Power. It is the only reason that I have taken this seat back. My Zaunites have whispered it. My brother demands it. Vander refused to admit it, but as soon as I approached the factory to check on the kids, he saw how the former thugs reacted. My soldiers salute me by simply double tapping their hearts with a balled fist. Their uniforms are more suited for construction and mining. Mandatory 12 pouches, 4 on the legs and 8 on the torso. The utility belts hold everything they need to jury-rig repairs on the fly. They have a large selection of weapons to choose from. Since I can't be everywhere, Mylo had to oversee the lessons of jury rigging. It came as no surprise that he'd connect well with most of them. I, however, would have thrown another bomb in somebody's face. Pistols are necessary, Powder gave them a crash course on how to never miss. All failed that course, as I expected. Teaching the courses of shotgun discipline was Claggor's responsibility. He could handle the kickback like a champ, very few could match his indomitable stance. Caitlyn volunteered to demonstrate proper rifle marksmanship. Her course was more about self-discipline and control, the rifle reflecting your ability to remain calm and focused while holding it. For the first time, I am glad to see that my soldiers are paying attention. Ekko set up communication stations all over Zaun. With his talent of condensing complicated tech into hand held devices, speaking to each other has never been easier. It didn't take long for Ekko to teach everyone to use them, all Zaunites were issued the communication device. When it comes to protecting Zaun, there are no jokes or former immaturity. Their desire to fulfill my vision has ironed their will beyond my own. The older kids have taken the roles of leading the way of supervising the workers and showing the new kids how things are done on the floor. One such kid's name is Rush. Despite his unimpressive height, he has an air of maturity in his posture. He behaved like an adult while at the factory.
One day, Rush approached me during lunch with a solemn expression. "Boss...I have to tell you something." He cups his hands and runs his big thumb over his knuckles.
Patting the spot next to me on the log, lazily fashioned into a bench, I invite him. "Sure, have a seat." I kept my eye on him as he sat next to me. Being called "boss" all the time is sort of annoying, but if I am to have order, it has to be tolerated.
With slumped shoulders, he began. "I've been taking over the operations on the floor." He sounds as if he's disappointed in doing his job.
"Rush." I hold my chest. "How dare you do your job well?" I quit the act. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
He appeared surprised at my sarcastic response. "Sorry, I guess I overthought things. I thought you would be angry for not having control."
Hmm, I guess I have to ease up a bit. Can't have people thinking I'm no better than the chembarons or the bastards over the bridge. "Didn't have to tell you, you chose to step up, I appreciate your enthusiasm."
His posture grew more confident, and his eyes brightened up. "Really?"
I nod. "If anything, you've shown me that it was right for me to return. People really do need me to handle things."
That's where his confidence wavered. "Well," he looks down to his hands. "We still need the adults around. It's thanks to them that we're here."
This time, he didn't need confidence, he spoke the truth of the matter. Without Silco, I wouldn't have had the motivation to be who I am today. Without Vander, I would have never known compassion through sacrifice and trust.
I bite at the inside of my cheek. "You're right, Rush." Standing to my feet, I offered him a hand. He took it and stood with me. "I won't forget them."
We shook on it and went back to work.
Over the months, I've seen Rush play with the orphans of Zaun. It's strange, his leadership reminds me of the big kid I fought and ended up killing more than a year ago. There's no unspoken rule in Zaun that made it mandatory to take in strays. It all depended on the individual. Before, it was better to either adopt or to put them to work so that the chembarons couldn't get to them. Now, most are either working, or their parents have earned enough money to feed extra mouths. At this point, things are getting better. That was until Sevika burst my door open.
She marches towards my desk and throws down a hefty letter. "You need to read this." She's breathing like she went for a sprint without me, rude.
As much as I like being in charge, these are one of the interruptions that I loathe. Placing my oh-so-important energy reports down and NOT giving Sevika a 'you've been very bad, Sevi' look, I opened the letter and began reading. Sevika decided that just standing there and thumping her foot on the floor helps my concentration...it didn't. But as the leader of Zaun, I endure. The nature of the fancy letter was polite threats, suspicion of my involvement in blowing up a power factory, multiple counts of murder, which made my heart skip a beat, thievery of Enforcer weapon documents, forgery of an Enforcer patent weapon, suspicion of mage cult activity, and public assault. Huh...public assault? Wonder what I would get if I privately assaulted someone? There is a signature signed by a Marcus...something something. I swear, these fancy people and their fancy way of writing, I can hardly understand it. When I slammed the letter down to voice my hatred of cursive, Vander and Silco joined the fray. They were in the middle of discussing something important.
"When did you two get here?" I ask as they struggled to find a proper place to end their ramblings.
The three of them looked at each other and spoke almost in unison. "Owen." They looked at each other again with irritation on their matured faces.
Putting my elbows on the table, I rest my head on my hands. "One at a time, lady and gentlemen."
Silco's annoyed frown ironed out into a stoic scowl, but Vander cut him off anyway. He reached his hand out and explained with a serious face. "Marcus is planning on invading Zaun to arrest you."
I clap my feet together. For some reason, I'm not as afraid as I thought I would be. If they do decide to arrest me, I've found ways of dealing with them. During these months, I've been roughly calculating everything. Judging from the screw-ups in the future and the mistakes of the past, I can execute a few decisive plans. Judging by the dispositions of the leaders in the room, only one of them will have a problem with it. Unsetting Vander might result in me losing more than just my family. Is resisting worth it?
Silco stepped forward. "I know that look in your eyes." He walks in front of his former desk. "You're judging the risks of engaging Piltover in all-out war."
Vander looks like he wants to say something, but I decide to let him finish. Silco's brief pause seems like the invitation for either one of them to chime in. Since neither decided to speak, Silco continued. "You have all of Zaun at your command." He leans on the desk. "Hold the bridge, and the war is won, no need to waste time crossing into their territory."
Vander's steps sound gentler, as if he's putting in effort to resist stomping. "Owen, Marcus is a hotheaded young man." He's waving his hand in front of me as if he wants to pet me. "He's not unreasonable. He used to work under Grayson, he'll at least hear us out first. We have to negotiate."
I could hear Sevika puff steam from her nose as she approached to stand beside me. "That letter was him talking. He wants to take the only people who've got the ball rolling around here." She laid a hand on me. "And the only one who can catch lightning in a bottle."
I inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly. "They want to use a hothead like this Marcus to scar me." I hold up the letter. "And this is an attempt of blackmail." I slam it back down, and Vander picks it up.
After quickly skimming through it, his face grew mortified. "Owen...did you do all of this?"
I shook my head. "They are throwing trash at the wall to see what sticks." I lean back. "They have nothing solid on me. But if they want to use a show of force, I'll meet it." Looking at Sevika, she nods and backs up to let me out from behind the desk.
Vander hands the letter back to me. "You are going to talk...right?"
I pocket the letter. "I'll talk them out of doing something stupid."
He let me walk by him. The worst thing that could happen today is Vander disowning me. However, there are people that I have to protect. It's not just my family that is at risk of being dismantled, it's everyone in Zaun. As soon as we hit the bottom floor, we catch the sirens. It sounds more like a melody of celebration than a dreadful horn of war. It's a mind trick on my part. Everyone will be fooled by a cheerful sounds bellowing through the air. When the Enforcers hear them, they're confused and annoyed. When my people hear them, they prepare for conflict. The factory floor is deserted and clean, good. That's how I know all the kids are indoors. Lis and Summer stood in the center in full armor and armed to the teeth. They took my side as I approached the center floor.
I point to the three behind me. "Lis, Summer. You know Vander, Silco, and Sevika? They paved the way for us."
They turned to them and saluted. The three were stunted in the resolve of the two girls, Liz spoke up first. "The rooftops near the bridge are covered." Then Summer goes next. "Communications are clear, and supplies are stationed, we're ready for anything."
Silco wore a proud smile, which is different from his typical prideful smile and his malicious one. Vander, on the other hand, has his fists clenched. Hopefully, it isn't out of anger or resentment, that would destroy me. But I can't think about that now, Zaun needs me.
"Now or never, right? Let's go." We set out, my two trusted guards close to my sides.
"Damn...he actually replaced me." Sevika dejectedly spoke out loud as she lagged behind.
After this, I want to let Sevika know just how much she means to me. But I have to focus on the here and now. No drifting off into deep thought, no overthinking. Everything is thought out and drilled. My soldiers saluted as we passed. The skinny guy with spikes on the side of his head, the big dude with the beard, and the smart-mouth woman with the permanent mark on her nose, they are all here. Activity keeps the atmosphere mostly alive. As I approached the bridge, the soldiers took their position. Lis is relaying information in my left ear, and Summer is doing the same in my right. Temporary barriers are established, and the evening shadow stretches beyond us. Across from us come the Enforcers, leading them is none other than Marcus...I think. From this distance, I can tell that he needs to shave that mustache, it's awful. The closer he got, the more twisted and angry he became. He wasn't halfway until he raised his hand to instruct them to halt. Then, he pointed at two random Enforcers to aid him. My guards press a pistol each in my hands, I shove them in my pocket. What an amateur, he doesn't assign specific guards to be...guards. Finally, he's here, three feet away from me. His face is battling the urge to turn his nose up at me.
"Don't tell me, you're Owen." He points at me as if I were some sort of stain to incinerate, then apologizes to the flame. "I thought I was just seeing things from being in a helmet for too long."
Thought he looked familiar. "So that was you who delivered that letter a while ago."
His disgust grew. "Now they allow children to raise armies?" he sneers.
"Bet you were still pissing in your sleep and getting beat up by girls when you were ten." That came out too naturally.
Marcus didn't take that well at all. "You are to be arrested and stand trial." He smirks cruelly as if he made an undisputable point.
I pull out the letter and wave it in front of me. "Two things…"
Marcus eyes the letter with waning confidence.
"Usually, letters from the council would have a seal on them." I hand the letter to Lis, who pockets it with a smirk of her own. "It marks them as highly important, official government documents are anal about that." Summer nudges me with her elbow, trying to muscle her smile away. "With that in mind, what would the council think about having an incompetent leader like you wasting their resources?"
Marcus grew furious. "You are...are under arrest, you will come with me!" As he took a step forward, my soldiers collectively aimed their firearms. Sounds of their safeties taking off and metal scraping against metal made a satisfying sound of an approaching storm. The Enforcers respond in kind, but something rattled them. They didn't expect for Zaunites to respond with such unified discipline.
I exhaled in exaggerated disappointment. "Piss up a tree, Marcus, and write a book about it. Better yet, how about I spread the news all over Runeterra? Of how the council allowed an impulsive manbaby to seize an army to wage war against an 11-year-old boy." I shake my head in mock disappointment. "I wouldn't trade with a sovereign if I heard that." His face twitched in irritation. And if my ears are working right, I heard a faint snicker from a few of the Enforcers. My two guards are used to me speaking like this, so they didn't break face, as far as I could tell.
Marcus held his ground, either from fear or stubbornness. "Last. Chance. Boy," he spat as he clenched his fists and jaw.
His anger boils over. Marcus losing the intimidation war brought a smile to my face. "I can pay for your ashes to be placed in a nice pretty urn with flowers painted on it, if you like." the sudden suggestion twists his face in confusion. I put my finger up. "Only if I get to keep it in my office as a constant reminder of the impact of mass suicide."
I think that did it. I've never seen a man so red before in my life. He backs up until a hand on his back stops him. An Enforcer placed a helmet on his head and handed him a rifle. The silence that came after held us all in place. The gravity of the situation is as clear as ever. My guards stand by my side, unwavering and committed. Marcus holds himself in a firing stance, judging when to raise his rifle. I can hear Summer swallow until her mouth is dry. The sun steadily lowers behind us. The streetlights on the bridge flicker on one by one.
Marcus's form became stiff and practiced. He takes a step back, his band of Enforcers has as well. Twenty of them follow his example. Behind them, twenty more Enforcers ready their arms, as well as twenty more to their left. They perch their rifles on the stone rails of the foundation. Typical, he wasn't counting on me giving in...good.
Just as he was about to fire the first shot, a commotion parts the line of Enforcers. "STOOOP!" a gruff voice bellows out. It belongs to a woman wearing a decorated Enforcer uniform. She outweighs Marcus in sheer mass alone. Where are these muscular women coming from? She approaches Marcus with a stern glare. "By order of the council, you are disposed of your position," she announces as she steps in front of Marcus's line of fire, disarms him, and shoves a letter with a seal in his chest.
He stumbles backwards, and an Enforcer behind him stops him in his place. Marcus aggressively rips open the letter and skims through it. His posture shrinks as his entire world crumbles around him.
The buff lady hoists the rifle. "You are hereby under arrest for the crime of treason..." The hand that once supported him shifts to tie his arms behind him. "...Attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, slander of a high-ranking Enforcer, bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power, corruption, forgery of sovereign documents, and false imprisonment."
I let out a low whistle and nudge Lis. "Heck of a rap sheet, eh?"
"Stand down, all of you," the woman orders the Enforcers. They slowly and hesitantly began to lower their rifles, although there are a few who aren't obeying her orders. "Take this one away as I speak with our little...leader." She turns around to walk towards me.
"Hey! I'm almost 12, that's when I might get my growth spurt. I won't be little then!" I inform her as she gets closer. "I hope." Just as she was about to reach her hand out for me to shake. I heard Marcus bellow a scream. The lady blocks my view, and Summer's eyes widen. That's when I heard a shot, then another, and soon all-out war. The woman grabs the three of us, shielding us as she runs behind cover. It was something that I've never experienced before. It was worse this time. It all happened at once, so fast. We were pressed so tightly to her chest, the noise surrounding us almost faded into the background of dissonance. Suddenly, we collide with the ground. Lis and I push her off of us. It doesn't look like she's in any pain that's fatal. Before I could say anything, two of my soldiers knocked her out with the butt of their rifles and apprehended her.
One of them nods to me. "We got this, boss," and drags her off into the distance, behind a barrier.
"Owen!" Summer taps my shoulder rapidly. "OWEN!"
I look to my left to see Lis, clutching her chest, she's been hit. Bright red blood trickles from her mouth. A darker shade of blood bleeds nonstop from her wound. She's been hit somewhere near the lower part of her left lung. I move my trembling hand to her wound. Lis's breathing is worryingly calm.
"DO SOMETHING, OWEN!!" Summer screeches against the ear-shattering pops of gunfire, screaming, and battle cries. "DO SOMETHING!"
Lis tries to swallow the blood in her mouth to speak, but she's losing strength. Summer slaps her head and growls in anger as she springs up and begins to engage the Enforcers in a shootout. Lis looks at me with exhausted eyes. Just by looking at her, I can tell that she's weary of this world, but I need her. I promised to decode that puzzle, and I will follow through on it. I'll complete it with Viktor's help, and I'll tell her all about it.
"Don't talk, Lis, just let me help." I began to unbuckle and unzip her armor. Her shirt is drenched in blood so dark it's almost black. The look in her eyes began to lose focus. "This has to go." I ripped her shirt apart enough to see the bullet wound. It's ugly, a crater in her flesh. Grabbing her hand, I squeezed it, forcing her to stay awake for a little while longer. "I'm going to be an asshole about this, so forgive me." I dip my fingers in her blood. "You are not allowed to die on me." I began writing formulas on her skin. "I still need you." Lis is going to hate me for this. I lift my left hand in the air and write a formula in the space, attracting all the iron particles around me. All I need is enough to keep her stable. "Stay with me, Lis." I brought the iron particles to her wound. With deep concentration, I used the particles to replace the bullet that hit her. Stopping the bleeding is the important part, from there I can... "Lis?" She's not moving anymore. An explosion was the only thing that made me turn my head. A cloud of green, blue, and pink smoke blocks the view of the bridge. Someone yells. I can't recognize the screams before shots were fired, then occasional silence. A few more shots fired before dead silence. No more wails of the injured or the frightened, just silence. Not even Janna would look to blow this day away. The sins of our nature hang over us as the constant reminder that we cannot escape our fate. Turning my attention back to Lis, I have an idea. Lifting her up on my arms, I rush over to a street lamp and draw a formula on it in blood, the formula of electricity. The power captures my hand, arcs fly up between my fingers and pop upon the climax, only to surge through my hand once again. Lowering her to the ground. I pressed my two fingers over her heart and released a weak pulse of electricity. Lis's body arches and then lies flat on the ground again.
"Lis!" I used my other hand to lightly slap her. "LIS!"
Her eyes hardly move. Putting my two fingers over her heart again, I pushed the same weak pulse through her. Her body arched again, this time, she kept her eyes open. "Ow..." For a brief moment, she sounds like herself before the weight of her injuries takes over.
I lowered her back to the ground. "Rest, Lis...you're going to make it. I still have that text to show you."
Her eyes tried to focus, she put up a real effort to stay. "You...figured...it...out?"
I grabbed her hand. "Give me time, Lis." I continued to break down the bullet in her wound and replace the ruined flesh with pure iron. She hardly reacted, that's not a good sign.
In a soft voice, she spoke. "I'm tired, Owen...of the fighting...of surviving... I'm so tired...."
I brought her hand to my mouth. "Please, I owe you so much. Let me pay you back."
She smiles faintly. "Your...eternity...it is all...worth it?"
How does she know about that? I nod my head vigorously. "Yes, Lis. Yes, it is. Stay with me. Keep living, and I'll show you."
Her eyes drift off behind me, then back to me to nod her head. "Yeah...okay."
Gratitude and relief fill me, as I know that Lis will stay true to her word. Then I noticed that Lis is focused on something behind me. Silhouettes of various heights and sizes began roaming the streets. They snatch up bodies to haul back to...wherever they came from. My hands shot straight towards my pistol, these freaks are not going to touch Lis. But upon following her gaze, I see a taller silhouette in the rolling smoke. The figure looks to have been searching frantically until it turns to me.
"Owen!" she calls out, and I wanted to melt into her security when she rushed out of the smoke and embraced me.
"Mama!" I hugged her tighter than I have anyone else. "Help my friend, Mama, she's hurt."
Onisegun shifts into her medical profession and digs into her veil and pulls out a syringe. "This will sting, child." Then she injects Lis with the substance.
Lis's grip tightens, which is a great sign. Her breathing quickens, and color begins to return to her skin.
Onisegun turns to me. "She needs to be evaluated. Where is your medical station?"
I stand and point towards the only one in Zaun. "You can use that one. Tell them that you're my mother, they'll make way for you. Please, Mama, help my people, help everyone."
She takes Lis in her arms and walks over to me. "I'm going to need your big heart for all the hard work you want to put me through."
We began walking together, observing the streets looking about the same as the last riot more than a year ago. "I didn't want this to happen." I opened the door for her, to be bombarded with a medical building filled with moans of agony and smells of bloody iron. I walk towards the main ER room. Rushing everywhere with perfect harmony are people in bag suits. One particular doctor looks towards Onisegun and me. The doctor approached us with relaxed disinterest.
"A friend of yours?" His voice was hoarse and dry, almost wheezing. The doctor waves his hand, and an assistant brings a spare bed over. Onisegun lays Lis down on the bed and begins to prep her for treatment. The doctor then turns to me and lifts his mask. Of course, it's Singed. "You should have informed me that you had such a competent medical building." He looks around. "So many...opportunities..."
"Please...just help her...don't turn her into..." Singed held his hand up. For a moment, my heart forgot how to beat.
"She has minimum damage sustained to her chest, I can 'help' her without wasting resources." He turns his back and pulls his mask back on. "I will send a messenger."
I turned away and rushed outside. Seeing them tear into her...I hope Summer forgives me. When Zaun greets me again, my soldiers impress me with all the discipline behind cleaning up the aftermath of the battle. Now...all that's left is to allow nature to wash away the dried blood on the streets. The bridge looks even worse for wear. Enforcer equipment and blood splatter decorate the only thing that links the two cities together. My soldiers limp around me, saluting me, high off the perceived victory we've achieved. Quick Steps stops beside me and slaps my shoulder.
"I knew you would make it!" I turn towards the noise to see a wild-eyed Mylo. "You should have seen me! Powder would be proud! I couldn't miss." He then displayed his supreme marksmanship with an invisible rifle, fingers aimed at Piltover. "WHOO!" he slaps my back, but I let it shake me, my arms dangling at my sides. His wired energy subsiding with concern. "Owen? Wake up, man."
I look over at him and rest my head on his chest. He gave me a quick hug. "Come on, the big three are in the council, making demands." He dropped an arm over my neck and pulled me along with him towards the Last Drop. "Everyone's in the basement."
The neon lights of the buildings kept us from stumbling in the dark. It was a tactical advantage to keep them off during the engagement. Something that I anticipated. Everything that happened today was carefully calculated to my predictions, resulting in our victory. I can't believe it, in the worst-case scenario, I will be ready. The future is inevitable. I will be either a warlord or a commander of a military society. Is this the best life I can build for my family? For Zaun? Mylo had to hold onto me as I mused in my head. When we reached the bottom, I saw my siblings celebrating the victory. They're all laughing and joking. To my astonishment, Summer is here as well, blending right in with everyone. Vi laughs as Ekko tries to take the cracked Enforcer helmet from beneath her foot. Claggor sips a drink that Summer is giving him while sitting on his lap. Powder juggles her unique-looking bombs between them. Her playful attitude is sickeningly familiar, from a world that I want nothing to do with.
Mylo grabs my shoulders and pushes me forward. "Annnd here is our fearless leader! more or less."
They all turn to me and bellow in greeting. Powder caught her bombs and skips towards me with her arms spread wide. And in that moment of her approaching me, I didn't need reality to merge with the future to feel our fates. This is how it's going to be. She will always have that smile on her face. The chaos she would rain upon us all is a scenario that I need to plan on minimizing to absolute zero. In that effort, she'll counter my de-escalation to mass destruction across Runeterra. She hops and lands in front of me, which would have been adorable, if not for the deadly bombs in her hands. As her arms fell around my neck, her hands released the bombs. Mylo, thankfully, caught them.
"Always picking up after you, Pow," he exacerbates as he walks to crash on the couch.
Powder rocks from side to side. "I'm not listening to you," she sings the words as a lullaby.
It was difficult to embrace her back. I have limited time to enjoy what little innocence she has left. And as I thought that, I felt guilty for yearning for it. I'm filthy, I caused all of this to happen. Everything that happened was by design of possibilities that I was hoping for. The taunts, the jabs at Marcus's pride. I could have gone with him. I could have stood in front of the council and accepted my fate. Maybe that would have delayed the future, perhaps even derailed it. I hold her tighter. Whatever goodness is left in her, I want to be as close to it as possible before I allow reality to turn me into the monster that I'm destined to be.
I feel her scratching the back of my head. "You're doing it again," she keeps singing her words. Powder released me and nods towards the bed.
We sat closely together, our backs pressed against the wall, watching our siblings celebrate the clash that perhaps shouldn't have happened. We laced our fingers together, her fingers feeling a bit more callous than usual. "Did you see my new bombs?" Her eyes beam with radiant excitement. "I was thinking of a color for you, but I didn't want to use black or gray—too gloomy."
I raised my brow. "You think I'm gloomy?" I'm not gloomy at all.
She giggles in disbelief. "Don't play dumb." She uses her other hand to spread my mouth wide. "You haven't smiled since you took Silco's place again."
I licked her fingers, and instantly, we both regretted it. "Kind of hard to smile after..." I look down at my hands, which still have traces of Lis's blood.
Powder lifts my hand and kissed it. "You kicked their ass." Her eyes are hungry for more. "And they deserved it, and more."
Personally, there is no difference between Jinx's eyes and Powder's, especially now. "Stay with me, and we'll make them all pay."
Powder wiggles her feet in jubilance. "You know, I've been thinking." She released my hand to scoot off the bed to run to the workbench and retrieved a drawing. "Remember Vi's rocket?"
Taking the drawing, I tried to make sense of it. It's like a big rifle with a rocket on the end of it. Why does the rocket have jaws?