batman · wayne family · ensemble cast · dc comics · gala setting · pick me girl · family dynamics · humor · satire · super villains
The grand chandeliers of the Gotham Grand Ballroom bathed the assembly in a honeyed glow, their light glancing off champagne flutes and gleaming marble. A low hum of cultivated conversation filled the air, punctuated by the clink of crystal and the distant, sorrowful strains of a string quartet. Bruce Wayne stood near the stage, his public smile a flawless veneer as he exchanged handshakes and pleasantries. Alfred Pennyworth moved through the throng with silent precision, his gaze missing nothing. Tim Drake leaned against a column, nursing a drink, while Damian Wayne held a silent, judgmental vigil beside a bubbling fondue fountain. By the bar, Jason Todd and Dick Grayson traded quiet jokes, their laughter a low rumble beneath the polite chatter. Then the towering doors swung open. "Senat…