Magnus walks into the wide open hall of the Convention Center. The entire area has been extremely well decorated, ranging from ribbons, bows, glitter and topped off with beautifully painted artwork. The main floor has a few tables for serving food and seating patrons, with exotic looking tablecloths on the tables to bring more of a more artistic look rather that relying on plain solid colors. The middle of the floor consists of the main dance floor, with a few guests already on the dance floor getting things started. No doubt the guest had already started going for the bar. Magnus walks slowly into the hall, where the Lord Mayor Charles Damian comes from a group of guest on Magnus' left and approaches Magnus.
Charles Damian looks like an eloquent aristocrat, having a black colored right wing parted hairstyle with gray edges. Dressed in a tuxedo like the rest, but he doesn't seem rude, nosy and belligerent as some of the other guests. He is known for being hard-working and having a good set of morals, which Magnus had come to admire. He had been elected Mayor within the previous year. He had inherited a massive mess from his predecessor, but nevertheless is committed to leading the city into being a safer place for its inhabitants.
"Ah! Mr. Steven Lockyer, the pride and joy of Australian Professional Wrestling." Charles graciously greets Magnus. Fortunately the identity of Omega Magnus is a bonafide well-kept secret. Even though Magnus doesn't wear a mask when he battles criminals, wearing high-tech sunglasses and sporting an anime-style hairdo certainly deflects suspicion. It's amazing what a change of hairstyle, eye wear, a change of clothes and a change of attitude can really do.
"Lord Mayor Damian, how are you sir?" Magnus greets back at the Lord Mayor.
"Oh no need to be so formal Steven, Charles will do just fine." The Lord Mayor exclaims, "Better to lighten the mood so everyone can enjoy themselves."
"Looks like you went all out on the decorating."
"Well we have to do all we can to attract the high society. Considering they're starving for atmosphere these days and are constantly criticizing everything they set their eyes on."
"That and a fully stocked bar of course."
Both Magnus and the Lord Mayor exchange laughs at the light jabs at high society.
"It's a worthy cause that you are promoting, something that high society can get behind, or at least try to." says Magnus
"Oh definitely yes, even though some of these people do seem less humane." The Lord Mayor happily proclaims. "The Brisbane Clean-Up-Crime program is certainly a worthy cause. I'll admit the last four attempts at such a program were a process of trial and error, but I am confident we'll be able to thoroughly clean these streets of the ill-ridden crime that has been plaguing our fine city for the last few years."
"Well here's hoping for that." Magnus acknowledges, "Maybe we can get ourselves some peace and quiet for once."
As Magnus and Lord Mayor Damian are conversing with each other, the Police Commissioner Christine Keith and Police Sergeant George Carter walk over towards the conversing pair, both sporting the posture and demeanor of proud militant aristocrats that have accomplished something extraordinary through the pain of others. Commissioner Keith wears a women's suit with her medium sized hair braided. She never liked the whole feminine approach to dressing and mannerism. Sergeant Carter was of course in his formal police uniform complete with blazer as if he was a proud servant in the Australian Military. He was in the Military for a measly two years until he was dishonorably discharged for deployment dodging, preferring a more behind-the-scenes approach to things.
"I don't remember expecting opinions from civilians about our jobs." smirked Sergeant Carter. "Especially from golden boys who were invited just to pander to the masses."
"Least I'm good at my job." Magnus fires a smirk remark back, "Unless you consider working from a desk an accomplishment."
"Now gentlemen, settle down." Charles tries to calm down the situation. Sergeant Carter is known for treating civilians as if they were underachieving irrelevant peasants that bear no meaning or purpose to the world. Even though Carter doesn't seem like the perfect fit for the role of a police sergeant, at least his management skills come in handy for something.
"Myself and Commissioner Keith are taking time out of our busy schedules to support your program and to inform the city of our dedication on getting results Mayor Damian." Carter gets straight to the point, as if he was the main highlight of the party. "I expect everyone in this ball to pay their respects towards our hard work in cleaning up this city. Not highlight a bunch of worthless aristocrats and fake golden objects."
"As far as I can tell, half the police force is scared to death of even stepping outside or just don't give a crap, criminals literally think this city is their playground, and you're telling me that you deserve respect?" Magnus angrily replies, "The attendees present are deeply concerned about the safety of the city and are more than willing to back the government in taking steps of fighting back. And you think you deserve 100% of the credit?"
"You will apologize for your remarks." Commissioner Keith pops up out of nowhere.
"Last I checked, this is a free country where free speech is allowed." Magnus quickly fires back,
"How we conduct ourselves in our jobs is no one's concern. Unless you expect that so called vigilante to do our jobs for us."
"I thought you expressly said there's no such thing as a vigilante."
"There isn't."
"And yet the media has reported that you've requested a highly trained tactical squad from the federal police to apprehend the vigilante. That seems a bit extreme considering that you think that it’s just a bunch of kids doing something stupid."
"The media says a lot of things... Now that's quite enough of you bickering, unless you'd like a visit to our jail cell at the precinct."
"Under what charge? Using free speech? Hell, do you even know how to apprehend a suspect?"
Clearly the Lord Mayor is deeply concerned with how the conversation is going. Commissioner Keith is another who isn't really a good fit for her position, but Lord Mayor Damian does try to see the good in everyone who serves the city. It's a quality that Magnus truly respects in Charles, believing the city deserves to have more people like him.
As the conversation quickly escalates, prompting the Lord Mayor to try to intervene, another person comes from behind to jump in.
"Now Now sweethearts, surely a fancy charity ball is not the place for such depressing conversations, lets try and enjoy ourselves."
The person intervening is someone that Magnus had tried to prepare himself in seeing for the first time in so many years.
"Have it your way Ms. Queen." Commissioner Keith smirkly replies as she and Sergeant Carter turn to walk away.
"Ah Ms. Queen, it's so good to have your esteemed acquaintance present." the Lord Mayor proclaims.
Ariel Queen, Brisbane's leading lady in art, design and novel writing. Ariel is Magnus' old high school friend. An eloquently beautiful woman dressed in a gorgeous gold formal gown with roses forming on the shoulder slips. With lush black hair combed so well, with her hair hanging down to her shoulder blades and lightly tanned skin and reddish pink lips, some would say that they were staring at a goddess from the heavens above who had come down to bring joy and love to the masses.
"Ariel..." Magnus replies as if lost in the moment.
"Hi Stephen." Ariel answers back with a massive smile on her face, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"You two know each other?" the Lord Mayor asks,
"Yeah..." Magnus answers as if staring into time and space. "We were high school friends."
"Well don't let me get between you and your reunion." says the Lord Mayor. "I'll let you two catch up on old times."
Lord Mayor Charles walks off, with Magnus extending a hand as if expecting someone to stick around to help him keeping the situation becoming even more awkward for himself.
"So how have you been?" Ariel breaks the ice to get the conversation going, smiling and being full of good cheer.
"Not too bad..." Magnus nervously answers as he turns to face Ariel, "How have you been?"
"Well I've been working. Art, design, novels, all that stuff. I see you're going so well in pro wrestling."
"Well, one tries..."
"You're still not very talkative huh? Unless someone brings politics and douchebags up."
"Well I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the Police Commissioner and the Sergeant. And most of everyone here only came for the booze, not like they read what the ball was about to begin with."
"There you go!" Ariel laughs cheerfully, "You can compile a whole sentence!"
Ariel looks at the dance floor and sees the various group of people dancing to a slow ballad. The people perform a typical slow dance to the ballad. Usually it's seen as just swaying, but no one ever complains about the movements associated in the dance.
"Wanna dance?" Ariel extends an invitation to Magnus, "You still remember how to dance right?"
"Yeah I do." Magnus answers, "I haven't forgotten what you taught me. Still don’t like it though.”
Ariel taught Magnus a lot of things when they were in high school. Dancing, sports and debating among some things. Dancing was the least favorite for Magnus, along with anything that requires a partner or a group of people for that matter.
The two walk to the middle of the dance floor. They form the correct posture and position and begin to perform the slow dance.
"You haven't even changed at all." Ariel says,
"You have." Magnus replies,
"Well I am serious when it comes to work. All the expectations everyone expects from you really drives you up the wall."
"I see."
The two continue to dance in sync with the ballad playing in the background. Even though Magnus never liked dancing, he is a fast learner and is actually good at getting dancing techniques and moves down to the letter.
"So Steven, why brings you here?" Ariel asks,
"Im Mr. Golden Boy Wrestling Extraordinaire." Steven answers, "Though I do believe in the cause."
"So do I." Ariel replies, "You have no idea."
"Aren't you the angel."
"I have a dream myself you know, of a better world, where a perfect balance is maintained where everything is in harmony in all aspects of life, the people and the world. Where life becomes true art where everything just comes together and blossoms as all things should."
"That's a pretty cryptic dream if you ask me."
"What's your dream?"
The question drove a nail hard through Magnus' heart. He'd been through a lot in his 25 years of life. He had been born with super strength, heightened reflexes and a exceptionally high intelligence. The details on how he was born that way was never quite explained. He grew up being raised mainly by his aunt, with his father in and out of his life due to his commitment to work, and his mother supposedly dying not long after he was born. And more recently, the death of Tengge, the only woman he ever loved. There is so much Magnus could wish for. Sadly most of the wishes he had could never come true for him. He never goes into detail about his life, besides the basic fundamentals such as his birth date, where he's from and who raised him. So he bottled most of his life inside, figuring that no one in the world would ever understand him.
"I just want a good life." Magnus finally thinks of an answer, "That's all I want."
"That's a good dream." Ariel cheerfully replies, "We're making good progress here."
The two continued to dance to the beat of the ballad, losing all sense of the world around them as if it was just the two of them in a different world with no one around.
"I missed you Ariel..." Magnus awkwardly replies, "Really..."
Ariel comes forward, gently grabs Magnus by the shoulders and plants a kiss on his left cheek.
"I missed you too" Ariel whispers,
Magnus is dumbfounded at the kiss that Ariel gave him, he doesn’t know how to react to what had transpired in front of him.
BANG!
An explosion came from the main doors.
"Sorry to crash the party folks! We are tonight's entertainment!" a voice came from the emitting smoke.