In the middle of a massive explosion at the factory, a large number of indentured workers escaped. They had finally managed to break free from the control of their overseers and were running around in desperate confusion, like people fleeing a burning building, desperately trying to escape Piltover and reach the relative safety of Zaun.
"Turn left, then right at the end."
Levi and Aria moved swiftly through the industrial maze, bathed in a faint glow.
With guidance from their communicator, they took only secluded paths and so far had avoided detection by patrolling enforcers. They were rapidly approaching Caitlyn's location.
There were many enforcers in the industrial zone, as they had to maintain security.
Due to the prevalence of the indentured labor system in the industrial zone, the enforcers in charge of local security often had vested interests tied directly to the overseers of indentured workers.
They accepted bribes from the overseers and usually turned a blind eye to their actions. As long as the overseers didn't go too far, meaning they didn't kill workers in public view or cause property damage that affected Piltovans, the enforcers wouldn't intervene.
After all, the oppressed indentured workers weren't citizens of Piltover in any legal sense, the enforcers were only responsible for the safety of Piltover's own people, and indentured workers fell into a convenient legal gray area.
In emergencies, such as an indentured worker uprising, the enforcers would even actively help the overseers suppress it.
This was rationalized because when these exploited workers lost control, they could wreak havoc on valuable factory equipment and even threaten the Piltovans, posing what authorities called "a serious threat to public order."
Afterwards, the overseers would knowingly send over generous gifts to the enforcement station. Their relationship with the enforcers was one of deeply entangled mutual interests.
When an uprising broke out, the enforcers and overseers would work in tacit cooperation to suppress it. If the situation escalated beyond containment, they wouldn't hesitate to use lethal force, something that happened far more often than official reports suggested.
"Why are there so many indentured workers running loose here?"
A patrolling enforcer in the industrial district asked his companion in surprise.
They had come over specifically to investigate after hearing the explosion at the factory, expecting to find a simple industrial accident or equipment malfunction. But when they arrived near the blast site, they found something far more troubling, a mass escape of indentured workers streaming through the streets like a human flood.
"There are too many of them for us to handle alone. We need to alert the captain immediately and have him bring reinforcements."
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, this wasn't a small disturbance but a full-scale breakdown of the containment system, his companion pulled out a walkie-talkie and called for backup.
"Captain, do you copy? Captain, please respond."
Static crackled before a gruff voice answered: "What is it?"
"There's been an explosion at Factory 7 in the industrial zone. When we arrived to investigate, we found a large number of indentured workers escaping through the district. A riot is likely breaking out, and there are too many of them, we need immediate reinforcements."
"Understood. I'll bring people right away. Do not act rashly until backup arrives. Keep observing and report any unusual behavior immediately. You are authorized to open fire if they threaten the citizens."
"Roger that!"
---
At the Piltover law enforcement outpost in the industrial zone, the enforcer captain put down his radio.
He knew the escaping workers couldn't be captured immediately with just two men, the sheer numbers made that impossible. The first step was to lock down the roads leading to Zaun and contain the situation before it spread to civilian areas.
At least this one started with an explosion. Makes the paperwork easier.
"Take your weapons and head out now. Alpha team, seal the road exits leading to the Undercity. Bravo team, follow me, we're going after the runners."
After giving orders with military precision, the enforcers at the outpost sprang into action. The captain didn't forget to notify the head overseer, either, protocol demanded coordination with their unofficial partners.
"This is the enforcer captain. Can you hear me?"
The captain contacted the head overseer via a private communication channel that didn't appear on any official records.
"Oh, Captain Marcus. What can I do for you?"
A respectful voice came over the radio.
"You heard the explosion in the industrial zone, right? The indentured workers are escaping en masse, and the whole district is in chaos. Send your men to maintain order immediately."
"If this turns into a bigger mess and the Council starts asking questions, no one will be able to take the fall for this," the enforcer captain said coldly.
"I didn't know it was this serious. Those peasants really think they can rise up against the natural order?"
"Don't worry. I'll contact all the overseers right away and have them send their men to help restore control. We will absolutely not let those peasants disturb the peace of Piltover."
"We will take full responsibility for any damage caused to corporate property."
The overseer chief immediately gave his assurance.
The indentured labor system had long since formed a fully developed industrial chain with its own rules and enforcement mechanisms. As the chief overseer, he was responsible for coordinating the interests of the overseers, the corporations, and the enforcers.
When a large-scale uprising among indentured workers occurred, all overseers were expected to contribute resources and manpower. Any overseer who failed to follow the unspoken rules would be collectively suppressed by their peers, and would meet a very ugly end in some unfortunate "accident."
"You'd better move quickly. Today is Progress Day, and half the world's diplomats are watching. With such a huge incident happening, there's a high chance that some Council member will come down personally to investigate. If things get out of hand, it'll make everyone look incompetent."
The enforcer captain was somewhat satisfied with the overseer boss's immediate compliance. After delivering his warning, he hung up the communicator and prepared to head to the industrial district to take control of the situation personally.
---
Meanwhile, Caitlyn and Jayce, who had retrieved his Mercury Hammer from the Academy workshop, were making their way toward the industrial zone, but their pace was honestly rather pathetic, since neither of them had any form of rapid transportation. They were actually running on foot through Piltover's winding streets like common citizens.
The supposed defenders of the city, jogging to a crisis like they were late for a dinner appointment. Such was the norm, but Caitlyn was different.
"I heard that Zaun's sheriffs each have a chem-motorbike so they can respond quickly to emergencies. Why doesn't Piltover's law enforcement have anything like that?"
"What happened to our promised Hextech bikes?"
She was in excellent physical condition thanks to years of training, but even she was starting to feel the strain, the industrial district was simply too far from the Progress Day venue. Sweat was beginning to stain her formal uniform.
She complained to Jayce between breaths.
Jayce, as a councilor overseeing the Piltover Academy, was supposedly responsible for all the city's scientific research projects and technological advancement. But she had never seen him do anything practical for Piltover's law enforcement, all his innovations seemed focused on grand projects rather than practical needs.
"I did submit a proposal to the Council once, but it was rejected outright."
Even Jayce was exhausted after running so far while carrying his hammer, the weapon's weight making every step more laborious. Hearing Caitlyn's sharp questioning, he felt genuinely wronged by her accusation.
He had personally ridden one of Zaun's motorbikes during "diplomatic visits," of course he had dreamed of creating a Hextech version to rival it.
"There's actually something Councilor Talis can't get approved? I think you just got too busy with your grand projects and forgot about us street-level enforcers."
Caitlyn didn't believe it for a second. Jayce had managed to develop steel-framed airships that could traverse continents, and yet somehow couldn't engineer something as relatively simple as a motorbike?
If Zaun wasn't so strict about motorbike exports, treating them as restricted technology, she would've bought one herself with her family's considerable resources.
Relying on just her two legs to carry out law enforcement missions was fine within her own district, where distances were manageable. But once she had to cross zones for major incidents, not only was it inefficient, it also made her look ridiculous and unprofessional.
"I'm telling the truth! The complete design blueprint for the Hextech bike is still sitting in my lab, fully functional and ready for production! I even brought it to a formal Council session once, complete with cost projections and efficiency analyses."
Jayce looked genuinely innocent.
"Seriously? Why would they reject something so obviously beneficial? This should've been approved immediately."
Now that she knew the blueprint actually existed and wasn't just theoretical, Caitlyn believed Jayce wasn't lying or making excuses. But she couldn't understand why the Council would shoot down such a practical innovation.
"It's complicated political nonsense. Mel explained some of the reasons to me afterwards."
"Enforcement gear and equipment for Piltover's law enforcement is managed by a specific Council member who controls the budget allocation. The budget is always artificially tight because that member has other priorities. And apparently, the design of the Hextech bike was seen as too rebellious, too free-spirited for Piltover's image. The Council believes that the elegant citizens of Piltover should ride in dignified carriages, not zip around on motorcycles like Zaunite troublemakers."
"In the end, it was just a bunch of classist nonsense wrapped in budget concerns. At the time, I was focused on building Piltover's city-wide defense system against external threats, so the Hextech bike was just a side project. After the rejection, I didn't push the issue."
"Then I got caught up in other research, and it just slipped my mind completely."
Jayce also found the current situation deeply frustrating. Here they were, running on foot to respond to a major crisis, he felt like an amateur rather than a leader.
If war were to break out at this pace, what kind of rapid response could they provide? Might as well go home and use this hammer for actual carpentry!
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