"What are you still waiting for? They're already stomping all over us, and you're still holding back? Logan, you're a—"
Inside the room, Vi glared at Logan, restless and pissed, her voice rising.
It had been two days since the Enforcers searched Hope Community. In that time, they hadn't come back to raid it again. Most of the Spirit Blossom Gang had been sent out to patrol the community, and Firefly Community was doing the same. And honestly, the Firelights had even more muscle than the Spirit Blossom Gang—Scar's people looked like the kind you didn't want to mess with. The Enforcers obviously didn't dare spark a fight there.
But they were sweeping Zaun hard now—and their numbers kept growing.
Maybe they didn't dare today. But what about later?
When a few hundred Enforcers show up with rifles and surround the community, what then?
Even if you added the Spirit Blossom Gang and the Firelights together, it still felt like they wouldn't match the Enforcers headcount. And on top of that, the Enforcers had better weapons and protective gear. How were they supposed to fight that?
That was exactly why Vi thought they should strike first—use home ground advantage and drive the Enforcers out before they could build up.
This was Zaun, not Piltover. What right did they have to play law down here?
She'd heard Noxians show up in Piltover and talk like Piltover people should've kicked them out. Now Piltover people were coming into Zaun—so yeah, she wasn't about to fold.
But Logan?
As the boss, he was actually backing off.
He'd actually said they should wait?!
Wait for what? No—seriously—what the hell was he waiting for?!
And she kept going, heat climbing in her throat. If they waited any longer, the Enforcers would gather up and march right into their faces.
So Vi's tone sharpened without her noticing, and the insult was already on her tongue—
But she never finished it, because a look landed on her like a weight.
Jinx.
She sat beside Logan with her arms crossed, staring at Vi without saying a word.
Vi swallowed hard and reeled the insult back in.
Powder was Powder. Jinx was Jinx. Over the past few days, Vi had finally understood that.
She believed Jinx wouldn't hurt her—but when Jinx snapped, it was terrifying.
And if Logan couldn't talk her down, nobody else's words meant anything.
A big sister being scared of her little sister… wasn't exactly something to be proud of.
But also… maybe it wasn't that humiliating, either.
Vi tried to convince herself.
"I get what you're saying, Vi," Logan said, meeting her eyes without dodging. "But now isn't the time."
Vi's jaw tightened.
"I'm waiting for a gunshot," Logan added.
"A gunshot? You mean theirs?" Vi's brows shot up.
"No," Logan said. "Ours."
He explained what he was waiting for, and after Vi heard it, her eyes shifted—then she just froze there, blankly.
"Will that even work?"
"This is dangerous, Logan."
"But it's the best chance we're going to get," Logan answered, taking a deep breath.
There was no point hiding this from Vi. She'd get angry, she'd hate it, she'd feel wronged—that was normal.
Jinx had exploded yesterday too, hadn't she? She'd wrapped a whole ring of grenades around her slim waist, waved her arms, and screamed that she'd take them all with her and blow everything up.
If Logan and Isha hadn't stopped her, those Enforcers really would've gone in and never come back. Every last one of them would've died down in the Sump.
Which was probably why Vi was scared of Jinx in the first place.
A lunatic was genuinely terrifying.
Vi sucked in a breath, clenched her fist, and slammed it once, low and hard.
"Fine," she said grimly. "I'm not exactly the brains type anyway. I'll… follow your lead."
Jinx snickered to herself, then looked at Vi. "You should be sitting at the same table as that blockhead."
"Who's the blockhead?" Vi snapped.
"Sevika," Logan said.
"…."
"You're telling me to sit at a table with her? I'll flip the whole table, you hear me?" Vi's temper flared right back up.
Since when had she fallen to the same level as that traitor?
Vi was furious.
But if Logan knew what Vi was thinking right now, he'd probably mutter to himself that she was worse than Sevika.
Vi hesitated. She wavered. She wanted everything at once—and in the end, that kind of person got everyone to turn on them.
"Piltover Enforcer" wasn't exactly a flattering label to Logan anymore. But Sevika?
Sevika wasn't a good person. She was a pure hawk—hardline to the core. But her goal was simple and unshakable, and it never changed.
On that point… Vi didn't measure up to Sevika.
————
Speaking of Sevika—
At that moment in the Forgen Tavern, Sevika sat on the couch in a small back room, head down as she fiddled with her mechanical arm. She bit down on a strip of bandage as she worked, and her voice came out rough and hoarse.
"If you don't make a move, the Spirit Blossom Gang isn't getting over this hurdle."
Silco sounded genuinely surprised. "Since when do you say things like that? Hah. That doesn't sound like you, Sevika."
Sevika didn't look up. She kept working in silence for a moment.
Then she spoke. "Yeah. I noticed it doesn't sound like me either. But, boss… I realized something. We're not wrong. But Logan isn't wrong either."
"We did all this to change Zaun—so ordinary people could live better lives. But we really did hurt a lot of people along the way."
"Boss… I heard about Marsen yesterday—the part where that little punk mouthed off to the Enforcers." Sevika finally raised her head, looking straight at Silco. "And I don't know why, but… I felt relieved."
"I watched those kids grow up. They ran with gangs, went down the wrong roads—I saw all of it. I always thought their futures would end with them face-down in some filthy ditch, and I'd be the one who found them and dealt with the bodies."
"But today… I realized I was wrong."
"Boss, every Zaunite has endless possibilities. Shouldn't we trust them more?" Sevika said, deadly serious.
There was something she didn't dare say out loud, buried deep in her chest.
That maybe… they didn't have to be so extreme.
Silco fell quiet. He rolled a coin across his fingers, then slowly shook his head.
"But I can't help."
"At least… not right now."
"Why?" Sevika demanded.
"Because Logan didn't come to me," Silco replied. "He's waiting. And besides—he and I are competitors, Sevika. Don't forget that."
"But you said it didn't matter whether you or he ended up on top," Sevika said. "In the end, Zaun would be the one that benefits."
Silco closed his eyes and turned his chair, spinning it once… twice… then stopping it with the sole of his foot against the floor. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet.
"Fine. Then tell me—didn't you notice? After the Enforcer raids, both Hope Community and Firefly Community got more united."
"…." Confusion flickered in Sevika's eyes.
Silco continued evenly. "Don't rush it, Sevika. Even if he fails, the Spirit Blossom Gang won't collapse from this. Honestly… I'm even wondering—if he actually wants to, can those Enforcers really stop him?"
"Those Shimmer-enhanced freaks look like toddlers in front of him. And it's not that they're weak."
"It's that he's too strong. Unreasonably strong."
Silco opened his eyes, tossed the coin onto the table, and looked up at the graffiti on the ceiling.
"We'll wait too."
"Maybe… Zaun will have a new 'Vander' after tomorrow."
Sevika didn't understand what Silco meant, but she chose to trust him anyway.
A new Vander?
Sevika shook her head inside.
No. Logan isn't Vander.
He's better than Vander. And… also more handsome?
Sevika's expression turned strange all at once.
What the hell is wrong with me for thinking that?