"How do you think he made that gem disappear like that?"
Watching Duke casually flip his hand to make the Hex Crystal vanish, Jinx whispered her curiosity to her sister. Vi shrugged as she pocketed the remaining crystals, completely unconcerned.
"Who knows? Maybe it's some kind of street magic trick."
She showed no interest in Duke's sleight of hand. What mattered was getting those dangerous crystals out of Jinx's possession.
"This stuff is volatile. You heard what Duke said. I'll keep it safe."
"But…"
"No buts, Jinx."
Vi gently cupped her sister's cheeks, her voice soft. "I'm your sister. I'll protect you."
"Mhm."
Jinx nodded, letting Vi lead her by the hand out of the alley. Duke, standing at the mouth of the alley, caught sight of the pair and asked nonchalantly, "So… how's that guy treating you?"
"You mean Vander?"
"Yeah."
"Vander's been good to us, like a father," Vi answered without hesitation.
Milo scoffed. "Father to Vi, maybe. Heard from the bar regulars she's got his fire."
"What's Vander's full name?"
"Who knows? He never talks about his past, and no one else will either."
As Claggor lazily followed behind, Duke's gaze flickered. He'd basically gotten the Hex Crystals from the sisters for free. And yet, just walking away with them didn't sit right, especially considering what was coming.
In the original story, Milo and Claggor both died in the Hex Crystal explosion, haunting Jinx as guilt and trauma.
Vander… well, he was forced to drink Shimmer. Whether he survived or not was a mystery.
At the end of the final episode, there was a glimpse of Singed's lab. As the camera zoomed out from Singed staring at a photo of a girl, the silhouette of a werewolf-like creature in a containment chamber appeared.
Was it Vander? Maybe.
Shimmer was terrifyingly powerful. Even street punks Vi could easily smack around turned into monsters after drinking it. For someone like Vander, already a powerhouse, the results would be far more devastating.
Soon after, Vi and Jinx went their separate ways: one adopted by Silco and raised as his own, the other sent to Stillwater Prison and left to rot.
And to be fair… Silco genuinely loved Jinx. That monologue under Vander's statue was raw, almost fatherly. In a later scene, when Jinx left, Silco trembling while injecting himself with Shimmer hinted at his deep emotional dependence on her, something his villainous mask usually hid.
"Should I interfere with the plot?"
Looking at the sisters leaning on each other, Duke found himself torn. Silco wasn't a simple villain, he'd just taken the wrong path.
But Vi and her sister had suffered so much because of him. Their family torn apart. Their adoptive father, lost.
"So damn complicated…"
Unable to make up his mind, Duke decided to drop a hint or two for now. By this time, the group of five had reached Benzo's general store.
As Zaun's go-to fence, Benzo had always been tight with Vander, but unfortunately, he didn't live much longer.
Ding-ling.
The bell above the door jingled as Vi pushed it open. Behind the counter, Benzo turned around and nodded at her.
"Ekko, Vi's here."
"I'm not here for Ekko. I'm here for you, Benzo."
"For me?" Benzo raised an eyebrow and stroked his beard. "Don't tell me you went topside again."
"Come on, you think I'd mess up twice?" Vi pulled Duke forward. "He's the one. Vander sent me to bring him here for supplies. Cut him a deal, will you?"
"Topside kid, huh?"
Benzo gave Duke a once-over and cut straight to the point. Duke casually glanced around the store.
"Born in Zaun. Got taken in by an upper-city craftsman. I'm an apprentice now."
"Lucky bastard."
Benzo muttered. He understood. Any Zaunite kid who survived that chaos a few years ago either got adopted, lived on the streets, or ended up dragged away by those sewer rats.
And Zaun's plague rats were merciless.
"Take him to the warehouse, Ekko. Fifty gold sea-coins' worth, pick what you want."
He waved it off like it was nothing and turned back to his work. But Duke tapped the counter.
"Fifty's too much. Twenty gold, and I'll take what I want."
"Don't push your luck, kid!" Benzo slammed his fist down. "I'm giving you a deal because Vander asked. This is Zaun, learn the rules!"
"I've got information to trade."
Duke looked him straight in the eye. What he knew wouldn't help Vi or Jinx. They were too impulsive, kids, really. If he told them, they'd probably storm Silco's hideout tomorrow.
"Information?"
"On Silco."
Benzo's expression darkened. He dropped his rag and stepped out from behind the counter.
"Come with me. Tell me everything."
"Oi, Duke! What now?" Vi frowned. Her childhood friend was starting to act way too shady.
"Won't take long."
He waved it off and followed Benzo into the back room.
Inside, Benzo lit a lamp and glanced at the door before asking in a low voice, "Why not tell Vander directly?"
"Because Vi was there. She's rash. The others follow her lead. If I'd spoken up, what do you think would've happened?"
Duke crossed his arms with a sly grin. Benzo paused, thinking, then asked, "What do you know?"
"Silco's back."
Duke leaned in, voice quiet. Benzo's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?"
"Marcus has been bought off by Silco. Sevika too. Silco's not just back, he's planning something big. He's hiding in that abandoned canning factory. And he's developed a new kind of alchemical serum. It's dangerous."
"Got any proof?"
Benzo's arms crossed skeptically. Duke smirked.
"I work for the Ferros family. You know what that means."
Benzo's expression shifted.
The name Ferros… everyone in Zaun knew it. One of Piltover's founding families. The unofficial kingmakers.
And no one dared invoke that name falsely. Those who did… well, their heads were usually found in neat, clean slices.
After the last uprising from the undercity, things only calmed down after Ferros' enforcers came down and cleaned house.
Vander made his connections with the enforcers during that time.
"I see."
Benzo's tone became more careful. "And you are?"
"Call me Duke. I trust you won't say anything… right?"
Duke picked up a brass chair beside him and casually snapped it in two. Benzo gulped.
"I get it. The warehouse is yours. Take whatever you want, no charge."
"I'll still pay."
Duke laid ten gold sea-coins on the table and turned to leave. At the door, he added, "You know what to do."
"…Yeah."
As Duke left, Benzo exhaled heavily, back drenched in sweat. The kid seemed unassuming, but anyone tied to Ferros was someone you didn't cross.
Outside, Duke let out a quiet sigh. His heart still pounding.
He'd just draped himself in the Ferros name like a tiger skin. If word got out… he'd be dead.
But Vi and Jinx had given him those Hex Crystals. He owed them something.
And if Ferros really did come looking for him… well, he wasn't entirely without options.
"Let's hope I can change how things play out."
Vi looked at him curiously. "So, what was that all about?"
Duke just shook his head. "Don't ask. It's safer that way."
"Tch. Always with the secrets."
Milo snorted, clearly annoyed. Boys, after all, had a habit of sizing each other up in front of girls, even when those girls were a scrappy tomboy and a pint-sized gremlin.
It was instinct. Primal, even.
"Milo, cut it out! We finally get access to Benzo's storeroom. That old codger never lets us in, and now we can finally see it!"
Vi led Duke inside. Benzo, meanwhile, stepped out of the back room with a bag in hand.
"Ekko, keep an eye on them. I'm heading to see Vander."
Whether Ekko heard him or not didn't matter, Benzo was already gone, racing to the Frogen Tavern.
The moment he arrived, he grabbed Vander and dragged him to the basement.
"You're in a rush. That's not like you, Benzo," Vander teased.
Benzo dumped the contents of his bag, scraps of a mangled brass chair, onto the floor.
Though worn with age, the chair's torn structure and deep finger dents made Vander's eyes narrow.
"It was ripped apart… by hand?"
Benzo's voice trembled.
"That kid, Duke, he's with Ferros."
Just the name sent chills down their spines. Everyone remembered the elegant figure who came down after the riots, blade dragging across the ground, silver hair shimmering, and eyes glowing with cool blue light.
That calm voice carried a warning no one dared ignore.
"Ferros?" Vander stood at once. "What did he say?"
"He said Silco's back. Marcus is bought. Sevika's defected."
"What does that mean?"
Vander lit his pipe with a flick of his thumb and muttered:
"Call everyone."
"But "
"No buts. If we don't want a second purge, we act now."
Vander's tone dropped to a growl.
He wasn't afraid of Piltover's enforcers.
But Ferros… was an entirely different beast.
They didn't just enforce order, they cut out the bad gears themselves, to keep the twin cities turning.