AVATAR OF DEATH

Gotham City is an old city, with buildings resembling forts and castles in their stone and ironwork, creating a Gothic sensibility with its age displayed in battle scars cut into every inch of the city. Dirty streets, dark alleys, shadows and fog, and a people under constant siege by fear and hatred and everything it's suffered and lost. Gotham is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous cities. It's full of crime, evil villains, and hopelessness.

But this city also has a group of heroes led by an angry man suffering from lifelong PTSD who sneaks around at night dressed kind of like Dracula while jumping out of the shadows to bludgeon muggers and gangsters into a bloody pulp. He protects the city from mass-murdering clowns and people missing half their face. He goes by the name Batman and he doesn't kill his enemies. 

"What a joke," Angerona scoffed as she stood at the top of one of the buildings in Gotham. She looks up at the Bat symbol on the sky her eyes shining with malicious intent. She focuses back on the streets below just as a truck comes speeding around a corner followed by the GCPD. 

She looks up at the rooftop of the adjacent building to see Batman jump on top of the truck followed by Robin. 

"What was that?" one of the guys inside the truck asked. 

"It's the Bat!" The guy driving exclaimed. He started swerving left and right to try and shake them off to no avail. 

Batman threw a batrang at the front tire. The driver losses control of the truck crashing it. 

The two got out of the truck with their guns drawn but Batman and Robin made quick work of them. Barman opened the back of the truck to find it full of crates. Opening a few of them revealed that they are full of weapons. 

"There are enough weapons here for a whole army," Robin says. 

Batman narrowed his eyes before walking back to the tied-up men, "What is the black mask planning? You better start talking or a few bruises and a broken arm would be the least of your worries,"

One of them laughed, "You think we work for the black mask? Sionis is nothing compared to our boss,"

"How so?" Robin asks. 

"Who do you think left all those blood eagles last year or drove penguin into hiding for months when he tried taking the east end of Gotham," Mark said making Batman narrow his eyes even more. 

"Shut up, Mark," the other guy spoke out eyes looking around terrified. 

"Why should I? We're dead anyways," Mark says. 

"I want a name," Batman growls. 

"We don't know her name but she goes by Hël-" Before he can say anything more two bullets go through his and Mark's head.

_____________ 

"You guys talk too much," Angerona says to herself. 

"Don't act like you didn't plan all this," Death says appearing next to her. 

Angerona smiled, "Acting is the fun part, besides I think it's time the Bat knew I was back," She opens a portal and walks in, "And those two stole from me which is something I don't tolerate," Death follows shaking her head.

When the portal completely closes Batman and his sidekick land on the same rooftop ready for a fight but find nothing. 

Batman activates heat vision on his cowl to see if the culprit was invisible but finds nothing. He searched around and found nothing except two bullet casings with scythes engraved on the sides it did not look like any handy work he knew of 'So this person makes their own casings. Let's see if the computer can get anything back at the cave,'

★★★

Like he thought the computer came up empty so he decided to revisit the blood eagle's photo which he took to see if he missed something. 

"I see you are revisiting Ted Bundy's art gallery, sir," Alfred said walking up to Bruce, "Find another piece for the collection?"

"No, Alfred, but we did get a lead on who did it," Bruce tells him. 

"Some guys we took down a few hours ago said it was the new crime boss of the east end of Gotham, some woman calling herself Hël, before they got killed by a sniper," Damien continued. 

"The Norse Goddess of Death, how catchy," Alfred says sarcastically. 

"They also mentioned she drove Penguin into hiding after he tried expanding over to the east end," Bruce tells him. 

"Now, it makes sense why some of his men are in those pictures," Alfred nods. 

"Warnings probably, one he did not take seriously. So I'm guessing she paid him a personal visit," Bruce says putting on his cowl. He stands up and walks to the Batmobile. 

______________ 

At the Iceberg Lounge, Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin was sitting in his office enjoying a bottle of whisky his umbrella next to him. He picks up the glass and takes a sip before suddenly grabbing the umbrella and pointing it to the window. 

"Oh, it's just you," He says seeing Batman. "Don't you Bats know how to use doors? Some of us are civilized you know"

"What do you know about this Hël," Batman asks. 

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to ask about her. I see she finally decided to show herself," Penguin says a shiver going down his spine at the mention of her name. 

"So you met her," Batman says. 

"We came to an agreement. I stay off her turf and I get to keep living," Penguin tells him. He fills his glass again. 

"What can you tell me about her?" Batman asks. 

"I can tell you she's not like the usual crooks you and your little Bat family deal with. She has this aura of death surrounding her." He takes a sip, "I'd tell you not to mess with her but I know you will anyways,"

____________________ 

Angerona watches Batman talk to Penguin on her computer. She's sitting at her office desk in one of the buildings she now owns. This one used to belong to the Falcones.

She looks up from her computer and to the gorgeous woman laying on the couch, "Don't you have souls to reap, Death? I mean it must be boring just sitting around doing nothing,"

"Nah, I like your company," Death says getting off the couch. She walks over to the desk and leans on it. "What about you? Getting bored of my presence already," She pouts. 

"Quit the opposite actually," Angerona tells her, her eyes moving over Death's body. 

"*Gasp* Did you just check me out?" Death asks as she playfully covers her body. 

"it'll be a crime not to admire such a beautiful work of art," Angerona says. She smirks as Death walks around the desk and sits on her lap. 

"Hmm, You got quite the silver tongue," Death says. 

"You wanna see what else it can do?" Angerona asks hooking a finger on her jeans. 

Death bites her bottom lip, "Sigh, maybe another time," just then there's a knock on the door. Death goes back to the couch. 

"sigh, come in," Angerona says irritated. But her face lights up when she sees who walked in, "Cassandra, how are you doing,"

"Good," Cassandra says in a monotone voice. 

"Did you want something?" She asks. 

Cassandra shakes her head no, "Shipment.... Here,"

"I see. Everything accounted for?" Cassandra nods, "Good, you know what you have to do,"

"Yes..... Sister," Cassandra says making Angerona smile as Cassandra leaves. 

"You could have her fight crime around the city to get Batman's attention that way," Death suggests. 

"Yes, but it'll take too long for him to trust her. On the other hand, if the city is in complete chaos and he's short on helping hand it'll take less time for her to earn his trust," Angerona argues. 

"You know if you go through with this plan you'll turn Gotham City into a No Man's Land," Death tells her. 

"It's a small price to pay. After all, I am giving Batman a New Member of his family," Angerona says with a smile. Just then the door opens and a man walks in, "Ah, Robert Coleman just the man I was looking for or do you prefer to be called Quakemaster,"