Chapter Two

The Masks We Wear

Even though I despised Luthor, I had to admit, the man did know how to travel in style. As soon as Sam and I arrived in metropolis, we were told to change into civilian clothes and were herded onto a private jet.

I felt constricted in my tight pencil skirt and blouse and it was obvious that Sam felt the same way. He kept tugging at his tie. Sam had told me many times that he hated ties as much as he hated being called Sammy. We sat in soft, cream-coloured leather seats and were handed glasses of champagne by a red-haired flight attendant.

Luthor arrived five minutes after we did, with a scowl on his features and Mercy following him close behind. He threw himself down on the seat opposite Sam and I while Mercy handed us a file each, PHILIP BEAULIEU printed on the front in bold letters. I opened the file and scanned the page. Map of his home, information on his guards, information about Beaulieu himself, which I skipped. I preferred knowing the bare minimum about a target. It made this it…easier to eliminate him if he was just a face.

The plane took off and Luthor nodded towards a man at the back. With that, the flight attendants and guards left whatever they had been carrying and walked out of the room. This left Sam and I alone with Luthor and Mercy.

"There has been a change of planes." Luthor said, his scowl deepening. "The ball is no longer being held at Beaulieu's penthouse. It seems Bruce Wayne has gotten involved and the ball is now being held in Wayne Manor." Luthor spits out Wayne's name with an almost surprising amount of venom.

"Will we be eliminating Beaulieu at Wayne Manor?" I asked.

"Oh no my dear, that is far too risky. I've had suspicions that Wayne works with The Batman and I can't have anyone interrupting this, especially not The Batman. I would not want to disappoint Queen Bee." He told us, a slight smirk coming across his face at the mention of Queen Bee. The look in his eyes makes me want to gag. That has certainly cheered him up.

"Will we still be attending the ball?" Sam asked.

"Of course, my dear boy, we have to keep up appearances! Instead, you will be gathering information about Beaulieu, and then you will go to his home tonight. How you eliminate him is not up to me of course, I will not take that away from you pair." He smiled. "It's also a masquerade ball and formal attire. That has all been taken care of and is waiting in the rooms of the hotel we are staying in. You will be going by Elisabetta Gardinier and Pierre Hardy, the President and Vice-President of the France branch of Lex Corp."

Sam and I nod once he has finished speaking. Luthor smiles and added "Good. Now relax, we don't arrive in Gotham for another half hour." With that, Luthor takes another sip of his champagne and sat back in his chair.

We finally arrived at the hotel and Luthor had left us alone. I pulled my dress for the ball out of the closet as Sam searches through the room for bugs. I unzip the garment bag and raise my eyebrows at the dress. Its floor length and dark red, which has a coat of glitter on it and sleeves that reach my wrists. It's a beautiful dress but that isn't what makes my eyebrows rise. It's how low the neckline is. How much cleavage did they want me to display?

"I think Luthor wants my assets on display tonight." I told Sam, showing him the neckline with a raised eyebrow which earns a snort from Sam.

"Charming." He replied, while pushing open the window and dropping the bug out of it. "I'm just glad we're away from Luthor, he's such a creep."

"It's the smirk that creeps me out the most." I replied as I put the dress on the bed before going to get the shoes.

"Oh my God the smirk! It made me want to jump in front of you to shield you from the creep!" Sam exclaimed.

"I am perfectly capable of looking after myself." I told him, shooting Sam a frown as I place the red heels on the floor before putting the red and gold mask on the bed.

"I know, I know you are perfectly capable of breaking all of Luthor's fingers if he even put one toe out of place." Sam said while grabbing the suit from his closet.

"And thank you for acknowledging that." I replied, giving him a grin.

"Anytime darling, anytime." He grinned before going into the bathroom to change. He shut the door and I pulled off my blouse and skirt, before pulling the dress on over my head. I tug at the neckline and frown.

"I really hope I don't have a mishap with the dress tonight." I call out to Sam.

"But imagine the look on Luthor's face if it did happen! Oh God I'm gonna piss myself." He barely makes out the last sentence, he's laughing so hard. I grinned. This, the jokes and the laughter and the talking, this was what kept me sane. I don't think I would have made it through those years if Sam wasn't there. The loneliness itself would have been crippling.

I sighed and got back to dressing, trying not to think about it. A knock on the bathroom door gets my attention. "You can come in Sam." I called. He opened the door and entered through a cloud of smoke. "Nice entrance." I added.

"I know, the smoke made it so dramatic, I love it!" He replied. I rolled my eyes and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I pull of the dress and switch on the shower, before abandoning my underwear and stepping into the shower. As the water washes away the sweat, I look down and sigh at the scars I had gained over the years.

A long line down the side of my thigh, from my first encounter with a guard, on my very first mission. I had narrowly missed being shot but the bullet luckily just grazed my thigh. There are thin scars around my ankles and some around my wrists, although they are not as severe as the ones around my ankles, caused by rope burn when they had left me in a forest, tied up and blindfolded, and left me to find a way out by myself. "Survival" training. Nicks and scratches on my hands and knuckles from training. There are more but I don't wish to count them.

I step out of the shower and dry myself off, before dressing myself. Putting on the mask of the sweet and polite Elisabetta Gardinier.

Fun.

I would be lying if I said Wayne Manor wasn't impressive. While I lived in Gotham, I would see it passing by or on the news but to see it up close well, I was very impressed. I arrived on the arm of Lex Luthor and Sam followed me close behind. Sam wore a plain black mask while Luthor wore none.

The room the ball was being held in was large and had chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a small group playing classical music and people were already dancing. There were also people standing in groups while some sat. Servers walked around, serving drinks and appetizers.

I spotted Beaulieu speaking to two others who I couldn't see, as their backs was facing me. It seemed Luthor had spotted him too, as he started to pull me towards him. "Mr Beaulieu!" He called. Beaulieu was short for his age, with greying hair and silver glasses. He turned to face Luthor, as did the man he was speaking to.

"Mr Luthor! How good of you to come." He said with a kind smile. He still had retained his French accent.

"Mr Luthor." Bruce Wayne said, giving Luthor a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, how good." I noticed Richard Grayson, who was standing beside him, watching Sam and I.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly ignore your invitation! May I ask, why the change of venue?" Luthor asked.

"Oh, Mr Wayne kindly offered his home for the occasion and I couldn't possibly say no, his manor is magnificent!" Beaulieu replied. Wayne smiled at the compliment.

"Yes, yes. Now, I would like to introduce the new President of the France Branch of Lex Corp, Miss Elisabetta Gardinier, and Vice President, Pierre Hardy." Luthor introduced.

"Ah, from the home country!" Beaulieu exclaimed. "How wonderful!" Beaulieu kissed me on both cheeks.

"A pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Beaulieu." I said to him, my accent matching his.

"You too, my dear." He smiled before kissing Sam on both cheeks as well.

"Now, I would also like to introduce you to Mr Bruce Wayne." Luthor added. I smiled widely at Wayne before kissing him on both cheeks.

"Of course, I already know of you Monsieur Wayne, who hasn't?" I told him. Wayne chuckled.

"Miss Gardinier and Mr Hardy-"

"Elisabetta, please call me Elisabetta." I clarified.

"And call Pierre." Sam added in his French accent.

"Of course. Elisabetta and Pierre, I would like you to meet my son Richard Grayson and his date Barbara Gordon." Wayne introduced. I quickly kissed both on the cheeks.

"I have to admit, I'm slightly surprised that you became President of Lexcorp at this age." Grayson said.

"Elisabetta graduated early and top of her class. She rose through Lexcorp's ranks quickly. Elisabetta is one of our best and brightest." Luthor told him.

It's times like these where I am so thankful for my acting skills. I blushed and looked away. "You are too kind Monsieur Luthor. Besides, will you not be taking over Wayne Enterprises soon, Monsieur Grayson?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from me.

"Not for a while I hope." Grayson smiled.

"Not while I'm still on my feet." Wayne added with a similar charming smile.

"Of course, of course." I replied.

"My dear, would you like to dance?" Beaulieu asked, holding out his hand.

"I would love to." I replied, taking Beaulieu's hand. He lead me out onto the dancefloor as a blonde woman in a red dress walked over to the group.

"Vicki Vale. She is a reporter. Do you mind if I speak in French, my dear?" Beaulieu asked.

"[If you would like to Monsieur.]" I replied in French.

Beaulieu smiled as we started to waltz. "[Please, call me Phillip.]"

"[Is your wife not here with you tonight Phillip?]" I asked.

"[Ah, unfortunately not. My dear wife and I divorced in August.]" He admitted, a sad look in his eyes made me almost pity him. I stiffened. Snap out of it, you can't think like that.

"[Oh, how sad. I'm so sorry.]" I replied.

"[It's fine. We just decided it was time, but enough about sad stories. Tell me more about yourself Elisabetta.]" Beaulieu said.

"[Oh no Phillip, I would much rather talk about your work though. Tell me more about your charity work.]" I said, giving him a sweet smile.

"[Are you sure my dear? I don't want to be awfully boring.]" He replied.

"[Oh no Phillip, I would love to hear about it!]" I told him. He smiled and launched into a story. I nodded and smiled at the right intervals, while studying the man. He was in his mid-fifties and didn't seem overly fit. He looked like the type who lived in great luxury and that was not surprising. Queen Bee paid quite a large amount to her advisors. I had to admit, for a man who was in great danger, Beaulieu did not seem afraid. What the poor man didn't realise was that Queen Bee took betrayal very seriously. He would learn the consequences soon enough.

"Mind if I cut in?" We looked up to see Richard Grayson, who gave us both a charming smile.

"Of course! We must speak later, my dear." Beaulieu told me. I nodded and smiled before Grayson placed his hand on my waist and started to dance with me.

"Are you enjoying the party?" He asked.

"Yes, your father has thrown a wonderful party, Monsieur Grayson." I said, flattery dripping off my tongue. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Kind of. Events like these aren't really my type of thing." He admitted.

"That's understandable. I am not a….fan of balls myself." I replied. This was actually the first fancy ball I had ever been to. I went to dances in school and parties, but nothing on this scale, with violins and champagne.

"Hopefully you won't have to go to too many." He said.

"Hopefully, Monsieur Grayson." I smiled.

"Please, call me Dick. So Miss Gardinier-"

I cut him off. "Like I told your father, please call me Elisabetta."

"Elisabetta, have you visited Gotham before?" He asked, watching me with a curious expression that made me feel slightly on edge.

"I'm afraid not Monsieur, sorry Dick. Why do you ask?" I asked.

"Just wondering. It's just…you remind of someone I used to know." He admitted, now looking sheepish.

I raised my eyebrows. What on earth was he talking about? "And who was this?" I asked.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, studying Grayson. Why did he seem so familiar? I must have seen him on the TV or something. "Just this girl." He replied.

I swear, if I have to listen to some sob story about an ex-girlfriend who left him, I am going to turn on my heel and walk away. "An old flame?" I asked. Please say no. Please say no.

To my surprise, he let out a loud bark of laughter which earned looks from some of the couples dancing near us, which included Sam who was dancing with Vicki Vale. He gave me a questioning look and I gave a slight shrug. "Oh God no! She was just an old friend of mine. Sorry, sorry, I just think that if I told her that I had feelings for her, she would laugh in my face."

Thank you whatever deity was listening. "Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't." I replied.

"She might not laugh but she definitely wouldn't believe me. She was dating a friend of mine, well before she disappeared ." Grayson told me. His stare was kind of making me uncomfortable now and I swear, I knew this boy from somewhere.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Grayson frowned. "I don't know."

"What a shame. What was her name?" I asked.

"Lila."

…

Nightwing?

My heart sank. He couldn't reveal my cover, not here. But dear God, how I wanted to rip off my mask and show him it was me. I wanted to scream, to cry. I could go home. I could go to Scarlett if I showed Dick it was me. It was Lila. But I couldn't. I knew I couldn't. They would find me and the punishment would be far worse than anything I had ever experienced.

I decided on what I had to do. I had to get away.

"Excuse me Dick, I am feeling parched. I must get a drink." I said, pulling out of his grasp. The blank mask on my face (hopefully) wasn't displaying any panic.

"Wait, please." He called, grabbing my wrist. Not a good idea. Grabbing me without permission made Nightfall come out.

"Get your hands off me!" I snarled, losing the French accent and the sweetness of Elisabetta Gardinier. Out came Nightfall, all fury and sharp teeth. Grayson let go of my wrist and stepped back, looking slightly intimidated.

"I'm so sorry, that was out of line." He said, his cheeks turning pink.

"Go back to your date, Monsieur Grayson." I told him, the French accent now back. I walked away, rubbing my wrist. Sam had stopped dancing now and was waiting near the table with two glasses of champagne.

"You look like you need this." He said, handing the glass to me. I thanked him before downing half the glass.

It was two a.m. before we left the hotel as Nightfall and Blackout. We stuck to the shadows, our dark uniforms making it easier to blend in. Sam was slightly ahead of me, dressed in grey and black. His mask gave me the creeps. It was silver, with dark eyes and a sinister grin. It reminded me of something from a horror movie. His black hood covered his head. When I first met Sam he was dressed as Blackout. It was kind of intimidating.

We arrived at Beaulieu's penthouse. We slipped in through an open window into an empty hallway. Having memorised where the security cameras were, thanks to the maps Luthor provided, we slipped through easily. We arrived at the elevator, planning to go up the shaft. The security guard was asleep at his desk. Sam and I went over to the desk. He put the security cameras on a loop while I injected the security guard that would knock him out for a longer time. We couldn't have him interrupt us.

We went back to the elevator and I pulled open the door easily, thanks to the strength the serum gave me. Sam gave me a slight nod and we pulled out our grappling hooks before shooting them up the elevator shaft. We rarely needed to talk during missions. This wasn't our first. We reached the top of the shaft and swung in sync towards the doors. I balanced on the tip of my toes, on the ledge, as I pulled the doors open and was greeted by the sight of an empty penthouse.

The penthouse was fancy, chandeliers hung from the ceilings and there were large windows overlooking the city. It was silent, apart from the sounds of soft snores. We prowled through the house, silent as mice. A bedroom door was ajar, the snores coming from behind it. I slid through the door, greeted by the sight of Beaulieu sprawled out on the bed.

Sam and I exchanged a look, debating on the circumstances. Queen Bee wanted him to die in pain for of his betrayal. Definitely not poison, that could be traced in the blood. Not knives, that was way too messy. Sam crept over to the bed and picked up a pillow, before glancing up at me. I nodded and Sam pressed the pillow down.

He woke up immediately, the pillow muffling the shout. Bile rose in my throat as Beaulieu struggled and squirmed. Sam barely moved. A few moments passed and the struggling became weaker and weaker, until it eventually stopped. Sam held the pillow down for a few more moments, just to be sure. He removed it and Beaulieu's cold eyes stared back at us.

Sam placed his fingers on Beaulieu's throat just to be sure while I spotted a picture out of the corner of my eye. Beaulieu with a little boy, with identical features and green eyes. It was in a circus, the tent behind them and the little boy holding a green balloon.

A creak made my head snap up, fingers wrapping around a knife, to be greeted by the boy from the picture. No.

The little boy opened his mouth. "[Papa?]" Nonononono.

He stepped closer, a curious smile on my face and a teddy bear clutched in his hands. "[Who are you?]" Every instinct I had shouted to kill the boy, leave no witnesses. But this was a little boy, a little boy who was not involved in his father's business. An innocent little boy.

I crouched down to his level and he reached out. My breath hitched as he touched my mask. "[Are you a superhero?]" I couldn't find my voice, not while I wanted to scream. There was a voice in my head, screaming at me to make up my mind as the boy played with my gauntlets. "[You are!]" He added excitedly.

"[Papa would want to meet you! I'll wake him up!]" He reached forward and at that I scooped the boy up into my arms.

"[Your papa is sleeping, leave him be. What's your name?]" I asked.

"[Benjamin!] He replied. "[Where are we going?]" I walked out into the hallway and towards an open door. I could see a child's room in it. "[Are we gonna play?]" Benjamin asked excitedly. I placed him on the bed. "[Aw I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna play with you!]"

"[But it's time to sleep and I have to go.]" I replied, pulling the red blanket over him. He pouted.

"[Can't you stay for a while?]" He asked. I stood there and gave him a long look that told him all he needed to know. "[Aw….Will I see you again?]" Dear God I hope not. Benjamin yawned and closed his eyes. "[Bye-Bye Hero Lady.]"

I sighed, and gently brushed the hair out of his eyes. "[Goodnight little one.]" With that, I turned and walked out of the room, closing the door gently. This wouldn't end well for me if someone found out I had left a witness alive, but I had to. It was a child, just a child.

When I got back to Beaulieu's room, Sam was gone. I was about to leave, but not before taking one last look at Beaulieu. Sam had shut his eyes, making him look like he was sleeping. My breath hitched as a shadow appeared in front of me.

I wasn't alone.

"You left the boy." A familiar voice said. Nightwing. I didn't reply, instead choosing to turn and look at the hero in behind me, his hand wrapping around his escrima sticks. He launched at me, throwing a series of punches and kicks. The style was familiar, I remembered it from training. He was bigger now, not the scrawny kid she was used to. The boy with the cackle and infectious grin. I dodged his moves easily and grabbed his arm, twisting it around which earned a faint cry of pain from Nightwing.

I swept his legs out from under him and took this moment to turn and leap out of the window, landing on the rooftop nearby. I could feel the USB drive in my pocket, its weight feeling heavier. I just had to get close enough to put it in his belt.

He landed a short distance away from me and launched at me again. I allowed him to back me into a corner, his wrist pressed onto my throat. He stopped for a moment and narrowed his eyes, studying me. "Who are you?" He mumbled.

If only you knew.

While Nightwing was distracted, I took the opportunity to slip the USB drive into his belt. This was it. This was the beginning of my plan. Now I just had to get out of there. Nightwing's hand was moving towards me, towards my mask. I grabbed the hand and twisted it, flipping him over. He landed on his back with a grunt and I stepped around him, heading for the edge of the roof.

This time he was prepared.

A birdarang landed on a telephone pole beside me and exploded. The blast sent me backwards, but I managed to flip into a one-handed cartwheel and landed on my feet. He came at me and this time, I fought harder. I had to get away, and if this meant working with my full power then so be it. A punch to his gut made him stumble back slightly, surprised at my strength. I started to hit harder and harder, backing him into a corner this time. My hand caught on the wall, making the rock crack and parts of it fly off. My attentions turned to Nightwing. He was tired now and this could be my perfect opportunity. I brought my leg up in a kick and slammed it into his chin, before dropping a smoke bomb. As he started to cough and the heat vision turning on in my mask, I turned and leapt off the roof.

My jaw tightened slightly as I realised that this was my friend that I had hurt. The friend who made me laugh with the pranks he pulled on Wally and jokes he cracked. Thinking of him made me think of Kaldur. Oh, Kaldur. I missed him. Stop it Lila, you're distracting yourself.

I snapped back to attention and saw how distracted I had become. I was nearing the ground now. I pressed a button on my gauntlets and a line shot out of it, wrapping around the telephone pole nearest. My backup grappling hook. With that, I started to make my way back to the hotel.

…

*Whispers* Is anyone still there?

Oh my God I am so sorry this update took ages! It was a very busy month for me but I promise you I will try to update sooner. Also, *looks at response to first chapter* *faints*

12 reviews, 17 favourites and 21 follows? I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH OMG.

Also I decided to take murdercrowther's advice and keep this as a T until the chapter where I will increase it to M. So yeah this will be T for a few chapters.

Molly Grace 16- Thank you! It will be a few chapters until they meet up but I promise you it will be soon!

LadyFelton1994- There will be one for Kaldur and Lila but not for a few chapters!

mayemerald9- Thank you! I will try to post the next chapter up soon!

patattack- Thank you! I'm glad you think she has matured because I was really hopping that people saw that she had.

Guest- Will do!

murdercrowther- I'm really sorry it seems that way! It will be a darker story compared to Shade but I will try to incorporate some funny moments just so it doesn't seem too depressing! Also I can confirm Lila will know

Halloween Witch- Oh my God thank you! I hope you enjoy this story and chapter as much as Shade!

SinistrousDelirious- Thank you! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Morgaine le Fatal- Thanks! Lila is actually 21 and thank you for the advice!

Rose- I'm sorry it wasn't soon but I will try to post the next chapter sooner!

Koren Flashblade- Thank you!

Olivia- Updated! Sorry it was a late one, I'll try to update soon!