The first thing I do when I get back in my car is wait until Grayson leaves. His pretty little blue sports carefully pulls out of the bay and slinks off back to the hotel. Then, I text my best friend Heather, my sister, my brother and Mai, requesting they go to my apartment.

Slipping my glasses on and winding all my windows down, I race home.

As I pull up, Heather's car is swinging dangerously up beside me. I climb out and she booms a hello, skimming over the bonnet of her car to vault into my arms.

I groan awkwardly as I hug my old Elite buddy back.

"I'm both angry and jealous! You deserve to marry someone you fall in love with but Goddamn did you get a fine piece of ass chosen for you," she grins.

Despite the bitter sweetness of her statement I find myself laughing as we get into the lift.

"Yeah well he's not as pretty on the inside as he is on the outside," I say.

"Ugh, one of those huh?" She grins, folding her arms.

"Besides, how can you call him hot?"

She gives me a disgruntled glare, "Pansexuals can find lots of things hot thank you very much," she states as the lift opens.

"True enough. I'm so-"

"Well if it isn't my husband and wife!" She cheers, sprinting into my living-room straight towards a stoic Mai and fearful Demitri.

Mai remains in statue form as Heather hugs her tightly. I always wondered- what is Mai's sexuality? 

Demitri tries to run, but you can't escape an Elite as Heather jumps my sofa, startling the cats, to land on my brother's back in a hug.

After greeting Fantasia as well, who shows up just after us, everyone takes a seat in the living-room. I take a deep breath before I begin to explain.

"So, he invited me out and I suggested the restaurant on the beach. We met outside and cameras were present so... we had to act. A hug, holding hands into the restaurant, him being a gentlemen. That's when it went down hill. He was on his phone practically the entire time, through all of the meals he stayed silent, texting a girl named 'Babs'. Her name had a heart beside it. She must be his girl," I say. 

They all stare at me for a moment.

"This is going to be a train wreck," Demitri whispers.

"'Babs' huh? I'll text Gordon to see what he can find," Fantasia says emotionlessly. She starts typing on her phone, "Did he at least foot the bill?"

"Yes yes," I note, "That, he didn't fail at."

"Surprise surprise," she responds. 

Demitri suddenly strides outside to my balcony pool, mumbling to himself. When he gets there he begins to stride in circles of panic, muttering about how he isn't ready for a serious-fake relationship.

I glance at Heather, who stares on with concern.

"Babs, AKA Barbara Gordon. Lives on Moncort Av. Daughter of Commissioner James Gordon and Barbara Gordon Senior. Attended and graduated from Gotham Academy with top grades, in the same class as Richard Grayson. Currently a Librarian. Her social security number is-"

"Okay okay," I interrupt, reluctant to go that far.

She looks up from her tablet with her usual blank face, "She's his girlfriend."

I sigh heavily and fall onto the couch, patting Luscious as he climbs across my lap.

"I feel bad," I murmur.

Or...maybe I don't? I feel something I can't describe towards this information. Why didn't Nightwing tell me?

Mai's phone suddenly rings. She turns away to answer it. I can tell by her tone that it's my father. 

When she hangs up, she turns around slowly. She only does that when she knows I won't like what I'm about to hear.

"What is it?" I ask, standing up.

"Your father would like to see you and Hallow," she tells me. I sigh and shut my eyes. This can only be bad.

◊

◊

Hallow looks more afraid than I am when she gets into my car, Mai in the passenger seat beside me.

"Well he obviously wants to talk to me about the arrangement. What's he want you for?" I ask Hallow as I pull out of our driveway. 

She glances at me in the rear-view mirror, "I don't know," she lies, oddly pale. I decide not to press it.

"Are you going to ask him to cancel all of it?" Mai questions.

"Tried that," I reply. It's the end of the conversation.

We reach Perich Inc. and stop outside the building. One of the workers takes my car as the three of us walk into the building. The main doors slide open and we stride in with everyone greeting us like sheep.

Hallow elbows me, "The Waynes minus the kid are behind us," she says. I groan and try to pick up the pace, afraid of being in the same elevator as them.

But luck has never been on my side.

Hallow presses the button and we have to stop and wait. The Waynes are clearly right behind us.

"Good afternoon," Bruce Wayne greets. His tone is fake, has to be. A façade for something more.

"Hello," I reply shortly. Hallow looks somewhere behind me with a smirk and I know Tim Drake has to be bright red right now.

The elevator opens and I bow my head, waiting for the two people to leave before I walk in myself, Mai and Hallow beside me. 

Hallow taps away on her phone, refusing to meet my gaze as Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Jason Todd and Richard Grayson enter and turn away from us. 

The elevator begins rising, silence between us. The second oldest...Jason?...glances over his shoulder with a glare for us. What an ass.

I look at him once, emotionlessly, before going back to stare at the numbers representing the floor we're on.

Mai however does not resent her glare back at Jason. He notices this and it turns into a stare down between them.

Ding!

We reach the 120th floor and the doors slide open. Bruce and Tim get out first, before Dick and Jason follow, having broken his battle with my bodyguard.

"Calm down," I murmur to Mai as we break into the hallway, lined with offices. Now they are the ones in front of us, unlike downstairs.

People greet us on the way. Assistants of the highest positions in the company and whatnot; but only one really matters; my father.

We reach his first secretary's desk at the end of the long, grand hallway. 

"Good morning Mr Wayne, Major Perich," she says. "Mr Perich has asked to see Miss Perich first."

I nod at Hallow. She takes a deep breath, now wringing her fingers. She gives me a panicked glance, before turning to the door. It opens automatically and she walks in.

"Mr Wayne, may I ask you and your sons to take a seat? Mr Perich will be available again in a moment."

"That's no problem," Bruce says politely. The secretary blushes like a schoolgirl, making me roll my eyes. 

"Can I get you gentlemen any beverages?"

"No, thank you. We'll be fine," he replies.

"Of course," she smiles, nodding as he turns away. "And you, Major? May I get you or Miss Shinshou anything?"

"No," I say, breaking my gaze from her as I spot my brother, Ethan, striding down the hallway.

"Thought I heard Hallow's chains jangling. What're you doing here?"

"Could ask the same of you. Isn't it your day off?" I ask, facing him.

"Stuff to do," he says, slipping his hands into his pockets. He looks over my shoulder to dad's office. "Hallow in there?"

I nod, "I suppose it was you who tattled on her concerning her tattoo."

Ethan looks away, refusing to meet my gaze. He ends up staring at the Waynes, whom are looking back at him. He nods in recognition.

I snap my fingers and it catches his attention.

"I believe I was her age when I got my first one," I say, striding past him him, folding my arms. "Yeah, seventeen. Say, Ethan. Do you remember what you were doing when you were seventeen?"

He instantly stiffens, panic rising. I keep circling him.

"I'll bet Hallow remembers. I bet she could tell dad the truth about you right now. He'd just love to know who you really are."

That seems to drag him out of his silence.

"What she's done is wor-"

"Worse?" I emphasise, "What she's done can be removed but what you are little brother is in your blood. Right now all Hallow has to do to get back at you is tell dad the truth and you're gone. So you better make this up to her, understand?"

Right as I finish talking, the doors open again and Hallow storms out, passing everyone and disappearing down the hallway. I give Ethan a pointed look. He replies with a silent, threatening glare, before turning to chase after her. I watch him go.

Dad's idiot secretary clears her throat, "You may see him now," she says. I glance at Mai, then Richard Grayson.

Here we go.