"Vladimir Masters arrived, and by his side is a teen, adolescent guessing around 17. B, he doesn't look too happy to be here." Reports Tim as he stares subtly at the direction of the pair, walking around.
It didn't take a genius to see that the teen by Vladimir's side wasn't happy to be here.
"Got my eyes on them," Dick shares from across the room, where he'd grabbed a glass of champagne and mingled around. "Need some help, I'll try talk to the guy. O, know his name already?"
Tim plucked a small dessert from the table, giving a polite smile to the women passing him and frowning. Vladimir Masters wasn't an unusual guest they had, but whenever he did attend, it was alone. He was not married, Tim knew. So where did he get that guy from?
"Got him." Oracle's voice comes through the comm. "Daniel Fenton-Masters. Guess our friend over there got more family than we knew. That's his godson. There is... a lot. To say."
As she trails off, Dick makes his way slowly and steadily over, interest rising as he waves to an elderly man. "What is it?"
"Daniel hates Masters. Or so it seems." Oracle bluntly states, Dick nearly trips. "He was arrested once for keying Masters car, by Masters himself. Bailed him out after a few hours." She seemed more amused than alarmed, which was good.
Despite their talking through the comm, Tim nor Dick took notice of the youngest Wayne in the room stopping in front of the Masters.
"Eyes on Damian." Bruce speaks up for the first time, finally taking a break from the persona it seems.
Much to the short confusion turned alertness, Dick caught onto the youngest Wayne's plan. "He's engaging in a conversation all by himself! I'm so proud!"
With Damian and Daniel talking, Vladimir did not hesitate in leaving his wards side and talking with other guests. Dick still kept an eye on him, remaining close but outside of his path.
"O, tune us in on their conversation?"
With an affirmative hum, the channel switches and their voices become loud and clear.
"How is Delilah? From the letters I received, she seemed to be well."
"Oh, yeah! She's doing great! Don't tell anyone, Damian, but the zoo believes her to be pregnant."
"Pregnancy? Give her my blessings if it is true."
Was that pride in his tone? Dick would weep if he were alone.
The idle conversation switches topics from the apparently endangered monkey species(? Of course Damian would know. He seemed to have been in contact with Daniel previously.)
"Vladimir!" Brucies voice cuts in, startling Damian for a second and having the other birds in the gala swirl their heads toward their father.
As Dick keeps an eye on Bruce and Vladimir, Tim studied the other teen. During Damians startle, invisible to the trained eye, he had looked back with a flick to see. Despite how fast or practised the move was, Daniel followed along seamlessly.
The talk between the two ended shortly after the one from the adults started, Daniel was on the move after a quick excuse, grabbing a glass of champagne on his path directly towards his guardian.
And yet. The message he'd given Damian to escape repeated itself in his mind.
"Sorry, Damian, I need to save your father, one second. I'll be back soon."
Save Bruce from Vladimir? Why?
One second, he'd just watched Daniel pass him. The next, the boy was apologising repeatedly, over and over again. The glass of champagne empty on the floor, broken and the liquid inside all over Vladimir Masters.
"Masters is angry. Send someone to clean up the mess, please." To that, man in uniform arrived with a broom in his hand and cleaning up the shards of glass in seconds.
"That was clearly intentional. Daniel made sure Masters didn't get to talk with B past formalities. The picture I'm getting keeps getting uglier here, guys."
"Got it, thanks O. I'm joining in now."
...at least no rogue had yet to crash the gala? Tim hopes he didn't just Jinx them all.
