"Lani" means heavenly in Hawaiian so that's that.
Um thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot to me.
So please read and review and I don't own the characters.
Dick's eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the voice but he couldn't make out anything through the haze.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
His clenched his fists waiting for answer.
No answer came and he could feel his heart quicken.
He glanced down at Kori who was kneeling down next to Alfred, trying to revive him.
She looked up at him with fear but she seemed to be doing a good job containing it, she
was tougher than he gave her credit for.
Alfred was moaning slightly but showed no signs of stirring.
"Who's there?' Dick asked again, trying to keep his voice firm.
A smooth laugh broke the silence. Dick craned his neck, trying to work out where the
laugh came from but it sounded like it was all around them.
Soon a blurry silhouette of a tall, muscular man came into view.
Dick positioned himself in front of Kori protectively.
"So chivalrous" the smooth voice drawled.
"Who are you and what do you want from us?"
"It's not what I want, its what I expect from you"
Kori stood up.
"Then what is it you expect from us?" she asked evenly, having found her courage
The figure chuckled again.
"That would be giving the game away" he replied.
Dick was shaking with rage.
"This is some game to you?" he yelled.
The figure looked like it was getting closer.
"And it's just begun"
Both teens backed up as they saw the figure approaching.
They still couldn't make out anything about him other than his shape when the sounds
sirens sliced through the air.
The figure heard them too as he stopped.
"We'll continue this next time, children. We shall be seeing one another again" the figure tossed something at them and it landed at their feet.
The figure disappeared into the smoke.
Neither Kori nor Dick moved for a few moments making sure that whoever was there
was gone now.
Dick was the first to react; he stooped down and picked up the disc thrown at them.
Kori was leaning against the car for support.
The mist was beginning to clear and they could see the police and ambulance on the
road.
Kori sank to her knees and crawled over to Alfred, taking out the handkerchief folded neatly
in his pocket and dabbed the thin stream of blood running from a gash on his forehead.
Dick joined her, trying to wake him up.
The police arrived a few minutes later and the ambulance straight afterwards.
Kori stood by the door watching as the paramedics lifted Alfred onto a stretcherd and
wheeled him inside the ambulance.
One of the police was talking to Dick.
"So what exactly happened?"
Dick hesitated before answering.
"Someone was driving way too fast and they tried to run us off the road, Alfred swerved to
avoid them and we crashed" he lied, ignoring the disapproving look Kori was giving
him.
His fist tightened around the small disc.
The officer scratched his head and gave Dick a suspicious look and Dick stared straight back him as if daring him to comment.
"Well in any case, you two will need a ride to the hospital; one of you can ride in the ambulance or you both can catch a lift with me"
Dick was about to say something most likely offensive when Kori placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I would appreciate the lift very much, officer. Dick can ride in the ambulance" she replied gently.
"Ok, hop in" the officer held a door open for Kori and she slid in with a grateful smile
aimed at the officer.
Dick grudgingly climbed in and Kori squeezed his hand.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the hospital and Alfred was seen to immediately.
Being such a personal employee of Mr. Wayne ensured top class treatment.
Kori and Dick were both seated outside Alfred's room, waiting
Dick was examining the disc in his hand.
It was metal and had a silver S grafted onto a black and orange circle.
"Why did you lie to the police" Kori's tentative voice broke the silence
"Why did he attack us? What was to gain?" Dick asked himself.
"Why did you lie about what happened?" Kori pushed.
"Yes why have you started lying in a police investigation" a low voice asked.
Kori and Dick both looked up and saw a tall man standing before them.
Dressed immaculately in a black pinstripe suit with a white shirt and a red tie
He had an impressive build which towered above them.
Something about him was dangerous, the way he stood, and his chiselled features were
sharp and stony and his raven black hair was held back perfectly.
He was the most intimidating person Kori had ever seen an it didn't help matters that he
was glaring at them both.
"I got a call saying there an accident and when I arrive I hear you friend asking why you lied to the police. So an explanation is in order. Now!"
"Hey Bruce, we're fine, thanks for your concern. This is Kori by the way" Dick answered flatly, glaring right back.
The lines in his face hardened.
"What didn't you tell the police?" he grit out.
"Something was up and I wanted to figure it out. I thought the police would only get in the way " Dick answered.
Bruce opened his mouth to say something when a Doctor MacClenny approached
them.
He spoke quietly with Bruce and after answering equally hushed questions, he
walked away.
Bruce turned to them.
"Alfred's going to be fine. They've put stitches on his forehead and he's under a general
Anaesthesia. He'll be out for the night but he'll be good to come home tomorrow morning.
I'll swing by early and collect him myself. Tempted as I am to leave you, both of you
head out to the car. I'll be there in a minute"
Dick looked like he was about to argue but Kori pushed him forward away from an impending argument.
"He scares me" Kori admitted once they were in the safety of the car park.
"Nah, not once you get used to him. You just have to learn how to handle him" Dick replied casually making a Bee line for the gleaming black Mercedes Benz.
Kori shot him a sceptical look
"His bark is worse than his bite" Dick insisted.
"Not true. My bite is worse" the smooth voice of Mr. Wayne stated as the man in question strode to the car and pulled out a set of keys.
Dick opened the door of the car once it was unlocked and ushered Kori in and climbed
in after her.
The trip was silent; Kori hung her head, lifting her eyes slightly to look in the direction
of Bruce but never dared to say a word.
Something suddenly struck her and she looked at Dick and whispered something to him.
Dick sighed.
"Hey Bruce, can we stop by North main street? Kori wants to pick up some stuff from her flat?"
Bruce didn't say anything but drove the car down the street and Kori whispered to
Dick again.
Dick shot her an annoyed look.
"Stop here"
The car pulled to stop and the girl scrambled out of the car.
Dick followed but stopped for a moment and gave Bruce a look.
"I know I'm asking for a miracle here but could you try not acting like a lion about to attack a gazelle. She's terrified of you"
Bruce raised a brow.
"Looks like your gazelles decided to make a break for it" he observed.
Dick looked over and swore under his breath.
Bruce watched, mildly amused as he chased after the girl who had just gone into a dingy three story apartment block.
After a few minutes they both exited the building, Kori had a pink backpack thrown over her shoulders.
She whispered a quick 'thank you' to Bruce and they were on the road again.
On the way back to the manor, Bruce asked Kori questions.
Dick knew it was his way of trying to converse with her and it was just his nature to
snap out questions so much that it sounded like an interrogation.
None of the questions were too personal or too closely linked with the past so Kori
answered them easily enough.
They were back at the manor in good time.
Kori stared at the mansion like they had just entered the twilight zone.
"You gonna stare at it for the rest of the day?" Dick teased.
"Lani" she breathed.
"I will turn on the sprinklers if I don't see movement back there" Bruce warned
With this in mind, Dick grabbed Kori's wrist and dragged her towards the entrance of the manor.
Once they were both inside, Bruce turned to them and gave them both a stern look.
"I have business to attend to. No acrobatics! Understand?"
"Yes"
Bruce turned towards Kori.
"We'll talk later"
It was only once they heard the car pulling away did they leave out a sigh of relief.
"Guess we find you place to crash "Dick shrugged.
"Second room on the left" Kori answered.
"Wow, you're choosy" Dick observed.
Kori ginned sheepishly and pointed at a note left on a small antique table which stated which room she should be in.
It was Dick's turn to be embarrassed as he led to the room.
Kori gasped as she looked at the room decorated with pastel colours and beech wood furniture.
She bounded over to bed and leapt on it with a childish giggle.
"So you want a tour of the rest of the house?" he asked, looking around the room, impressed.
"Perhaps later. I'm just going to go to sleep for a little bit" Kori's voice was fading fast and she finished her statement with a loud yawn.
Pulling off her shoes and bag, she snuggled into her bed, nuzzling her face into the pillow.
"Couldn't sleep, weird dreams" she murmured before she sank into a deep slumber.
Dick smiled at her affectionately and left to read that file Bruce had compiled for him.
The next day, Dick woke up and trudged towards the shower.
He never was a morning person.
The shower woke him up a bit and he headed for the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his waist.
He saw Alfred pottering about the dining room.
"How you feeling, Alfred?" he asked, pleased to see the older man back on his feet.
"Quite well, sir"
Dick ambled into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge.
He heard the door swing open and assumed it was Alfred so he didn't turn around.
A high pitched squeak told him that it wasn't Alfred.
Kori was standing at the door fully dressed, with her hand over her eyes and a red blush that had settled over her skin.
"It might be prudent, young master to dress appropriately in the presence of young ladies" Alfred scolded gently.
Dick grinned sheepishly at them both and ran out of the room.
He returned, dressed ten minutes later.
Kori was waiting for him with a big basket.
"You want to go to a football game today?" she asked with a relieved smile.
"You like football?" Dick asked sceptically.
Kori shook her head.
Not at all, it's very confusing and I do not like those men in the stands who wear very little clothes and cover their stomachs and faces in paint"
"Nor I, miss" Alfred added.
"But Victor has a very important game and I thought it would be nice to offer him our support and he would be even more pleased if we brought with us his favourite foods" she finished, holding up her basket as evidence.
"Um sure, if you want"
Kori grinned like the Cheshire cat and skipped out of the room, basket in hand.
"I trust you read the information master Bruce. provided?" Alfred asked quietly.
Dick nodded and then left to follow Kori.
"LOOKS LIKE THIS COULD BE IT FOLKS. THIRTY SECONDS LEFT AND THE LIONS STAR PLAYER; STONE IS TEARING UP THE PITCH, LOOKING FOR A TOUCHDOWN! WILL HE MAKE IT? OHH HE FAKES LEFT THEN GOES RIGHT AND HE'S MADE IT FOLDS. THE LIONS WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP" en excitable commentator roared over his microphone.
The crowd roared their approval and Victor stone threw the ball to the ground and did a victory dance.
He flexed his muscles for the audience when he stopped and stared at something.
Two people cheering the back of the bleachers.
He grinned at once and waved them down.
They waved back and disappeared into the crowd before emerging again at the railings.
One of them climbed over the railings and jumped down, landing nimbly on his feet and the other lowered down a basket first and then lowered herself down
"You were incredible" Dick complimented.
"Thanks man. I was in the zone, you know" Victor was cut off by Kori giving him the biggest bear hug she could muster.
"Hey there, fly girl" he greeted hugging her back.
"We are so proud of you" she gushed.
"Your parents around? They probably want to congratulate the star player of the game" Dick said with a grin which faded when he saw Victor's face.
"They're not sports kind of people"
"You have friends who bring you tasty food" Kori cheered, trying to lighten the mood.
The ground shook suddenly.
It shook again and continued shaking; the periods between the shaking became shorter and shorter.
"Y'all see that?" Victor asked, pointing at the wall which was shaking violently.
It shook again and then burst open.
There was a huge figure hiding in the shadows.
It took a step out and light shed on it.
It was the form a huge man made of stone.
The stone creature took a look around and saw the three teens and with a roar of anger, he charged at them.
To be continued.