When Vi returned to the undercity and stepped into the house, this was the scene waiting for her—
Logan, wearing that ridiculous hat—Logan with a pair of huge cat ears sticking out—stood in front of a pile of cookware. He was in a gray wool sweater, sleeves rolled up, chopping meat on a cutting board. And strapped to his back was one very large "accessory."
Jinx was hanging off him like a doll, clutching vegetables and fruit. Whenever Logan told her to, she'd pass something over to Isha. Little Isha wore slippers that were too big for her, darting back and forth through the room—busy, but it was hard to tell what she was even busy doing.
It looked like she was helping wash the vegetables?
"Hah…" Vi let out a breath, one hand on her hip as she stared at the whole domestic disaster.
If she was being honest, even now, Vi still felt jealous of Logan.
She was jealous of how Jinx treated him.
The sisters' relationship had eased up a little lately, but the truth was, Jinx's dependence on Logan had only grown stronger. In the beginning, even when Jinx's attitude toward Vi was bad, her attention and focus still stayed on Vi.
Vi could feel it. She had a softer heart than her tough exterior suggested—she looked sturdy and straightforward, but inside, she was sensitive. She picked up on other people's emotions and attitudes far more than she let on.
And because of that, Vi envied Logan.
She envied that he'd taken the place of being Powder's "only one."
As she stood there, Vi heard Logan and Jinx's voices.
"Give me a taste."
"It's kinda hot."
"Then blow on it."
"Okay."
"Whoa—too bland. I'm adding seasoning! Let me, let me—this one! I wanna add this!"
Vi: "…"
Alright. She wasn't as unhappy all of a sudden.
At least… Logan really was good to Powder.
"You two still have time to cook?" Vi finally spoke up. "Piltover's got a serious situation."
Logan and Jinx both looked back at her.
Jinx hopped off Logan's back and jogged over to Vi, holding out her hand. "Where's my stuff?"
"I already put it in your workshop," Vi said, smiling at her.
Jinx nodded—then her brows snapped down. She stepped in close, two quick steps, and sniffed Vi like a dog. A moment later, she let out a cold laugh and took a step back.
She spread her hands in a mock surrender, lifted one leg back like she was taking a dramatic bow, and said, "I know that smell. It's from that freakishly tall enforcer—legs like chopsticks, all long and skinny."
Vi: "…"
"I just talked to her for a few minutes, Pow—Jinx," Vi said quickly.
"Ha. Don't explain to me. I don't care." Jinx turned away as she walked. "I don't have time to manage your social life. Be friends with whoever you want, that's your business. But don't bring that enforcer in front of me—otherwise, you're gonna hate me. I think you understand what I mean."
"Jinx, Caitlyn is a good person," Vi insisted. "She's not as bad as you think."
"Sister~ she came all the way down there to arrest me. She's a good person?" Jinx shot back. "So what, that means the one she's trying to arrest—me—is the bad one?"
She turned her head and called to the small girl who'd come running over to help her.
"Hey, Isha. Am I a bad guy?"
Isha was unconditionally Team Jinx. In Isha's darkest time, Jinx had been the one who lit something up inside her. To her, Jinx was a friend to play with, a sister who cared, a mother who looked after her.
So Isha immediately shook her head, babbling indignantly as she glared at Vi, cheeks puffed up.
"So what happened?" Logan asked, both hands braced on the counter as he leaned back against it, looking at Vi.
Vi swallowed the words she wanted to use to argue with Jinx and looked at Logan.
"Noxians are here," she said. "Caitlyn told me. She said we shouldn't go up to Piltover lately—avoid starting trouble."
Logan nodded.
"Wait." Vi narrowed her eyes. "Why do you look… not surprised?"
She'd been shocked when she heard. That was Noxus—strongest nation on this continent. If they were in Piltover, Zaun was going to feel it too, one way or another.
Watching Pilties get knocked down a peg felt good, sure—but if Zaun got dragged into it, that wouldn't be good at all.
"Ever consider the possibility my intel's better than yours?" Logan said, amused.
Then he turned back to chopping vegetables, continuing to make dinner.
These days Logan preferred cooking for himself instead of eating out. Now that he had money, he could afford meat, seasoning—so of course he wanted his quality of life to go up.
He really didn't want to eat murkwater frog meat anymore.
As he cooked, Logan kept thinking.
The plot had already changed massively since the day he met Jinx. The gears started turning, and everything had diverged from the version of events in the Arcane timeline.
Not to mention, the Spirit Blossom Gang now controlled two communities in Zaun. After merging with the Firelights, the Spirit Blossom Gang had become Zaun's second-largest force.
But maybe… in some directions, things still wouldn't change?
For example, Mel's mother trying to use Piltover. A hardline soldier like that wasn't difficult to read—but what excuse would she use to push into Piltover's politics?
What method would she use to seize power?
Logan mulled it over.
"Logan!"
At that moment, someone rushed into the room.
Logan turned and saw Sevika. He looked genuinely surprised.
"Boss… what are you doing here?"
Sevika looked at Logan as he wiped his hands and walked toward her. One brow lifted—this punk somehow looked even more handsome than last time.
"Silco sent me to pass on a message," she said.
"Piltover's preparing to crack down on Zaun. They're assembling more than a hundred enforcers into squads. In a few days, they'll come down to enforce the law in the Undercity. Silco's already hidden the Shimmer operations, and he warned the other chem-barons not to stick their heads out right now."
Then Sevika's gaze grew complicated.
"And you, Logan—your side is going to be a headache."
She suddenly realized how different what Logan was doing was compared to what her people did.
All this time, Sevika had believed helping Silco meant carrying Zaun's banner—reviving Zaun.
But now? Topsiders were coming down, and Silco's entire faction had to go to ground because there were too many dirty businesses. Too many operations that couldn't be seen by enforcers.
Silco's people could hide and wait it out.
But what about ordinary Zaunites?
When enforcers started searching and inspecting, they weren't going to do it gently. Violent enforcement wasn't just possible—it was guaranteed.
And Logan's turf—two communities under his control—would become the first places they watched the closest.
Because only Logan's Spirit Blossom Gang was still standing in the open.
"Search and inspection?" Logan frowned.
In the original story, Silco escalated straight into open conflict with Piltover. The power of Shimmer-enhanced fighters terrified the topsiders.
But now the enforcers were coming down… and Silco was choosing to hide?
That wasn't right.
Something had changed.
Logan rubbed his chin, thinking.
Then his eyes lifted—and he saw Jinx.
…Damn it.
There it was.
In the original timeline, Jinx stole the Hextech gemstone and Jayce's notes, and she developed Hextech weapons on her own. That was what gave Silco the confidence to go to war with the Upper City.
Jinx's weapons made Silco believe he could finally put everything on the table.
If the topside had it, so did they.
And if the topside didn't have it… then Zaun did.
But here?
Silco only had Shimmer. Because the day Jinx ran away was the day Silco pushed her to make weapons, sent her spiraling—and then she met Logan.
"What are you staring at me for?" Jinx noticed Logan looking. She was standing on a stool, sneaking snacks, head tilted in confusion, her red lips shiny with a smear of oil.
"I get it." Logan turned to Sevika and said, "Tell Silco this for me—Spirit Blossom Gang isn't going to hide."
"Alright." Sevika nodded.
Then she reached out, patted Logan's shoulder… and said nothing else. She turned and left.
"Vi," Logan said, "go get Marsen and Scar for me."
Vi didn't get annoyed at being ordered around. She knew this was serious. This wasn't the time to sulk.
She nodded and ran out of the house.
Logan's eyes narrowed slightly, and a thrill ran through him.
"Then let's see… if I'm right."
Piltover leaning on Zaun.
Maybe that wasn't a bad thing at all.