Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

High Society

  The Gotham Art Gallery is a slick, modern building with dark hardwood floors and yellowed spotlights. The art itself ranges from classic to abstract, and I notice on a stand board the exhibit is titled, "Art From a Golden Age, featuring artist Barbara Kean".

Oswald and I walk in, the gallery already bustling with people in fancy, formal attire. Even Oswald looks slightly underdressed among the sharp suits and evening gowns. Servers walk around offering small finger foods and martini drinks.

"I know the artist featured tonight. I'll introduce you," Oswald offers, as we approach a blond woman in a short black dress. The woman turns around and smiles.

"Peter! I didn't expect to see you here. How are you?" she asks.

Huh, well apparently I'm not the only one with a pension for fake names.

"Lovely, Barbara. I saw you were going to be featured in the gallery selects, so I had to drop by," he steps slightly behind me, placing his hand on my waist, "this is my...very good friend, Natalie."

Oh, and he uses my real name? I smile brightly anyway, shaking her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Kean."

"Oh no, please, call me Barbara. Ms. Kean is my mother. Natalie, that name sounds familiar. Are you an officer for the GCPD?"

"Why yes, I am," I reply, unsure of how she knows that.

"Oh yeah, Jim's mentioned you once or twice. Where are you from, exactly?" she asks, making small talk.

Jim? As in James Gordon? No wonder she knows about me.

"Star City, I was attending college there but I decided to come back to Gotham to find work," I explain, half telling the truth.

Barbara steps back slightly, "Oh, wow, coming to Gotham City at the same time as that mysterious vigilante. You can't help but be suspicious, right?"

Oswald takes my hand, "Barbara, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, it's a theory Jim has. He thinks you're the masked vigilante," she whispers to me.

I raise an eyebrow, but I play along, "Well, you never know when I'll disappear into the night!"

A tall woman with long red hair calls out to Barbara, "Babs! Over here darling!"

She turns around, "V, hey!" she briefly turns back to us, "So nice to meet you Natalie. Don't worry about Jim, he can get a little paranoid sometimes, but he's a good man.”

Barbara walks over to the woman she referred to as “V”, and hugs her. After thinking on it for a moment, I realize I recognize that woman.

“Oswald, that’s Veronica Vreeland, the famous heiress! She’s always in the celebrity section of the papers, but I never thought I’d see her in the flesh,” I whisper to him.

He chuckles, “Yes, I run with a sophisticated crowd.”

I raise an eyebrow, “No, you, know Veronica Vreeland? Not in a million years.”

“Why? Do you doubt me?”

I pull back my waist, placing my hands on my hips, “Well, if you insist you’re of such high class, why don’t you go up and talk to her?”

His eyes light up, both in fear and in realization of an opportunity, “Why...of course...I will.”

I smirk, crossing my arms as I lean against a nearby wall, grabbing a bite-sized sandwich from one of the servers’ tray. Oswald shuffles over to Veronica, and I can’t help but laugh when I realize that she’s practically twice his height. He timidly approaches the confident woman, fiddling with his fingers and finally speaking in a soft, shy voice.