Simon's conversation quickly attracted the attention of the other girls, who all gathered around, hoping to go to Los Angeles for the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiere the next day. Staying a few extra days in LA would be even better.
After much chatter, all eyes finally settled on Simon.
The girls knew perfectly well that Simon Westeros was the one who would ultimately decide.
Simon watched them bicker for a while before, seeing them settle down and look at him expectantly, he nodded and said, "Anyone who wants to go can go, but you'll need your parents' permission first."
The room erupted in cheers.
Elizabeth, a bit upset by Paris's smug expression, kept quiet in front of everyone but was smart enough not to question Simon's decision publicly.
After letting the girls continue to play for a while longer, dinner was eventually served, and the group moved to the dining room.
By the time dinner was over, it was already 8 p.m.
Simon didn't allow the girls to stay at the estate any longer. Given his reputation as a playboy, he had no desire for rumors suggesting he was interested in underage girls. Besides, he genuinely had no interest in such young, inexperienced girls. So, he insisted they board the helicopter back to Manhattan, making sure the housekeeper arranged transportation for them once they arrived to ensure each girl was safely dropped off at home.
After much pouting and pleading, Elizabeth managed to stay behind.
Simon didn't press the matter and, once the other girls were gone, had Jerry Hall flown over from Manhattan to join him for the night.
The next day, December 20th, a Wednesday, at 9 a.m., the group of girls who had visited Simon's villa the previous evening all showed up at the Westeros exclusive terminal at Kennedy International Airport—along with a large group of parents who had come to see them off.
Although Elizabeth had made the initial request, it now looked like Simon was about to take a group of young girls to Los Angeles.
Naturally, this raised some eyebrows.
To avoid any misunderstandings, Simon invited the parents to come along as well. After all, the private Boeing 767 could easily accommodate a few hundred people, and even if each of the 16 girls brought both their parents, it wouldn't exceed 50 people. In reality, only about 20 parents showed up.
Despite belonging to Manhattan's elite class, these parents were eager for the opportunity to connect with Simon Westeros. They knew full well the value of such a relationship, and some even quietly hoped that the young tycoon might take an interest in their daughters.
So, what had started as a drop-off turned into an impromptu trip to Los Angeles for many of the parents as well.
The girls were already on winter break, and though most adults were still working, taking a day off wasn't a big deal. They could always fly back the next day. The chance to establish connections with Westeros made it well worth the inconvenience.
Jerry Hall, who had stayed the night at Simon's Greenwich estate, took on the unofficial role of hostess on the private jet.
After takeoff, Simon was an attentive host, even organizing a small cocktail party in the cabin and chatting with the parents for most of the flight. The girls, though technically the guests of honor, were sent to the forward section of the plane, which was usually off-limits to outsiders. But they didn't mind at all.
Even though it was an impromptu social gathering and much of the conversation was casual, Simon found it quite productive.
While some of the parents were old-money heirs who lacked ambition, most were Manhattan elites, deeply involved in various industries across the country.
Having reached such great heights, Simon realized he was now out of touch with many lower-level circles. Without such connections, he risked becoming one of those out-of-touch elites who couldn't relate to the common people.
Since these were his guests, Simon was generous in his hospitality. Even though many of them likely had their own homes on the West Coast, he offered several of his own properties for them to stay in, complete with service teams, and didn't impose any strict time limits.
Of course, with Christmas just a few days away, most of the more astute guests would likely head back home before Christmas Eve.
The premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that evening was officially hosted by Warner Bros. Pictures, following a similar promotional strategy to the one used for Jurassic Park 2 earlier that summer. Once again, the premiere was held at the Shrine Civic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, with a temporary IMAX screen installed for the occasion.
Following the success of the summer test run, where Jurassic Park 2 had received overwhelming praise, this time Batman v Superman would debut on 3,417 regular screens, with an additional 26 IMAX screens across North America. Fifteen of these belonged to Daenerys Entertainment's Odeon Theaters, while the remaining 11 were located in science and technology museums equipped to handle IMAX screenings.
In the original timeline, the first feature-length IMAX film was Disney's Fantasia 2000 in 1999.
Now, even though there were only 26 IMAX screens in the U.S., it was clear that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had claimed the title from Fantasia 2000. The IMAX screening of Jurassic Park 2 during the summer had been more of a showcase than a full release.
Simon had hoped Daenerys Entertainment's wholly owned films could have claimed this title, but they weren't fully prepared for the Jurassic Park 2 release. Choosing a highly anticipated film like Batman v Superman was the best way to maximize the promotion of IMAX technology.
At 5 p.m., the red carpet ceremony for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice officially began.
Given the immense popularity of both Superman and Batman, the crowd surrounding the Shrine Civic Auditorium was several times larger than it had been for the Jurassic Park 2 premiere. It was a sea of people, and the number of celebrities attending was just as impressive.
Though invited by Simon, the girls and their parents, who had flown in from New York that morning, didn't walk the red carpet. Even Jerry Hall didn't bother with the spectacle. Instead, she embraced the role of a temporary hostess for Simon's guests, a role she seemed to enjoy. Simon left the task of entertaining these guests to her.
While many had long known of Jerry Hall's relationship with Simon, this event solidified her status.
Unlike other mistresses of the rich who were often looked down upon, being Simon Westeros' official lover carried significant weight.
After all, Simon's position was so lofty that even the women in his life were figures to be respected. For a man like Simon, having multiple women was seen as perfectly natural; anything less would be unusual.
The 16 girls, along with their families—39 people in total—were soon seated in prime spots inside the auditorium.
These seats had been reserved by the event organizers for last-minute needs.
Though viewers often only see the front rows of celebrities during the Oscars, the Shrine Civic Auditorium, opened in 1926, has a seating capacity of over 6,000, so accommodating a few dozen extra guests was no issue.
At 6 p.m., the red carpet ceremony concluded, and all the attendees took their seats in the auditorium.
Outside, a massive crowd of fans continued their enthusiastic cheers. Inside, after a brief welcome from the host, the lights dimmed, and the screening began.
The movie opened with a scene of imminent danger.
In Metropolis, a fully loaded passenger train suddenly loses its braking system for unknown reasons. If no rescue occurs, it will crash into the ocean at the end of the tracks.
This sequence was inspired by Simon's memory of the train rescue scene from Spider-Man 2 starring Tobey Maguire.
On the IMAX screen, the dramatic visuals and the tension of the runaway train had the audience on the edge of their seats. Many anticipated that Superman would swoop in to save the day.
This is a common opening trope in superhero movies.
And for good reason—it's highly effective.
It immediately grabs the audience's attention.
Just as expected, the live news coverage from helicopters soon captures Superman's arrival, soaring through the sky to confront the crisis.
Clark Kent, in full view of the public, attempts to stop the train with his immense strength. For Superman, this should be an easy task. Both the on-screen bystanders and the audience expected a display of his godlike powers to kick off the movie.
However, the plot took an unexpected turn.
As Superman braced himself in front of the train, intending to bring it to a halt, two heavily armed soldiers appeared in the train's control room. Despite sensing their hostility, Clark Kent didn't believe these human soldiers could harm him, so he continued his mission.
Calmly, the soldiers loaded a special type of bullet, took aim, and fired at Superman. Even though Clark noticed the threat, he chose not to dodge, as the train was fast approaching the end of the track.
Boom—
The bullet exploded against Superman's chest but failed to penetrate his indestructible suit. However, a cloud of green gas erupted from the shattered projectile.
Inside the auditorium, many audience members, whether familiar with DC Comics or not, immediately recognized the green gas.
Kryptonite.
Superman's Achilles' heel.
It was a trap!
As the soldiers left the control room, the kryptonite gas quickly infiltrated Superman's body. After a dramatic micro-close-up showing the kryptonite particles entering his bloodstream and slowing his heartbeat, the film returned to the struggle between Superman and the speeding train. Viewers saw that his exposed face, neck, and hands had turned an ashen
gray.
The train, which had begun to slow down, suddenly picked up speed again.
Amid gasps from both the on-screen crowd and the audience in the theater, despite Superman's final desperate effort, the train hurtled off the track and plunged into the deep ocean, with Superman and all the passengers on board.
The screen went black from Superman's perspective.
When it lit up again, news reports detailed the failed rescue, highlighting Superman's previous heroic deeds—from the Metropolis battle in Man of Steel to saving a crashing plane and intervening in the African conflict.
Though Superman had slowed the train enough to give rescuers a fighting chance, 12 people still lost their lives in the disaster.
Controversy followed.
And once again, people were reminded of the devastation brought by the battle of Metropolis.
The debate turned to whether Superman should be regulated, whether he should be under government control, and even whether Superman should exist at all.
These debates among the media and the public played over the opening credits, eventually focusing on a large, underground laboratory.
The 'Luthor' logos scattered throughout the lab immediately signaled to the audience that this was Lex Luthor's domain.
There was no need for further explanation. Decades of comic books and films had established Luthor as Superman's arch-nemesis. In the DC Cinematic Universe controlled by Simon, Luthor had been subtly referenced since Man of Steel and even in Suicide Squad. Though his screen time had been limited, the character had been well-foreshadowed.
Now, Lex Luthor was finally stepping into the spotlight. Even without much background explanation, the audience knew exactly who he was, and his motivations had already been hinted at. His father had died in the battle of Metropolis, setting the stage for this film's storyline—Luthor's revenge, fueled by his jealousy and desire for Superman's power.
This is the advantage of a cinematic universe.
Even the kryptonite used in the opening sequence didn't need further explanation.
All the necessary details could be spread across different films, saving time in any one movie from rehashing origins.
On the big screen, Lex Luthor soon appeared, overseeing a process in which kryptonite was being extracted from fragments of a Kryptonian ship. He explained to his beautiful assistant that where deadly snakes exist, one often finds plants capable of curing their venom.
In Luthor's eyes, Superman was the snake, and kryptonite was the antidote.
The train disaster at the start of the film had been one of Luthor's experiments.
When his assistant asked if Luthor intended to kill Superman, Luthor shook his head. Killing Superman wasn't his goal. He wanted to utterly destroy him, both physically and spiritually, to bring the once-revered demigod to ruin.
As the scene ended, Luthor and his assistant left the underground lab and ascended to the top of LexCorp Tower. Across the bay, in the distance, they could see the skyline of another city, where the silhouette of a giant bat signal was illuminated by a searchlight.
That was Gotham.
Standing at the tower's edge, Luthor smirked and muttered, "It's time for a party. Let's get everyone together."
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]