Someone, someone Maximus didn't know, possibly, was bringing all the villains together. Everyone in the villain community seemed to have theories. Maximus' personal theory was either his father, Vandal Savage or Victor Von Doom. Either way every villain worth something was there. Maximus, being the King of Hearts and head of the Royal Flush Gang had of course been on the invite list. The rules were simple. Black tie, no violence and minimum weaponry. Of course it would have to say minimum weaponry. People like Maximus were a living weapon. Not to mention they were villains, they had enemies and they didn't trust easy. The meant one obvious thing, just hope there wasn't a lot of fighting. Maximus would abide by the rules, unless provoked. He himself had truces with a handful of villains. More of a 'You leave me alone I leave you alone' type of deal. The Royal Flush Gang was mobile, that meant he needed to be free to move around a lot and that meant making sure he didn't step on toes. Of course his treaties also had a caveat. If they asked for the Gang's help they owed Maximus a favor he could call in at any moment, no questions.

The party was on an un-named island in the middle of international waters. A man-made island that didn't exist according to radar and thermal scans. However Maximus had encountered a small problem. His beautiful Queen had also been invited, however as Nightshade, her own villainous alter-ego. While it would be deemed rude to turn the invitation down, Maximus also preferred travelling with his Queen. However if he were to claim he didn't look forward to some playful roleplaying he'd be lying.

Maximus was in a red and black tuxedo, custom made of course. He also had a special mask made for the gala. It was lead lined and only covered from his forehead to just below his nose. He of course he his usual crown on and was baring his adamantium canines and nails. On his lapel was a special rose, a gift from his Queen. While he had a general idea of what it would do, he also didn't fully question her. Primarily because he knew he could take her out if need be. His special tux was lined with small sealed pockets. If he detonated it would give off a powerful herbicide. He only did this because he couldn't be certain she'd be wearing the crown.

Maximus walked up towards the doors and he saw numerous people coming and going. It seemed nearly every villain worth knowing was here.

Isabella was used to going to events such as galas and balls. Well, starting to at least. Maybe saying that she was getting used them wasn't quite the right thing to say. No, rather she was starting to get more comfortable with them. However, there was a certain almost constant to every so called black tie event she went to. That constant being she was right by Maximus's side. She had long ago came to terms with the wretched weakness the mutant man was to her. But at least he was a usually welcomed constant to help her get through these events.

Except for this one. She wasn't even sure why she had been invited, although it gave her a bit of pride to see that who she thought was her true self was getting recognized. Of course, she would have preferred to come with her King, standing by his side as his Queen. But it would have been rude to decline the offer. Besides, if Nightshade was invited, then perhaps this could be her chance to expand her horizons a bit. Well, Nightshade's horizons.

Izzy had decided that, the best thing she could wear was a dress of her own design. It was simple to make, like how she made her costumes. She had stopped by in Gotham to use her part of Robinson Park. Green vines and leaves tangled together to make a beautiful and tight fitting dress that clung to her curves, her bust. She didn't usually like dress where the skirt went down past her knees but with something like this? Something natural? She couldn't help but make it long. And it moved so naturally, as if it were made of fine silks or cotton. Around the bust was speckled with rose petals and buds. She wore actual heels with it, ones that matched the red hue of the roses. One her hands were a pair of green gloves. And around her neck was a specially made choker, of smooth ivy with a blossomed red rose off to the left. She would be able to keep the dress alive for days, though she really only needed it for the one night. No contacts, just her naturally purple eyes. No messing with her skins pigmentation, she let it be it's natural green hue. And her hair was down, somewhat curly, with small rose buds speckling it, clinging to her red locks. The only thing on her that was artificial, aside from the heels, was a rose red half mask that covered around her eyes, cheek bones, and the top of her nose. An intricate rose design was etched into it.

Izzy arrived to the gala a little after Max, completely by coincidence. The island that it was taking place on was simply beautiful. She was going to have to remember to try and explore it later, see if there were any flora samples she could take home with her. Not that that mattered at the moment. She stood tall, taking a deep breathe before entering the building. She stopped by the doors, an unorthodox nervousness welling up in her. This wasn't her style, her kind if scene. And she instinctively didn't trust. But she was going to need to try and make due. "It's just one night," she muttered to herself. 'Just have to behave for these wretches.'

Maximus was schmoozing, making small talk with some of the few villains he knew or knew of. He was always open to having more potential allies. People seemed to also be sharing his theories on why they'd all been brought together. Of course everyone was also on high alert since this could prove to be the biggest bust of the century. The biggest theories were either someone taking out all their competition or someone was reforming the Injustice league or some other variation. While Maximus wasn't against joining a bigger team, he was more curious about the who than the why.

He went up to the bar and ordered a glass of wine. The bartender knew his stuff and seemed people were prepared for their paranoia. Each bottle was individual and glasses were individually sealed. Maximus sipped his wine and glanced around at the room. He'd feel better having his Queen by his side. Of course he'd also never admit that to anyone, let alone her. He didn't like admitting a kind of need to anyone. He was a King, he was royalty and he did what he pleased. He liked his independence, but his Queen brought about a different kind of dependence. Then as if the spirits heard his thoughts his Queen walked in. He'd recognize her anywhere and in any form. He made his way over to her, for what would look like brief conversation. He had one of his own truces with her as well, which seemed confusing, but it helped.

"Ah, the beautiful Nightshade. I had hoped you'd be invited."

He said with a smirk before taking a sip of his wine. He knew she hated things like this, despite getting dragged to so many of them.

"You certainly are a long way from Gotham. If this is all a big bust by SHIELD then I look forward to being in handcuffs with you."

He said with a wink.

Izzy let her eyes scan the crowd, wondering how many people here she knew. Probably very few, and that was only as The Queen of Hearts. She had never really been big on making allies as Nightshade before, aside from the few that worked with R.O.S.E. This would definitely be a good opportunity for that. But the thoughts of chatting up the others quickly vanished as she noticed someone walking towards her. She could feel the flower he wore, heard it. After all, it was still live and well. She tried to not look impressed, keep a cool and almost snooty presense about herself but she would be lying if she didn't feel a bit more comfortable actually seeing him here.

She rolled her eyes at his words. Shallow flattery. It was almost adorable. She dipped her head slightly to him, out of respect more then anything. She wasn't about to curtsy, the act itself was quite revolting and, to be honest, no one was worthy of that kind of respect. She was a Queen, after all, meant to rule. A mindset that Max had instilled in her. "It's truly a priviledge to have been invited. Although a rather bothersome one, if you ask me. Expecting so many of us to come and not cause a fight. It's only inevitable," she said. It was true, though. It was only a matter of time before some Joker showed up and ruin the gala. It wasn't like it would be the first time in history someone like him would do that. Although it did leave her wondering who exactly had gone through the trouble to invite them all.

Izzy almost laughed at what he said next. "Oh, but King, i don't think your Queen would very much appreciate that. I would hate to make her jealous of me." She was joking, of course, but being here as Nightshade meant she had to pretend she herself wasn't a member of the Royal Flush Gang. Nightshade and the Queen of Hearts were two very different entities. "Speaking of, it doesn't seem your Queen is with you today. Is she alright?" All apart of the front, after all. Though the thought that this was a possible set up by SHIELD just seemed to make her feel a bit more nervous. Imagine Isabella in a SHIELD operated prison facility! They would keep her away from sunlight no doubt. And imagine the lack of plants. Grey walls on all four sides. It was dreadful. She had never really been able to be held in a prison for long. The thoughts made her shudder none the less.

"If this is a set up by SHIELD, though, i almost pity the fools they send in. Weapons or not, we are some of the most dangerous people in this world."

He was enjoying this little conversation with Nightshade. He hadn't really spoken with her like this at any great length of time since he recruited her. She'd taken to her new role as assistant quickly and was the ideal Queen. But she seemed to really be enjoying this little role playing. While it wasn't roleplaying likely to her, it was to him. Her Nightshade persona was cute, and a hobby, but nothing more. She was his Queen, as long as she performed properly, for him. So far she did everything he asked of her. While he'd never pushed that relationship to another level, he was certain he likely could. She did whatever he asked, no question, and seemed to want to make him happy. Of course he'd also instilled that in her, and she took it willingly.

"Oh I am indeed expecting a fight Nightshade. There are a few here who have annoyed me in the past. I look forward to showing them why not to mess with a King."

He said with a smirk. While he would never consider anyone here a nemesis, let alone a threat. However there were a few who had spurned some of his possible alliances, treaties. Or there were some who simply annoyed him and he wished to be rid of. Primarily it would allow him to gather more territory and possible resources. As she made a comment about his Queen being jealous he almost had to struggle to not laugh. Luckily he was trained to constantly maintain himself, regardless of what was happening around him.

"Oh my lovely Nightshade, my Queen is not truly the jealous type, lucky for you. Besides our relationship is mostly professional, for now. She is extremely tough, and apparently immune to my charms."

He said with a laugh. So far that seemed to be mostly true. However a few had claimed to see a sort of sexual tension there. That was debatable and something he rarely thought about.

"Yes, I'm afraid my beautiful Queen had work to do while I get to play. You know what they say after all. Behind every great man is a woman doing all the work. And in case you or anyone else gets any ideas to take me down, know this...."

He knew people were eavesdropping. The new Royal Flush gang had gotten attention. Primarily because they weren't the bumbling fools they'd been in the past. They operated like a well oiled machine, as he trained them to do.

"...should anyone harm my Queen I will eliminate their friends, family, and anyone they may know. Then I will show them pain like they have never before seen. There's a reason that a King's rage is something to be feared."

He of course meant that for most of his gang, but her especially. Not only did she know a lot of dirt about him, she was also extremely useful to him and likely the closest he had to a friend and family. He had to laugh though when she mentioned feeling sorry about this being a SHIELD attack. She had a very valid point.

"Yes, very dangerous indeed."

He said with a smile revealing his longer adamantium canines.

"May I get you a drink?"

Isabella scoffed. He was looking forward to the fight? She couldn't say she was surprised though she did hope he wouldn't provoke one. Only a fool would do such a think, and not a King like himself. She didn't think she would really need to warn him against such actions. She had never taken him for a fool, but he was a male and he was also, for the most part, a human one at that. Well, mutant one. And while he may seem like a higher being to some, in the end, all humans have their hubris. But Izzy wasn't human, or she had never thought of herself as such. She was one with the Flora not of humanity. She wouldn't make such mistakes.

"Do remember, there is a time and a place for everything, King. I wouldn't do anything foolish here. You never know who might be watching," she warned none the less. She had to stop herself from leaning in close, whisper something in his ear. A time and place for everything. And this was not the right place nor the right time for such actions. Not in this skin, at least.

It was almost amusing just how he talked about his Queen. Well, technically about her. This little game was fun and it seemed to be helping her ego quite a bit. He thought so highly of her, it seemed. And it was amusing that he thought she wasn't the jealous type. Technically she wasn't and she would never admit to it when she did get jealous, although sometimes her actions towards other woman he hit on might show it. She tried to keep such interactions away from Max's eyes and ears, though.

Nightshade felt a bit smug by the next words he said. It was hard to keep a smile from her lips, though she managed it. The lengths this man would go to for revenge was amazing, though it was unnecessary. We anyone to bring her harm, they better hope they kill her or else she could just as easily become their worse nightmare. The same was true about anything happening to Max, though. And she had such fun ways to tear someone apart. Being intune with the green had a lot of advantages. "That Queen of yours is quite lucky, though if she's in your little gang, King, I'm sure she can handle herself quite well."

She didn't feel the need to prove just how dangerous she was. She didn't even need claws or fangs to be such. Though the prospect of a drink seemed quite appealing. Sure, alcohol was never the best of ideas, but when in rome, right? Why not try to at least have a little fun while she was here? And it would definitely help her nerves and paranoia a little. "Well it would be rude to refuse an offer from a King, wouldn't it?" she cooed.

She was right, there was a time and place for everything. A time and a place where fighting would be acceptable. Not to mention that he himself would likely end up out numbered. Yes he had weak allegiances with some and others he seemed to be ok with. But given the chance to eliminate dealing with him and his Gang they could take him out. Yes his father had instilled in him a sense of paranoia. Assume everyone was out to get you and you'd never be taken by surprise again.

"Very accurate Nightshade. Speaking of which, perhaps later you and I can, at the right time, find the right place and...discuss our allegiance better."

He said with a wink. He didn't know why he could flirt so easily with Nightshade and not as much with Izzy. He even flirted slightly with his Queen, not to this extent but more than with Izzy. He would need to think on this as it was very concerning. Why would he think and act differently than when he was with her other forms. Sure he'd like to think that it was because he didn't want to complicate business relationships but even he knew that was a lie.

"Oh yes, my Queen is quite powerful in her own right. After all I only choose the best of the best. Of course the fact she's easy on the eyes is simply a fringe benefit."

He said laughing. As she agreed to a drink he simply nodded his head politely and went to go to the bar. He could feel eyes on him everywhere he went. Whether or not they actually were was a different matter. However it was possible he could use Nightshade as a sort of spy. See if anyone tried to recruit her to take him out since they seemed to be close. It could help him see a threat before it happened. He came back with two glasses of wine. He handed one to her with a polite smile before sipping his own.

It was alarming the heat she felt rising to her cheeks. She tried to pretend it wasn't happening, hoped it wasn't showing. It rarely did, thankfully. Izzy almost rolled her eyes at him, holding back a laugh. To play along, though, she leaned in slightly, gently reaching a hand out to touch his cheek, drag her fingers down to his chin. "If you find the right time and place," she started, making sure to be as close as she could. Uncomfortably close to her. Usually, she was fine with closeness, after all, when you use a kiss to poison or hypnotise people, it was needed but this was her boss. It was a bit different. "You still wouldn't stand a chance, dear king," she whispered before smiling sweetly at him as she drew back a tad more forcefully than she meant to. It was weird, it went against everything she felt yet the words had seemed to come all on their own, no thought to them. "Though our actual allegiances, i would love to discuss. In private, of course. So many prying ears and eyes all around us."

Izzy turned her attention away from him then to pull at her gloves, make sure they were nice, tight, and straight. It just felt weird, being like this around him. Aside from when they met and a few seemingly chance encounters, she didn't act like Nightshade around him. She made sure that she kept the two lives very separate. Yet despite the oddness of it, she was still so natural in the state. She just hoped she wouldn't push anything. She scoffed at his next words, trying not to laugh. "I do hope that looks aren't everything to you, or else i might have to pity your Queen." Was it weird that it felt so natural to speak of herself as if the Queen of Hearts were someone entirely different? And it wasn't as if she practiced, either. She was talking about herself as if it weren't her and she was doing splendidly at it. Then again, so was he. She wondered momentarily if he actually saw them as different people.

She was almost tempted to follow him to the bar but she wasn't really looking forward to being stopped by anyone wishing to talk, not yet at least. She still needed to get her barings here. Though she did wander a little further in, wondering if this grand place had some sort of a balcony. How she would love to stare off of one to look out across the island. It would be a much better evening spent than mingling. Though she knew that mingling was only inevitable. She stopped moving about when Max came back. "Thank you very much. Now, I'm curious, what do you think this is all about? Gathering us up like this. Assuming it's not a SHIELD set up," she asked, taking a sip of the wine. She was going to have to drink this slow, she didn't want people knowing how much of a lightweight she could be.

He smirked lightly as she leaned in close. Of course the smirk then turned into a light chuckle as she seemed to blow him off. He didn't really think she would pull that off, but he was impressed. However he also felt that if he really tried he could get her. Whether that was pure arrogance (a likely theory), or whether it was something he thought he picked up from his enhanced senses. Something like quickened breath, a slight tensing. Either way Maximus found it humorous.

"Oh Nightshade, teasing a King, you do like to live dangerously. However that can be a very dangerous thing. After all, I'm not used to being told no, just ask my Queen."

Whether or not he meant in every day life or was implying that other aspects of their life might come into play was unknown. As she mentioned actually having a meeting though he smirked lightly. While it would be a good excuse to get together and actually chat and not be about business, he knew it wouldn't be odd. As she made a comment about pitying his Queen he laughed lightly. She would of course know that that wasn't everything. But she was truly getting into character, he liked that and knew it could be a lot of fun, if utilized properly.

"Oh my dear, looks, while important were far from a deciding factor when choosing my Queen. While I did maybe take it into account....it wasn't key. However we beautiful people are simply superior, coincidence."

He said with a laugh. He took a sip of his wine as he glanced around the room. Of course most likely didn't care about them. Well, those attracted to women were likely focused on her while they ignored him. But he seemed to always believe he was the center of attention. Whether that was from growing up alone or not was unclear. But either way he believed himself to be the center of attention.

"Well I don't believe it's a SHIELD set up, they may be watching but they're likely as curious as we are. If I had to guess I would say someone has it in their head to try and set up another Injustice League. If that's the case, not a terrible line up."

He said looking around the room. The League did pop up from time to time. Someone like Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Gorilla Grodd, some big name always tried setting it up. Of course it always failed due to the leader's own arrogance, causing them to be unable to properly lead. But still, they tried every time. It was worth looking into none the less

"I'm more curious about just who set this up as opposed to why."

Issy couldn't help but chuckle too. She had pulled that off quite splendidly, she thought. And she didn't need to be a mind reader to know he thought so as well. She wondered if he would have expected such from her. Honestly, she doubted it. Then again, he didn't quite know her as well as he thought he did. He could boast that he knew her better than anyone else and that would be true. About Isabella at least. But not about Nightshade. No, she wasn't exactly the woman he knew anymore. "What fun is life without a bit of danger mixed in?" she asked. "Although, i must ask, is that a threat, oh King of Hearts? Because i tell you no?" she couldn't help but ask. She was laughing on the inside, truly, though she tried to keep her expression mostly neutral, just the faint hints of that smirk showing through.

She sipped at her wine. Being in this character was so fun. She was able to be almost herself around him. Though, if she were to truly be herself, she would have gladly accepted that previous offer about finding the right time and place. But that was something she would never tell him. She wasn't a fool and she knew not to mix business with pleasure. Besides, she didn't need pleasure. What she needed was to survive this night and get back to New York.

She was quite delighted by what he said. And he certainly had a point. People who were beautiful often seemed to hold power just in their looks alone. The beautiful were the real ruling class. And if that were indeed true, she really was the rightful queen. There was no one she could think of that was more beautiful than she. "If that is the case, then you must truly be a being of great power," she whispered, not sure she wanted many to hear.

Issy listened to his thoughts and nodded, taking another sip. He had a good point, SHIELD probably wasn't behind this. Hearing him say that was a bit of a relief, though, for some reason. "An Injustice League?" she asked with a laugh. "If that were the case, I don't see why i would be here. It's not like I'm that big of a name yet. But, you are right, looking around at who's here, this wouldn't be a bad start. After all, you're on their list."

However, on one point, she did not agree. The who as opposed to the why. To her, why was more important. She could care less about the who as, in her head, the who really didn't matter. She could take on pretty much anyone if she put her mind to it. And setting it up on an island with such plant growth made it that much easier for her to succeed against any possible assailant. Know, why was important to her. "We will have to agree to disagree there, King, as i would prefer to know the circumstances rather than the invitee."

Everything was going smoothly. The bar was well stocked, everyone was seemingly getting along, and she could hear people muttering to each other questioning why they were all here. It pleased the Clown Princess to no end to hear it. It even seemed that they had followed the rules, minimal weapons. Not a single fight or even death had yet occurred, which was a pretty good sign as well.

Josie had walked through the ballroom earlier, mingling with people. She remained seemingly anonymous amongst them. After all, the Joker had only just recently made her proper reappearance into society. How were people meant to identity her. She wasn't even dressed as if she were the Joker. She was but another face in the crowd, black dress, heels, gloves, and mask. Haired pulled back with french twists in it to keep the blonde locks out of her eyes. She hadn't a single distinguishing feature, aside from her insanely pale, almost sheet white skin.

Josie hadn't remained out on the ballroom floor for too long, though. After mingling for a bit, she had slipped away, preparing for what was to come. She didn't exactly know just what she was going to say yet but she knew that when she got around to it, the words would come to her quite easily. However, for the moment, she was in the bathroom getting ready. She had made sure to bring a change of clothing with her as well as her make up. Having tossed the black get up aside, she pulled on her specially made purple and green dress. It was short, the bottom a bit floofy and various shades of green. A black belt separated the green skirt from the purple top half. She had pulled on purple gloves, though kept the black heels. She tossedd the mask away, instead doing her make up as if she were truly who she said she was. Charcoal black grease paint around her eyes, and red lips with curves going from the corners of her smile to her mid-cheek, making the smile appear as if it were etched into her cheeks to make sure it was always present. She let her hair down and even teased it a bit before using the green hairspray to change it's color. When it was all said and done, she grinned at her appearance, even blew herself a kiss before heading out and up towards the balcony that over looked the ballroom. She didn't speak at first, simply stood there and watched, wondering how many would notice. It was so interesting, seeing so many of what society labelled as villains all gathered here in this place. If she were to be honest, it put a song in her heart.

One of her Henchclowns, dressed as a waiter, came up to the balcony the same way she had to bring her a glass of champagne. She practically waved him away as soon as he brought it, taking a sip from the glass before gently bringing it to a rest on the balcony rail, still holding it of course. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it is such a pleasure to see you all here this evening," she said, her tone cool and even. She was trying to seem composed, even if it didn't last long. "I suspect you are all wondering why you're here?"

((Tag;; Melody Talent, feel free to join as Josie's 'date'))

He laughed lightly, shaking his head.

"No, not a threat my dear, simply a warning. I didn't get to be a King by accepting being told no."

He said with a laugh. He was used to getting his way and was used to doing as he pleased. It was simply something that had always been the case. If someone didn't give him something, he usually took it, just as he was raised to do. His father had instilled in him a sense of honor and could even argue that he was spoiled. Of course should someone tell him no it usually ended badly for them. Nightshade or no he'd likely never hurt Isabella unless he absolutely had to. Of course it didn't look like he'd ever need to do. Sure she put on a little front as Nightshade, which he'd expected and wanted her to. But at the end of the day he knew she was loyal to him and give her life for him.

"Oh don't count yourself out Nightshade. Your talents are something that would prove extremely useful. However I would rather have my gang at my back than you though. Mainly because they've all proven themselves and I only know you from stories I hear on the streets. Good stories yes, but as far as I know only stories. But, perhaps if this is a joint venture it will give us a chance to know each other better."

He ignored the masked blonde who moved through the crowd and turned his attention back to Nightshade. But that was primarily because he knew nothing of her. He'd seen her kind numerous times. Women who thought they were all big and bad so they threw a mask on and tried their hand at villainy. They usually ended up in Blackgate or dead from pissing off a real villain. He sipped his wine and went back to their conversation. He noticed movement on the balcony and glanced over his shoulder. Cliche yes but he also likely would've done the same thing.

"A female Joker. I've heard rumors but ignored them. That would be more in your wheel house than anything. Heard anything about her?"

He asked Nightshade while also keeping an eye on the woman on the balcony.

Leif was highly surprised to get the invite. He was flattered, but the implication was “we have some reason to trust a guy we know is a back-stabbing traitor.” Reasons to trust Bragð were probably that most of them were not much worse than him, which did not fare well, and… actually there wasn't any other valid reason. He hadn't wanted to go at first, but his curiosity had been too strong to ignore, and here he was.

Leif was wearing a dark green three-piece suit (the waistcoat had been a necessity from the outset) with a black dress shirt underneath. He had a green-and-gold striped tie. His helmet, even streamlined to almost just the horns, had seemed a tad much earlier, but now he was glad for it. Most of the people here had brought something distinctive about them, and the horns screamed “trickster god’s child” almost louder than actually yelling that while dancing to “I’m so happy to finally be back home” would. He had strengthened the spell across his features disallowing recognition. Here with this crowd, it was easier than ever before for someone to recognise him unless he ramped up his disguise.

Leif had taken no risks with the minimal weaponry rule- everything was brilliantly concealed. Aatsuk was communicating with him solely telepathically, and she was keeping herself invisible by illusion, and hardly moving from her position; which was as close to Leif as sensibly possible, in the hopes that no one would bump into her accidentally. Naturally he was ready to teleport away if any real fight started.

Leif had spoken to a good number so far, getting very little but lies from them, or possibly from the people on either side. He had managed a few truces of his own; just over half of which he was going to take seriously, and the rest he hardly saw the other party as capable to counter-act if he sabotaged their operations. The majority he spoke to had turned him down quickly.

He completely avoided a good number of people- including a woman in a simple black dress and a mask who he had no knowledge of.

Leif took up position on the opposite side of the hall as the numerous lies started making his hands physically ache too much to remain near them. He propped himself against the wall, diligently observing. Aatsuk was taking mental notes of who was- and wasn't- forming allegiances or truces successfully. One particular pair seemed to be lying incessantly, sending ripples up his spine from across the room; what about he was too far away to hear, and the intensity made it clear any approach would be distinctly painful.

As the young woman emerged he thought he had seen her mannerisms at some point earlier… but he couldn't place them. He snorted lightly at the “ladies and gentlemen” part. Her confidence in addressing the collection was a good sign that she had some genuine authority over the situation, rather implying she was responsible. He reached this conclusion before the end of the first of her statements. Good gods, he hoped that the Joker’s child wasn't going to be trusted with directing what seemed to be the majority of the villains in the country.

Melody didn't do too well at parties. It was strange, being the adoptive daughter of rich people, but big, dress-up parties were not places she liked to be. Small groups of people with a few drinks? She could definitely go for that. But dressing up, large crowds, and all this formality? She didn't like it. She'd wanted to go to the party in her Harley Quinn costume, but Josie had shut that down pretty quickly. So she was wearing a black dress and no make-up. The black dress wasn't as long or as formal as most of the ones other girls at the party was wearing, showing off her knees and a bit of her thigh. She definitely didn't do long formal dresses. Josie had given her dress a reluctant okay, however, so Melody was happy with it.

As if being at the party wasn't bad enough, Melody had seen almost nothing of her "date". Instead, Josie had gone and "mingled", not even bothering to introduce Melody to anyone. Melody had been lucky to get ten minutes with Josie, and had spent most of her time at the bar, angrily sipping glasses of champagne. She couldn't even get drunk, which almost made things worse. She was now standing around by herself, and despite her best efforts, she was projecting loneliness. She did want somebody to talk to, and wasn't even really bothering to hide it any more. She tapped her foot and sighed, downing another glass of champagne. 

But then Josie was suddenly on the balcony and talking, and Melody couldn't stop a faint smile appearing on her face. Oh yeah, the reason they were there. The gang or whatever. The League thing. She didn't think they needed a League. Her and Josie were causing enough injustice on their own. They didn't need other people distracting them from each other and that. And anyway, now that she knew where Josie was, she could get to her. She'd vaguely memorised the layout of the building from when they'd been setting up, and it only took her five minutes and two wrong turns to show up on the balcony behind Josie, where she grinned. 
"Hey," She said, partly to the crowd and partly to Josie, smoothing out the stupid skirt on the dress she was wearing. 

Some of the patrons looked at her, actually heard what she said. The buzz in the ballroom had slowly died down, though there was still a soft white noise of people talking. She didn't seem to actually mind that, though. Her eyes were drifting from person to person. She wanted to take each person's appearance in, see who had attended and who hadn't. Had she been smart enough, she would have hired a homo-magi to do an anti-cloaking spell or something. Considering some of the people here, she wasn't sure if they would genuinely listen to the whole 'minimal weapons' rule.

She was about to start her actual speech when her Harley came up beside her. She had been wondering where she had hidden herself. Josie smiled over at her, trying to keep a sense of fondness in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to strangle the little minx for coming up there and interrupting her. Oh, that stupid little blonde, how she hated her some days. No, not some days, most days. She wanted to show the girl her insides, but no, she didn't do that. She didn't do anything violent. Rather, she switched the hand that she was drinking with so that she could hook her arm with Melody's, her hand lightly touching the other blonde's. "Hello to you as well, little minx," she quietly said back. She didn't really care who heard, though she wasn't exactly trying to be heard. There would be no evading it from the ones in the room with beyond human hearing but she really didn't care. "I've been wondering just where you were."

She finished off her champagne and handed the empty glass to the clown on the balcony with her to take away before properly starting her little speech. "It is no secret just who I am. One look at my appearance and you can just assume. And if you can't, well... no, I'm not going to be rude. The whispers among you, trying to figure out why you're here, who sent for you, so precious you know. Almost laughable! Especially you lot thinking that this has to do with SHIELD. Oh, not even they could have planned something as absolutely brilliant as this!" She laughed, addressing her audience with a wonderfully twisted grin. "You see, unlike some of our supposed fathers and the ghosts of our past, I understand the usefulness and the necessity for cooperation. It's because of the lack of it in the past that people like Batman, Superman, The Green Lanterns have always been right on our tail, always ready to throw us away into their petty little jails and crummy mental asylums. But you know what? This is not our fathers era. Our fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, they betrayed us, betrayed their mantles, their namesakes to assist those who have always been one step ahead of them, those who have spent their lives trying to send them away so they couldn't see the light of day ever again. And what good did that do? Some died saving the very lives of those that they have always hated. Despicable, they have me disgusted and i'm sure there are some of you out there you know just how I feel." Her grin twisted into something reminisce a scowl and one could almost hear a growl in her voice. "But, we aren't them. No, we are better. We are stronger, we are smarter, and unlike them, we know how to learn from their mistakes. We just have to be willing to do something they could never do properly. I am not asking you to trust me, i am not asking you to like me, what I am asking you to do is listen to me, think about what I'm saying, and understand that, for the first time in history, we can make a partnership between the likes of us work. No cockiness or egos making us blind to our realities. No, the Injustice League is something that is needed, something we can do. Something we can make work. And with it, we can watch the entire world burn as those supposed heroes of planet, the galaxy, the universe tremble before. Because no one has ever been able to do what we can do. Now I ask you, who among you is sick and tired of those wretches ruining everything that we work so hard for, that the people we have replaced worked so hard to try and achieve? Who among us is ready for a new era of 'Villains'?"