"Thank you, Mr. Grayson." The blonde woman beamed as she returned the engraved invitation. "And welcome to the Trinity Gala."
The attendants opened the double doors to reveal a cavernous, white marble ballroom with Gotham's elite on the lower level. Dick grabbed Jason's arm and pulled him inside.
"I didn't miss this part about being a Wayne." Jason grunted as they descended the grand steps into the party.
Dick smiled and grasped Jason's tighter. "I don't know… I like seeing you in a tuxedo."
"Shut up." Jason took a half a step closer. "Let's just get this over with. Find the cult, and get out."
"I don't think it's going to be… wait a minute." Dick stopped at the base of the stairs. "Are you nervous?" He could hardly contain his glee.
Jason pulled his arm away. "No!" He glanced around. "But I'm more productive in an alley then a party, so this really isn't my style."
"Well…" Dick cut through the crowded dance floor. "Once we have a way into the cult, we're done. So start looking like you want to be here."
Jason sighed and fixed a broad, empty smile on his face.
"That's… better." As they settled next to the champagne fountain, Dick pressed the intercom in his ear. "Goshawk to Jolly Rancher. Come in Jolly Rancher. Over."
Barbara groaned on the other end. "I hate when you pick the codenames… Over."
"Sorry Jolly Rancher, I didn't catch that. Are you in position? Over."
"Yes… I have a visual on you now."
Dick glanced up and Barbara waved to him from the upper mezzanine.
"Excellent. Goshawk to Big Red. Do you copy, Big Red?."
"You're just getting here?" Kate came through on the other end. "I've already made it to VIP."
"Where is your current location, Big Red?"
"Back of the building. It all seems a part of the ordinary, so far. A few poker games, a silent auction, nothing that screams high society cult."
"All those things scream high society cult." Barbara mused as she grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. "Just not the kind of cult we're looking for."
Dick smiled. "Everyone keep your eyes open, we don't know what their plans are, yet. They could be recruiting, or this could be a meeting. Brainiac, anything from the kitchens?"
"Yeah, they're hot and gross." Tim passed by Dick with a tray of appetizers on his palm. "But nothing menacing."
Dick grabbed from the tray and Tim rolled his eyes. "All of the victims tie back to Cunningham, so this is definitely the right place. Does anyone have a visual on him?"
"He's up here." Barbara responded. "Just finished his fifth drink, so whatever is going to happen, it's probably going to happen soon. Should I move in?"
"Negative. Everyone hold your positions, we don't want to scare him off. Anything from the perimeter Baby Bat?" There was no response. "Baby Bat?"
"I'm not responding to that stupid name, Grayson!" Damian yelled on the other end.
"Please use code names when on the telecom, Baby Bat. What's your current location?"
Nothing.
"Hello? Baby Bat? Do you copy Baby Bat?"
"I'm by the fucking side door!" Damian snapped. "Leave me alone!"
Dick nodded to Jason with a smile. "Now, we just have to wait."
Jason analyzed the monstrous banners that blanketed the ceiling. "Doesn't seem right."
"What doesn't?" Dick stuffed another appetizer into his mouth.
"Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. They save a thousands of people a week but it costs millions to the city in structural damage." He turned to Dick. "Then, Gotham's richest hold a charity event to help pay for the reconstruction as they see fit."
Dick thought for a moment. "I don't think it's as diabolical as you're making it. They're putting their money to good use. There's always going to be the politics but-"
"-But they aren't rebuilding schools, or houses or free clinics. They're rebuilding factories and subsidized housing and anything else they could use to extort a profit. I don't think there's a major Gotham landmark that hasn't at least, in part, been rebuilt by the Trinity Fund."
"Yeah but-"
"Big Red to Goshawk." The telecom beeped. "I'm in."
"I see you now." Barbara caught eyes with Dick from the higher level and nodded to the wall furthest them. "They're heading towards the back. Your 11 o'clock."
Dick scanned the crowd. Kate's short, red hair was the first thing he recognized. The second was Slade Wilson on her arm.
"Big Red, do not proceed without backup! I repeat-"
Kate laughed on the other end. "You're so crazy!" Her socialite tone was unmistakable. She was talking to Slade. "Where are you taking me! We're going to miss the party!" There was a pause. "What could possibly be in the study?!"
"Did you get that Jolly Rancher? Brainiac?"
"On my way."
"Meet you there."
"Excellent. Baby Bat, hold your position for now."
"Fuck you."
Dick turned to Jason. "Looks like the politics will have to wait."
The mansion was a prime example of Gotham architecture, with cathedral ceilings, intricate moldings and expensive slabs of marble that covered every available surface. There were three main hallways that branched off the ballroom. The first was centered on the back wall, it's arch nearly touched the ceiling. Beyond it was a cocktail lounge, guest bathrooms, then the gardens. The other two doors mirrored one another on the side and were tucked so well into the corner, you might not know they were there at all.
Slade took Kate through the right door, into the East Wing and by the time Dick and Jason turned into the hallway, they disappeared into the study. Barbara appeared next to Dick, followed by Tim a moment later.
Dick motioned and they crossed the hall to the study door. "Move in but go light, we can't risk blowing our cover."
Barbara kicked the door open but it was empty. "That would have been cool if people had been here."
Dick rolled his eyes as they flooded into the room. "Good thing there weren't or Kate would be dead by now." Dick surveyed the room. "Everyone spread out. I'm betting we have a secret entrance here... somewhere."
"You guys always do things the slow way." Tim sighed and turned off the light. "Thermal vision is much faster." He withdrew a pair of goggles from his waiters vest and slid them onto his nose. "There." He pointed to the large bookshelf. "Crime and Punishment has way more fingerprints than it should. And recently."
Dick pulled the book but it tipped forward instead and the bookcase swung open before the book snapped back into place. "Way to go, Brainiac."
The group filed into the wall's dark breach and followed the stone staircase that wound itself down beneath the mansion. The air grew colder and the stone transitioned into rock. But when it seemed they might never find an end, there were voices.
"There." Dick whispered and pointed ahead. The hallway seemed to end in blackness but a small light flickered from the right. There was a break in the stone. "Big Red, we're right outside, is it safe to pursue?" There was no answer.
"Maybe the coms don't work this far down." Barbara asked and they all looked to Tim.
"Don't look at me, I don't know." Tim held up his hands. "Nobody said anything about touring catacombs, I can only prepare for so much."
Dick looked around the cave when he spotted another, small opening, near the ceiling. "Looks like we'll have to do this the old fashion way." Without a word, Dick shot upward and used the indents in the wall indents to hoist himself to the opening. He was thankful to find a passage big enough to crawl through. The sounds and light emulated from the back of the tunnel, so after a thumbs up, Dick crawled forward.
If Dick had to wager a guess on what he thought comprised a high society cult meeting, he would have lost. The tunnel took him to a high vantage point in a massive cave, with a domed ceiling and a wading pool in the middle. There were hundreds of party goers, all in various stages of intoxication and undress. Some wore strange masks made to look like tribal faces, but all of them carried long stemmed champagne glasses filled with a neon green liquid.
"If anyone can hear me-" Dick said as a waiter brought a tray of fresh glasses to the small pool in the center of the room and filled each one. "-We've got ourselves a full blow Lazarus Pit."