Nobody liked being forced to go to a Gala. It was usually all snobby rich folks doing their business. The Shadows felt the same way, even if their leader, Phoenix, was also a billionaire who ran a tech company. He wasn't like the rest.

But, here they are, at Bruce Wayne's gala party. Why? Because they needed the big man himself. You see, the Shadows had long since known Bruce was Batman. He had told them after they revealed who they were to him.

So, what better way to catch up on vigilante news than to attend his gala? The plan was simple.

Find Bruce. That was easy.

Get to a place where they could indiscreetly exchange information. Little harder.

And blend in. That was the nightmarish part. The Shadows had no problems pretending to be who they weren't. Hell, Specter was a former CIA, basically a professional liar.

Without their cloaks and masks, however, they needed to be extra careful. Sure, Bruce was expecting them, but have you tried to wrangle a hyperactive 61-year-old nature spirit who was pretending to be a 16-year-old child? They didn't think so.

So there they were, Specter, Samuel Locke, was trying to sip his chardonnay as nonchalantly as possible. Styx, Jackson "Jay" Fletcher, was trying not to gag at the rich slop being offered. Solar Flare, Nathan Carter, was being a general menace. And lastly, Phoenix, Aaron "Aydien" O'Neal, was standing with Specter, already three glasses of whiskey deep. Thankfully, Phoenix was genetically resistant to the effects of alcohol.