I didn't lie when I told Kyle my job was to help the less fortunate.

I just didn't elaborate by explaining that the majority of the time I was them.

I did the whole straight and narrow, being a part of the work force thing for a couple of years but it wasn't nearly as profitable as my after dark activities. Was it more work to steal and sell said stolen goods under the radar? Sure; but that adrenaline rush was always worth it.

Only two people were ever able to catch on to my patterns and clearly neither one of them were actively looking for me. As long as that was true, I wasn't concerned with consequences because they didn't seem like things I needed to worry about it. Especially since, technically, I was only stealing from those who'd stolen.

Tonight wasn't any different; except for maybe the dress code.

The package Kyle had delivered was a gown and mask I'd ordered for the Oceanside Benefit Gala taking place in North Hollywood. It was a fundraiser to help fund the local maritime volunteer program, which I was all for. But after scanning through a few dark web forums, I'd found more than the average amount of rumors that the D'amato family was going to hit the attendees in a big way.

From past experience, I figured that meant they were going to rob them of all their jewels just when the party hit high volume. They'd have two guys on the inside of the party, probably playing at security, who would signal when would be the time to make their move. I would let them take what they wanted but then when they tried to make their getaway, I would swipe it from them. The gown I'd ordered would allow me access to the party as a guest while also smoothly hiding my mission gear underneath.

My "gear" was really just straight legged black cargo pants, steel toed boots and long sleeved midriff top but that didn't make it less vital. It was easier to fight in that then in a dress, especially since I tried to keep use of my powers to a minimum unless necessary.

I didn't need any more crazy shit to happen to me just because of what I could do.

I pulled my car into the lot nearest the party, making for easy getaway access and avoiding use of a valet. I double checked the arrangement of the smoky mask on my face ensuring that it hid the most telling of my features.

I wanted to be sure that they couldn't see the slant of my eyes, the small scar on my right cheekbone, the beauty mark on my left. My hair was down loose on my neck, covering up the soaring bird tattoo there. Aside from the scar at the upper middle of my forehead, which I covered with a simple sweep of my hair across it, those were easy ways for anyone to pick me out of a crowd.

And the D'amato family were not the kind of people I wanted to have a bounty on my head.

The night air was slightly brisk as I walked, which I had expected of an Oceanside Gala, but then I felt slight drops of rain against my shawl and exposed skin. I hoped it was just water falling from an air conditioner as I passed buildings on the street, but the crack of thunder in the distance told me otherwise. I couldn't control the sigh that rattled out of me as I thought of how this set me back in all of my plans.

If it was raining, something no one had been expecting, the Gala would undoubtedly be canceled. It was too short notice to find a replacement venue. And with the Gala, I would be short on the cash I needed, setting me back a month at least.

Of all the times for a drought to end.

I was just reaching the beach location for the party when I noticed a sign announcing the relocation of the event, paired with a black clad security guard pointing the finely dressed guests across the street. It surprised me that they seemed so prepared for the kind of weather that had been missing for months, but then I guess I didn't really know what went into that kind of event planning. I hoped whoever was in charge of the whole thing got paid what they deserved.

Walking into the new location, I was even more impressed by the planner. The space was so decorated and organized that I never would've guessed it wasn't supposed to be held in there. There was coat check in the hall when you walked in, tables full of alcohol strategically placed so that you couldn't walk too far without running into one, a stage and mics for the hosts at the very front. There were even designated VIP tables with name plates boasting some of the richest guests.

Easy pickings for large donations.

The party already seemed in full effect with classy music playing nicely in the background, attendees mingling among each other and faking excitement to see people they considered beneath themselves. I mostly kept a low profile as I moved around the room, occasionally stopping to greet and pretend to listen to someone else's story of the last gala they'd been to. I used to give them all a chance, listen to their stories expecting some grand revelation of how amazing people could be when they came together for a cause. But that was back when I looked for a reason to be good, to not steal.

The more stories I heard, the more I knew only one thing; majority of the people, if not all, only attended and donated at the galas to gain recognition and glow in the resulting praise. Almost no one did it because it was the right thing to do.

While I stood in a group of four, sipping lightly at a glass of wine while they talked, I canvased the room for my cue to leave and prepare. I saw a social media influencer in the corner, live streaming as he walked in a circle, being sure to catch signs and decorations behind him to boast where he was. Not far away from him, a crowd of older socialites looked on in judgement, whispering amongst each other and gesturing tastefully at him; with big sparkling jewels on their hands and wrists. A few of the security guards walked around the party, sparing forced smiles here and there, eyeing everyone they passed.

I watched them more carefully as some of them made multiple passes, hovering behind some guests longer than others. In comparison to the other security I'd seen, there was something about them that seemed similar to me; something that made them stick out from the others.

There was maybe two or three of them that only made eye contact with each other and seemed to talk under their breath more frequently than the others. I caught the eye of one of them only to have him quickly glance over me before moving on, a sure sign that I had nothing of interest or worth to him. Two seconds later he was standing with one of his colleagues, surveying the room. I joined them from the distance, following their path with my own eyes and noting who they passed over most.

The heist was about to go down.

"I'm sorry, I think I drank a little heavy on the wine," I said politely to the socialite group before me who bore wide and false smiles as I put my glass down and slipped away. I kept my eyes on the guards I was watching, the best I could, as I weaved through the now busting banquet hall to head for someplace isolated. Anyone else would tell you a bathroom works, but when you're trying to keep your identity secret, going into a stall dressed one way and emerging as someone completely different is more than a little giveaway. Give me an unoccupied room or hall over a bathroom any day.

Between looking at my suspects, trying not to get caught up by the self-indulging masses and finding an exit, I wasn't paying attention to who I was passing by until one in particular shoved me from the side, heading in the same direction. Unlike me, he had no intent of apologizing whether half- hearted or otherwise.

"Excuse you!" I called loudly after him out of pure annoyance. I had bigger things to worry about but the petty part of my mind felt the need to make itself known. Rightfully so, it only infuriated me more when the young man turned long enough to shoot me a condescending smirk before heading off without a word.

His mask was small and framed only his blue eyes; and I swore I saw something mischievous twinkle in them. One that reminded me of myself before I was burdened with a conscious. However small it may be.

I was nearly to an exit when the lights cut out, sending the event into a cacophony of screams and questions. People around me started shoving blindly as if to push towards the doors they couldn't see. I caught an elbow to my rib cage and hissed out a mangled sound as I tried to bite it back. When the lights cut back on the screams in the room spiked again at their brightness. I blinked rapidly to get my bearings, leaving me to be the first to notice the men circling the room with semi- automatics in their hands and pointed at us all.

D'amato's men.

And on the stage, dead center, was the man himself. Suit finely pressed, all black with a splash of color being his teal pocket square on his breast. His stark white hair was cropped close, skin just lightly sun- kissed, and even from the distance I could almost see the clarity in his ice blue eyes. He smiled down at all of us, hands folded before him as he enjoyed the squirming elite in the room kick into panic overdrive.

I felt my own adrenaline kick in and balled my hands into fists when I realized there was nowhere for me to dash out of. I was stuck with the bumbling masses unless I was willing to expose who I was and what I could do.

I wanted to do neither.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the upper class, thank you all for coming tonight," D'amato said almost gleefully. I gritted my teeth at his arrogance. "The Oceanside volunteer program and I all appreciate your presence and willingness to help the cause. Now, don't worry about your donations to the program; those are very much untouched and funding the preservation of our sea. As is the admittance price; however, you owe an exit fee as well. This one, of course, goes solely to me. So don't be shy in giving us your best and most expensive you have to offer. Because tonight, what you're willing to give is very much worth the price of your life. Men, please..." He unknit his fingers to gesture widely to his men around the room, calling for them to begin searching guests.

I watched as half of them split into the crowd, grabbing arms and demanding their pay. The others stood around them, pointing their guns at us to ensure no one tried anything stupid. Bodies crushed into me from one side or the other and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic, wanting more than anything to call out for my extended, plant limbs to pull them all off of me. It was almost an ache in my veins, but no matter how much I wanted to, I had to fight it until it was absolutely necessary.

We weren't the same person, but I didn't need rumors of Poison Ivy being in the city to put me on any extra radars.

Someone grabbed my arm gruffly, turning me to face them with neck snapping force and be stared down by a man half a foot taller than me. "Time to pay little lady," he snarled at me, bad breath heating my face. He looked me over, clearly trying to assess the most lucrative and worthwhile prize I could possibly offer. I watched the smirk cross his lips when he realized I had nothing. "What will it be?"

"Why don't you tell me?" I responded sarcastically. I didn't care if the situation didn't look too great for me right now, I refused to let them see me in despair.

His nose flared at my words but before either of us could react further, the lights went out again. And it was clear that this time, it wasn't planned.

The man's grip on my arm loosened a bit in his surprise and I took it as my opportunity to make a move. I shoved out of his hold in the ensuing chaos, got knocked around a bit by the bodies around me that were pushing to get themselves free too.

Gunshots echoed in the room, more screams following suit, but in the short flashes of light I could see that they weren't shooting into the crowd. They were shooting towards the stage their boss had been standing on.

I wasn't entirely sure why, but I didn't take that moment to figure it out. I had something else I needed to do.

The crowd around me surged towards the doors, away from the shooting, and dragged me with them until I was able to slip away long enough to slide under one of the wine bearing tables. The room was still too dark for anyone to see much, but I wasn't ready to risk it either way.

I crouched under the table and moved to slip it over my head when I felt a tear along the side of the skirt and heaved a sigh. I really needed to stop investing in clothes I liked if all that was going to happen was their destruction. I tore the gown the rest of the way, threw its tattered material to the side and slipped back out into the open.

My eyes had adjusted better to the lack of light in the room and I noticed the thinned out crowd that remained, held up by the three armed men that now blocked the doorway to my left. To my right, the others were still shooting at what looked like a shadow dancing around on the stage. I gauged which scenario needed me more and opted for the hostages at the door when I saw two of D'amato's men crash to the floor.

Whoever was up there didn't need my help.

I ran towards the group by the door, shoving one of the guests out of the way before slamming into the guard that'd been in front of them. My shoulder collided with their chest, my hand grabbed the neck of their gun and pushed it to the side just as they fired off a shot. Luckily, the bullet fired hit one of his partners and injured them just enough for me to twist around and kick them behind their knee. They dropped to the floor with a groan and I ducked down to avoid the shot fired from the third guard.

The one beside me slammed the butt of the gun into the back of my head and light burst across my vision, blinding me momentarily. I dived down to the floor in front of me, rapidly blinking until I could see again and made sure I slammed my boot down on the head of the man attempting to slide away on the floor. With him unconscious, I grabbed his weapon and flung it at the third man hovering above and waiting to fire his weapon too. It knocked into the hands holding his own gun, and he dropped it with the force of it.

Scrambling to my feet, I tackled the first guard and made sure to stun him by slamming his head into the wall. I twisted his hand until I heard a crack followed by his scream of pain and the clank of the gun falling to the floor. I shifted my shoulder to be able to flip him around and over it, slamming my heel down against his nose as I felt it sink in satisfyingly. I twisted myself again to lunge at the third man, making him believe I was going to tackle him too, only to drop and slide across the floor.

As I slid passed, I latched on to his ankles and pulled, making him tumble to the floor, hands out to brace for impact. I dragged him back some and looked up to the cowering group a few feet away. "What are you waiting for?" I snapped at them. "Get out of here!"

No one needed me to say it again.

I forgot I was holding the one guard's ankles until he kicked loose and the edge of his foot grazed my temple. The light came back to blind me as I let go of him, my air supply suddenly coming up short when I felt hands encircle my throat and a face hovering above mine.

It was the same man who had grabbed me earlier. "You stupid little bitch," he hissed out, spit slapping down on my face.

If I wasn't being so air deprived, I would've been conscious enough to be disgusted.

Darkness swam in and out of my view repeatedly, a shadow cloud hiding his face and then revealing it again. Revealing it just in time to show me the bottom of someone else's foot as they kicked his face in.

The hands were suddenly gone from my throat, a cold rush of air filling my lungs again. My vision started to clear again and I blinked slowly up at a shadowed but semi- familiar figure staring down at me. The shape of the mask around his eyes, the bulk of the suit protecting his body.

And somehow, impossibly, the shape of the R on his chest.

"Dick?" I croaked out in surprise. I was so sure I was hallucinating from the near minute of air deprivation, but then he spoke and shattered everything that started to build inside of me.

Because it wasn't Dick Grayson's voice. He hadn't found his way back to me.

"That's kind of fucked up to call the person who just saved your life, don't you think?"