I can't help the loud laugh I let out as I slam the bathroom door, locking Jason out. He chuckles from the other side.

"C'mon, let me join you," he says, voice muffled. I grin.

"No!" I protest. "Can't a girl shower in peace for once?"

"We both have to get ready for this. May as well make it fun."

"No."

I undress and step into the shower.

It's New Years Eve Eve and time for another Wayne Charity Ball. Only this time, I would be with Jason. I doubt he'll want to dance but just holding his hand to show everyone that he's mine is enough.

It takes me a total of twenty minutes to get ready, without being jumped. Speedy hair and makeup finishing with throwing my blue and silver dress on.

Using my self-zipper, I pull it on and approach my jewellery shelf in my wardrobe. It's piled high with boxes of jewellery; some illegal from my dad, some high-class from Hiroshi, some ancient historic pieces from both of them.

Yet my eyes seemed to train on one thing and one thing only. The necklace Jason gave me.

"Holy fuck," I hear from the entrance of the closet. I turn to see Jason leaning on the side, looking me up and down. I smile.

"Not to shabby," I sing. He looks gorgeous himself; a black suit with a red tie. He refuses to wear anything but and I know it's because the colour represents more. The Hood.

"Not to shabby?" He repeats, walking in. I laugh breathlessly as he boxes me against the mirror at the end. He runs his thumb over my cheekbone. "More like fuckin' perfect," he says.

Maybe that sounds vulgar and unneeded to anyone else. It is just what I needed to hear.

"Put my necklace on me," I say, nodding to it. He plucks it off the shelf and I turn around.

"Does this match?" He mumbles, clasping it and kissing my shoulder.

"Well, the necklace is red and silver. Add in silver and red bracelets, ring, earrings and it works," I grin, kissing him before ducking past, to where my shoes are. "You know what the best thing is about having a super tall boyfriend when I'm already pretty tall?" I say.

He gives me a sweet, cute smile that I believe is born from me calling him my 'boyfriend'. It is a wonderful term.

"I can hold things in the air so you can't reach them?" He replies smugly. I roll my eyes and choose a pair of silver heels. I slip them on before standing as tall as possible next to him.

Yep, still only reach his chin.

"Heels can be as tall as I want and you're still taller," I grin, before walking out of the closet.

~

By the time we had fought our way through paparazzi outside the manor, the ball had barely started. In fact it was almost bare, guests still yet to arrive.

Jay and I were hooked together, as we walked along the hall towards Dick and Tim.

"Venus, if you want to dance tonight I'm free," Dick says, earning himself a glare from Jason. Dick grins back.

"Where're Dami and Bruce?" I ask.

"With a special guest," Tim mumbles. His eyes dart to Jason carefully, yet I seem to be the only one to notice.

"I don't understand. Who-"

I feel Jay's arm suddenly slip from mine. I look up at him, to see that he is staring across the room. I follow his gaze, finding Bruce walking beside a woman.

Not just a woman. A beautiful, exotic looking creature. I immediately deduce that I'm looking at Talia Al Ghul.

Dick and Tim seem to be giving me sympathetic looks. I maintain a confident neutral smile as the two reach this little gathering. 

Talia separates from Bruce. Jason shuffles away slightly and I nearly don't notice, but it allows her to stand in-between us.

"Jason. Long time, no see," she says. I look at Dick questioningly. He gives me a helpless look. My gaze slides to Bruce, who is stony. "And who is this?"

Gracefully, she turns slightly so that I'm not being blocked.

"This is Gotham's District Attorney, Venus Meadow," Jason says, almost emotionlessly. I look at him with a hint of a glare.

I'm also your girlfriend you asshole.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful creature in my life," she says, reaching out as if to touch my face. What do I do?!

"Mother," a voice suddenly says. I look over my shoulder to see Damian standing behind us, suit on but tie untied.

"Habibi," she smiles. "Your tie should be-" Talia reaches for him, specifically the tie around his neck... but Damian steps away from her.

Then looks at me.

I take the initiative to reach out and begin tying it myself. Everyone observes the interaction silently. Dami stares at the floor.

"My apologies for the interruption, but Master Damian, have you decided where you will be sitting this evening?" Alfred appears.

Damian looks at me, then to his mother. His expression turns sharp on her, then to Jason, then Bruce. When he looks back at me, his gaze softens.

"I suppose I'll seat you with Miss Meadow then," Alfred concludes, noticing the hesitation.

"Habibi. You should sit with you mother," Talia cuts in, taking on a warning maternal tone. I give Damian a small smile.

"I'll seat you all together, Madam," Alfred is walking away. I wonder if he is trying to escape the fire?

Bruce leaves to greet guests. Damian folds his arms, standing between Tim and I with a grumpy look on his face.

And Jason? Well, Jason is perfectly distracted by the woman he lost his virginity to. I watch as she laughs at something he says that I don't hear, patting his arm playfully and giving him do me eyes.

Without a word I step backwards, until I'm at least four metres away. I wait for Jason to notice. To step away from this woman to be at his girlfriend's side.

But he doesn't budge. Doesn't even look.

Begrudged, I circle the room talking to people I don't care about. Businessmen, cops, charity officials. All the while I can still see Jay and Talia talking.

Conversations start to sound the same when Damian finds me again.

"Everyone is to be seated soon," he says, glancing around at the people almost nervously. My mood changes as I smile at him, remembering our conversation on the ferris wheel.

"Come on," I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. We stride through the crowd towards the tables. 

"Damian! Come here," Bruce calls out. Dami freezes and looks to the side, where his father has more people for him to meet. The teen looks up at me with big, stressed eyes.

I try to give him my most reassuring smile, before he turns around, walks over to the Bat and a bunch of vultures Bruce seems to be buttering up.

"Some effect you have on him," a deep, feminine voice says right in my ear. Talia Al Ghul's lips are practically at my neck.

Suddenly, she is looping her arm with mine. In the effort to keep up images I dorne my happiest smile and pet the hand in my arm, as we proceed towards the table.

"I simply love him is all. The Wayne's have become very important to me," I admit.

"And, Jason?"

"What about Jason?"

"You love him?"

We reach the empty table and I stop, turning to her and releasing her hands.

"I do love him. Obviously, in a different way to how I love everyone else." 

Her expression is hard to describe. Almost a teasing sort of smirk, like she knows something I do not. She looks my up and down like we're a pair of Grade 7 enemies.

"Funny. I did not think he would want someone like you."

Okay bitch. Step back.

"Someone like me?" I enquire, my smile growing. "What do you mean by that?"

Talia grins, "I just believe someone as strong and as powerful as Jason should be with someone of the same... juncture."

"So someone like you?" I finally get to the point. Talia gives this little shrug with her smirk, folding her arms. 

"Jason and I are the same. We are warriors. We've fought wars and done battle with monsters you couldn't imagine. And you," she stops, stepping closing with a seductive smile now. "You are just a beautiful girl with skin like ivory and eyes like-" 

I reach up and grab her wrist, pulling her hand from my face. My nails dig in to her arm as I stare in her eyes with a killer's gaze. I speak with a tongue of venom.

"You obviously don't know very much about me, bitch, but here's the truth. No one in this world, especially you, is better suited to Jason than I am. We are the same, if anything I am more sadistic than he is, despite that he kills like a sinner. I've fought wars, believe me and if I wanted to I could destroy this entire fucking room."

In her cocky stare there is now anger. Normally fear ensues at this point but I knew better than to believe that of an Al Ghul.

"You also seem to be forgeting that I could say the same thing to you over Dami," I begin repeating the spiel she tried on me, tables turned. "I didn't think he could come from someone like you. I thought he should be from someone of the same juncture. A kind one that can learn to nurture life and loves animals. Dami and I are the same. We enjoy the same things, have the same views and when he needs help he comes to me. I give him the love you never did. You're just a heartless killer who's not good enough to be blessed with such a beautiful son."

I realise I have gone into Court Mode. The state where I continue to offend and attack with disregard for whom I am speaking to, normally a witness.

Talia's smile is a true evil rage, as she leans in. My insticts are high for any attempt to attack, or any weapons. But then she goes for a low blow.

"Just because you will never have one, does not mean you can steal mine, waqihh."

So she has read up on me. Or, Jason has said something. Right when I'm about to pull my gun and shoot this fucker in the face in front of everyone, I notice her face change. 

Upset. Fear. Sadness. Heartbreak.

It takes me two seconds to figure out why, but only one for Jason to make an appearance and look at me in disgusted shock.

"What the fuck are you doing? Let go of her!" He snaps quietly. He had appeared so quickly that only Talia noticed; gave only Talia time to dictate to him what had happened.

It must have looked bad. Her arm was near-bleeding as my sharp oval nails had set in. I rip away from her and step back.

She presses her hand to her chest and sighs deeply, as though wounded. She looks at me with destroyed eyes and I have to give her points for her acting.

"I have tried. He hates me now. Wants to replace me with you! My little habibi," she says tragically. My jaw drops in utter shock.

"Are you serious right now!?" I snap. Jason gives me a sharp look, obviously torn about what to do. I bet he wants to hug her. Fucking whorebag.

The lights dim slightly and everyone begins for the tables. I look at Jason, who stares back at me. I shake my head heavily before yanking my seat out and dropping down. Dick is there in an instant, sitting beside me.

Jason and Talia talks a litte bit, softly, before he is rounding the table to sit on my other side. I huff and fold my arms, wishing it was Dami instead.

When he arrives, he glares at Dick until his older brother moves to the right, so he can slip in-between is.

I take that chance to give Talia a snide look.

Welcome to my city bitch.