"Councilor Talis, Caitlyn, are you both alright? You've worked hard tonight, please hand the suspects over to us for proper processing."
Captain Marcus said this as he arrived at the scene with a group of panting younger enforcers.
He looked at Jayce and Caitlyn. Though a smile was on his face, his brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.
His eyes subtly glanced at Levi and Aria, who were obediently squatting behind Caitlyn.
Marcus knew immediately, this was trouble.
Jayce and Caitlyn were notorious eccentrics in Piltover, stubborn to their core, like grown-up children clinging to naive notions about how the world actually worked.
Both of them harbored wildly unrealistic expectations about law, justice, and institutional integrity.
If one weren't highly capable in his field and the other didn't have the powerful House Kiramman as protection, he was absolutely certain neither would have survived this long.
Especially Caitlyn, without the influence of the House Kiramman shielding her from consequences, she would have failed as an investigative enforcer years ago.
"Sorry, Captain Marcus. These two are involved in a major case. We can't hand them over to you."
Jayce stepped forward and refused outright. Marcus was the officer directly in charge of law enforcement in the industrial zone. Given the serious suspicions about corruption, even someone as politically naive as Jayce wouldn't hand potential witnesses over to him.
He hadn't even lowered his hammer, clearly on high alert for trouble.
"Councilor Talis, these two individuals are suspected of committing serious crimes in the industrial zone. By both law and standard procedure, they should be transferred to our specialized enforcement division for proper questioning."
Marcus's frown deepened as he continued to argue for custody rights. As long as he could get control of the suspects, everything would be simple to resolve permanently.
He knew the two children must have revealed something to Jayce that sparked his sense of justice, and made him suspicious of the industrial zone's enforcers.
But it was ultimately meaningless theater. Everything the enforcers in the industrial zone did was completely in line with Piltover's established will and legal framework. They weren't wrong in their methods, let alone guilty of any crimes.
"I will personally handle the interrogation. No need for you to worry. Please return to the industrial zone and maintain order there."
Jayce's attitude was firm.
This was the kind of trouble Marcus wanted to avoid.
He, despite his years of experience, was merely a captain of enforcers, and didn't possess the position or authority to directly challenge a Council member's decisions.
But he wasn't someone to be underestimated lightly. He understood that once the suspects were taken back by Jayce and Caitlyn for questioning, everything would spiral completely out of control.
Those two naive, stubborn idealists would stir up a storm across the entire city, possibly threatening even Piltover's most powerful ruling interests.
If things got completely out of hand, they would walk away unscathed due to their positions, the powerful figures hiding would remain untouched, but small-time operators like him, the ones who actually did the necessary dirty work, would suffer the consequences.
If it went bad, his entire family might be screwed.
But if he could get rid of the evidence, then none of it would matter. The powerful would protect those who protected their interests.
Having thought through all the angles, he made his decision and subtly signaled to his enforcers.
"Much appreciated for your understanding, Councilor Talis. It's quite late, and to have you personally arrest suspects... Please accept our apologies for this failure in our duties."
"You're welcome to interrogate the suspects, of course. But these two individuals may possess dangerous magical abilities. You and Caitlyn should be careful. We'll take our leave now."
He smiled as he agreed to Jayce's request. This made both Jayce and Caitlyn relax a little. It seemed the industrial enforcers weren't as ruthlessly corrupt as Cipher had warned them.
But just as Jayce and Caitlyn let their guard down, several enforcers suddenly feigned alarm and shouted in unison:
"Ambush! The suspects are using magic to launch a surprise attack!"
"Protect Councilor Talis! Protect Caitlyn!"
A group of enforcers quickly charged forward, splitting into two teams, one group tackled Jayce to the ground, the other swarmed Caitlyn.
As if desperately trying to protect them, they used their bodies like human shields, pinning the two down so completely and thoroughly, it was "protection" taken to an extreme.
The ambush came so suddenly that Jayce and Caitlyn had no time to react. They didn't think the enforcers would go this far, they were directly incapacitated before they could do anything.
And to use such a lousy excuse, it was a complete insult to their intelligence.
But with their bodies pinned down by multiple armored men, neither of them had any way to fight back.
---
"I knew this would happen. The private contractor system is too deeply entangled with enforcement, no one can afford to take responsibility for this massive scandal. Killing the Ionian siblings is the only viable option for the industrial zone's enforcers."
"They are too naive. They've never seen the true face of reality. They don't understand how deep the darkness really goes."
Silco spoke as he watched the events unfold around Jayce and Caitlyn.
"You're right. When Caitlyn agreed to my bet, she had already lost."
Cipher poured himself some tea. His tone carried no joy of winning the wager, only a strange sense of sorrow.
---
After successfully restraining Jayce and Caitlyn, the remaining enforcers drew their guns, disengaged the safeties, and chambered rounds.
"Stop! You're destroying the law and justice that Piltover stands for!" Caitlyn shouted desperately, trying to appeal to whatever conscience they might possess.
Marcus didn't even acknowledge her plea. He shouted loudly, "The suspects attempted to assassinate a councilor and attack enforcers, they're extremely dangerous!"
"Open fire! Execute them on the spot!"
As his voice fell, he yanked his trigger without hesitation. The other enforcers followed his lead, muzzle flashes erupted, and thunderous gunshots shattered the air.
In an instant, hundreds of bullets were fired, sealing off any possible escape for the defenseless siblings.
Jayce and Caitlyn were stunned by the ruthless, cold-blooded actions of the enforcers, their mouths hung open in shock, momentarily forgetting to struggle against their restraints.
Everyone present subconsciously believed: the two children were doomed to die.
The brutal scene unfolding before her eyes shattered Caitlyn's worldview.
Was this really the "City of Progress" they all so proudly boasted about to the world?
It felt like her blood was pounding violently in her head. A red haze clouded her vision.
The industrial zone's enforcers, they were all corrupt.
Dirty cops.
Rotten to their very core!
How could they do such a thing?!
Right in front of a councilor, right in front of the daughter of Councilor Kiramman, they were attempting to execute suspects and destroy evidence.
Lawless, completely and utterly lawless! They all deserved to be arrested and prosecuted!
While Caitlyn's mind was still in turmoil, a wind began to blow.
At first just a faint breeze that seemed almost natural, it then shot skyward, invisible air currents turned solid, howling as they formed a massive white wall of roaring air.
The wind wall not only deflected every single bullet, saving the siblings from certain death, it also generated powerful gusts that blew away the enforcers who had been restraining Jayce and Caitlyn, freeing them both from captivity.
"What?! How is this even possible?"
"They're just a pair of indentured laborers, how could they wield such powerful magic?"
"What do we do now? That's a real mage!"
Confronted with such unimaginable supernatural force, most of the enforcers turned visibly pale with terror. After instinctively emptying their magazines in panic, they hesitated completely.
They looked at one another with wide, fearful eyes, not knowing what response was even possible.
Even Piltover's government treated high-level mages with extreme caution, these were not individuals that normal enforcers could afford to provoke.
Those in power in Piltover could crush them easily. But a mage who could unleash magic this powerful? They could kill entire squads as easily as crushing insects.
Everyone stopped firing, except Marcus. With a grim face, he kept firing, quickly reloading after emptying each magazine.
"Stop! If you shoot again, I'll kill you right here and now!"
Caitlyn, who had just managed to struggle to her feet, pointed her rifle directly at Marcus and shouted.
Marcus didn't test her resolve, he knew someone like her would absolutely pull the trigger. So he ceased fire.
"Marcus, you're under arrest for attempted murder."