The Grand Unveiling

[jl_scoundrels]

Standing at a podium in Liebfeld Plaza, Metropolis, with his son to his left, his... woman.... to his right, and surrounded generally by hired bodyguards (all of decent repute, of course), Max Shreck cuts an imposing figure in the very expensive deep bottle green suit that he had made by Gambi tailors of Keystone.

"The City of Tomorrow!" He punches

Comments

[catalinareyes]

"From another personality, perhaps," answers Catalina as she perches on the edge of a seat, her dark hair glossy and cascading over half her still-healing features, "but never from you. There is no such thing as too much."

[jl_scoundrels]

"This woman..." He laughs again, puts the bottle down, wipes his mouth on his sleeve and then wraps his arm around her back as her pushes his face onto hers and kisses her fiercely.

"So how was San Moritz? This is the first time I've seen you since you got back from your... Vacation. I see the plastic surgeon worked wonders on that cheekbone. I remember the one in the hospital here said your face may never be symmetrical again. Shows what Metropolis knows..." He peers through the tent flaps, and looks on approvingly at the hustle and bustle of citizens queueing for job opportunities.

"I swear, I did not know Suicide Slum, or whatever the fuck it's called, had so many people in it in need of jobs. Still, we always need people to clean the toilets."

[catalinareyes]

The kiss is returned because the dental work was the first thing to get fixed, but she is not as fierce as normal. "Gently," she chides quietly. "The last operation was tender." And make no mistakes: Catalina wants her face fixed. She likes being beautiful. Sliding off her perch, a hand on Max's shoulder, she looks outside as well and muses, "The economy, I suspect. Do you think that Metropolis will continue to look well on someone who is pure Gotham?"

[jl_scoundrels]

"Pure Gotham?" He whips around, and raises a hand, but lowers it again with a faux offended expression on his hand. "Catalina, I'm insulted. There's nothing pure about Gotham."

He turns to Chip. "You can leave us for a few minutes, Chip. I need to speak with Ms Reyes alone."

Once his son has left the tent, Max puts his hand on Catalina's neck, his fingers then holding her chin, before he gives her a light kiss on the lips. "This is a new dawn for us. We will marry, you'll be the toast of the town, and we'll reinvigorate this city. You and me. Together."

[catalinareyes]

For a second, for half a second, Catalina's expression is one of outright fear as she sees the raised hand, and even when she realizes he is kidding, the tension does not quite leave. Her smile is forced, the muscles on her neck taut under his gloved touch, and the returned kiss is a trifle hesitant. The process to repair the damage dealt her is underway internally as well as externally. "You...wish...what did you say?"

[jl_scoundrels]

"Catalina Reyes... I'm not going down on one knee." He laughs, and takes one of her hands.

"Would you do me the honour, or becoming Mrs Catalina Reyes-Shreck?" He produces a gorgeous gold and diamond band from his left hand pocket, and slips it on her ring finger.

"I'm modern enough to know you won't want to lose your own name."

[catalinareyes]

Mixed emotions flicker across her tawny complexion, still crisscrossed by the most recent time with the world's finest plastic surgeons. Her lips tremble, as if she wishes to speak but cannot quite manage what to say, before her fingers wind around his. "For once you are mistaken," she finally breathes. "Catalina Reyes ceased to be when we met. Catalina Shreck I shall be."

[jl_scoundrels]

Max squeezes Catalina's hand and then embraces her, hugging her tightly. "You know I love you more than I could love any other woman."

"Now, how about we announce this news to our loving people?"

[catalinareyes]

"No," she says suddenly, "today is the day for Shreck.net. Let the media glimpse the ring and guess, let us delay the announcement to tantalize. You are their new deity; they must pay homage."

[mr_henshaw]

As Shreck leaves the pavilion tent alongside his betrothed and starts to talk into the microphone again, the rapturous mood is suddenly broken by a deafening sonic boom as a familiar red, gold and blue figure shoots across the sky

[catalinareyes]

The sonic boom, as much as anything, causes Catalina to scamper outside, horror on her features, an emotion that isn't typical for her, not a bit. "Did...madre de Dios, did Superman just destroy our building?"

[jl_scoundrels]

Max stares, open-mouthed, ignoring the blood that's leaking slightly from his head, after having his eardrums ruptured.

"Superman... Just ruined me..."

[catalinareyes]

Turning quickly toward her ... her fiancé, Catalina says, "You are bleeding. Max...we should get you to a doctor."

Has she changed? She's looking a little worriedly toward the others, too.