Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and any original plot lines :)
Black painted lips pulled into a smirk as she pocketed a wad of bills, her victims walking away mumbling profanities under their breath. Today had been especially profitable; she swore the people of New York got dumber and more gullible with each passing day. Simple sleight of hand tricks were all it took today to relieve people of their extra cash. Her smirk softened into a small smile as she thought about how she had made enough today to bring her sister home something special. The poor girl had been struggling even more than usual lately and she planned to stop at the bakery down the road from their meager apartment to pick her up an apple pie-her favorite.
Even though she tried not to think in such ways, she couldn't help the passing frustration that bubbled within her at the thought of her sister. She loved her twin dearly, but shouldering the burden of providing for both of them alone weighed heavily on her shoulders. She knew that her sister couldn't do much in her condition and she'd never hold something she couldn't help against her. She was just tired, tired of worrying about both of their survival.
"Hello," a warm, accented voice greeted her, jarring her out of her thoughts. Jade eyes met blue as she looked up at the man in front of her table. It was a nice surprise to hear someone else's accent match her own. The fellow Brit had a kind face and neatly styled brown hair. Another man stood behind him; he was taller and had a cool, confident presence. While the first man smiled her, the second's face remained stoic and impassive. Her curiosity was peaked.
"Hi boys," she greeted, forcing her voice to sound alluring. "Can I interest you in a game?" She could tell these men wouldn't be as easy to fool as most, but she remained confident. She had a few special tricks up her sleeves, after all.
"Well, why not?" the British man agreed, a smile still plastered on his face.
"It's a simple one, I'm sure a smart man like yourself will have no trouble winning." She chose the 3 cup, one ball trick-simple, yes, but a classic for a reason. She let him guess correctly a few times to bolster his confidence, before enacting the actual trick. She repressed her smirk, anticipating the extra cash she was about to pocket.
"The left cup," he guessed. She was about to savor in her victory when she realized he was correct. She swallowed her surprise. No matter, she would just pull out the big guns.
"You're so good at this!" she cooed, pouting slightly. "One more round?"
"Sure," he agreed. The other man's lips quirked into an amused half-smile, though she missed it entirely. This time she let the power flow through her fingertips as she shuffled the cups, creating the illusion that one cup clearly contained the ball when in fact another one did. Confident that her illusion would hold, she looked up expectantly. The British man lifted a hand and pressed his finger to his temple, letting out a soft "hmmm."
"The middle cup," he stated, an eyebrow raised as if to say is that all you got?
"H-how…?" she stuttered, baffled that he saw through her fail-proof powers.
"We're just like you, Kira," the second man said, his deep voice donning a German accent. At the sound of her name panic welled up in her chest. She was very careful not to ever give anyone her real name, so how he knew it she had no idea.
"Do not be alarmed, Kira," the Brit assured. "My name is Charles and my friend is Erik. At the risk of sounding even creepier than I'm sure we already seem, would you kindly take us to your apartment so we can talk? It would be best if we talked to Lara as well."
Kira's green eyes darted back and forth between the two men, not sure what to make of them. What if they were here to arrest her? The one was British; what if they found out what she did? She quickly flipped the table over at them, her props scattering. Bolting off in the opposite direction, she moved her legs as fast as she possibly could.
All of a sudden she felt a tug pull her neck backwards, her chain necklace choking her on its own accord. She coughed violently as she struggled to continue her getaway, which proved to be futile.
As sudden as it began, her necklace released her. She gasped as the air rushed back into her lungs.
"Sorry," a German voice said behind her. "I thought your belt was metal; forgot about your necklace."
"Excuse me?" Kira rasped, still coughing, confusion etched over her features.
"The chain," he said simply, as if that cleared everything up. He sighed at her still confused face. "I manipulate metal."
"Oh."
"If it puts your mind at ease, my dear, I am not with the police. We are not here to arrest you for what happened to Mr. Kole." It most certainly did not put her mind at ease; how the hell did he know about Henry? "I'm a telepath."
"What number am I thinking of?" she asked skeptically. 87.
"Eighty-seven," he replied as she thought it, Erik snickering beside him.
"A telepath," Kira said, testing the words as though if she said it she would suddenly believe it. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised; after all, her and her sister were prime examples that such things were possible. "Alright, but why exactly should I bring you back to my home? You: complete strangers."
"I understand your skepticism Ms. Clarke, however there are two simple reasons." At her impatient look, Charles continued. "We can take you to others like yourself…" he began, pausing to put a smile on his face."
"And…?"
"And," he continued, "I can teach your sister to control her abilities."
Well damn, that changed things.