260 Chapter 255: The Markovia Situation Part 2

At the same time, Tara sat alone in her office, also overlooking numerous reports regarding the current state of affairs. This was, of course, only for show, as she had no real power over the decisions. 

More times than not, she would relay this information to Mercy, who she felt would then relay them to Arias before getting feedback. However, with nothing else to do, she would simply slouch in her chair and read the reports anyways. Looking at the circumstances, they truly did seem dire. 

She couldn't help but wonder just what it was that Arias was planning.

At this time, Batman simply walked into her office, having incapacitated both her guards stationed outside, and before she could call for help or attack, he simply raised both hands in the air and said, "Calm down, I'm only here to talk." 

Tara was inwardly very frightened. Batman, no matter how isolated or uneducated you were, was a name synonymous with danger to many who heard it. In Tara's case, however, seeing that he wasn't being hostile, she too decided not to attack and remained seated, although incredibly cautious in doing so.

"You break into the royal palace and incapacitate my guards and claim you only want to speak? This is incredibly disrespectful. This is an act of terror against our government by yours." Tara could only play the role of a dissatisfied future queen, but Bruce wasn't buying it. 

He had dug deep, and he had some idea of Tara's upbringing. In his eyes, she'd been groomed into what she was, whether by Slade or Arias, he didn't truly know, but he was sure that her current thoughts and actions weren't her own. 

Rather, it was just Arias using her for her position. For what reason exactly, he didn't know, but he intended to stop it. So, in his reply, he stated frankly, "You can drop the act."

Tara frowned at this, but she didn't speak any differently than she had before. "What do you mean by this?"

"I mean, you can stop pretending like you're royalty or that you actually know what you're doing because I assure you, you don't." Tara now became both defensive and reasonably concerned at Batman as nervous began to be felt upon hearing his words. 

Still though, she didn't break her character and remained silent. Batman felt he was getting somewhere and began to walk closer. This prompted her to yell, "Don't come any closer!"

So, Batman stopped in the middle of the room and continued to speak. "Depending on your actions, you could spark a third world war and lead numerous people to their deaths—children, women, the elderly, and fellow metahumans you claim to care about. Whatever it is Arias has made you think he's after, it's a lie. To be quite honest with you, I don't think your parents' death was as accidental as you may think or maybe you already know this too?"

This prompted an angry response from Tara. "How dare you! You walk in here, stating false accusations without the evidence to back them up. Why should I trust you, you people who have operated for countless years but have done nothing to stop the trafficking of metahumans and children like myself? Your government along with others could see clear signs, but they never put the effort into doing so, seeing it as a waste of resources. However, now that we have been saved and given our lives back, you wish to come claim us like some property? and you say I misunderstand? You must truly be blind if you think you're in the right."

What Tara's words said were true, only that she was actually venting her frustrations. In reality, she did quite truly despise not only her family but the so-called heroes who never came to her rescue during her hardest times. 

Batman really couldn't push back much of an argument. "You're right, we should have done more to end the trafficking of metahumans. However, this isn't the way to go about it. There will be no winning side in this if you don't open up to negotiations, at the very least."

Tara was quiet for a moment, as if pondering the situation. However, she had her instructions. Nothing Batman said would cause her to deviate from this. As scary as he was, in her mind, Arias was far more terrifying. 

"I've heard enough. Leave before I call security and have you arrested. I shall pretend this meeting never happened," she stated quite frankly, showing an angry expression. 

At this time, Batman also saw that there was no getting through to her. He could only leave a warning. 

"Fine, but remember, Arias Markovic isn't the hero you might think him to be. And once this is all said and done, you're the one people will forever look toward as the monster who caused a massacre."

Having stated this, Batman quickly left, leaving Tara to her thoughts. She let out a relieved sigh and leaned back into her chair. 

But hortly after doing so, an unknown voice rang from behind her. 

"Quite the interesting conversation."