"Is everyone okay?"
When the battered and exhausted Silco stumbled back into the hideout and opened the door, what did he see?
Inside, they were popping champagne. The place was thick with the damn smell of food.
Glasses clinked as laughter floated through the air.
Plates of roasted meat and other delicacies sat on the table, with one untouched setting that was clearly meant for him.
He pinched himself, no, this wasn't some hallucination from overdosing on shimmer. The scene before him was real.
He stared at the perfectly unharmed Cipher and Vander, then glanced down at himself, covered in mud and grime. His clothes were torn, his breathing still uneven from his desperate escape.
Without a word, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag.
The air instantly froze over.
He didn't say anything, but the message was clear to everyone.
So you're all here, celebrating? Without me?
"Silco! You made it back," Cipher said.
"Apparently just in time for dessert," Silco replied, his voice dangerously quiet.
Cipher shot a guilty glance at Vander, who only shrugged, this was his mess to clean up.
With no other choice, he gently set down the squirming Powder in his arms. Her small hands reluctantly let go of his shirt as he grabbed a fresh glass, carefully selecting Silco's favorite. He filled it with liquor, and walked over to Silco, offering the drink to him.
Silco took another drag of his cigarette.
He didn't accept the glass.
He didn't speak.
He just stared.
"It's such a relief that you made it back safely. I missed you so much."
Cipher shamelessly threw his arms around Silco in a hug.
"Oh? You still remember me? Looked to me like you were hoping I'd die out there." Silco's face twitched slightly, but his words were sharp.
He looked furious.
He had realized, the moment Camille targeted him specifically, that he was the priority. Without hesitation, he had downed some shimmer and run, giving the others time to escape.
The burning sensation as shimmer flooded his system beyond safe limits was still fresh in his mind.
He had pushed himself to the brink, nearly collapsing his lungs to make sure he got to safety. When he finally returned, expecting to check if everyone had made it out alive...
No one had died.
Not a single one.
And yet here they were, drinking champagne.
Out of everyone, he was the only one who looked like a mess. Who was he supposed to complain to about that?
No one had even come looking for him. So his life and death didn't matter to them?
Was this really their home? Was he really still part of it?
"Come on, let me introduce you to our new family member."
Cipher could tell Silco was upset, but there was no helping it now.
"This is Janna, once the Guardian Spirit, and now family. If not for her, we wouldn't have made it out alive."
He gestured toward the bluebird perched on his shoulder, then spread his hands helplessly.
"It's not that we didn't try to find you. We sent people, but no one could track you down. Janna could only confirm that you were alive and safe. She said you were, and I quote, 'moving with remarkable speed for someone so intoxicated.'"
A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Silco's mouth, the closest thing to a smile.
"As for Camille, that crazy woman nearly wiped us out. Thankfully, Janna blew her all the way back to Piltover."
"Once we knew you weren't in danger and would make it back eventually, we figured... why not start celebrating?"
Cipher tried to explain, though his confidence wavered. After all, it had been his idea to pop the champagne.
Even though they had just survived a major crisis, from a strategic standpoint, Zaun had won.
Heimerdinger, forced into a corner by Camille's failure, had now fully aligned with Zaun.
That alone was worth celebrating. So was welcoming Janna. Champagne had been necessary.
Silco's gaze stayed fixed on Cipher.
"So you just went ahead and celebrated?"
Cipher's shoulders sank under the weight of that stare. He awkwardly lowered his head before Silco finally took the glass from his hands.
"Next time, no champagne until everyone is accounted for." His tone was mild, but the warning was clear.
"Agreed. The good stuff will wait for you, I promise."
Cipher was off the hook.
Vander was alive, Cipher was alive, he was relieved more than anything.
His anger had stemmed more from fear of losing them than anything else.
A small mistake from his family? That was nothing. A few scolding words would do.
His gaze shifted toward the bluebird on Cipher's shoulder.
Janna.
The Guardian Spirit.
Their new family member.
Those words, together, hit like an earthquake.
If not for his years of discipline and control, the moment he heard that Janna was their family… he might not have been able to keep his composure.
A deity, Zaun now had the guardian deity of Piltover and Zaun on its side. That meant Zaun was right, and Piltover was wrong.
The bluebird's wing extended toward him. He hesitated briefly before accepting.
"Janna, nice to meet you. I'm Silco. Welcome to the family, and more importantly, welcome to Zaun," he greeted her with a smile.
"Nice to meet you too, Silco."
With introductions done, he took his seat in the spot prepared for him, holding his glass as he casually added ice. Without wasting time, he turned to Cipher.
"How do you plan to handle the aftermath of Camille's assassination attempt?"
Her strength was beyond measure. Even he had no immediate solution to dealing with her. If they couldn't eliminate her, they wouldn't even be able to pressure Piltover.
Without power, there was no right to speak. Silco understood that better than anyone.
"No rush. Viktor and Professor Heimerdinger already have ideas on how to deal with her. The necessary equipment is in development."
"It won't be long before we get an explanation from Camille herself."
Cipher gently patted Powder's back. Just a while ago, the kid had been restless, but now she was barely able to keep her eyes open in his arms. Still a child, after all, easy to tire out.
"That would be ideal." Silco nodded. He had always preferred careful planning over reckless action. After all, he was not Vander.
"You don't need to worry. As partners of Noxus, you were attacked by Piltover's assassin. Noxus will not stand by and do nothing. Piltover will answer for this," Lester, who had been drinking champagne, suddenly cut in.
His expression remained grim.
His test papers had nearly been destroyed twice now, and this time, the one tearing them apart was someone even he couldn't fight.
He had to report this to his mentor.
"General Lester, is this the will of Noxus, or is it the will of your mentor, the Grand General?"
Cipher's gaze sharpened. He needed a clear answer.
Swain was one thing, but if this represented Noxus as a whole, then the situation was much bigger, it would mean using this as a pretext for escalation.
"In Piltover and Zaun, my mentor's will is Noxus' will."
Lester understood Cipher's concern and reassured him without hesitation before pulling out a communication device.
This was no ordinary piece of equipment, it was a custom-built transmitter gifted by Cipher to Swain. Unlike standard models, it functioned as a mini radio station, capable of long-distance contact without any relay towers.
"I'll report to my mentor right now."
He pressed a button. The red indicator light on the device began to blink, accompanied by a steady beeping sound.
"Lester, what is it?"
The deep, commanding voice of Swain came through as the red light switched to green.
"We have an urgent situation to report."
Lester scanned the room before summarizing Camille's assassination attempt, "Cipher was nearly assassinated by Camille Ferros today. She attempted to either capture or kill him directly, showing complete disregard for Noxian interests."
"And you were unable to prevent this?" Swain's voice carried a note of disapproval.
"Her augmentations make her resistant even to explosive rounds," Lester replied. "She's... evolved beyond our current capabilities."
A heavy silence followed, everyone in the room holding their breath.
This wasn't about making excuses for himself, it was about letting Swain know that an unexpected, uncontrollable variable had emerged in Piltover and Zaun.
As for Janna's intervention, this wasn't the place to bring it up. Not with Cipher and Janna both present.
"Tell Cipher that Noxus will seek justice for him and for Zaun. Our allies are not lambs to be slaughtered."
With those words, Swain ended the call. The device's light faded from green to red, then off completely.
Cipher knew exactly why Lester had reached out, this was about making Noxus' stance clear.
The message was clear. Noxus had declared its position in this conflict.
An event of this magnitude meant Lester was undoubtedly by his side. No further words were necessary.