Chapter 171: Arias vs The Justice League Part 1

As Arias, Harley, and Black Canary finished off the remaining enemies that had rushed them, an awkward silence filled the air. The narrow metallic hall they stood in was plastered with bodies, and its walls were smeared with blood. 

Canary found it hard to hide her disgust at the scene, casting cautious glances toward Harley, who was happily twirling her bat while humming gleefully.

Arias eventually broke the silence, speaking aloud rather than telepathically. "Any word from the others? I can't tell if the telepathic connection is down, or if they're just staying silent."

Hearing this, Canary felt a surge of anxiety and quickly made up a lie on the spot. "J'onn can only keep the connection up for so long. I think he's reached his limit. The others are probably focused on rescuing the children by now."

Arias raised an eyebrow as he took off his headgear and tossed it aside. "Is that so?" he questioned, his tone laced with suspicion.

Canary grew increasingly concerned that Arias was starting to suspect her and the League's intentions, but she had no choice but to try and keep him there. 

"I'm sure they'll find us soon," she added, trying to sound confident and keep her tone steady, hoping not to give away any clues through her body language.

Arias glanced at her but said nothing, turning and beginning to walk forward. Canary was about to fabricate another excuse when suddenly, a burst of wind marked the arrival of the Flash, appearing ahead of Arias.

"Oh, there you guys are. The others have already started rescuing the kids. I just came to find you—come on!" Flash explained quickly, gesturing for them to follow.

Arias, however, remained where he was, unmoved. He beckoned Harley over. "I find it strange that you'd take the long route just to tell us that, and I find it even stranger that you didn't just communicate through radio now that the infrastructure's jamming system has been destroyed."

What seemed like a clever deduction was really just Arias bluffing. He could already sense that the League was planning something against him—how could they not? He had purposefully created a perfect opportunity for them to do so. Even if the League as a whole didn't intend it, a few, like Superman, definitely would have, especially after witnessing Harley's brutal actions.

Flash stammered, caught off guard by Arias's words and thinking his lie had been exposed. "Uh, well, you see..." Flash trailed off, glancing at Canary for help. 

Before she could speak, Arias interrupted. "I think Harley and I will be leaving now. I believe your team can handle rescuing the children."

Despite Arias's words, Flash didn't step out of his way. "Wait, you can't leave yet," he urged, still trying not to sound suspicious, but it was too late. Arias had already established a reasonable pretext to engage.

Arias snickered, his expression darkening. "Can't leave, or you won't let me?"

His tone had shifted, and sensing the tension, Canary stepped in. "He didn't mean it like that. It's just that we may still need your help in case anything happens."

Canary was improvising, knowing full well it was nearly impossible to convince Arias now. She was stalling for time, as the plan to lure him had failed.

Arias wasn't making it easy for her. "Oh? I didn't realize I was required to help. I only came to save the children—anything beyond that is the League's business. So..." He shifted his gaze from Canary to Flash. "...move."

"Look, no hard feelings, okay?" Flash suddenly said before zipping behind Arias and grabbing him. Flash had greater strength than the average person, and given what they knew about Arias, he felt this would be enough to restrain him.

"Hey!" Harley reacted instantly, rushing to attack Flash, but Canary attacked her from behind, pinning her down with all her strength to keep her restrained.

"Don't make this harder on yourselves. If you're really innocent, I'll personally apologize," Canary tried to reason, but Arias scoffed in response.

"The U.S. government would love nothing more than to see me fall, and you think I'll get a fair trial? You can't be that naive."

Arias's tone was harsh, but Canary understood his feelings. However, it didn't matter, because in the next moment, her eyes widened as Arias used his telekinesis to lift both her and Flash, slamming them into the ceiling.

Canary, who was on top of Harley, took the brunt of the blow and released her hold. "Ugh!"

At the same time, Arias instructed Harley, "Aim for his legs!"

Flash tried to react, but his body suddenly froze—his arms releasing their grip on Arias despite his efforts to maintain control. 

Before Flash could think of a way out, Harley picked up her bat and charged forward. 

"You got it, Mr. M! Hiyaaa!!"

Harley swung her bat with immense force, striking Flash's kneecap and sending waves of pain through his body. She didn't stop there, delivering blow after blow to his legs until she heard the sickening crack of bone breaking.

Only then did she stop, delivering one final, vicious blow to his crotch. "And this one's for me!"

Arias released his telekinetic hold on Flash, letting him collapse to the ground in agony.

Canary, seeing this, gritted her teeth and quickly sent out an alert through her comm device. "We need backup!"

She then stood, preparing to use her Canary Cry—believing that Arias wouldn't be able to block the soundwave with his powers. But just as she was about to unleash her scream, Arias used his telekinesis to shift her position, making her scream bounce off the metallic ceiling and hit herself.

"Damn it..." she cursed under her breath, struggling to stand. The previous fight had already left her exhausted, far from her full strength.

Harley, however, was far from caring. She took the opportunity to slam her bat into Canary's gut.

**Bam!**

The air left Canary's lungs, and she coughed up blood. Arias then gave Harley another command. 

"Aim for her throat."