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Post by Lex Luthor on Jul 5, 2017 1:56:50 GMT
Timeline: After "When A God Speaks"; but spread over a long period of time
Previous Threads: N/A
Characters Involved: Lex Luthor , BATMAN , NPCs
Location: Several Locations Around the Globe
Step one had been complicated, yet still went according to plan in the end. After lying his way through the black market like a glorified conman, appropriating what munitions he could, and manipulating a desperate group of would-be professional criminals and heroes alike, finally he held in the palm of his hand the small fortune he would require to initiate his path to greatness. While it was but a small portion compared to the wealth he once held in his own reality, it sufficed for the current agenda.
A dark and looming cloud floated above a blackened horizon, the sun long having spent its last seconds in the late evening hours. On the distant, eastern shore, a rolling cloud of fog crawled towards the land, aiming to swallow up anything and everything in its path and reduce the range of visibility down to nil. The weather was horrible, damp and muggy, and the traffic was even worse as Main street slowed to a torpid crawl, teeming as it was with all the individuals desperate to return home.
But the circumstances of the world around him didn't matter so much, as Lex walked with purpose down a nigh-abandoned hallway in an office building populated by a skeleton crew of late-night workers. He was dressed in a recently purchased madison-shaded suit and striking green tie, and walked with such confidence that he might have been mistaken for belonging there. To a certain degree, he did; an appointment had been made, albeit off the official record, with a certain contact he'd made within the establishment. Yet owing to the 'under-the-table' means in which this meeting would transpire, should any of the other occupants attempt to stop him, Lex would have had to resort to less than appropriate means of worming his way through.
Fortunately, that had not transpired. Within a few moments of finding his way through the darkened building he eventually set foot inside a very elaborate and dimly lit office, decorated with heavy and rich wooden furniture ranging from a desk, comfortable chairs, tall bookcases, and an assortment of plants that livened the room. Behind the desk, waiting patiently for Lex to show and shifting nervously with fidgeting eyebrows, was an older man whose hair had grayed and mustache had thinned. He attempted to hide his fractured nerves behind a welcoming smile as he stood to shake Lex's hand, yet his trembling betrayed his unease. A golden nameplate introduced him, Henry Kelliger.
"When I received your letter, I half suspected it to be an elaborate ploy, yet here you are." Henry started as they shook in greeting. "I hope you have...?" He let the sentence hang, eyes dropping to stare at the briefcase Lex held in his other hand. Luthor was amused, to be sure; the gentleman wasn't quite all that far off, although his was likely one of the more legitimate scams out there.
"You've every right to be skeptical. Many men higher than the two of us have lost their fortunes far easier. But you can rest easy." He hoisted the case up and laid it on the desk, unlatching the metallic hatches and opening the lid with a deliberate slowness. Layers of bound cash, each of them twenty-dollar bills, lined the black-padded walls of the case, filled to the brim. "I can assure you that this is a very real opportunity. Not only for you, but a plethora of individuals whose future depends on tonight."
"You say that as if it's a burden." Henry replied as he eyed what must have been at least a hundred thousand dollars and at most a million; more than he made in half a year, at any rate. He restrained himself from snatching the case from where it was.
"Hmm... That wouldn't be too far from the truth." Lex admitted with a quirk in his smile, "Nevertheless, I'm prepared to pay in full so long as the services I require are rendered. Once you've done as I requested, then the fortune is yours and yours alone, as simple as that." He pulled a bundle of papers clipped together from his back pocket and placed it silently on the desk, briefly smoothing them with a palm as he did so. Henry retrieved the document and perused it carefully, a mixture of thoughtfulness, surprise, and confusion battling for control of his face.
Finally, after a short time, he said, "There's a lot of work here. You're representing an army of people. It may take some time to fabricate all of their birth records."
"I'm aware." Luthor interrupted carefully. He knew he had to choose his words carefully; encourage Henry to go through with the offer despite the amount required, without appearing overly enthusiastic towards its success. Otherwise, he might grow suspicious, and call everything off in spite of the payment promised. "Do not fret, my friend, you have plenty of time. And your reward is not contingent on complete success. As I mentioned in my message, you shall receive a portion of your payment on acceptance, and upon completion. But I will also grant you this: you shall also receive an additional portion on producing only half the records I need."
Henry thought on it for several moments, while a grandfather clock in the corner tick-tocked away. But Lex was patient. His plans rested on them coming to an agreement here, and while failure would not mean his plot was entirely foiled, it would be a significant delay. It would take time to track down another individual capable of forging what documents Lex needed, and that was time he was not keen on wasting. Finally, Henry placed the papers back to the desk and grunted heavily. "Okay. You've got a deal." He reached out a hand, and Lex took it. "I'll get to work as soon as I can."
"Good!" Lex replied with a pleased look. He took a nice amount of cash from the case and laid it out on the desk. "Then as I promised, the first part of your payment. I hope you enjoy it. The next you shall receive once you're half way complete, and the last once you are finished, as agreed." He closed the case once a not insubstantial fortune had made its way from Lex's hands into Henry's.
He hesitated with each stack as he hid them snugly within a heavy, steel safe kept snugly in the corner, as if letting go would cause them to vanish forever. Once stashed safely away, Henry returned his attention back to Luthor. "How will I get in contact with you? I imagine you'd like me to keep in touch and report on my progress?"
"No need." Luthor instantly replied, as he turned away and opened the door. "I found you and got into contact with you in the first place, didn't I? I will meet with you periodically to gauge your performance. Sometimes, I may have one of my agents speak to you in my stead -- you will know when that is the case." Without another word, he left the office. The seeds had been planted. In essence, Lex Luthor was already on easy street provided Henry did his part. Even if he did not complete the task in its entirety, Luthor had already won. It was only a matter of time...
BATMAN
Previous Threads: N/A
Characters Involved: Lex Luthor , BATMAN , NPCs
Location: Several Locations Around the Globe
Step one had been complicated, yet still went according to plan in the end. After lying his way through the black market like a glorified conman, appropriating what munitions he could, and manipulating a desperate group of would-be professional criminals and heroes alike, finally he held in the palm of his hand the small fortune he would require to initiate his path to greatness. While it was but a small portion compared to the wealth he once held in his own reality, it sufficed for the current agenda.
A dark and looming cloud floated above a blackened horizon, the sun long having spent its last seconds in the late evening hours. On the distant, eastern shore, a rolling cloud of fog crawled towards the land, aiming to swallow up anything and everything in its path and reduce the range of visibility down to nil. The weather was horrible, damp and muggy, and the traffic was even worse as Main street slowed to a torpid crawl, teeming as it was with all the individuals desperate to return home.
But the circumstances of the world around him didn't matter so much, as Lex walked with purpose down a nigh-abandoned hallway in an office building populated by a skeleton crew of late-night workers. He was dressed in a recently purchased madison-shaded suit and striking green tie, and walked with such confidence that he might have been mistaken for belonging there. To a certain degree, he did; an appointment had been made, albeit off the official record, with a certain contact he'd made within the establishment. Yet owing to the 'under-the-table' means in which this meeting would transpire, should any of the other occupants attempt to stop him, Lex would have had to resort to less than appropriate means of worming his way through.
Fortunately, that had not transpired. Within a few moments of finding his way through the darkened building he eventually set foot inside a very elaborate and dimly lit office, decorated with heavy and rich wooden furniture ranging from a desk, comfortable chairs, tall bookcases, and an assortment of plants that livened the room. Behind the desk, waiting patiently for Lex to show and shifting nervously with fidgeting eyebrows, was an older man whose hair had grayed and mustache had thinned. He attempted to hide his fractured nerves behind a welcoming smile as he stood to shake Lex's hand, yet his trembling betrayed his unease. A golden nameplate introduced him, Henry Kelliger.
"When I received your letter, I half suspected it to be an elaborate ploy, yet here you are." Henry started as they shook in greeting. "I hope you have...?" He let the sentence hang, eyes dropping to stare at the briefcase Lex held in his other hand. Luthor was amused, to be sure; the gentleman wasn't quite all that far off, although his was likely one of the more legitimate scams out there.
"You've every right to be skeptical. Many men higher than the two of us have lost their fortunes far easier. But you can rest easy." He hoisted the case up and laid it on the desk, unlatching the metallic hatches and opening the lid with a deliberate slowness. Layers of bound cash, each of them twenty-dollar bills, lined the black-padded walls of the case, filled to the brim. "I can assure you that this is a very real opportunity. Not only for you, but a plethora of individuals whose future depends on tonight."
"You say that as if it's a burden." Henry replied as he eyed what must have been at least a hundred thousand dollars and at most a million; more than he made in half a year, at any rate. He restrained himself from snatching the case from where it was.
"Hmm... That wouldn't be too far from the truth." Lex admitted with a quirk in his smile, "Nevertheless, I'm prepared to pay in full so long as the services I require are rendered. Once you've done as I requested, then the fortune is yours and yours alone, as simple as that." He pulled a bundle of papers clipped together from his back pocket and placed it silently on the desk, briefly smoothing them with a palm as he did so. Henry retrieved the document and perused it carefully, a mixture of thoughtfulness, surprise, and confusion battling for control of his face.
Finally, after a short time, he said, "There's a lot of work here. You're representing an army of people. It may take some time to fabricate all of their birth records."
"I'm aware." Luthor interrupted carefully. He knew he had to choose his words carefully; encourage Henry to go through with the offer despite the amount required, without appearing overly enthusiastic towards its success. Otherwise, he might grow suspicious, and call everything off in spite of the payment promised. "Do not fret, my friend, you have plenty of time. And your reward is not contingent on complete success. As I mentioned in my message, you shall receive a portion of your payment on acceptance, and upon completion. But I will also grant you this: you shall also receive an additional portion on producing only half the records I need."
Henry thought on it for several moments, while a grandfather clock in the corner tick-tocked away. But Lex was patient. His plans rested on them coming to an agreement here, and while failure would not mean his plot was entirely foiled, it would be a significant delay. It would take time to track down another individual capable of forging what documents Lex needed, and that was time he was not keen on wasting. Finally, Henry placed the papers back to the desk and grunted heavily. "Okay. You've got a deal." He reached out a hand, and Lex took it. "I'll get to work as soon as I can."
"Good!" Lex replied with a pleased look. He took a nice amount of cash from the case and laid it out on the desk. "Then as I promised, the first part of your payment. I hope you enjoy it. The next you shall receive once you're half way complete, and the last once you are finished, as agreed." He closed the case once a not insubstantial fortune had made its way from Lex's hands into Henry's.
He hesitated with each stack as he hid them snugly within a heavy, steel safe kept snugly in the corner, as if letting go would cause them to vanish forever. Once stashed safely away, Henry returned his attention back to Luthor. "How will I get in contact with you? I imagine you'd like me to keep in touch and report on my progress?"
"No need." Luthor instantly replied, as he turned away and opened the door. "I found you and got into contact with you in the first place, didn't I? I will meet with you periodically to gauge your performance. Sometimes, I may have one of my agents speak to you in my stead -- you will know when that is the case." Without another word, he left the office. The seeds had been planted. In essence, Lex Luthor was already on easy street provided Henry did his part. Even if he did not complete the task in its entirety, Luthor had already won. It was only a matter of time...
BATMAN
