Chapter 160: The Culprit Part 1

After his brief run-in with Black Canary and Robin, Arias returned to his plane but found he was followed by the same trio. Black Canary just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss and chose to keep a close eye on Arias.

"Am I under arrest?" Arias paused and asked flatly just as he reached the steps to his plane. Both Mercy and Terra looked ready to fight, but Black Canary shook her head at the question.

Instead, she claimed, "No, I'm just here to ensure your safety and that of the princess, of course."

It was clear she just wanted to keep an eye on Arias and was suspicious of him, but he didn't refuse. "You're welcome aboard then. But I think your efforts are better spent at the royal palace—it's complete chaos there," he replied while walking up the steps.

Black Canary paused and looked toward Robin and Miss Martian, Arias's words still lingering in her mind. "You two go ahead and provide support at the royal palace. Batman and the others should be there soon too."

Miss Martian nodded in agreement, but Robin furrowed his brows and looked up the stairs toward Arias before warning Black Canary, "Be careful, he's not as simple as he may seem."

Canary just smiled at the warning. "Don't worry, kid. This isn't my first rodeo. Now hurry up."

Robin nodded but still looked worried as he and Miss Martian left. Canary watched them go before ascending the steps and entering the plane.

Upon entering, she ran into Mercy, who was lingering by the door with her gun in hand. Arias could be seen seated comfortably, with Terra sitting opposite him.

Canary said nothing and just slouched near the entrance to the cabin. She watched Arias's actions and demeanor carefully but couldn't get a read on what he was thinking or planning. From looks alone, he seemed like a victim, but with the way events were transpiring, it was hard not to suspect him of at least being knowledgeable.

"You say you're here to protect us, but the way you look at us says otherwise," Arias commented, causing Terra to frown at Black Canary before adding her own comment.

"It's what the so-called heroes do. If they really cared, I wouldn't have had to rot in a trafficking camp for two years. Yet when they hear an enemy of their government is present, they rush to the scene and act like what they do is right."

Terra's harsh words were her own. In her mind, if Arias trusted her enough to let her know that he was planning to take over the country, he would have also let her know that this was his doing. Her anger stemmed from how hypocritical the heroes of the world were, often oblivious to real-world problems or just acting as a temporary solution to them.

The words were especially harsh for Black Canary, who felt like she was doing the right thing. But Terra's rant didn't stop there.

"Now, my only family—the one I barely remember—is likely getting assassinated. But you'd want that, wouldn't you? So your government can come in and place a proxy of a leader that meets their interests. You people disgust me," she said boldly, with clear resentment in her eyes.

This was a first for Canary, feeling like the bad person. Terra's words and look were genuine, making them all the more difficult to bear.

Canary didn't reply. She didn't know how to. She couldn't deny that she was there mainly to keep an eye on Arias, but he seemed focused on other matters. He instead calmed Terra down, placing a hand on her shoulder while shaking his head.

"It's not worth getting angry about. In this world, if your actions don't align with those of the rich and powerful, they will find a way to get rid of you, be it through lies or schemes. The only thing we can do is resist. After all, their pawns will always think what they are doing is right, ignorant of the cold facts before them."

Terra gave one final glare to Canary and then looked away, still visibly bothered. Arias glanced at her with pity before issuing a warning.

"Just so you know, I plan on leaving once my daughter's security is ensured. If, at that time, you try to stop me, I won't hesitate to kill you—the same way your leader wants to kill me," he warned before going silent again.

Left to digest the onslaught of words, Canary remained quiet, her arms crossed.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, the once chaotic scene had finally gained some semblance of control as Robin, Miss Martian, and Green Arrow dealt with the attackers. Their supply of ammunition wasn't infinite, and the lack of metahumans on their side made it impossible for the attackers to gain the upper hand once backup arrived for Green Arrow.

One by one, the attackers were either knocked unconscious or restrained. Ten minutes later, Batman's jet arrived on the scene, with Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter joining the situation too. After their arrival, it only took a few minutes to completely pacify the situation.

It was only then that Batman walked over to Green Arrow, who stood in the central courtyard of the palace alongside Robin.

Seeing Batman approach, Green Arrow immediately knew the situation was under control and sighed. "Nice of you to finally join us. Why didn't you tell Superman to come ahead? He could've stopped this whole fiasco quickly."

Batman looked around as he approached Green Arrow and Robin before finally answering when he got close. "He is here, but he was busy disposing of the attackers in the city. I've tried questioning the attackers, but they won't talk, so J'onn is going to try going through their memories. Hopefully, that gives us some clarity on the matter."

After looking around a bit more, Batman frowned and asked, "Where's Arias Markovic?"

Green Arrow, absorbed in dealing with the actual attackers, hadn't asked Robin much about this, only knowing that Canary had told them to go ahead. So both he and Batman turned to Robin for answers. Robin quickly summarized what had happened at the airport, not leaving out his suspicions toward Arias and why Black Canary had stayed behind.

Feeling uneasy about this, Batman turned to leave, stating, "I'll go and see if everything is alright. If Arias chooses to act, Black Canary will be in trouble."

But just at that moment, Black Canary walked through the main gates leading to the central courtyard. "Gee, I'm glad to see you have so much confidence in me," she remarked, wearing an unamused expression.

Before Batman could reply, Terra and Mercy walked in behind her, followed by Arias.

The scene now became a bit awkward, with no one knowing what to say. It was then that Terra spoke.

"Now that you're done keeping us safe, as you claim, do you mind leaving us be?" she asked angrily.

Batman was the one to answer this time, saying, "We're only here to help. If we leave now, it's unlikely we will get any answers as to who's behind this. Do you want that?"

Those words only seemed to make Terra angrier, but at that moment, Frank Delamb, her uncle, arrived on the scene, his face panicked as he rushed over to Terra with many guards in tow.

"Thank goodness you're alright. As of now, you're the only direct descendant left. These bastards…my nephews…my sister, all murdered in cold blood!" he yelled in fury before turning toward Batman and the other league members.

"Leave our country now. Your presence is not needed here. Perhaps without it, this wouldn't have happened," he said, his voice laced with anger.

It was then that Arias stepped in to inquire. "Do you know who did this? And why?" he asked, his own voice carrying a hint of anger, which could be seen as understandable, considering he was almost killed.

Fredrick Delamb looked at Arias cautiously and then asked Terra, "Do you trust him?"

She answered, "He saved my life and made it possible for me to see my family again. I trust him fully. Uncle, tell us what you know."

Fredrick Delamb nodded in understanding before looking toward Batman and his group and asking again, "And them?"

This time, Terra shook her head. "They are just here to look good, only saving others after disaster strikes instead of preventing it. I'd sooner trust my captors from three years ago—at least they were honest with their intentions," she harshly remarked.

At that moment, Fredrick Delamb turned to Batman and spoke. "By her right as princess of Markovia, I ask that you all leave our country at once, or I shall declare this a national incident, with your country and president to blame," he warned in a heavy Markovian accent.

Batman frowned but didn't argue. Instead, he looked over at Arias to try to read his body language, which proved impossible because at that moment, Arias, too, looked rather displeased with what was going on and seemed to be seeking revenge.

Reluctantly, Batman turned to the other members and gave a nod. "Let's leave."