When Hailey was informed that she'd be attending a charity event with her family, she had no idea how grand the event would be. She remembered seeing some of these events on the news. Her stepmom always complained about them. Specifically about how rich people threw money at charities as if they actually cared about the cause but they simply showed up to save face within their social circle. When something went horribly wrong at the events, her stepmom would laugh even when the socialites were hurt or died.

Hailey couldn't help but worry that something would happen during this event. It seemed to be the norm especially if the Wayne name was behind it. She didn't even want to think about some of the bad guys that could show up. But they were at the forefront of her mind and she couldn't stop listing their names. Scarecrow. The Penguin. The Riddler. Two-Face. Poison Ivy. Clayface. Killer Croc. The Joker.

Jason took Hailey's hand and squeezed it when he caught her expression. They were about to enter the hall right behind Bruce. He pulled her to his side and whispered, "Don't worry, Robin won't let anything happen to you."

Hailey turned to look at him in surprise. She'd forgotten that Jason was Robin while she was contemplating all the possible ways the Wayne family would come to an end at the bidding of the criminally insane. Jason smiled widely and Hailey breathed a sigh of relief. She nodded and squeezed his hand back. She felt a lot better now. Robin had fought those bad guys before. And he would definitely be able to protect her if it came to that.

Bruce who was walking ahead of them, his body blocking theirs as he made his entrance, looked back at them and nodded at Jason. It was an all-clear sign. Jason nodded back and guided Hailey to Bruce's side where she was tucked under his arm. Jason stayed to her right and one step behind. They met a few people as soon as they walked in. Most of the attention was on Hailey since it was her first time being exposed to the socialites. Alfred had coached her prior to the event and she was dutifully acting her part. Bruce took the attention away from her making small talk and smiling and laughing in ways that Hailey never expected. Although she'd seen him on TV during interviews before, she'd never seen his public persona in person. But she was smiling right along with him and so was Jason.

"...and this is our son, Timothy," Janet said as she introduced him to Hailey and Jason. Bruce was currently speaking to Jack. Timothy smiled brightly and stuck out his hand that Hailey automatically shook. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Hailey."

Janet's smile was fake but not as cold as the others she'd met.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Drake," Hailey said with a small smile. She was getting tired of smiling. And also felt drained from meeting so many different people.

"Oh dear, just call me Janet," she said and reached out to touch Hailey's hair. She smoothed out a stray strand tucking it back into a braid. Hailey's eyes widened at that. Nobody had touched her. So she hadn't expected it. "Who did your hair, dear?" Janet whispered and laughed.

"Um," Hailey wasn't sure if she should answer. Janet was probably making fun of her. Hailey had tried to do her hair up in a french braid but couldn't do it herself. She opted for braiding the sides of her hair in a french braid style until they met in the middle making the two braids into one. Her bangs were poofed up and clipped to the top of her head. Her braids were loose and had a morning-after effect. Since Alfred or Bruce hadn't said anything about her hair, she figured it looked fine. But now that Janet brought up her hair, it made sense why everyone was staring at her so much.

Tim looked a little alarmed at the question his mother posed and Jason frowned feeling affronted for Hailey's sake.

"It looks nice," Timothy supplied trying to amend his mother's faux pas.

"Thank you?" Hailey said hesitantly. She tried not to take personally but it was really hard not to. Timothy trying to make her feel better really wasn't helping. It just made her assumptions that more real. Janet had been laughing at her.

"It's beautifully done, dear," Janet said softly with a tender look in her eyes. She looked at Timothy with a look that made him look down and away nervously. She glanced over at Bruce and seeing that he was still engrossed with her husband she sighed in relief. Then she looked at Hailey and gave her a crooked but honest smile. "That's why I was asking. I doubt it was, Bruce. I don't think that man can even tie his own tie." She laughed at her own joke. "Do you have a hairdresser? I'd love to get together with you and introduce you to mine. We could have a spa day. What do you say?"

She hadn't meant to insult her, Hailey realized. But now Janet was nervous and that's why she'd tried to make that joke about Bruce. Maybe if it was another adult in her circle she was talking to they would have laughed at Bruce's expense. But they were all just kids—two who just happened to be Bruce's children—and it just made the entire situation that much more awkward than it already was. Hailey looked at Jason for help in answering the question Janet supplied but Jason shrugged helplessly. Neither of them knew if the offer was sincere or if Janet was just trying to find her way out of the hole she'd dug herself into.

Timothy was mouthing the words spa day with a questionable look at his mother who laughed it off and squeezed his shoulder.

"I would need to ask?" Hailey said after seeing their interaction.

"Lovely!" Janet said excitedly and then turned to Bruce to make arrangements.

Hailey and Jason both sighed in relief once Janet's attention was off of them.

"I'm so sorry," Timothy said to Hailey in a hushed polite tone. "I don't know what got into her."

"It's okay," Hailey said with a reassuring smile. If there was one thing Hailey knew, it was that Timothy wasn't at fault for whatever his mother said or did.

"Oh, now I get it," Jason said with a smirk as he watched Janet gush to Bruce about Hailey. "She's planning your betrothal as we speak."

Timothy and Hailey turned to look at him with a horrified look on their faces. Then looked at each other and both shook their heads to reassure one another that Jason was a big fat liar. Jason chuckled.

"Hey," Jason said to Timothy suddenly while pointing at him. "I've seen you at school. You're in eighth, right?"

"You know who I am?" Timothy said happily forgetting that Hailey even existed as all his attention turned to Jason. He didn't even hear Jason's question. All he heard was that Jason had noticed him at school of all places. He was no one special. Why would Jason notice him?

"Uh, you're our neighbor. Duh."

Timothy giggled. That made Jason snort.

"Neighbor?" Hailey said skeptically to no one in particular. Did that mean she really would have a spa day with Janet Drake? She looked over at the woman. She was already talking to someone else. And so was Jack. But he felt her gaze on him and turned to look at her and then at Jason before he frowned.

"Tim!" Jack called out reaching out to his son as if he were at arm's reach and not ten feet away. "Come here. I want you to meet—"

"Sorry but I gotta go," Tim whispered apologetically before rushing off.

"He's got better manners than his parents," Jason said as he glared at Jack.

Hailey sighed. It was going to be a long night and it had just begun.

Bruce separated himself from the man who was talking to him. It seemed like Hailey didn't have to meet him. And for that she was grateful. He had a creepy vibe to him. She couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was bald or if he was bald so that people understood on some level that he was a totally creepy jerkface.

"Bruce Wayne, introduce me to your daughter," said a redhead as she walked up to him. Bruce smiled at her. A fake smile. He held out his arm so that she would take it as he closed the distance between him and his children.

Jason grimaced when he saw Vicky Vale walking up to him and Hailey on Bruce's arm. The woman kept her stories free of hateful rumors but that didn't excuse the fact that she was always encroaching on their private lives. Jason hated this part of being Bruce's son. The media and the socialites. Having to endure both on the same night was almost unbearable. He would never get used to this. He didn't think that Hailey would either. Not by the way she was slowly moving in sync with Vicky's movements but in the opposite direction. Vicky moved forward and Hailey moved back. Always staying out of hands reach of Vicky who seemed determined to touch her hair or dress. Jesus. The girl wasn't a plaything. Jason moved carefully so that he was just one step forward and in front of Hailey. His arm blocking hers. Vicky took the hint.

"She's so pretty, Bruce," she gushed. "And she looks so much like your son Jason. Are they related?"

"She's my sister. Adopted or not, it doesn't matter," Jason said careful not to sound too defensive. Then he smiled just for effect. "Family is family, right Bruce?" He'd learned that one from Dick. And now he understood why Dick introduced him as his brother. It said more than what he'd heard back then. It wasn't just that they were adopted siblings but that he was willing to protect him no matter what. Exactly how he felt about Hailey. And just to further prove the point, he put a hand around Hailey's shoulder to pull her further away from Vicky.

Bruce was grateful that Jason had jumped in. He hadn't told Jason that Hailey was a relative of his. The thought hadn't crossed his mind but now that Vicky had brought it up, he needed to let Jason know before Vicky found out and published her findings. And Bruce knew from experience that Vicky would dig into it. He was going to have to let them both know very soon.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Jay," Bruce said smiling warmly then he turned to look at Vicky. "If you'll excuse us, Ms. Vale. We need to make our way up front."

"Of course, Bruce," Vicky said with a warm smile. She looked at Hailey fondly and then back to Bruce. "I'll call your secretary in a few days to set up a formal interview."

Bruce nodded with a wide smile and gestured to Hailey and Jason for them to follow him. They made their way to the table in front of the stage. Bruce was going to have to talk about the charity. But it wouldn't take more than ten minutes. Afterwhich, Alfred was to take Hailey and Jason home while he made his rounds to thank the deep pockets who were willing to help Gotham's less fortunate. It didn't matter that they only did it for the tax write off or to show face amongst the others. All that mattered to Bruce was that the money was going where it was most needed. Bruce had no doubt that if his parents were alive they'd be doing much the same for the citizens of Gotham.

When Bruce finished his speech, applause erupted in the hall. But it wasn't the guests. Men in black suits wearing clear masks stood in the back. There were about twenty of them. After having caught everyone's attention they pulled out automatic weapons and began to fire at the chandeliers. Glass and debris rained down on everyone.

"Jason!" Bruce called out.

That was all he had to say. Bruce jumped down off the stage and Jason rushed to his side pulling Hailey along with him. But she was looking back into the crowd seeing something they hadn't. Everyone was trying to rush out. They didn't even care about the people who were hurt. People were screaming. The assailants were shooting in the direction of the exits forcing everyone to huddle in the middle. No one was making demands as of yet. But no one was leaving anytime soon.

Right when Bruce, Jason, and Hailey made it to a side exit hidden behind a decorative tree, Hailey separated from them and ran into the crowd. Bruce was keeping his eyes on the assailants so he didn't notice her leave. Jason was picking the lock on the door. Once he had it open, he noticed that Hailey wasn't with them.

"Bruce! Where's Hailey?!" he whispered harshly.

Bruce's eyes widened and he looked out into the crowd. There was movement near the bar. Janet Drake was passed out on the floor and four hands roughly the size of Tim's and Hailey's were pulling her body under a table from behind the table cloth.

Right when Bruce made his move to go after his daughter, an explosion went off from the floor above. It forced Bruce and Jason to duck behind the door. The exit was sealed off with the two of them outside of the hall. Bruce was not going to be able to get back in the way they got out.

"No," Bruce said horrified.

Jason shouted in frustration. Bruce laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Jason shrugged out of the touch.

"Goddamit!"

"Master Bruce," Alfred said into Bruce's earpiece.

"I'm here, Alfred."

"I'm parked in the alley and have a change of clothes for you and Master Jason."

"Let's move, now!" Bruce said sternly and Jason nodded. "The sooner we get our gear, the sooner we can get back in."

"Those assholes are mine!" Jason said as he hurried after Bruce to get to the car.