“Well then, now that we’re all situated, we can go right into the crux of the matter…”
Mayor Volkan addressed his guest with an even, but still amicable tone. He, alongside Cinnabar and Spark who kept his hand and eyes firmly on the latter, had relocated to the mayor’s office. Spark ensured that Cinnabar was kept moving in transit and remained as close as possible, even as the two took their respective seats. Piping hot cups of tea were set between them, and the mayor calmly took his up and blew on it before taking a sip.

The Guardian of Metal’s glare did not falter as Spark kept him in his seat.
“The problem here, Mayor, is that the justice I am meant to enforce as a Guardian is being delayed. Justice delayed is justice denied, is it not? Laws were broken and reparations must be made! Vaughn Mard’Gear must be brought to justice for his crimes-” he stated, his voice steadily rising in volume.

Just as it seemed he was about to stand up, Spark kept him seated with a swift downward push. Cinnabar in response gritted his teeth, his baleful eyes glaring daggers at his subjugator before moving back onto Mayor Volkan.
“I swear if I met you in an alleyway…” he seethed under his breath, teeth gritting. Throughout all this, the mayor himself remained silent, eyes closed and face set into a look of contemplation. Having set down his cup, he let out a soft sigh before leveling his gaze upon Cinnabar.

“Ho-ho, while I do admire the desire for justice in you, I can’t say I agree with how you went about fulfilling it!
See now, you came here and attempted to take one of my own without even letting me know…”
he began, picking up his cup of tea and taking another sip before continuing,
“…Vaughn Mard’Gear and Valentina Tinker are under my protection, lad. Vaughn himself is not at fault given the circumstances that led to Val and him meeting. There’s little to argue about that." And with that, Mayor Volkan folded his arms, leaning back to regard Cinnabar once more whose glare was steady and unwavering. It looked as if he was seconds away from exploding if not for the impotence he suffered in the mayor’s presence.

“…Her name is Valentina Diorite, you insufferable…”
Cinnabar’s eye twitched, his hands clenching and unclenching erratically. Even from a quick glance, his irritation at his current predicament was obvious. He clicked his tongue and moved to bat away Spark’s hand with little success. A quick glance from Mayor Volkan and the blonde’s grip loosened, albeit reluctantly. Before Spark could protest, the mayor gave him a pointed look, and that loosened grip turned into a fully freed hand that found itself away from Cinnabar’s shoulder. The Guardian, newly liberated, might have done something, anything to get out and get Valentina back home, maybe even rough up some of the irritants who had dared meddle with him and his task…but all thoughts of such came to a halt when he remembered exactly how he had gotten to this point. He wisely remained still, sat firmly on his chair, and Mayor Volkan let out a hearty laugh and nodded with some satisfaction.

Like a switch had been flipped inside his head, Cinnabar’s mouth stretched into a grin that could only be described as sadistic glee.
“…Vaughn Mard’Gear’s misdeeds are just one of the problems that need addressing. He will be brought to justice, that much is certain. But…Valentina Diorite must be returned to her family this very instant."
He started, and before the mayor could interrupt, Cinnabar raised his hand and continued...

"Twelve years, Mayor Volkan. Her mother has been missing her for twelve whole years and we’ve exhausted ourselves in our search for her. Runaway or not, she has finally been found. As a Guardian of Metal, it’s my duty to get her back to her mother. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” he finished, leaning into a more comfortable position.

Mayor Volkan hummed, lifting one hand to stroke his chin. Tone notwithstanding, there was some credence to Cinnabar’s words. Some. If the Realm of Metal was so willing to simply send one of their own to apprehend someone with no regard for any semblance of due process, not even an advanced notice, then there was something wrong there.

“My heart goes out to Val’s mom, really, it does, and as I’ve said before, I admire your resolve as a Guardian…but there’s Val’s happiness to consider in all of this. There was a reason, perhaps even a whole plethora of reasons she must have run away…” he idly noted Spark’s still close proximity to Cinnabar and smiled. Trust in him to be rightfully anxious. He looked down at his now empty cup, before looking back up at Cinnabar with his smile still set firmly in place, “…and all of that I’m willing to discuss. Why not go back to Val’s mom for now, see about setting up a meeting? Surely, we can come to some form of agreement? The lass is twenty now, for cryin’ out loud! We’re all adults here, aren’t we?” he finished, his voice laced with a mix of mirth and steel belying one not unknown to dealing with rougher people.

A flash of anger in his eyes was all the warning Cinnabar showed before he stood, hands slamming onto the table and producing a cacophony of splintering wood and shattering glass as the cups shattered upon the floor.
“That’s not good enough! Metal Law dictates that I take Val back home and execute the full force of the law upon Vaughn Mard’Gear’s criminal head! This farce of a discussion has gone on long enough…” he was breathing heavily now, itching for an outlet for his anger. The mayor’s stony gaze did not fit the smile, and Cinnabar was once again subject to that dreaded magic that left his legs weak and paralyzed. Disregarding this and Spark who politely but passive-aggressively lead him back onto his seat, he continued, “…Valentina Diorite and Vaughn Mard’Gear are coming with me…” and he glowered at the mayor with an unflinching tenacity that came from a mental cocktail that added up to an unhinged bravado…

Cinnabar’s face contorted into an expression that was a mix of anger and confusion.
“Y-You…impertinent…h-how dare you…!”
Words failed him, his breathing going erratic and his hands twitched and spasmed as if they were extensions of his own apparent lunacy. To have all his arguments shot down and poked full of holes so deftly…his body quaked in barely restrained fury. This was unacceptable! He’d employed every trick in the book he could think of and yet he’d been beaten not with magic but by way of words!
“I cannot…will not accept this! If you think I’ll just give up and leave-”
Before he could continue, he felt it again. That magic…that accursed magic that glued him to the very floor he stood on. That thrice-damned magic the mayor employed that served only to infuriate Cinnabar even more. Unable to act however, he could only sit back down, having not even realized that he had risen from his seat, the momentary veil of rage having caused him to act blindly.

“Ho-ho…settle down, lad. Really, the liveliness you’ve shown is impressive, but I’d like it if we didn’t make even more of a mess than we already have.” Mayor Volkan, having made his points clear and left the Metal Guardian at a loss for words with his own, sighed.

“You made many points, good ones even, but ultimately I have their best interests at heart, and if your loss of words is a sign, then I say I’ve won this discussion.” He leaned back, glancing at the shattered cups and teapot with a pondering gaze before looking back up at Cinnabar’s livid visage. The Metal Guardian’s eyes showed clear contempt, and the mayor noted with some regret the agitation in Cinnabar’s body language. The twitching from earlier had increased tenfold and his heavy breathing was another good indicator.

“If I may at least offer some advice…”
Mayor Volkan stood and walked to Cinnabar’s side, avoiding the shards of pottery and nodding at Spark for him to continue:
“…Eagerness is all well and good, especially for us Guardians. Gotta have the grit when the time comes to exercise our duties after all…but it’s a double-edged sword, one that can easily be turned against us. Lose yourself in it and you’re liable to lose sight of what matters to you.” He ended, his words delivered in as well-meaning a tone as he could muster, afterwards proceeding to the door and swinging it open.

Hushed tones met the three as they exited the mayor’s office, Spark and Mayor Volkan walking on either side of Cinnabar. Those who awaited outside gave them a wide berth, if not for the mayor’s presence, then for the seething fury that practically rolled off of the Metal Guardian in waves. The three walked on in silence until they got to Cinnabar’s mech. As he entered its cockpit, he turned back, scowling at the mayor with as much venom as he could muster before hopping in and closing the lid. It didn’t take long for it to activate, and soon the lumbering monstrosity of metal, the sounds it made and the earth it shifted with every step faded away into the distance.

Still somewhat nervous from the entire fiasco, Vanora walked up to her father, arms to her back as she spoke in a subdued tone, “Dad…I think we need to do something about Vaughn and Val. It’s just…what if he comes back? Seeing them get hurt like that…” she shuddered, not wanting to relive what had happened earlier. The mayor’s smiling face was replaced by a look of deliberation, eyes still trained on the path Cinnabar’s mech had taken during its exit. He hummed to himself for a moment before nodding, agreeing with his daughter’s sentiments. Turning to her, he comfortingly patted her shoulder, a gesture she gratefully welcomed, before he spoke.

“Oh-ho, I have an idea. I want Vaughn in my office as soon as he’s all rested up and ready. No doubt he’s still hurting from those shocks he got earlier…and there’s a mess to clean up in there too…”
Mayor Volkan let out an awkward chuckle at the quizzical look Vanora gave him. Smiling, he continued:
“…He’s going to need a more stable job, something to lend more validity to his stay here and the protection that comes with. Say, something like work at the Knowledge Base…since Valentina took his shop n' all. Ha!”