2014.02.15 - We're All Mad Here

My Alibi Night Club
Somewhere in Gotham
The nightclub known as My Alibi is a little known to almost secret location that is typically host to clients that run the seedy side of the tracks. Not quite as upscale as the Penguin's dive or any number of other locations dotting Gotham it still serves it's purpose as a great place for intel and occasional work without having to deal with additional huff or issue. 
The man known as the Taskmaster likes low-key when not actually out there playing the caped game. It makes business easier. The nightclub itself from the outside has no real windows and was built out of an old moving company the entry beyond a small gated hallway next to a large automated garage door. It's non-descript to almost ugly outside hiding the red themed interior. A bar, several lounge davenports with tables in front of them a cage and a stage. Everything a bunch of crooks need to sit back and relax while they plan the next big heist. It's relatively quiet in here right now beyond the Skull faced mercenary seated in one of the lounge seats staring across at a rather bored looking brunette dancer who is atop a table adjacent to him. The bar tender, a bouncer and another table occupied by two monkey suited goons who look content with their own conversation; all of them entirely unmindful of the heavily armed and costumed "super" villain that is just... chillin'. Welcome to Gotham underground.
That's when the doors open up and Alice Hearts enters the bar. She's dressed in her normal Queenly outfit of a large flowing dress that has hearts all over it in a black and red motif. If she's going to a super villain bar, she ought to come dressed for the situation. The only thing about going to a super villain bar as a woman with a low cut dress, an expensive crown, and other such not-so-armed existence is that you have to bring along a friend.
The friend is big, large, huge, and furry. Purple furry. The kind of color a real man might laugh at if it weren't for the large claws and teeth and otherwise vehemently animal like appearance that the Cheshire Cat brings with him. Not a human, not a massive, cat, but some anthropomorphic version of a very large human-cat. Entirely covered in fur and walking in a hunched fashion, he dwarfs the woman in front of him and she's rather tall at 6'2" and then some because of her heels. The only other person of interest in the room at this point is Taskmaster, with his skulled face mask, "Cheshire, be a dear, and do not eat anyone. We are here, merely to interact." She says it loudly enough, in that royal voice that few ever master, a quiet tone that pierces the room but is still not a yell. And then she begins to walk up towards the bar, the massive cat creature sauntering behind her.
"What the shit is this?" One of the two goons seated off alone scoffs as the door opens and admits Alice and her cat-monster. "I remember when this used to be a nice decent place where us sorts could get a drink without having to deal with all these costumed clowns."
The other man, balding and larger hisses low under his breath, "Shuddup Walt. She might be one of them Joker clowns or sumthin. They're bad news you don't wanna fuck with them."
"Whatever, man, just whatever." Their voices quiet up as they both swallow the lumps the Cheshire cat's created in their throats. They're monkey suited mooks they're not about to step up to that.
Taskmaster on the other hand cranes his head to peer past the boring as she looks dancer to spy Alice and her companion. It looks like he is grinning but then again with his mask it always looks like he is grinning. 
The barkeep, a burly man with a Luchadore mask on tips his chin up and flexes before tapping the bar, "No fighting, keep your weapons holstered and no weird animal droppings or stuff like that." A pause, "Other then that we good, what you having?" His accent thickly Hispanic but otherwise very clear.
 
That drab dancing girl shows really no interest in anything going on around her other than swaying slowly back and forth like she's at a Nirvana concert. Fits a little with the slow drumming industrial/techno music that is currently playing - it'll flip soon it's towards it's end.
There's a little bit of a squint at the mooks who are at the bar, and Alice then takes a sigh and shakes her head a bit as they do nothing. She still speaks up as she's not one to deal with ridiculousness, "Oh, costumed?" She looks down at herself, "When you become Queen of something, some day, you tell me it is a costume. Until then, be quiet. This is not my realm yet, but you should be warned in advance. I will remember you, and I may not like you should I do so." And she moves to the bartender, "Ah, a drink. Let us see. Order of two of something. 
Whatever..." She pulls out some money that she looks at and hrms at it, "this will buy?" It is a few hundred dollars and she puts it on the table, "I will not be drinking, however. Just, keep it so you do not bother me again with such questions."
Turning to the grinning masked man, "Ah. You look like someone I once knew, on the other hand, you would not be him. But it does bring up fond memories. I take it from you lack of idiotic comments, that you actually have some manner of back bone and intelligence? I do so hate to sit amongst only fools, though at court it is quite the case most of the time." Cheshire has said nothing, though he is snarling. It's just, he's a cat, and has a large cat face, he can't help but snarl.
One thug elbows the other and murmurs something under his breath about being a Queen, a shared bit of laughter is had but they keep their heads down and to themselves. Poor lowbies.
Taskmaster on the other hand is intrigued and usually makes it a point to get to know all the walks that run their special circle, especially the shapely ones and of course the badasses with Street Fighter epic-like moves.
"I assure you, I ain't him. I don't remember much but I am pretty sure I'd remember someone like you... and your fuzzy friend." His brown eyes beyond the mask train on the purple critter. "I'd like to think I'm remotely intelligent." A shrug escapes him and he can only look on in wonder at this point. "You're not a local, are ya?"
The Luchadore only grunts at the money but tucks it away non-the less. "No drink, no problem." And like any good man he's off to clean up the bar and pretend he's more interested in his work.
Bartender out of the way. Mooks laughing at her never bothered her, and she does respect the whole, this is the luchadore's building so she respects his rules. Once they leave, however... her eyes squint with obvious malevolence towards the laughing pair but then she sits, proper postured even while on a stool at a bar in a gritty if not grungy area. "Well, usually, though not always, if you remove the head of someone it does not grow back." And she laughs lightly before saying, "Oh, from here? Not at all. I am Alice, The Queen of Hearts and Queen of Wonderland. And whom might you be?" She looks at Taskmaster, only letting a glance of evil intent head in the direction of the mooks in monkey suits before coming back to him. "As a note, my furry friend is The Cheshire Cat. He is not friendly, but he does obey well enough." And he seems to give as many snarling evil looks to Alice from behind her as she is giving to the mooks.
Taskmaster in his usual cocky to relaxed manner leans against the bar next to the stool she chooses to sit upon, one she introduces herself as Alice Queen of Wonderland he has to resist his first impulses to joke. It's just what it is, he's met Demi-Gods, Magical Mutant Indians, Time-Travelers, why not meet the Queen of Wonderland? "So uh, I like the theme. It's very /in/ and stylish. I find it hard to imagine someone like you is here social networking... " Eternal grin on that skull mask. The Cheshire cat gets another once over before he just attempts to pretend he isn't there. Sometimes breaking the brain is a major possibility in this reality.
It's amazing, unlike a normal cat, Cheshire is perfectly content with standing hunched over inside of the room. He doesn't move, he doesn't do much but snarl, his breathing is audible but easily tuned out. Still, like a large cat about ready to pounce on its prey. No motion, quieting down, heart slowing, ready for the quick adrenaline rush of the attack. But, no attack comes. Alice, is of course, completely comfortable with or has never noticed the death stares she gets from the Cheshire Cat and instead begins to focus her own vision on Taskmaster, "Thank you very much." She smiles brightly, happily, her eyes show in how they seductively squint a little to elongate her rather perfectly symmetrical features, "You are certainly an honest man." And she waves a hand over her dress, "It is something that merely has become the custom in Wonderland. Queens, well, I am the only one that is left, but we lead and thus we must not only stand out but be stylish in our own right. And it fits rather nicely. I agree." She ignores the lingering question, "Tell me more? What else do you like about me?"
"Honest? I wouldn't go that far. Doesn't pay in my profession to be anything but a scoundrel." A low chuckle escapes the merc, "But hey, you're welcome." The tender as if on queue slides Taskmaster another bottle of Blue Moon which is opened and vanishes past the teeth of the skull mask. His few gulps later, a lingering once over again of Alice and he is answering her question, "Hell lady, I'm a man. It's fairly obvious what I like about you. You sure you don't want a drink? Dude serves up a good long island ice tea."
"No. It is customary in my realm not to drink what is offered." And Alice looks at herself and then smiles, "Yes, well, I am rather fetching. I like that about myself as well. And I do need to network socially. I know everyone who is everyone in Wonderland, but on..." She takes a moment, "Earth, or in this realm, not quite sure which is more appropriate, well, any how, within this place I do not know quite anyone. It is worthless to talk with idiots, such as those men." She glares again at the mooks, "But a man like yourself where you obviously have a flare for the better things in outfits, and in life, and you have good taste, why I could use the help figuring out this realm. Learn before conquest. It makes the conquest easier."
"Conquest?" A perplexed look is given followed by another, "And Wonderland is real, eh? Thought that was just something about story books. I suppose though." Shit, Taskmaster was trapped in Limbo for months after stabbing Vandal Savage through the heart in a rather elaborate ruse so why not let there be a Wonderland? "Fetching is an understatement, yer majesty and I dress to suit my needs, glad you approve. But this conquest thing, huh, not an invasion going on outside and you're just in here for a social break is there?" The man has lost track of time and how long he's been sitting in here slumming it. Also hes kind of buzzed.
There's a bit of a laugh that comes from Alice as she sits there, "Oh, do not worry. There's no conquest happening currently. At least not at any particularly quick rate. No, no. But, I am a Queen. I would not be here if I was simply on vacation. Queens do not get vacations." And she looks over to Taskmaster with a smile, "Yes, fetching is probably an understatement. That is good. I like that idea. I am beyond fetching, beyond queenly. I was in some of your women's clothing and someone asked if I was a model. I am quite gorgeous, beautiful, sexy. I do so love me." There's a pause and she offers, "And, yes, ah, functional in your dress as well. If I need functional I simply change, though everything I wear must, understandably, accentuate my better features."
"No ego there eh?" Taskmaster's hand clutching the bottle tips up towards her in a cheers, "Heres to royalty." He teases. "First Queen I've met. I work for a Baroness regularly, even met a few Barons... " He'd met Illyana the Queen of Limbo during his /visit/ there but he isn't quite sure that counts. She didn't act the role not quite like this beauty in front of him. "And good there isn't any invasion happening. I'd be missing out on some good money."
Once more Taskmaster lets out a low chuckle, "I think you got the accentuating down to an art form. Even Gomez here keeps stealing peek." A nod indicating the barkeep/luchadore.
"Ego?" Alice squints a bit at the Taskmaster until he gives her a tip of his drink and continues speaking. "First one? Yes, well a Baron or Baroness is quite unflattering to a man of great skill. Are you a man of great skill? I imagine they are paying in money still, instead of lands, or artifacts? It is so very much a Baron's modus operandi. And quite frankly, they are all ridiculous. A man who fights for money will switch sides, as you likely have in the past. Loyalty can not be bought with coins, as they freely spend. A man bought with land, why there is a man who needs to fight, because he must defend what it is he has been given." She smiles lightly and then broader as you comment on her accentuations, "Oh, this is nothing. Peeks are quite common, stares even. You should see my clothing for this realm. The women here dress almost nude, can you imagine that with someone with a body like mine? Delicious to think about, really it is."
"Delicious and teasing to even mention, your highness." A bit of taunting and flirting all in one string from the man, "I am one of the best and there isn't a skill I don't have or can't acquire I am called the Taskmaster after all." The beer is emptied and pushed aside, "N' usually a pro doesn't just hop sides willy nilly. That's bad for business but ya always have to look out for your neck so... " Insert shrug.
"Hey man, my name isn't Gomez." The Bartender pipes up while slinging another beer to the mercenary.
"Whatevs, pal." Is the curt response; Taskmaster remains giving Alice his attention in the form of an appreciative stare since she doesn't seem to mind one bit.
There's a chuckle from Alice Hearts, she's ignore Gomez entirely, "Oh, bad for business. Yes. But after the one contract is expired. I have met men like you, perhaps not as good as you, but I too am very contract oriented. I have a contract with the Cheshire Cat, much to his enjoyment. Everyone in Wonderland loves their Queen, and yet, still, I feel it necessary. Very business like, to the point of being meticulous, and I enjoy having records of my dealings. It reminds me every day how I got to where I am." And she looks over at Cheshire, who immediately stops snarling right before the Queen's peripheral vision can see him, and he looks mean still, he can't, but not so vehemently wanting to kill, "We have had a long, and fruitful relationship, and I merely need flip through my records to remind both him and I of how well it has benefitted us both." And then her eyes come back to Taskmaster when Cheshire starts snarling once again.
"I bet. Contracts make for good insurance." Taskmaster says while lockin eyes with the Cheshire cat and taking a long swig of his beer, "Is he housebroken?"
"And dollface, there ain't many men like me out there." He adds in with another of them winks before using his foot to push off of the bar so he is standing and not leaning. The two goons from earlier stepping out in to the cold Gotham streets where wind and snow linger. Though it's sparse compared to what it was a week ago.
Alice Hearts turning her head to watch the mooks go. She pats Cheshire on the shoulder and he stalks off. The mooks are gone before he starts moving, but he heads straight towards the door. Alice speaks, "Well, that is great then. I will keep you in mind for when things start. Also, we should talk about what I might be able to do for you, though I will have to have a demonstration at some point of just how unique you are. For now, though, I must go. The Mad Hatter is throwing a party and I simply do not wish to miss it. It is, after all, in my honor." And she stands again, waiting a moment to give Taskmaster a chance to say something before she will head to the door.
"I look forward to it." Taskmaster's two fingers slide out and a business card appears between them. A flick and that same card drifts towards Alice. "My direct line. Need work or want company just hit me up." 
Walt and his gangster buddy are no doubt in for a surprise when the Cheshire Cat catches up to them but that is a whole 'nother graphic story that doesn't need told. 
Briefly watching the woman depart Taskmaster casts another permanently affixed skully grin at the bartender, "The sexiest ones are always the craziest." 
Category:Log