a well-dressed young man wandering through alleyways alone at such hours on a weekday when even crime was quiet.

It was none other than Arias, who had just returned from the harbor and was heading toward his apartment.

His once-clean suit was now heavily soiled, and the white collar of his inner shirt showed evidence of blood.

He was forced to relocate in the alleyways as a result, for dread of being stopped by a police car on patrol.

From the port to the criminal alley, where his apartment was located, it took almost twenty minutes to walk.

Once there, he exhaled a sigh of relief and settled down on the single sofa in the room.

He then untied his tie, removed it, and threw it to the floor. He had had a physically and mentally taxing day.

A recognizable voice echoed in his thoughts as he reclined and closed his eyes, preparing to nod off into sleep.

[ Arias? ]

"Yes?"

He opened his eyes, but leaned back in a calm manner as the Infinity spoke.

[ You took your ally's life, wasn't he supposed to act as your extension? Carrying out risky tasks in your stead so as you avoid unnecessary consequences or did I misinterpret that? ]

"No, you're right. But it was impossible to ignore his change of heart, especially since he possessed knowledge that others didn't about me and had undergone a reconstruction similar to mine. Despite claims to friendship or allegiance, words are hollow and emotions are unstable. There's nothing stopping me from believing there was a chance he would be against me in the future."

No trace of sorrow could be seen on Arias's face as he talked with a chilly glint in his eyes. In his opinion, all he accomplished was getting rid of a possible issue without suffering any significant consequences.

[I see, it's true that human beings frequently betray one another.]

"If politicians and brands can lie to millions strategically and still hold support then what should stop me from doing the same? An honest politician or brand never gets very far and frequently has many opponents, even among allies, because they reject immoral or unlawful tactics of achieving personal advantage."

"In contrast, a person or group that is blatantly provocative may have even more adversaries and very few allies since even those who engage in inappropriate behavior fear having their reputations tarnished by association with such a person or group. The only way to actually succeed is to maintain a good reputation and operate discreetly. By the time the world realizes what you are, you'd already hold far too much influence or be self dependent."

[You have a good grasp of how people work. A mere city is far too modest an objective for you, given your potential; as your abilities develop, I believe you will realize this for yourself and set even higher standards. I'm excited to witness such a significant transformation take place in front of me. Arias, I appreciate you satisfying my curiosity; it was great to learn how you felt.]

"You are the only being I can open to in that way; you exist in my consciousness." Arias answered directly, although it's possible that his meaning was unclear.

He felt he couldn't lie to the entity inside of him, or at least he didn't want to take the chance right now. For this reason, he was honest.

[ I see, I am glad. Thank you. ]

The infinite appeared to lose control of the dialogue as it abruptly disappeared.

Arias softly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep since he was too fatigued to think about it much.

…

Meanwhile Batman's two protégés had already began to investigate and look for him and Dmitri.

The two were currently standing on the roof of an apartment building in the Bowery, surveying the nearby scene.

Another apartment complex had a group of police cars and an ambulance parked immediately outside.

Before going to face Batgirl, who was crouched and holding a small holographic gadget, Robin stood up and observed the scene.

"Don't tell me it's our potential witness?" Batgirl sighed and nodded as she folded her device in response to Robin's frowning question.

"It is. Officer Craig Dawson and his wife Savanna Dawson were discovered dead in their apartment's master bedroom. A direct headshot from a gun was the cause of death. Their baby, who is four months old, is the lone survivor."

"That's all I could hear on their private line; they're still looking into who might have committed the crime. Do you think it's the two guys we're looking for?" She gave an explanation before requesting Robin's opinion.

"I don't think so; given what we know, Craig was a corrupt officer who served the main cartels. He exposed himself in this incident by openly helping the Valentine family so maybe they wanted to get rid of a possible loose end. However, we can't rule out the possibility that it was those two either, even though I can't think of a reason for them to do it or even whether they are capable of it."

As he attempted to understand what was going on, Robin sighed as well.

"Why do you think it might not be them?" Bat girl inquired, as though wanting to know more about his way of thinking.

"Because if you track the route they traveled to flee, you'll notice that the only shots that were fired were from the direction of the pursuer. According to some eyewitness accounts from people outside the club, Craig and a few others immediately started firing and pursued despite the fact that police officers aren't permitted to shoot without first spotting a firearm or before determining whether the person is dangerous."

"Which can only mean that the charges are likely false as well because even in the wreckage we found no signs of firearms. It's a stretch but I'm going to trust logic here over what the media claims happened. The only problem is, now we have no clue where to start looking."

They were certainly stuck, and Batgirl frowned at his inference.

"Well this isn't how I imagined spending my school night. Should we give up for the time being? I have a chemistry lab first thing in the morning tomorrow, Argh." Robin laughed as Batgirl's expression changed to one of disappointment.

"Why does everyone hate Mr. Morris? Anyway we should give up for now. We'll pick this up tomorrow right after school."

Batgirl continued to grunt as Robin spoke.

"My social life is really suffering because of this superhero business. To vent, I badly want to beat up some evil guys." As the two started to leave, Batgirl raised her fists in a joking manner.

Robin, though, simply shrugged off his concerns.

"You get used to it. Give it time; it's only been a month since you started."