Separated from Quiletta's protective escort, Cipher made his way alone through Zaun's streets, keeping to the shadows and wearing a worn worker's cap pulled low over his face. His popularity had become a double-edged sword, while it demonstrated Zaun's growing unity, it also meant he couldn't move freely without drawing crowds of well-wishers, petitioners, and the occasionally overzealous admirers who wanted to discuss policy reforms at length.
This particular area on the remote outskirts had been deliberately kept undeveloped by his administration's urban planning committee. The old canning factory and surrounding industrial wasteland served multiple purposes: a discrete location for sensitive meetings, a buffer zone for potentially dangerous experiments, and most importantly today, a private dimensional gateway far from curious eyes.
As he walked through the empty streets, he couldn't help but notice the dramatic changes that had transformed Zaun over the past few years. What had once been a struggling undercity was now attracting refugees and immigrants from across the world, drawn by stories of clean air, steady employment, and a government that actually served its people rather than exploiting them.
The population had multiplied several times over compared to when they'd first begun their reforms. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that every day, desperate people from war-torn regions, oppressive regimes, and economically collapsed nations attempted to reach Zaun, seeking nothing more than the chance to live with dignity and eat regular meals.
This influx had naturally given rise to an entire underground economy of smugglers who specialized in helping people cross borders and navigate the complex refugee application process. Some were genuinely humanitarian operations; others were purely profit-driven enterprises that Zaun's security forces had to monitor carefully.
The surge in population brought numerous challenges that kept Cipher awake at night, poring over infrastructure reports and resource allocation studies.
Public security remained manageable, thanks largely to Zaun's comprehensive surveillance network and the digital identification system they'd adapted from Apex world technology. Crime rates had actually decreased as former criminals found legitimate employment in the expanding tech sector, and the community policing initiatives fostered genuine cooperation between residents and law enforcement.
Economically, they were thriving beyond their wildest projections. The combination of dimensional technology, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and Zaun's reputation for innovation had created a booming tech industry that generated wealth at an unprecedented rate. Ensuring everyone had adequate food, housing, and healthcare was no longer a struggle, it was simply a matter of efficient distribution.
The real problem was space, too many people, insufficient living areas, and public facilities that had been designed for a much smaller population. The original city planners hadn't anticipated needing to accommodate five times the intended population within the same geographical constraints.
Nearly every native Zaunite household owned at least one motorbike, but finding parking had become a daily challenge. The originally planned parking structures were perpetually full, leading to the emergence of an entirely new service industry: valet parking cooperatives that managed vehicle storage in repurposed buildings throughout the city.
Once the classified underground expansion project currently under construction was completed, they planned to redevelop this entire canning factory district. High-rise residential buildings, expanded public transportation hubs, and recreational facilities would help alleviate the growing population density crisis that threatened to overwhelm their carefully planned urban infrastructure.
"I should bring my family back first," Cipher muttered to himself, deliberately pushing aside thoughts about municipal planning and resource management. There would be time for administrative concerns later.
Zaun had risen from the most humble beginnings imaginable, and the progressive spirit that had driven their transformation didn't allow them to turn away refugees who sought shelter and opportunity. They had a moral obligation to help those who had nowhere else to turn.
In fact, if Piltover wasn't still actively blocking trade routes and imposing economic sanctions, private contractors would have already begun recruiting from the refugee populations for major infrastructure projects. Zaun's population would have exploded even further beyond current levels, but they would have had the economic expansion to support it.
"I haven't let my siblings come back in years. Haven't seen them in so long, I really do miss them."
The thought brought a genuine smile to his face as he approached the abandoned factory building where he'd conducted previous dimensional rifts. His family had been training in Qurac for what felt like an eternity, learning combat techniques and studying advanced technology that could benefit Zaun's defense capabilities. But the situation in Iona was becoming increasingly volatile. Intelligence reports suggested that Swain was preparing a massive offensive that would make his previous attacks look like minor skirmishes.
Cipher's family needed to return home to help defend everything they'd built together.
He closed his eyes and began the familiar process of accessing his dimensional abilities. The mental strain had lessened over time as his control improved, but opening rifts still required intense concentration and significant energy expenditure.
Just as the rift stabilized and the familiar tear in reality began to form, a pair of strong hands suddenly reached through the dimensional gateway and grabbed his shoulders with surprising force. Before he could react or activate any defensive measures, those hands gripped him tightly and began shaking him so vigorously that he felt like his bones might actually separate from their joints.
"Five years… five whole years…" A woman's voice filled with barely suppressed rage and emotional intensity came from within the rift.
"Do you have any idea what I've been through these five years? Do you have any concept of what it's like being stuck in a war zone while you're here playing politics?! Do you?"
Vi stepped through the dimensional gateway with all the dramatic flair of someone who had been rehearsing this confrontation for months. The girl had grown into a formidable young woman. Her beautiful pink hair, which had once been slicked back in imitation of Vander's practical style, was now tied into a long, elaborate ponytail that somehow managed to look both feminine and intimidating. How was that even possible?
Though her hairstyle had evolved to be more conventionally attractive, her fundamental aura remained tough and uncompromising. Her eyebrows, in particular, had developed into sharp, heroic arches that exuded an intensity that could probably intimidate career criminals. The overall effect was of someone who could seamlessly transition from elegant dinner party to street fight without missing a beat.
Looking down at Cipher, who was completely unable to move while trapped in her powerful grip, Vi's heart overflowed with genuine joy at seeing her brother again and absolute fury at being kept away from home for such an extended period. Just thinking about how her overprotective brother hadn't allowed her to return to Zaun for five entire years made her blood boil from the soles of her feet all the way to the crown of her head.
"Okay, okay, stop shaking me! One more shake and I'll literally fall apart! You coming back to Zaun would've only caused trouble, not helped anything. You would have just stirred up chaos and probably started three international incidents before lunch. It was better for everyone that you stayed there and focused on training."
Cipher stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes dramatically, pretending to be on the verge of losing consciousness in an exaggerated attempt to win some sympathy from his clearly stronger sister.
Vi had grown up.
Her training under Hawkgirl's guidance, combined with exposure to Thanagarian combat techniques and enhancement protocols, had transformed her into someone who could probably bench-press a small vehicle. Cipher was no longer capable of subduing her with one hand like he used to during their childhood arguments.
"I'll show you chaos!"
Vi completely lost her temper and started shaking him even more violently, as if she was trying to rearrange his internal organs through pure kinetic force.
"Stop shaking! Just stop shaking! I brought you a gift, it's definitely something you've been missing the most!"
Cipher raised both hands in complete surrender, recognizing that he was thoroughly outmatched in any physical confrontation. Since he couldn't overpower her anymore, his only hope for survival was to rely on diplomatic negotiations and strategic bribery.
"What kind of gift?"
Sure enough, Vi immediately stopped her assault. The anger on her face disappeared as if someone had flipped a switch. Her fundamental personality hadn't changed at all over the years, quick to explosive anger, but equally quick to cool down when something captured her interest. Hearing that Cipher had thoughtfully brought her a present instantly defused half of her accumulated resentment.
"Just wait right here, I'll get it for you."
Cipher seized this momentary ceasefire to break free from her grip and hurried over to his parked motorbike. From the specially designed storage compartment, he retrieved a carefully wrapped package containing chilled marinated swamp frogs, something he had specifically ordered from one of Zaun's most exclusive delicatessens.
This particular delicacy had become increasingly difficult to obtain in recent years, Zaun's comprehensive environmental restoration programs had been so successful that the mutated swamp frogs were now considered a protected species, with strict quotas on harvesting to ensure population sustainability.
If he hadn't given the chef advance notice and pulled some administrative strings, he wouldn't have been able to acquire it at all.
"Whoa, genuine swamp frogs?! I've missed this stuff so much I could actually cry!"
As soon as the aromatic marinated delicacy was placed in her hands, Vi's anger instantly evaporated. She immediately crouched down on the factory floor and began enthusiastically devouring the food with obvious happiness. Her eating habits could easily rival those of someone who hadn't seen food in weeks, she didn't even bother with basic utensils, just grabbed the meat with her bare hands and attacked it with single-minded focus.
"Absolutely hopeless."
Cipher shook his head in mock disapproval, silently criticizing his completely uncivilized sister who apparently hadn't learned proper table manners despite years of supposedly sophisticated training.
"And what about my gift? Just so you know, I'm not nearly as easy to fool as Vi is." A gentle but pointed voice came from behind him.
Cipher turned around and was genuinely surprised to see Powder standing there, wearing her distinctive twin pigtails styled exactly like in the original timeline, as if she had deliberately chosen to maintain that particular look despite all the changes in their lives.
Her overall appearance was almost identical to how she had looked in the canonical story, though there was less insanity in her eyes, which was... good?
"Of course I brought something for you. But let me just say, who exactly cut your bangs? It looks like a blind person attacked your hair with garden shears."
He pulled out a plush toy he had personally made from the motorcycle's storage compartment and handed it to Powder.
"Aww, you actually remembered that old conversation? That was… a complete accident, really, I swear!"
Powder accepted the toy, though she turned her head slightly and avoided making direct eye contact with Cipher, her cheeks flushing with the faintest hint of pink.
The plush toy had been designed to resemble a small figure wearing a cape and cowl, representing the iconic hero known as Batman, though this particular version had been crafted from high-quality Quraci fabrics and stuffed with Thanagarian bio-synthetic materials that made it surprisingly durable and pleasant to touch.
Back when they first traveled to Qurac and began establishing their interdimensional alliance, everyone had genuinely believed that Powder had finally matured and reformed her more chaotic tendencies, she appeared to be focusing seriously on scientific research and behaving in a responsible manner.
At that time, Janna had just helped coordinate a delicate prisoner exchange between Quraci and Bialyan forces, and with Prime Minister Al-Bashir's special authorization, Zaun had been granted unprecedented access to captured Bialyan technology archives as payment for their assistance. Because Powder had previously demonstrated exceptional talent in mechanical engineering and innovative problem-solving, Dr. Baiul had personally taken an interest in her potential and granted her special permission to study highly classified Thanagarian refugee technology, including their advanced flight systems, energy manipulation techniques, and materials science principles.
But not long after gaining this privileged access, she had managed to pull off a spectacularly dangerous stunt that nearly caused a diplomatic crisis. No one had noticed when she began spending increasing amounts of time with a particular Thanagarian refugee tech specialist, but the two brilliant minds had started collaborating on increasingly ambitious experimental projects.
Somehow, working together and combining their respective expertise, they had managed to extract complete technical specifications for what the Thanagarian refugees called an "Nth Metal Energy Conduit" from within the classified archives.
Then, using an innovative combination of Thanagarian metallurgy principles, salvaged Bialyan equipment, and improvised components they had assembled from various sources, Powder and her refugee collaborator had actually managed to construct a functional prototype of the energy conduit.
What happened next could only be described as catastrophic. The Nth Metal conduit prototype had overloaded during its initial testing phase and released a massive electromagnetic pulse that surged through the experimental zone of the Quraci capital, temporarily disabling all electronic systems within a three-mile radius and plunging a significant portion of the city into darkness.
This time, Powder had really messed up on an international scale. Fortunately, no personnel had been seriously harmed during the incident, and the blackout had actually provided an unexpected strategic advantage by temporarily masking Quraci military movements from Bialyan surveillance satellites.
The Nth Metal energy manipulation technology was considered standard Thanagarian engineering, but the refugees had lost most of their advanced fabrication equipment and technical documentation when they were forced to flee their homeworld under mysterious circumstances.
Powder and her refugee partner's success in creating a working prototype using only salvaged materials and improvised techniques had actually earned them considerable merit within the Quraci scientific community, and the entire incident had been quietly suppressed through the combined diplomatic efforts of Prime Minister Al-Bashir and Dr. Baiul.
Otherwise, with an entire district's electrical grid completely fried and critical infrastructure damaged, the compensation costs would have been so astronomical that even liquidating all of Zaun's assets wouldn't have been sufficient to cover the damages. If Bialyan intelligence forces had detected the distinctive energy signature and successfully traced it back to Zaun's involvement, it would have guaranteed immediate military retaliation and potentially sparked a full-scale war between the nations.
Powder had nearly become the ultimate jinx!