Bruce: 41

Dick: 21

Lilly: 18

Wally: 21

Date Auction

"Absolutely not Lillian." Bruce growled before charging out of his study.

"I wasn't asking Dad." I charge after him. We'd been going back and forth like this for forty-five minutes. Someone from Wayne Enterprises had called the house earlier and asked if I would be participating in the company date auction that year. I agreed to do it since it would be the first year that I was over eighteen. Plus all of the money raised that year was going toward restoring a bridge my grandparents built shortly before they died. "Besides I don't see what the big deal is, your company does this fundraiser every year and you've never had a problem with it."

"The big deal," Bruce said through gritted teeth "Is that no daughter of my is going to be parade around and auctioned off like property."

"So you wouldn't care if it were Dick who wanted to do it, just me because I'm a girl? That's not fair!"

"You're not doing it, end of discussion." With a final look, he left for the cave.

"Best not to follow him down there Miss Wayne." Alfred instructed from around the corner. "He'll come around, just give him time."

"If he ever comes out of there, tell him I went to Barb's." I marched off to my car.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dick asked me worriedly as I fastened a masquerade mask onto my face.

"If it were you, he wouldn't be this upset." I insisted. "That's why I have to do it."

"It's your funeral." Dick shrugged as he went to join Wally in the audience.

"An now, the even that we've all been waiting for, the Wayne Enterprises Date Auction Fundraiser!" An announcer proclaimed as myself and four other girls stepped onstage. It wasn't a particularly tall stage standing only five or six feet off the ground. Then again the room we should in wasn't particularly large either. I could clearly see Bruce, Dick and Wally seated with Lucius Fox and his wife in the farthest corner of the room. The first girl, one of the board member's wives, earned the company a total of 3 Million Dollars. Not a bad way to start off the night. The announcer continued to auction off dates with the girls who preceded me and the men in the room continued to bid. At last it was my turn. I stood on the stage alone next to the announcer as he introduced me.

"And last off tonight, we have a very special lady! Miss Lillian Wayne, daughter of, as I'm sure you've guessed Mr. Bruce Wayne. Say Bruce, any advice for tonight's winner?"

"Have her home by midnight!" Bruce called back good natured. There was a smile on his face that everyone else in the room probably took as friendly. I knew better, that was Bruce's sinister smile. He was up to something, he had a plan.

"OK let's start off at five hundred thousand dollars!"

"Here!" someone called out.

"Very good, anyone one billion?"

"Yeeuup!" Another man shouted from a different part of the room.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" The announcer proclaimed. "How about a Million and a half?"

Right here!" A third man shot his hand up.

"Excellent! Let's move up to 2 Million? Do I hear two Million?"

"I'll do you one better," Wally said standing from his seat. "How about two billion dollars?" Two billion dollars? Wally didn't dollars. The room was silent, waiting to see if anyone would outbid Wally. Of course more than half of the people in the room couldn't afford to go over a few thousand. Matter of fact, Bruce may be the only Billionaire in the room. Bruce. That sinister smile suddenly made sense.

"What's your name son?" The announcer asked Wally.

"Er, Wally West." Wally replied with a fleeting look at Bruce.

"I noticed you're sitting at Mr. Wayne's table, Mr. West. Do you happen to know Miss Wayne personally?"

"I guess," Wally shrugged when Bruce whispered something into his ear. "She's my girlfriend."

"Oh how very sweet, but please tell us Mr. West, where would you get two billion dollars? Provided you win." The announcer questioned excitedly.

"I was recently give it as a gift." Wally told the man. "A gift from my friend, Bruce Wayne."

"Very well!" The announcer said with a smile. "Would anyone care to outbid Mr. West?" There was a pause as the room filled with whispers, but no one bid against Wally. "Going once... going twice...sold to Mr. West and Mr. Bruce Wayne by proxy!"

"You didn't have to do that." I told Bruce when I joined my family at our table.

"I'm going to end up paying for any extra costs the bridge incurs anyways. I might as well start by keeping you away from the filthy minds of my co-workers." I rolled my eyes and was just about to tell Bruce off when Dick interrupted.

"So, where are you guys going on your two billion dollar date?"

"I figured we'd just hang out at my house and eat cold pizza." Wally shrugged. "Joking! Joking!" He insisted when Dick, Bruce and I and glared at him.