Chapter 5: Flashing Lights

Bruce clipped on his sterling silver and sapphire cufflinks as he descended the grand staircase into the foyer. Alfred ceased his dusting of a nearby suit of armor to brush the shoulders of Bruce's sky-blue blazer.

"Have you seen Selina?" Bruce inquired. "Our reservation is in thirty minutes and traffic is hectic this time of night."

"I believe she's in the study speaking to the moving company. The last of her belongings will be delivered tomorrow."

"It's hard to believe we've already been engaged a week," Bruce remarked, shaking his head with a smile.

"Indeed it is, Sir. However, I find it more surprising that the media has not yet discovered your return. I expected someone to recognize you while you were with Miss Kyle."

"Let's hope our good luck lasts until after the wedding. Selina and I would prefer to lay low until everything is settled, specifically the issue with Wayne Enterprises."

As if on cue, Selina emerged from the hallway behind the stairs. Bruce turned to his fiance and his jaw dropped. She wore a black embellished off-shoulder dress with black sandal heels. For jewelry, she had on a simple pair of emerald studs with a matching pendant. He adored the way emeralds looked on her. They complimented her striking green eyes.

"You look...incredible," he observed, eyeing her in amazement.

She winked at him as she sauntered closer. "You don't look half bad yourself," she purred, kissing him on the base of his chin. He offered her his arm and the two departed the house, where a black Ferrari was waiting at the bottom of the front marble steps.

"Would you like me to drive you, Sir?"

"I think we'll be alright on our own. You can have the night off, Alfred."

"Thank you, Sir."

Alfred opened the passenger door for Selina as Bruce sat in the driver's seat. The intricate metal gates guarding the manor slid open as the car pulled out of the circular driveway and down the winding roads of the cliff face. Bruce was grateful that the earlier generations of his family decided to build the Wayne estate on the outskirts of the city. The surrounding woods of Blackwood Forest to the northwest provided privacy and tranquility, while the jagged cliffside to the southeast created the perfect view of the bay and the city below. It was a true slice of paradise and one of the few solaces of Bruce's childhood.

After a quiet drive through downtown Gotham, the car rolled to a stop across the street from a three-story building that appeared as if it was built into a block of ice. Spotlights on the roof danced across the darkened sky. Two grey stone fountains in the shape of penguins stood on either side of a red carpet pathway that led to the entrance, where couples were anxiously waiting to be let in by the hefty bouncer.

The restaurant/nightclub in question was the Iceberg Lounge, owned by Bruce and Selina's mutual childhood friend, Oswald Cobblepot. It had quickly become one of the hottest spots in town for its unusual yet innovative concept and exorbitant prices. The patrons could enjoy a sumptuous dinner overlooking a vast penguin enclosure, with a realistic ice sculpture and a pool for the birds to swim. The ceiling—designed to resemble the night sky with digital twinkling stars—made it even more dazzling. However, hidden in the basement level, was the exclusive nightclub under the same name that faced the underwater portion of the penguin enclosure through large aquarium-style windows. If diners looked close enough, they could catch glimpses of the clubgoers below the surface of the water. The entire concept of the venue was inspired by Oswald's family's crest, which featured two penguins above the motto "Nihil Ausus nihil lucratus"; "Nothing ventured is nothing gained."

"Oswald's motto in life," Bruce always liked to joke.

Bruce checked in with the hostess and the two were led to a VIP section on the third level by the balcony, where they took their seats at a blue-tinted glass table. Smooth jazz from the live band on the first floor filled the room with a sweet serenade.

"This place is certainly...extra," Selina noted, her eyes drifting over the railing to the penguins below.

"You've never been here before?" Bruce asked.

"It's too expensive, even for my tastes. Not all of us can afford to get Lobster Thermidor on a whim, you know?"

"Well, I'm sure the owner would be glad to give you the friends and family discount."

"Oh please," she scoffed. "I'm sure Ozzy wouldn't even remember me."

"Yes, he would. He was infatuated with you when we were kids."

"So were you," she replied flirtatiously.

A faint blush spread to his cheeks. "Yes, I was. We were both crazy about you."

She shook her head, though an appreciative smile graced her lips. "I'll never understand why. I was a homeless orphan who ate out of trashcans and bathed in rainwater. I thought your upper-crust friends would look at me like dirt tracked onto the carpet. Thomas Elliot sure as hell did when we first met, but Ozzy stuck to me like velcro. Something about my skills in the art of escaping dangerous situations just fascinated him."

"Honestly, Selina, I don't understand why you chose me instead of Oswald. The two of you were pretty compatible."

"Compatible or not, I couldn't stand him. He always tried to be so suave, but he just annoyed me. Besides, two wrongs don't make a right. Ozzy was definitely a wrong back then."

"He was certainly a troublemaker," he sighed with a nostalgic grin. "He used to sneak sips of his father's whiskey and trade his mother's jewelry for cigars. He constantly went places where he shouldn't have and I think he was a bigger pick-pocket than you, although certainly not as successful. It's probably why he was sent to boarding school. Yet, he seems to have done fairly well for himself. Maybe the time away did him good."

"I wouldn't say that," she muttered, stirring her cocktail. "Rumor has it that he fell in with a rough crowd back in London. He was arrested for betting on underground boxing and arms dealing, and his crimes only stack up from there. Lucky for him, having some solid family connections meant he only had to serve community service. He built this place right after he came home, which I always thought was strange. The Cobblepots were good at hiding their dirty laundry, but I always saw right through their bullshit. They were flat broke and hiding it behind their family name. But, Ozzy had to get the money somewhere. Since he's been back, he only associates with people willing to do business with him. He's dropped out of favor with his old family social circles. I guess he only needed them for when he needed to stay out of jail."

"What kind of business?" Bruce asked, lowering his tone.

She shrugged. "Hell if I know. Whatever it is, he's doing it in the shadows. Probably in the underground part of the lounge. This place has got to be a cover for him," she whispered, gesturing to the posh atmosphere around them. "Something to protect his image. Not many people around here know about his overseas reputation."

"How do you know?"

She peeked through half-lidded eyes, a simper for a smile. "Don't ask, don't tell. "

He studied her intensely, but she wouldn't budge.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Bruce stated, reverting to the original subject. "Oz has always been rebellious and likes trouble best when he's the cause. I just hope we never find ourselves on opposite sides."

The waiter appeared with silver trays and placed them on the table. The two tucked into their meal silently. After a moment, Bruce glanced at her over the rim of his scotch.

"There's a reason I brought you here tonight other than celebrating our engagement."

"I figured you had some kind of ulterior motive," she teased.

"I needed to ask what you want to do for the wedding. We haven't really discussed it since you moved in."

Selina considered her reply. "I'll be honest, I've never wanted a big white wedding. There's something so cliche about walking down the aisle in a white dress with a hundred eyes on you. It's not practical and it's not me. I want something personal to us, particularly in private."

"I completely understand. I want to settle everything with the company and my plans for the city before I announce my return. That way, my position is firmly established when I go public."

"Looks like you've got your priorities in order," she remarked.

"My first one being our wedding. I don't want to waste any time in case you change your mind again."

She rolled her eyes. "Right....anyways, I thought we could have the ceremony at the manor. It's simple, quiet, and home to both of us. I practically grew up there too. The manor was a big part of our lives, so it makes sense if that's where we get married."

Bruce smiled softly at her. "I love you, Selina."

This gentle remark caught her off guard, but after a moment, she replied, "I love you too."

A short while later, the waiter returned with the leather checkbook. "Will there be anything else for you tonight, Sir?" he asked politely.

"I don't think so," Bruce returned, handing him his credit card. The waiter nodded and went along his way as the two discussed further wedding details.

...

The night carried on, and the couple decided to leave when the clock struck nine. As they were heading out, the waiter called over his shoulder, "Goodnight, Mr. Wayne. Have a lovely evening."

Bruce smiled, yet he couldn't shake his uneasiness. The man's tone sounded a bit too artificial for his liking.

"That was weird," Selina spoke, looking back in the waiter's direction as she put on her coat.

Bruce's voice dropped to a growl. "I know."

"How did he know your name if we put our reservation under mine?"

"He saw it on my credit card."

"So much for being incognito."

As they approached the door, something beyond it caught Bruce's attention. Through the frosted glass was the sound of muffled voices. He heard three... four...nine...twelve. Yet, strangely enough, the people they belonged to weren't entering the restaurant. They were beyond the guardrail yet surrounding the door, unmoving. The restaurant closed in thirty minutes, so there shouldn't have been such a large crowd. The nightclub was for special guests only, meaning it couldn't be that either. A blinding flash of light suddenly reflected off the glass, then disappeared into oblivion.

"Problem?" Selina asked, glancing between him and the door.

"Yes. Stay behind me and shield your eyes. If they ask you any questions, don't answer."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Bruce shoved the door open and a swarm of anxious reporters with blinding camera lights assaulted them. Selina ducked behind Bruce's back to avoid the prying eyes and hands. The mass of people blocked them with their many microphones. All pointed at Bruce.

"Mr. Wayne!

"Over here, Mr. Wayne!"

"How long have you been back in Gotham, Bruce?!"

"Where did you go?!"

"Tell us why you left!"

"Are you finally taking over Wayne Enterprises?!"

"Who's the new lady, Mr. Wayne?!"

"Returning to your high school playboy days?!"

"Isn't that your old flame, Selina Kyle?!"

"Is this a business alliance, Ms. Kyle?!"

"I SEE A RING!"

"Are you tying the knot, Mr. Wayne?"

"When is the wedding?"

"Ms. Kyle, are you going to marry the boy millionaire Bruce Wayne?"

"Any ideas for how to get us out of here?" Selina asked over the multitude of voices.

"Only one. Just play along."

She nodded and he turned towards the paparazzi, clearing his throat.

"Alright, no need to get all wound up," he said with a mega-watt smile. "I won't answer any questions now...but I'll give you a statement instead."

The mob ceased their aggressive inquiries and listened intently, microphones and recorders edging slowly closer.

"People always ask, "If you had a million dollars, what would you do?" My answer is to do everything you want while you're young and still have the time. Since I happened to have a spare million lying around, I decided...why not?"

A few of the reporters laughed.

"All I have to say is that I'm back for good...and I've got a lot of catching up to do. Don't worry if I don't answer everything right away. I promise you'll be seeing a lot more of me now."

With that, he gave a debonair wink to the cameras, tucked Selina's arm through his own, and confidently pushed through the mystified crowd toward the car.