the black raven | THE PARTY

● jessie ●

"Mom where you going?"

"I have a date with a couple of my friends from high school, Mara, and I'll be back around twelve or one. No later than one thirty though," I lie. My voice echoes down the hallway stairs.

I'm wearing a black, high split, maxi dress that hugs my figure in all the right places, and black heels. I've also got a small leather purse that holds my perfume, phone, and small makeup pallet.

I head downstairs, where Mara is waiting for me at the lower landing. I see her eyeing my bag, and I know she thinks it's got drugs inside. It doesn't. Well, not normal drugs anyway. Hidden ones.

She feels me staring at her gives me a smile and she averts her eyes. I take a breath to say something, but she cuts me off.

"Well, have fun! And yes I know to keep the doors and locked and bolted after nine pm, and no going out after nine pm. And don't worry, I won't answer the door, invite anyone in, or answer the phone," Mara rambles plainly, and I can just hear the panic in her voice.

I have instilled fear in her. She's afraid of me. And personally, that's a hell of a win. I love the fear that I might hurt her, somehow, someway.

I mean, I wouldn't hurt her physically, no, but I want her to think that I might. It's better that way, so that she doesn't get killed. All of this is for her. She doesn't understand that this is all for her.

"Well, it's good that you know that," I walk towards the door with murder on my mind, but add before I slam the door shut, "I just hope you follow it."

● bruce ●

The ballroom that this 'party' is taking place in is extremely large. Extremely spacious and everything echoes.

Damian, Alfred, and everyone else will be in this room. The GCPD will also be in the building, but half will be dressed as civillians. The rest will be at the exits and entrances, with full body armor and the appropriate weaponry.

The room is decorated appropriately to the best of anyones ability. I hired the best of the best to make it look like a normal fundraiser, and not a fake fundraiser.

To make it look like it wasn't a room that would be anything ither then a ballroom. The room looks absolutely flawless, and that's just what we need. We make it flawless we make it seem normal. As normal as possible, when trying to catch drug dealers.

"Master Bruce," a familiar voice behind me echoes.

I turn and see Alfred standing in a black and white suit, ironed to perfection. His grey hair is slicked back and his glasses shine in the lights above us.

"The first guests have arrived and are in the building, so I came to make sure you were completely ready," he finishes, and a beat passes before he adds, "Are you?"

I don't have to think about the answer. I know we've been planning this for weeks now, and I know that these people truly dangerous; they could singlehandedly kill a person without touching them.

But I can't shake the feeling that I'm not ready. I'm not ready because he's ready.

Batman is ready.

I want to say what I'm thinking, but I don't.

"As always, Alfred. The real question is if Damian is ready. Ready for all of these people to not listen to him or, in the least, acknowledge him." Alfred chuckles and nods in agreement, and then I flash a lopsided smile, signaling him for to head back to the entrace.

The blissful silence that I stand in isn't for long, as the first guests arrive, and I recognize them. GCPD officers, but for tonight, are supposed drug dealers. We start some small talk as we wait for the others to arrive, and as they do, the room intensifies.

Intensifies in the most claustrophobic way, with words, smells, and the different people. All of them wearing different backstories, all of them showing their unidentifiable colors.

○ jessie ○

The giant ballroom is full of people, and I feel the heat of everyone's bodies mixing and swirling. It's overwhelming, honestly, everyone being here at once.

But I'm fine, because I've had worse. Mentally and emotionally. Us Novagez's just have that strength in our DNA.

"Good evening Ma'am," the voice snaps me out of my own head and I turn to see a small boy standing beside me.

I flash my motherly smile at him and see he resembles someone, but I can't place who. He has jet black hair that matches his eyes and suit, and my dress for tonight.

I'm a bit appalled by his tone and gentlemen like attitude. I feel a child as young as him should be more...childish.

"Hello there, young man. You look very handsome tonight."

"Thank you. You look lovely as well, but I'm not here for small talk. I'm here to ask if you would like to donate any extra money to the fundraiser for the H.S.H?"

Again, I'm shocked that a little boy like him is here, at a fundraiser for the H.S.H, and then I realize it. He's either got a parent here or is a part of H.S.H.

"Uh, no thank you, not tonight," I reply, and start to walk away, but he appears in front of me again. I blink, a slight irritation knot growing in my chest. He keeps talking.

"Ma'am please, us kids don't have it easy out there, and I don't think that this room is filled enough to get all of us off the streets," he pleads, but I can see in his eyes that he's not really a kid from the streets.

He's not a part of the H.S.H. Where would he get the perfectly fitting suit from? Where did his manners come from? Where did his perfectly smoothed and glimmering hair come from?

"Um, I'm sorry, but I didn't bring any other money forms with me, and I'm sorry to say this, but no. I cannot donate any extra money, young man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to enjoy this party," I finish, my tone sharp.

My stare, burning into his black eyes, is as heated as a forest fire. He frowns and I can just slightly see tears forming in his eyes. It's fake, the tears are.

The frown is natural to him, and I see it's his resting face. I walk away again, and then what he says stops me, my heart fluttering at the name.

"Your looking for Bruce Wayne? Right?" I turn and walk back to the spot he was in, but he's gone. He's not there.

I spin around a couple times and search through the colors of people, trying to find a black haired boy with a black suit.

All I see are men in black suits. And women in black dresses. I gotta give it to him, he's good. He got me right where he wanted me, and now I have to go chase after him.

And Bruce Wayne, whom he seems to know and maybe relate to, on a larger scale rather than just a kid from the Homeless Safe Haven.

A tap on my shoulder makes me jump and I turn to see the kid. I frown and sigh in irritation. This kid is playing with me, and I don't appreciate it.

"Look, kid, I already told you-"

"I told Bruce Wayne that you were looking for him. He's over there," the kid says, and turns me around to some tables near on the balcony.

And then I see him. We lock eyes. Bruce Wayne, in the flesh. The bastard who tried to give me pity money. The father of Mara.

Shoot.

I didn't think I would get this far into the plan without being caught or killed. Well, it's fine, just take a breath and... show some shoulder. Smile but only lopsided, not a full smile.

The kid sighs and mumbles something, and walks away. My eyes travel back to Bruce. His lip curves a tiny bit as he points to me and then to the table next to him.

So, this is it. Ten years later. Just like that. It seems like time slows to a stop when I finally reach him. He pulls my chair out and I sit down, and he sits across from me. He fiddles with his tie for a moment before speaking.

"Hello Jessie, it's been a while."
His handsome voice makes my stomach flip inside out.

Get it together!

"Oh, uh...yeah," I stutter and blink, and then start again, "yes. It has been a while, hasn't it. Glad to see your alive and well, considering your... recent circumstances. I'm actually surprised you remember me,"

"Oh, you'd be surprised at the things I remember. And thank you, I appreciate that. Most people want me dead now, which isn't a surprise, considering their most envied billionare has just came back from the grave," he pauses and takes a sip of his wine, which I didn't realize he had until now.

"Anyways, I'm glad you came here, to help those kids out there. I also hope that Damian didn't give you too much trouble, as he doesn't listen very well."

Damian? Who the hell is that-- holy shit. I accidentally let an 'oh' slip out, but I'm quick to clean it up.

"Oh, yes he was just fine, he's a kid, I guess I expect it from a kid. And of course I came here, those kids shouldn't have to live out there with nothing but the clothes on their back," I wave my hand through the cold air as I look out onto the city.

He chuckles, and I smirk, and catch myself before I fully smile. Lopsided smiles only, if you don't want to be skinned alive.

"So, I'm sorry if this seems like I'm prying, but I do remember that you were in a rough place the last time we saw each other, yes?" He asks, rasing an eyebrow.

I almost choke on my wine, that was brought over only moments ago. I swallow and blink again, as I turn my head back at him.

"Yes, that was true," I state, my voice automatically deeper, colder. I realize that acting this way won't help me get his affections, so I add, "but I am in the much better place now, and no longer participate in any of it. One kid and just like that your world is turned upside down and inside out, am I right?"

I add that warmer than before, trying to get to his guards down. I see his face twitch just slightly, and then he takes a breath.

"Yes, I know. You said kid? Do you have a family?" Bruce wonders aloud, and I see a flash of jealousy in his eyes as he says it. But then it's gone.

"I do. It's a small one, but still a family. It's just me and my daughter here," I respond, and I smile a little, which makes him smile a little too.

He thinks it's... cute, shall we say, that I chose my daughter over drugs. He's gonna be in for a rough ride if he finds out about this whole thing. But he won't.

So he's going to keep thinking that until this is all over. We sit like that for a while in a comfortable silence, until an older man with grey hair and a black suit, tailored to perfection, tells us that it's time for him to make his speech.

I smirk at him and turn my shoulder to him, sway my hips as I walk, and finally truly relax. The conversation is over, and I got him hooked.

He doesn't know who the father is, which seemed to concern him slightly. And just like that, I see my opening. I'm going to make this work.

○ bruce ○

I couldn't tell if she was lying or not. I really, truly couldn't. I couldn't tell if she was lying about any or all of it.

Her drugs. Her daughter. Her reason for being here. It might be because she did just want to give money for the homeless kids.
Or it could be because she's still in the drug dealing business.

And what about her daughter? Was she brought into the business? By choice or by force?

I don't know. And I have a large distaste for the things I don't know. If I don't know it, then I can't control it. This means I let Jessie leave on her own or keep her here and interrogate her, which could go both ways.

If I do interrogate her and she is a drug dealer, we could take the whole dealership down. Or she could be telling the truth and really could've gotten rid of the drugs however many years ago.

However many years ago she had her daughter. I wonder how old she is. I mean, it does concern me slightly that she's got a daughter with a father.

An absentee father.

Meaning he's not here. But it could be anyone. It doesn't mean that the father of her kid is me.

And either way, it was ten years ago...

Okay, we were stupid and young and a lot happened in a week. Her kids got an absentee father, and I've haven't seem Jess for almost ten years now. Things change.

Stop harping over this.

I already made the speech, so people can only stay a little longer. And then I can breath, relax, and see where everyone scatters out. We can follow whomever we found suspicious.

I have a list of people who could be drug dealers today, not ten years ago. And yes, Jessie is one of them.

a/n - this whole ball was a setup by gcpd partnering with bruce wayne to catch some drug dealers :)