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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2015 22:16:26 GMT -6
The time was nearly right. Things were, well they were certainly something with Joker. He didn't trust her, but she didn't trust him either so it worked out in the grand scheme. But he also had numerous business to get ready to open. He was shooting for a massive opening party where each place opened on the same time. He would have to wait to get into New York though. One one hand they had a large influx of clubs and there was still some form of Kingpin operating there and he currently wasn't ready to go toe to toe with them. However he did have a few gang allies there so when he did act he was ready.
But now he was working on the Wonderland Nightclub in Metropolis. Things were coming a long perfectly. Well his first decorator didn't seem to truly comprehend his vision. However when things were said and done, and a solid dose of persuasion, things were back on track. But now he was ready to reunite with his beloved Tessa. He had been watching her for some time, also wasn't a fan of what he'd seen. But he knew she thought he was dead so he couldn't fault her too terribly for trying to live a normal life. But that would be over, they could be together again and he'd have his Alice. Because he knew she'd join him, they were destined to be together.
He'd posed as just another anonymous person hiring her. She'd been told to report to the officially unnamed and unopened night club. He'd used the ruse of needing extra security. Not to mention he promised her an insane amount of money, half when she agrees and the other half when the club opened. Of course security was certainly nothing that he'd ever had an issue with. Between his cards and other members, plus his own training he was never concerned. He was prepared for everything and had given his Cards and other Empire members the night off. Cheshire he knew was likely around here somewhere, like always. Lewis was wearing his finest green and blue suit with matching tophat. He had a large table set out for the two of them. His finest tea service, finest alcohol, great food, he was ready. He also knew which way she'd be coming from and had a large light set up in front of him, plunging him into relative darkness and making it harder for her enhanced senses to see him. He heard the door open as he sipped from his tea cup, smiling.
"Please, come in."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 23:21:43 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health The call had come in, and as usual, she let it go to voicemail. It took a special set of number for her to actually pick up the phone and talk to the person on the other end. She hadn’t actually picked up her work phone, and talked to the people the hired her on the initial call in months. She use to pick it up all the time, but it was far easier to just ignore the call when she didn’t want the job than to tell them ‘no’. Some people took it a little too personally when you told them ‘no’ over the phone as opposed to letting them believe you just never got the message. This call was...intriguing to say the least. Mostly because of the size of the pay in comparison to the foretold amount of work she was going to have to do. Usually she would assume it was a set up, but there was something, something she couldn’t put her finger on that made her need to know more. She scouted the location she was told to come to hours before she was to arrive. There was a bustle of activity around the building. Land and building paper work on file had indicated that it had a liquor licence along other documents needed for a club to open in Metropolis. But there were no signs, no light on the outside. There was no name on file either. Tessa had perched herself in a vacant top floor of a tall building to watch the so to be night club. Men, oddly dressed, seemed to be setting something up in the main room. Probably for the meeting tonight. It was a long table, and on to that table went tea pots and tea cups and the like. ”Four O’clock, time for tea,” she mumbled to herself under her breath. Her golden eyes riveted on the building hundreds are yards off in the distance. ”Table set beneath the tree. Now it’s four, time to pour. Tea beneath the tree for...three?” A small smile crept over her face as she remembered the little song from the Alice in Wonderland musical her middle school put on once. She rose slowly from her perch and went home, the normal way. No flying.
The time was right...right on time. Tessa didn’t like being early to these things. The people who had a tendency to hire her could be rather skittish about people arriving before they were suppose to. On the other hand, to arrive late would just be rude, and that would never bode well for future business relations. So she walked through the doors, exactly when she was suppose to. She’d decided to not dress quite so….formally as if on an actual job. Right now, she wanted to seem open to talks. She paused in the doorway, taking everything in. She knew she was meeting with the Mad Hatter, but he’d kept his face cleverly hidden for the hours she’d spent crouched on her window ledge. ”I see it’s tea for two, not three,” said, her voice devoid of emotion. She also didn’t move any further into the room, her green eyes scanning every inch of it. | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2015 21:58:16 GMT -6
Lewis sat back in his chair calmly going over some paperwork. Nothing too major, simply cost reports for the various clubs as well as some profit reports of the various gangs. There was still nothing on Joker's Gang, but that was fine. He'd give her time to get situated. Plus he currently didn't have a lot happening in Gotham. Gotham was still controlled by various mobs and what not. He needed to eliminate them. They wouldn't buy in and he wouldn't trust them anyways.They operated on a different system and he didn't like them. However the doors opened and he realized she was right on time. He pulled out McTwist, his pocket watch and verified the time.
"Right on time Miss Anderson, just as always."
He said with a smile before motioning towards the empty chair beside him. He knew her well, or was pretty sure he did. The chair was close enough to see him, without the light that is. But enough so she could prepare for any attack, draw whatever weapon she had on her and also stay out of reach. Not only that the back of the chair was to a wall.
"C'mon Buttercup, we don't have all day."
He said with a laugh before grabbing a cigarette and lighting it. He knew the name would instantly give her a little memory. He'd purposely changed his voice slightly, just enough to be familiar. He was curious how she'd respond and had gone over this numerous times in his head. So far he was split. She'd either hug and kiss him or shoot him. A few times it was both but there was really only way to find out.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 13:11:40 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health Tessa made not move towards the chair. It was too close, and she couldn’t see behind the light. She wasn’t about to go anywhere near him. He’d motioned towards the chair, which only made her move her right leg out to shoulder width and put her arms behind her back, a clear sign that she would stand unless forced to sit down. ”Of course I’m on time Hatter. I don’t like to keep clients waiting. However, you should know that I don’t knowingly work with, or for people with your kind of rumors flying around.” She was just about to turn and leave when he spoke again. She swore her blood literally ran cold. Her hand began to shake as she fought hard to keep her memories straight. The past in the past and the present before her. ”How...do you know...that name,” she said, through gritted teeth. The sudden influx of stress brought on a deep desire to drink, and she could now strongly smell the booze on the table as if beckoned to her. She clenched her hands into fists, feeling her nails dig into her palms. The last time she’d heard that name was the day before it all happened. This wasn’t happening. How had the Mad Hatter gotten a hold of that nickname. | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 21:52:40 GMT -6
He laughed lightly at her comment about rumors. He personally paid little to no mind to them. Mainly because he knew they were only half truths. How did he know they were half truths? Well half of them he'd started and most of those spawned other rumors and so forth. But he did try to keep track of the main ones that came around and wasn't too concerned about most of them.
"Rumors, rumors, rumors. Everyone has rumors about them. I've heard a handful about you myself dear. But I am curious as to the ones you've heard about me. Would that be the ones about drug running and people smuggling? Or some claiming I'm following in the same footsteps as my father? Not a fan of those ones."
He said shaking his head. He took a drag of his cigarette and noticed the name stick. It had the effect he'd wanted and he was a fan of it. She'd reacted the way he'd expected her to and now was the time to continue the fun. No, he had to remind himself, this wasn't fun. This was serious, this was his Buttercup, his Tessa.
"Oh, I have an answer to that."
He said before leaning on the cane and standing up. He groaned, his knee was killing him, as it always was. Of course he hadn't been drinking as much as he usually did to ease the pain. He had wanted to be more sober for when it happened.
"I'm just hoping you don't shoot me. Been shot enough for one life."
He said stepping out from the light. The light was tipped to shine up and filled the room with more light, making it easier to see him again. He didn't say anything, just eased into it. He knew saying something would ruin it, or likely make it worse.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2015 23:09:01 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health Waves of unwanted emotions swarmed over her, threatening to take her down. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. This couldn’t be happening. This just wasn’t possible. Some how the Mad Hatter had found out Dean’s nickname for her. She didn’t know how, and a part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. What would that get her but reopened wounds. Wounds that weren’t fully closed in the first place. Wounds that may never be completely healed, but for now, at least they weren’t bleeding like waterfalls like in the past. ”I don’t think you are following in the same footsteps as your father, even if I’m not completely debriefed on what the footsteps are,” Tessa said, with half a wise ass smirk. Her smile dropped when he stood up. Her hand flashed behind her, reaching for a hidden knife. She didn’t draw it, simply grasped the handle and waited. One of her feet slide back into a fight or flight stance, depending on what happened next. The man that had become the Mad Hatter stepped out from the in front of the light, and the flood light was swiveled up. She tensed her muscles and pulled the knife half way out of its sheath. She never got further than that because of the face that met her gaze. ”You’re dead,” she heard herself say from some distant place. Her mouth had also suddenly become very dry, her voice hoarse and nearly a whisper. The handle of the knife in her hand, her hand, and the arm it was attached to was forgotten behind her as she just stared at him. What was this….this thing before her. It couldn’t be Dean. She’d seen him get shot. She’d watched the man she loved be killed with her own eyes. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Tessa’s emotional dam broke, and it all came flooding over her like a spring flood that had been held back too long. ”You’re dead. I watched her die.” She didn’t notice the rockets of pain shooting up her thighs as her knees hit the floor when they buckled under her. She couldn’t hardly feel the tears streaming down her face. This was not the careful facade she had constructed for herself over the last few years. This was the mess she’d been right when it happened and the year after. She could hear the gun shots in her head. No, they were right next to her. Her head turned towards them, and her body flinched with each shot, sending her backwards until she was sitting on the heels of her boots. She didn’t look at Hatter. She was looking at the body of Dean that only she could see as she whispered, ”You’re dead.” Both of her hands were not at her side, and the black knife clattered to the floor, but she never heard it. | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 0:48:47 GMT -6
"Trust me, that's a rabbit hole no one should ever go down. I myself haven't investigated, just in case the rumors are true. I mean sure my father was a terrible man but that's an entirely different matter."
He said with a light laugh. He didn't like thinking about his father's very messed up legacy. Primarily because it was full of failed villain attempts and pedophilia. He wasn't sure about the pedophilia, but he understood the assumptions. The man did kidnap young girls and sometimes brainwash them. He sometimes wondered about his own mother, but that usually faded. He killed his father to keep those memories buried forever. Let his mother move on with her life, hopefully with no memories of what had happened. Lewis was fine with that. He didn't need a mother, he'd survived this long without one.
However seeing her collapse was not even close to what he'd wanted. He recognized the symptoms of a flash back, he had them constantly. They usually hit him when he was sober, which was why he didn't stay sober for long. He reached out and took a swig of his tea cup and sighed. Feeling that familiar ease move over him he knew he'd be ok. No flashbacks just yet.
"I thought I was dead myself."
He said removing his hat and pulling back some hair to reveal the scar. He hated the scar and usually kept it hidden as best he could. Of course occasionally it came out, which usually ended in death. Only a special handful of people had seen the scar and lived, those he trusted.
"The bullet missed anything mostly useful. Sure when I woke up in that mass grave I had no idea what was happening. Any recent memories were gone."
He said before sitting down in the chair, sighing. He began to rub his aching knee. Standing never ended well for him.
"Please, sit down and I'll explain everything. Yes I was pretty much left for dead, but I got better."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 23:27:20 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health She tugged and tugged, but Tessa just wouldn’t come free of the flashback. It was always like she wanted to be there, in the past, even if she was watching Dean die again and again. She pulled one last time on Tessa, feeling her start to slide, slide back towards the world of the living, so to speak. It was like trying to pull an angry mountain lion from a tar pit. Tessa fell forward, catching herself with her hands, ending up on her hands and knees. She gulped in air as though she’d been holding her breath. She took two big, gasping gulps of air before getting control of herself. She was rather embarrassed by this loss of control on her part, but it had happened and she couldn’t undo it. She rocked back on her heals, using it as an opportunity to reach behind her and pick up her fallen knife. She tucked it back into the hidden holster under her shirt as she stood up. ”What do you want from me Hatter,” she hissed. Tessa really wanted a drink from that table, but that would mean getting closer to that thing that claimed to be Dean. She was also, very clearly refusing to believe anything he said. Okay, so some how he knew Dean’s nickname for her. Maybe Dean mentioned it to someone outside the unit while on leave and drunk sometime. ”And Dean died. I know, because NEVER would have left him for dead without dying trying to get to him.” She swayed for a moment before regaining her balance. The smell of the booze was like gold to a pirate. | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 14:03:10 GMT -6
"Well for starters I want you to call me Lewis. But, I do have a lot to explain."
He said with a sigh. He figured he'd go slow and simple, and hopefully she wouldn't have a complete mental break down and lose everything. Of course he knew that was pretty much a losing battle. But he would try and help her through it and help her come back to him. He just wanted to put things somewhat back to normal.
"Technically Dean never existed Buttercup. I chose the name after I tried to turn my back on my heritage. As you can see, didn't quite pan out."
He said shaking his head. Lewis was learning he'd never actually turn his back on his family. He would've ended up as the Mad Hatter in some form or another. He always did enjoy hats.
"The name came from the male version of Dinah, Alice's cat. I then went into the service, trying to do some good. But what we did over there was far from good. My father may have been an evil psycho but at least he admitted to being evil."
He said downing his drink and refilling his tea cup.
"They assumed I was dead. After all the torturing and then being shot in the head they thought I was dead. Those idiots couldn't find a pulse and just assumed I was dead. They dumped me in that pit with the rest of our squad and then moved on. However, I survived, obviously."
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2015 12:09:02 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health Tessa took a tentative step towards the table, and then another. It took some time, but she finally eased into the chair that was furthest from...The Mad Hatter. In her head she absolutely refused to call him Lewis, or any other name other than Hatter. She reached for a bottle of booze and a cup, pulling them close to her quickly, as though he was a leper or something equally as contagious. ”I’m not calling you Lewis, Hatter,” she said firmly. He kept on talking and talking. She didn’t remember Dean doing that. Just blabbering on as if whatever he was saying was clearly the most important thing being said. ”Would you just shut up?! I don’t give two shits...hell I don’t even give one shit about where Dean came from. And our squad did good. I made sure of it.” She had made sure. Her squad had no idea how many times she’d been threatened with a court martial because she’d refused to bully or intimidate some local village leader. Near the end, before everything went to shit, they’d stopped asking her to do those sorts of things because...well quite frankly, her way actually worked, usually. There was always going to be a radical you just couldn’t bloody reasons with, but most of the local leaders didn’t want to live under some warlords rule. She poured herself a drink, and downed it in one swing before pouring herself two more in a row, making them disappear in the same manner. She poured the third one, but let it sit. ”Something lived, but it’s not the you I know. Now, what. The Hell. Do you want.” | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 23:19:24 GMT -6
Ok, so things were going terribly. He needed to rethink everything. So far of all his meetings this one was going the worst. But then again that was primarily because he wanted it to go so well. Quickly his idea of a romantic and heartfelt reunion was fading before his eyes. But no, no he wouldn't let that happen. This was his Tessa, his Buttercup. Perhaps he should've gone to her right away. Well, no sense being concerned about that now. He'd just need to turn this around. She was angry, rightfully so.
"You're right. I'm sorry Tessa. But I was more referring to our over all presence there. Sure we were eliminating war lords. But we also spent a good amount of time just protecting the oil fields for the rich. How many fellow soldiers died so the rich could stay rich? But perhaps this is a discussion for another time. I try not discussing politics when drinking. I've found fights usually break out."
He said with a laugh. Ok, so likely his attempt to ease the situation would fail miserably, but he could try. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and a minuscule shake of the head was all it took to ensure nothing bad happened.
"What I want is simple. I want to offer you a job. Be my Alice and sit at my side. The job is simple and pays well. After all, what's a Mad Hatter without Alice by his side?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2015 16:16:11 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health He apologized. That simple act; small act made her feel calmer. Perhaps it was because he sounded less like some crazy guy playing at being a villain, and more like the soldier she’d fallen for over a sappy song sung at a bar. She looked at him slowly. Could some part of the man she knew be buried in there somewhere? She was tempted to just flip the switch from being pissed off to nice and sweet, but she just couldn’t. It was like there was a mental block, or a moral block that was preventing her from doing it. She just couldn’t bring herself to con the man she’d once loved. ”Well. We can’t be heroes all the time. Guess that’s why we were the army, and not a superhero team.” Even she had to smile at that. She’d basically become a mercenary and he’d taken on the mantle of his father, who was a villain. ”Really not heroes at all.”Once he said what he wanted, she swirled her drink around for a moment, took a sip, and then looked up at him. ”You know me pretty well, right? What makes you think my answer would be yes?” | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 22:34:17 GMT -6
He sensed a weakening in her resolve. Perhaps she was coming back around. He knew the Tessa he loved was in there, under all that anger. The war had changed everyone, most not for the better. Tessa had become withdrawn and anger, something he was becoming very aware of. Meanwhile Lewis himself had gone mildly insane from the near death experience. Well ok so maybe he wasn't mildly insane and it wasn't exactly near death either. He should've died but for whatever reason Death didn't want him just yet. He knew he'd gotten close to her touch and had no desire to get any closer. Well, until he got more accomplished.
"True Buttercup, true. We weren't the heroes the world knew, but perhaps the ones needed at the time. But now our tour is over and here we are, just trying to make the best with whatever life we've been handed."
He said shaking his head. He sipped his gin from his cup and looked over at her. She was right, she would not join him if he was the villain some claimed. Which he wasn't, he wasn't the same villain his father was. Did he do things that were illegal? Yes. Did he ally with known criminals and villains? Yes, however only for his own sake. He knew allying with some like Joker would only benefit him in the long run. However, not too long. No, their alliance would eventually come to an end and it would be war.
"I do know you quite well actually. Or at least I believed I did, but I'm fairly certain I'm right. But anyways, I believe you'll say yes because you said you loved me. Plus I know you're a good person deep down, which is what I need. I need a moral compass, a conscience. Plus getting to spend time with you state side, well what sane man would say no?"
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 22:26:44 GMT -6
Give up, we needed the c o m p a n y Let's drink to your health Tessa had actually known since she walked through the door what her answer was going to be, and it really had nothing to do with that ‘Lewis’ was saying. Did any of it help? Maybe. For a while she’d been very concerned that this other persona had completely taken over the man she once knew. Knowing that there was even just the chance of there being a spark of Dean in there gave her enough hope to go through with her agreement. What agreement you might ask? After she got the phone call, the one that turned out to be from Lewis, Tessa got a little visit from S.H.I.E.L.D. They wanted her to infiltrate Lewi’s organization. Well at first it was just another job. Get in close with some nut job and take him down. Then it turned into, infiltrate some nut jobs gang who had her old lover’s face and take him down. Now that she had this feeling, it seemed more about saving a man she use to love than informing on someone. Of course she still had a duty to fulfil to S.H.I.E.L.D. and she would do it. ”So, Lewis, what happens next if I say ‘yes’?” She lifted one of the tea cup to her lips, taking a good long drink of whatever was inside it while waiting for his answer. | | |
NOTES: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 13:44:16 GMT -6
She was interested, that was all he cared about. She hadn't fully turned it away, meaning that she wanted to hear more and was curious. As she asked more, looking for more information he couldn't help but smile. Sure he should probably try to hide it but he couldn't. Once he got his memory back this was all he had cared about. Finding his beloved Tessa and reuniting with her. Now he nearly had it. She would be by his side as he created an empire that would rival that of the Kingpin himself.
"Should you say yes, you'd come work with me."
He said with a smile. He was careful to say 'with' and not 'for'. Primarily because he knew there was a chance she'd run at the idea of working for him. She was always strong and independent. Despite the fact the worked for people randomly she likely saw herself as self employed. Most might disagree with that but he'd let it go, for now.
"You'd help me run my empire and my chain of clubs and lounges. You'll be by my side in all business ventures. You'll be the voice of reason and a conscience. My Jiminy Cricket, to use another story. Naturally you'll get a solid cut of everything. I know I might come off as odd or crazy but I do very well for myself. I mean sure the money will fluctuate month to month, like any business, but on average you should be just north of 200 K a month. Nothing too amazing, just a partner to keep me on the straight and narrow."
Ok, so he likely wouldn't mention the drugs, weapons and people he ran out of most of the clubs. For all she knew he'd employ local gangs to keep his businesses safe. Which was partially true. He just also happened to use them for other aspects of his business.
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