At The Last Drop, Silco's fingers tapped lightly against his forehead, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. On the second floor, Sevika sat slumped on a couch with her face covered, her eyes full of frustration and unease. Beneath the rags, even two layers of cloth couldn't fully hide the blue-violet glow seeping out—enough for Silco to guess that something had happened to her.
"So not only did you fail to bring her back to me," Silco lifted his gaze to Sevika, "you got played by her instead?"
"Yes," Sevika answered.
"That doesn't add up. I know Jinx is capable, but right now, she's still not on your level. You understand what I'm saying?" Silco stared at her. The moment his eyes landed on her, Sevika immediately turned her head away.
She really couldn't face anyone like this.
That damned little brat…
Jinx had drawn all kinds of designs on her face—stuff that just wouldn't wash off. Little bears, little monkeys, a pig snout… all sorts of nonsense.
How was Sevika supposed to show her face outside looking like that?
Did she still want to survive in Zaun or not?
If Silco hadn't pressed her so hard, Sevika would've gone to find a tattooist first, to cover the mess on her face.
"It was an accident," Sevika started.
Silco cut her off. "An accident?"
"I thought you weren't like the others." Silco's tone turned serious. "I thought you didn't make excuses. But now? You've disappointed me."
Sevika fell silent. Then, helplessly, she said, "It wasn't Jinx. It was a kid."
"Wait. Say that again—clearly." The instant Sevika said it, Silco shot to his feet. "Someone else was with her?"
Even when he was disappointed in Sevika, Silco could keep his emotions in check. But this—this made him lose his composure.
He stepped out from behind the table and closed the distance, stopping in front of her.
"Logan. A kid from the Lanes." Sevika's voice tightened. "You… know him too, don't you?"
"Logan?" Silco frowned. "That black-haired kid who used to be scared of me?"
"Don't tell me you got handled by him."
Logan?
Silco had almost forgotten the name. If not for the fact that the kid had black hair—like Silco—he probably wouldn't remember him at all.
But… him?
That kid who hid behind the other children, who got scared the moment he saw Silco, who only dared to get close to Vander—and despite being a Zaunite kid, couldn't even drink?
And that kid made Sevika suffer?
Who the hell would believe that?
Silco stared at Sevika with her head lowered, the curse words practically choking in his throat.
"It was him." Sevika lifted her head and met Silco's eyes. "He's changed. He still called me Sevika, but he wasn't afraid of me at all. His speed was faster than the chem-mutants we've modified, and he's strong—really strong."
"I'm not lying. Because of Logan, I let Jinx get away."
"Heh… heh." Silco tilted his head back, covered his face with one hand, then dragged his fingers up through his hair.
"Send everyone out. I don't care if you tear Zaun apart—bring Jinx back to me!" Silco barked.
"Now?"
"Now."
"But Piltover is watching us. If we make a huge move right now, it'll be a mess," Sevika said quietly.
"The biggest mess for me is her not being at my side," Silco said, lowering his head—his voice already edged with threat. "Understand?"
Sevika held his gaze, took a slow breath, and nodded. "I understand."
She got up to leave, but her eyes were dark and uncertain.
He's changed.
Silco was starting to look more and more like the man Sevika remembered.
Softer.
"We're wasting time, Vi. Your plan failed."
"Failed?" Vi snorted. "She'll come back sooner or later. How is that a failure?"
At a street corner in the Lanes, Vi stood with one foot braced against the wall, hands in her pockets, looking sideways at the tall woman beside her with that lazy, cocky air.
"We've been waiting all day. And another thing—why did you leave me alone in that… that kind of place?"
"Huh?" Vi rolled her eyes at Caitlyn, completely unimpressed. "You looked like you were enjoying it."
"I went back to get you, didn't I? But you were chatting them up like you owned the place."
Walked in acting all proper, then the moment the girls surrounded her and she downed a couple drinks, the real her came out—trying to look cool, trying to flirt.
Pilties… always putting on an act.
"T-That's not the same!" Caitlyn protested. "I was gathering information!"
"Whatever." Vi waved her off. "Cop, I don't have time to argue. If you're tired of this, go back to your Topside life and stay comfy."
Caitlyn straightened, watching Vi with a steady, serious look. "Not happening. You're coming with me."
"I told you: only if you finish the job will I actually give you your freedom. If you don't accomplish anything, then you're going back with me."
Vi glanced at Caitlyn and laughed softly.
Go back?
Go back to Stillwater Hold?
Yeah, no.
That pig-slop hellhole—who the hell would go back there? Now that she was out, Vi wasn't going back. Not for anything.
But she didn't argue with Caitlyn either.
——————
At the same time, in Zaun's Mid-Tier Plaza, two figures—one tall, one short—pushed open a door.
The old door creaked as it swung inward. Dust billowed up and rushed into their faces.
"Cough—cough!" Jinx pinched her nose with one hand and waved the other in front of her face.
"Seriously? This dump costs that much?" Jinx shouted, turning to Logan. "Logan, is he ripping us off or what?"
"This is the Mid-Tier Plaza. That's the price," Logan said. "He's not ripping us off."
The owner really hadn't cheated them. The Mid-Tier Plaza wasn't like the Sump—because Piltovans still came here sometimes to buy things, Enforcers would occasionally patrol to protect those "important" Piltover types.
So it wasn't as chaotic as the depths.
Which meant housing was also several tiers more expensive.
"Tch. I thought we'd have a ton of money to play with. Turns out we don't have much at all."
"Don't worry. We'll earn more together," Logan told her.
Jinx always put emphasis on "we." If Logan only said "me," she'd immediately look unhappy.
It was obvious Jinx had a deep, almost obsessive attachment to the word "we."
"Earn money? How?"
"Mm… find a job around here?"
"No way!" Jinx yelped. "I'm not working for them. What, you want me to be some restaurant server? I can't do that."
"Then we do it the other way," Logan said.
That instantly lit her up.
"Oh, that's my specialty. Say it—who are we stealing from?" Jinx grinned, excitement spreading across her face.
It really was what she was best at.
And she wanted to show Logan what she could do.
She wanted him to see she had value.
"We'll talk about money later. Right now, Jinx, what we need to do is clean," Logan said, rolling up his sleeves as he looked at the filthy mess around them.
No one had lived here for a long time. The Mid-Tier Plaza was "safer," sure—but only compared to the Sump. And besides… anyone with money and influence who didn't rely on gangs would go live at the Promenade, the district bordering Piltover. That was the life they wanted.
The people without money had no choice but to live down in the Sump.
So the Mid-Tier Plaza didn't have a big population. Most of the time, it was more like a transfer point.
"Me? I have to clean too?"
"Didn't you say Sevika can't even clean?" Logan said. "Then you definitely can."
"I feel like you're provoking me." Jinx stepped closer, hands behind her back, lightly swinging her braids.
"This is our new home," Logan said. "We're living here for a while, aren't we?"
"…"
"Fine! Let's clean!" Jinx sprang up, arms thrown wide, legs planted apart, shouting it like a declaration.
Home—
She liked that word.