Cassandra had arrived. She and Damian were the two members of the family that Dick knew the least and quite possibly, they were the most dangerous. The League of Assassins, The League of Shadows. The Society. It went by many names but it only had one reputation, one of fear. It trained the world’s most deadly assassins, including Damian and Cassandra. The League was led by Damian’s grandfather, the demons head, Ra’s Al Ghul. A man who had lived for centuries, who had seen empires burn to the ground, mostly by his hand at that. Dick himself had come close to death from Ra’s hand many a time. One particular encounter was properly etched into his brain; an encounter that left Dick with a shattered collarbone and only one kidney. It was their pasts that worried him about his two younger siblings but no matter his relationship with Bruce, he always understood his judgement. So if Bruce was happy bringing them to the family, Dick would be too.

It was something he had always done. The drop of a pin, such a light but noticeable sound. It drew everyone’s attention to the burning fireplace where the one and only Bruce Wayne stood. Of course he had been in the Batcave all this time, all play and no work makes Bruce a very dull boy. Selina’s entrance was much more grandiose, the French doors atop the staircase flying open and she descending the stairs in an elegant black dress that showed off every inch of her sultry curves. Such a contrasting pair were those two but somehow, they seemed to fit together. “I’m glad you all could make it” Bruce’s voice, even when being polite, always had that aura of forcefulness. It was strange how he could switch between the sombre and dominating Bruce that all in the room had come to know and the Bruce to the outside world, the light hearted, charming philanthropist.

There had always been a question thrown around the cape and cowl community. Who was the real man? Bruce or Batman? Dick, Bruce’s oldest companion bar Lucius Fox, wasn’t even sure of the answer himself.

“I’ve taken the liberty of having all of your old rooms fixed to accommodate you for the evening. Your suits and dresses are already waiting for you. I have only two rules. One, there is to be no arguing whilst under this roof and two; there will be no patrolling tonight. You have the night off” Straight shooting, simple and to the point. Oh how Dick had missed Bruce’s rule book. 

“I know some of you will be weary of me” Selina stepped in front of the assorted members of the family, it was almost like a firing squad. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I have spent years fighting all of you but things have changed. I love Bruce and he loves me. You may want it, you may not but I’m telling you I’ll right now that I will stop at nothing to earn your love as well”
Bruce walked around his family to take Selina’s hand. “I suggest you all get used to this and do it fast. We’ll leave you to it and we’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow “ The Bat and the Cat walked away from the crowd and out into the garden for a final moonlight stroll in the snow.

[b]The Next Morning – Abandoned GothCorp Cryo Facility[/b]
The small, old television screen played the live news feed from Wayne Manor. The beautiful Vicki Vale telling the world about the love story of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Cold blue eyes stared through the screen as Victor strapped on his EXO glove. He may have been cured of his own icy malady some three years prior but he didn’t need his illness to use his suit. He picked up a snow globe from his work bench and watched the tiny glass dancer inside.

"Have you ever seen a flower die? Watched something that was once so beautiful, so full of life, collapse and rot from within? “My heart is cold, unfeeling. What little humanity was left in me has been stolen. It was stolen by this dark city along with my dear sweet Nora” Victor launched the globe into the tv screen and turned to two shadowy figures that stood motionless behind him, “Today, we steal the love from Gotham and we freeze its heart. My Tandems, let us show them how harsh winter can be….”