Chapter 198: The Sick Truth of the World Part 2

That morning, as the world digested the lies fed to them through various forms of media, hate toward Oliver Queen grew, overshadowing all the good he had done for the city and the world. 

Even in the midst of such impossible circumstances, some still believed he deserved leniency, citing the many good deeds he had done as both Oliver Queen and Green Arrow. 

However, these voices of reason held little sway. In the end, nothing could be done to overturn the situation.

Following the news, the League had no choice but to convene an emergency meeting, under Batman's orders. 

Although their time together was brief, many knew that Green Arrow was a good person, especially Batman, who knew him better than anyone due to his extensive profiling of people. 

So, they gathered in a neutral meeting place arranged by Batman, a space far removed from their former Hall of Justice, due to their split from the government. 

The location lacked the luxury and modern design of the Hall of Justice and seemed almost abandoned, but no one paid attention to these minor details. All focus was on the matter at hand. 

To break the silence, an impatient Flash spoke up and asked, "So… is it true?" 

When told where to meet, none of the members had been informed of the situation, so it was only natural to be curious.

Flash's genuine question sparked some displeasure, particularly from Green Lantern. 

"Are you being serious? This entire situation doesn't make any sense! What the hell is going on? Are you going to keep us in the dark or tell us?" 

Green Lantern frowned at Flash before turning his frustration toward Batman.

Though often arrogant, Green Lantern couldn't stand the injustice being shown to someone he knew would risk his life to save others. 

Batman understood his feelings, but right now, he needed to ensure the same mistake didn't happen again. Even without solid proof, Batman was certain that Arias was behind this, and in time, he intended to deal with it. 

But the current situation was beyond a simple solution, and sharing his true thoughts would only lead stubborn people like Green Lantern down the same path that Oliver had taken. 

So, in response to Green Lantern's outburst, he chose to lie.

"It's not entirely false, at least in part being our fault. I didn't call you here to discuss Oliver's situation. I called you here to warn you to be careful going forward. I have strong reason to believe that the Human Supremacy Group is targeting us… and those around us."

Batman spoke with a heavy, serious tone, making it difficult for anyone to doubt his words. 

In their minds, he had no reason to lie, so his words carried significant weight.

To prevent suspicion of Arias, Batman presented them with a new target. In reality, he had deeply investigated the Human Supremacy Group, only to find their origins and funding shrouded in mystery—something Arias likely couldn't have done alone. 

With these troubling thoughts, the last thing Batman needed was more members going after Arias and ending up like Oliver. 

He now placed Arias in a league of his own, considering him someone the rest of the League couldn't handle through brute force alone.

But the team wasn't completely clueless. Black Canary, who found the whole situation suspicious, couldn't help but ask, "What about Arias Markovic? He has reasonable grounds to target us as well."

Canary's question brought the others' focus back to Batman, awaiting his answer. 

Prepared, Batman replied swiftly, "It's possible, but so far, I've found nothing linking him to this. If he really wanted to deal with us, he would have come for us already. I don't doubt he knows all of our real identities."

This answer served as a warning, highlighting how dangerous Arias truly was, while also reinforcing that Batman had done his research. His credibility only grew. 

Canary neither denied nor accepted the answer, keeping her arms crossed and exchanging quiet glances with the other League members.

Green Lantern, being simple-minded, believed Batman's words. 

"If it was a setup, then how do we help Oliver?" he asked. The cause aside, Green Lantern now focused on the solution.

Though not everyone was fully convinced, they knew that saving Oliver was of greater importance. 

Batman, however, was unsure of how to proceed. Knowing that Arias wanted Oliver to suffer, intervening could invite disaster upon the League as well. Under normal circumstances, Batman would have had few qualms, but with innocent people in the crossfire, it was a difficult risk to take.

"For now, nothing. If we show support, it will only place restrictions on us. If we show hate, it will worsen Oliver's situation. This cannot be changed until we gather solid evidence. So, until then, take measures to protect your friends and loved ones. I'm already making arrangements for Superman until he recovers."

Batman's answer was hard to swallow, but they could see the truth in his words. Even if they wanted to argue or help Oliver, they couldn't. Why? Because their loved ones and families were now in considerable danger. 

Batman could only wonder if Arias had planned everything so thoroughly. Given what he had shown so far, it wasn't impossible to think so.

But in reality, both Batman and the world as a whole had been completely fooled. 

While the League directed their attention to protecting their loved ones and friends, Arias was already executing the next phase of his plan.

Sitting comfortably in his office, Arias's attention was focused on his monitor, which showed a split screen of two individuals on a video call: Rose and Cheshire. 

"I have a joint task for you two," he revealed cryptically, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Oh? Is it going to be as fun as last time?" Cheshire grinned mischievously, clearly excited. 

Unlike Cheshire, Rose maintained a serious demeanor befitting of her role and asked, "What's the task, and how do you want it done?"

"Geez, so straight to the point. But then I won't get to stare at the boss's handsome face," Cheshire teased, faking a sad expression, while Rose simply ignored her.

Bringing their brief bickering to an end, Arias soon revealed the task. 

"The task is to rescue Oliver Queen, and I want it done quietly."

Both Cheshire and Rose showed surprise at the same time. 

"What?"