Dick drove into the city, grinning at the antics of woman at his side. Elle was so excited and nervous she was practically bouncing in her seat. The car hugged the turns as he drove around the curves down into the city.
"So, where is this being held," he asked.
"At the Empire Club," she answered.
"I've heard of it," he said. "I've never been there before, though. It's fairly recent. I think it opened about three years ago."
"Yes, that is what Randi told me. It's supposed to be huge! Three levels, a stage for live music, and a dance floor that can hold up to a hundred people. They have a private area where I heard the producers will hang out. We probably won't even see them tonight." Elle wasn't even aware that she was bending the invitation in her hands.
Dick reached over, and plucked it out of her hands. "We may still need this to get in. It would be better if we didn't have to tape it back together first. Don't you agree?"
Elle pursed her lips, and slumped back in her seat. Did she say she was impatient? "Sorry . . ."
He laughed. "You don't have to apologize to me. This is a big deal for you," he said. "It's your chance to shine!"
She sighed. "If I succeed, then Poppa will finally have to agree that I have what it takes to make it on my own."
To get to the area they needed to go, Dick would need to go through the tunnel which would bring them up near downtown Gotham. He didn't want to have to get on the beltway that circled the city. It would take them too far out of their way if they went west, and they would have to go over the bridge into Bludhaven's warehouse district if they took the beltway east. Better to just cut across the downtown area. It would be practically deserted on a weekend at this time of the evening, so even with traffic lights, they should be able to cut at least fifteen minutes off of their drive.
"Uh oh," he muttered, frowning as he neared the turnoff for the tunnel.
Brake lights warned him of a potential problem. There were a couple of police cars up ahead directing traffic past the tunnel's exit. Neither he or Elle could see far enough ahead to tell what the trouble was. As they neared the traffic officer, Dick rolled Elle's window down and leaned across the console.
"What's the problem, officer," he asked.
"Fifteen car pile-up in the tunnel. Emergency vehicles are only now getting in to the victims. You'll have to find another route," the officer said. "You will need to move . . . Oh," he gasped, startled. "Batman! Uh, . . . and, um, Nightwing?"
Elle clapped a hand over her mouth, torn between compassion for the victims of the huge accident, and the need to laugh at the poor officer's obvious befuddlement.
"Heh," Dick smiled. "No, not Batman. On our way to a big Halloween bash on the other side of the city," he explained.
The officer returned the smile, wearily. "That explains the car. It's not the Batmobile," he clarified. "Great costumes! You had me fooled there for a second. Sorry, but you'll not be getting through this way for hours yet."
"That's okay," Dick nodded. "We'll find another way. Take care out there, officer. We hope there aren't any casualties."
"That would be great if there weren't," the officer said as he waved them on.
Dick pulled back into traffic. "I guess we won't be going through town. Best bet is to head toward Bludhaven and cut across down near the docks. We can cut back into east Gotham at the Washington Street Bridge. It'll only be a few minutes out of our way. Shouldn't be busy this time of day."
Elle craned her neck to see the flashing lights of a dozen emergency vehicles that converged upon the tunnel. "I hope no one is hurt too badly," she lamented.
"They're in good hands," he reassured her, even as he said a quick prayer for the victims in his head.
They were on the beltway now heading for the Fourteenth Street Drawbridge. The drawbridge was actually a swing bridge that could turn the center section sideways to allow large ships to pass through on both sides simultaneously. As they neared the bridge, however, Dick noticed flashing lights coming up fast in his rear-view mirror.
"Heads up, Elle," he warned. "Looks like we have company coming up on the right."
Dick flicked his turn signal to pull into the left lane so that the police could get by. Gotham's jurisdiction ended at the bridge, however, and Dick wondered where they were going. Suddenly, an unmarked car blew past them on their left, sideswiping the Vanquish and sending it spinning out of control
"Hang on," he yelled, as he fought the car's spin.
Another car hit their front bumper from the other side, making the Vanquish slide sideways towards the bridge's railing. They slammed, front end first, into the metal rail and stopped hard! The airbags deployed upon impact. The railing they had hit creaked ominously, but held. Outside, there were sounds of vehicles screeching and metal crunching. They weren't the only ones to be hit.
Dick turned to Elle in a panic. Was she hurt?
Elle was holding a hand to her head, but the flashing police lights made it difficult to tell if the red on her glove was blood or just a reflection. She was staring out the window rather than looking at him. What . . .?
"Elle, are you all right? Elle," he asked, but her attention was elsewhere.
"Oh, God," she cried. "That car . . . It went through the railing! It's going to fall into the river!"
Dick looked past her. Sure enough, a white sedan was teetering on the precipice. There was a woman in the driver's seat. She was screaming; struggling to get her door open. Damn, and he was without anything that might help because he had emptied his utility belt of everything but a couple of smoke bombs and maybe some smelling salts!
Before he could react, Elle opened the door and jumped out of the car. Dick fumbled a second with his seat belt before he, too, was out of the car. He slid across the hood and was running after her. Faster than she was, he managed to catch her just a few yards from the wavering vehicle.
"Elle, wait! What are you doing," he yelled. "You don't know if that car might blow up at any minute!"
She looked up at him with terror-stricken eyes; blood dripping from a cut above her hairline, and abruptly his memory kicked in. Oh shit! Her mother died just like this. Elle had been strapped in the back seat, and had somehow miraculously survived the fall into the sea! He didn't know how high the cliff they had gone off had been, but the bridge was easily four stories above the river.
"We got to help her," Elle was screaming, pulling away; struggling to get out of his grip. "It's going to fall!"
"The police . . .," Dick began, but he saw that most of the cops were busy swarming the two cars they had been chasing.
Gunshots rang out, making him duck and pull Elle nearer the railing; hopefully away from any stray bullets.
Shit! He was completely out of his depth here! Nobody else would know him from Adam, but Elle knew who he was. If he tried to help, she was more than smart enough to figure out that he was more than just her boyfriend. He risked a glance and saw that Bludhaven's cops were blocking the other side of the bridge. It was only a matter of time before the perps were arrested and carted away, but instead of giving up, they seemed determined to go out in a blaze of bullet-riddled glory! Watching the car teetering on the edge of the bridge, he didn't think the woman had that kind of time.
Elle jerked out of his grip, reminding him that no one was going to be able to assist the woman until the perps were wrapped up, and the shooting stopped. He jumped up to help her. On the driver's side, they at least had the car between them and the shootout.
Elle was trying to get the driver's door opened, but the dent in the door explained why it was stuck. Dick moved Elle out of the way.
"Stay down," he ordered. Turning back, he tried to get the screaming woman's attention. "Ma'am, I'm going to break the window! Turn your head away!"
As soon as she realized what he intended, she turned her face away. Dick slammed his elbow into the window, shattering it. The safety glass prevented the whole window from giving way completely, but there was a large hole where his elbow had struck. He grabbed the glass with his hands, knowing that the gloves were made to handle sharper items than this. He tore the glass free, opening a space large enough for the woman to be pulled through. The car tipped forward ominously. Dick hurried to pull her out, before the car fell and took her with it.
"Batman, please! Save my baby," she gasped, as Dick slid her free of the dangling vehicle.
"What," Dick gasped, still holding the injured mother in his arms. His head turned back toward the car. How had he not seen the baby seat in the back?
"No!" Elle ran back to the car, ignoring the bullets that still were flying.
"Elle, wait!" Dick sat the woman down, and moved to follow her.
The vehicle teetered once more before sliding over the edge. Dick caught Elle by the waist. They watched helplessly as the car plunged into the river. The mother and Elle screamed. Elle tore at Dick's arm, wresting herself away from him.
His fingers only inches from reaching her, Dick stared in total disbelief as Elle dived off the edge of the bridge and into the dark water beneath.
Sorry for the cliffhanger! I am lucky enough to have the entire weekend off, so you will get the second part of this tomorrow. You'll get at least four chapters total this weekend . . .