Bruce held Selina close to his side as they entered the banquet hall. The cameras flashed and she smiled charmingly as his arm encircled her waist. They looked out onto the crowd of impeccably dressed socialites and Bruce groaned only loud enough for Selina to hear.

"Five minutes per conversation. Tops." Bruce intoned through the gritted teeth of his smile.

"You're going to have to give Harvey a bit more time than that. It's his big night." Selina reminded him, giving a friendly wave to a reporter taking her picture.

"Mr. Wayne!" another reporter shouted. "Mr. Wayne, over here."

Bruce adjusted their position and smirked at the man, his face now drawn into a nearly identical expression to Selina's. The two were simply of the same breed. Almost perfect human specimens cut from the same cloth. "I hear we get to meet her tonight."

Selina gave him a barely noticeable jab to the ribs. "He's been gushing about her nonstop. You can't at least give her a chance?"

"He doesn't exactly have the best track record." Bruce chuckled.

Selina rolled her eyes. "Oh, and you do?"

"Well you're my date tonight, aren't you?" He nudged her playfully. "And I'm not letting you out of my sight, by the way. I'll be checking your pockets for watches at the coat check."

"Watches." Catwoman scoffed. "As if I'd—"

"Bruce!" Harvey Dent bellowed from below them.

Selina and Bruce peered over the balcony. "Harv." Bruce grinned. "We'll be right down." He sighed as Selina wrapped her arm around his once more. "Here goes nothing." They began to descend the marble staircase down to the main floor.

"You're just worried he'll marry her and you'll be the only eligible bachelor left in Gotham." Selina teased.

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself." Bruce murmured as he nodded politely at an associate. "He only met her a month ago."

Selina shrugged. "I think some people just know."

"Oh?" Bruce chuckled. "Then why aren't we married yet?"

"Because you're a bit of a slut, Darling." Selina deadpanned as they rounded the corner to find a smiling Harvey Dent, looking dapper in his tuxedo, his chestnut hair impeccably styled. Selina reminded herself to ask him for the name of his hairdresser.

"Well if it isn't the man of the hour." Bruce grinned, gripping Harvey's hand and patting him on the shoulder as he shook it. "How are you?"

"Fantastic." Harvey gleamed. "It's not every day your friend helps you finance a new penitentiary."

"No, I imagine that would be exorbitantly expensive." Selina winked. "Pays to be rich, I suppose."

"You know…" Harvey took a swig of champagne, "We have a microphone over there, Ms. Kyle, if you'd like to perform your standup routine."

"Ha ha." Selina said, pointedly. "How about a raincheck in favor of meeting this woman we've heard so much about."

"Oh, of course." Harvey beamed, turning around and tapping a redheaded woman on the shoulder who appeared to be deeply entrenched in a conversation with a board member of the Nature Conservatory of Gotham. "I'm sorry, excuse us for a moment." Harvey apologized to the man. "Pamela Isley, meet Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle."

The woman turned around and for a moment, Selina understood Harvey's instantaneous infatuation. Bright green eyes, cheek bones, plump red lips and wavy crimson locks. She was maybe the most beautiful woman never to grace the cover of a magazine. Selina tore her eyes away for a painful second to see if Bruce had noticed the woman's ridiculous attractiveness. He had. He was blushing furiously and his sudden insecurity seemed to shake Selina out of whatever daze she was in.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Isley. Harvey here has told us so much about you…"

Something flashed across the woman's eyes, but she smiled none the less and extended her hand to Selina. "It's Dr. Isley, actually."

"My apologies." Selina smirked. "The latter still stands, though. We can't get him to shut up!"

"Is that so…" Dr. Isley winked at Harvey.

"Bruce, don't be rude." Selina patted him on the back while he regained control of himself. "Say hello to Dr. Isley."

"I'm sorry." Bruce cleared his throat. "It seems I may have been overserved."

Selina couldn't not roll her eyes at that. The redhead caught her in the act and giggled.

"Pam, this is the Bruce Wayne. The man who helped me make this happen." Harvey told her.

Selina watched the woman's lip twitch before she said, "You're the one that helped Harvey secure the contracts from the nature conservatory?"

"The very same." Bruce grinned. "Beautiful and a doctor? How'd you get so lucky, Harv?"

"Oh you seem to be plenty lucky yourself, Mr. Wayne." Dr. Isley told him, her eyes locking onto Selina's. "You two make such a handsome couple."

"Yes." Harvey chuckled. "The tabloids seem to think so as well. These two are always the bell of the ball."

"Actually…" Selina smiled, nodding in the direction of a photographer as he approached, aiming his lens at Harvey and Pamela. "It appears we've been replaced."

Bruce smirked. "Enjoy, Harvey. Selina and I should make our rounds, but it was truly a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Isley."

"Oh, please, Mr. Wayne." Pamela said, her voice sultry. "The pleasure was all mine. Perhaps we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Perhaps." Selina answered for him as she pulled him away from the other couple. "Jesus." She breathed. "Do you need to go to the restroom and take care of yourself?"

"Do you?" Bruce asked. "I've never seen you so flushed."

"What?" Selina felt her cheeks, realizing they were, in fact, warm to the touch. "Yeah." She laughed and took his hand in hers. "Let's go."

/

"Do not fail her again, Batman. You coward. No hero I know would let his lover bleed out in the dirt."

Poison Ivy's words fell like daggers. And as Bruce watched Selina writhing on the ground in pain, deep gouges marring her beautiful face, thigh and back…Ivy's words rang true. What kind of hero would let anyone bleed out in the dirt? Especially someone they cared about.

Oracle's phone began to buzz on the desk and Batman diverted his gaze from the screen. "What are they saying?"

"Mostly calling you a 'chump'." Barbara sighed, locking the phone and setting it face down in front of her. "Don't do it, Bruce."

"I know." He murmured. "But I have to."

Barbara crossed her arms. "Bruce, Poison Ivy is a terrorist. You're not supposed to negotiate with terrorists."

"No, Ivy's right." He turned on his heels towards the door. "I can't let her be the last thing Selina sees."

"Batman, stop." Oracle was stern. "Why would she want to see you? You helped send her there. You put her in that situation."

"I filed three appeals." The Dark Knight caviled, whipping around to face her. "I did all I could."

"No you didn't." Barbara shook her head. "Don't flatter yourself by thinking you did. She's a sacrifice just the same as Harley."

Bruce drew his mouth into a hard line. "I'm going to get her."

"Batman, please…" Despite the pleading nature of Oracle's present word choice, there was nothing convincing in her tone. She was obligated to provide the voice of reason even if she didn't want to. "What sort of message will that send to the people at home? That some lives are more important than others? That heroes can't be objective? That villains can bend heroes to their will so long as they provide the proper leverage? I think you need to wait for Kara to talk to Superman."

"How many viewers at home have a positive opinion of Poison Ivy now, even after she killed Harley?" Bruce demanded.

Barbara cleared her throat. "62%."

"Then we've already lost them. She is their hero now." Batman growled. "And I don't have time for this."