Chapter Text
"Come on Vi!" A squeaky and familiar voice talked to me, sweetly. I could imagine a big dumb smile on her face by how bright those three words sounded. "Look at this place!!" She continued, her voice starting to clear up amongst the fog in my mind as I opened my eyes.
The place was bright, a blue and clear sky over a beautiful open field. Fresh air entering my body with every breath I took and, between it all, a small mop of bright blue hair dancing between the flowers: a six year old Powder prancing freely, smiling widely and laughing as she saw the flowers move against her movements.
"You're finally up..." another voice from behind me, more adult, but sweet. Familiar to a point I didn't knew how I could still recall it. Her navy blue hair on her shoulders, blue eyes and that sweet smile...how I missed it. I looked up at her, feeling my heart flutter inside my chest before standing up. My body felt lighter, smaller, weaker, almost to the point I tripped on my feet over how different I felt.
"Easy there, Vi." My mother's voice rang in my ear once more, accompanied by a soft laugh. I could feel her hands on my torso as she saved me from the fall. It was so weird to feel this small again, the idea of being protected once more by someone long gone was...odd...but warm.
Powder was still among the flowers, moving along like she was one of them, slowly prancing further from where we were. "HEY!" I screamed at my sister, my voice just as squeaky as Powder's, small and yet rough. I didn't knew why, but the further she went, the more I worried, and it seemed I wasn't the only one.
"Vi, could you look after her? She might get hurt" my mom's voice said from behind me, but it echoed inside my head, as if she was the one walking away. I froze for a second, before looking back.
My heart fell to the floor as my soul left my body.
The bridge, the fire, her smile...gone. She laid dead under a ton of metal and stone. I could feel my legs quivering in fear as those images flodded my mind, my breathing becoming quicker by the second.
"Vi?" Powder's quiet voice calling for me, as my adrenaline rose, I turned to look at her. The same six year old who, seconds before, was hoping over a valley of flowers, now stood scared and crying, looking at our mother, now dead over that damn bridge, filled with rubble and smoke. Her trembling voice made my heart bounce from the floor to my throat, making me rush towards her.
As I reached her, a hug came to exist, both of us shivering on our stand "It's gonna be ok" I said, as much as it was for her, it was for me. "I'm here..." I continued shortly after.
Suddenly, I felt a change around us, the scene faded to black as we both felt taller, but the fire behind us still existed. I could feel my breathing, ragged and scared, no amount of air could fill up my lungs and no amount of heartbeats could keep my hands warm enough.
"Then why did you left me?..." a chill ran through my spine as her voice felt older, as old as the day I abandoned her...and as broken...
I separated from our embrace, she was still crying bitterly, looking into my eyes, an agonizing level of pain in her gaze. It crushed me into pieces, but my fear was still very present, making each limb in my body cold.
"What?" I heaved every breath, and every word. My legs turning into jelly. A whisper of a painful memory running through my head, an answer I came to regret each day of my life. She wasn't a Jinx, and still...I said it as if it was true. A claim born from my sadness, which turned into rage, and right after, into regret. Now, there I was, knowing very well what would happen if I turned around...
Behind me, a sight burned into my memory which made my heart skip a bit everytime: Vander, shimmered up and dead, surrounded by fire. Fire caused by a bomb, a monkey bomb...HER monkey bomb.
"Because you're a Jinx!" A growl trapped inside my mind, a cry of pain begging to be said out loud, a lie that had cost more than it was worth. I could feel my head fidgeting around as my breath faltered and my heartbeats thrubbed inside my skull. Every inch of me was scared beyond belief, avoiding that same mistake, wanting to mend my undoing.
"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" Her scream made me react, turning once more to look at her, as she became smaller. Her weak frame resting on the floor in front of Vander's collosal corpse and the raging fire surrounding them.
"POWDER!!!" I screamed, but no sound came out. I yelled again, desperate to reach her, but the more I tried, the smaller she became. I started crying my heart out, as my voice fell quiet. No sound coming from my mouth, only the deafening cries of the 12 year old girl I forsake. My chest rumbled with the scream I was trying to make audible, it hurt and still no sound could be heard. Tears rolling down my cheeks, bitter and painful as a shadow was cast over the scene before me, with a piercing yellow eye.
I cried, shrieked, screamed until I could feel my throat swealing, but none of it was heard, not even by me.
A roar left my trembling body, the vibration making the last ounce of strength leave me. The tears feeling cold against my skin, my consciousness fading and a sweet voice, although muffled, ringing in the bottom of my mind.
-Vi...- a faint knock...
-Vi!- again, becoming clearer. Have this happened before? I no longer knew...
My head throbbed, between the fear, the anxiety, I could have sworn the knocking was my heart coming to a stop. The voice calling me somehow felt like a light, warm and bright, but I was way to afraid to walk towards it.
Death was something I had dealt with, Stillwater made me numb to the idea of drifting off a long time ago. Dying was something I had come to accept, either from a goon playing dirty, or the guards beating me until I couldn't wake up...it wasn't something I feared...what I feared, was failing to protect who I cherished.
A fear that became true because of me, and me alone. The turmoil inside my head making it spin like crazy as the knocking became louder.
-Vi!- a scream that made me touch the ground, that made me wake up in a cold sweat.
There I was, at Benzo's, surrounded by dust and the remains of a past life. I could hear my breath, hitched, as my chest rose and fell heavily. It had been a while since I felt this scared and powerless. "Damn it..." I whispered under my breath, I could finally hear my voice, even if it was in a whimper.
A nightmare, years without a single dream and the first turns into a fucking nightmare! I needed to find her, maybe if I did, all this guilt would go away...
-Vi! Are you there?!- the enforcer's voice came from behind me, still muffled by the door between us, but I could tell she was worried. She knocked right after...so that's where the knocking came from...good to know...I guess...
I coughed, before replying as sternly as I could manage "What do you need?" I hissed, it came out rougher than I wanted to. The knot on my throat making my voice quiver slightly, I had to recover my footing, this wasn't over.
The enforcer was silent for a bit, before answering. "I'm done changing, could you please open up?" Stern once more. I had forgotten I was blocking the door to the basement.
"Yeah, sure...sure" I reacted, standing up. I felt weak, my legs still shivered from the nightmare. The counter served as a support for a bit or two before I could stand like usual. I had to shake that off, it was no use now.
As I opened the door, the anxiety drifted, replaced by something...strange.
The sight before me was better than I imagined. How could a top sider look so good on lane wear? Damn! Those boots, the vest, even the ponytail!
HELP ME!
"Is anything wrong?" She asked, pushing my thoughts aside. Good, I was staring at her like an idiot for Janna knows how long. I shook my head, once again looking straight into her eyes. Those bright blue eyes. STOP!
"Nothing, I'm fine!" Scoffed back, taking my eyes off of her. I had to get my head on the game.
"Good, I think we should get going." She spoke calmly. Looking at me, as if looking for something. "Do you really know where to ask for clues?" Asked, a bit worried. She still didn't trust in me, not fully at least. Who could blame her? She didn't knew shit about me other than I was in Stillwater for who knows what.
"Yeah, I know where to start" not fully sure if my guess was right. Jericho was a 'silent' watcher, if he still lived, maybe he could say who could speak clearly about what happened after Vander died and I was imprisoned. More than looking for what the piltie asked, I was looking for who could speak the truth about Powder...
"Follow me..." I said, after clearing my head from the fog that wanted to make me feel guilty again. I started walking towards the street, hoping she would follow me. The hood left my shoulders to cover my hair, a habit that stuck with me after all these years off these streets. My hair, even though it was usual for the fissure folk to have unusual colors due to the toxins, mine always stood out, it is way to bright.
The girl, that false enforcer, followed me closely, to the point she also covered her head with the hoodie on her outfit and walked hunched over, but wary, tense. It was kinda funny to see this elegant topsider trying to act like people from the lanes. She jumped when she saw the merchants shouting from their locals, the chemtech augmentations exhaling fumes or the ocational children that runned pass us. Luckily for us, none carried anything on our pockets, or else they would have taken it in the blink of an eye. I knew my people, I had missed this energy. The noise, the buzing of these forsaken streets. The only thing that was new and unsettling, were those low lives that made themselves look like wretched topsiders.
Big, fancy coats with lane-flairs. Subtle augmentations that fell more like ornaments and rusted, yet elegant jewerly. I had listened about guys like them from some idiots back in prison. They called them 'Chembarons', a stupid kind of mafia born out of Slico's management.
I looked at them, maybe a bit too much, so much so that I caught the attention of a couple of them, including my warden's. One of these topside-wannabes looked me in the eye, before scanning me: A tall lean woman (or at least I think it was a woman) with an augmented nose and a black feathered coat. She was followed by a red haired kid on their way to the elevator that lead out of the Lanes.
"Do you know them?" My guard asked, whispering in my ear as she stepped closer to me. I looled at the baron, analizing her.
"No, but I think I know what they are..." not wanting her to go after then and blow our cover.
The woman kissed the boy on his forehead, before taking the lift. The kid stood there before running to shit knows where. I took my eyes off them a bit after "Let's go" I hushed, before walking away.
I could feel the questions boiling on the piltie's head. But she stayed quiet as soon as I kept on going. After some minutes, she finally asked. "You said you knew what they were..." hesitant, but curious.
"Yeah..." Only replied that before she asked what was really on her mind.
"Then...who are they?" Walking alongside me, so whe could hear me clearer.
"Some prisoners talked about a new group in the Lanes called the Chembarons. I don't know much about them, but it looks they rule Zaun alongside Silco or some shit like that"
"Really? How come we haven't heard of them?" She replied, mumbling the last to herself.
"Shit if I know..." not what I was thinking, but sometimes is better to stay quiet.
She groaned, following my words with a sarcasm "Very insightful..." rolling her eyes. Not gonna lie, she looked kinda cute when she was angry, or annoyed in this case. I swallowed a giggle, but smiled under my hoodie.
After a while, I recognized Jericho's local. It hadn't changed a bit! Home sweet home!
The fish-man turned around, the place was lonely as hell, fortunately for us!
You can't imagine how happy I was to see that scaly fat face again! And, as far as I could tell, he was just as happy by the smile that appeared, that toothy grin! Damn, I love this stupid giant fish!
"Jericho! Can't believe you're still here!" I greeted, approaching the local. He mumbled in response, glad to see a familiar face. Gesturing, he kind of made his point clear, or at least I think so. It was a 'What a surprise, how much you've grown!' kind of gesture. Translating his growls is still something I'm working on. He petted me, like he used to do when I was younger. It wasn't something I liked, but I couldn't argue, not after he immediately served me the best he has to offer: Sauce filled slugs!
"Man, you shouldn't have." False modesty on my behalf, answered with a growl and a laugh as I sat down. "But, if you insist..." I continued, right after, I ate.
All the while, I could feel the genuine awe of the piltie behind me. The way her eyes widened when she looked at everything, I wish I could take a pic of that dumbstuck face! She stayed silent for a while, sitting a minute or so after me.
I could have been worried about the damn world and its fall down but I WOULDN'T MISS THIS LUXURY EVEN IF MY LIFE WAS ON THE LINE! After 5 fucking years in prison, this would be my first damn decent meal! I wouldn't lose it!
Still, I can't deny there was a plan to it all.
I knew that, after a while, the girl alongside me would start asking about what we were doing there. I was starting to catch up with her working method, and, of course, I just let it unfold.
I knew Jericho would hear us, I knew where his alliances lied, and I knew he could guide us, but not without appealing to his ego first.
After all, the best way to appeal to a chef, is eating their food. And so, everything fell into place.
Babette, can't deny I was surprised when he gave me her sigil. I knew sex sold but...I don't know, I didn't expected her to still be around. After all, hell knows what Silco had in mind for all of the people following Vander. I was glad some of them were still around.
It was good to see that loyalty was still a thing around here.
Walking through the lanes, I came to remember all the shortcuts and tricks to move around. If I was on my own, I would have gone through all of them. Climbing through the place as if I run it, but, given the poor abilities of my...companion, it was best to keep my feet on the ground. For now at least...
These streets gave me nostalgia, I could remember Powder running through them, triping on her feet once in a while, laughing alongside Ekko and our brothers, Mylo and Claggor. One day, we ran away from Jericho's after eating and discovering we couldn't pay the bill. He didn't chase us, but the few enforcers down here did. We ran, jumped and climb our way out of trouble, as we always did. Of course, we didn't got caught, but we ended up at the arcade down the main lane. It was our little teen cave, more often than not, we were there playing and having a good time. Remembering that we were still kids...
After our endeavour, we returned to Vander's bar. Cozy and calm, a new found home for four orphans, then guarded by the Hound of Zaun. Every once in a while, we got scolded for doing those kind of things, mostly for making the enforcers wary of our presence. And even though he was rough, he never hurt us with his words. He was always wise and calm, recolected through it all. A father figure for us, the lost ones.
Walking down memory lane, my eyes were caught by the biggest and brightest thing around. A neon frame around a name I knew way to well: The Last Drop.
Oh Gods...what has Silco done to you?...
My heart dropped to the floor, as I saw two big brutes at the entrance, bouncing off an idiot who thought could enter. This place...was never this exclusive, this snobbish. It was a refuge for everyone here and now...it was a damn club for Silco's bootlickers. I could feel my blood boiling, and my nails digging on the railing. If only Vander was here....
"Well, that place looks like it has bodies buried in the basement..." her comment making my anger grow, not only for the scene in front of me: The blinding lights, the abussive idiots and the idea of Silco running the place like the boss of some stupid ass mafia. But her, as a topsider, passing judgement over a place she doesn't know! Are your kidding me?!
"You don't know anything" I growled in return before stomping off. She didn't answer. Good!
Unbelievable how he just took everything I knew and twisted it to serve his damn needs. I swear he'll pay once I get to him! And if he touched Powder, he can start packing his bags for a one way trip to oblivion!
A light sparked within me, nor from hope or lust. But a raging fire, begging to burn Silco's empire to the ground!