The walk back was quiet. We enjoyed each other's company. But it is obvious that things are different between us now. She knew I was messed up, just by looking at me. Before, I looked like a starved, naked rat. Now, I'm a well-fed naked rat. I admitted everything I feel for her. When she begged, it filled me with a disgust of the utmost foulness. There aren't enough showers that would satisfy me. I admire her as a paragon of a goodness that I can barely express. My chest swells with renewed purpose and hope when she's around. But when she's in danger, I feel a fear that I have never experienced before. In my experience of surviving close calls with death, I have never felt fear like that before. Even though Vi is capable, the fact that anyone would dare to hurt her invites a clarity that invokes the most thoughtful delights of punishments for the trespassers. However, since she forbade me from eliminating anyone... I trust that I can kill a few, by accident, of course. She'll forgive me, eventually. I need to re-evaluate her temperament on that. Currently, I get the feeling that she absolutely would not forgive me going back on my word.
She stood in front of me when The Last Drop came into view.
"Listen, Owen. I don't know how to say this." Vi admitted.
"Doing well so far." I said.
She smiled. "You scare me."
Well, that took the wind out of me. I'd rather be kicked in the teeth than hear her say that. Vi must have seen that on my face.
"But in a good way," she tried to save herself, slowly. I shook my head.
"I told you, I'm a monster. The more you know about me, the real me, the more you wish we never met." I explained.
"Keep talking like that, and you'll wish we never met," she threatened.
"That was kind of what I was getting at." I retorted.
She sighed. "You know what I meant."
"Yeah, I get it." Honestly, I wasn't quite sure.
"You are staying, no matter what you've done before. You're my brother, that's the end of it." Vi proclaimed with finality and firmly embraced me.
This is what I'm talking about. What she just did hurt me to my core. At my core lies something wrong. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it. It doesn't feel good at all. I know it isn't normal for anyone to feel this way. There has to be something wrong with me. Vi's hugs, my sister's compassion, and my new family's love are agitating that wrongness. The pain is unbearable. I chuckled at first, then laughed.
"What's so funny?" Vi asked as she looked down at me.
Covering my mouth, I continued to laugh. "I'm feeling great. Let's go."
Lying is a skill I've almost mastered. Regardless, Vi is older and surprisingly wise in her unique way.
"You're lucky I'm hungry; otherwise, we'd go another round, and I'll beat that lying attitude out of you." Vi threatened.
Well, this is different. That's what I get for being too evasive and resistant to her big sister complex. Well deserved from that perspective. I need to loosen up and allow her to give me what I desire, a reason to continue.
Before anyone in the bar noticed us, I stopped and turned to Vi, whose eyes cut into me like a hot knife. Drawing in a deep breath, I struggle to tear down my walls.
"I want to tell you everything, Vi, I really do." I began.
Vi raises a brow. "But?"
"I'm scared of losing you, Vander, and everyone else." I admitted.
Vi squinted her eyes and lowered herself to be eye level with me.
I backed up slightly. "What?"
"I haven't noticed how nasty your teeth looked." Vi observed.
How rude.
"Well now, there's no need for such underhandedness. If you must know, I take good care of my remaining teeth with what I have." I proclaimed.
"After you eat, I'm showing you how to clean yourself properly. Come on." Vi pushed me along into the bar. In a way, I'm thankful that she ignored my heartfelt attempt to trauma dump. I was prepared too; I had it all planned out with convincing tears to wrap things up in a nice bow. But no, I couldn't have that. Instead, I get shoved into my usual spot in a booth, this time next to Ekko, with Powder sitting to my left.
"I've got something special for you three lethal slingers." Vander said with a glint in his eyes.
"Lethal slingers? What were they up to?" Vi asked as she sat across from us.
"Auditioning for the role of boss when I retire." Vander explained as he finished up preparing his greatest achievement yet, a dish to die for.
"You don't say?" Claggor walked over and sat next to Vi.
"Yep. One day, they're going to be telling you all what to do from then on," he said as he placed a plate of seasoned chicken legs.
"Raided an entire farm for all of this, huh?" I asked as I was honestly astonished by the amount of meat in front of me. Alone, I could hardly afford one on a good day.
Mylo yawned as he sat down. "You first, Owen, since you saved the day and all."
"Well, don't mind if I do." I reached out and grabbed a leg and brought it to my face. As soon as I bit in, the rest grabbed their pieces. That was strange; maybe it's a thing here. Maybe they recount the goals of the day, and the one that distinguished themselves gets the first bite. I've seen something like this when I spied on gangs splitting loot. Vander looked over us with a satisfied smile on his face before he returned to the front. Activity sparked around me. Vander was talking with a tall, menacing-looking woman and an extremely obese man. Haven't met many old people. That big guy must be either extremely lucky or special in some other way, need to investigate him. After I was pressured to consume as much food as possible, Vi cornered me in the bathroom. Holding a brush in her hands, I saw the calculating thoughts in her eyes as she decided on how to torture me.
"Have you ever used this before?" she asked as she held up a toothbrush.
"I've seen them before." I answered honestly while judging the safest route of escape.
"That wasn't the answer I wanted." Vi stated as she turned to wet the brush and put that chemical on it. Now's my chance. "Try to make a break for it, and I'll put in effort to be mean."
"So you aren't consciously trying to torture me?" I asked, trying to gauge the depth of her cruelty.
She turned to beckon me forward. "Come here."
"I'm scared." I admitted.
Snickering bounced off the walls. They sound prepubescent, two voices. Powder and Ekko. That big guy must have allowed him to sleep over.
Vi sighed and approached me impatiently. "You need to learn how to brush your teeth."
"This cleaning ritual is a form of Piltover oppression." I proclaimed as I backed into the bathtub and pressed my back against the wall.
"If that's what it takes to clean your mouth, so be it." she decided as she grabbed my face and assaulted my teeth with that tool of cruel and unusual torture. "Feel that? This is how you start smelling halfway decent."
"Traitor." I accused as I accepted my fate. Vi skillfully brushed over my teeth, despite her brutish nature.
Yeah, yeah." She looked around in my mouth. "Okay, spit, and not on me."
I spit at the drain in the tub. "I'm not a complete savage."
"Gotta work harder to convince me," she said as she crossed her arms.
"So, uh, this is quite the compromising position you have me in." I acknowledged.
Vi raised a brow. "Why do you think I backed you into a tub?"
It was clear that the giggling culprits outside had multiplied.
"Now, this is getting dangerous..." I softly warned.
"You smelling like pure body odor is what's dangerous," she jabbed as she grabbed a washcloth.
"Want to know what you smell like?" Admittedly, she has a strong mix of all the sour candy I've stolen from Piltover. The problem is that most of Piltover's candies are rather unique. Instead of making a simple flavor, the vendors decided to make the most bizarre formulas to one up each other.
"Go ahead, be honest." Vi insisted as she relaxed her body to react to my peerless escape execution.
"Well, you see..." I began to explain, but soon I snapped into action, jumping over Vi's head. It was perfectly executed, just as well as Vi's technique of catching me in mid-air. As soon as I noticed how easy it was for her, I didn't fight back. I lay limp in her grip.
Ekko peeked over into the room.
"This is all your fault." I shouted out. He retreated, causing elevated laughter outside.
She put me down. "Stop being such a child."
"I am a child." I corrected.
"You know what I mean." Vi was exacerbated as she rubbed her face, trying to hide her smile.
"I'm going to jump over you again, this time—" She rudely threw the rag in my face.
"Take a bath, and don't forget to use soap." Vi demanded as she crossed her arms.
"I'm so glad you've taken a personal interest in my cleanliness." I added as I took the rag off my face. It was just in time for Vi to disappear around the corner. "I would have showered eventually." I didn't feel any different after the bath. There was nothing wrong with me before. If anything, I once gave off a vintage aroma of a hard day's work. A respectable human being would appreciate such a scent. Upon walking out, I've found the place empty—how fortunate for me. As I slipped on a spare jumpsuit, I allowed my mind to wander about the next scrap project. The familiar patterns of thought that bring my mind peace. Then my eyes fell upon the ornaments that Powder gifted me.
"No, making it a necklace would put it in danger." Speaking those words sealed the deal; it will stay here. I held it in my hands, looking over the individual pieces that hold it together. "She is quite talented." The dark and light metals complemented our complexions. There was also enough skill and creativity to make a visual distinction between the clothes and the skin. Then there were the hands that joined them together. It must have taken the utmost keen use of focus and patience to accomplish. I want to give her something. To give her a gift for a gift would start an irritating cycle. I can already see it. Feeling too indebted out of gratitude, we would exchange gifts endlessly. Actually, it seems kind of funny. It could be our inside joke; only we would understand. Walking over to the workbench, I begin to play. It took a while for me to feel a pair of eyes on my back. At that point, I was in the dawn of realizing my creation.
"Hey, Owen." Claggor called out.
"Yeah? What do you need?" He better have something worth yapping about, otherwise I'll use the quick edge for his weight loss.
"Come look at this." Claggor called out as if he were in the back of the room.
Sighing, I placed my tools down and followed his voice. Strange, I've never made the attempt to explore the room completely. In the back of the room, I found Claggor and a large corner dedicated to weightlifting. Simple pulling machines, pushing machines, and normal weights were aligned along the wall. Across the room were the free weights.
"When did you have time to do all of this?" I asked as I took a closer look at all the equipment.
"Oh, I started long before you showed up. I was just about finished when you made your grand introduction." Claggor answered as he leaned against the wall.
"Before or after I got my ass handed to me?" I inquired as I grabbed a 20 pound dumbbell and curled it.
"After," he informed.
"Huh, great." I placed the weight back. "Now I'll have to waste my time getting swole."
"No better way to waste time." Claggor said with an uptick in his voice.
I feel a bonding moment coming on.
"You know, I have some time to waste right now." I admitted as I eyed a pair of weights.
"Really?" Claggor almost blurted out.
"Since everyone else has more important things to do, yeah." I decided as I began focusing on warming up.
"Well alright!" he exclaimed excitedly as he walked over to grab heavier dumbbells. I wonder if I should press for information.
"You wouldn't happen to know where they might be?" I inquired.
"Ah, they went to pick something up from someone," he covertly admitted to a heist.
I placed weights on the bar and lay down on the bench. "That's a great way to put it."
"Gotta keep things vague, you know how it is," he retorted as he began his set.
"I'm guessing, this time, you lacked the skills for their requisition of certain items." I assumed as I finished my set.
"We all have our limits." Claggor groaned as he completed his burnout.
"Don't I know it." I affirmed as I stretched the soreness from my arms.
"You weren't really going to...choke that girl to...death, were you?" he asked with trepidation in his voice. Here we go. And I thought he wanted to get to know me as a person, not a monster.
"It was instinct and a bit of raw emotion. Usually, I don't drag it out like that." I explained all too directly, Claggor froze in disbelief at my delivery. What did he expect? For me to break down in a display of grieving regret? It would have been all for show, a show to brush up on my acting skills. However, doing so would be deceitful and cowardly. As your brother, I refuse to deceive the big guy in any way. "I would do the same if it came down to saving any of you from death."
"Well, thanks. But we're good at what we do; we don't need you to do that for us." He tried to assure me, but his trembling voice didn't convince me.
"Is that right? It didn't look like you were handling it well at all." I critiqued as I laid back for another set.
"What do you mean? I was throwing them around like bags of sand." he claimed. He is indeed a strong guy, having enough energy to throw kids around like the bags of trash that they are. In doing so, he left himself wide open for an opportunistic coward to stab him in the back. Such an oversight could have been the end of him.
"You left yourself wide open to be stabbed in the back, you realized that, right?" I asked as I was on my last rep.
"Huh? When?" He paused to recall the moment.
"You were distracted. There was a little ankle-biter, about Ekko's size, he was holding a piece of sharp metal in your blind spot." I pointed out as I racked the bar.
Claggor's eyes widen at the realization. "I didn't see him."
"Hence, the blind spot. The only reason why he didn't do it was sheer fear. He couldn't commit to it, even when his friends were getting their asses kicked." I explained as I stood up and walked over to him.
His eyes followed me. Standing beside him, I looked him in the eyes.
"Think from his point of view. Some big kid is throwing his friends into the walls of an alley, he looks unbeatable. You grab the sharpest thing you can find and hide in the guy's blind spot. You have the opportunity to end it all, what would you do?" I asked.
Claggor breathed out his nose. He knew what I was getting at, he knew what he would have done if his siblings were in that situation.
"I don't want to think about it." he admitted, looking away from me and shaking his head.
"That was the first time I felt fear like that." I divulged.
Claggor looked at me again in surprise.
"I am an arrogant kid. It disgusts me, as it has ruined my day more often than not." I tried to block the memories that came with that side of me. "The one thing that can put any of you in the dirt for good is your own arrogance."
Before hope completely drained from his eyes, I followed it up with my seal of approval.
"That is why I'll do whatever it takes to protect all of you." I proclaimed. Is this what I want? To protect people who aren't related to me? Who looks nothing like me? For some reason, I can't find the voice in me that would argue against my decision. The logical risks all show me that staying with them is the best course of action. As for my heart, well, it doesn't ache for once, so I guess that's a good sign.
"Am I supposed to say thank you?" Claggor asked as if he's offended by my fierce declaration of loyalty.
"That would be nice." I hope he doesn't make a big deal out of this.
"Look, man." He set the weights down and stood. "We made it this far without seriously hurting anyone."
"The fact that you've done so is remarkable." I complimented. Claggor looked down at me in skepticism. Huh, he couldn't have seen through that, could he?
"Just learn from us. You don't have to be a monster. Just settle for being a bully with a heart of gold, or something," he said as he picked up the weights and placed them back on the rack. Something in his voice tells me that he has hit his limit with me. I don't want to piss him off; I barely know his temperament as it is.
"I'm guessing you'll lead by example?" I asked.
Claggor snickered. "Me? Lead? Oh no, I couldn't. I can show you how we move and all, but me leading is just not a thing."
And there it is.
"I don't see why not, other than you being lazy and all. Put just a bit more effort in, and Vi will respect you enough to lead the charge every once in a while." I encouraged.
He was silent for a while, then snapped at me. "Are you trying to turn me against her?"
I hid my smile while I chuckled. "How long do you think she can keep this up?"
He relaxed. "Keep what up?"
"This unstoppable, vanguard, big sister act. Look at me. I've been beaten and thrown into so many walls, I can't tell time anymore. The days and nights all blend together. And Vi, she heals well, but I can see it all. She's running herself into the teeth of every conflict for us." I explained, trying not to get overzealous.
Claggor lowered his gaze, searching for anything to say to dismiss the thought, but I knew he had nothing, so I pressed on.
"I don't want her to meet her match, as I have. Because if she ever does, she's not going to get a warm family out of that deal." I tried wiping the sweat off the bar. "Anyway, thanks for lifting with me. I'm going to hop around town for a bit."
He nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll let them know in case they show up."
As I made it upstairs, Vander was leaning on the counter of the bar with his head down. Oh boy, one of those days. Maybe if I sneak by...and in the process of sneaking...
"Owen," he called out with his baritone voice.
"Hey Vander, what's up?" I greeted him with a wide smile. He returned it with a melancholic expression that shifted to a fatigued smile.
"How do you like it here so far?" he questioned. I don't know why, but my chest wants to jump from its place and into the trash, huh.
"It's everything I didn't think I wanted." I answered as I jumped on the stool, since I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.
"I love my family. Blood or no, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect them," he declared with a calm voice that rattled my bones.
"I feel the same." I struggled to force the words out of my throat.
He nodded, looked down at the counter again, and gave it another rubdown. The counter is as clean as it's going to get.
"I'm going to fix it." I said, without knowing how to clean up my past.
He stopped and looked at me with a furrowed forehead. "Is that so? From what I hear, they want you and you alone."
Silence hung in the air. To think I could hide away from my problems for at least a week, I'm getting lazy.
"Let's say I make them all go away?" I insinuated.
Vander exhaled through his nose. "We've had enough death in Zaun as it is. I would prefer it if it didn't get that far."
"Are they giving you a choice?" my tongue stung, asking a stupid question.
"No," he bore his steely eyes into mine. The same sea of eternity.
"I'll fix this." I said with finality in my voice. He had nothing else to say as I turned away and returned downstairs to grab my bag.
"Don't need most of these." I muttered under my breath as I dumped all of the scrap on the box bed. Only two complete projects, a collapse spear and a small handheld blade with a T-shaped handle that provides peerless versatility. I didn't bother to check to see if Claggor saw me or not; I don't need distractions. Climbing the steps this time felt different, like I was flying. Too much energy can be a foreboding sign, I need to calm myself. Walking out into the streets, I began to prowl and feel for the environment. When roaming past the vagrants of Zaun, I don't listen for words consciously. If my instincts ignore them, then I don't need to understand them. But when I pick up words that flow like a killing blow to the back of the head, I tend to sidestep and make them pay. Faster than I gave myself credit for, I punctured the fleshy bag that holds his air and pressed the blade against his neck. The people around us could hardly process what happened by the time I pushed the kid into an alley. There was enough shouting and screaming to keep them disorganized. A halfway competent gang would operate in silence. I maneuvered behind the boy to see a small militia of kids and a few adults. They really must like me. I climbed on his shoulders and jumped onto the metal support that holds the building together. Before I reached the top, a hand grabbed the back of my jumpsuit and slammed me onto the concrete roof.
"You like smashing bricks over my kid's head, huh?" an offended father spat.
"Sorry." I said as I stood to my feet, with my hands out.
He hesitated in confusion.
"I should have used this." I kicked out my leg, and the collapsed spear extended, maiming the man's right trapezius. He didn't even yell as he pulled it out of his traps, tearing a good chunk of his muscle off. "You must truly be upset to do all of that."
As it turns out, he was. He threw the spear at me as he fell forward, the spear landing between my legs. Falling on his face, he finally let out a wail, calling forth the bottom feeders that climbed the side of the building. Only 12 of them in total; I can handle them. At top speed, I ran. A pack of ravenous street kids follows closely behind. At points of jumping from one building top to the next, a few of them crashed their way to the bottom. Only the best could keep up with me. As I stopped on a smaller rooftop that can only support up to 5 people, there were only 2 left. Both familiar faces. The big teen and the girl that I almost strangled to death. Fate is a sadist.
"I know I owe you a round 2." I pointed at the tall guy whose name I won't commit to memory. "But you? I hope that was just a fluke."
She screamed in fury as she charged forward. The guy yanked her back by the arm and sent her to the ground.
"He's mine," he said as he actually pulled out a dagger. Crap. We went back and forth, slashing at the air, daring one another to take a risk.
"Come on, man, I'm just a kid. Just let me keep kicking your ass." I mocked. He clenched his jaw as his attacks and jabs became more frequent and ferocious.
"I bet they treated you like a 10-year-old boy after a 10-year-old boy cracked you open and made you leak." I prattled on, counting on him to make a mistake.
I was not counting on him to catch me in a tackle. We rolled on the ground, trying to gain control over the blades. The other girl tried to get in on the fun too. The guy stood up, and just as the girl was about to grab me, he pushed her away again.
"You'll get your turn when I'm done," he bellowed.
Teenagers, all they lack is focus. Using my grappling skills, I found my leverage in the middle of being swung through the air, and twisted him off balance, bringing us both crashing to the ground. We lay there in silence. I can hear her breathing in excitement as thoughts of me being dead filled her mind. I wonder if there's a bounty on my head? When she pulled him off of me, there was his blade, sunk in his chest. Dark fluids spread throughout my jumpsuit. She was smiling. In her eyes, I was lying there, eyes staring out into space, bleeding from my limbs, chest, and abdomen. She grabbed my collar and pulled me to her face. That's when I struck her in the side, twisted, and thrust the blade even further. She let out a shallow, high-pitched squeal and dug her nails into my neck. We were at the edge of the building, and it was a long way down. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't budging. I tried to step around her, under her, but she wouldn't move. Looking at her face, she held a conviction that rivaled Vander's. That's when I knew I might have met my match. With a scream mighty enough to cast away storms, she lifts me up. Then, it all happened so fast, but seemingly timeless. The world spun, the wind blew over us, throwing her braided hair all over me, and then nothing.