Another day, another charity ball.
Bruce scanned over the sea of socialites in his ballroom. He couldn't even recall what the cause for this fundraiser would be. Alfred had set it up, and insisted that he attend, if only to keep up appearances. He certainly wished he were somewhere else, preferably swinging from rooftops, or inspecting a crime scene, or cracking the skulls of criminals. At the very least, he wished that Diana come out as his date. Any night that ended with some punishment.
He glanced over his shoulder, seeing another figure who preferred to be somewhere else. Dick Grayson was in conversation with a pair of lovely ladies, but Bruce could discern that his former ward would have preferred to be in accompanied by one of his many female colleagues. Dick had invited both Barbara and Helena, but neither could make it. Dick had mentioned that they were undergoing "disciplinary action" from Dinah for some reason. Bruce had jokingly suggested that Dick bring Selina Kyle, only for his ward to sidle away in embarrassment.
Elsewhere, the young Stephanie Brown was enjoying the party, sipping drinks that she was probably not old enough to have, wandering from crowd to crowd in a strapless indigo dress that hugged her petite form well. The dress had certainly caught the eye of both Tim Drake and Jason Todd, who followed her around like a pair of eager dogs.
Bruce groaned at the site of a familiar face in the crowd. (How could Alfred let a reporter in here?)
"Bruce Wayne!" called the ever-so-beautiful Lois Lane. She had on a gorgeous red dress that showed a fair amount cleavage. It was a dress that did little to hide her intentions; she was out for a story, or perhaps something more. "I was hoping to get an interview with you. About some rumors I've heard..."
"Oh hello, Lois," Bruce greeted before looking around, hoping to find a distraction. He turned only to find another unwelcome guest.
"Vicki Vale, of the Gotham Gazette," the redhead in the scandalous white dress introduced. "Mind if I ask a few questions about what Bruce Wayne does with his night life?"
Panicking, Bruce turned again, to be greeted by yet another reporter in a more modest blue dress.
"Hi there, I'm Iris West-Allen," the brown-haired woman spoke. "I'm from Central City, but I'm in town to investigate a few rumors that have been circling around. About a man dressed as a bat?"
"Ladies, ladies," Bruce improvised. "I'm sure you've heard some bizarre stories about my private life, but I assure you that none of them are true. But... if you really want to get to the bottom of this, I'll gladly give you three a more.. private session later tonight. Would that satisfy you?"
The three reporters exchanged glances, eyeing each other up and down, before Lois spoke for the three of them.
"Well, you've got yourself a catch. We're all eager to know what exactly Bruce Wayne really does at night."
Bruce felt a sweat of relief. Lois leaned in a bit closer, giving him a view of her ample chest, as she whispered, "Good thing my husband doesn't expect me back for another day."
"Now, ladies, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to someone."
With that Bruce headed in Dick's direction, where his former ward was engaged in conversation with two young women. One was an Asian woman in her early 20s, with cropped hair, wearing a lovely black dress. The other was a mousy blonde girl who must have been barely out of high school. The blonde was certainly out of her element in this crowd, wearing a very modest green dress and donning a pair of familiar thick-rimmed glasses.
"Oh hello, Bruce," Dick introduced. "This is Linda Park-West," he said, gesturing to the slim Asian woman. He then turned to the blonde girl. "And this is Kara Danvers, she just started working at-"
"The Daily Planet," Bruce interrupted. "I believe I know a few friends of yours there." Bruce shook the hands of both women before pulling Dick aside.
"Dick, these reporters are here to ask questions. About our night activities. You'll need to keep them busy, give them something else to talk about tomorrow morning."
"But Bruce, Linda is married to Wally. What am I supposed to do with my best friend's wife?" Dick asked.
