Chapter Text
Pale skin. A red stain on the rug. Broken glass where a window used to be. Al’s eyes went wide. Blonde hair, a metallic smell, like something had been burned. No, no. He stepped back out of the little bedroom where the nest was, his hands covering his mouth as he dropped the blanket he and his grandfather had been working on. A quilt. It crumpled on the fl oor.
It was supposed to be safe.
He screamed for his dad. Footsteps rushed up the stairs.
Ivar’s hands cupped his cheeks, asking what was wrong, how could he help. His eyes turned to the room and Ivar’s eyes followed. His father yanked Al into his chest, shielding him from what lay beyond the door, screaming for help.
Footsteps, being passed to someone else’s arms, carried away. Wailing. He didn’t know if it came from him or from his father. The quilt wrapped around him, hiding what was happening, plunging him into the safety of the dark. Glimpsing that little bit of blonde hair through the door before the quilt was fully covering him–not seeing the egg. The egg was supposed to be in the nest, he was supposed to be adding the quilt to the nest. It was supposed to tell his baby sibling that it was safe to hatch.
It was supposed to be safe.
Sitting at the Last Drop. Holding the quilt around his shoulders as people tried to explain what he had seen. Tried to comfort him. Not being able to find the words. A big hand holding his shoulder as he tried to hold it together. Crying into his grandfather’s shoulder when he came back with Val, the smell of blood on both of their hands. His father came back in, pale, the red now on his shirt, shaking his head and holding back tears. A drink was poured into his hands and drained. Al almost wanted to ask for one too.
Maybe then he’d forget his mother’s hair and the empty nest.
It was supposed to be safe.
“We’re almost there!” Al looked up at Vi from where he was on the wall, just below Powder. His claws dug into the stone and he heard Powder grunt from the exertion.
“You good?” he asked under his breath. She nodded. He watched Vi scramble onto the roof of the building.
“Hey Powder! Come take a look,” Vi called. Powder finished pulling herself over the edge.
Al followed, inhaling. The air smelled fresh up here. There was no stale, metallic bite to it. The wind that tousled his hair carried the smell of the ocean, of trees and grass. He sighed through his nose. He wanted to pull this smell into his lungs, wrap them in it, have it live in him. It was so…fresh. Zaun always smelled old, metallic and mouldy.
A ship droned overhead and Al made himself catch up with his friends. They watched it in wonder.
“One day, I’m going to ride in one of those.” Powder’s declaration was full of delight. Al smiled a bit.
“And one day,” Mylo replied, making a finger gun as he teased, “I’m gonna shoot one of ‘em down.”
“Guess I’m going to be protecting that one then,” Al retorted with a chuckle.
Mylo scoffed under his breath, rolling his eyes with a grin. “Even you can’t stop a bullet.” Vi shoved Mylo’s arm out of the way as she set off again, her shoulders square.
“Vi, are you sure about this? Look, if we get caught we’re–”
“–We’re not going to get caught,” Vi cut Claggor off as she jumped down to the next roof. Al gave him a sympathetic smile. “We’ll be in and out before anyone notices.” They crossed the roof in silence until they got to the edge. “Alright, everyone, follow me, just don’t look down.”
Before she jumped, Vi glanced over at Al, he nodded, a wordless confirmation. He could catch them if there was a fuck up, but there was a non-zero chance that someone would see him. Then they’d be dicked. He flexed his claws, letting them retract and extend.
He’d go last.
Vi slipped down the roof, jumping across with ease. Mylo and Claggor followed and he could see their mouths moving, the wind taking most of the words away. He looked at Powder, she was completely stiff, scared, breathing heavily. Fuck. He adjusted, ready to pick her up and put her on his back.
He made eye contact with Claggor, then with Vi, who shook her head. Al took a step back, watching quietly. He trusted Vi’s judgement. Powder could do this.
“Powder, look at me. What did I tell you?”
“That—” Powder’s voice was shaky. “—I’m ready.”
“That’s right! So?” Powder looked at Al for a final push of reassurance. Al smiled at her.
“I’ll catch you, don’t worry,” he soothed, keeping his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear. “But Vi wouldn’t lie to you. You’ve got this.” Powder nodded and slid down the side with a yelp. Al tensed as she clambered onto the balcony.
He let go of the breath he was holding when Vi caught her on the other side. He slid down with ease, landing just behind the others. Claggor offered a hand and Al took it, letting the other teen help him up.
“Good job,” he whispered to Powder as he caught up with her. She grinned up at him.
The street below was bustling as they crept along a roof overhanging a balcony. Al pressed himself against the wall, keeping an eye out on what was happening below. It was busy down there, people milling about. He could smell coffee and his stomach gurgled.
He should have had a bigger breakfast. His grandfather had mentioned that both parts of him were going through puberty. He was basically eating for two people.
Well, a person and a dragon. It was basically two people. Maybe he could snag some food from up here. He should have followed Claggor’s lead and grabbed a cupcake from the balcony.
“What if Vander or Sy find out we’re all the way up here?” Claggor’s voice snapped Al back to paying attention.
“Look around you, you think anyone topside’s going hungry?” Vi kept shuffling along. “Besides this is exactly the sort of job they would have pulled when they were our age.” Vi stopped, looking at the four of them.
“They’re going to kill us,” Claggor muttered.
“To be fair, if we screw up, it’s Val we have to worry most about, not Vander and Sy,” Allistor quipped and Claggor gave him an exasperated look. Al shrugged. He wasn’t wrong. “And he’ll only really kill me.”
His uncle was… an experience. Vander and Sy would at least understand what they were trying to do.
“Only if we screw up. So don’t screw up.” With that, Vi swung down onto the balcony. Al looked at Powder and crossed his eyes. She giggled. “All clear!”
They all clambered down, Claggor helping Powder down. He leaned over the railing as Mylo worked the lock. Al hung back a bit before swinging down.
“There’s tons of enforcers down there,” Claggor noted. Al glanced down and nodded, tense. He was pretty good at controlling his dragon, but he wasn’t sure he was good enough to keep it from exploding out if an enforcer pointed a gun at his head.
“Means we’re in the right place.” Vi looked around. “You going to get that door open any time soon?”
“Working on it. Seeing as I’m the only one who knows how to pick locks, I suggest–” Vi kicked the doors, forcing them open with a grunt. Mylo dropped his tools, staring after them as they went inside. “Animals.”
The room smelled… off . Allistor tensed as his friends began wandering around it. He inhaled. It smelled like ozone but also like the collar Val kept, resting on the mantle. Al couldn’t quite place it. He sniffed again. There was an undertone of pine, of smoke, like someone was working with metal. That ozone smell hung over it all like a heavy blanket, masking the other smells. He felt scales prickling along his neck and he had to shove down a growl.
Something wasn’t right.
“You know Claggor, for once you’re right, we’re really not supposed to be here.” Mylo rubbed his hands together and reached for something on the desk.
As his friends started grabbing things, Al moved towards Vi, watching around the room. She was by some chalkboards covered in writing that Al couldn’t even begin to understand.
“Must be an inventor,” she mused. Al nodded. “You good?”
“Smells… Off,” he said quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear. They were having a good time, Powder cooing over a music box and Mylo picking up a nose hair trimmer. Vi gave him a look and he shrugged. She walked off.
“Keep your eyes open for anything that looks valuable, Powder. Before Mylo fills the bag with junk.” Mylo tossed his finding over his shoulder moving some paper aside. The hair on Al’s neck stood up and he could hear something, very faintly, like something playing through a speaker in another room. The music was all jumbled together though, like it wasn't done being written.
“Uh, guys?” They all gathered around Mylo. Al’s nostrils flared as he looked at the crystal on the platform. The ozone smell was much stronger now and the music was louder--- Al could hear it now. It was coming from the crystal.
“Wait, Vi, how the hell did we find this place?” Claggor asked as Mylo reached out to touch it. Al slapped his hand on instinct, electricity sparking up a bit to shock both of them as Vi and Claggor kept talking. Mylo gave Al a look.
“What was that for?”
“Don’t touch it,” Al growled.
Mylo looked down at his hand. “Dude. Claws.”
“Just leave it,” Vi snapped. “Come on.”
Al hung back, watching as they continued to ransack the room, Powder vanishing into the next. He hummed, atonally and under his breath, trying to feel less tense. He flexed his hand, letting the claws pop in and out. They got stuck out briefly and Al made a face; he usually had better control. This wasn’t good.
His eyes widened when he smelled that person’s smell again, fresher, and footsteps soon echoed. He inhaled: Two people. One, the owner of the room. The other, he couldn’t tell.
Fuck .
“Guys. Company.”
“Mylo!” Vi hissed, darting into the little hallway. Mylo darted behind and shoved a chair under the doorknob. “Powder, we gotta go!” She grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her back into the room, shoving her hand into Allistor’s. Allistor pushed Powder towards the door and hung back, watching Vi. He didn’t like this.
“Is someone in there?”
“Vi, faster.”
“We’ll be fine, just get back on the roof,” she insisted, grabbing the bag and throwing it over her shoulder.
One moment, he was standing in the doorway, waiting for Vi to run past him. The next, he was slamming into the balcony railing, his wings flared out to shield his friends from the blast. The air around them reeked of ozone, and a sound not unlike the tolling of an enormous bell rang in his ears.
The afterimage of blue light was seared into his eyes as he fought the pulse of strange energy that filled him, like someone had charged him with electricity. His whole body throbbed; he dug his claws into the balcony floor, fighting the shift as scales rippled up his spine, down the backs of his arms.
Vi stumbled outside and they stared at each other in mute horror, Al's wings folding but not going away.
They were fucked.
For a split second, it seemed like the worst was over. Then the floor groaned and split, crackling with blue light, and the side of the building crumbled and fell down into the street. Vi peeked over the edge.
He could hear people shouting, then blasting of the alarm, so loud it shook his teeth.
They were so, so fucked.
“Shit.”
“Run!”
Al really hoped that whomever saw his wings thought they were a cloak as he sprinted behind his friends. He knew that getting caught like this would mean much worse things for him than it would for the others. They sprinted over the bridge into Zaun proper, slamming into walls and scrambling along. Vi punched something free as she ran by, filling the alley behind them with steam, and skidded to a stop in front of a grate, heaving it open. Mylo crouched to peer down the pipe and groaned.
“Man, not again, I just got this shirt!”
Vi kicked him into the pipe, and didn’t hesitate to jump in after him. The rest of them followed suit.
They landed hard at the bottom, covered in bruises and unidentifiable muck. Allistor flopped against the garbage pile, panting as his wings finally retreated. It smelled awful.
But they had made it out.
He exhaled, sitting up and looking at his friends.
No one was hurt. Mylo looked more grossed out than anything. Powder was panting. Claggor looked fine. Vi looked…he couldn’t actually tell. She hugged their score to her chest.
“I thought last time was the last time we were going to do this,” Mylo said, plucking some slime from his hair.
“Well, this time’s the last time,” Vi retorted.
Claggor looked up. “Guys, what was that? What the hell happened back there?” Al shrugged, glancing at Powder with the rest of them. The explosion had come from the room that she was in.
Powder looked affronted. “I don’t know. I didn’t do anything!”
“You could fill a damn library with the things you didn’t do,” Mylo grumbled. “And what about Al? He almost went full dragon there. Aren’t you supposed to be like, a master of controlling it by now?”
“Yeah, well, I’d like to see you do better in an explosion,” Al snapped back, his claws stabbing into the trash. He could feel the scales on his back vanishing one by one.
“Guys.” Vi stood up. When she continued, her voice was shaky with adrenaline and pride. She swung the bag up onto her shoulder. “We just emptied a Piltover penthouse right under the enforcers’ noses. So if you’re done beating yourselves up, let's get this home.”
Al waited a few seconds before following the rest of them. Mylo was right, he had almost lost control. He was exhausted, his shoulders slumping and his second heart aching. Fuck . He readjusted his poncho.
The old guys were going to be pissed, regardless. His hand curled over his chest briefly, waiting for the ache to go down. That was weird. What was going on with him?
“Al?” Claggor called. “You coming?”
“Yeah!” Al slid down the garbage pile and followed.
They clambered out of the garbage chute, back into daylight. Al followed behind Claggor and Mylo, flexing his claws in and out as they walked, exhaling and inhaling, trying to retime his breathing and stay calm. Everything seemed back to normal. Al let out a soft sigh as Mylo shoved Claggor off him. Claggor looked at him and he shrugged, smiling.
They had done good. This haul was worth a lot of money.
Al glanced from side to side. His eyes narrowed as they passed someone, his shoulders tensing.
“Nice haul?” The man asked. He smelled foul, like vinegar and old fish. Al wrinkled his nose.
“You could say that,” Mylo shot back, and Vi gave him a look. Al exhaled softly, and cracked his neck. This was probably going to be a fight. They kept walking.
“I heard there was some action across the river.” Vi–and the rest of them–stopped. The stranger was playing with something shiny. Al’s eyes followed it. “Someone uh, someone really kicked the nest, huh?”
“Is that so?” Vi asked coolly. She turned to leave.
Three more people appeared, blocking their way. Al clenched his fists. Fucking hell. He heard the guy stand, still taunting. He really didn’t want to fight him and his little group of assholes.
“Listen, we don’t want any trouble, okay?” Claggor said, cutting Vi off as her voice rose.
“Hear that Deckard? They don’t want any trouble.”
Deckard drifted to their rear, cutting off the other side of the alley. “You know, in my experience,” he said, “trouble finds you. There’s no reason that this has to get ugly.” Al’s eyes flicked around, holding in a quip about how the guy’s face just being there made it ugly. He really needed to not laugh, but his brain felt foggy. “How about you share a little taste of your treasure there, and we’ll call it even.”
“No, no, no. We worked too hard to—” Vi grabbed Mylo’s shoulder, pushing past him and taking the bag off her shoulder. She hesitated.
“Just a taste?”
“Just a—” She slammed the bag into his face and Al couldn’t help the barking laugh that left his mouth as the other man went down with a yelp. The other four goons rushed in, two going for Claggor, one tackling Mylo, and one heading right for Al, ramming him back into the wall, snapping his head back with the impact. Hands clamped around his throat and squeezed. He clawed at them, choking. He could feel his dragon side bubbling too, the scales on his lower back popping back up. Shit, shit, if this guy didn’t let go, he’d go full dragon. He yanked on the hands around his throat. He had to keep control.
Al slammed his knee into the guy’s gut just as his vision started to blur. He doubled over, and Allistor shoved him back, slamming his elbow down into his back. He straightened, hearing Claggor grunt as he threw someone else—
—A fist connected with his brow and he grunted, jabbing his own fist into the other’s throat. He punched him again and the guy collapsed. Al stood back up, panting, and looked at the others.
“Looks like this day’s turning out alright after all,” Mylo quipped. Al chuckled. He did feel better. They turned to walk away.
“Wait!” Al stopped and looked back at Deckard. He was hunched and breathing hard, and holding a knife. Vi rolled her eyes and walked over. She leaned in close, looking him in the eye. She nodded toward the knife.
“You want to see how that ends?” she asked. The guy stared at her for a few seconds, then stumbled back and ran off into the twilight. She straightened. “Where’s Powder?”
“Ah fuck,” Al muttered. He looked around. Where had she run off to?
“She had the stuff!” Mylo whined. “Of course she runs off.”
“Lets just find her so she doesn’t get hurt,” Vi insisted, crossing her arms. “Al, can you?”
“Yeah, yeah. Everyone, quiet.” Al shut his eyes, focusing on his sense of smell. Powder smelled like Vi, but with an undertone of metal shavings and paint. He sniffed a couple times. “She headed for the docks. One guy following.”
“Alright, let's go get her.” Vi shoved her hands in her pockets and they began heading towards the docks, keeping quiet.
Powder rounded the corner without the bag a few minutes later. She looked shaken, but not hurt.
“Where’s the stuff?” Al asked. Powder fidgeted.
“Powder.” Vi’s voice was soft. Al looked at her. She unclenched her hands. “Where’s the stuff?”
“I got cornered and had to throw it in the river,” she admitted. Al pinched his brow, counting to ten in his head. She had thrown it in the river. The gross, slimy river where it would have sunk to the bottom. It was fine. It was fine.
“You did what ?” Mylo demanded, cornering Powder.
“I’m sorry, I tried to fight him off with Mouser, but… she didn’t work.” Powder looked down. Mylo threw his hand in the air, turning away from her.
“Who saw that coming?” he declared. Al rolled his eyes. It was fine. They couldn’t change anything about it now. Being a bitch to Powder wouldn’t fix anything.
Claggor gripped his head, pacing. “We never should have gone over there.”
“It doesn’t matter. The stuff’s gone.” Vi walked past them. She squeezed Powder’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Powder, at least you’re okay.” They headed into the building with the elevator, Al pausing to look over his shoulder, making sure that no one was following them.
“ Okay? What about us? I get my face bashed in and she just gets a pass?”
“Yup.”
They all climbed into the elevator. Al sat against the elevator wall, exhaling. There were a couple moments of silence. Claggor looked at him, sitting down beside him and Al stuck his tongue out a bit. Claggor smiled, and then he opened his mouth, his eyes widening in worry.
“What? Am I missing a tooth?” Al reached up to his face. “I know I got hit, but I didn’t—”
“No, Al, your hair.” Everyone turned to look at him. Al’s brow wrinkled. “Your hair is glowing,” Claggor managed, his voice cracking.
“What?”
“It’s glowing .”
“Shit. Shit.” he reached up and held some strands between his fingers. It was pulsing in time to his heartbeat, a red glow. “Shit!” He stood back up, beginning to pace. “Shit, shit! Fuck!” The glowing hair was new. None of his family glowed. Sy’s eyes went a little funky sometimes, and Jal basically could just vanish, but none of them glowed . Al paced back and forth a few more times, trying to calm down.
“Hey, breathe,” Vi finally said, grabbing his shoulder. Al jerked back and gestured at his head.
“If anyone sees this, I’m fucked!” he managed. “We’re all fucked because the boy with wings and the boy with glowing hair will clearly be connected !” He gestured like he was connecting two dots, his claws popping in and out. Claggor looked between them and grabbed Al’s hand. He stiffened and then relaxed, letting Claggor sit him back down.
“Al, it’s okay. Listen to Vi and breathe,” he said, grabbing his bandana and tugging it free from his neck. “Duck down.” Al dipped his head and Claggor tied it around his head, covering his hair, adjusting it. Al was unable to stop the faint shudder as Claggor’s thumb swept over his forehead. Claggor smiled down at him and Al smiled shakily back, his nose a little warm. Claggor looked over his shoulder at Vi. “Did I get it all?”
“Yeah.” Vi yanked on the elevator’s lever.
“Thank you,” Al whispered to Claggor. The elevator started moving and Al exhaled, staring at his hands. It was really bad that he was still out of control.
“Every time, every time she comes, something goes wrong.” Mylo mused. Al glanced over at him, eyes narrow. Powder looked at the floor. “She even managed to jinx up Al’s dragon stuff like she jinxes every job.”
“My powers being on the fritz isn’t her fault.” Al said. He was too tired to argue. His hand drifted over his chest again and Claggor gave him a concerned look. He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s happening, but don’t blame her for my shit.”
“Just drop it, both of you.” Vi pulled her hood up as the elevator came to the bottom, letting them out in the market.
Al walked beside Claggor as they headed through the street. It smelled dank and metallic and Al missed the freshness of Piltover already. His nostrils flared as they walked past a stand selling spices and he watched Mylo snag some fruit from another. He looked up at the strip of yellow fabric just visible in his line of sight and inhaled. Keep calm, it was fine, everything would be fine.
He tensed as they walked by the brothel. A scantily clad yordle winked at Claggor and the other teen flushed and shuddered. Al chuckled.
“What, she's not your type?” he mumbled and Claggor exhaled shakily, shaking his head with a bit of a smile.
“More yours, right?”
“Oh absolutely not.”
Al followed the group into the Last Drop, though he probably should head home. His grandfather would be getting worried. He squinted at a strand of his hair. The glow was still there, and he was pretty sure that he was in for a lot of shit from all three of the old guys. They headed downstairs.
“Vander and the old guys learn none of this,” Vi said. Al nodded as he sank down next to Powder.
“No worries there, Powder took care of the evidence,” Mylo snipped and Al sighed, looking at Vi. She was resting her hand against her forehead, clearly done.
“I tried, okay?” Powder cried. ” You just don’t get it, you’re older, you’re bigger, it-it isn’t fair!”
“So stick with us!” Mylo sat up, gesturing angrily. “Take a punch or two!”
The door opened and they all went quiet, looking up. Al swallowed, only now realizing how bruised his throat was, as he looked up at Vander. The big man’s face was mostly unreadable, but Al could feel his eyes staring into all five of their souls.
He quickly stared at the lantern, avoiding eye contact. Vander didn’t necessarily scare him. Al knew he’d never hurt any of them. But he was still a big guy, and Al realized from the tension in his gaze that he already knew.
They were so fucked.
“Everyone alright?” Vander asked, slowly walking down the stairs. Al held his breath.
“Never better,” Mylo sighed.
“Good.” Vander came to the bottom of the stairs and Al continued focusing very hard on the lantern. “I don’t suppose you can explain why I’m hearing about an explosion and a foot chase topside? Five children fleeing the scene, one of whom—and I might be wrong, but one of whom had red wings.” Vander stopped at the end of the couch, holding onto it. Al looked at Vi, his face white. She glanced at him and then at the floor. Al swallowed.
Fuck. If Vander knew, the old guys knew. He was dicked.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Vander asked.
“That we can handle a real job.” Vi finally looked at Vander.
“ A real job? ”
“We got our own tip, planned a route, nobody even saw.”
“You blew up a building , and someone saw Al well enough.” Al shrank in his seat.
Vi whirled around to face Vander. “That wasn’t—”
“Did you even stop to think what could have happened to you?” Vander gestured at the rest of them. “Eh? To them?” Vi went quiet and covered her mouth, slumping as her eyes passed over everyone in the room. Her brow furrowed and she looked guilty for the first time. They all looked away. Vander sighed and pinched his brow. “Where did you even get this tip?” he asked.
“We just heard it at Benzo’s shop,” Powder admitted, her voice smaller than normal.
“From?”
Powder hesitated. “Little man.” Vander sighed
Vi shot out of her chair, pointing her thumb at herself. “ I took us there. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. But you’re the one who always says we have to earn our place in this world.”
“I also told you time and time again, the Northside’s off. Limits ,” Vander insisted, volume rising. “We stay out of Piltover’s business.”
“Why? They’ve got plenty, while we’re scraping together coins. When did you get so comfortable being in someone else’s shadow?” Vi demanded. Everyone stiffened, staring at the two of them in shock.Even Vander looked taken aback.
“Everyone out.”
Al followed the rest of them wordlessly, looking over his shoulder at Vi as they climbed the stairs. She slumped, looking away from him. Al cringed a bit as he left. She was in for it. Powder hesitantly closed the door behind them.
Al looked at the others, exhaling.
“That could… have been worse?” he managed. Mylo dug in his pockets, pulling out a hearing trumpet and Claggor groaned, pinching his brow as Powder vanished. Claggor sat down on the steps and Al joined him a step down, leaning on his leg. “You okay, big guy?” he asked softly.
“Yeah, just run down,” Claggor said, reaching up to lift the corner of the bandana. “Fuck.”
“Still glowing?”
“Yeah.” Claggor touched his hair. “It’s really warm too.” He ran his fingers through it. “But it’s not burning.” Al leaned into the touch.
“Oh, get a room, you two,” Mylo muttered, pressing his device to the door. “You keep making goo goo eyes at each other. Makes me a little nauseous, not going to lie.”
“Shove it, Mylo,” Al retorted. He could feel Claggor heating up. “You’re just jealous.”
“Yeah, sure I am. Now, shut up.” Mylo pressed his ear to the device. Al exhaled and leaned back, massaging his throat. He was honestly surprised he could still talk.
They were quiet for a couple minutes, until steps came up the stairs. Mylo stiffened and tried to make himself look busy. Al straightened. Vander opened the door, a bag over his shoulder, looking at the three of them as he yanked it shut.
“Get up, Claggor, we’re going out.”
“Wait now?” Claggor groaned, standing slowly. Vander snatched Mylo’s thing from him, shoving it into the large bag.
“Hey, that’s mine!”
“You want to be treated like adults, right?” Vander asked, throwing the bag at Claggor. Al ducked as Claggor caught it, sitting back down again from the impact. “Then you should know better than to come back from a job empty handed.” He headed to the stairs. “I’m going to have a little word with your informant.” He paused, looking down at Al. “It’s probably best if you head home now, Al.”
“Yes sir.” Al stood up and looked at the other two as Vander headed upstairs. “If Val kills me, don’t let him make a jacket out of my skin.”
Al slipped in through a window of the tailor shop, pulling Claggor’s bandana off of his head. At least the glow had finally stopped. He didn’t have a way to explain that. He held his breath, looking around. His home was quiet.
Maybe the old guys were all asleep. He glanced down the stairs and saw a lantern lit. Sy was sitting at the front counter, sipping at a glass of wine. Al tried to creep behind him, to head up the stairs to the apartment.
“ Allistor.”
Oh fuck.
He got fullnamed. He was so dead.
“Yeah, Gramps?” His voice cracked a little bit as he attempted to sound casual.
“Come and sit.” Sy tapped the chair beside him. “Now.” Al slunk over and sat down beside him. Sy exhaled. “I don’t think I have to tell you that you and your friends fucked up.” He took a sip of his wine and Al shook his head.
“No sir.”
“Alright then,” Sy replied and they sat in silence for a few moments. “What were you thinking?” Sy’s voice wasn’t angry. It was disappointed. “ I am going to do my best not to yell at you, because it’s not just your fault, but you were seen . There’s talk of a boy with wings all over the Lanes.” Sy inhaled, making himself take a sip of wine. He exhaled. “Allistor. Look at me.”
“Yes sir?” Al glanced at his grandfather.
“I—“ Sy paused, inhaling again, his hand gripping the glass before letting it go. Al could see the tremor. “I need you to understand; you are the most important thing in my life. More than this shop, more than Jal and Val. You are our future.” His grandfather cupped his cheek gently. “Why would you do something so stupid ?”
“You and Vander did stuff like this and it— It didn’t seem like a big deal. They’ve got so much, you know.”
Sy was silent for a few seconds before he sighed, yanking Al into his chest and holding him close. Al rested his chin on his grandfather’s shoulder, staring at the mantle behind them. Two candles sat on it, next to two dragon scales, one gold, one a deep blue. The collar hung on the corner, the metal catching the faint green light. His nose wrinkled and he realized the candles had been lit.
His grandfather had been praying.
“I know what I did and it was stupid of me to do, and Val gave me hell for it because it put all of Zaun in danger, not just us. I know how hard it is—I know you and your friends want to stand on your own, you want to pay your dues. I get that, I really do. But you of all people should— need to know better. Do you know what could happen if Piltover found out about what you are?” Sy tightened his grip. “Al, you wouldn’t even make it to Stillwater. You’d spend the rest of your life in a lab. Or someone would turn you into a weapon.”
Al nodded. Val had given him enough warnings about how power corrupted even the most rational people. Sy sighed, running his hands through Al’s hair.
“I’m sorry.”
“I know and I need you to understand that I’m not blaming you for losing control.” Sy pulled back from the hug. He cupped Al’s cheek again. “You did well, all things considered. I would have had trouble staying human too. I just need you to be more careful.”
“Yes sir.”
“Go to bed, alright? I’ll send Jal up to take care of that shiner when he gets in and we’ll talk more in the morning.” Sy said softly. Al stood up and began heading up the stairs. “I love you.”
Al nodded. “I love you too.” When he was halfway up the stairs, he stopped. “Gramps?”
“Mmhm?”
“It’s going to be okay, right?” he asked. Sy’s eyes closed and he stiffened for a second, letting out a sharp exhale.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Lay low and it should all blow over.”