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"Ding-a-ling~"
The swaying doorbell alerted the shopkeeper to a guest's arrival. Benson, a man whose round features seemed to sharpen at the scent of a "fat sheep," lifted his eyelids to size up the newcomers. He didn't care that Kael was still a boy who needed a stool to reach the counter; in Zaun, gold had no age.
"I need to purchase some metal ores," Kael said flatly.
Kael's mind was already processing the refinement algorithms for Palladium. To build the Arc Reactor in this world, he had to account for the "Magical Contamination" inherent in Runeterran minerals. Elements here didn't just follow the periodic table; they vibrated with a faint, unpredictable Arcane resonance.
"Ores? That's a bit vague," Benson mused, adjusting his glasses.
Kael placed a heavy bag of gold on the counter. Benson's facial fat quivered as he swept the bag into a drawer. "Vague is fine! I have everything you need. Ekko! Get out here and take our guests to Warehouse No. 3!"
A small boy with dark skin and a look of precocious cleverness walked out, muttering about his "private time" and handicrafts. He led Kael and Caitlyn to the warehouse, which was stacked high with raw materials pulled from the lowest, most toxic levels of the city—places where miners traded their lungs for a few years of survival.
"I'll take them all," Kael said after a brief inspection.
"What?!" Ekko nearly bit his tongue. "We don't provide delivery for that much bulk. The Enforcers would seize it at the border."
"Do you know Vander?" Kael asked. "He said if I had trouble in Zaun, I should use his name."
The Rematch (Sort Of)
Before Ekko could respond, the door burst open. Vi charged in, her eyes locking onto Kael with a mix of fury and excitement.
"Great! You actually dare to show your face in Zaun! Take this!"
She lunged with a punch, but Kael simply stepped back and extended a foot. Vi tripped, landing face-down on the warehouse floor with a muffled thud.
"Bastard! That one doesn't count!!" Vi scrambled up, but Mylo and Claggor caught her.
"Pop told us to find him, not fight him," Claggor grunted, pinning her arms as she kicked like a "fattened pig."
"It's been a few days, Powder," Kael said, ignoring the screaming redhead and ruffling Powder's hair. He handed her a gift: a Rubik's Cube. Powder's eyes lit up; she rarely felt valued by anyone but her sister. She immediately gave Kael a shy hug.
"Take your filthy paws off her!" Vi roared, still suspended in the air by her sidekicks.
The Last Drop
"Did Vander send you?" Kael asked.
"Mhm. Pop wants to buy you a drink at the Fuggen Bar (The Last Drop)," Powder relayed.
"Then let's go," Kael decided. He knew Vander was the de facto leader of the Undercity. If he wanted to build his reactor here, he needed the "Hound's" blessing.
As they walked, Mylo and Claggor sidled up to Kael. Having seen him dismantle Vi twice, they were convinced of his "Alpha" status. "Hey buddy, first time in Zaun? Want us to take you somewhere... interesting?" Mylo whispered, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Tell me more," Kael replied, sensing a "Men's Agreement" in the making.
"Where are you two deadbeats going?!" Vi shouted from the front. "I'm watching you!"
Caitlyn narrowed her eyes at Kael. Her intuition told her something fishy was happening, but she remained silent as they reached the landmark building of The Lanes.
A Meeting of Leaders
Inside the bar, the air was filtered by a custom circulation system Vander had installed. When Caitlyn took off her mask, her clean, Piltovian face drew several predatory gazes, but the tension evaporated the moment Vander appeared.
"Kael, welcome," Vander said, offering Kael a hug. He saw in Kael a bridge—a way to move the "Mountain of Prejudice" between the two cities. Vander was old, and he knew Vi was too radical to succeed him alone. A friend like Kael, an inventor backed by the Kirammans, was exactly what Zaun needed.
"Want a drink? I have juice and milk," Vander offered warmly.
Vander served the drinks, but Vi immediately snatched Kael's glass and downed it in one gulp. "What? I was thirsty!" she snapped, her neck stiff with guilt.
"Kael, you can have my milk," Powder said, pushing her glass toward him.
"Thank you," Kael smiled, patting her head again.
From the corner of the booth, Vi made a sound like a puppy guarding its bowl, grinding her teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn't crack. If Vander hadn't been sitting right there, she would have pounced.
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