Wading through a sea of masked faces, Troy bypassed the suited waiters with trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Stopping for a second to admire the mermaid ice sculpture on a nearby buffet table, he looked over the gourmet selection until the desert table caught his eye. He was almost left breathless as he saw mounds of cakes, pastries and little intricate delicacies in a fanciful display of color and sweetness. He suddenly felt like a kid in Candy Land. Unable to control his own movements, he grabbed a transparent disposable dish and began piling different confections on top while sampling a few before they could even hit his small plate. The sugary treats were just that and elevated his mood as he sighed in ecstasy. 

Troy was too busy indulging his sweet tooth to notice the appearance of an older distinguished looking gentleman beside him. He wore a standard tuxedo with a white eye mask and black top hat. In his lapel was a fragrant red rose which added a nice splash of color. He used a black cane to walk with, although it was obvious it was just for show. The older gentleman appeared to be in decent shape, with salt and pepper hair and even though he wore an eye mask, his handsome features were persistent. 

‘If you keep eating all those sweets, you won’t fill out your costume so well anymore.’ He warned in jest. 

Troy turned to face the stranger and smiled after sizing him up. ‘Oh you don’t have to worry about me, there’s plenty of things I can do to stay in shape.’ He replied suggestively. 

The older man chuckled. ‘Is that so? And what would that be?’ 

Troy pensively rolled his eyes up into his head as the music transitioned from one song to the next, one with a lighthearted yet invigorating melody, perfect for a waltz. ‘Like dancing.’ Troy responded, while grabbing the man’s hand and leading him towards the dance floor.

Perhaps it was because everyone was wearing a mask or perhaps people were more open minded than he thought but Troy noticed there were significantly less judgmental looks than he had anticipated, as he dragged the older man towards the center of the dance floor. 

‘Oh uh…I’m really not in the mood for dancing.’ He protested, to which Troy responded. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun.” 

‘I really must insist.’ The older man said more nervously as he realized they were now in the center of the dance floor. 

Troy once again brushed off the man’s apprehension. “Oh live a little…besides, I have to work off all those sweets don’t I?” 

Before the man could pull away, Troy swept him up in an elegant waltz, adding a few steps and gestures of his own. Instead of being paralyzed with shock, most people moved out of their way, admiring the beauty of the dance between the rabbit and the man in the tuxedo. Soon a crowd had formed around them and Troy smiled as he moved in perfect rhythm with the music. The waltz was both elegant and graceful, his steps were so fluid and natural that he even made his partner look like a professional. He wasn’t satisfied with having just one partner though, he was somehow able to change partners mid dance, dropping off his first partner in one location then grabbing a wealthy looking older woman from the rim of the crowd to continue the dance. He did this at least two more times with two other wealthy looking women of varying ages, before finding his original partner to complete the endless waltz. When the music stopped, applause erupted from the crowd of admirers. 

When the next song began to play, the crowd filled in the gap it had created, once again slow dancing with their original partners. Troy causally made his way from the dance floor, in the direction of the desert table again but was followed by older gentleman who pushed his way through the crowd. ‘Wait…hold on a second!’ He called before grabbing Troy by the wrist. ‘That was amazing. You’re quite the dancer, you must be a professional.’ Troy smiled softly and let his eyes drift off to the side…”Well…something like that.”

It was then, that Eudora had taken the stage to make her speech, garnering the attention of all of the partygoer’s. Troy stood next to his new friend, listening as Eudora promoted her squeaky clean image and how charitable she was. Folding his arms against his chest, the look of skepticism on his face was almost tangible. 

“What do you know about this Eudora Carver?” Troy whispered to the man in the tuxedo without taking his eyes off her. 

‘Well I know she’s a very powerful woman, probably the most powerful woman in this city. She practically owns the Genetico company and has her hands in anything else worthwhile around town. If you’re looking to get on someone’s good side, it’s hers. She has connections to anyone who is anyone… but good luck with that, I’ve been trying to get a meeting with her for months. She has charity events like this all the time, the woman is practically a saint.’ He replied, barely taking his eyes off of her as well.

Troy narrowed his eyes on the woman of the hour with a distrustful smirk. “Let me give you a little advice…try not to get too caught up on what’s on the surface.” Troy warned. 

‘Why do you say that?’ The older man asked with a cocked brow. 

“Because people who make themselves out to be so benevolent, are usually the ones who are the most vicious.”

Before he could give a proper reaction to Troy’s comment, the sound of applause flooded in the great hall as Eudora finished her speech and was immediately replaced by the acrobatic entertainment for the evening. Giving his attention back to Eudora and her entertainment, the man in the tuxedo applauded. ‘So what’s your name?’ The older gentleman asked, finally turning his head to look at the white rabbit, however there was nothing there but empty space. 

Troy made his way up the elaborate staircase towards the area where the auction would be held. Eying the acrobatic performance as he ascended, he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and collided with the super known as Pulse. He didn’t immediately recognize the bank robber, having never seen his face, though Pulse might recognize him, even if he was wearing a bunny costume. 

“Oh excuse me…I didn’t see you down there.” He teased, as he tried to step around him.