I had to break Part 17 into two parts, it was too long to be presented as one.
***
Lois and Clark walked quickly to her jeep. Her partner took the keys and opened the passenger side to let her in. Once he was properly strapped in his seat she asked.
“So, where are you taking me for dinner Farmboy?”
“A place where the food is great, the company better and we are both on a first name basis with the owner.”
“Uncle Mike’s Café Americana?”
“None other! I want to try something other than take out. Besides he makes the best lasagna outside of Rome!”
“Oh, when are you taking me there?”
“Whenever you want Lois, but not tonight, I told Mike to expect us.”
“Sounds good to me. Besides, I need to set up my next cooking lesson.”
“Good!” Clark said with a little too much enthusiasm.
“I heard that! What are you implying?”
“Who me? Nothing.” His partner worked hard to hide his smirk.
The rest of the drive to Café Americana was spent with Clark gently teasing his partner about her endeavor into the world of cooking.
***
“Yes, I wanted to know how you coerced Nigel and Mrs. Cox into providing information about me.”
“I appealed to their survival instincts.” She replied grimly.
“No one can say either of them *lacks* that particular skill.” Lex acknowledged dryly.
“It was all part of my plan to become a permanent employee of LexCorp. Working in the executive offices would have been impractical as long as either of them was lurking about.”
“Why?”
She looked into his eyes as if not believing he could be so foolish to ask such a question and responded. “They are killers.”
Lex took a deep breath and slowly nodded his head. “True, go on.”
“Before confronting them it was essential to have as much negative information about them as possible. My investments provided me with a cash flow to hire a rather brilliant British hacker to glean material about Nigel and Mrs. Cox. Armed with files and a 9mm Browning I traveled to Zurich and asked him to reconsider returning to the States and your employment.”
“He agreed? I thought Nigel might have killed you for breaching his privacy.”
“Oh Lex, he almost did.” She stood up and paced in front of the bench, shivering with the memory of that particular encounter.
“What was his response?”
“He pulled a gun on me.”
“Ah yes, dear Nigel was never one for mincing words.” Lex muttered with grudging admiration. “How did you get away?”
“Blackmail… again.
He bowed his head in thought, “So that’s the reason he did not return to the states? Still, considering Nigel’s somewhat checkered past, he should have killed you for breaching his privacy.”
She wondered if telling Lex the entire truth about her encounter with Nigel St. John would be in her favor. It was definitely not her finest hour, but the experience taught her the important of attending every meeting well prepared and in this particular case, well armed.
The entire situation started innocently enough, she had traveled to Zurich and was staying in the trendy Plaza Royal Hotel intent on meeting Nigel St. John by telling him that she wanted to hire his particular talents for a job.
When Nigel had first arrived, in her comfortable suite, he was all graciousness, even charming. So much so, Aykira was off her guard. They were sitting at a conference table in her suite, discussing the fictional job Aykira wanted him to attend to when she said casually, “Lex Luthor suggested only you could handle this particular ‘assignment’ with efficiency and dare I say style?”
The pleasant and easygoing manner Nigel displayed only seconds before vanished. In one swift motion, he had stood, stepped around the small wooden conference table, roughly removed her from the comfortable chair, and backed her up against the unyielding wall. A wicked looking gun appeared in his hand and he brandished it close to her face. Too late, she realized, this man was not a befuddled Oxford professor or nervous Barontech scientist. He was a trained killer, a man without morals or conscience.
“Now you will tell me precisely what you know about my dealings with Mr. Luthor.” His voice assaulated her ears like falling dead leaves. Nigel pushed the black weapon in her face, the acidic smell of sulfur emanating from the barrel. Her insides turned tight with fear. Its owner had fired it recently quite, and if she did not get out of this situation or provide the right answer, he intended to employ the destructive device again.
“I told you!” She spat the words out. “Mr. Luthor gave his name as a reference! I want to use you for a job! Is this the way you treat all of your prospective employers?” Her voice sounded weak and tinny.
“Miss Hallick is it? You are lying. Mr. Luthor currently has exclusive rights to my employ, although that is about to change. Still, he is not in the habit of ‘hiring out’ his best employees. If you had spent any serious time with the man, you would know that. So tell me, who sent you?”
Aykira’s heart jumped several beats. Heavy beads of sweat burst onto her forehead slide down her twisted face to her throat, what could she possibly tell this man?
Ignorant of his victim’s anguish thoughts Nigel continued. “Perhaps you are an operative from my former employers at MI6? Maybe a plant from the KGB? No, sending such an oblivious rank amateur could only be considered an insult to them and me.”
She watched the man’s time worn face, as he mentally seemed to be weighting factors. Fear raced through her mind and paralyzed her body. The sheer arrogance of confronting such a man was utter madness. Anxious thoughts raced through her mind. <How do I escape? What will become of my mission?> Suddenly, she heard a voice, devoid of pity speak. “Come my dear, we shall take the elevator downstairs and then perhaps a splendid ride into the country? After all, Switzerland is known worldwide for its scenic *deep* lakes.” He released her, pointed the gun towards the door and Aykira stiffly walked towards it.
“How do you know someone might not be following us?” She asked working hard to keep your voice under control.
His voice held a sneer, “Young woman, if you were acting with a team of professional operatives, the suite door would be in pieces by now. Whatever your game is, it can mean me no good.”
She stopped and decided to keep him talking. “Ah yes, Lex said you were the best right hand man he ever had. He is looking forward to your return.” This time, her voice *did* sound strong and confident.
“Hmm, pity that I shall not be returning to the states. I have decided Zurich is the perfect place for a man like me to retire. Perhaps buy a small villa and grow orchids.”
Feeling confident Aykira continued. “Nigel St. John retire? But what about your exclusive contract with Mr. Luthor?”
“Yes well, Mr. Luthor will get along perfectly well without me. Besides he or should I say LexCorp’s corporate accounts, has provided an excellent retirement program.”
Aykira turned around and faced Nigel they were almost to the door and a tall floor lamp. “It takes a great deal of nerve to steal from Lex Luthor. I congratulate you!”
Nigel looked Aykira over with eyes that reminded her of a shark. His gaze held no anger, only seeing her as a minor problem needing erasure. Any hope of talking him out of ending her life was completely gone once he admitted stealing from Luthor. With a desperate blinding swift movement, she twisted her body, and grabbed the lamp, sending it crashing down upon his hand. She felt more than heard the brittle sound of bones breaking, Nigel dropped the gun and screamed in outraged pain. Still he was not about to surrender, he reached for Aykira, intent of grabbing her throat, but again she pivoted on the balls of her feet out of his grasp. Lamp still in hand, she slammed it hard across his back.
Again, British intelligence training and years of experience came to the forefront. He lunged towards the gun, which had slid to a stop at the door.
“No!” Aykira gasped. She jumped and landed on top of Nigel’s back, but the older man easily threw her off. He dragged himself across the floor and wrapped his good hand around the weapon.
Her mind screamed, and instantly she covered the two feet of space separating them. They struggled for but a moment Nigel using his uninjured hand to hold onto the gun and squeeze of a shot. But Aykira fought back, somehow he managed to struck Aykira on her shoulder with the weapon’s blunt end. Pain radiated through her arm but she refused to give in.
“Let go, you little fool!” His voice was an ugly snarl. Still, she held, on motivated by nothing more powerful than fear, fear of failure, fear of death. With her knee, she jabbed him hard in the solar plexus and he lay still.
It took a moment to pry the gun from his fingers, she took the cord from the lamp and tied up his arms and legs. She remembered leaning against wall, panting and crying all at the same time. She had to get him out of her suite and then put the rest of her plan in motion.
She turned to Nigel and witnessed calculating anger and perhaps a touch of fear in his eyes. Speaking with a arrogance she most definitely did not feel she snapped. “Maybe retirement *is* a good plan after all Nigel. Ten years ago you certainly would not be bested by a rank amateur!”
***
Aykira paused for a moment, remembering her confrontation with the former MI6 operative was draining, then said, “Lex, were you aware he was stealing from LexCorp’s corporate accounts and hiding that money in Zurich, Switzerland? It’s the real reason why he departed from Metropolis on an ‘extended’ vacation.”
The billionaire faced her, his dark eyes wide in shock. “What!”
“Yes. Nigel explained the process to me after I threatened to expose his scheme.”
“Why didn’t you reveal this when we first met?” Lex’s face grew pinched and angry.
“At the time, our relationship was not on the same footing it is now.” Aykira replied dryly. “He returned the principal funds, after the proper coaxing, to all the corporate accounts. I allowed him to keep the interest.”
“That’s still a sizable sum of money!” he retorted.
She deflected his outburst and spoke calmly. “Nigel was stealing from you, but the funds were located and most of it safely returned. The man is in Zurich, where he can cause no further harm. Yes, this may be very hurtful to your professional pride, but I can assure you. He will never come back to the states or talk about how he pulled one over on you. Nigel is well aware of what can happen to him.”
The billionaire gave her a strange look than sat back on the bench shaking his head in disbelief.
“Immediately following my ‘discussion’ with Nigel I got on a plane to Brazil and a meeting with Mrs. Cox.”
“Angelica, I take it, was not cooperative either?”
“No - not in the least. But at least we did not fight over the matter.”
“Well, that’s something at least.” Lex said.
“Mrs. Cox genuinely enjoyed working for you Lex. She fully intended on returning to her former position when Nigel ‘decided’ not to. I confronted her and suggested she remain in Brazil rather than work for you. I even offered her my investments earnings, but she flatly refused.”
Lex mused. “I’m pleased she was so loyal.”
“Yes, loyal, but Mrs. Cox has ice water for blood, *everyone* was afraid of her. I remember hearing stories about her before arriving in the Executive Suite.”
“Ah well, her manner was demanding, but she got the job done.”
“Perhaps, however, at what price? Such methods destroyed your Executive Suite’s corporate culture. Did you ever wonder why the HR department always had problems filling the positions from the inside? *No one* wanted to work with her. If she had returned, the administrative staff and some of the executives fully intended to walk out. Since I took the administrative helm, most people are content and not burned out from unnecessary stress.”
Her companion was silent during this exchange. <Angelica might have been perfect to back him up in a dark alley, however as a corporate administrator; perhaps her techniques *did* leave much to be desired.> He thought.
“In any case when Mrs. Cox had her car accident I visited her at the hospital. It did not take much persuading to convince her, this suddenly ‘accident’ was my doing. She was quite frightened and decided to remain in Brazil as per my suggestion.”
“Clever. Very clever.”
She shook her head sadly, “It is not something to be proud of. Still, with so many other lives in the balance, there was no other choice. In any case after my meeting with Mrs. Cox I returned to Metropolis and re-established my relationship with LexCorp… and you.”
“Me?” He stared at her in surprise. “We met prior to your working for me?”
“Oh yes. Before leaving for Oxford, I was the event-planning director’s assistant. Andreia Lopes was a brilliant event coordinator, in the eight months working for her she taught me a great deal about that profession. Without her gentle tutelage in event coordination, my first assignment planning the White Orchid Ball would not have been such a rousing social success. Sadly, although she enjoyed working for LexCorp, the demands of her family were more important.”
She watched as amazed realization slowly dawned on his face. “Aykira, that is impossible! Ms. Lopes’ last assistant was quite plump, with terrible skin; she also had the worst taste in clothes.”
In tight-lipped discomfiture, Aykira whispered. “Even our world has the ugly duckling tale.”
He cast a serious eye over the beautiful black woman before him and shook his head in amazement.
“Lex, with my education and experience I can run rings around any of your top executives. However, considering my appearance at that time, none of you would have noticed any project I helmed. Women like Mrs. Cox always receive a male executive’s attention. My appearance hindered me from going any further within the company than my tiny cubicle in the LexCorp Events Planning department.
Traveling to England, Europe and South America, nurtured an internal desire to ‘polish’ myself. Working with Andreia, meeting clients, and representing LexCorp it was the essential beginnings of my metamorphosis; time spent in the gym, proper diet, learning how to apply make-up and teaching myself how to walk and dress became a part of my life’s routine. After returning from Brazil, I asked to become an in-house contractor. The HR department offered me the choice of two positions: provisional head of events planning or as your assistant.”
Aykira did not relate her first meeting with Lex. How utterly shocking the similarity of his appearance with that of Alexander. Two big differences, Alexander worn his hair slicked back and he loved to wear jeans when not in the office. A stark, hurtful memory of Lex walking past her in the hallways of the Event Planning Department as if she did not exist came to mind. In truth, she did not warrant his attention, she was only an minor assistant and a plain one in the bargain.
“I… I had no idea. This story is the most incredible I have ever heard. If you had not provided proof earlier, it would have been impossible to believe!”
“Why is it so difficult? In this alternative world and mine, a man *flies*! Is stepping between parallel universes so hard to grasp? In any case, my mission is accomplished. This morning before our meeting, your creature, Dr. Scott handed over to me a dozen crystals. I know he was the one commissioned by you to plan and implement the Shackleton hijacking. After the break-in at LexSolar, I tracked down which computer and printer the security guards heard that night. It was a simple matter to discover which file had been printed than confront him and demand the crystals. He thought Lex Luthor had sent me over especially since you demanded two of them from him last night.”
She watched his obsidian eyes flash dangerously; Lex stood up from the bench and glowered angrily down at her. “How dare you! Those crystals are for Space Station Lex! My dream!”
She stood as well, glaring into his face, her voice hard. “My reasons were just and valid, given the choice for the people of my world. Speaking of dreams, how many *others* have had theirs dashed by Lex Luthor in his pursuit of fame and fortune? Not a few I wager.”
The two people continued staring at each other; neither, it seemed were prepared to back down.
The sound of a throat clearing caused them to turn as one and face an elderly couple. The man wearing a very old-fashioned black suit and bowler hat spoke up in a clear British accent asked. “Ahem… excuse me. Are the two of you using that bench? My dear wife needs to sit down. Walking around the museum has quite undone her.”
“Oh yes, please, make yourself comfortable.” Aykira stepped away from the bench and beckoned the couple over. His wife, also wearing clothes from an earlier time, sat down with a grace belying her years.
“Thank you my dears.” The petite woman with quiet blue eyes smiled up at them. “Herbert and I came to have a look at the Italian art. We missed it when the exhibition was in London years ago.” She appraised Lex and Aykira than spoke crisply with all the weight of her years. “Please excuse my impertinence, a handsome couple such as yourselves must see to it, not to allow silly distractions like arguments. Youth and health only comes once. When it departs, hopefully wisdom and true friendship remain. Be each other’s friend.”
The old man smiled down at his wife, took her gloved hand, and patted it. “She speaks the truth. But then I am sure you are both aware of that.”
Tears bristled in Aykira’s eyes as the import of the old couple’s words hit her. “Thank you. My… husband and I have… much to discuss. Please enjoy the remains of the day.” So saying, she reached Lex’s hand and they walked slowly away from the resting couple.
***
“Oh HG, should we have interfered?”
The old man sat down wearily next to his wife and said, “Yes, my dear. For the sake of Utopia.”
***
They strolled for a time through the park as the afternoon light quietly faded, holding hands and allowing a companionable silence to envelope them. Somehow, during Aykira’s narrative they had forgotten length of years together was not promised to them. Now was the time to clear all the noise and foolishness away. Space Stations. Harmonic crystals. Alternative worlds and crooked scientists needed to take a step back.
***
Lex’s respect, admiration, and love for this fantastic woman had increased tenfold since her arrival at the museum. She had the spirit and determination to do what no one else could conceive of doing. Stepping alone into a world not her own, to be a stranger in the midst of other strangers. Not only did this phenomenal creature survive, she thrived. Turning what might have been a horrific setback to someone else into victory. Even if it might besting him at his own game!
Before any more time elapsed, Lex needed to make the final arrangements with Sheldon Bender, Aykira’s knowledge and abilities made her the perfect new head of LexCorp. The only obstacle, the greatest one, now that her mission was complete… would she remain in this world by his side?
***
A soft voice broke into his musings. “I did not mean to deceive you. Please forgive me. From the moment I meet you again at my job interview I felt the attraction between us. But unfortunately, I was torn between love or accomplishing my mission. Can we put all these other matters aside for a time and enjoy being a man and woman… in love?” Aykira looked at him, hazel eyes pleading.
“Yes my sweet. We need to put the past behind us and be content with whatever time remains… for us.”
They had walked to the great stone bridge in Centennial Park. After crossing over, they came to another bench, this one weathered with the passage of time, but it held a rustic charm. He asked her to take a seat. With a flourish, Lex got down on one knee, pulled out a small cobalt box with a gold latch from his jacket pocket, and held it out to a surprised Aykira.
“Lex… ?” She asked in a hushed whisper.
Slowly the man she truly loved open the box, nestled on a divan of midnight blue velvet sparkled a ring. Not just any ring but one created by famed jewelry designer and merchant Layne O’Neil. The ring was a 3-carat emerald-cut yellow colored diamond, in a 24k gold setting and tiny white diamond accents.
“It’s… beyond beautiful,” she grasped in surprise.
“Beside your loveliness and inner strength, it is a lifeless piece of crystallized carbon.” He held his breathe. “Dearest Aykira, I cannot ask this again. Will you…?”
“Yes Lex, with all my heart.”
Slowly, he slid the ring on her finger, gathered her in his arms and whispered gently. “Thank you Aykira, for making me complete.” He bent down and brought his lips tenderly to hers and they kissed with a sweet passion tempered by unrestrained joy.
