White Collar / Batman Bingo

Bat!Neal at a Gala

(Dick Grayson as Neal Caffrey)

Usually, when Peter gathered the Harvard crew into the meeting room, it meant that they were briefing for an operation that was going to be fun (for Dick, at least). Not this time. This would not be fun for Dick at all. In fact, if could have blew Dick's entire mission.

The FBI received an anonymous tip that a woman by the name of Jennette Thompson (twenty-six years of age, average height, blonde hair) was planning to steal a painting that was being auctioned off at a charity gala that weekend. This painting was worth an insane amount of money and was done by child celebrity Damian Wayne. According to their tip, Thompson was planning to steal it during the gala. Until then, it was being guarded by security. 

Because it would be at a gala, it seemed logical to send in Neal Caffrey. Galas were right up his alley, after all. Peter wanted Dick (well, Neal) to keep an eye on Thompson, and maybe even get her to confess her plans, which he believed Neal's flirtatious personality could do easily. And, although the FBI was unaware of this, this painting was by Dick's brother, so of course he'd want to protect it. The only problem was that there would be tons of people from New Jersey and New York's upper classes, and a lot of them personally knew Dick Grayson, thus this operation could blow Dick's cover in the span of just a few minutes. 

"No. Absolutely not."

"Neal, it's not a question, it's an order."

"Peter, I can't. I'll be easily spotted and my cover will be blown the moment I walk in."

Peter sighed. "Neal, we do things like this all the time. You'll be fine. Unless there's something you're hiding?" Suspicious as always, that Agent Burke.

"There will be people at that gala who know me by various identities. They'll see me and blow my cover. It's not a good idea," Dick said, dead serious. By the way he worded it, it sounded as if Dick was saying that it was whatever alias they sent him into the operation with that would be blown, but what he really meant was that his cover as Neal would be blown. 

"You're going in, Neal. You'll think of something, you always do."

"That's not helpful, Peter," Dick said through gritted teeth.

---

Despite his many protests, Dick ended up at the gala that weekend. Knowing that it was inevitable for him to be recognized as Dick Grayson, he plastered his "charming and having a good time" smile onto his face. He did not want "Dick Grayson Acting Different Than Normal?" to be in the headlines the next day.

Just as he predicted, a familiar face came up to Dick. She was an elderly woman named Claudia Elliot from Gotham who used to always pinch Dick's cheeks when he was little, proclaiming that he was a future heart breaker. "My, look how you've grown since the last time I saw you! Have you lost weight? You should eat more, Mr. Grayson! But no matter, you're still as handsome as ever!"

"Thank you," Dick said politely. "And you're still stunning, ma'am. You haven't aged at all since we last met."

"You little flirt," Claudia laughed. "And polite, too. Now, go on, enjoy yourself. Don't let me keep you."

"I would stay to chat, but I'm meeting up with someone soon. Great to see you as always. Have a good evening!"

"And you as well!" As Dick walked past her, he heard Claudia tell her friend, "What a nice young man! I'm surprised he hasn't gotten engaged yet. Perhaps my granddaughter..."

"Who was that?" Peter asked through the comm device in his ear, speaking from the van parked outside the venue.

"I have no idea," Dick lied. 

"Do you know why she called you 'Mr. Grayson'?"

"Nope."

"You better not be lying to me."

"I never lie to you, Peter." A lie.

Before Peter could further the conversation (which was a bad idea unless Peter really wanted everyone to know he was undercover... Like, him looking like he was talking to himself was not exactly subtle), a pair of teenagers made their way towards Dick. Oh boy, here we go, Dick thought.

To the untrained eye, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne were the picture of innocence. There was no way that they had an ulterior motive in coming up to talk to Dick... except that they totally did. Dick's eye was, in fact, very well trained, and he could very clearly see them smirking mischievously.

"I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting," Tim greeted quietly, holding his hand out to shake. "I'm Tim Drake."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Drake," Dick said, taking Tim's hand.

As he let go of Dick's hand, Tim added, "Just call me Tim. And this is my little brother, Damian."

"Call me little again and I'll cut your fingers off," Damian muttered, luckily to quiet to be caught by Dick's earpiece.

"And you are...?"

"Right, how impolite of me. I'm Nick Halden."

"Nick Halden? I'm not sure I've heard of you. But you do look very familiar. Have we ever crossed paths before?"

"I don't think so."

Tim snapped his fingers. "You know what, now that I think about it, you look a lot like-"

"Sorry, Tim," Dick said, interrupting his little brother. I just saw someone that I need to meet up with." This was true, because he had spotted Thompson in the crowd. "Let's finish our conversation later."

"No worries." Tim gave Dick a look. Be safe, it said.

Dick gave a one shoulder shrug. Always am.

Tim rolled his eyes. You and I both know that's a lie.

Dick followed Thompson out of the crowd of people to a back hallway. Making sure to stay out of her line of sight, he watched her pick the lock of the safe that Damian's painting was currently being held in. As Dick was about to signal to Peter to come in and intervene, the alarms started blaring and Red Hood dropped in from the ceiling, quickly hand cuffing the culprit. 

Well, that was anticlimactic. It seemed like Dick didn't even need to be there in the first place. Oh well. All's well that ends well and all that. 

How do you think Peter would react to Bat intervention on his case? Let me know in the comments!