"Beautiful, isn't it?"
The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar, its hum carrying an ominous weight. Orion turned his head and froze.
Standing against the lush greenery and the rusted grime of the factory was Silco. A dark vest and high-collared cream shirt framed his gaunt features, every fold sharp and deliberate. Polished black boots and gloved hands marked him untouched by the Undercity's filth. In the depths of the Sump, his tailored elegance set him apart.
Predator, ruler, and zealot, all in one.
His bluish-green eye was cold and calculating, while the scarred crimson one fixed on Orion with predatory intensity. Hands clasped behind his back, Silco paced slowly forward into the greeny.
"I don't," Orion replied, forcing steadiness into his voice.
Silco's retort was swift, sharp. "Don't play coy, boy. Your inexperience makes you an open book."
Orion gritted his teeth, conscious of the weapon inside his jacket. "Where's C?"
Silco smirked, gaze drifting past him. From the shadows, a silken voice slid into the tension, curling around the moment like smoke.
"Similar minds think alike," C purred, stepping into the light with measured grace.
Her attire was, as always, grandiose for the Undercity, each step punctuated by the sharp click of her heels.
'So that's it… she's been working with Silco.'
"I don't want my new flower snipped," C suddenly snapped, her tone sharp with agitation.
"Hmph. That all depends on how the boy answers." Silco's gaze pierced Orion. "You recognized me the moment you saw me. So tell me, where have you seen me? Because I haven't seen you."
The world seemed to slow, pressure bearing down before it all sped back up under Silco's intense glare.
"My parents were there years ago, on the bridge," Orion blurted, his voice high with strain. Cold sweat ran down his back as his hand instinctively slid inside his jacket.
Silco's lips curled into a mocking smirk. He stepped closer, deliberate and slow, while the bodyguards shifted behind him.
"You'll have to try better than that, boy."
"The river!" Orion raised his voice. Silco halted, narrowing his eyes as Orion pressed on. "Vander tried to drown you. You cut his arm and escaped. He gave you that eye!"
For a fleeting moment, Silco's gaze lowered, bitter rage flashing before his expression hardened again. He sighed, resigned.
"It seems I couldn't stop every rat from spying. You're lucky I didn't see you then. I would have killed you."
Chills prickled Orion's spine. C's sultry voice followed, slithering into the silence. "Vander's betrayal of Silco set us back years."
"Zaun could've blossomed under his careful cultivation," C sighed, nails tracing a blooming flower. At her touch, it blackened, curling inward into a blackened husk.
"But instead, we acquiesced. We let our flowers wither and our seeds burn."
"So you're after revenge? A second chance at freedom?" Orion asked, his voice on edge. "I assume you know my ties to Vander's kids."
"Of course," Silco snorted. "You're their new caretaker. Someone to walk his puppies so they don't bite anyone. A lowbrow job for a boy with your history and talent."
Orion's brow twitched, drawing a chuckle from Silco. "Your parents vanished for Vander. You nearly died defending his brats. Chem-ghouls, Chem-Hounds, you killed them alone. Very impressive."
The unexpected acknowledgment caught Orion off guard. "How do you even know that?"
"Entresol belongs to Vander," Silco explained coldly. "But the Sump? The Sump is ours. It was his, once. He's forgotten why we fought and settled. And settling, down here, leads to an early death."
Behind Orion, the clicking of heels slowed. Her intoxicating perfume filled his senses, making his head spin. She leaned close as she whispered into his ear.
"I've aided Silco's projects, just as I've nurtured you. I want you to bloom, willingly."
The air grew heavy, every word laced with threat and temptation. Silco's gaze never wavered, unblinking and cold. The bodyguards loomed behind Orion, his hand tightening around the hidden weapon in his jacket. It was the only thing grounding him as the weight of the moment threatened to crush him.
He was acutely aware of the two bodyguards still standing behind him, yet his hand remained firmly on his jacket, gripping the only security he felt he had left.
"You're overstepping yourself," Silco raised his voice, his tone unforgiving. "Everything here thrives off the runoff from topside. Your nurturing is nothing but a byproduct of my work. Without me, you would've wept alone, wallowing in decrepit pools of filth."
C's gaze dropped briefly, her once-outstretched fingertips curling inward as if stung. Silco's voice lowered, deliberate and cold. "Don't forget again."
"Vander went searching for you," Orion interjected, earning a sharp and dangerous glare. "My parents were trying to help find you. He wanted to apologize- mend wounds with his brother."
"He should've been there himself," Silco spat.
"He was. Visit your old custodian office in the Entresol seams and you'll know I'm not lying." Orion said firmly, but Silco didn't even twitch. "Vander regrets what he did to you. My parents went missing searching for you. If that means anything to you, it should."
"Ah, yes," Silco mused, tone detached and stripped of any warmth. "An all-too-common story. The mines are filled with far worse than people."
His words hung like poisonous mist, dismissing Orion's pain while carrying the quiet undertone of a threat.
"Orion has much potential," C interjected, drawing a tilt of Silco's head as his gaze flicked toward her. "He has as much ambition as you."
Silco let out a wry, mocking chuckle. "Is that so?" His crimson eye returned to Orion, pinning him in place.
"All I see is a boy clawing at life. Not a seed of vengeance. Not a fire for Zaun, not hatred for topsiders, not even the spark of rebellion. Just survival."
"You're right. Survival is all I know," Orion admitted carefully. "And every survivor knows it takes knowing the right people."
He paused, voice deliberate. "If I didn't care for the Undercity, for Zaun, I wouldn't be standing here."
"Clawing for any means to endure…" Silco leaned closer, his words like a knife's edge. "A good instinct. But it also means your loyalty is thin. A dog that would bite its owner without hesitation. Do you think I would make the same mistake twice?"
Silco raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixated on Orion, waiting silently and motionlessly.
'He's completely right. Fuck.'
"You wouldn't have invited me here if you didn't have something planned. Tell me what you want."
Orion sounded unapologetic and unresponsive to his taunt. He wasn't planning on making Silco right, but he wasn't wrong either. Regardless, he needed to make money and survive. Knowing that Silco was alive and letting Vander know was also enough.
The weight of that thought pressed on his chest, a reminder that no matter which way he leaned, there would be consequences. His jaw clenched, body stiff, but he refused to show the nerves crawling under his skin.
"I'll give you credit, boy, you have guts. But speak to me without respect again and I will spill what remains."
Silence gripped the room, broken only by the faint echoes of despair outside and the screeching hum of metallic ventilation. The tension was sharp and palpable, keeping everyone on edge.
"You have a modicum of my respect, Orion. I'll give you a choice," Silco slowly said, sounding thoughtful as he spoke. "Return to Vander and continue to be his dog, or join C in a raid topside tonight. But if you join C topside, Vander will hate you for your actions and you will be ostracized."
'What a choice. I have a feeling I won't be making it out of here unscathed if I choose to return.'
Orion stiffened, feeling the tension behind him. He didn't dare turn as he knew it would invalidate his words if he saw the thugs pulling their weapons or C about to sedate him. His hand flexed near his jacket, the familiar weight of his gun reminding him of a third option.
"How much is the pay?"
"Enough to where you and your new pet won't have to worry for some time."
"Don't call her a pet," Orion warned and Silco rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Let's go topside and get this done."
A pair of sharp hisses of metal being sheathed echoed behind him but Orion didn't flinch.
'I knew it.'
Silco eyed him carefully before nodding silently, turning to leave with a dismissive, "Hmph," before disappearing into the shadows of the factory.
Exhaling slowly, he turned to see C smiling gleefully with a mischievous expression. She giggled sadistically, a sound that echoed in his mind.
"This is just until we're out of Factorywood," C hummed as a thug stepped forward again with a sack. "We'll be heading topside immediately."
Sometime later, the sack was removed and Orion stood at the entrance of Factorywood. Surrounding him were several thugs chuckling maliciously with arrogant smirks. C stood in the center, eyeing Orion's calm demeanor.
'I just need to report to Vander after this.'
"You will accompany these fine gentlemen," C gestured at the tattooed and augmented thugs surrounding him with an innocent smile. "I'll be waiting at the Cultivar for my prize."
"What prize?" Orion asked.
"You'll know soon enough."