At exactly twenty-two minutes after the doors opened to the party goers, Mayor Harvey Dent adjusted his tie (patterned with skeletons for the occasion) and tapped his finger against the microphone situated in the DJ booth. He wore no costume, but smiled with the right side of his face.
“Allow me to officially welcome all of you to the fundraiser tonight! It’s too rare that our beautiful city finds occasion for fun and levity, and I can’t think of a better reason to make time for it than to honor the men and women who protect our streets.” Harvey raised his hand as he spoke, giving a few of the nearby SCPD officers a wave. “When I asked my old friend Jim Gordon to leave Gotham behind to help me turn Star City around, I knew it meant I was putting the police department into the most capable hands we could ask for. I hope the fine people of Star City agree that I made the right choice and that all of you, like me, feel safer knowing we have these brave folks on our side.”
There was a brief pause as Harvey waited out the applause that followed. He nodded along with it, clapping his hands around the microphone, before finally continuing. “I’m not here tonight to steal the spotlight or bore you all to tears with a long-winded speech, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Join me in celebrating the Star City Police Department by enjoying yourselves and all the festivities. I understand a special thank you is in order to Mary Jane Watson, who is the mastermind behind this party. Let’s give Mary Jane and the SCPD one more round of applause!”
While the audience brought their hands together again, Harvey stepped away from the microphone and made a final gesture of solidarity with the crowd. As he stepped away toward the silent auction items, the practiced smile slipped off his face. He scribbled his name on a seemingly random assortment of items and excused himself without further engagement.











