It has taken me months to get this finished. I hope you haven't given up on me. Classes kept me very busy, and I still have more to go, so don't give up on me. Once I'm finished and things start settling down into a routine, I'll find writing time on a more regular basis.
To help you remember what happened in the previous chapters, Jason had asked Elle's help with one of his cases. He needed to gain information on human traffickers in Gotham City and the meeting he wished to eavesdrop on is occurring in a karaoke bar. His plan is for Elle to distract the men enough with her singing that he would be able to get close enough to plant a listening device at their table. Dick refuses to let Elle out of his sight, worried that she'd become a target of unscrupulous men, and possibly get hurt in the process. The three of them go together. While there Jason sees a beautiful woman who snags his attention briefly. Elle and Dick decide to play cupid. Then Elle meets up with Daniel, a fellow singer who wants use Elle's magical voice to gain fame and fortune. Daniel pressures Elle to sing a duet with him, much to the annoyance of Dick. Jason is in the odd position of playing peacekeeper. Oh, and all this takes place on Valentine's Day . . . LOL! Enjoy another wild ride!
Warnings: Language, Violence, and Mention of Sex Trafficking . . . (still only T rating)
Dick was applauding for the half of the duet that belonged to him when Jason elbowed him in the side. He followed his brother's line of sight to the entrance. The Turks had arrived. They needed to plant that bug quickly, then.
"She needs to sing another song," Jason whispered. "Keep her up there while I go back."
Dick looked behind him. The bathrooms and the kitchens were near the back of the bar. Jason planned to stumble drunkenly into the table while on his way to the men's room in order to plant his listening device. He turned back to the stage, catching Elle's eye, he made a circular motion with his finger for her to continue.
She glanced at the door and saw the men standing in the entrance. They looked incredibly out of place as they began to make their way back to Willie Shay's table. None appeared even remotely interested in the entertainment. This obviously wasn't the kind of place these men would frequent normally. She made a move towards the D.J. when Daniel grabbed her arm, pulling her back into his chest. Before Elle could catch her balance, the man dipped her over his arm, planting his lips over hers to the immediate hoots and hollers of the audience.
The reason why they came to the bar fled Dick's mind as he jumped to his feet, intent on shoving every one of Daniel's teeth down the back of his throat. Jason grabbed his arm, yanking him back down into his seat, but it was everything Jay could do to keep his brother in place without creating a commotion they could ill afford. They needed to stay under the radar for a little while longer. He leaned in, hissing into Dick's ear.
"No fights! Calm the fuck down! It's just a kiss."
Dick jerked his arm free, moving to stand up again when Jason pulled him back down again, this time by his belt.
"What's the matter with you? She's fine. Let Elle handle it," Jay growled. "You're going to blow this for us!"
Dick was a second away from punching Jason in the face when Daniel released her. Stumbling back, Elle hauled back her arm, punching Daniel in the face hard enough that the man staggered. Raucous laughter followed. Simply rolling with it, Daniel raised his fists up in the air with a triumphant grin. The audience went wild.
Daniel stumbled down the steps and back toward his seat wiping the blood trickling from the side of his mouth with the back of one hand. Dick began to calm as he realized she had busted his lip with that punch. Elle scowled after the man as she shook her hand out. Meeting Dick's eyes, she further defused the situation with a wink before she walked over to the D.J. with her song request.
Jason slumped in his seat dramatically. "You, dumbass . . . I'm beginning to think I should have come by myself. What's with you? You're not usually so hotheaded like this."
"This is why I came," Dick snapped at him as he settled back into his seat. "Someone needs to look after her."
"Seems to me that she plenty capable of taking care of herself," Jason snorted as he watched Daniel wrap a couple of pieces of ice from his drink in a napkin and lay it over his mouth.
Dick followed his gaze. "That guy doesn't know when to quit."
"Look, after I get what we need, you have my permission to go back there and pound his bones into dust if you want. I'll even help," he offered. "I'll hold him down for you."
"Don't encourage me," Dick growled, still glaring at the man.
The waitress arrived just then with their food. Dick looked at it without much interest. He had lost his appetite while watching another man paw his woman. Jason, too, seemed to have forgotten he was hungry as he elbowed him and nodded at the stage.
Dick looked back as Elle settled behind the mike again. She was in her element and, when the music started, the audience was in the palm of her hand. As she started singing, people quieted, falling easily into her thrall. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful, magical . . . Almost hypnotic, Dick thought to himself.
I gave you all the love I got
I gave you more than I could give
I gave you love
I gave you all that I have inside
And you took my love
You took my love
Although he was used to her voice, Dick still needed to shake his head to remember why they were there. He glanced at Jason, snorting when he found him staring at the stage, glassy-eyed and slack-jawed. Dick shook Jay's shoulder to wake him up.
Didn't I tell you
What I believe
Did somebody say that
A love like that won't last
Didn't I give you
All that I've got to . . . give, baby
"Hey! Go do your thing," Dick told him.
Jason blinked, coming out of his daze. He scowled at the stage. "What the fuck?" he grumbled, rubbing his forehead. "What the hell did she do to me?"
"You've heard her sing before," Dick said.
"Yeah, but it wasn't anything like this," Jay told him even as he quickly palmed the listening device in preparation.
Dick turned back to the stage. Elle seemed to have put something different into this performance. He had to admit that after their bond had been completed, while he loved her voice, even needed to hear it, it no longer seemed to put him into the kind of thrall that it had previously. He had been told that, having so little Siren in her, Elle's ability to bespell an audience was minimal at best. That, as her bondmate, Dick would be largely immune to what little magic her voice could command, but tonight - Tonight, she had nearly taken him back to that pre-bond state.
I gave you all the love I got
I gave you more than I could give
I gave you love
I gave you all that I have inside
And you took my love
You took my love
Whatever she was doing, Dick knew it would give Jay the best chance to plant his bug at the table without detection.
"Everyone is paying attention to her now," Dick hissed to him. "Use the distraction to do your thing."
Jason blinked, needing to clear his head yet again. He stood, nodding. "Right. Going . . ."
I keep crying
I keep trying for you
There's nothing like you and I, baby
Dick watched him weave his way toward the back. Jason was pretending to be drunk, but his acting skills were being wasted. No one paid him any mind. A second later he seemed to realize this as well. He stopped swaying and simply walked over to the table that held Willie Shay and his Turkish guests. None of the table's occupants even looked at him, neither did the man's bodyguards that were stationed around the table. Every one of them were staring towards the stage with an intensity that made Dick nervous.
This is no ordinary love
No ordinary love
This is no ordinary love
No ordinary love
When you came my way
You brightened every day
With your sweet smile
Jason was frowning as he made his way back to the table. He threw himself into his chair, but continued glancing back over his shoulder. Dick glanced behind him.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"It's like they didn't even know I was there," Jason said. "It's kind of freaky. Is this what she did to you when you first saw her perform?"
"Did she do what?" But, Dick knew exactly what his brother was talking about.
"This thing. Did she ever do that to you? You know, before that bond shit happened?"
Dick shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I remember not noticing my surroundings at all when she sang the first few times." The truth was his date had left him at the table that first night and Dick never noticed her leaving. The waiter had had to tell him that she had taken a cab home. He had chosen to come alone to listen to Elle sing after that experience.
"Do you ever wonder if maybe she didn't purposely put you under some kind of spell or something?" Jason whispered.
"It had crossed my mind. Once," Dick reluctantly admitted. He had changed his mind about her intentions later, but it was times like these when he found himself wondering again. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter now, though. I love her, Jason. I wouldn't change a thing."
They glanced around the bar at the other people. The men, even the women, were staring at her in silent wonder.
"I gotta tell you, this kind of creeps me out," Jason muttered again as the song slowly came to an end.
This is no ordinary love
No ordinary love
This is no ordinary love
No ordinary love
Keep trying for you
Keep crying for you
Keep flying for you
Flying, falling
Falling
Silence followed for a long moment. Dick broke the spell when he started clapping, Jason quickly following suit. The people around them were blinking as if coming out of a trance for a second, but soon the entire place was on its feet applauding. Whistles and yells punctuated the applause. It felt almost like it had that night when Dick had first watched Elle perform at the club all those months ago.
When she met his gaze, Dick gave her a thumbs-up to let her know that her part of the mission had been accomplished. Instead of heading down, however, she smiled and waved at the D.J., and another song began. The heavy trance-like feel was quickly obliterated as she started to sing again.
Love . . .
It's a special day
We should celebrate and appreciate
That you and me found something pretty neat
And I know some say this day is arbitrary
This time, a sort of lightness of being fell over the crowd as Elle picked up the mike. Leaving the stage, she walked over to their table, singing this song to the man who held her heart.
But it's a good excuse
That I love to use, baby, I know what to do, baby, I,
I will love you, I'll love you, I'll love you
Love . . .
I don't need those things
I don't need no ring
I don't need anything
But you with me 'cause in your company
I feel happy oh so happy and complete
Elle sat on Dick's lap, straddling his legs as she sang the song to him face to face.
And it's a good excuse
That I love to use, baby, I know what to do, baby, I,
I will love you, I'll love you, I'll love you
Yeah, it's a good excuse
That I love to use, baby, I know what to do, baby, I,
I will love you, I'll love you, I'll love you
So, won't you be my honey bee, giving me sweet kisses all the time
Be mine, be my
Valentine
So, won't you be my honey bee, giving me sweet kisses all the time
Be mine, be my
Valentine
Oh,
Be my Valentine
Her voice fading, Elle crossed those last few inches, and pressed her lips to his.
"Seriously," Jason's exasperated voice broke through above the applause and wolf whistles. "You guys need to get a room. It's getting so I can't take the two of you out in public anymore," he muttered sarcastically.
Laughing, Elle broke away as she waved a hand at the crowd, acknowledging their cheers. She turned off the mike for privacy. "So, did it work?" she asked, rolling her eyes dramatically toward the back of the room, indicating Shay and company. "Were you able to do it?"
Jay snorted. "Yeah. Just walked right up and slapped it in place. No one even blinked in my direction. I have to say, that whole thing you did with your voice was weird as hell."
"'That whole thing'?" she asked.
"You know what I'm talking about. That 'thing' you did with the audience, to hypnotize them . . ." he reminded her.
"It's not hypnotism," she told him. At least, she didn't think it was.
"Right," he laughed.
"It's not," she insisted, standing up. "And, you're welcome, by the way."
Elle returned the mike to the stage, her gaze inadvertently traveled back to the booth where Willie Shay sat with his Turkish counterpart. The booths on either side were taken up by their men as was two free-standing tables nearby. Two men stood beside the booth itself, obviously standing guard, one of them was huge, towering over everyone else.
It was clear now why Jason had needed her help. She had purposely chosen the song she had sung for its haunting melody. It made it easy to capture and hold the audience's attention. A trick she had first discovered after she began singing at Chez Donavon's. Not every song was equal, however. It would only work with certain melodies.
The men at the booth stop talking to stare at her. Careful to keep her expression neutral, Elle headed back to the safety of her table. Dick and Jason stood politely as she sat down next to them. The waitress had brought their food out during their song, Elle noted, leaning over to snag one of Dick's fries.
"So, now what?" she asked, making a face. The fries were cold. Neither man seemed to be interested in their food. Elle eyed Jason's plate. "Are you going to eat that pickle?"
"Now, we wait and listen in," Jay told her as he put in the earbud that would allow him to eavesdrop better. He adjusted the volume.
"Does that mean we can go now, or do you still need us to hang out?" Dick asked as he handed Elle her water.
Stealing Jason's pickle from his plate while he was distracted, Elle frowned at him. "Already? I don't want to go yet. I'm having fun."
"Hey! I was going to eat that," Jay said. He slapped at Elle's hand, but she waved the pickle at him triumphantly and took a bite. Scowling, he put a finger up to his ear as he attempted to hear the conversation occurring behind him. "Look, I'm recording the conversation, but they haven't said anything incriminating yet, and I'm not leaving here until I get what I came for."
The DJ's voice interrupted them. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our next singer, Jason Todd!" Adam announced over the speakers.
Hearing his name, Jason glanced up in confusion. "What? What did he say?"
Elle leaned in, plucking the earpiece from him and handing it off to Dick. "You're on, Jay. Don't worry. Dick can record this while you sing for us."
"What the hell, Elle," Jay hissed, looking around at the curious crowd. "I'm not singing!"
"Don't be ridiculous! You have a terrific voice," Elle assured him. "Since when did you become shy?"
"Never, but I'm here on business," he reminded her in a hiss.
"Dick's taking care of your business," Elle reminded him. She stood up and grabbed his hand, tugging. "I never expected you to be such a diva, Jason."
He frowned at her. "I ain't no fucking diva," he growled at her even as he allowed Elle to pull him to his feet. He jammed a finger in Dick's direction. "Why the hell doesn't he have to go up?"
"Because someone has to stay here and listen in to Shay's conversation," she whispered to him, reasonably, giving him a shove towards the stage. "It will be okay," she added with a smirk. "I'll take good care of your sandwich for you."
"Leave my sandwich alone," Jason hissed over his shoulder, but Elle just waved him on encouragingly.
At least, Dickhead will get the info we need, Jay thought, noting the intent look on his brother's face as he listened through the earbud. And then, next thing he knew, Jason was stumbling up the steps, his heavy boots stomping over the small stage. He looked at the mike in perplexity. It was too low for his six-foot frame. He'd have to bend over to sing into it. Jay glanced at the DJ. He could disassemble and reassemble his motorcycle in the course of an afternoon, but he had no idea how to adjust a mike stand.
Adam grinned, and walked over to help the newbie adjust the mike stand. He slapped Jason on the shoulder. "It's okay. It happens all the time. You'll be fine," Adam said. He pointed at the monitor in front of him. "The words are right there."
Jay blinked at the words on the screen, frowning. He caught Adam's arm before he disappeared behind his equipment again. "Who chose this song for me?" he asked curiously.
Adam snorted. "You did, mate."
"But I didn't . . ." Jason's voice trailed off. He glanced at Elle. How'd she know? Nobody knew him that well. Not Dick, not even Bruce. The longer he was around Elle, the creepier Dick's fiancée seemed to become.
"So, is everyone here having a good time?" he asked into the mike nervously. He winced slightly at the high-pitched squeal the sound system made at the sound of his voice.
He was met with some hoots and laughter. Someone wolf whistled off to his right. Squinting against the lights, he tried to locate the table it had emerged from. He was startled when his eyes found the singer from earlier – Leah. She lifted her drink in his direction and grinned. His face lit up with interest even as the music started.
People in the audience glanced at each other, realizing there had been change in venue. Nobody had been expecting this. Well, except for his erstwhile sister to be. Jason grabbed the mike and leaned in close, speaking the introduction to the song . . .
"Turn it up son.
Alright boys, this is her favorite song, you know that, right?
So, if we play it good and loud she might get up and dance again.
Aw, she's pretty good now.
Here she comes, here she comes.
Left, left, left-right-left . . ."
Leah smirked as she kicked her chair back and began dancing. Jason's eyebrow lifted. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. The other women at her table squealed with laughter as they rushed to join her in the cramped space between the tables. The people around them hurried to make room for an impromptu dance floor, sliding furniture out of the way.
As Jason finally began singing, he met her eyes and almost laughed. Most people were startled when they first heard him sing. Nobody realized how deep a bass his voice was.
Hustlers shootin' eight ball,
Throwin' darts at the walls,
Feeling damn near ten feet tall.
Here she comes, Lord help us all.
Old TW's girlfriend done slapped him out his chair.
Poor old boy it ain't his fault it's so hard not to stare at that . . .
Honky-tonk-badonkadonk!
Keepin' perfect rhythm makes you want to swing along.
Got it goin' on like Donkey Kong.
And, ooh-wee, well, shut my mouth, slap your grandma!
There ought to be a law, get the sheriff on the phone.
Lord have mercy, how'd she even get them britches on
With that honky-tonk-badonkadonk
Jason grinned at the daring, beautiful woman as she danced her way onto the stage. Jay grabbed the mike and moved the stand out of the way, letting himself get into his performance. He slid a hand around Leah's waist, matching her rhythm as he sang, never missing a beat.
Aww, son . . .
Now, honey, you can't blame her for what her mama gave her.
It ain't right to hate her for working that moneymaker.
Band shuts down at two, but we're hanging out 'til three.
We hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave with that . . .
Honky-tonk-badonkadonk!
Keepin' perfect rhythm makes you want to swing along.
Got it goin' on like Donkey Kong.
And, oohwee, well, shut my mouth, slap your grandma!
There ought to be a law, get the sheriff on the phone.
Lord have mercy, how'd she even get them britches on
With that honky-tonk-badonkadonk
Aww, son . . .
Oh, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout, right there.
He shook his head at this unexpected turn of events. Dick would have never have pegged his little brother as a country music lover. Jason apparently had facets to him he had managed to keep hidden from everyone else in the family. Dick wondered if even Bruce knew this side of his irascible, middle son.
Elle tugged on Dick's sleeve, pointing at the group that had begun dancing in the center of the room. The conversation he was listening to was beginning to turn to business; distracted, Dick waved for her to go. She could enjoy herself while he took care of recording the meeting.
He pressed his hand to the earbud, returning his attention to the conversation happening at the table near the back of the room. The Turk had a heavy accent and Dick was only getting every fourth word he said. They could clean up the recording later and dissect the conversation to figure out what all that he might be missing, but this wasn't a total waste of his time because Dick had no problem understanding everything Willie Shay was saying.
In fact, Dick was becoming more intrigued now that he discovered there was a third party involved in this trafficking operation who Willie was representing at this meeting, someone that Shay hinted had a connection to the kind of quality 'product' the Turk was interested in procuring. It didn't take Dick long to realize that these men weren't talking about the kind of women and children normally found within the filthy streets of the Bowery. These were the forgotten people that no one would likely notice or care about should they go missing.
He ducked his head a bit, turning more towards the stage to hide his frown from Shay and the Turk's men. Those forgotten ones, the prostitutes and homeless children, weren't without their champion, however. Jason cared if something happened to them. Hell, Dick cared, and Elle did, too. It was why they were here. But, these poor people weren't the ones these traffickers were after this time.
Who was this third party? Shay wasn't mentioning any names, but he did mention an area . . . a very familiar area, in fact: The Palisades. Wayne Manor was at the edge of the Palisades district in Bristol County. These people were talking about trafficking victims taken right out of Batman's own neighborhood! Not that these guys realized that. Dick suddenly realized that he and Jason might even know some of the women being targeted from parties they had been required to attend while living with Bruce. This mystery partner had to be someone familiar with high society.
Although, Gotham's upper crust had never been especially welcoming to Dick, and probably even less so to Jason, no one deserved what these men intended for them.
Catching some unusual movement out of the corner of his eye, Dick turned his head, noticing that one of the Turk's men was manhandling his woman. Anger swept over him. Yanking the earbud out of his ear, Dick leapt to his feet. This was why he had insisted upon coming with Jason and Elle. He was coming to realize that his fiancée was a bit of a trouble magnet. He didn't blame her for this. He knew that her voice drew everyone to her but those with tin ears.
Elle bounced in her chair with excitement as Jason got into his performance. She had chosen a song for him that she knew he would like. Dick looked surprised for a second before his attention returned back to whatever conversation he was listening to through the earbud. The woman who had sang earlier jumped up to dance to his song, and Elle knew that sending her a drink from Jason had been the right thing to do. From the look the woman was giving him, she shared his fascination.
Getting Dick's attention, she pointed to the fun happening in the middle of the club. He nodded and waved absentmindedly, so Elle leapt up to join in, laughing when the woman passed her by on the way to the stage.
"You go, girl," Elle murmured softly, wishing her luck. Being in a romantic mood, she hoped that something would come of it. With luck, the reason they were here would disappear and they could enjoy the rest of the evening. She really wanted to get Dick up there for a duet before they had to leave.
Finding out that Jason could sing had been a happy surprise. Jay's deep bass voice blended wonderfully with Dick's baritone and Tim's tenor. It was a shame that Damian didn't share the same talent. Still, the youngest Wayne was musically gifted in other ways. He had picked up the drums with amazing speed and skill, and Damian had proven to be an excellent rapper and beatboxer, just as she knew he would.
Her new family was turning out to be better than she could have ever hoped for . . . as long as they continued to be willing to work with her and, so far, they had been. Tim, the little liar, had pretended ignorance when it came to playing an instrument, but he was actually quite impressive on the piano. It took some doing, but he had finally admitted to having taken ten years' worth of piano lessons before his father had passed and Bruce adopted him. Jason was decent at the guitar, although Dick turned out to be surprisingly good.
She would have never guessed that had been in a band with a couple of his Teen Titan friends when he had been a teenager. Yet another secret that Dick had been hiding. She wondered what other things she might learn about him as time went on.
Elle's gifts encompassed everything to do with sound. Not only was she an expert at every instrument she tried, but she picked up new languages with ease. Her mother and grandmother were as well. She assumed it had something to do with their Siren DNA, but the women in her family had perfect pitch, an astounding vocal range as well as voices that could mesmerize their audience. Who knew that DNA worked in that fashion, but Elle considered herself blessed for it.
We don't care about the drinkin', barely listen to band.
Our hands, they start to shakin' when she gets the urge to dance.
Drivin' everybody crazy. You think you fell in love.
Boys, you better keep your distance; you can look but you can't touch.
As Jason's song continued, Elle put her hands up in the air as she mixed it up with the other dancers. When she caught sight of Danial pushing his way through the crowd, she spun around only to bounce off the torso of a giant of a man who had been behind her. He towered over her and was as broad as he was tall. When he grabbed her arm, Elle had assumed it had been to save her from a fall, but when she tugged her arm, Goliath wasn't letting go.
"Excuse me," she said, "but what do you think you're doing? Let go of me."
"Patron Kirac wishes to meet you. You come," Goliath told her with a heavy accent.
Only when he tightened his grip and began pulling her with him did Elle recognize him as one of the Turkish bodyguards. Certainly, he wouldn't make a scene in the middle of a crowd, she decided.
"I don't think so," Elle frowned as she began struggling with him. The last thing she wanted was to get up close and personal with a man suspected of human trafficking. "I'm here with someone else, so take a hike, buddy."
"You no understand who you speak to," Goliath growled.
"You heard the lady," Dick interrupted, jerking the walking mountain around to face him. "She's with me."
Goliath laughed. "You? I think not," he sneered, shoving Dick away with one massive hand. He glanced back at Elle, dismissing the smaller man entirely. "Now, you come. Patron is waiting."
But, Dick wasn't finished by a long shot. He was suddenly between them, his hand on Goliath's wrist.
"You can either turn around and go back to your table, or you and I can dance," Dick told the guy.
"I no dance," Goliath answered, and swung a big, beefy fist at Dick's head. Ducking beneath it easily, Dick allowed the right cross to pass harmlessly over his head.
"Alright, then. Dancing, it is." Dick replied.
Twisting the man's wrist, Dick pressed his finger and thumb into the pressure points there, making Goliath to release Elle. Dick shoved her aside with his shoulder, inserting himself between the giant and his fiancée.
"Go," he ordered her. "Get out of here!"
As Elle backed up, she bumped into someone else. When she looked, she saw the dancers were forming a circle around the altercation. Several already had their phones out and recording the two men as they sized one another up. Gah! Why did people enjoy watching these things? She tried pushing through the crowd but realized that she wasn't going anywhere soon.
She gasped as Goliath threw punch after punch but succeeded in landing nothing. Dick ducked and weaved, expertly avoiding the massive fists as he drew the big man after him and away from Elle and the crowd. Abruptly, Goliath lunged forward, attempting to catch the nimble man but, again, Dick wasn't there, twisting gracefully to the side.
Elle glanced around the bar for help. Where were the bouncers? Why weren't they helping? The music continued playing, although Jason had stopped singing at some point. He stood there, grinning, watching the action, but it didn't look as if he had any intention of stepping in to help his brother out.
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Elle determined she would kill Jason later, after they got out of this.
In frustration, Goliath slammed a fist into a table. The heavy wooden structure didn't even put up a token fight, collapsing under the onslaught in an array of flying splinters and cold French fries. Finally, one of the bouncers moved in carrying a stun gun in one of his hands.
Dick tried to wave the bouncer away but the man, determined to earn his paycheck, dove forward, his stun gun extended . . . only to have Goliath punch him in the head. The bouncer, not a small man, collapsed much the way the table had just seconds ago. His stun gun flew out of his hand, slid away. It stopped halfway between the fight and where Elle was standing. She didn't even pause to think about it.
"You next, little man," Goliath promised.
Dick's smile fell along with the bouncer. People were going to get hurt if he didn't do something.
"Bring it on," he taunted. He needed to keep the man angry and off-balance. It worked a little too well.
Goliath roared, rushing him. Dick managed to dance out of range again but was grabbed from behind as another of the Turk's men entered the fracas. Goliath's punch landed hard against Dick's cheek. He would have been out for the count had he not rolled with it. As it was, his vision was a conglomeration of flashing stars and black spots.
He might not be able to see, but he could compensate. Dick had spent years learning how to fight blind. Bruce had insisted he learn, both in unfamiliar darkened rooms, and while blindfolded, and even with ointment placed in his eyes to mimic the blur he might experience should he become drugged.
A shift in the air warned him when the next punch was coming. Moving fast, Dick shifted his weight at the last second. It was enough to move him out of the way, placing the startled bodyguard that held him directly in the path of the blow. Good thing, too, since another hit from the big guy, even a glancing blow, would have ended the fight for him.
Once the arms holding him fell away, Dick spun out of range. As his vision cleared, he realized four more men were heading in his direction. Goliath, taking advantage of Dick's distraction, started to lunge for him once more when the giant suddenly seized up as if he had grabbed onto a powerline. The big guy fell like a downed tree and, standing behind him, Dick found his furious fiancée. The bouncer's stun gun was in her hand, still snapping and sparking with a million volts of angry electricity.
"No one messes with my fiancé, you jerk!" Elle snarled, rearing back and kicking the quivering behemoth for good measure. She looked up at him then and grinned.
Unfortunately, the other men had arrived.
"I thought I told you to go," Dick yelled in her direction, but he had no chance to see if she obeyed him this time. He dove past her into two of the oncoming men.
The fight was on.
REACTIONS? I've missed hearing from you . . . Please, leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter.
The karaoke bar is going to take at least 3 chapters to complete. If it makes you feel any better, I do have most of the next chapter written. It could still be a while, however, before I can get it out to you. I'll remind you that, despite all the real world things that are taking priority right now, I have no intention of not finishing this story. There are LOTS more to take place before we're done. Make sure you either fave or follow this if you wish to be notified when the next chapter, Karaoke Bar - Pt 3, is posted.
"No Ordinary Love" as performed by Sade from her 1997 album, Paradise. It was written by Sade Adu and Stuart Matthewman and produced by Mikel Pela and Sade.
"Valentine" as performed by singer and writer, Kina Grannis. It is from her 2010 album, Stairwells, I believe under the label of One Haven.
"Honky Tonk Bedonkadonk" as performed by Trace Adkins from his 2005 album, Songs About Me. It was written by Dallas Davidson, Randy Houser, and Jamey Johnson, and produced by Dann Huff for Capitol Nashville Record label.
I don't claim to own any of these songs, so don't sue me. Free advertising here, guys! ;D