Chapter 112: Batman Woes Part 2

On the day of Bruce's fundraising gala, he could be seen in his bedroom, getting dressed appropriately for the event that would begin in a few hours. Behind him stood Alfred, who held a blazer in one hand and had a concerned expression on his face. "About Miss Selina, are you sure her words can be trusted?" he inquired with some worry in his voice.

Bruce remained focused on his own figure in the mirror and shook his head at the question. "No, but she has no reason to lie. If what she said is true, then Arias Markovic could be behind some of the more recent unsolved murders and disappearances."

Alfred could see where that line of thought was taking Bruce, so he quickly interjected. "Without concrete evidence, it's hard to say. Whatever the case, he does seem to hold Gotham's best interests in mind."

"That's not an excuse for murder," Bruce finally turned and looked a bit angry in response to what Alfred said.

The concerned butler could only sigh helplessly while shaking his head. "I agree, Master Bruce. I was merely hinting at the fact that he is no common criminal."

Bruce relaxed his expression and also sighed. "You're right. It's just that his profile gives off so little about him. For someone with a past like his, you'd expect him to be a loner or mentally unstable… but he's smart, charismatic, and good at keeping his trail clean."

Alfred popped a smile upon hearing this. "He sounds like you and even shares a similar past. I recommend heeding Miss Selina's words, but don't let them cloud your judgment. Use tonight as an opportunity to know Markovic better yourself. If you two could find common ground, it would be a blessing to Gotham."

As the conversation was coming to a close, Bruce finished sprucing up himself and collected his blazer from Alfred's hands to complete his outfit. 

Afterward, he gave him a subtle nod, and the two left the room together. As they did so, Bruce patted his shoulders and showed a charismatic smile, befitting a billionaire playboy. "Let's hope you're right, Alfred."

…

Meanwhile, around the same time, Arias was also finishing up preparing his attire, but unlike Bruce, he had no company present in his room. At times like this, he had grown used to Apeiro's voice resonating in his mind, but that didn't occur. Instead, there was just a subtle silence mixed with light music emanating from his living area.

It gave Arias a sort of nostalgic feeling, back to the many lonely and quiet nights he spent looking in front of a mirror before taking on a contract. 

But with those nights came even lonelier mornings when he would return, bloody and sometimes injured, especially in his earlier days as a contract killer. 

He vividly remembered the blurred vision he would have, the arduous cleaning process, and the staking out to ensure he wasn't followed. He had no partners to watch his back, and the fear of being killed in his sleep often gnawed at him.

As he was looking back at his life, Apeiro's voice resounded in his mind, although much lower, like a saddened whisper. 

*[I'm sorry, Arias.]*

"Are you reading my mind?" Arias furrowed his brows slightly but didn't raise his tone. No matter the history they shared, Arias still saw Apeiro as a stranger… a very powerful stranger.

*[No, but your emotions, I can… feel them. Your anger, sadness, guilt, regret… all of which I might have prevented had I been there.]*

"I don't believe in what-ifs. Sometimes you just have to take what life gives you and make the best of it. I had a hard life, but now I have a better one. Why linger on the past when I can enjoy the now?"

*[But those emotions…]*

"I don't linger on them; I remember them. Every human has their demons; no amount of power and money will change that. Sometimes it's necessary to reflect, to think, and to grow."

*[Does my regret for the past count as my demon?]*

"Perhaps, it does stem from your time as a human, after all."

*[I see, then I'll take some time to reflect also. Thank you, Arias.]*

Just like that, the conversation came to an end, and Arias took his leave to go pick up Mercy. Even now, he had her stay at another residence near his own residential tower, as it was far too risky keeping her there.

His conversation with Apeiro had held him up a bit, so when he and the escorting cars arrived at her residence, they found her standing at the front, donning a beautiful black slit dress and an unforgiving frown.

Arias didn't bother to explain himself, nor did he make the effort to open the car door for her. In his experience, if you treat women who have been treated badly before nicely, you'll have them overstepping their bounds. 

It was much easier to have them think all men were the same, only some more tolerable than others. A few rewarding gestures every now and then were enough. 

This followed a simple trend: if you have something every day, you'll grow tired of it. But if you only get it occasionally, it becomes something you look forward to even.

As she entered the luxurious car that would be taking them to the venue, Mercy immediately began to complain, but she was ignored completely. 

Arias sat silent, with his head looking in the opposite direction from her, as if lost in thought. 

She instinctively felt like he wasn't his usual self, so she kept quiet, wondering if perhaps something serious had delayed him. In that way, by doing nothing, he had Mercy feeling like she had done something wrong, thus her silence.

The drive was long, and throughout, Arias didn't utter a word. Mercy even subconsciously preferred his teasing and arrogance to his quiet and serious demeanor, as she didn't know how to approach or handle it.

*It's nice to see her squirm.* Fully aware of what he was doing, Arias was inwardly smirking through much of the drive to Wayne Manor.

Once there, they quickly joined other guests in the main hall, many of them being Gotham's elite or individuals with great investment in the city. 

Thankfully, many were absorbed in conversations with others, so they didn't notice Arias's arrival. He quickly scanned around for familiar faces and soon spotted one.

It was none other than the host himself, Bruce Wayne, appearing to greet him.

Before he arrived, Arias looked towards Mercy and instructed, "Why don't you go enjoy yourself at the mini-bar. Let me see what my fellow playboy wants to discuss."

Without waiting for a reply, he walked away to meet Bruce midway, where the two immediately exchanged handshakes. This quickly caught the eyes of many, and the on-site cameraman quickly took a picture, knowing full well that it was headline material.

"Thank you for coming, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Markovic."

"Likewise, Mr. Wayne. I'm sure you and I have a lot to discuss."