Chapter 14: Gotham’s Big Story Part 1

The following day, Arias had already begun organizing the paperwork and data he had obtained from Craig and Gregor. He was adding a few files and documents to an empty flash drive while sitting at the lone workstation in his flat, also modifying some of the contents. When he finished, he sighed and stretched his arms, but as he did so, the coffee cup sitting on the edge of the bed began to float. 

Startled by this unexpected occurrence, he rapidly stood up, causing the cup to fall and shatter on the floor.

"[It appears that your innate power is now activated,]" Infinity's low, sweet voice echoed in his mind, reminding Arias of who he was.

He sighed and turned to face the broken mug. With just a thought, the broken pieces began to come together, and the mug once again floated into the air before falling into the trash bin in the corner. Satisfied with the success, he reached out his palm toward the coffee stain on the floor. The droplets started to rise gently but couldn't travel very high before they began to fall again.

"I guess that's the limit for now. A form of telekinetic power, or is that just the ability from my meta-gene?" Arias paused before removing the flash drive from the laptop and snapping it shut.

"[The process of becoming a true vessel will be slow, given the sheer amount of power your body has to hold. Your body will undergo another rebuild each time you approach a milestone, making it a stronger and more capable vessel. Since no such thing occurred here, it is correct to say this is your own ability.]"

"I see. Well, any edge helps. I don't plan on making myself anyone's open enemy at this time, so I should be okay with just this amount of power."

"[A wise choice, Arias. But with your ally gone, who will bear the consequences of your coming actions?]"

"That title will belong to a bright and upcoming journalist. From what I've seen, she's not afraid to criticize even Batman and the deadly criminals he fights. She won't be able to resist the information I have. She's got a hunger to succeed as well."

Arias grinned as he changed out of his business-casual attire into some matching sweatpants, a hoodie, and trainers. A simple face mask was the finishing touch. It was far from the perfect disguise, but it would help him avoid immediate recognition by police officers as he moved around during the day.

Realizing it was almost noon, he left his apartment and caught a cab to one of Gotham City's busiest business districts. The Gotham Gazette, the largest and most well-known journalistic organization in Gotham, was located on the street he visited. Arias was dropped off by the cab not too far away, at a quiet café right around the corner.

Casually entering the café, Arias chose a booth for himself. The café was mostly vacant and hadn't yet experienced the influx of lunchtime customers. After taking a seat, Arias pulled out his smartphone and connected to the free local Wi-Fi they provided—one of his main motivations was to avoid being identified.

He wasn't going to become blind to the dangers he was taking to achieve his objectives just because he had gained some power. On the same smartphone, he typed a message that read:

*[I've read a few of your articles, and I think you're the best person suited to bringing to light the real happenings of Gotham. Don't you think the people should know the many wrongs the politicians they adore have committed or the dealings of the biggest families in Gotham? Come to the Pickett Café right around the block if you're interested; if not, I'll just have to find another columnist. I'll only be here until 2 p.m.]*

He finished the email and sent it using a disposable email address that was untraceable. The recipient's name read:

*[Vicki Vale, columnist for the Gotham Gazette].*

Arias relaxed and appreciated the setup he had made after the message was sent. In actuality, he was aware of the risks he was undertaking. In case of emergency, even his booth was close to the café's back entrance.

…

A woman with brilliant ginger hair, appearing to be in her early to mid-twenties, sat at a desk on the 30th floor of the Gotham Gazette tower. She was dressed in a tight office suit that highlighted her slim, curvy form. She typed into her computer with a dejected expression on her face, occasionally sighing and erasing everything she had written.

"Argh, dammit, no!" she exclaimed.

A young man with a cap, the only other person in the office with her, observed her frustration and asked, "What's wrong, Miss Vale? Trouble writing a story?" He questioned as he connected a camera to his computer, editing pictures.

Vicki sighed even louder at his query. "I wish it was trouble, but there is no story! Dammit, all the other newspapers are reporting on the formation of the Justice League. It's too late for us to jump on that train. Other companies know this as well, so they're focusing on their city's local heroes. But ours…"

She objected, and the young man, Joey, smiled. "Not a fan of Batman? I heard he was a big help stopping that alien invasion, even if it was minor and secluded to one city."

Vicki stood up and put her hands on her hips, causing her breasts to slightly jiggle before speaking. "Metropolis has Superman, Washington has Wonder Woman, Coast City has Green Lantern, Central City? The Flash, Amnesty Bay has Aquaman, even Denver and Detroit have that damn Martian Manhunter. And what do we have? The flying rodent, Batman. How am I supposed to compete with other publications like this?"

Joey laughed nervously, unsure how to respond to her outburst. Her rant continued before he could finish his sentence.

"I mean, come on! These other guys can fly, lift buildings, run faster than jets, and have interesting characters or backgrounds that make people want to know more. This Friday is the official formation of the Justice League, and our company has been invited. If we don't get a huge story, we'll be a laughingstock. I can already hear that damn Lois boasting about her city's hero. Ugh!"

*Bing!* 

A ring from her computer caught her attention just as she was about to scream in frustration. She quickly checked it and grinned widely.

"Joey, tell the boss I went to have my lunch early." 

The young man was confused as she abruptly corrected her makeup and hurried out of the office.

"Uh, okay?"