At the Firelights' hideout, Ekko had been in a very good mood lately. Professor Heimerdinger joining them had raised the Firelights' overall level by a huge margin.
On top of that, plenty of people who were tired of being squeezed by the gangs had taken advantage of the drop in Shimmer production to join up as well.
Then, after a flash of blue light, two figures appeared beside him.
"Caleb? And... Jinx?"
The smile on Ekko's face vanished instantly.
"You should head back first," Caleb said to Jinx.
She nodded.
After giving Ekko a glance, she disappeared again.
"You gave her a Hextech gemstone too?" Ekko demanded in shock.
"Do you have any idea how many people will die if she has one?"
"I need her to have one. Otherwise Zaun loses its deterrent," Caleb said bluntly.
"Just like I let you have one so the Undercity wouldn't stay such a toxic mess."
Caleb's words made Ekko fall silent, his eyes full of sorrow.
If he had not held back on the bridge, Jinx never would have had the chance to escape.
If even he could not bring himself to kill a childhood friend, how could he demand that of Caleb?
"What's wrong, boys?" Heimerdinger came wobbling over, carrying an armful of gadgets.
"Nothing much. I came to the Undercity to reclaim some Hextech gear."
Caleb gestured to the gauntlets he was carrying and explained.
"Professor Heimerdinger, there's actually something else I wanted to ask you."
Taking the opportunity, Caleb bent down and spoke quietly to the professor.
"What I want is... something like this..."
...
Back in the present.
Watching Silco's retreating figure, Jayce still looked confused.
"You said Professor Heimerdinger is in Zaun?"
Even though Heimerdinger was no longer at the Academy, Jayce still habitually called him Professor.
Just like everyone else.
Caleb gave a whistle. A hoverboard with a green trail swooped in and stopped in front of them.
"I'm right here."
Perched on Ekko's shoulder, Heimerdinger waved at Jayce.
"Professor, I'm sorry. But we understand now. We understand what you were trying to tell us."
Jayce looked at the little old man before him, still remembering the helpless look in Heimerdinger's eyes the day he had pushed him out.
"Well... I suppose I bear some responsibility too." Heimerdinger sighed.
"I understand why you wanted to save your partner."
"As for me, I've lived long enough that I no longer think much about death. And the people around me passing on had started to feel almost normal."
"So I should be the one apologizing to both of you."
"But the Hexcore still has to be destroyed," Caleb said, stepping in to smooth things over. "Jayce and Viktor are already in agreement on that."
"Trust me, my boy." Heimerdinger closed his eyes, as if he had been carried back to some distant past.
"If you had seen that war, you would understand me too."
Heimerdinger stood on the bridge, looking at the young man before him.
Compared to the day Jayce had denounced him, he seemed to have grown a little more.
"Jayce, you've grown too." Heimerdinger's eyes were full of relief.
"I also went and saw Zaun for myself, and I realized I hadn't done everything perfectly either."
He let out a quiet sigh and glanced at Ekko beside him.
"With young people this outstanding in both cities, I truly believe the future of Piltover and Zaun will be bright!"
Hearing that, Ekko scratched his head awkwardly.
"I'm still nowhere near Councilor Talis."
"Silco can be arrested, but what about the rest of Zaun?" Jayce asked.
"Leave that to the Firelights and me. The Firelights can use this chance to expand, and I'll deal with the Chem-Barons."
"And Jinx? And the gemstone in her hand?" Ekko asked too. In his eyes, letting Jinx keep a gemstone was not a good option.
"Let her hold onto it for now. I'll take it back when the time comes."
Caleb sounded a little evasive on that point.
"Then let's go. With all this, we've got more than enough to convince the Council tonight."
Jayce motioned to the others. Caleb hefted the two huge gauntlets and followed after him.
Last time, Ekko had been left on the bridge to stop Jinx. This time, he could finally face the Council himself and help persuade them.
As for Heimerdinger—the father of Piltover—he was more than happy to return to the city that revered him.
...
"Well, boss? How'd it go?" Sevika stepped up, a cigarette still hanging from her lips.
"Caleb asked me to give you this. He said he doesn't smoke."
Silco handed over the lighter Finn had treasured.
"Thanks."
Sevika used it to light her cigarette and took a deep drag.
"Yazde's thug is in the padded ward, right?" Silco's eyes were full of killing intent, his crimson gaze especially terrifying in the dark.
"Put Singed's new Shimmer variant in there."
He took a bottle of purple liquid from inside his coat and spoke evenly.
Unlike the earlier variant, this version of Shimmer was almost permanent, and it could greatly enhance the user's muscle tissue and regenerative ability.
But it would also cause irreversible brain damage.
Yazde thought the man going in was just another unruly thug, and that he would come back out as an obedient dog.
But what Silco wanted was for him to regret the moment he opened that hospital door.
"I'll take care of it right away. Anything else?"
Sevika looked at Silco's face and saw the killing intent there.
Just like the time, years ago, when he intercepted Vander.
"Shut down all Shimmer production."
Silco knew perfectly well what those words meant.
It meant a lot of people would likely turn against him.
It meant nearly all the Chem-Barons under him would rebel.
And it also meant... they would lose the weapon they used to fight the Firelights.
Leaving only... Jinx.
"All right." Sevika did not hesitate for a second.
She had openly defied Vander and chosen Silco's side, even losing an arm in the explosion.
But her real goal had always been the same as Silco's—to make sure Zaun would never have to bow its head again.
Vander had flinched. Just like Jayce had today.
Men like them valued life too highly. They could not cast it aside so easily.
But Silco and Sevika were different.
As long as they could reach their goal, what was a life worth?
Even being ground to pieces themselves would be a price worth paying, let alone whatever blood was already on their hands.
...
Urgot found this place interesting.
He himself stood over four meters tall, while the people here were only around one-point-seven to a little over two meters at most.
So weak—and yet they could use their hands to make such delicate little things.
Then use those things to build fortunes and sell them for absurd prices.
Noxian weapons, after all, might be crude and heavy, but they were far more durable than these trinkets, and nowhere near as expensive.
So Piltover really was interesting in its own way.
The people here were romantic, like flowers raised in a greenhouse.
Very different from strength-worshipping Noxus.
He had already asked around and learned what he needed. Supposedly House Medarda was the richest family here.
And their daughter Mel had even become a Councilor?
How rich could they really be? How much power could they really have?
Could it compare to what one war of annihilation could earn?
Could she command as many soldiers to charge at a word?
Most of House Medarda's wealth had come from war profits anyway.
Including that dead son of theirs—how much wealth had been seized out of his estate?
And even that was only after Ambessa had stepped in and hidden part of it away.
Urgot sharpened his great blade again and again. None of the nearby guests dared complain.
All he needed was the exact location of that aging she-wolf.
Then the center of the world would learn the terror of a Noxian executioner.