Kai's POV
How long she is gonna keep us waiting? Since we got ourselves into a gunfight, didn't think that the mayor would show her face there, I thought she would do paperwork and what not. Here we are, under locked guard, I hope she ain't gonna put us in the slammers.
"Thank you. Leave us!" the mayor mention to the guards to leave us.
"Ma'am!" one of the guard nods. "We'll be outside if you need anything."
"Yeah! Yeah!" she waves him off.
We stood up in a row and we let Todd be the spoke person since i ain't good at these things.
"Now.. Care to tell me why are you here, causing trouble in my town?" The mayor glares at us.
"Ma'am! My apologies, if we-" The mayor bangs the table.
"It's Mayor or Mayor Chelsea. My friends & acquaintances call me Chelsea. Don't call me, Ma'am, young man. I ain't that old." I snicker at him at calling her 'ma'am'.
I noticed the mayor gave the look from her eyes that says "you think this is funny?" but i ain't afraid of her and shot one back. But the woman ain't back down and cranes her neck as if I ain't the first fool that tried her.
"Enough!" Todd yells to break the tension. "Mayor Chelsea, we are Rascal squad. We are her-"
The woman raised her hand to stop him.
"I know you are seeking to make an alliance and I don't if your sorry butt is tots and pops store." she made it clear she knows why we are here.
"Ma'am, allow us to explain our action here. I will take full responsibility for what my team did." Todd speaks up.
"No can do! You and your team are responsible for the latest incident. But I will let you speak your case." The woman sterns warning against the idea of taking the fall. "Speak up!"
Negotiations
"Mayor, we are here to negotiate an alliance from the Belato government. We came to request an alliance." Todd speaks to the mayor.
"I know." The mayor takes a seat. "However, as I much as I commend you for doing the right thing by the people here. You were acting as a vigilante here in my town."
Todd calmly takes a deep breath, trying to keep my boy's temper in check. I know it has a tendency to flare up but he handling it so far.
"True, we were only trying to help a woman and her husband. Believe me-"
"Really? Then clarify this then." She leaned to gauge his reaction. "They say they you were aiming your guns at the man. Why? For someone, seeking to make an alliance that is a way of making a poor impression."
"Believe me, we didn't attend to harm the man. It was-" The woman turned to Sirena, whom she was unsure.
"Sirena, it is true? You were citizens of the city in the past and I don't very little of companions. Are you vouching for them, girl? Or you are covering up their excuse for them 'hating' magic." The woman narrows her eyes.
"I- I…" I moved forward.
"Hey, freakshow! She only did to keep us from keeping that man because he got some magic juice in him." I spoke for Sirena since she wouldn't lie.
"Hey, um… Mayor! He didn't mean what he said! He already had to contend with the threats in the wastelands. I assure you he is speaking the truth." Todd attempts to walk it back I said but I mean't it.
"I don't need you speaking for me, man!" I protested I can speak for myself. "Like I said, freakshow. We only did it-" The woman got up from her seat and whipped her arm.
The Mayor wasted no time flailing her arm toward me and grab me by the collar like it made her out of rubber. She wasted no time, pulling me toward her and… Man! She looks pissed!
"I'm going to say this once, you little punk, and you will listen to every word I say…" The Mayor hissed at me. She is making it clear who is in charge. "You calling me 'Freakshow' isn't helping your case or the case of your teammates here."
"Yeah, I ain't fucking afraid of you!" I told I was - Shit, she is glaring at me like she is ready to drop some fools.
"You just don't get it, Kid… I am not some fucking 'Freakshow' that gonna allow some asshole, strolling on in and judge me or my citizens because of their race. Judging me for being a mutant or a man that wield magical powers when he simply defend himself, pointing a gun at him or call other 'freaks'." She is closing to my face, I struggled for breath. This woman is sending a chill down on my spine, she definitely makes it clear who is in charge. "I could have simply broken that spine of yours… I could have simply sent you to the cells or banish you from the city for life. You even expressed ingratitude when a family took you here. Perhaps I should simply send you all back to Belato and tell them that their delegates 'Cause problems in my city'." The woman spoke with venom in her voice. She hasn't even raised her tone with me. "Or maybe, I wouldn't notice Kai Emaraldo has committed crimes here in my city. Theft, Assault, Racial Prejudice. You have even stolen money and goods from the treasury."
"Needed to survive!" I said with no fear or hesitation.
"'Needed to survive?' You haven't changed at all, and when I hear the Rangers finally caught you, I assume they would have sentenced you to hard labor or execution." She is shaking her head at me. "Apparently, they choose you to be a ranger!"
"Also, he took part of the Work Release program for soldiers that had criminal records to be given a second chance." Sirena speaks up. "Kai, choose it because it was that or rot in prison. He also had knowledge on how to deal with the Raider gangs, especially with the Skull Horses."
"Also, Freakshow! That you had a daughter that is currently being held hostage and what are you doing about it?!" I yelled back, but it only made her tighten her grip.
"You are pushing you luck, you punk." She spoke in a growl. "All of you-"
"We are offering to help your b-" I clear my throat. "Chelsea! We can help you rescue your daughter." I spoke.
The woman is close to my face apparently she doesn't like anyone speaking using her first name.
Hustle!
"Gonna say straight, Chelsea! I don't have any regrets, you feel me?" I said out of defiance and looked straight in the eyes. "We can help you rescue your daughter! She's human?"
"Yeah, but half-human." She is eyeing me. "You got guts using my first name, and now you want to help this town?"
"Yeah!" I looked up at her.
"Why do I want your help? After you showed intolerance and disrespect. I rather expel all of you from the city than accept help from a racist bigot."
"I don't give fuck of what you think, bitch." I made sure I ain't let it slide. "All I want to know is do you want us to help you rescue those hostages and keep them getting filled with lead…" I smiled at her. "Or you kick us out and hope that these pigs know what they are doing? We are all that you got."
The mayor got ticked off… she actually thought it over. She looked again at me.
"If you are going to help me, Rangers. I currently need help with a hostage situation that I want to handle delicately."
"Then let us! I know these thugs," I point my fingers to my head. "I know what they might expect, what they can do. Let me back up on what I said."
"And you're the leader of this team?" The woman's eyes on me
"Nah, man! Todd is the leader of the team. The fucker can smooth talk his way-"
"I don't need the flattery! I just need to know if he is up for the job!" The woman puts her hand to her hip.
"I am, Ma'am, er - I mean, Good Mayor Chelsea!" Todd stammers on his words. "I am for the task."
"Do I need to keep telling you all? Why do you call me 'Good Mayor', I'm just doing my job simple as that!" She picks up her trench coat. "Let's go!"
As we follow her, we made our way to the Rench boulevard where the hostages are at. I got my information before we arrived at the tavern; the tidbit was handy.