Chapter 207: Unknown Part 3

Having received their orders, both Cheshire and Ivy got into their respective positions. Ivy quickly moved to the rear of the building while Cheshire sought higher ground and a good angle to watch the building from.

As for Arias, he descended from the rooftop and approached the front door of the target building.

He first looked up at it and then scanned its various windows, seeing not a single light on.

*'It's always the strange ones,'* he thought to himself before trying to ring the building's intercom system.

However, rather than trying to connect him with a designated room, it just buzzed statically.

He could only sigh under his helm before placing his hand on the door handle and forcing his way in, which proved to be less than simple given the atrocious state of the building.

Upon entering, he stumbled upon the empty lobby, its floors rotting in some parts with dust and cobwebs everywhere.

He paid little mind to the lack of individuals and instead just walked over to a plaque showing various room numbers and their occupants.

Strangely enough, there was only a single room with an active occupant, the very last one on the top floor, room 50.

*'Clearly their sanity has started to wane.'* Unperturbed by the odd circumstances, Arias proceeded to the elevator, but just like the intercom system, it was unresponsive.

"Of course." Knowing that he was on the clock and it wouldn't be long until the watchers' lack of updates drew suspicion, Arias made his physical form intangible and used telekinesis on his body to move up the various floors until he arrived at the last one.

Once there, his body became tangible once more, causing the floor to creak under the weight of his suit.

The sound from this caused a rattling noise to resound from the room at the end of the hall, room 50.

Before he could even move from his position, a panicked female voice yelled out to him from behind the room's door. "Don't come any closer! I don't want to hurt anyone, please just leave me alone!"

Ignoring the voice's warning, Arias began to walk toward the door. "Dr. June Moone, I'm not with the government. I'm not here to try and capture you."

Arias's words lessened the panic in the woman's voice, but her caution remained. "Then who are you? What do you want from me? I said don't come any closer!"

Clearly both fearful and confused, Dr. June showed immense caution, which could be heard in her shaky voice.

But such a state of mind was easy to manipulate for Arias, who paused in his tracks and replied, "I'm here to help you, Dr. June. It's only a matter of time before the government grows impatient and tries to get back their asset. Even if you evade them for longer, how long until that thing inside you consumes you?" Arias spoke calmly and slowly, putting emphasis on his words to make the panicked woman feel even more worry.

"H-how do you know about that? You're lying, you're with them. Only a few people had clearance to that information. I'm warning you, stay away!" The truth in Arias's words made Dr. June find him more suspicious, feeling it was just a ploy to capture her.

"You're right, and among those people was Amanda Waller. You'd be amazed how much I learned from her," Arias added before starting to walk closer once again.

Dr. June's suspicion, though, remained. "I said stop! You're lying. Waller would never reveal state secrets, ever. Who really are you?"

"I'm the person she chose to cross, and in the end, she paid the fatal price. I know all about you, Dr. June. She promised to help you, promised that you could do a lot of good, only to use you regardless of your feelings."

The more Arias spoke, the more shaken Dr. June seemed to become. "You... I asked who are you?! Give me a name!"

Arias ignored her question and continued to speak while drawing closer to the door.

"You felt relief when she got killed, didn't you? You used the chance I created to escape with the artifact she used to hold control over you and that thing inside you. Now you're on the run, with no place to go, being viciously hunted like a criminal despite doing nothing wrong."

His words were spot on. How couldn't they be, given how meticulous his information was? It had come not from Waller but from Lex Luthor, whom she, in a way, worked for.

Had things gone their way, Lex would have been a shoe-in for president, while Waller would have likely become his Secretary of Defense.

Now, in the wake of their deaths, Arias was ready to use the information they both amassed to bring about chaotic events in the coming days.

"I swear, if you don't stop and give me a name, I won't hesitate to defend myself!" Despite the truth in his words, the panicked Doctor remained cautious.

But at that point, Arias was already standing in front of the room's door.

"Why don't you open the door and see for yourself? If it's any consolation, if I wanted to capture you, you stand no chance of escape."

Arias switched to a more harsh and confident tone, wanting to make it known that he didn't fear her in the least and that it was he that she should fear.

A short silence followed as the door rattled before being opened slightly. Peering through the opening was a pale-looking Caucasian woman with disheveled brown hair and heavy bags under her blue eyes.

She stared at Arias's figure with reasonable caution, eyeing him up and down. Anyone who saw this woman in her current state would mistake her for a drug addict rather than a renowned archaeologist.

Having gotten her this far, Arias chose to lower the screen of his helm, revealing his face to the frightened doctor.

"Like I said, Dr. June, I'm not an enemy. You can either choose to believe me now, or I walk away, but I guarantee you that they'll never stop hunting you down. That, or you'll sooner lose control of that thing inside you and massacre millions of people."

Arias's words had no reasonable basis, but the panicked Doctor couldn't see this given just how dire the circumstances were for her.

She genuinely worried that if she were caught, she'd be used as a weapon. And even if she weren't, just how much longer could she live on the run?

"You're him, Arias Markovic..." Given his reputation, Dr. June Moone was quick to identify Arias, and her caution diminished greatly.

For one, she definitely knew that he wasn't on the government's side, and secondly, she was well aware of the sanctuary he created for meta-humans. She had even considered seeking refuge at his Ark Academies but feared she would endanger children.

The only real thing that concerned her was the unsettling rumors surrounding him. Having just admitted to killing Waller, she couldn't help but wonder what else was true.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't have the benefit of choosing her savior at the moment, so she soon completely opened the door and asked, "Where are you going to take me?"

"Somewhere safe. Now, if you've made up your mind, I'd suggest we hurry and leave before this place is swarmed with unwanted company." Seeing that she was now willing to come along, Arias no longer tried luring her with his words, instead giving her urgency regarding their situation.

Dr. June nodded in understanding and quickly rushed back into her apartment, where ruffling noises could be heard.

A moment later, she returned, carrying a bundle of strange artifacts in her hand, handing over two to Arias.

"Is this?"

"Yes, it's her heart and the vessel containing her brother. Her whispers have been getting louder. I don't know how long I can continue. Please, if I ever lose control... promise you'll kill me." Dr. June pleaded genuinely, a sort of desperation and helplessness visible in her tired eyes.

Arias, however, held onto the two artifacts and chuckled, showing Dr. June a small smile as the screen of his helm lifted. "And I promise you, it will never come to that. Now let's—"

Before Arias could give some final reassurance, his suit's communication system rang to life, with Cheshire's voice coming from the other side.

[We've got company, boss.]