"Ahhhhhh!"
Mayor Mitchell's scream echoed through the room, signaling his wife's satisfaction. Mitchell lifted his head, glaring at Axel, but just as his gaze was about to land on him, fear made him shift it to his wife.
"Julia, you're a fucking—"
"Shut up!" she snapped, cutting him off. "Look at yourself! You're the one acting like a bitch right now, screaming like a happy little fool!"
She wiped her tears and squared her shoulders, giving Axel a bold, encouraging look. Axel clapped slowly, admiringly.
"As expected of Gotham, you guys truly embody 'high society.' Two negatives make a positive, and you're so far gone that even I, a man who prides himself on debauchery, find it a bit much."
He waved his hand, disdain dripping from every gesture.
"Continue your little game. I can't watch this stench any longer. But to give Mayor Mitchell a bit of encouragement, there's something you should know. Since you've shown me your limits, rest easy, Mitchell. No one will touch your position — you've proven loyalty, and that isn't easy to do."
Axel scoffed. "Today's entertainment is over for me. Maybe next time, the madam can come to the Iceberg Lounge alone. As for now, Mayor Mitchell, the show is all yours. Enjoy it. Really."
With that, Axel waved to Mrs. Mitchell and turned away, disgusted. The scene itself didn't bother him, but the smell in the room was unbearable. Axel's nose, finely tuned to Gotham, found the odor intolerable. He headed to his office, already planning a shower and some gaming to cleanse himself.
Before he reached the door, Zas received a call, the line filled with chaos — screams, crashes, destruction.
Zas frowned, recognizing the source: the East Side of Little Italy, the manager of the Italian fashion supermarket.
"The east entrance of The Dead Souls Gang is under attack?" Victor murmured to Axel. "We need to check it out."
Axel waved, uninterested. "Go handle it. I'll game."
Twenty minutes later, Victor called again. Axel hung up, sensing trouble. He set down his controller, raced out of Minus Forty-Four Degrees, and, with precise acrobatics, scaled rooftops toward the supermarket.
In the basement of the fashion supermarket, The Dead Souls Gang's money laundering hub for the East Gate, Victor knelt, bound in golden ropes. Diana's eyes narrowed.
"You called Wraith, didn't you?" she asked softly.
"Yes. I slipped a call from my pocket. He knows exactly what's going on. Don't rush, you stupid bitch. He'll personally educate you. Believe me, he'll pin you to the wall and break that smug look into pieces!"
Victor spat the words through gritted teeth, veins popping in his forehead. Diana swung her sword, severing his left arm at the root. Still, he cursed, enduring the pain.
"Do your worst. I've been ready to die since day one. Hell may scare me, but I face my fate head-on. If I can't avoid it, I confront it!"
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. Gotham's gangs are fierce, huh?" She twirled her glowing lasso. "But I'm not here to kill you. You have a chance to live. So beg, if you can."
Victor shook his head. "I know you're a god, Diana Prince. Axel told me about you! But so what? Axel is also a god, and I won't fear you! Death isn't scary — Gotham is full of horrors far worse than death! I…"
"Wait!" Diana cut him off. "What did you just say? Axel knows about me? How does he know? Why would he know?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her identity, hidden from the best intelligence agencies, known only to her as the daughter of Zeus, was suddenly exposed by a petty Gotham thug.
She grabbed Victor's collar. "What did Axel tell you? What kind of god is he? Could he be a descendant of Hades? Or Hades himself?"
Victor shook his head frantically. "He didn't say any of that! I tried not to, but I can't control it. Axel has had conversations with God and even witnessed His power firsthand. As for you, he said you're a god he cannot afford to offend. He didn't mention his own identity, but anyone capable of speaking with God directly and being answered must be extraordinary. He's one of the most powerful beings alive. Diana Prince, now it's your turn to feel fear!"