Some say that the night is darkest before the dawn. To the pessimist it represented the time when the world was swallowed by an oppressive curtain of darkness and hope seemed lost. To the optimist it represented the time when the darkness had reached its peak and would quickly lose its power to the warm rays of the sun.
Peter Fleming considered himself to be a realist. He had always been an early riser and cherished the pre dawn hours as time to work without interruption. He considered darkness an old friend, perhaps it was because the darkness of the world outside the glass and steel of his empire mirrored the darkness that shrouded his own soul. In these few hours between night and dawn, he felt normal, whole, and at peace. A peace that would disappear behind a façade as the harsh rays of the morning sun began to rise above the eastern horizon.
He turned away from the glass wall and moved over to the large glass desk set into the back half of the room. His usual croissant and espresso sat waiting for him beside the morning paper. Steam wisped from the espresso as he picked up the small cup and saucer and turned back to the view beyond the windows. Palm City. The pitiful little piece of sand swept beachfront which he had chosen as his test bed for launching his massive security corporation. His plan had been successful. He had convinced the citizens of the city that their police and justice systems were corrupt and were better off privatized, under his control. What better resume than a city without crime? He had manipulated them like a grand master until every last piece had been played and the city had fallen under his control. Like a chess game.
A small smile twisted at the corners of his thin aristocratic mouth as he sipped the coffee. He relished the bitter taste as his quick mind began to review his plans for the next step of the expansion of his growing empire. Gone were the days when work had to be sought after, when contracts were few and far between. Now kings and rulers came to his door seeking his help and throwing money at his feet. As long as his reputation remained intact, the world was his for the taking. The darkness in him relished at the chance to exercise power over more than just the weak citizens of Palm City. They had been fun for a little while, but he was quickly becoming bored, particularly of the inability of his men to capture and destroy the caped nuisance that had become a thorn in his side. He would see The Cape destroyed. He was only a man after all, a man playing superhero.
Fleming paused as he sensed a change in the room. He remained still for a moment, calmly finishing his coffee, before turning a moving back toward the desk. He settled into the large chair as his dark eyes swept the room discretely, lingering on the shadowed corners of the room. The Cape had succeeded in invading his sanctum once before. Since then he had added extra security measures. Not that he was afraid; no….it just would not do for the head of a multibillion dollar security corporation to be caught unawares on his own turf. It would be bad for business. He activated the tablet on the desk and crossed his legs as he leaned back nonchalantly into the chair. One hand moved to rest on a silk pajama clad knee…beneath a button set under the ledge of the desk.
"Are you planning to lurk in the dark all night, or did you have something you would like to say?" he remarked coolly as he scrolled through his itinerary for the day. He forced his face to remain devoid of emotion and his wiry frame to remain relaxed as a shadow separated from the darkness and moved closer.
"Hello, Chess." An accented voice mocked lightly.
A frown twitched at the edges of Fleming's mouth as he raised his eyes to meet the man standing before him. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I think it is time you leave, or if you wish I could have my security team show you the way out." A thin manicured finger reached up to rest on the cool surface of the button.
The man tipped his head with a low chuckle. "That won't be necessary. I have an offer for you, one that I believe you will find…interesting."
Fleming returned his gaze to the tablet and continued to scroll through the document on the screen. "I highly doubt it." He frowned slightly as his eyes rested on the events for that night. Oh, yes, the gala. He had forgotten about that. What a nuisance maintaining one's public image could be.
"I need your assistance in a small matter. All you need to do is lighten your security at the museum tonight."
Fleming raised his eyes sharply to find the man was now lounging on the couch set off to the side, closer to the windows. "Why ever would I do that?" he remarked dryly.
A flash of white teeth came from the shadows as the man grinned. "Because I can offer you something worth more than the reputation of your precious company."
Fleming's thin face pinched as he weighed his options. The man annoyed him greatly and a simple press of a button would rid him of the nuisance. However, the man showed guts and perhaps could provide a bit of relief from the boredom he had been recently plagued with. "What could you possibly offer me that I don't already have and what would be worth more to me than my company's reputation?"
The man's grin grew wider if possible as he leaned back into the couch and propped his feet up on the expensive glass coffee table before him. "What every man searches for but few ever find."
"And what is that, pray tell?" Fleming asked dryly.
"Immortality."