Agreements Are Difficult To Come By (JP)

The governer flinched at the commotion and gravitated towards Cynthia. "I saw you." He said, mentioning a flash he'd seen of Kyra and Cynthia meeting. "You call it a safe haven...." He paused, following her up the stairs. When the reached the top of the stairs, he glanced at the basement where Prescott would be "handled" and closes the door. "No one there has hurt a human?" He asked.

Cynthia shook her head. "Some of them have, but only to protect themselves or someone else. We don't harbor criminals, we provide refuge to those who would've been killed or tortured." She admitted. "I'm sorry this is happening. I'm sure it's been a rough day."

The governer chuckled half heartedly before his face turned serious again, but he carried sadness with him now. "That woman, Kyra... is she ok?" He asked. Cynthia could tell his concern was genuine.

"No, but she tries to be."

Lydia put her hands on either side of Prescotts head and infiltrated his mind. Every thought, experience, memory, trauma... everything went through her. She filtered out what she didn't need before finally releasing him. "Wake up!" She growled. "The fucker is lying. He was hoping we'd run scared." She turned to Kyra, rage and concern evident on her face. "But EAST is closing in on us. Slowly, thankfully. But they know our safe haven exists, and they have a rough idea as to where it is." She turned back to Prescott, who's eyes fluttered open. The moment she could, she locked their gazes together and forced him into paralysis. "Get rid of him" She said to Kyra through gritted teeth

"By get rid of him, do you mean my way?" Kyra asked Lydia in a serious tone. They bone knew that Kyra's way of doing things meant this man would never been seen or heard of again.

Before Cynthia could answer the question, Cyrus dropped through the roof, sweat dripping from his brow and barely able to stand. "Well... he was lying. But I'm guessing... one of you... figured that out already." Cyrus was barely able to speak through the panting. What he just did with his abilities was the physical equivalent of full sprinting two straight miles. "I need... a cigarette." Cyrus moaned as he fumbled with his pack to retrieve a precious cancer stick. (edited)

Lydia kept their gazes locked, ensuring that the Senator had no chance of escape. "Do as you see fit." She said with a scowl aimed at Presscott.

Cynthia crinkled her nose for a second. She hated cigarettes. They smelled bad, tasted bad, and had bad consequences. But she'd only just met Cyrus and wasn't going to boss him around. "We are desperate, Governer. All of us, humans and mutants, have had to do awful things the past several years. Mutants are being slaughtered just for being mutants. EAST has been experimenting on Mutants for years now." Cynthia said.

"Perhaps if we can stay in contact, we can discuss change. For both sides." The governor responded.

Kyra gave Lydia a nod and turned back to Prescott. "Guess what that means?" She hissed through her teeth and waited for Lydia to walk out of the room. The moment her friend was gone, she opened the box. All anyone would hear after about five minutes was a single pained yell.

Soon enough, Kyra would join them all outside the room, box closed and the strap of it hanging from her shoulder. There was a serious expression on her face and an almost distant look in her eyes. Adjusting the strap, she looked at Cynthia, Lydia, Cyrus and the Governer. "He won't be back..." She said in a cold tone.

"Time out." Cyrus interjected, finally not out of breath. "So, you get abducted by mutants, we're going to kill your colleague, and you're suing for peace? Peace and harmony? Well, assuming it's genuine, I give you credit. But I've seen too much to trust the sudden moral epiphanies of a newly elected politician." Cyrus stared the man down. Maybe he was telling the truth here, but it seemed a little too good to be true. "It's Lydia's call though. Her hostage, her rules."
August 10, 2024

The governer looked in the distance, as though he could see through the wall. "The senator-" He started, returning his attention back to Cyrus, "-was more than a lost man. There are people who hunt mutants out of fear, and while that doesn't make it okay, it's understood. But Prescott..." He paused, licking his lips as he pondered the right words. "Prescott was not afraid. He was not doing the things he did to protect anyone. He keeps slaves... he paid a large sum of money to EAST for two mutants that are nearly brain dead and follow commands. He makes them kill other mutants while he watches." The governer admitted the horrid sins kept silent by the state. "I have tried for a long time to defund EAST. But it can be dangerous to make such powerful enemies in today's world." He turned to Cynthia and Lydia. "It'd be a nice change to make a powerful ally... as long as you're not killing people just because they disagree."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that's why I killed him?" She asked, her voice cold, but her curiosity was genuine.

"No." The governer shook his head, visibly stressing. "No, that's not what I meant."

Pulling up her hood, Kyra shoved her hands into her pockets and looked at Cyrus. "What's done is done and if this guy is on our side, all the better for everyone." She said briskly and walked by him, making her way outside. The very air around her was cold as she wiped black blood from her face where it had slid out of her nose.

She hoped no one would ask what she'd done.

Cyrus still wasn't entirely convinced, but he wasn't the one who could read minds either. Begrudgingly, he decided to let it go. "So what's the plan now? They'll never believe you escaped on your own Governor. How do we convince people we let you go for any reason other than treason?"

The Governers eyes flicked between the 4 mutants as he thought to himself. "I want to take Cynthia with me. Out of the four of you, there's a lot of strengths and a very commanding presence, which is good in some cases, but not if I need to convince people that mutants are not the enemy. You three-" He gestured to Cyrus, Kyra, and Lydia, "are what I'd present to the military as walking weapons. You're loyal, strong, and capable. But Cynthia is soft, and I think she'd be able to connect with the people better."

Lydia cut off his rambling. "She manages the safe haven almost single handedly. We can't afford to send her away, let alone, to a death trap. Your people will kill her, and that's not a risk I'm willing to take." She said, taking a step closer to her older sister.

Cynthia smiled softly and put an arm around Lydia's shoulders. "Let's do a vote."

Kyra let out a single laugh. "I am so not military..." She said and rolled her shoulders. "Why not send mustache over there as her bodyguard? He's obviously got his eyes on her." It was a suggestion that she knew Lydia might not agree with, but she had to do it. They needed to be convincing to these people. "If he takes me, it might turn into too much chaos..." That was true in more than one way.

Cyrus shook his head, "Guys, what? Y'all just murdered an elected official. I am a wanted man, y'all are VERY wanted women. E.A.S.T. does not negotiate with terrorists," Cyrus shot a glance at Lydia that time. "I worked for them for years, I would know.
I wash my hands of this. I came here to warn you that E.A.S.T. was closing in and I intended to move on after. I don't want any part of this pseudo political campaign." Cyrus was clearly agitated. He suspected the Governor's eagerness to help was Lydia's influence and not a sincere desire. What happens when that influence diminishes?

Kyra stared at Cyrus from just outside the door where she stood. "I knew it," She muttered almost under her breath and rolled her eyes. A headache was starting to form. "You're just another coward." Shaking her head, she looked at Cynthia and Lydia. "Let me know what you figure out. I need some air..." Turning, she walked off.