"Gotham, the world's greatest shit-hole." Michelle's register less-than thrilled; monotone as it flittered up and over the empty apartment she had just signed off on. The lingering, putrid, waft of cheap stogies settled on abandoned; trapped furniture. Gifts left over from the previous tenants no doubt.

"Oh, Look-I've been graced with carpet!" Michelle boasted rather sarcastically about the ashen carpet that had specs of green surfacing here and there of when it had surely once been a solid tealish-green. Meandering from the entrance of her new residence Michelle couldn't help but leer over and judge her surroundings with contempt. The walls were yellowed and peeling from neglect and years of caked nicotine tar; the window in her bedroom just off the side as you first enter was rendered shut- possibly from the last crack-head to have occupied the space.

With a few hearty heaves, Michelle was content to leave the window for another day. Surveying the dinky bedroom, Michelle spied a relatively decent closet with only the right side door usable and rain-checked on the space sure enough to fit a twin and work desk at max. Puffing out air that resembled a trill, Michelle sauntered out of her retirement quarters and across the living area to idle in the frame of the kitchen.

Dazzling oceans of blue hazed over as Michelle temporarily zoned, her tongue clicking behind teeth as a dull headache threatened to throb at her temporal lobe. Her pasty flesh heated with underlying seething annoyance Michelle couldn't quite seem to rattle. Black-and-white checkered tiling began to tint red with the stress she suppressed within her heart, 'He plucked me out of my den and shat me out here; and for what?!' Michelle mulled over the predicament her father had appointed her.

"It better be fuckin' grand, that's for sure." She stated, coming out a little rough- the frustration having knotted her throat in the process. Coming-to, Michelle realized she needed to air herself out as she relinquished the vice grip she had enacted on the keys she withheld. Conveniently, Michelle knew her bastard-father had sent men here earlier in the day to equip the apartment with things, and she was certain she would obtain the liquor she desired; and she went for just that.

After brandishing herself a drink, Michelle didn't even bother to glance around the rather pitiful bathroom for more disappointment as she rummaged and acquired bandages to coddle her wound. Michelle swished her drink around a few times before tilting her head back to down the brownish liquid- the burning tingle pleasant as opposed to the dull sting from the laceration imprints in her right hand.

The window just above her kitchen sink permitted her quite the view of the city's lights and the hustling of civilians below eager to rush to late-night festivities. Well- normal, late-night escapades anyway. Gotham was alluring in its own way. At least it certainly had its way of sucking Michelle in time and time again. For a fraction of time Michelle's pure blue's glossed over with yearning, gingerly setting her glass down upon the granite countertop.

Even with the setup outside her father's sight, Michelle was still very much under his thumb. Couldn't have his backup and ace child fleeing after all. With this tucked away in her heart Michelle set out to raid the dinky closet she was sure her clothing had been stowed in. Michelle didn't even wait before she started stripping, leaving a trail of clothes to show her path from kitchen to bedroom. Thankfully, all she had to do was show up to tonight's meeting.

Her father allotted her siblings earlier in the day to seek out certain individuals for tonight's special occasions. Michelle, herself, was giddy for one in-particular. In their younger years, when Gotham had first been under siege, Michelle had crossed paths with a lanky teenage boy with a Scarecrow persona. Their encounter and brawl between them had been miniscule; but it left an imprint. Neither of you had seen each other's face, but the energy and high he gave you while fighting had stayed with you.

Michelle finished slipping on a plain gray-tee and sweats before shoving on her sneakers. In reality there were two reasons Michelle had been fully entertained by tonight's ordeals. After Ra's demise the League divided itself into three separate branches by familial lineage. If she was correct in her assumptions, Gotham was only a means to a beginning in her father's eyes.

With final touches Michelle pinned back her inky tresses and skimmed over the address once more before extinguishing the lights and securing her apartment. With a few turns through shady and dimly-lit hallways Michelle found herself out on the streets. The air was nippy, but nothing she couldn't handle.

It came as no surprise when a black impala slid up next to the curb and popped the door open, only for a brother of hers to greet her with one of his shit-eating grins, "I'd offer you candy, but I'm not into little girls." Russ teased, his voice naturally low and raspy.

"If we weren't related I'd put a bullet between your eyes." Michelle cooed, a smirk tugging at the edges of her plump lips as she got in. Laughter erupted throughout the vehicle as Michelle leaned over and yanked the door, allowing gravity to close it fully. In the space between herself and Russ, Michelle eyed a bag she was certain was dinner and delved in as Russ threw the stick into drive and peeled out in the direction of their rendezvous point.

"Who'd you say was supposed to be there again?" Michelle asked stiffly, almost regretting asking in the first place. It wasn't as if she cared in the first place.

"Pops was looking for someone called Penguin. Thought Dennis had this Nygma guy under wraps….ummmm….some fucking wackjob called Zsazz…oh! And this freak they call Scarecrow, or sum shit…. Swear there was one or two more but I uhh either don't care….or I don't remember." Russ responded dryly, much to the contempt and excitement of Michelle.

'So he is going to be there, ey?' Michelle pondered to herself, curious what ten years has done to change the teenage boy she had once had an entanglement with. 'This is going to be deliciously interesting….'