As I sit in my seat, the clock ticks slowly towards release. I can feel the eyes and glances I'm receiving. The answer is correct, since Hal is constantly adjusting his lecture, bringing more students to the board, and explaining his theory with explosive energy. At least he seems to be excited about teaching. Would have definitely dropped out if I felt a hint of boredom creeping on. Eventually, Vander's and Vi's fists would break before I would consider going back to this place. It's not a bad school to learn in, all honesty. The kids are growing on me. Their faces struggled to adapt to this thing called academic excitement. For most of us, we didn't have much to look forward to. Just the same nonsense every day around, hopefully, the same people you grew up with. At the very least, most people didn't have to suffer alone. I've seen what loneliness has done to people. They try to drown that void with drugs, depravity, or violence, or they just end it. That has always perplexed me. To just quit like that. It has always kept me up at night. My heart couldn't ignore them. I was too young to know what to do, but the thought always crossed my mind. What if I was there with them? Would a complete stranger have made a difference? Could they have found something to hold onto if someone was there? A soft ringing sound bounced off the walls.
"Oh dear, well, I guess the fun is over." Hal disclosed disappointedly.
A few of the kids didn't carry the same idea of what fun means.
"Don't worry. I won't waste your time with homework or extra tests. Today, you've exceeded my expectations. We've reached a milestone that I was saving for midterms. Oh well, I'll think of something, don't you worry. Have a great day, kids." Hal said before he returned to his desk.
Chairs and feet shuffled around until the room was almost empty. Powder and Ekko lingered at the door until I locked eyes with them. I nodded in their direction, letting them know that I'll see them later. When they left, I felt it. The lingering gaze that rips through my flesh. Hal's eyes are quick as I caught him looking at me. I'm getting the impression that my answers gave him the idea to inspect me under more than his eyes alone.
"Owen." Hal called to me as he organized papers on his desk.
Standing up, I walked towards his desk and stood beside it. Hal is such a tiny creature, even by Yordle standards. But there's something about him that is keeping me on edge.
"That answer that you gave today," he began as he finished stacking his papers and placed his pen in a cup. "I did not expect that from a child."
"How often do you teach space math to kids?" I asked flatly.
"Not as often as I like," he answered while holding back a laugh. "You are an interesting fellow, you know?"
"No, I didn't. You are the first to react the way you did. By the way, is that why you want to see me?" I asked. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary.
"Yes." Hal's mood suddenly changed from happy to stone serious. "Follow me."
He walked off the table with certainty that he would land gracefully on one leg, which he did, and continued towards the door. As I followed him, I watched for signs of discomfort. Apparently, he's fine, as it's becoming difficult to keep up with him.
"Having trouble keeping up with a 401-year-old Yordle?" He asked as we travel around corners and down a few halls into a long hallway.
Given the amount of walking we've done, I'm surprised that it all fits within this building.
"You're healthy for an old guy." I complimented.
"And you are severely underweight for a young boy. I'd feed you myself if I were allowed to do so," he mention as he suddenly turned into an open room.
I followed him and walked into a room filled with teachers. They were the strangest and most fascinating group of people I've ever seen. There are 22 in total. Some of them are normal humans, some old, and the rest middle-aged. The other teachers are various animal species and cyborgs. There were hardly any chairs to sit in. The tables are all pushed against the wall. Papers and books are stacked on top of each other, classic chaotic order. The teachers hardly noticed us as we walked in. Their attention is glued to a giant blackboard. Equations were sectioned off with chalk, from other equations. Looking over them, it is a jumble of theories that Hal hasn't yet covered in class. They're glued to the blackboard, feverishly discussing and debating the possibilities of their ideas while defending their formulas and possible errors.
"Excuse us, colleagues. Come along, Owen." Hal chirped up at his colleagues.
Can't help but catch hints of venom in his voice when he called them that. Regardless, they parted a path for him. Their eyes fell to me, and there it is, the look of scorn.
"Professor Hal," a tall and muscular bat humanoid spoke up.
"Yes, Professor Zeph?" Hal acknowledged as he jumped on the blackboard support rails. He then tapped the blackboard, and a section opened up, and he switched out the current board for a new and clean section.
"Who is your student? We are in the middle of discussing sensitive information," he asked as he watched Hal write down the formula that I answered this morning.
"This young man's name is Owen. And he has something fascinating to show us." Hal announced loud enough for everyone to hear over their own discussion. He then beckoned me forward while holding out the chalk.
I approached him and took the chalk.
"You expect him to solve that?" A thin, short woman with angular features pressed as she crossed her arms.
Hal looked over at her and answered simply. "Yes." then he looks at me. "Go ahead."
I turned towards the formula and placed my answers within the empty places. The other teachers were whispering between one another, but with each stroke of the chalk, came another mouth that was silenced. When I was done, I backed away, my eyes not leaving the formula.
"There it is." Hal whispers with satisfaction.
I turned my head slightly to see a man looking between his equation and the formula in front of me. He then ran his gloved hand over his equation and walked closer to us.
"Where did you find this boy?" he asked as his needle-wide pupils bore daggers at the formula.
Hal chuckled. "Ask him yourself."
He then looked down at me with eyes that might as well tell everyone that he's blind.
"Where are you from, Owen?" he asked directly.
"Zaun." I replied without backing down from his unblinking glare.
He looked back up at Hal. "Do you know what this means?"
"Possibly. But we won't know until the end of the semester. Owen still has much to learn." Hal explained as he walked down from the support rail and moved over to the tables that are pressed against the wall. I followed him, knowing that he had something else to show me. The professors all crowded around that one spot, taking in the sight and discussing it. Hal jumped on top of the tables and began searching for something. While he searched, he stole glances at the professors, crowding around one spot on a blackboard.
"Like starved dogs, fighting over a bone," he chuckled under his breath.
Great. Second day of school and I get stuck with a possibly psychopathic professor.
"Their enthusiasm is contagious." I muttered as I saw Hal pick out a few journals filled with notes.
"Contagious, but not inspiring, right?" Hal asked as he flipped through pages of a journal and tossed ones he's not satisfied with aside.
"Exactly. What are they searching for?" I asked as I scratched the bridge of my nose.
"The source of all that is. Nothing else matters," he casually replied as he held up a journal and skimmed through it.
I stood there, allowing what he said to sink in my head. Nothing else matters?
Hal closed the journal and nodded, seeming satisfied with its contents.
"Although I promised you no homework, I request that I make an exception with you," he explained.
"What makes me exceptional?" I asked, trying to keep eye contact with Hal, but it's difficult looking into nothing.
"That right there," he pointed at me. "Your first instinct is to find the answers. No nonsense, no games, no punchline, straight to the point." He handed me the journal. "Like a knife."
I stared at his growing grin as I lowered my left hand to a spot below my pocket. The knife is there. It's always there. Did I strap it on without knowing? How often have I done this? I reached out and took the journal, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're the sharp one." I complimented Hal as he let go of the journal.
"Make sure you learn as much as you can. Skimming over the notes won't be enough." Hal instructed as he looked back towards the other professors, who were growing louder by the minute.
"Right." I turned around and left the room. Despite the number of turns we took to get to that room, it was easy to retrace my steps to the front door. And to my shock, they were all waiting for me.
"What took ya?" Mylo asked as I walked down the steps.
"Missed me that bad, huh?" I held my hand out, and we did our shake. "My professor wanted me to study more."
"They're brainwashing you?" Vi asked as she walked towards me.
"Brainwashing me." I handed her the journal.
She took it and flipped through the pages as we walked in our formation.
Powder bumped me. "You have to show me later."
"If I'm showing you," I turned to Ekko, "then you have to know too."
"Why me?" he began to whine.
"Because I have an idea." I felt Vi tap the journal against my shoulder, and I took it.
"Whatever you three want to do, try not to be one of them." Vi requested with disgust in her voice.
"What? Topside isn't growing on you?" Claggor asked.
It's getting crowded on the bridge this evening. There must be some sort of festival or something. Of all the time I've patrolled the bridge for scrap, I've never seen this kind of traffic. Must be something new. To be safe, I relaxed my mind and focused more on the crowd. Crowds agitate me. Although I can hide in crowds, whatever is in the crowds can hide as well. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen people getting stabbed in crowds. It would suck if that happened. I bumped into someone. It was some kid; he looks familiar.
"Uhm, excuse me." I tried to excuse myself; however, as I tried to move around this kid, he stepped in my way.
"Hey, what's your problem?" Ekko asked.
That's when I saw it. The kid looked at Ekko with wild eyes and started to move his right hand out to him. Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed his arm, stepped in between his legs, and pushed him backwards while I pulled his arm behind him. Whatever was planted into his back was dull, but it gave way eventually. The boy's eyes looked pained, then they grew weak. I tried to feel for what I was holding. Oh no. It's the handle of a dagger. Thinking quickly, I pulled the kid into my arms and ran.
"Owen! Wait!" Vi yelled.
Everything's moving too fast. My siblings are close behind me. I can hear them yelling after me, but I can't stop. I follow the sewer system that opens into a stream. My legs carried me until I reached the beach. Finally, I stopped and lowered the kid to the ground and laid him on his side.
"Hey, hey, wake up." I demanded as I began slapping his face. "Come on, open your eyes!"
The boy's eyes are partially open. They are moving, but slightly. I remember him. He's the little boy that was hugging the leg of that teen I fought. The teen that I killed on the roof. He must have been that guy's little brother. They look nothing alike, but it didn't matter. Might be wrong about this. But no one would go this far for a stranger. This boy is like me.
"I'm sorry." I grabbed his hand. He clenched his teeth and looked at me. With all of his strength, he squeezed my hand.
I began to hear footsteps smashing at the sand.
"Owen!" Mylo stopped right next to me. "Oh shit!"
He jumps back.
"Watch out, Mylo!" Vi almost crashed into him. "Owen, did he hurt you?"
She stopped when she saw the blood. To get a better view, she walked around to see the boy, then she walked behind the boy to see where the blood came from.
"I didn't mean to." I pleaded as I held the dagger in his back.
"Why were you running so fast?" I heard Ekko ask.
"NO!" Vi turns around and shouts at them. "Don't come any closer, okay?"
Mylo scrambled to his feet. "Come on, you two."
"What? No! Owen!" Powder shrieked.
The two complained as Mylo and, hopefully, Claggor dragged them away. I stared ahead at a hole in the sand. The boy's shallow breaths grew louder and louder. He's trying to talk to me. I can read his lips.
"I hate you" are the words that he's mouthing, over and over again.
I look into his eyes and nod my head. Moving my hands towards the handle of the dagger, I tightened my grip around it.
"Owen, don't." Vi spoke through her hand.
"I have to, or else he suffers." I explain as I look at Vi.
"How do you know?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Come on, Vi, weren't you listening to me this entire time?" I asked as I pulled the dagger out, the blade being as big as my hand. The boy opens his mouth, appearing to be screaming. Nothing but deep breaths escaped his mouth. I threw the dagger aside and grabbed his hand again.
"I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry." I begged.
The boy used his other hand to hit my shoulder, but he doesn't have the strength to hurt me. It didn't matter, however; he kept slamming his fist against me until the fist grew limp. As his arm fell to the ground, his breathing became shallower and weaker until he stopped moving altogether. The waves crashed against the shores. It sounds as if the waters are laughing at me. I released the boy's hand.
"What was his name?" Vi asked.
I stood up, eyes still on the boy.
"Hamin. He was the little brother of the teen I fought." I coldly informed.
Vi and I stood silent for the next minute.
"Vi," I called out.
She jumped. "Help me move him to the waters."
Vi looked me in the eyes. "Okay, Owen."
Vi grabbed Hamin's feet, and I grabbed his arms. We walked together towards the waters. When we were knee-deep, we tossed Hamin in the waters. The waves took him away. The waters are heavy enough to keep his body down.
"Owen, be honest with me," she announces as we began walking towards the city.
I stopped; Vi walked a few paces forward and then turned around.
"Yeah?" I asked, preparing for anything.
"What happened?" She asks as if she's out of breath.
"We were walking together. You saw it. Hamin stood in front of me. Ekko didn't like that. So, Hamin tried to kill Ekko when he was after me originally." I explain plainly. Vi didn't like that.
"Don't you feel anything?" Vi pleaded.
"Yes, Vi. I love you all." I raised my hand and stepped towards her, but she tensed and clenched her fists. I stopped in place when I saw this. "I'm still a monster, Vi. If I beg for anything"
"Don't, Owen," she warned with mixed emotions.
"Please don't give up on me, Vi." I begged with my arms out. "I need you."
Vi recoiled in terror as I took another step towards her.
"Please, Vi. I don't want to be a monster anymore." I took another step towards her. "I don't want to go back to who I was."
Vi's mouth trembles as her tense posture relaxed as I approached her. Finally, I'm within arm's length.
I lowers my hands. "I can't escape my past. Doubt that anyone forgot me. This won't be the last time, you know this."
Vi squeeze her eyes shut and nods.
"I need you. I need all of you." I started. "But if it's too much for you to handle—"
Vi shot forward and caught me in a hug. "I promised I'll never give up on you. That's what I'm going to do. Sorry I made you doubt me."
I embraced her. "Sorry I broke my promise."
"What do you mean? You protected Ekko," she reminded me.
"Every time I did that, it killed something in me. Every time. It hurts, and I don't know how to heal." I admitted.
Vi sniffs. "Just let us love you. Let us help you. Stay with us, and we'll heal you as best we can."
I smile. "I'm not going anywhere."
Now that was lovely. Although I had the fortune of throwing away the trash of my past, there's plenty more that I have to take care of. Plans changed. Apparently, I just can't live in relative peace with my family. If I had it my way, I'd stab more holes in that rat bastard Hamin. I need to think my way through this. How am I going to handle Vander? Hiding anything from him would be foolish. He'll figure it out eventually. I'll tell him upfront. Tell him that I was attacked by a kid with a dagger, not a knife. I can pin it on Silco. It will be a stretch, and he won't believe it. But to plant the seed, along with a little acting, and he'll keep it as a possibility, that might give him suspicion. That's all I need.
"I'll tell Vander, okay?" Vi offered.
"With a nose that red?" I jibed.
"Owen! Get serious!" Vi wanted to appear offended but is still shaken by what just happened.
"Sorry, sorry. Just trying to get comfortable after that." I scratched my arm.
"I know." She dropped an arm over my neck and pulled me into her.
I felt a kiss on my head. "Make a wish."
Vi exhales. "I wish I knew how to help you heal."
That surprised me so much, I almost cried, almost. Instead I sneezed away from her.
"This entire day is making me sick. Let's get this over with." I requested as I mustered the courage to face Vander.
Vi and I marched towards the Last Drop. The bar loomed overhead as our feet creaked the old wooden floorboards below. When we pushed the doors opened, I was greeted with a packed room.
"Owen, Vi." Vander moved his massive frame towards me and pulled Vi and me into a hug. "Thank goodness you two are safe."
We hug him back.
"It all happened so fast, I just reacted." I explained.
He looks down at me. "I understand. I'm guessing that you've already cleaned up after yourself."
He knows how it all works then; good, less trouble for me.
"Yes. It's what I've always done. Am I in trouble?" I asked, not sure if this will complicate things later on down the line.
"Let me take care of that. The only thing that matters now is keeping up appearances." He looked behind him. "I'd like you to meet someone who wants to say thank you."
He released us and guided me to the big old guy in glasses. He has Ekko in his arms. Ekko appears to be taking this well, being held by his father in front of everyone.
"Hello—" I was cut off by the strength of this guy's arm. He swept me off my feet and gave me a hug as well.
"Thank you for saving my boy," he thanked. Huh. I did save Ekko, didn't I? So I did do a good thing?
"I'd do it again, if it came down to it." I decided.
"Agh. A child shouldn't have to do these things at all." He put me back down. "Anyway, I'm Benzo. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
Good deeds for good favors? If only that rule were more consistent.
"I'll hold you to it." I beamed.
Eventually, we said our good evenings, with more hugs and more reasons to shower this mood away. Which is exactly what I did. When I threw myself on my bed, I wondered about all the things I could do next and if it would be appropriate to do them. I would have to take someone with me. If I leave the bar now, someone will find me. That someone will probably be an informant, confirming that the hit failed and that I am still at large. Vander can only do so much. Sitting up, I dove deeper into my posture of concentration. Looking around the room, Vi's working off steam on the punching bag. Claggor's pumping iron to distract himself. Mylo is trying to survive Vi's power by holding the bag in place. Wait a minute.
"Where's my—"
Powder sat next to me and hands me the journal Hal wants me to study.
"I looked through it." she mentioned, appearing apprehensive.
"Oh good, saw anything that made sense to you?" I asked as I scanned through it and recognized a few formulas.
"I tried to follow some of the things that Professor Hal said, but there is something about him that bothers me." Powder disclosed as she stared off into the distance.
"Is it the beady black eyes?" I point out.
She looked at me and gave me a toothy smile. "What? No."
"Is it his ghost-white fur?" I referenced.
She thought about it, then shook her head. "No, it's the way he acts. You're a lot like him."
"You mean, he's a lot like me?" I compared as I returned to the first page.
"Same thing, anyway. You two have the same dry humor, mannerisms, and the way you talk," she points out.
"Whoa there, this is getting personal. What is wrong with the way I talk?" I tried my best to appear offended.
She laughed. "Nothing, nothing. It's just, you talk to other people differently from how you speak with us."
"Can't hand out my golden personality to everyone, they have to work for it." I explained as I looked over the first page.
"That's what I mean, you've got to open up more." Powder urged.
"I know. I just need time. Sharing with you all was a challenge, I never had to do that before." I relayed.
Powder closed the journal, then laced our fingers together. I looked over at Vi, who was too busy trying to punch Mylo through the bag.
"One person is already dead, you know." I reminded her.
"Oh, relax, she won't do anything." Powder promised.
"I can feel her fist already crushing my face from the future." I predicted.
"Oh, come on." She pulled her fingers from me.
"You didn't see that in the notes? The future speaks to us." I opened the journal again.
She rested her head on her hand. "No, genius, I didn't see that."
"Good, because I made it up." I said with a smile.
Powder snickered as she shook her head. Then she calmed down.
"Are you okay?" she asked genuinely.
I looked around us and got up to gather weapons that no one would detect at first glance.
"Do you want to go outside?" I asked.
She looked at me for a moment, then at the rest, then back at me. "Yeah, sure."
We made it to our usual spot that gave us a great view of Vaun.
"I want to change, Powder." I finally said after we sat on the ground in silence for a good 4 minutes.
"We'll help you, you know that," she reinforced.
I reached my hand out, Powder met it. She moved closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder.
"Problem is, the ghosts of my past will hunt me down." I prophesied.
"Then I'll kick their asses," she promised fearlessly.
"You're never going to stop saying that, are you?" I asked with a smile on my face.
"Nope," she beamed at me.
I kissed her on the forehead. She returned fire and kissed me on the cheek. The fire spread through out my face. Strange, I'm more afraid now than of what happened on the bridge.
"Don't be afraid to change," she advised. "Everyone's changing around me, even I'm changing, all thanks to you."
"Is that right?" I asked, Just how perceptive is she?
"I've never seen Vi hesitate so much before meeting you. Now, whenever you're around, she second-guesses herself." she explains.
"Not sure if that's a good thing at all." I speculated honestly.
She took a deep breath. "Believe me, it is. She thinks she's right all the time and never thinks before she acts."
"Sounds familiar." I said.
"Hey," she warns by squeezing my hand.
"Just saying, smarty pants." I teased.
She blew a powerful raspberry against my cheek.
"Agh! Okay, sorry, so mean." I apologize.
"Claggor used to be so nervous, what did you do to him?" she asks.
"Besides, tell him to step up every once in a while. Nothing but being his bro." I answered.
"Huh. Then there's Mylo. He's a lot nicer now," she recalls.
"Really?" I'm honestly shocked.
"Yeah. Before you showed up, he would, well." Powder struggles to admit a flaw of hers. I waited patiently. "I used to mess up a lot when we used to do heists and just mess around in Vaun," she exhales deeply. "I was really clumsy. I would just get in the way."
"More clumsy than you are now?" I inquired.
"You know, we've just settled down, cleaned up, and had a rough day. I don't mind getting rough again." she warned
"When was the last time you were in a fight? That wasn't with Vi?" I asked.
Powder thought for a moment. "You know what? If you put it that way, never. Vi would always be there, fighting all my battles."
"Just like a big sister." I commented.
"Yeah, but don't distract me. I was making a point," she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.
"You have a way of distracting people from getting what they want out of you," she highlighted.
"It's a great defense against snakes." I advised.
"There are hardly any snakes around Zaun," she mentioned.
"Exactly my point. You all are welcome." I pontificated.
Powder rolled her eyes and then laid her head on my shoulder again. This is...do I have that much of an impact on people? Besides the obvious negatives. It's difficult to imagine that I've impacted people in any beneficial way. Thinking frankly about it, I did force Vander to act, basically saving Zaun from itself. I apparently changed Vander's family for the better. I don't know about Powder though, she scares me with her fascination with explosives. Then there's Piltover and my possibly psychopathic professor. I'd better study that journal; otherwise, something unexplainable will happen.
"You know what? I forgot something." Powder shot up and looks at me.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Remember when I said, if anything happens to me, I'll do the same to you?" she remembered.
"Honestly, I had the impression that things were good between us, since I avenged you and all." I reminded her.
"My point still stands." She rolls back and shoots to her feet.
"Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed as I rose to my feet.
Powder clenched her fists and bounced on her feet.
"Bare knuckles?" I addressed.
"Scared?" She provoked as she snapped her arms out with jabs at the air.
"Definitely scared for you." I answered truthfully.
Powder began to inch closer to me with her hands up.
"Young lady, you are playing a dangerous game." I warned as I backed up to a suspicious-looking bundle of bushes.
Powder came within arm's length of me, then I gave her the signal. She performed a spinning side kick, and I sidestepped out of the way as she launched her leg into the bushes. As I suspected, an informant fell out. As soon as she collided with the ground, she tried to get away. I kicked her feet from under her, and she fell face first into the ground. Powder and I wasted no time kicking her while she was down.
"Wait!" She tried to protest, but there's no way that I was allowing her to speak without teaching her the price she'll pay for stalking us.
She tried to reach into her pocket, but I dove on top of her and pulled her arm into an armbar and snapped it. She howled in pain; Powder thankfully kicked her mouth shut. The informant went limp. Upon searching her pockets, my fingers curled around a contraption. When I pulled it out, I couldn't believe the audacity.
"What kind of pistol is that?" Powder asked as she stood next to me.
"Something that has your name on it." I said as I handed it to her.
"Thanks! It's cute," she complimented as she looked over the slender pistol.
"Do you have any ideas on who sent her?" I asked as I tried to search for more information on her.
"No, but I know where she's going." Powder said as she pulled the hammer back and pointed the gun towards her.
"Powder, wait!" I yelled before the pistol went off.