As the transport ship as it flew away from Artillery Basin, Bangalore instructed the pilot through the intercom.
"Maintain evasive patterns until we clear the airspace. That thing has brought down ships before."
"Copy that," came the terse reply as the craft banked sharply, causing them all to grab for handholds.
Vander sat slumped on a bench against the wall. A medic worked quickly to stem the bleeding from his multiple wounds, applying pressure patches and injecting stabilizers. His face was pale, but his eyes remained alert, scanning the faces of his companions.
Sevika stood by a viewport, watching the landscape below. "Any sign of pursuit?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the window.
"Nothing yet," Bangalore replied, checking tactical displays. "But I'm not taking chances until we're well clear of Artillery Basin."
Cipher pressed a medical compress against the cut on his face, wincing slightly. The bleeding had slowed, but blood had already dried in trails down his neck.
"That was too close," he muttered, examining the data on his remaining scanner.
"It looked even closer from where I was standing," Silco remarked dryly, arranging the samples they had managed to salvage. Despite the chaos of their escape, he'd maintained a tight grip on the chemical compounds he'd acquired. "He let us escape."
"Looked like the opposite from my perspective," Sevika replied, finally turning from the window.
"No," Silco interjected. "If Revenant wanted us dead, he had multiple opportunities. What he wanted was our technology. The scanner. It contains mapping data. Basic information about Zaun, coordinates..."
"You're saying he could follow us?" Vander asked, wincing as the medic applied pressure to his shoulder wound.
"Not directly," Cipher said. "But he now knows other worlds exist. And that might be enough to start looking for a way."
The ship shuddered as it gained altitude, breaking through cloud cover into clearer skies. Bangalore checked the monitors once more before seemingly satisfied that they weren't being pursued.
"We'll reach the extraction facility in approximately thirty minutes," she announced. "Everyone should get patched up while we have time."
As the initial tension of escape began to fade, they attended to their wounds. Silco had miraculously avoided serious injury despite being knocked unconscious. Sevika's wounds were mostly superficial, though her mechanical arm would need more extensive repairs. Cipher's facial cut was cleaned and sealed with a medical adhesive that the medic assured him would minimize scarring.
Vander required the most attention. The medic finished applying synthetic skin grafts to his shoulder where Revenant's talons had torn through muscle.
"You're lucky," she told him. "A few millimeters deeper and you'd have lost the use of this arm."
"Maybe I have a guardian angel," Vander replied with a smile.
As the others rested, Bangalore joined Cipher at a viewport.
"When we first met," she said quietly, "I thought you were just lost."
Cipher looked at her with mild surprise.
"I was," he admitted. "But that was a long time ago. Thank you. For trusting us despite the risk."
"In the Outlands, you learn quickly who can be trusted." Her gaze shifted to Vander. "There's something about your group, you fight like a family, not just allies. He was willing to die for all of you without hesitation."
"That's who he is," Cipher said with smile.
The ship began its descent toward a fortified outpost built into a mountain plateau. Even from the air, the security measures were visible. There were automated defense turrets, scanner arrays, and reinforced walls. This was clearly a military installation of significant importance.
"Welcome to Forward Operating Base Serrano," Bangalore announced as they touched down on a landing pad. "One of the IMC's most secure facilities in this sector. We'll be safe here."
They disembarked, Vander moving under his own power despite the medic's protests. A squad of armed soldiers awaited them, alongside a stern-faced officer whose insignia marked him as the base commander.
"Sergeant Williams," he greeted Bangalore. "Your distress signal indicated a Code Indigo. I trust you have a good explanation for the unregistered transport and these... civilians."
"Colonel Hayes," Bangalore replied with a crisp salute. "They provided critical assistance against a rogue simulacrum. One that has already taken down three IMC squads."
Hayes' expression remained skeptical as he assessed the group. "The Revenant unit? Hammond Robotics has been breathing down our necks about that situation."
"Then they should be grateful," Bangalore said. "These people have data on its vulnerabilities."
The colonel's demeanor shifted slightly. "Very well. They'll be granted temporary access to the facility. Sections A through C only, and under escort at all times."
"Understood."
As Hayes departed, Silco leaned closer to Cipher. "Military hierarchy seems remarkably consistent across dimensions."
"Some things are universal," Cipher replied.
They were escorted to a secure wing of the facility, where they were assigned quarters and given access to a laboratory for analyzing their findings. Medical staff took over Vander's care, using technology far beyond anything available in Zaun to accelerate his healing process.
In the lab, Silco carefully catalogued the chemical compounds he'd acquired, his eyes gleaming with interest as he held a vial to the light. "Properly refined, they could replace shimmer entirely, similar effects without the toxic side effects."
Nearby, Sevika worked with a technician to analyze her mechanical arm's enhanced capabilities since arriving in this dimension.
"The power modulation matrix is completely different from anything we've seen before," the technician explained. "It adapts to ambient energy fields automatically. That's why your arm's performance improved in this environment."
"Can it be stabilized?" she asked, watching as they ran diagnostics on the limb.
"Theoretically. The principles are sound, but implementation would require specialized components."
"Which we now have," Silco interjected, having overheard the conversation.
Cipher, meanwhile, downloaded critical schematics from the scanner they'd managed to keep, occasionally glancing at the empty slot where the lost device should have been.
---
In an abandoned research facility on the other side of the mountains, Revenant interfaced with outdated but functional systems. The stolen scanner lay connected to a terminal, its data slowly being extracted and analyzed.
For centuries, he had hunted within the confines of this world, leashed by programming and ignorance. But the device revealed something unprecedented.
Other worlds.
Other prey.
Places where Hammond had no reach.
He processed the fragmented data about energy signatures and dimensional coordinates. Not enough to cross over, but enough to start. He accessed Hammond's secure networks, searching for any mention of dimensional technology.
If humans could travel between worlds, then so could he. It was just a matter of time.
And time was the one resource he had in abundance.
---
A day passed in the IMC facility, allowing for essential recovery. Vander was up and moving despite his injuries, his accelerated healing surprising even the medical staff.
"You're remarkably resilient," one doctor commented as she examined his shoulder. "The synthetic grafts are integrating faster than expected."
"I've had practice healing," Vander replied simply.
Cipher worked to calibrate his dimensional abilities for the return journey, focusing his thoughts and energy on the coordinates of home. The effort was taxing, leaving him drained after each attempt.
"The coordinates are stable," he announced to the others as they gathered in the lab. "I can open the rift within the hour."
"You're certain it will take us home?" Silco asked. "Not some unknown dimension?"
"Yes."
Vander checked his gear one last time. "How are you feeling about this, Sevika?"
She flexed her mechanical arm, now partially repaired and functioning at about eighty percent capacity. "Better equipped than when we arrived."
Bangalore approached with a small case. "Before you leave," she handed it to Cipher, "a token of appreciation. Shield technology schematics and prototype emitters. They're not standard issue, they're the next generation currently being developed."
"Why?" Silco asked directly, suspicious of generosity.
"Because whatever's happening in your world," she replied, "I recognize the look of people fighting for survival. Been there myself."
World, huh? Her instincts are sharp. Guess there is no need to hide it then... Cipher thought.
Silco glanced at Cipher, then studied Bangalore for a moment before giving a small nod of acknowledgment.
The IMC quickly established a containment zone for the dimensional experiment, which was just a reinforced chamber with energy dampening fields and monitoring equipment. Scientists observed from a safe distance.
"Your world sounds... complicated," Bangalore said as Cipher told a bit about Zaun while making final adjustments to his equipment.
"Aren't they all?" he replied with a half-smile.
"If you ever need a soldier," she offered, her expression serious.
"I'll know where to find you." He extended his hand, and they clasped arms in a warrior's farewell.
Silco observed the interaction with interest. "Alliances across dimensions. You continue to surprise me, Cipher."
"The universe is bigger than we imagined," Vander commented, rolling his shoulder experimentally. "But our fight remains in Zaun."
"Everyone ready?" Cipher asked, taking his position in the center of the chamber.
They formed the same tight circle they had when departing. Each now carried technology and knowledge that could change Zaun's future.
Cipher closed his eyes, his breathing becoming slow and rhythmic. The air around them began to shimmer and distort. A low hum built, rising in pitch until it was almost painful to hear. Reality fractured like broken glass, revealing swirling cosmic energies beyond.
Home, Cipher focused on the thought, picturing the abandoned factory where they had departed. Take us home.
The dimensional rift stabilized, the fractures in reality widening into a portal large enough for them to pass through.
"On my mark," he said, his voice strained with concentration. "Three... two... one... now!"
They stepped forward as one into the fracture. Colors inverted, sound became tactile, gravity shifted. The transition was more controlled this time due to his growing experience, but still intensely disorienting.
Time stretched and compressed simultaneously. A sensation of being pulled in all directions at once overwhelmed them. Then came a final lurching feeling, like missing a step in the dark.
They stumbled onto the concrete floor of the abandoned factory where they had departed. The familiar smell of Zaun greeted them, oddly comforting after the alien atmosphere they'd left behind.
"They're back!" Heimerdinger exclaimed as the rift closed behind them.
The yordle professor rushed forward, his eyes wide as he took in their appearances, Vander's bandaged shoulder, the dried blood on Cipher's face, Sevika's partially functioning arm, and most importantly, the technology they carried.
"By the whiskers!" Heimerdinger gasped. "What happened to you all?"
"We found what we were looking for," Cipher replied simply. "And more."
Viktor approached cautiously, examining the strange devices they had brought back. "Is that... energy shield technology?"
"Among other things," Silco confirmed, already moving to secure the chemical samples he had acquired. "Enough to give Piltover second thoughts about their next attack."
"Fascinating!" Heimerdinger exclaimed, examining one of the shield emitters with barely contained enthusiasm. "With proper study, we could adapt these principles to protect entire districts from chemical spills or even the toxic atmosphere itself!"
"First things first," Vander said. "We need to check on the kids. Make sure everything's been quiet while we were gone."
"The children are fine," Viktor assured him. "The tournament kept them occupied as planned. They have no idea you've been gone."
"Good," Cipher nodded. "Let's keep it that way until we've had time to process everything we've brought back."
As they gathered their equipment to return to The Last Drop, Cipher cast one final glance at where the dimensional rift had been. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a flicker of orange light in the empty space like glowing eyes watching from another dimension.
Then it was gone, and he was left wondering if it had been real or merely a product of his exhaustion.
Either way, they had returned with what they sought. And for now, that would have to be enough.
----------
Spoiler for haters:
I like Revenant. He deserves more love, and a family. I've left that option open, but I won't use it if a lot of people are against it, meaning he will remain in his world.