Mayor September was all smiles as he entered the room. He was campaigning, after all, and had to put his best face forward. "Thank you for coming out today, ladies and gentlemen. As you know, I recently announced my intention to run for re-election. I'm here today to let you and the good people of this city know what they can expect in my second term."
A sea of hands shot up. Quentin September pointed at the most familiar face.
"Gabe Norris, KBCN News. Some of your decisions have proven to be controversial. Are you fully prepared to debate your policies in a public forum?"
"I'll say this much; it'll be a welcome change from the last election." Laughter rippled through the crowd, then faded away. The mayor pointed again, acknowledging a woman with a hand-held recorder.
"Resmi Sanders, Beacon City Herald. How do you respond to allegations of collusion with the Henchman's Union? There are people who feel your dealings with them are essentially giving political power to criminals."
The mayor thought a moment. He knew he'd have to word his answer carefully--Sanders didn't miss a trick. "Please remember, the country was in a recession when that deal was made, and henching was almost the only growth industry. Those deals helped a lot of families keep food on the table, while at the same time allowing our police force and district attorney to focus their efforts on the real criminals. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have one Critical Mass in prison than two dozen underlings."
"But Critical Mass isn't in--"
September quickly pointed out another reporter, though the look on Resmi's face told him that he hadn't heard the end of that topic.
"Andrew Riesen, the Voice of Riesen."
Shit, the mayor thought, not this clown. But he kept on smiling.
"How do you address the controversy around your surgery?" Riesen asked.
"It was eight years ago; I don't think there's much need to address it at all." Before Riesen could ask a follow-up, Quentin launched into one of his speeches. "It comes down to this. In the last four years, the city has become cleaner, safer, and more productive. The economy never bottomed out like it did elsewhere, and continues to grow. If I am re-elected, I will spend the next four years making Beacon City an even greater place to live."
Riesen--much like Resmi Sanders--was not let one to let go. "So, you don't think the fact that you used to be a woman bothers the voters?"
Mayor Quentin September allowed himself a bit of a smirk. "I think that, regardless of the operation, I've proven I'm the right man for the job."
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