Hey all. I know, I'm not posting under the usual story. Don't worry, the PennySheldon Relationship Paradigm will be continuing, but this story just didn't seem to fit in there, based on its length and the fact it's so AU. All the regular guys will be in here, I promise.
This is based on the song Mr Mysterious by Vanessa Amorosi and is a pretty good song. As for disclaimers, I don't own TBBT, any characters from said show, any Marvel characters that have been mentioned, the Time Warp or the newspaper. Nor do I own lightsabers, Romulans
Anyways, read and review like always and have a good day guys!
Mr Mysterious, Mr Mysterious, Mr Mysterious
Penny stood at the bar and sighed. As she stirred her cosmopolitan with the straw, sending the orange slice into a spinning vodka- cranberry vortex, she scanned the room. All around her people were dressed in fancy dress for the newspaper's annual Halloween party. She looked down at her Wonder Woman costume and glanced up as her supervisor ran past in a naughty nurse outfit. It wasn't like her to feel so self conscious, but this costume didn't leave much to the imagination. Even compared to the nurse.
As she pulled on the hem of the tiny top to cover herself up more, she silently cursed last year's party. Well, not the whole party, she corrected herself. Just the mysterious guy from last year's bash. The one who had been dressed as Spiderman. The one who had convinced her (at least subconsciously) to dress in Superhero garb this year.
Downing the rest of her drink, she headed for the dance floor, it had to be nearing ten. The same time she had met him last year. He had tapped her on the shoulder and told her that her pirate costume was historically incorrect- for starters they hadn't had plastic beads for jewellery making. After staring at him for five minutes until she had finally cut off his lecture, Penny was a little ashamed to admit she hadn't known who he was. She thought she had known everyone at the Tribute. That being said, there had been massive changes since the death of the CEO a few months ago. Shame. She had liked the man. He had been the one to give a girl from Omaha a chance. Not very men were like him.
I saw you, I saw you
in the middle of the night
In the night there was two
there was two of us
to share in a glare, in a glare
how nice of you to share
what we had till you disappeared at the end of the night
asking around and around
did you see what just went down
what went down I think he,
he maybe was the one
but I let, let him get, let him get away
now I'm back now I'm back to the start where I was before
As she scanned the crowd around her, all of them dancing to the Time Warp, she searched for the tall man from last year's party. She was kind of hoping to see Spiderman, exactly as she remembered him. Her head fell a little when after five minutes, she had to admit defeat. She was just fighting past her best friend Bernadette and the creepy mailman Howard (who were far too close... Eww) when there was the familiar tap on the shoulder.
Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap.
She turned around, far too quickly to keep her balance and staggered forward. A pair of lean, yet strong forearms caught her and swiftly put her back on her feet.
"Luckily the real Wonder Woman had more balance". He breathed a breathy laugh.
"Well, I'm lucky I had my Batman here to save me" Penny shouted over the music.
He broke into a smile underneath the mask and Penny knew she had found the one she was looking for. His blue eyes sparkled under the lights and she knew they would be better in the morning... If it got that far.
"Would you like a drink?" He offered.
"Yeah, that would be great thanks."
As they left the floor to grab drinks, he grasped Penny's hand in his and she swore she could feel the sparks all the way down her arm.
When I get out, I get out
Mr Mysterious, has got me so serious
Now I'm delirious,
I try and try to just move on
but all I do is play this song
when I get outside the house
out the house not to work
I'll be looking for a guy, that I saw, that I saw
In the middle of the night, yes the night
but for some silly reason he got away
no, said no ,no, no I don't really have a clue
what he's like who's to know, but I'm sure he'll be the one
of a kind, of a one that I'd really like to keep
but it's all just a distant memory I talk about
"I don't know who he was Dette. All I know is I woke up with a massive hangover this morning and only a dim memory of what his smile looks like."
"Wow, that sucks. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help... I was a little busy" Bernadette laughed.
"Ugh, please don't remind me. The last time I had a nice conversation with Howard was when... Actually, I don't remember the last time."
"He's really quite nice when you get to know him."
"Yeah, and I'm sure Romulans are too." Penny muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. All I know is that I've spent every spare second today trying to spot him. At reception on the way in, in the lift, every time I go to the cafeteria. It's getting kind of ridiculous."
"You know what is getting ridiculous?"
"What?"
"You are playing this song over and over. Seriously. "Mr Mysterious"? Way to get to crazy town Pen."
"Oh, sorry." Penny turned to her iPod and clicked the click wheel until the song became background noise. "Better?"
"Muchly, thank you. Anyways, how do you even know he's a reporter? He might be from circulation, accounts, the lawyers..."
"I don't know. I guess I just do. Oh, here comes your mailman. I better get going."
Penny picked up her coffee mug and quickly exited the stall before Howard came over. There was just something about him. He gave her the wiggens.
As she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee she glanced out of the internal window to the cafeteria and gasped. There he was! His long arms were holding a copy of that morning's paper and his eyes were intently scanning the page. His eyes were so blue in the light of the morning and his small snicker at an article he was reading was a small scale of the smile Penny had grown to love. Her stomach did a little internal flip.
A crash brought her back to reality and she realised she had dropped her coffee mug.
"Oh, shoot!" She hastily bent to pick up the fragments and was met with a second set of hands helping her. Looking up she saw the hopeful face of Leonard, the intern from down the hall smiling at her.
"I suppose the inter office parties would make anyone a little fuzzy in the morning" he half joked. Penny just smiled. She stood and looked out of the little window.
He was gone. The paper was left on the table.
She sighed. Leonard stood up and looked in her direction.
"Problem?"
"No. Just... No. Don't worry about it."
She dumped the broken mug into the trash and grabbed a wash cloth and wiped up the spill.
As she rinsed the cloth in the sink, she again became aware that Leonard was still watching her.
"Can I help you with something Leonard?"
"Oh!" He put his hand in his pocket and withdrew a note. "I was just told to give you this." He handed over the note and his hand brushed against Penny's. For a little longer than a normal brush would take. She looked at him and he at least had the maturity to look embarrassed.
"So, did you like the party? I thought it was ok, but the number of people who showed up as police officers and doctors was incredible. I mean, have a bit of originality. My Frodo costume took me days to put together, it's not like I put on a lab coat and went "Look, I'm a doctor!"".
"That's nice Leonard." Penny muttered. "Look, I have to go ok?"
"Oh... Ok. Have a nice day Penny!"
"Yeah. Bye."
Penny ran the entire length of the hall back to her desk. She had to tell Bernadette.
Mr Mysterious Use my periferrals, keep it original Now I ain't the kind You need it you get it you got it
has got me so serious
now I'm delirious,
I try and try to just move on
but all I do is play this song
saw mammi shaking it up on the floor
no, not the minimal maxed out the rhythm till
every guy creeped up & wanted her more
to come from behind
and wade through the he-said she-said and rest
I'm taking my time
and maybe she'll find
me playing the back when she sorts through the mess
and then when you got it you won't even want it
I been down this road every sign just says stop it
but like an obsession can't keep myself off it
"So, he wrote you a note..."
"...Yes"
"... And now you're going to meet him somewhere"
"... Yes"
"... But he didn't give you a number or a name or anything?"
"... Nope!"
"You're insane you know that? What if he's a psycho killer?"
"Then the paper should do a better job of screening applicants."
"Seriously Pen. Not good."
"Oh relax Dette! It'll be in a public place, there will be witnesses if he tries to kidnap me."
Bernadette sighed and turned off her computer. Next to her, Penny was carefully applying mascara to her eyes.
Since the arrival of the note, she had read it and re-read it a million times. She could recite it by memory now, but it didn't stop her from wondering what his name was and glancing back at it every five minutes. It was doubly annoying since she could put a face to the guy. All she had seen since she got back to her desk was those amazing blue eyes, if she closed her eyes she could imagine him staring at her like she was the newspaper he had happened to be scrutinising.
"Are we ready to go ladies? I need to lock up."
Penny looked up and smiled at the security guard. A nice guy named Raj; he had always been pleasant to her, even walking her to her car after a long day.
"Sure thing, Raj. Just give us a minute will you?"
"Not a problem, I'll wait by the front doors." He smiled and walked off, swinging his night baton like a lightsaber. The guy was just too adorable sometimes.
"Ok, so read it again." Bernadette sighed.
"No need, it's all up here" Penny laughed. "It said: Dear Wonder Woman. As much as I enjoy our dalliances at the annual Halloween party, it would be nice to see you in a non work capacity. I fear certain things would ruin the opportunity for me to introduce myself to you in the office, so I am inviting you for a few drinks after work. The address is below. Hope to see you around 7. From, Batman."
"Well, at least it's a bar downtown. Not much he can do there in an insane way."
"True." Penny laughed.
" Goodnight ladies. Would any of you like an escort to your cars?"
"No thanks Raj. We're fine. See you tomorrow."
He smiled and bolted the doors behind the girls and disappeared behind his desk for the night.
As Penny walked to her car, she began to feel nervous. What if he wasn't what she expected? What if it was the other way around?
As she unlocked her door and got in behind the wheel, she relaxed.
"No." She told herself. "This thing is the real deal. There's something there."
We're lost in the game Mr Mysterious
no numbers no names
all this anonymity turns up the heat
conventional ways
don't cut it these days
diggin' the way that you rockin' this beat
has got me so serious
now I'm delirious,
I try and try to just move on
but all I do is play this song
Somewhere in a bar in downtown Pasadena, Sheldon Cooper, the new owner of the Tribune sat down waiting for his Wonder Woman. As he played with his blackberry and the Cosmo he had ordered for Penny, he wondered if she was coming. He knew now might not be the best time to reveal himself, after all he was her boss now, but he knew she felt the same.
After all, the hero always peeks.