We walked, or should I say, she led the way by force, with our hands secured tightly together. As we made our way towards the bridge, we attracted too many eyes our way. Powder didn't mind at all, as it was her agenda for today.
She swung our hands wildly back and forth, with childish merriment. "Come on....smile!" she sang.
Since I was carried back from the factory by my loyal, but oppressive guards, I haven't been the ray of sunshine I'm known to be. I'm still somewhat absolutely fuming from the laughter of the thugs during the talk with my mother. They're just jealous that they don't have a creepy genius chemist mommy. That's it, they are just jealous. Powder bumped her shoulder into me. It was her way of stopping me from over thinking. Moreover, she knows that it calms me down. My appreciation her for out weighs momentary irritation. I'm surprised that I have enough restraint to not go berserk. I owe my family everything for teaching me restraint, to not let loose. But now, I'm almost reverting back to what I used to be: impulsive and wrathful. Looking over at Powder, I meet her eyes. Whatever she was feeling before, she gave it up to settle me down. That mischievous energy she gave off before nearly evaporated. She now radiates patience and tolerance. To counter my stubbornness and ambition.
She bumps my shoulder with hers again as we reach the bridge. "You'll scare everyone with that face."
I know what she's talking about, and she's right. With my reputation on the surface, I could scare almost any citizen in Piltover. With my underground reputation, the informed individuals and the Enforcer's will be on high alert. By now, they know not to underestimate me because of my age. That could be a problem.
"Powder, I sort of—" I began.
"I know," she interrupts me. "You don't have to talk about it. Word gets around."
She doesn't sound too upset about it. The look on her face told as much. There isn't any sense of disapproval from her at all. Her voice didn't carry the venom of condemnation. Instead, everything about her oozes a playful nature, just as she had when we first met. I missed this. It's something that we should enjoy while we can.
"I've been too busy." I admitted.
She smiled wider. "And for your punishment, we are going to play the whole day. No working, no marching, no scheming, just play."
The Enforcers made their patrols. They tried to hide it, but they stole glances at us. I think I'm beginning to develop some 6th sense. These Enforcers are setting off a sense of impending danger. Am I so far gone that I'm imagining danger where there is none?
"I've got a bad feeling." I revealed, but Powder doesn't seem fazed by it.
"So let's move faster." She started jogging towards what I think is the garden.
Being in her iron grip, I stayed by her side. The Piltover citizens gave us confusing looks. I counted more faces of astonishment and fear than the look of wonder and adornment we received the first time. But looking at Powder's face, it didn't matter. Seeing her smile lightens my mood somewhat. Our joined hands swung even when we ran. Soon, our boots were kicking up the weeds, flowers, and fat-bladed grass of the neat, perfect garden. It seems to stretch on to infinity. That would be incredible, but impossible. Well...not quite impossible, but I have to speak with Viktor about that.
"Hey!" Powder slowed to a stop. We are in the most open field, far away from the majority of the crowd. She lowered herself to the ground. "Come on, sit." She pats the space beside her.
Sitting down, she leans against me. The tension leaves my shoulders.
"Finally." Powder adjusts her position. "Felt like I was up against a wall."
That got a chuckle out of me. "I met my mother today."
She lifts her head from my shoulder, looking at me in disbelief. "Really?"
"Yeah, as it turns out, I always knew her." I disclosed, feeling ashamed that it took me this long to notice.
Powder turns more of her body towards me. "Who was it?"
"The herbalist. It was her all along." I tried to appear happy about it, but something still holds me back. And Powder saw it.
"At least you get to make up for lost time," she pointed out supportively.
I slowly nod, imagining all the possible bonding that we can do. She can teach me how to make potions. Maybe she'll show me how she manage to get all of her ingredients. But upon seeing Powder's face, I can tell she's thinking about her own family, her mother specifically. For her sake at least, I can be grateful.
"Her name is Onisegun." my thumb caress the back of her hand. "We can see her sometime. I think you two would have a lot in common."
She looks surprised, sitting up straight. "Really? You think?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "You two are dedicated to your craft, obsessively so."
She bumps me again. "What do you mean obsessive? I call it passion."
"Call it what you want, you two just can't stop working your fingers." I complimented, and it is an honest compliment.
Powder laced her fingers between mine. "You might be right about that. But you're about the same."
I nod as I rub my shoulder against her. "I am her son. That sounds so strange."
"Tell me," she asks as she peers in my eyes.
The dome above us opened up in a circular motion. That was a bit too simple. It opened up in a motion that mimics a flower blooming. The sunlight before was tamed. The sunlight that shines down on us now is honest and proud. This didn't stop Powder from nearly staring me down. I swear, she can go minutes without blinking, like a cat. The breeze from the natural world blew over us, making Powder squint slightly as her braids threatened to blacken her eyes.
"Your hair is getting a bit too long." I said as I covered her head from the enthusiastic wind.
Powder fell into my lap and pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm growing it out."
I crossed my legs and pulled her closer to my chest. "And Vi's okay with being your personal hairdresser?"
Flower petals and blades of grass flew over us. That scent is incredible. Bet this scent can cure lung sickness, it smells so good.
Powder relaxes the back of her head against my chest and crosses her arms. "She doesn't mind at all. Actually, she likes playing with my hair. Gert helps too."
I wrapped my arms around her. "Mylo's girlfriend? How did the upgrade of that device go?"
She leans her head back to show me her smile. "He's alive, and Gert still has her hair. What do you think?"
I blew a raspberry on her forehead. She roared playfully and rolled from side to side. My arms loosely held her in place.
"Just tell me, you little minx!" I demanded.
Finally, she calmed down and decided to cooperate. "She loves it. But she likes doing things naturally."
I tried to adjust to our original position. "Usually, my feelings would be hurt, but it was Mylo's thing, not mine."
She helped in my efforts to restore the comfort that almost put her to sleep. "So you're only half hurt? How does that work?" She stretch her legs out.
"My pride, it needs to be nurtured." I fearlessly announced.
She took in a deep breath. "Oh, really? Your pride is a big problem."
I laughed a bit too hard. "What do you mean?"
She lay calmly against me. "Why were you so angry today?"
Conversations behind us caught my ears. I took a while to listen in, deciding if we were in any trouble. I've been ambushed in this 'civilized' city before, it won't happen again, especially when I'm with Powder. That's when I felt her tap my forearm.
"Hey," she calls up to me.
When I look down at her, she meets me with those disarming eyes. I tried not to think about Jinx, especially in this situation.
I felt my forehead furrow. "I just wanted to savor the moment with my mother. When I turned around, the people who I trust to back me up were laughing at me."
A wave of understanding washes over her. "Yeah, that sounds like a good reason to go berserk."
Her humor is improving. "I didn't go berserk." I lied.
She laughed so hard, she kicked at the air. "You were carried to the Drop. How were you not in berserker mode?"
She's the only one who can make me laugh right now. "Okay, okay, I'll own it."
"Good." Powder said as she settled down. "You want to wrestle?"
"Wrestle? Out here?" I look down at her, and she returns my gaze with a relaxed and honest expression. "Don't know about that. People will see and might get involved."
She pushed my arms apart and twisted around while pulling her legs in a cross. "You finished a fight in the square."
I nod approvingly. "Exactly! Finished, not started."
"And you scared grown adults too." She looked at me with a disbelieving visage and shook her head disapprovingly.
I shrugged. "They were in my way, you know how it is."
She inhaled and straightened her back. Throwing her head back, she pops her neck from side to side. Oh no, please don't.
"Owen, you have too much energy, too much pride," she begins to explain.
I watch her get up and twist her body. Pops reached my ears. Is she really going to do this? Here? "Powder, ple-"
That's when she stopped and wiggled a finger at me. "Ah, ah, ah, no begging, that's your thing, right?" Her face is serious, void of the playfulness before.
I just look up at her, not believing what I'm seeing. This could go so horribly. I know that Viktor is keeping his awareness open, sensing anything that might make THAT happen. That possibility made my heart race like a rocket. But I won't let that happen. I battled my racing heart, not allowing it to drive me into a panic.
"Powder." Raising my hand, I'm hoping to talk her down. "I'm scared of what might happen."
Powder's intense glare finally broke. Lowering her finger hesitantly, she just looks at me.
I peer up at her, watching her face fill with a mix of emotions. Confusion, anxiety, bewilderment, and excitement—I did not expect that. "Powder?" It's suddenly quiet around us, but I dare not take my eyes off her.
She then walks forward, a foot length from me, and leans down, her face partially covered by her hair. "I'm going to fight you."
Space isn't parting, I'm not feeling the usual merging of worlds. She doesn't have the manic expression. Her face is serene and calm, undisturbed by the world around us. With her eyes peering down at me, she lunged. Rolling to the side, I kept my eyes on her. She lands on all fours, with that same expression. We shot to our feet and immediately took our stances. Looking over her form, she looks confident, somehow improved since the last time. Her shoulders look more sturdy, composed. Her frame is sharper than last time, smaller, but more solid. Whatever she was doing while I was busy, it has solidified her body into that of a budding fighter. Testing her reflexes, I feint for a double-leg takedown. Powder didn't fully fall for it, she prepared herself for anything. She shifts from high to low, staying loose. Her stance gives the impression that she doesn't care if she does get taken down. What is she planning? I decided to shoot for it. My double leg takedown would have been impressive if she hadn't somehow reversed it to plant me on my back.
"Better try harder," she taunts as we both sprawl, her managing to stay just out of my grip. "You don't want to get beat by a girl!"
As I was rolling, I tried to block out her words. If she beats me, she beats me. I'm fine with it if she earned it. What I don't want is for us to start fighting for real. The idea of fighting her for real, or even just play fighting, frightens me deeply. I don't want to hate her and love her simultaneously. We clashed shoulders, she didn't allow me to overpower her. Instead, she used my power against me, letting my momentum throw me over her body. I narrowly avoided landing on my side, and she was right on me.
"Come here!" Powder again sprang on me, catching me while I was face down in the grass.
Reaching out for her leg, I pulled it towards me while she wrapped her arms around my waist. We are at a standstill, so to speak. She's holding onto my waist, with her head by my hip. I'm holding her leg, knowing what to do but too afraid of hurting her. Powder tries to pull her leg from me, but she isn't strong enough to free herself. She doesn't have many options, letting me go wouldn't be in her favor.
"You can end this right now," she states the obvious while breathing heavily.
"I won't hurt you. I don't care what you do. It won't happen." I firmly proclaimed.
I felt her sigh, then she loosened her grip on me. Without thinking, I pulled her leg my way and circled around her and shoved her to the side. Before I knew it, I fully mounted her. We locked eyes, controlled our breathing, and made the world around us slow down.
"You understand what you have to do?" She pushed the strands of hair from her mouth with her breath. "You can't ever let me win."
I know what she means. I looked away from her and rolled off to the side.
Sitting, I looked out to the fields beyond us. "You were testing me." I deduced.
Powder spread her limbs out and laced her fingers behind her head. "You know how this works, you know how it ends." She sounds content with the worst possible ending.
I turn to her, feeling the anger building again. "It ends with us growing old, grey, and cranky together. No other ending is good enough." I yelled without wanting to.
It didn't faze her at all, she just lays there, her eyes lost in the clouds. "Growing old together, nice one," she said as if she were a million miles away.
Her dismissive comment pierced my heart. What is wrong with her? "Is this your way of dealing with it? By giving up? I won't allow it!"
Powder rolls towards me, stopping on her left side, resting her head on her hand. "What are you going to do about it?"
She searched my eyes. Looking for any signs of weakness. But I didn't give her any, because I hold none, only in this moment. At this instant, I feel a confidence that I have never felt nor will ever feel again.
"Seriously," she pressed on, her face full of curiosity, not hostile in the slightest. "What are you going to do about it?"
Fire builds in my chest so strong, I have to hold myself back from yelling again. "I'll fight for it. We are going to be happy, and everyone will be there."
We stare each other down. Our eyes never leaving each other in our moment of brutal honesty. The wind blew harder, which didn't help my staring contest with her. I blinked but held my position once I rubbed my eyes clean. Powder rose as soon as I began blinking, as if I caught something in my eye, which I did. It hurts like hell, but I'm not losing this. She crawls towards me with a focused face. When she settled down, I allowed her hands to get close to my face. She gently and skillfully held my head still as she pulled the speck of grass from my eye. Instant relief washed over me as she softly rubbed my eye with her thumb.
"Feeling better?" She asks as she moves her thumb from my eye. "It's red."
I blink a couple of times. "I can see out of it, so yeah, thanks." Gratitude replaced anger, thankfully.
Powder nods approvingly as she cups the back of my head. Time seemed to stop again before she placed her other hand on my chest and pushed me to the ground. She must have used her legs for leverage, she is getting better. My back hit the ground first, but she doesn't mount me, only holds a side guard. I look up at her in confusion. Powder shook her head, seeming to have been shocked at her own actions.
"You can't save me," she whispers as she bolts up and began to walk up the hill.
I roll over and sprint after her. She was already working up the energy to run as well, but I caught up to her. Powder didn't fight me as I wrapped my arms around her torso.
"Watch me, just watch me. I'll save everyone." I promised while thinking of a way to achieve the impossible.
Powder completely relaxed in my arms. "That's impossible, Owen, you know that."
That logic loosened my grip, because she's right. Powder grabs my hands and spins around, lifting our arms to face each other again. "You understand?" She walks closer to me, pressing her forehead against mine, not caring who sees. "You can't save us all, not again."
Against all logic, I refuse to accept that. I squeeze her hand in defiance of her sound reason. "Help me, Powder."
She lifts her head, backing away slightly to see if she heard correctly. "I'll always be there for you," she reminds me, but it's not good enough.
I shake my head. "No. That's a monkey's palm promise. You are loyal to me. You said that." I remind her.
Her gaze fell for a second, then locks back on me. "Yes, I remember," she admits as she slowly nods her head. "
I smiled. "Good, I can achieve the impossible with you. Together." I explain with hope now being the only fire burning within me.
Powder released a breath, shifting her shoulders, tapping her feet, and rubbing her heels together. Her mouth began to move, but with her eyes shifting from side to side, she seems unsure of what to say against her own word.
I laced my fingers with hers, feeling the effort returned with equal enthusiasm. "Powder?" I tried to call her back, as she has done many times for me.
She snaps her eyes back on mine, peering into my being. "I remember." She nods as she gazes past my inner self, as if there is a world beyond the depths of my soul. "I'll build the city with you."
Pulling her towards me, I rest my chin on her shoulder and unlace my fingers to hug her. "Don't lose yourself." I repeat to her, as she has to repeat to me.
She burst out laughing and hugged me as well. "You'll keep me grounded?" She scratched my back along my spine. "Why do we always have to say this to each other?" her merriment still fresh within her words.
The world continues on around us. Kids took peeps at us, while others lingered longer than I'm comfortable with. Where a child pointed at us, a pair of parents glanced and guided them away. Even at this distance, their faces didn't seem to hold any disgust or disdain at all. A knowing? A personal nostalgic memory of their childhood crush that might have been more than what their hearts could process. It was a faint feeling. Maybe an excuse from my brain, trying to justify their behavior.
"We need to be constantly reminded of our mission." I state.
Powder groaned in disgust as she rocked from side to side. "You have to be that serious?" she complains with a playful pout.
I tried to keep up with her energy. With the future inching closer to us, second by second, I just couldn't do it. "I want the best future for our family. And for all of Zaun" I made an effort to lift her, but she locked herself in place by hooking her foot around my calf.
"Yeah, yeah, Mister Responsibility." Her hands touched my side. At first, it felt like she was going to rack her fingers over them, but then I felt her hand inspect my left side. "Are your ribs okay over here?" she asked with a voice tender with concern.
In all honesty, that side is still tender, but not as bad since the fight with Minimo. "I survived you, I'm good." I said with confidence.
Powder's face shift to skepticism as she applied pressure on my side. Not wanting to push my luck, I grabbed her hand on my side with both hands. Huh, now this is ironic. "Powder..." The warm breeze blows over us. Kids scream and chatter over the hills.
She raises her brows. "Yes?" She sounds so innocent. Is this what Vi has to deal with every day?
Trying to keep my composure, I stated how I felt. "You're scaring me, and you know why."
Looking down at her hand, realization sparks across her face. "Oh...I...can't..." She pulls her hand back sharply, securing it close to her body.
She's standing with her shoulder towards me. Stepping forward, I embrace her to my chest. "I'm not angry, okay?" Trying to sound as soothing as I could, even though my heart is racing.
With a smirk on her face, she shifts between disappointment in herself and laughing at the situation. Then, she lowered her ear over my heart. "I remember saying I wanted to hear this every day."
I remember that day, she was acting crazy back then too, she's rubbing off on me. Remembering that moment made me smile. "Every day? You want to scare the crap out of me, every day? I won't survive that." I rub her back. "Tone it down a bit?"
Powder looks around to see that we're being spectated. That didn't put her in a good mood. "Yeah, okay. I'll tone it down for a week." She grabs my hand. "I want to leave now, I don't like being watched."
With that, she pulls me along. "You sure do like leading the way these days." People seem to be enjoying the spectacle that we are putting on. Kind of embarrassing, actually. Every moment I tried to match her pace, she increased it. "Are we really in a rush? Can we enjoy the scenery? And our adoring audience?"
She looks at me with a knowing glare. A few more steps and she stops. I watch her kneel down and brush apart thick grass. This is incredible, she pulls out that device that I saw her holding before.
"When did you hide that?" i asked while knowing I won't get a straight answer.
She fiddles with the explosive, as if no one is watching. "Not my fault you weren't watching." she spoke with a sing song tone that got me guessing who's in control.
"How powerful is that?" I asked as she clipped it to her waist.
A smile flashes onto her face, and for that moment, she looks genuinely happy. She grabs my hand again, and finally, we walk together. "It could be a toy this time, you never know."
We made our way to the entrance of the garden, and the magic was over. "Powder, I know it will work this time." I assure with full confidence in her abilities.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she cleared it. "Yeah...it'll work this time." She ran her hand through her hair.
"Good, because I have a target in mind." It was my turn to lead her. "Follow me."
Trying to remember where those damn kids were coming from, I followed the signs to direct me to the rival electricity business. It took a while, as we had to dive within the alleys to lose the eyes that were following us. Our mistake was not blending in, but this was all a part of the fun. It would have been too easy for us any other way. Finally, we reached the factory. The building is grand and shiny, covered with elegant decorations and lights. It looks more like a pretty, overly fancy cake, with the frosting to match. Would have made a better candy factory than one producing electricity. A standard stone fence surrounds it.
We peered around the corner of an alley, taking in the scene of the place. "There are too many people around, I don't want us being seen." I spoke up, turning the device in my hands.
Powder kept an eye out, trying to time the movements of traffic. "If we wait too long, we'll have to deal with the Enforcers," she warns without a hint of fear, but more of stating the raw fact.
Upon standing to my feet, I stretch my legs. "Better now than never approach?" I proposed while scanning the traffic as well.
The Piltover's citizens number one weakness is their complacency. They seem so comfortable in their security. So relaxed and comfortable in their constant state of delusional safety. Honestly, it sickens me. I've fought all my life for everything I wanted.
"And these bastards just..." I shook my head, not currently capable of verbalizing my anger.
Powder laid a hand on my shoulder and shook me slightly. "Owen, we aren't going out there when you're like this." Her voice drowns out my anger, and I return to normal.
Everyone around me continues on with their business. I relaxed with nothing active in my mind. Powder continues to comfort me, patting my back and rubbing my shoulder. Finally, I've made up my mind. "We have to go around, not just straight across the street."
She looks around the corner and plots the perfect route in her mind. "That'll work." She lifts her finger and draws in the air. "You get me? around that building, in the alley, and over the fence?"
I nod, as I'm thinking the same. "Yeah, that's the plan." I take another peek around the corner, ready to move. "Act natural."
We held hands and blended in with the flow of traffic as best Zaunites could. "Natural." Powder snickered. "Yeah."
It was difficult deciding whether or not to keep our heads down or to hold them up high. I hold no shame in my origins. In all honesty, it makes me better than these people, as nothing was ever given to me. We received glares and glances, but we were too unimportant for their full attention, good. It was simple enough to hop the fence. I pulled Powder up after she boosts me up. When we landed on the property, we didn't have a plan to get it. Well, actually, there was a plan. It was a loud and dangerous plan, but thankfully we are saved from our poor planning.
I walked over to the obvious discoloration in the concrete. "You see this?" I pointed it out.
Powder stood next to me and shrugged. "So?" Then her face shifts to shock as my kick caved the concrete in, as if it were a dust pile. "Are you kidding me?" she quickly joined in on the fun.
We both lost interest in our surroundings as we kicked away at the weak spot until it looked wide enough for us to squeeze through.
With hungry eyes that can't miss opportunities, I grinned. "Let's bring this place down." I crouched down and entered the first floor of a loud factory.
Powder follows behind me as we find the door to the downstairs power room. Engines roared and whirled as we passed previous generations of power generation machines.
"All these machines...to compete with you?" She looks around at the intuitive ideas of using giant machines to process minerals to produce power.
I search every corner and claustrophobic corridor to find no one here. "They must be on lunch break or something." I determined, as I eyed a massive block of metal that looked too important to be just a box. Tubes, wires, and pipes all begin and end in this thing.
Powder stands beside me, looking over the machine. "That's the main generator. My mentor talked about this model. He didn't like the design, but it's cheap," she comments as she walks forward to look over the generator further.
I place the device on the top of the generator. "Thinking of a way to make smaller generators?" I asked, without sounding distrustful.
Powder turns to me with hurt in her eyes. Guess I didn't try hard enough. "You are never calling down lightning again." She grabs the device without looking away from me, twists the dial, and slaps it flat. The device began ticking away, and she placed it behind the generator.
Making our way out of the tightly packed power room was...a tease. Every second that ticked by tightened the hold on our hands. Only Powder knew how long we had before everything went boom. No one saw us exit the Power Room, and no one saw us crawl out the hole in the building. Powder, boosts me up again. When I reached my hand down, she reached up but pulled back slightly.
Confusion floods my nerves. "What are you doing, Powder? Take my hand!" I look around, trying to keep my voice down without drawing attention.
She just smiles at me, that annoying smirk stretching her mouth. She looks back at the hole in the building, then back to me. "You worried?" she said in the most agonizingly patronizing voice.
I shook my hand in irritation as I spoke. "Take. My. Hand." I ordered through my clenched teeth.
Powder laughed as she jumped to secure my hand and climbed as I pulled her up. As we land on the other side, I lock my grip on her hand as I lead the escape. My heart is racing with paranoia as Powder wheezes and laughs at the entire situation.
"You're sooo grumpy!" she cackled as we neared the bridge.
Pulling her close, I whisper in her ear. "Never. Made me worry like that again." I warn as I feel the muscles in my forehead grow sore.
Powder stops our retreat and pulls me close. "Relax your forehead." She lifts her finger to rub the center of my eyebrows. "This wrinkle has to go."
I pull my head away from her in annoyance, and just as I did, a massive explosion roared through the air. We both turn towards the building where we came from. It's blocked by all the buildings, but we can see the smoke rising to the sky. A wave of panic rose from Piltover, and firefighters ran to fight the flames. The citizens, both Zaunite and Piltovian, ran to assist in the rescue efforts, if there were anyone to rescue. The Enforcers around us ran to keep the peace within the chaos. Looking over at Powder, her eyes are wide and excited. She's like a kid watching the greatest thing ever for the first time.
"So...it worked…" I acknowledged as we saw the second explosion, throwing smoke and flames into the air. Another wave of panic sweeps over us all. People ran across the bridge to lend aid and to simply watch.
Powder released my hand to hold her mouth. Her body jerked, and she hunched over, as if she were withholding a powerful sneeze. In reality, she was trying to hold in her laughter. The shoulders bob up and down, highlighting her true feelings. Eventually, she relaxed. Looking around, there are no familiar faces, that's the only thing that calms me, if only a little.
"Owen." She grabs my shoulders and bores her steel blue eyes of joy into me. "The future is ours, Owen."
She looks, not obsessed, but at peace, in control. How is this possible? "You're my Powder, right?" I asked, seeing within herself that she is.
She maintains her serene expression. "Yes." She leans in and connects our foreheads. "And you're my Owen. And the future is ours to shape. Just us, no one else."