Chapter 192: Forces At Work Part 4

With the events over, Arias put his jacket over the still trembling Raven and led her up stairs where they found both Rose and Cheshire standing right by the door leading to the basement.

As soon as the door swung open, both women looked poised to attack but quickly relaxed when they saw Arias.

"What the hell happened down there?" Rose asked while looking at Raven with caution.

From what she had observed, she was the center of all this strangeness, and as for why, she didn't know, but her instincts told her it was nothing good.

Arias could see wariness Rose now held for Raven and understandably so. But now wasn't the time to discuss it.

"Something dangerous, but now it's over. Continue with the task I assigned you, in case of any more threats."

Rose didn't look very pleased by the answer but she couldn't refuse her orders and so she nodded before walking away, giving Raven a side glance as she did so.

With her gone, Cheshire looked at Raven before asking Arias. "Who's the girl? She looks pretty shaken."

"She is, come on." Without shedding any light on the matter, Arias gestured they leave and Raven followed silently while clutching onto Arias's jacket.

Cheshire simply shrugged off the reply and followed while sighing inwardly. 'So this is the type of guy that gets on Ra's al Ghul's radar. Never a dull moment I'll give him that.'

As nonsensical as she was most times, Cheshire had a very keen interest in understanding what kind of person Arias was.

The kind of man that would attract the interest of the Demon's Head himself. She knew it couldn't be simply his power or wealth, as many individuals ticked those two boxes.

The most well known perhaps being Lex Luthor, however, it was largely known by many league assassins that Ra's despised Luthor.

So then what made Arias unique? So much so that Ra's would give away one of his best tools? She could wonder on this point as the trio returned to the vehicle before driving off.

The drive was silent with no one saying a word. By now Cheshire would have spoke but given the presence of a new guest, she chose to behave herself and not utter a word.

Thus the entire drive was silent until the vehicle pulled up to the Markovic residential tower, which was unsurprisingly swarming with media and reporters.

"Wow, that's a lot of cameras." Cheshire commented while looking toward Arias, but his reaction to the sight was that of annoyance.

"No, it's just a lot of vultures. Quickly pull in, this is getting out of hand."

On the surface, one would think Arias's comment was directed at the reporters, but in truth, it was directed at the instigator of this entire thing.

Arias had all the sensible Gotham media stations in his pocket, so the chances of them pulling a stunt like this were incredibly low, unless pushed by another figure of power or wealth.

'No, they must be networks from other states. Someone is really hell bent on ruining my image. Fine, I'll play your game.' Arias's head looked to his right hand side, where he observed the reporters trying to swarm his car through the tinted windows.

Releasing the statement itself was one thing, but since the instigator was going the extra step to try and ruin Arias's reputation, Arias was now keen to do the same… tenfold.

The cold glint in his eye was seen by no one, but Cheshire could see that he was at least troubled, if not tense.

Soon the entire ordeal reached its end when the car made into the underground parking, from which the trio exited.

After doing so they took an elevator up to the main tower lounge, where the elevator stopped and it's doors opened.

However, Arias didn't lead them out, instead looking toward Cheshire, "I'll meet you here."

Cheshire needed no further explanation and just strutted out before giving a small wave, "Sure thing, I'll just help my self to a little drink… or two."

Arias said nothing in response and just clicked on another button within the elevator, which then took them up a few more floors before halting to a stop once again.

This time Arias took the lead while Raven followed cautiously behind, her face now looking far less messy than before.

He led her to luxurious but plain bedroom, showcasing a wonderful view of Gotham city.

"A doctor will be here to do a little a check up on you soon. Until he gets here, is it alright if I ask you a few questions?" Arias gestured her to enter but stayed near the door and asked in a steady tone, with his arms crossed.

Raven sat at the edge of the nearby bed and kept her head lowered, unable to met Arias's gaze as she muttered a reply, "My father…"

"What?" Arias questioned with a hint of confusion before Raven gave clarity. "That thing, that monster… it was my father."

Arias went silent for a moment, not at all expecting that answer but he couldn't ponder much on it now and continued to question her.

"And what was he trying to accomplish?"

"He's a demon and conquerer, he wanted to use me to invade this world and conquer it, like he's done to so many. That's all I am to him… a means to an end." She spoke, her tone now recovered but shifting toward anger.

Arias couldn't fully understand due to his lack of both occult and multiversal knowledge. The one thing that was clear though was that Trigon was indeed powerful, but to Arias, that only meant that the girl before him also had the potential to be a terrifying existence… one he could control.

His interest in the occult and magic had been rising but he lacked sources to learn this from.

Slade had some contacts but those with great power in magic were often elusive and hard to find, especially those with a bad alignment.

Aside from Slade, the only other source was Diana, but her knowledge was often greatly exaggerated so Arias couldn't pin point what was and wasn't true as Diana seemed to believe the tales her mother taught her down to the letter.

'What to do…' Arias was at a crossroads for a path to take regarding Raven.

She had potential, but Arias lacked the means to teach or even understand her, so her value would remain stagnant, in other words, pointless.

So the question was, was it worth the investment, in time at least, or were his efforts better spent on finding a few accomplished beings in the occult genre first.

Seeing Arias's silence, Raven looked dejected but not surprised.

"It's fine if you tell me to leave, I get it. Every single person who has tried to help died… he just won't stop until he gets what he wants." Raven softly spoke.

Arias saw this weak state of emotion and and wanted to strike on it. "You don't need to leave, as long-." However, Raven cut him off.

"Don't lie to me!… Everyone said the same thing, it will be alright, you'll be safe. But I never am, anywhere and everywhere I go, he finds me. My mother was right, I was better off not being born." Raven spoke with a cold tone, directed at no one but herself.

She clutched at her clothes while showing a lost gaze, as if she had given up on trying.

Seeing this, Arias knew it was pointless trying to win her over with words.

She was not only broken, but deeply scarred. And in such a case, one such person can only be helped by not only showing them what they desired most, but also by helping them overcome that which had scarred them.

In Raven's case, it was clear she was scarred by Trigon and so long as he lived, she would never truly relax or open up.

As for what it was that she desired, it was unlikely that even she knew the answer.

Given how fresh her wounds were, her only real desire was likely a safe place, which she thought she found in the Ark Academies… but with that failed, it was understandable why she simply accepted that she was better off dead.

Hearing her words, Arias could see how far gone she was, a truly broken person, but it was such people who showed the most loyalty to those who saved them from their sorry states.

"My father had once told me the same thing, that I was better off dead. In the end, I took his life in a feeble attempt to try and protect that which I cared for most. Do you know what that taught me?"

Raven looked up at Arias before lowering her gaze again and asking, "What?"

"That the greatest pain one can feel is total helplessness in the face of true tragedy. I understand how you feel Raven… I know what it's like to be so young, but carry such hollow eyes, like nothing matters anymore." Arias revealed, surprisingly being truthful with his words.

Raven looked up to meet his gaze, and she could indeed see the pain behind them.

"Just how… how do you live with that pain?" She asked, quite genuinely too.

"You become numb to it with time, you accept it and the world for what it is and then finally… you promise yourself to never let it happen again."

Raven was slightly moved by Arias's words, but words were that alone, words. They could only do so much.

"I don't think I can keep that promise…" she showed a pained, self deprecating smile as she responded honestly.

"You don't have to. Be it your father or anyone else, no one can lay a finger on the students of my academies without consequences, consider that my promise." Arias boldly declared, just as the door received a knock.

Arias approached the door and opened it, revealing an Ark Academies doctor who had come to see Raven.

He spoke with the older looking man for a bit before turning toward Raven.

"Remember my words okay? For now get checked and get some rest, use the ringer by the bed if you need anything." Arias soon turned for the exit but was halted by Raven calling out, "wait.."

"…thank you… for everything."

Arias paused and gave her a nod and smile before exiting. Inwardly sighing to himself for needing to go so far with his words, but he new the power they carried.

Upon stepping out, Arias found Diana right outside the door, her eyes looking at Arias oddly

"Diana, is everything okay?" He asked, curious as to why she came.

"Sister Cheshire told me of what occurred and I came to see if you were okay or needed to speak. I heard what you told that girl, you're truly a warrior with a good heart."

"Millions of people would disagree with you." Arias humored her but his answer drew out Diana's anger.

"They are fools then! All of them!"