'Ah, Evelyn!' The polite, rich smile on Bruce's face deepened when he saw me as he stood out of his car. I glanced at two girls sitting in the Lamborghini!, which had its roof down, and raised an eyebrow, ignoring the cameras flashing everywhere.

'Having fun?' I asked, referencing Alfred.

'You know,' he said, with a rich, smart, boyish, yet somehow still wise look on his face, 'I think I am.' There were two party girls watching him, but he didn't seem to notice when he replied. It was definitely the car.

Then I realised the present company he was visibly engaging with was that of a capable scientist colleague rather than two hot women he'd never met, not exactly the preference his billionaire playboy appearance should have chosen, especially since the girls were in slightly-too-skimpy-for-the-fancy-restaurant dresses.

I myself was standing in a smart, mid-length sleeved, deep green dress, a completely perfect choice for the atmosphere of the grand hotel. Bruce's face said he thought it made me look exactly like what, in his opinion at least, I was; the smartest person in the building. So I felt sorry for him; he looked like a rich, selfish, snob.

'Mr. Wayne,' Bruce said to the teenager outside.

'Nice car,' said the boy, taking the keys to take it around the back.

Bruce glanced to consider the car, before looking at me in agreement of my recommendation. 'You should see my other one.' The look changed to mutual knowing, the pair of us thinking of the Tumbler. Bruce waited for the girls to get out of the car.

Once they had, he put an arm around each waist and then focused his attention back at me.

'Girls,' he said, looking at the two in his arms, 'this-,' he lifted an arm away to momentarily point at me, '-is Dr Evelyn Pendragon, a very good friend of mine.'

'I've known you less than a week,' I said blankly.

The girls giggled and reached out to shake my hand. I laughed with them and shook their hands.

Bruce ignored my remark, though sent me a light-hearted scowl. 'She's a scientist at Wayne Enterprises, and a genius.'

'Apparently,' I said, and made my way into the hotel for Bruce to make his grand entrance later.

'Dr Pendragon!' came a voice.

My face remained the same, but my mind hosted an orchestra of curses and swearwords that drowned whatever calm my brain had been concerning itself with a moment before. I turned on the balls of my feet. 'Mr Earle.'

'How are you?' he asked, putting an arm out openly to welcome me into the group's conversation.

'I'm well, how are you?'

'I'm very well, thank you for asking. Ah, here's Mr Wayne.'

'Good evening,' said Bruce, looking around at the group.

I tried not to laugh at Earle's face.

I was next to the brunette of Bruce's guests through dinner, and enjoyed the conversation, though the girls stood up just as the conversation turned to the Batman.

'-He's done something the police have never done.'

'You can't take the law into your own hands.'

'Well, at least he's getting something done.'

'Bruce, help me out here.'

Bruce turned back to the table. 'Huh? Well, a guy who dresses up like a bat, clearly has issues,' he said, laughing slightly, grateful I wasn't properly in his line of sight.

I felt that was the best line of the evening.

'But he's put Falcone behind bars!'

'And now the cops wanna bring him in, so what does that tell you?'

'They're jealous.'

I chuckled. 'I think you might be right there.'

'Sir,' said a waiter next to Bruce, who turned his head, 'the pool is for decoration, and your friends do not have swimwear.'

Bruce made a show of turning around to look at them. Sure enough, they were in the restaurant's pool, though they'd left their shoes off. I couldn't say I blamed them; if it were me, I'd protect those shoes with my life.

'Well, they're European.'

The waiter chuckled, though he clearly didn't find it funny. 'I'm going to have to ask you to leave.'

Bruce pulled out a chequebook and pen. I noticed Earle watching him.

'It is not a question of money.'

Bruce stood up. 'Well, you see,' he put the cheque into the man's front pocket, 'I'm buying this hotel, and uh, setting some new rules about the pool area.' He smiled at the table, looking like a spoilt, slightly arrogant fifteen year-old, yet somehow still graceful, and walked away.

The conversation resumed.

'I think the Batman deserves a medal.'

'And a straitjacket to pin it on,' said Earle, as Bruce rolled into the pool like a child.

'What were you laughing at?' asked Bruce as he waited outside for the girls to get themselves dry in a room. 'You must have been laughing for ten minutes; you were every time I checked the table.'

'Well, someone suggested the Batman deserves a medal,' I said, 'then Earle replied with; "And a straitjacket to pin it on," at the exact moment you rolled into a tiny decorative hotel pool.'

He chuckled, seeing what I meant. As he did, the girls came out, still in bathrobes. He put an arm over each and walked them out.

'Thank you,' he said when they drove the Lamborghini out.

'Bruce?'

Bruce turned around and took his arms away from the girls, glancing around before seeing who'd said his name. 'Rachel?'

I reluctantly moved my eyes from the beautiful car to the conversation.

She was in a very classy dress, I noticed. The girls got into the car.

'I'd heard you were back. What are you doing?' she noticed his wet hair and suit.

'Er…Just swimming.'

I chuckled. 'It's a long story,' I assured her, stepping back to leave them to it, happy to return to watching the car.

'Wow, it is good to see you,' he said.

'You were gone a long time.'

'I know... How are things?'

'The same, job's getting worse.'

'Can't change the world on your own.'

'What choice do I have, when you're too busy swimming?'

I meanwhile was noisily making an appreciative fuss when I noticed someone pulling up in an old Jaguar. Rachel's eyes drifted to me.

'Oh, this is Evelyn,' said Bruce, stepping over to me and putting an arm high around my back and clasping my other arm for a moment, seeming to be polite but really to provide me no escape from being introduced and determinedly dragged me forward, away from the cars, 'she's a renowned scientist working for Mr Fox at Wayne Enterprises.' He planted me in the conversation, but kept his arm holding my outside sleeve.

'And your suit is still wet,' I replied, not bothering to look at him. I smiled at Rachel.

'Oh,' he said, moving his arms, glancing at his darker sleeve, 'sorry.'

'A scientist?' asked Rachel, shaking my hand and trying not to laugh, 'in what field?'

'Most,' I said. 'It seems I chose not to have much of a life so far.'

She smiled. 'Well, if Bruce will permit me, I'll have to borrow you to have a look at some things for me. How are you with the human brain?'

'Not the most fascinating of things, but I can help,' I said.

'That would be very helpful. It's good to know that while Bruce is swimming his friends at least are helping to change the world.'

Annoyed at having to play the playboy, Bruce shifted his feet and prayed I'd step in. I did.

'Well, I often find it's one of the best ways to re-introduce yourself to something; approach from a crazy angle. He'll be sensibly playing polo in no time.'

I ignored the look that earnt me, instead swapping it in my mind for an approving smirk of Alfred's.

Rachel laughed. 'Let's hope you're right, Evelyn.' She nodded at Bruce and me, and then walked away.

I mimicked what I'd said the night before. 'Torn apart, and she doesn't know who he really is.'

'Shut up,' he said and shoved my shoulder.

I laughed. 'Ha-ha~ I'm so right.'

He made to growl at me in sheer denial, but I was saved by the girls calling from the car.

'Come on, Bruce. Come on!'

'I want to go back to bed!' he groaned through his teeth, keeping his face happy.

'Bruce, we have some more hotels for you to buy!'

'Oh no you don't,' I said, turning him around, 'you've got to drive at least twenty litres of fuel away before you can stop being a playboy, and then you've got to don that cowl, because I'm going to see Gordon tonight, and I imagine you want to be there.'

'Why tonight?' he sighed.