Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
It was funny, how light her suitcase really was. Even the attendant who offered help seemed confused by how airy the case felt, as if there was almost nothing in the soft rolling box. Truthfully there were some clothes in the case, a few toiletries, and her new cookbook, but that was a drop in the ocean of emptiness in her suitcase. Alexandera picked a seat towards the back of the flight, it wouldn't be a long one, but she'd rather not deal with the throngs of people when the flight landed. Metropolis was a short flight away, but prior experience taught the Chef to hunker down and get as comfortable as possible. Her "new" phone was hooked up to a cushy set of earbuds, her choice of music downloaded when she went home on Christmas day. After The Joker's little stunt with the carnival ride, Alexandera spent a small, ruckus filled night and morning with Gotham's Finest. Harley had ensured the night went well, with the help on some bourbon she had stolen from months ago. Edward, in his usual holier-than-thou attitude had gifted the Chef with a new phone he built, stating her's was way too old, and how he wasn't sure how it still worked. She was sure there was some unseemly programs in the phone. The Chef figured she'd spend a night searching hard core porn just to see how he reacted the next time she saw him, when she got back. Jonathon, in a surprising turn of events, had also gifted her with something of his own creation. An inconspicuous bottle of pepper spray, filled with a mild fear toxin. She was sure he was hoping that if she used it, she might inhale some herself, but the gift itself may come in handy in the future. Despite her unofficial status as Joker turf, you never knew what could happen in Gotham. The biggest surprise came an hour before sunrise. When Bird Brain himself showed up.
It was tense when he waddled in, dressed impeccably in a pressed suit, flanked by a towering body guard in an ill fitting, too tight suit, and a smartly dressed brunette in a button down shirt and black pencil skirt. Alexandera sat on the ground, legs half crossed with the bottle of liquor held in her hand, arm resting on her bent up knee, Harley playing with her hair, eyeing the Penguin heavily. Joker strode up to greet the squat man, walking a few strides with his long legs, shaking his hand with so much vigor that Cobblepot looked as if he had been lifted up into the air. Alexandera made a show of ignoring the two men, playing her next chess move against Crane, loosing spectacularly. The three Rouges circling her shared a look without the Chef's knowledge, knowing her distain for the former Rouge. Cobblepot made his way next to Alexandera, waiting somewhat patiently as she prolonged her next move, though she knew she had lost already. With her King in check, she finally looked to the man, taking a sloppy swig from the bottle, wiping the excess from her face with the sleeve of her new coat. She liked it far too much to take it off.
"You want something?" Her speech was slurred, but the acidity still leeched though the words. Cobblepot kept his composure, refusing to rise to the womans attitude.
"I came to apologize, had I realized the... situation, I wouldn't have bothered you." Cobblepot said it through gritted teeth, to which the Chef began to laugh harshly, emboldened by liquid courage and her friends surrounding her.
"Yeah, you would of, you just wouldn't have done it in person." The Chef gestured to the Penguin, spilling some liquor on the ground, "Shit, party foul." She glanced at Cobblepot, snorting at her unintentional pun. Joker popped up behind Harley, placing his hands on Quinn's shoulder, to which she leaned in happily.
"Oh come on, it's Christmas. I don't like seeing my friends fighting." The Joker said in a low tone, an edge of threat on his tongue. Alexandera rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up to stand. She stumbled slightly, her balance askew from her beverage.
"Alright, alright." The chef held an outstretched hand, "No harm, no foul." Cobblepot sneered at her word choice, but shook her hand nonetheless.
"I come bearing an olive branch, for all the fuss I've caused." Cobblepot reached into his coat pocket, and pulled an envelope out. It didn't escape the Chef's notice that every time she was given an envelope recently, that her life turned in unimaginable ways. She took the packet, and eyed the Penguin warily. "A little birdie told me you're originally from Metropolis." When she pulled the papers from the envelope she froze.
"Tickets?"
"Five days in Metropolis. You'll be staying in a Luthor resort, with dining accommodations at any of his restaurants and transport. Airfare is paid and you'll be leaving New Years Eve." Alexandera flicked through the papers, gobsmacked.
"What's the catch?" Jonathon smirked at her paranoia, ever mistrustful of the Rouges around her. She was smart.
"No catch. Once you come back, you'll have no trouble from now on from me." The Chef didn't believe it one bit. It seemed a little too generous. Joker pushed the situation to close however, before she could continue her questioning.
"Now what do we say?" The Joker said it as if speaking to a child. Alexandera huffed through her nose, but all the same said,
"Thank you."
Alexandera growled slightly, wiggling her finger in her ear, trying to alleviate the pain in her ear drum. The flight went by faster than she anticipated, due to her unanticipated nap. A flight steward had shook her awake, as the rest of the passengers filed out. Walking to baggage claim, she ran her fingers through her hair, stopping slightly when she felt her shaved side, still unused to the absence of hair. Still listening to music, she watched for her suitcase, lifting it with ease when it arrived. It was easy to spot, since Harley had taken it upon her self to decorate it. A spray painted chefs knife stabbed through a smiley face. It was appropriate. Walking to pick up she searched for her driver. Apparently she would have a ride to the hotel, and he'd have a sign with her name on it. Lo and behold, a young man in a crisp suit and sunglasses held a sign with her name written on it. She walked up, suitcase trailing behind her.
"Hey, I'm Alexandera." The man eyed her with what she could only interpret as suspicion, the sunglasses hiding his expression.
"May I see some identification." Pulling her battered wallet out, she showed her license. It still had her blonde picture, but the slight scowl was easily matched.
"Welcome to Metropolis, Ma'am. The limo is waiting out front, if you'll follow me, I can carry your luggage."
"Nah, it's cool. It's light." Alexandera wasn't much for being pampered in any light, plus she didn't like people touching what little she had. She followed the man out into the cold of the city. Cars and buses sat in a line as people entered and left the airport. A sleek black limo sat near the center, right where Alexandera and her escort exited the building, waiting for it's passengers. The driver popped the trunk, gently placing her luggage in the trunk, before opening the back door to the vehicle. Alexandera slid in, holding her worn messenger bag close. When she was finally situated she leaned back to relax, but was met with a muscular bald man sitting across from her. She startled.
"Fuck! Shit dude, warn a bitch." The man gave a deep chuckle, amused by her reaction.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It wasn't my intention." He leaned forward offering his hand. "Welcome to Metropolis. I believe I can safely assume your Mrs. Fox?" Alexandera shook his hand, gripping tightly in retaliation to the unintended scare.
"I'm not a Missus, but yeah, I'm Alexandera." The bald man smirked, reclining in the limo as if he owned it.
"A pleasure, Miss. I'm Lex Luthor." Oh, he did own the limo. "Oswald had nothing to say but good about you, you seem to be making a name for yourself in Gotham." The Chef scoffed, suddenly uncomfortable. This was Lex Luthor. He owned Metropolis like Wayne did. "My secretary said your food is incredible."
"They went to my diner?" Alexandera highly doubted that. The only people in designer clothes that went to her place was usually stolen clothes from thieves.
"No, actually she was at Wayne's fundraiser." The Chef suddenly felt hot from embarrassment. Not her finest moment. "I couldn't attend, unfortunately."
"How'd you know it's me? It wasn't like Vale said who I was." Lex smiled.
"Facebook. I'll admit I was curious as to who you were, with such an endorsement from Oswald. Eve recognized your photo." Alexandera grumbled under her breath.
"I knew I should have deleted that account. I never use it."
"I agree, that old photo does you no justice." No that heat in her face manifested in a blush. Alexandera wasn't one to easily accept such pleasantries without suspicion, but like any woman from Metropolis, she had an old girlhood crush on the man. It was practically a sin not to. She tried to change the subject.
"So, why are you here? I bet you're a busy man." Lex leaned forward again, eyeing her intensely.
"Curiousity at first, but now I realize a surprise meeting won't be enough." Here it comes, Alexandera thought, some kind of set up. Revenge from Cobblepot. "How would you like some company for dinner?"
"What?" What? Lex chuckled, and god damn if it wasn't velvety.
"You have open reservations at any of my restaurants, but I hate seeing a beautiful women dining alone. I'd love to talk more, over dinner." Alexandera could handle Jervis for tea, even when he went on a mental trip to Wonderland. She could handle Edward's ego when they played games. She handled the Scarecrow rather well, if she could say so publicly. That's not even mentioning Joker. Now though, the Chef felt at a loss.
"Sure. That'd be nice." She tried not to let her excitement seep through. It had been a long time since she'd gone to dinner with... a date?
"Excellent, we'll arrive at your hotel shortly. I'll have Jerry, my driver, pick you up at eight." Lex took the opportunity to eye the Chef up and down. She resisted the urge to wiggle in discomfort from the attention. The limo slowed to a stop. "I look forward to your company."
"Aren't you the one accompanying me? The door opened, and the Chef slid out fast, wanting to make a quick escape. Lex smirked at her back, as the door closed.
Edward had spent the past few days catagorizing everything the Chef did on her phone. All the music she downloaded (an odd mix of Tom Waits, Panic! at the Disco, Barbershop Quartets, and different youtube channels music), all her watching habits (again lots of youtube, mostly a Minecraft series called Mianite), and who she called (Marcus, the goon that worked for her and that was it). Everywhere she went, which was sadly dissappointing as it was the same route from her apartment and her diner. And now Her position at Metropolis International Airport. It was decidedly boring. Yet, he couldn't stop his spying. Currently he was organizing the clutter on his desk, while Jonathon took notes on his latest experiment, it was still too cold for The Scarecrow to conduct his experiments in his usual hideout. The screaming man having finally died from the toxin after only a few hours. It was blessedly quiet.
"You know if she ever finds out about your spying, she'll probably teach you how to make souffle." Jonathon chuckled at the Riddler's glare.
"She'll never know. Besides, if she ever tries to pull anything, I'll have insurance." The Riddler placed a few files in the shredder.
"Face it, Edward. Aside from her dealings with us, she's a surprisingly 'good' citizen." 'With the mouth of a fucking sailor, and the liver of a viking.' Jonathon was trying to ignore Scarecrow, he had promised to shut up after his latest experiment. That was apparently a lie.
"There's something else, there has to be."
"Edward, in my professional opinion, I believe you're developing an obsession." Jonathon placed his pen in his notebook using it as a bookmark. "Perhaps even, a crush..." A wad of paper went sailing towards the Doctor, landing at his feet.
"Don't start with me, you lost your license to practice." Jonathon stooped low enough to raise his middle finger. "What about your little gift of toxin?"
"It would be tragic to lose a subject before testing began." Edward snorted.
"Please. You're just as curious about her." Jonathon made no effort to argue, it wasn't a lie, even if it wasn't for the reasons Edward was implying. A chime from Edward's computer rang. The Riddler smoothly slid a headset on, sitting back in his chair. "She's talking to someone."
"Well that's no surprise, she has a loud mouth." Edward laughed at the slight insult. 'Twenty bucks says she can do a lot more with that mouth.'
"Shut up." It was hissed through the Doctor's teeth. Edward jumped in his chair, ripping his headphones off. "Problem?"
"She's far to crass. She just yelled out in surprise." Jonathon's pupils dilated, turning his usually ice blue eyes nearly black.
"Turn on the audio."Edward knew that voice, and didn't waste time unplugging his headphones. It was unwise to anger The Scarecrow. Both men listened in on her conversation with Lex Luthor.
"She wouldn't fall for such frivolous comments. Jervis is proof of that." Edward stated, rolling his eyes at the compliment Luthor paid to the Chef. Scarecrow grunted in agreement. Both men shared a look when she agreed though.
"What's Luthor playing at?" The Scarecrow snarled out, eyeing Edward angrily.
"That's a riddle I'd like answered." Both men frowned when moments later they could hear a very uncharacteristically girly squeal from the Chef. Luthor wasn't known for hos honesty.
Marcus locked up the shop. He was in charge with Lady Boss out on vacation. He was happy for her, she deserved some sanity with all the craziness Gotham had been throwing at her. Her little apprentice had shown up, asking for her, but was told she was gone for the few days. Marcus didn't think a child could look more disappointed and frustrated all at once. So caught up in his thoughts, he never noticed a dark shadow easily pick the lock, sliding into the diner. When he returned in the morning, none of the goons noticed the very well hidden cameras placed thoughout the diner. He was just too complacent with his new job, to be on guard. And that's the moment no one knew would start quite the adventure.
The Chef was lacing her boots up when at seven a knock sounded on her hotel door. She opened the door greeting a beautiful blonde.
"Hello Miss Fox, I'm Eve Teschmacher, Mr. Luthor's secretary. I have something from him for tonight." The women stode in gracefully, a tan sack hung over her arm, with a designer shoe box on top and a briefcase in her other hand. Alexandera closed the door, and watched as the blonde laid the dress sack across the bed with the box.
"What's all this?" The Chef asked, watching as the women unzipped the dress bag.
"Mr. Luthor's driver made note of your light luggage, and Mr. Luthor decided to offer a gift." Eve looked the Chef up and down, taking in her attire. "The coat is nice, but the jeans and boots won't do, it's formal wear only at most of the restaurants." Alexandera rolled her eyes heavenward. At this rate her closet was going to begin to swallow her apartment floor. Still, she felt a thrill in her stomach at the gesture from Luthor, gifts or bribes from her friends in Gotham were one thing, but this probably had an entirely different ulterior motive. Eve pulled a deep emerald green long sleeved cocktail dress, the box now lay open with a shiny pair of black heels.
"Shit!" Alex wasn't a girl for frilly things, but she was still a woman and damn this dress looked beautiful. As she stroked the fabric, the Secretary opened her briefcase. A hair curler was plugged in and makeup pallets rested on an adjacent table.
"We have little time before dinner, strip and sit down, Miss Fox." Alex gave the blonde a hard look. "It not like you have different parts than me, we need to hurry."
"I'm not wearing the heels, I don't know how to walk in them." Eve cocked a brow.
"I suppose that will have to do then."
Château de Loisir was modeled too look like a beautiful French castle in a vineyard. Grape vines grew on trellises along walls, with grapes you could actually pluck and eat, wine caskets lined the bar wall, taps plugged and ready to pour its' liquid. Fresco's glowed on walls and ceilings, and chandeliers hung kept the atmosphere dim and golden. As Alexandera followed the host to her table, she cursed her decision to wear her careworn boots. They were clean but, for the first time in a very long time, she felt nervous. She resisted the urge to run her hands through her curled hair, or rub her lined eyes. The middle aged man pulled her chair out for her, offering a complimentary glass of wine. She refused, not wanting to get drunk just right now, though she didn't say so. Left with her phone, and a menu, the Chef perused the menu, lamenting the fact it was nearly all in French. She took Mandarin in high school, which she subsequently failed. Giving up on searching the menu for something to eat, she pulled out her phone, browsing a few websites to pass the time. A waiter came by, and placed a complimentary basket pan brié and a sparkling water.
"Would you like to order, Ma'am?" The waiter asked.
"No, thank you." He left, leaving the Chef waiting again. It was about eight twenty when Lex Luthor waltzed in.
"Please excuse my lateness, I got held up at work with some unexpected meeting." Lex took the seat across from the Chef, giving a charming smile. "I hope I haven't sullied my opinion of you." Alexandera shrugged her shoulders.
"Nah, It's okay, I'm used to the unexpected." Alexandera sipped on her water, really not bothered by the lateness, she would have just ordered on her own. Lex tilted his head subtly.
"I would assume so, you do live in Gotham." The Chef gave a lopsided grin.
"You've done you're research."
"I like to learn as much as I can about something that interests me."
"And I guess that something includes me."
"It most certainly does now." Lex smirked at the blush on the Chef's face. The rest of the evening went swimmingly. At Alexandera's suggestion they asked the waiter to tell the chef to make whatever her felt was best, though it was a ploy to cover her lack of French. The conversation was just as good as the food they were eating. Lex was just as charming as any good Metropolis girl could dream of and her didn't seem phased by her blunt personality. She even managed to crack a few jokes to which he laughed at. They got many looks from the diners in the restaurant, but the nervousness Alex felt earlier had left. She hadn't felt this excited in years. It was nearly 10:30 when she started to lose energy. Lex took notice too when she yawned.
"I believe I have to get you home before the stroke of midnight." Alexandera snorted.
"I'm the furthest thing from a princess." Lex reached his hand across the table, placing it on top of hers.
"I disagree, and I'm hardly ever wrong." Alexandera blushed brightly, avoiding eye contact awkwardly. "Well I think we should thank the chef for this absolutely wonderful food, don't you think?" Lex beckoned the waiter, asking for the chef.
"I don't think you want to be stuck here even longer just to listen to me gush about searing and reverse searing preferences."
"On the contrary, you light up when you talked about cooking tonight. I'd like to see that more." Jesus, Alex was sure she would be permanently red. She laughed awkwardly as Lex eyed her. The chef from the kitchen walked up to the table, immediately reaching out to shake Lex's hand.
"Mr. Luthor, it's a pleasure to see you again! I'm glad you enjoyed my food tonight." Lex stood shaking the mans hand, and grasping his shoulder in a friendly manner.
"It was phenomenal, my date and I loved it." Lex gestured to the blue haired women, who sat in slack jawed awe.
"Gene?" The male chef looked down to the sitting women, eyes wide.
"Lexie?"
.
.
.
*Laughs manically in fangirl*
Welp, can anyone guess who Gene is?