"Welcome to Metropolis Miss Graves." said the chauffer who met her in the airport terminal. She nodded politely and then brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn. The chauffer offered a sympathetic smile as he took her bag, "Long flight, eh?"
"That it was." She said softly and fell into step beside him headed to the exit. "There were ghastly delays out of LAX.." she murmured.
"Well, I'll have you to the plaza in a flash so you can catch up on the R and R." He said cheerfully.
"You're an angel Paul." She said with a wry smile. They left the front doors amid the stream of people and walked to the sleek black limousine resting by the curb. The door was opened and she slipped into the comfortable dimly lit limo. The scent of new leather flooded her senses and she closed her eyes to take it in. Fourteen hours in the air was apparently just enough to upset her internal clock. She sighed and stretched her legs across the long seat then stole a glance at her watch. Before she could even debate a power nap her eyes had closed. They didn't open until she heard the click of the door handle as Paul opened it.
She sat up then took his outstretched hand and stepped out in front of the Plaza Hotel. Her accommodations were pre-arranged and for that she was grateful. She practically collapsed onto the bed in her suite and let her high heels slip off her feet while they dangled over the edge. She sighed contentedly and rolled onto her side. There was a lovely arrangement of roses, lilies, and orchids on the hall table. She smiled but the urge to go smell the flowers was completely overpowered by her fatigue.
About an hour later she woke feeling like a new person. A hot shower and a change of clothes only improved her mood further. She stood before the full length mirror running a soft brush through her long sun kissed hair. A satisfied smile crossed her face as she stared down her reflection. Indeed she was the picture of beauty, long and lean with pale blue eyes and wispy locks of chestnut hair that fell just past her waist. Normally she kept it pulled back in a loose braid but this evening she decided to let it hang unfettered. She wore a deep wine colored dress like it was made for her – which, of course it was.
The clock chimed softly and she left the mirror to pull on her coat. Before the chime had finished sounding the hour the door clicked softly shut behind and she was gone.
Lionel Luthor had spent the last twenty minutes on the phone bickering with his wayward son and he was coming dangerously close to losing his patience. He drummed his fingers on the edge of his desk as he listened. "It's not a request, Lex." He said firmly then listened for a moment. "Well we'll discuss it then." He said turning his leather chair and noticing a shadow in front of the frosted glass that lined the face of the room. "Alright. Alright. Well I'll see you then." He removed his headset then stood up and walked to the door.
"Always early aren't you?" he said with a smile as he opened the door to his guest.
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "Of course."
He embraced her gently then stepped back and smiled, admiring her. "My dear Mercy, you grow more beautiful each time I see you."
She smirked and ran a hand through her hair to smooth it back, "I think you're the most adroit flatterer I know."
"But you know I would never lie to you my dear." He chuckled lightly. "How was Tokyo?"
"Enlightening, beautiful, crowded, modern, busy, lonely...It's good to be back." She smiled.
"Well you must regale me wit the tales of your exploits over dinner." He grinned and turned to get his coat. "Do you still like Italian food?" he asked as he pulled it over his shoulders.
Mercy nodded, "Sounds great. I can't bring myself to touch food on a plane and I'm starving." She pushed the office door and held it as he followed her out into the hall. The walked side by side down the long hall to the elevators. "So, what's the news in Metropolis?" she asked, watching the numbers above the elevator doors light up one by one.
"Business as usual." He shrugged and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "All of the interesting developments are popping up out of town."
She arched a brow and cast a sidelong glance at him. "Oh?"
He nodded, "I've taken on an interesting project or two. I may require some of your expertise if you're up to it."
They stepped into the elevator as the doors opened and turned to face the doors as it made the long trip down. "What aspects of my expertise would you require?" she asked staring straight ahead and watching their reflections in the metal doors.
"Several of them, but primarily the linguistic and investigative aspects." She fell silent as the numbers above the door flashed but suddenly he blinked in surprise. He suddenly turned to look at her, then to the reflection and back. He chuckled and shook his head, "My God, you've gotten tall." He exclaimed.
She stifled a laugh and simply smiled. It was true, she was hardly twenty and stood a hair under six feet tall. She'd been the same height since she was sixteen but he found an excuse to point it out every time she visited.
"It's great to have you back in Metropolis." He said in a suddenly serious tone.
The elevator doors opened with a resounding ding. "It's great to be here."