Chapter 35: Broken Beliefs Part 1

After leaving the Iceberg Lounge, Barbara felt some relief about her situation. She still had concerns over someone knowing her identity, but this wasn't something she could fix. For now, she could only hope Arias remained uninterested and left her alone.

As Barbara made her way home, she was completely unaware that she was being observed by none other than those she trusted most.

Inside the Batcave, Robin was seated in front of many large monitors with Alfred the butler by his side. Both had relaxed looks on their faces as they observed a moving red dot on a real-time 3D map displayed on the screen.

"It seems Master Bruce was right to show concern regarding Miss Barbara. To think her identity was exposed," Alfred observed with his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable. Robin, on the other hand, looked visibly upset.

"I knew she was acting strange, but to think it was this serious. She should have come to us with this. I don't know what Markovic's game is, but we should count ourselves lucky he didn't force her to reveal anything," Robin furrowed his brows, visibly frustrated by the situation. 

Alfred remained calm, as usual, offering a measured response. "Yes, it is quite an odd thing to do. He's a tricky man to anticipate, but we should be glad he hasn't shown signs of being dangerous. At the moment, he resembles an ambitious politician more than anything. We should keep a close eye on Miss Barbara and continue to act unaware, as Master Bruce suggested. If Arias Markovic is planning something, it's better to let him think he has an advantage."

Robin stood up, clearly agitated. "That's like using her as bait! What happens if she gets hurt?"

Alfred sighed, placing a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder, but Robin angrily brushed it aside before pacing around the room. "I understand your concerns, Master Dick, but rest assured, if anything even remotely dangerous happens, we shall be the first to know."

Robin gave Alfred a doubtful look before walking away. "I hope you're right."

…

Meanwhile, back at the Iceberg Lounge, Arias was still in his office when a knock resounded on his door.

"Enter."

The door quickly opened, revealing a worried-looking Gregor Ivanov, who slowly walked into the room. This was the person Arias was truly expecting today; Barbara was merely a detour.

"No need to look so nervous, Gregor. You're not in trouble. In fact, I need you and your office to do something for me, so listen well…"

Arias proceeded to explain the task he now had for Gregor, who could only listen and nod fearfully when asked something. The trauma of being beaten was still fresh in his mind.

The conversation lasted just over an hour before everything that needed to be said was said, and Gregor understood.

"But for a change that big, a vote needs to be held among the various governing figures of the city. The police commissioner, district attorney, and councilors all need to have a say," Gregor expressed his concerns, but Arias maintained a stern look of confidence.

"The clear benefits far outweigh the disadvantages, Gregor. Not to mention the substantial rise in value Gotham will experience as a whole. Don't worry about needing majority votes; all you need to do is what politicians do best: sell the idea to the public and garner support. I expect results within a week."

"A week?! But that's—"

"A week, Gregor. Now leave. I'm sure your schedule just got a whole lot more packed."

Gregor could only lower his head in defeat and nod in reply before leaving. Arias gave him no room to argue, even when the task clearly required more time to prepare properly. The poor fool just needed to work harder to meet the goal.

…

Days began to pass without Arias making any moves that caused suspicion or worry. This didn't sit well with Robin, who had begun to monitor both him and his establishments more keenly, pretty much ignoring all other potentially dangerous individuals.

However, exactly seven days later—just one day after Bruce Wayne officially returned to Gotham to comment publicly on the supposed criminal background of his late parents—a new headline appeared that took all attention from him.

**[Gotham to Become the First City to Officially Cooperate with Superhuman Individuals.]**

Although most cities and communities had become less hostile toward vigilante heroes after the near invasion by Darkseid, no formal agreement was ever reached between a government body and a hero or party of heroes.

For Gotham, that changed because certain individuals could now be recognized under the law as helpers to society, rather than menaces.

The police commissioner was perhaps the most reluctant to accept this, but even he could see the benefit of having such individuals help in situations where regular humans aren't enough. So in Gotham, situations that couldn't be handled by regular emergency services would now be managed with the help of specialized individuals recognized and approved by the Gotham PD, Gotham FD, Gotham MD, and Gotham LD.

The shock, however, didn't end there. The only groups formally recognized by the city were the ones under Arias's organization, composed of former criminals and offenders.

When asked about this at a press conference, the mayor replied:

"Arias Markovic is a benefactor to the city who has proven he can be trusted in helping secure a better future for the residents. He volunteered to have the former criminals who currently work under him become Gotham's first superhuman task force. This is a way in which they can give back to the city and atone for their wrongdoings in a manner that benefits the people. Like Arias once said, letting criminals back on the street with nowhere to go is just a recipe that will lead to more crime. However, with this, not only do they have employment, but they can also repay the city for the wrongs they committed by making it safer and more secure."

"This new project will not affect the amount of taxes citizens need to pay. In fact, since Arias Markovic isn't demanding payment from the mayoral office and will simply be providing this service to the city for free, expect taxes to reduce within the coming week!"

"Gone are the days where Gotham needs to rely on unknown vigilantes! From now on, any form of vigilante action taken by an individual or individuals not formally recognized by the city will face serious criminal charges! Thank you, Gotham, you can rest well knowing you are in the safe hands of Gregor Ivanov, securing your future and your—"

Click.

Arias turned his TV off and tossed the remote onto the sofa in the living room, then walked over to the balcony, where he overlooked the city with a smile.

"Now then, let's see how the remaining forces react to this new change."