Chapter 13: Focus On Yourself

It was early in the morning, and the bulk of Gotham's residents were still asleep. Many of the city's streets were desolate, making it odd to see a well-dressed young man wandering through alleyways alone at such an hour on a weekday, especially when even crime was quiet.

The young man was none other than Arias, who had just returned from the harbor and was heading toward his apartment. His once-clean suit was now heavily soiled, and the white collar of his inner shirt showed evidence of blood. He was forced to stick to the alleyways, wary of being stopped by a police car on patrol.

It took nearly twenty minutes to walk from the port to Crime Alley, where his apartment was located. Once there, he exhaled a sigh of relief and settled down on the single sofa in the room. He untied his tie, removed it, and threw it to the floor. It had been a physically and mentally taxing day.

As he reclined and closed his eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep, a familiar voice echoed in his thoughts.

"[Arias?]"

"Yes?" Arias opened his eyes but leaned back in a calm manner as the Infinity spoke.

"[You took your ally's life. Wasn't he supposed to act as your extension? Carrying out risky tasks in your stead so you could avoid unnecessary consequences? Or did I misinterpret that?]"

"No, you're right. But it was impossible to ignore his change of heart, especially since he possessed knowledge that others didn't about me and had undergone a reconstruction similar to mine. Despite claims of friendship or allegiance, words are hollow and emotions are unstable. There's nothing stopping me from believing there was a chance he would turn against me in the future."

No trace of sorrow could be seen on Arias's face as he spoke, a cold glint in his eyes. In his opinion, he had simply eliminated a potential threat without suffering any significant consequences.

"[I see. It is true that human beings frequently betray one another.]"

"If politicians and brands can lie to millions strategically and still hold support, then what should stop me from doing the same? An honest politician or brand never gets very far and often has many opponents, even among allies, because they reject immoral or unlawful tactics to achieve personal advantage."

"In contrast, a person or group that is blatantly provocative may have even more adversaries and very few allies since even those who engage in inappropriate behavior fear having their reputations tarnished by association. The only way to truly succeed is to maintain a good reputation while operating discreetly. By the time the world realizes what you are, you'd already hold far too much influence or be self-sufficient."

"[You have a good grasp of how people work. A mere city is far too modest an objective for you, given your potential. As your abilities develop, I believe you will realize this for yourself and set even higher standards. I'm excited to witness such a significant transformation take place in front of me. Arias, I appreciate you satisfying my curiosity; it was enlightening to learn how you felt.]"

"You are the only being I can open up to in that way; you exist in my consciousness." Arias responded directly, though it was possible that his meaning was unclear. He felt he couldn't lie to the entity inside of him, or at least he didn't want to take the chance right now. For this reason, he was honest.

"[I see. I am glad. Thank you.]"

The Infinity seemed to withdraw from the conversation, abruptly disappearing. Arias softly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, too fatigued to dwell on it.

…

Meanwhile, Batman's two protégés had already begun their investigation, searching for Arias and Dmitri. The two were currently standing on the roof of an apartment building in the Bowery, surveying the nearby scene. Across the street, a group of police cars and an ambulance were parked outside another apartment complex.

Robin stood up and observed the scene before turning to face Batgirl, who was crouched and holding a small holographic device.

"Don't tell me it's our potential witness?" Robin asked, frowning.

Batgirl sighed and nodded as she folded her device. "It is. Officer Craig Dawson and his wife, Savanna Dawson, were found dead in their apartment's master bedroom. A direct headshot from a gun was the cause of death. Their baby, who is four months old, is the lone survivor."

"That's all I could hear on their private line. They're still investigating who might have committed the crime. Do you think it's the two guys we're looking for?" She explained before asking for Robin's opinion.

"I don't think so. Given what we know, Craig was a corrupt officer who served the main cartels. He exposed himself in this incident by openly helping the Valentine family, so maybe they wanted to get rid of a possible loose end. However, we can't rule out the possibility that it was those two either, even though I can't think of a reason for them to do it or even if they are capable of it."

Robin sighed as he tried to piece things together.

"Why do you think it might not be them?" Batgirl inquired, curious about his reasoning.

"Because if you track the route they traveled to flee, you'll notice that the only shots fired were from the direction of the pursuer. According to some eyewitness accounts from people outside the club, Craig and a few others immediately started firing and pursued, despite the fact that police officers aren't permitted to shoot without first spotting a firearm or determining if the person is dangerous."

"Which can only mean that the charges are likely false as well because even in the wreckage, we found no signs of firearms. It's a stretch, but I'm going to trust logic here over what the media claims happened. The only problem is, now we have no clue where to start looking."

They were certainly stuck, and Batgirl frowned at his inference.

"Well, this isn't how I imagined spending my school night. Should we give up for now? I have a chemistry lab first thing in the morning tomorrow, ugh." Batgirl's expression changed to one of disappointment, causing Robin to laugh.

"Why does everyone hate Mr. Morris? Anyway, we should give up for now. We'll pick this up tomorrow right after school."

Batgirl continued to grumble as Robin spoke.

"My social life is really suffering because of this superhero business. I badly want to beat up some evil guys to vent." As the two started to leave, Batgirl raised her fists in a joking manner.

Robin, though, simply shrugged off her concerns. "You get used to it. Give it time; it's only been a month since you started."