Veil of Shadows ๋࣭⭑⚝ Dick Grayson

20 ๋࣭⭑⚝ Idiot nonethewiser

"The place is called Corvo. It's some kind of speakeasy," Dick announced as the trio climbed out of the vehicle. "Landlord says he bounces the late shift."

Jules bit her lip nervously, taking in the surroundings—the dimly lit street lined with towering brick buildings and massive, imposing windows.

"That's too bad. Bouncers are assholes," Jason muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets as they stepped onto the cracked sidewalk.

"Clay's not," Dick countered, unamused by the comment. "And how would you know, anyway?"

"Uncle Ray used to take me to bars all the time when I was a kid."

"Charming," Jules muttered with a scoff, crossing her arms. The thought annoyed her—how her father wouldn’t even let her near the vicinity of where he and Bruce drank. "Blind leading the blind in your family, apparently."

Jason chuckled, the sound hollow. "Everyone thought it was cute, until it wasn’t. He was fun when drunk. Then he got stupid. Then he started throwing punches. That’s when the bouncers kicked our asses to the curb."

Dick’s eyebrows shot up. "Where were your parents?" He sounded almost dumbfounded.

"Mom was upstate, Dad was downstate. Uncle Ray was the guy—right up until he OD'd when I was 13."

Dick hesitated, his tone softening. "Where'd you go?"

Jule's expression was casual, her shoulders shrugging like it didn’t matter. "You're a cop. Where do kids go when there’s no family? Bounced between foster care and the streets."

"Bingo," Jason added with a wry smile. "But hey, it's not all bad. I made it out alive. Now look, man—here I am living the dream."

Jules smirked bitterly. "I'm sure every teenager dreams of less blood and more tears in college."

They reached a nondescript brick building with a heavy iron door.

"Alright," Dick muttered, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward as he knocked. A small window slid open with a snap, and a pair of eyes stared back at them, almost eclipsed by the pounding, chaotic bass of music blaring from within.

Flashing his badge, Dick asked, "Clay Williams working tonight?"

The man grunted. "VIP lounge."

"Okay." Dick nodded and pulled Jules with him when the man let them inside, but the bouncer's hand shot up when Jason followed and handed over his ID.

"Robert Plissken?" the man snorted. "Nice try, kid."

Jason groaned. "Come on, man, be cool."

"Not tonight, Snake."

"I'm 19!"

Dick chuckled at the back-and-forth. "Alright, stay put. We'll be quick."

Inside, the space wasn’t quite what Jules expected. Sure, it was crowded, dimly lit, and overly loud, but surprisingly polished—minus the overwhelming number of handsy men that made her visibly recoil.

Noticing her discomfort, Dick pulled her closer, resting a protective arm around her waist as he scanned the room.

Then his eyes landed on a tall, dark-skinned man in a crisp black suit standing by the lounge entrance. His expression shifted slightly as he approached the man with a polite smile.

"Excuse me," he started.

The man barely glanced up. "Yeah?"

"How does someone get into the VIP lounge?"