A string quartet plays a delicate waltz from the mezzanine, the music nearly lost beneath the pleasant murmur of a hundred conversations. Wealthy donors, city officials, and socialites circulate among the hors d'oeuvre stations and the towering ice sculpture of a phoenix at the center of the room—a symbol of the charity's mission to revitalize Gotham's struggling communities.

Bruce stands at your side, one hand resting lightly at the small of your back. He's the picture of relaxed charm, his signature smile fixed in place as he nods along to something the mayor is saying. But you know him. You see the way his eyes scan the room every few seconds—checking exits, counting guards, cataloging faces. The Batman never truly turns off, not even here, not even now.

Across the ballroom, you spot Damian, looking utterly miserable in his tailored tuxedo, a glass of sparkling cider in his hand as he glares at anyone who dares approach him. Dick is nearby, effortlessly working the room with that disarming grin, shaking hands and making the elderly donors swoon. Tim is by the bar, nursing a club soda and pretending to be fascinated by his phone, while Jason lurks near the dessert table, loading a plate with miniature cheesecakes and shooting death glares at anyone who looks at him wrong.

Then the main doors crash open.

The quartet screeches to a halt. Conversations die mid-sentence. Every head in the room turns.

A dozen masked men flood through the doorway, guns raised. They move with the practiced precision of soldiers, fanning out to cover the exits. Someone screams. Glasses shatter as they're dropped. The elegant hum of the gala shatters into chaos.

Bruce's hand is suddenly gone from your back. You feel him shift, feel that coiled predator's stillness take over. But before either of you can move, a gloved hand clamps around your arm and yanks you backward.

From across the room, you hear Damian's furious snarl, Dick's sharp command for everyone to stay calm, and the faint, ominous click of a safety being disengaged somewhere behind you.