The Truth

*Disclaimer, I am very new to writing so I am trying out the third-person view because it allows me to show the mindset of other characters easily.*

"Are you terrorists?" she asked.

Cyrus at this moment knew what she was trying to do. She wanted answers and it looked like she was willing to play any card to get them. She was trying to break them and get them to talk by realizing that this situation was more than they could handle.

"Terrorists? What are you getting at?" Vito finally replied.

Cyrus could feel his heart sinking. This was what he was afraid of, her getting a reaction out of them. He knew that if he was alone in this building then he wouldn't have to worry much, but he wasn't alone. If something were to happen to Vito who was right next to him right now, then he might not be as calm and collected as he makes himself to be.

When he looked at the woman sitting by her chair he could see a smile curling up on her lips. It was only for a second but he saw it. Seeing as how Vito had been quiet all this time this might be what she needed if she wanted to get her answers.

"You heard me correctly. You are here right now because you've been placed under suspicion of terrorist activity. And if these charges prove to be true then this will lead us to have to detain your family members to investigate that there is no correlation between you and them. At least the ones who are still alive and conscious." She spoke these last words with a smile as she moved back into her chair.

'Alive and conscious,' Cyrus repeated these words in his mind. She used those words to make me upset. I am unaffected but Vito, 'Please don't lose your cool. They can't blame us for anything if we give them nothing to go off of.'

Meanwhile, Vito was losing his patience in his mind. 'Alive and conscious? The audacity for her to make light of people's lives.' He wanted to say something, maybe even insult her. But he could not, would not let his emotions get the better of him. NOT THIS TIME.

"And why would we be accused of terrorist activity? Miss- Oh, I never got your name did I? Would you please share it with us? I wouldn't want to forget the name of someone as beautiful as you." Vito said as he smiled politely.

Cyrus was impressed. Not only had Vito refrained from taking any hasty option but he had also asked a decent enough question that could benefit them in the future if she were overconfident enough to answer it that is. And seeing as they are in her house and miles away from any civilization, she just might be.

The woman was now displeased that he was still acting so composed. Two kids were in her face and acting like they had any room to do anything other than give her what she wanted. 'Kids of nowadays are such a nuisance, perhaps torture would suit them better. No, it's too soon for that,' she thought to herself.

"My name isn't of your concern right now. But let me ask you this very important question. Yesterday evening the two of you happened to have disappeared off of the face of the earth itself. Where did you go?"

This question had filled Cyrus with a slight sense of relief as things were slowly making sense to him. If what she was asking was true then that would mean that less than 24 hours have passed since they left Alex and the hotel. That would mean they had to have been abducted and transported within 8 hours from their place to this location because the sun was still up. Meaning that at most the furthest distance they could be from California was at least slightly beyond the border. Either that or a well-hidden location within it.

Cyrus spoke first. "I was simply taking a stroll in a park and then I went park home And what of you Vito, where did you go?"

"Who me!?" Vito asked feigning surprise, "I was simply looking at some soil from an ecosystem in a forest for an environmental project for my school club. Whatever else could I have been doing there?" he said while lifting his arms up as he shrugs.

"Don't act silly here you two. We know you couldn't have simply been taking walks at the same time in different locations." The woman had had enough of their company, she wished to move past their shenanigans. "Tell me the real reason. Why were you two in those forests?"

"Normally it wouldn't be an issue to go into a forest, but the fact that you both have that strange symbol and just so happen to seem to know each other as well as the fact that we could not trace where you went at all leads for us to believe that you simply aren't telling the truth here is all."

Cyrus turned his head slightly. He had finally understood the situation better and would simply play along with the woman in front of him to see just how far she would go.

"If you were following us indeed, then that is a violation of our right to privacy and if we were really under suspicion of terrorist activity then we would have been taken into a police station at the very least to be brought in for questioning and this is not even taking into account that we are kids henceforth our procedures would be different than normal."

"So much of what has been said and done by you leads me to believe you are not who you say you are and that this isn't about terrorist activity either now is it? How about you come clean and tell us what this is all about?" Cyrus crossed his hands and there was a big fat smile on his face. He wasn't as worried as he was, that was until what happened next.

The woman was no longer relaxed as she pulled out a revolver from her drawer and pointed it at Cyrus but then after a slight consideration in her mind, she pointed it at Vito instead. And now lays Vito waiting at death's door.

All he has to do is satisfy the woman in front of him and she would let him live. 

'Surely someone in a situation like his would know better. His father has been a mess ever since his wife died. Losing someone else precious to him might just lead to suicide. What type of child gets killed before their parent? That would certainly be a disgrace.' These were all her thoughts.

Cyrus was shaking slightly, he didn't think she would pull out a gun on her only suspects in the room. Plus this isn't about terrorism this is about Terra. Right now she is being a terrorist before the very people she was accusing.

"I am exhausted. You two certainly know how to waste a woman's time. Yes, you may know this already, but you aren't terrorists and you certainly haven't done anything wrong either, but you are a lead. A lead to us finding out how this representative of the planet will picked and how we bring the odds in our favor."

"This is a very serious matter, one you boys certainly don't understand. People will die if we don't get involved, you included and the only difference is whether you chose to die now or later. So if you do value your life and how it's going to affect those who care about you once it's gone then let me ask you this."

"Where. Did. You. Go?" She spoke slowly and clearly. This would be the last time she would ask.

Cyrus looked at Vito, he didn't show it to the woman but there was an expression of horror on his face. He didn't know what Vito would say or what would happen next. He could always plan his moves carefully but trusting others to do the same, has never yielded much in his past. And even then he was still holding on to the belief that Vito would keep quiet on it all.

Vito on the other hand was thinking. 'Was this information worth it all? Terra is already out of orbit or off-world as others would say and even if he did say anything then it's not like they could change that fact. But it would put the others at risk. Alex and all the servants. Even Edith might be in danger.'

It truly was a matter of what was more important to him. He had realized right then and there that people only ever do the things they believe are important to them and ignore the ones that they thought weren't.

'I guess waiting at death's door can have such an effect on you.'

"I value you my life," Vito finally spoke.

Cyrus felt his heart jump but it quickly settled down. He couldn't blame Vito for his decision, not everyone can be brave when face to face with death.

The woman finally smiled again and said, "Good. So tell me everything-"

"I didn't say I would give you another answer." Vito interrupted her. "I merely said I valued my life. I don't want to die but I have already told you everything that I know. I have told you the truth."

"If you are going to kill me because you cannot handle the truth then I guess we are both fools in our way." Vito smiled as he stared straight into her clear eyes.

'Well, Terra. I'm sorry I won't get to apologize to you properly when you get back. Well if you get back that is. And funny enough it looks like I am dying in the same way that I tried to kill you.'

'Karma is a *****'

The woman could not believe it. What type of kids was she dealing with that they were still acting that confident in front of a gun!? 'Have they gone mad?' She thought. Maybe they were so scared that they couldn't think straight.

"FINE." She said.

*Click

"If you are so content with it then death is what you will receive." As she was about to pull the trigger, Cyrus had a few last words.

"Wait! Before you pull the trigger can I have one last request made?"

"What is it that you have to say to me!? Bookworm." She had thrown out an insult but it was a little childish. She was stressed after all.

"Won't the person hiding in that room over there to my right join us for this occasion?" He said this as he pointed to the only other door aside from the one they used to get in.

The woman looked at the door and then looked at Cyrus confused and then she put the gun down and couldn't help but laugh about this whole situation.

"So you knew, didn't you? You sly fox." She said softly.

"Only towards the end, you were not making it easy for me," Cyrus said as he fixed his glasses. "And bookworm?"

She ignored that last part as she turned her chair to face the door. It was an office chair after all.

"Wait what's happening?" Vito asked so confused why the woman who planned to shoot them seemed so gentle now.

The door opened by itself and an older man than anyone in the room walked through, Cyrus was somewhat taken aback as he looked younger than before but still older than all of them.

The redhead crossed her legs as he walked in. "You were so quiet that I thought you had croaked Alex."

Alex smiled and laughed it off. "I was simply astonished by your performance with these kids, Ariel."