274 Chapter 269: Bait Part 9

To better understand Arias's plan. One needed to look back to when he had first orchestrated the release of Green Arrow and what purpose it served him in the long run. 

As good as a misdirection simply releasing him was, Arias pondered much further as to how useful Green Arrow could be as a tool for misdirection. This was because, even though Green Arrow had been released and provided some assets, he was still working alone, lacking a lot of time to achieve anything of use on his own. Because of that, Arias continuously fed him information that would sometimes be good, sometimes be bad, under the pretense that he too was benefiting from it because he supposedly hated the H.S group.

What Green Arrow didn't understand by following this route, thinking he himself was pursuing the HS group for his own reasons, was that he'd already set himself up for failure. Because despite Arias continuously feeding useful tips on where to go next, Green Arrow didn't at all trust or like Arias, and likely never would. 

This was in large part due to Arias's character, which greatly reminded him of people like Lex Luthor, only not as egocentric. Arias was well aware that Green Arrow could never be fully brought under his banner, and was instead suited for the role as a sacrificial pawn. As he would only continue to be an annoying insect to Arias once their temporary cooperation came to an end.

So as he continued to do more good work in the shadows after his release, Arias figured he kept personal logs of everything he did and likely left some sort of trail or clue of where he had been and what he had done, along with his cooperation with Arias, even if it wasn't a perfect one. What this created was a false front for Arias, one that lessened any suspicion one would have toward him and the H.S group being on good terms, despite being the one who made them.

But as good as that little misdirection was, Arias knew he could get far more out of Oliver, and that it would be a waste killing him over something that minuscule. And thus, Arias turned his focus to the now fragile structure of the Justice League and its junior team. By presenting an opponent that the league couldn't beat, he had initially raised doubt from the public toward the justice, and that doubt still remained to this day, only strengthened slightly by the recent misdirection involving Poison Ivy.

But this time, Arius's target was not the public but the junior justice league, the future of the justice league. Because why target the strong-minded and heavily willed league when you can simply go after the naïve, emotional, and easily broken younger generation. 

How? simple? By showing them the senior league they so looked up to couldn't protect them, or themselves. Arias wanted to thoroughly crush any confidence the league had in defeating this unknown opponent, and so, currently, as his gaze was directed toward the ship, he began to tear it apart, right at its center.

Panic was the scene inside the ship. Megan quickly flew to save Artemis, who had nearly fallen out. Meanwhile, Zatanna managed to utter a chant to keep herself and Aqualad up. Superman could see this chaos happening, and he was immediately trying to get up, but it was pointless. He couldn't so much as make Arias shift his foot away from his chest.

"Don't you dare," Superman yelled, as his eyes turned bright red, and he fired laser beams at Arias, who ignored them as they simply bounced off his armor, not even leaving burn marks. He looked down at Superman and said, "You're weak, Kryptonian."

Having said that, Arias raised his foot yet again and stomped down hard on Superman's chest. Then, without saying a word, he walked over toward Oliver's corpse and took his utility belt. 

Superman saw this and immediately assumed that the utility belt had something of value. However, Arias was only using it to add that element into the current situation. In reality, there was likely nothing of use to Arias within the utility belt, and he was only taking it so that they would all assume that was indeed the case. 

Further adding to this puzzle Arius was creating, as he took the belt, he looked toward Superman and warned, "Those who dig too deep into the affairs of the Darkseid will always be met with a quick death."

Having said that, a large boom tube opened up right next to Arias, and he didn't hesitate to walk through it. Superman quickly rushed toward the tube, trying to fly in, but a simple backhand slap from Arias sent him flying back, before colliding with several containers. 

They could only helplessly watch as the boom tube quickly closed, and their killer got away, having taken down yet another one of the members of the league, all while the junior justice league helplessly watched from the air in the distance above, how their strongest member could do nothing.

Everyone was silent. There are no words to describe what they just witnessed. Shocking? Disheartening? No words could truly fit the emotions being felt at the current moment. 

And Arias knew that within that plethora of emotions, he had planted the perfect seed of doubt. A doubt that he would eventually take advantage of to lure the junior justice league under him. Because where the league failed, Arias planned on succeeding, putting across a simple image: he was better.