Somewhere to Belong

Hidden Messages

As the music in the bar started jumping, Elymas walked out on stage. Taking the microphone in his hand he announced the event for the evening...Open Mic Night.

"Anyone who wants to participate place your name in this cup." Elymas announced into the mic as he held a large stein glass in his hand. Whistles and hollers were heard as those who wanted to participate placed their names in the glass.

"Hey Coco, why don't you go up there and sing? You have a beautiful voice." Dixie asked trying to coax the kitten but she refused.

"I-I don't think so Dixie, you know I don't do well in front of crowds..."

"Well that's a shame..." Shrugging with a shy smile, Coco walked away to take care of a table while Dixie watched. After a minute the rag-doll got a devious grin on her face as she took out a scrap piece of paper and wrote down Coco's name anyway. Glancing out the corner of her eye, Harper just sighed as she wrote her and her brother's names down and placed them into the stein as well. With a smile and slight nod Elymas quietly thanked her before calling out for any last minute entries.

"No? Okay then it looks like our first participant is......" Pausing for dramatic effect, Elymas scanned the crowd for the owner of the name and when he found her she was not pleased.

"Coco!"

"WHAT?!" She screeched nearly dropping the glass in her hand as she glared daggers at the grinning barista.

"You put my name in the stein?! Dixie how could you?!" The little kitten was a bundle of rage and embarrassment as her friend grabbed her hand and lightly dragged her toward the stage.

"Too late now! Just pick a song and sing." Sighing Coco ripped her hand out of Dixie's grip and stomped up on stage, after a few seconds she found a song and started to sing (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield). As her soft and gentle voice drifted through the room, the glass doors opened and a familiar toon walked in. His black and white wings folded neatly against his back hiding his weapon of choice that he carried on him at all times; peering through the crowd he casually walked into the bar smiling when he spotted the blue angel he was searching for.

"Hey Abel, can we talk?" Axel greeted taking a seat beside him, Abel smiled and ordered a Blue Angel for his friend.

"Hey Axel, what are you doing here?"

"Killing time..." He replied with a grin. Abel just smiled back as Cross took a small step back holding Harper close to him as Johnathan just observed the meeting; catching a glimpse Harper smiled and waved hello, Axel smirked and waved back.

"So who are you here for?" Abel asked noticing Axel staring off behind him at a familiar bat that just wandered into the bar. Following his gaze he turned his head.

"Oh, no one special..." As Coco's song came to a close they watched as the tall slender bat walked over to the shy feline.

"Hey kitten! You lied! You said you were off tonight." Bartok growled angrily as he approached the poor girl, quivering lightly she backed away until her tail hit the stage.

"I-I t-told you I w-worked tonight...P-Please I beg you..." Coco stammered as her eyes glassed over with tears. As Bartok drew near he raised his hand up to strike the girl, quaking in fear she covered her head waiting for the pain to come but it never did. Opening one eye and then the other she gasped in shock as Cayne stood before her with Bartok's wrist in his grasp. He growled.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

"Not until you apologize to this young lady."

"Why should you care if she gets struck? She's a worthless lying feline." Bartok glared daggers at the quaking girl as she hid behind Cayne's wing.