[b]"Thank you."[/b] Julius said, acknowledging her effort to be considerate. He made no effort to pick up on her reference to a previous name; it was hardly unusual amongst the Empowered to conceal their previous identities to protect family or simply disappear. That was no problem for Julius; only his brother still lived and he was safe in an accepting country surrounded by some of the most powerful Empowered in the world, including himself.

[b]"Do not worry, we have no intention of creating any friction with anyone right now. Especially not any like us. The government is the only enemy we have, which I'm sure you can understand."[/b] He wouldn't bother embellishing, the Syndicate would have done enough background checks on the three to know all of their history. [b]"I should stress that right now, we're not looking to ally ourselves with anyone immediately. Safety is our priority."[/b] Here he would have to step carefully; they were 'honoured guests' but only while they were welcome and obeyed the rules which was terribly restricting. For now it was best to go carefully before committing to any one group; the Syndicate weren't the only influential group around.

[b]"Rest assured, however, that if the government threatens the security of this area we will help in your efforts to throw them out. If conflict arises between our groups then we will leave in a non-violent manner."[/b] Julius sat down, making sure not to give off any body language signs. [b]"I do have one request though... if any of the Syndicate do choose to visit us here I would like some measure of warning beforehand to prevent any misunderstandings. It would be better if communication between our two groups was either carried out directly... or be conveyed through the same person at all times."[/b]

He watched for any obvious signs of what the woman was thinking but she was even more guarded than himself; he had to admire her self control. Diego and Mari had finished their conversation which he had deliberately tried to ignore, sometimes being able to hear and see everything and remember it in perfect detail could be difficult to manage. Julius turned his attention back to the woman and tilted his head to signify he was awaiting an answer and giving her his complete attention.

[b]"I don't believe my requirements are unreasonable, would you agree?"[/b]