Fatal Attractions

XXXV

"I swear, the rich are evading taxes and there are people in this government who are helping. I say, we need to step up and show them..."

I would rather claw my eyes out than listen to Gigi speak. As rude as I was, this conversation was killing me, almost literally. Of course, since I was the council member everyone hated, I was in charge of meeting with a representative from the Birds of Equality Society who insisted to meet with one of us.

"... Everyone in here is power hungry and deceitful, but not you, Madisyn. I can tell you aren't and you can make change happen-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," I sat up in my chair. "I know, Gigi, I know how corrupt this place is. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, I saw an intern sleeping with my boss, and almost a week later she got promoted to being his secretary. Believe me, it isn't fair."

Her tar lined lips curved into a smile. "Good. Then I would hope you would consider setting this place straight-"

"I've tried. Believe me, I've tried very hard to try and get my opinion out there, but they kind of don't listen to me. I'd love to help you, but I'm afraid that I can't make change happen. I will try my hardest to make your issue known, but I can't make any promises other than that." Not only that, I didn't have time for taxes when Hypothermia was still at large.

Her smile faded. "The Birds of Equality are on your side, and I promise you that your voice will be heard. We will stop at nothing to achieve our goal. Nothing." Her tone was like a hammer on a untuned piano string, hitting an uptight chord in me that reverberated eerily through my entire being. She spoke almost like she was willing to kill to get what she wanted, or worse.

I stood. "It was nice talking to you." Actually it wasn't. "If you have any other concerns, please see me." Please don't.

She shook my hand and picked up her bag, which was oddly brightly colored for her, then started out.

She was just about to walk through the door when something on her purse reflected the light and my eyes landed on a small snowflake sewed onto the bottom of her bag.

"What's that?" I blurted out.

She turned around, confusion riddling her pale face.

I pointed to her purse. "That. On the bottom of your bag."

She glanced down at it, unfazed by the fact that it was down there and I saw it. "This?"

"That's Hypothermia's symbol." I said, anger and confusion building up inside me. "What's it doing on your bag?"

"It's not what you think," She rolled her eyes saucily. "I'm not one of his ski mask friends. I put it on there because the Birds of Equality support his actions."

"Support his actions? He's killing people. He's public enemy number one."

She shrugged. "From what I've heard, you support Voltage and Sonic Boom, they're not any different from Hypothermia."

"Except for the fact that they don't bring about crime, they stop it."

"Hypothermia is stopping corruption, he's setting this city straight again and to be completely honest, if there was another election I would vote for him rather than that asshole Montgomery, he is public enemy number one in my book." She sighed. "As you can see, I'm not too open about my support for him, for obvious reasons of being judged by people like you, so if you don't mind I'd like to keep it on the down low."

I hesitated before answering, then nodded. She wasn't doing any harm with her support. I might not have liked it, but there was really nothing I could do about it. "I won't." Words crept up my throat and I tried to keep them back but I just couldn't. "Do you know who he is?"