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"Janna, can you still take your human form?" Chen asked, cutting straight to the chase.
The blue bird nodded solemnly. But before Chen could even process the tactical advantage, a familiar, jagged Whisper tickled his ear. Jinx was hovering inches from him, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"You really want to see her that badly, stat-stick?"
"No! Not like that!" Chen felt the cold sweat prickling his neck. "Listen, this is about PR—Public Relations! I'm going to use the goddess to run a psy-op. We're going to spike her faith power and tank Silco's reputation in one move!"
Chen didn't wait for her to argue. He immediately gathered the Firelight scouts and began assigning tasks. In the digital age he came from, Chen was a ten-year veteran of the "Keyboard Wars." He had survived toxic forums, handled online trolls, and seen how a single viral thread could topple a company. Compared to the information warfare of the 21st century, the people of Runeterra were playing with blocks.
"Did you hear? Silco's Shimmer army got absolutely wrecked at the Sanctuary."
"Wait, for real? Who did it? I heard the Firelights were just kids on hoverboards."
"It wasn't just the kids, man. Do you know Janna? The Goddess? My grandfather used to talk about her. She appeared! She's the one who sent Silco packing!"
"No way. Janna hasn't been seen since before the Sun Gates were built. Why would she show up now?"
"Because she believes the Firelights are the true future of Zaun. She's chosen them! Look, I even have a photo..."
"Holy... that's her. She looks like a literal celestial. How much for the photo? I need that for my... altar."
"Not for sale, move along!"
These conversations began to bloom like toxic algae across Zaun's bars, sumps, and marketplaces. Chen hadn't just relied on word of mouth; he'd taken high-quality "paparazzi" shots of Janna in her human form and had the Firelights distribute them like underground leaflets.
As the story traveled, it grew in the telling. By the time it reached the lower sumps, the rumors were wild:
"Janna beat Silco so hard he's crying in his wine."
"Anyone who joins the Firelights gets a literal wind-shield from the Goddess."
"Janna is the most beautiful being in existence, and she's reportedly dating a young strategist from the Firelights."
Chen winced at that last one—if Jinx heard that, his life expectancy would drop to zero. But the tactic was working. Faith was a currency, and Janna was getting rich.
"The power of public opinion is a wildfire," Chen muttered, watching Janna's blue bird form. She was looking much more vibrant, her feathers glowing with a soft, iridescent sheen. "Look at the prairie, Silco. It's starting to burn."
Janna hopped onto his shoulder, her voice a soft, melodic chime. "Thank you, Chen. I can feel my essence returning. The prayers are... different now. More hopeful."
"Don't thank me. You're the one who spent centuries protecting people who forgot you existed. You're the hero here."
The little bird buried her head under her wing, genuinely shy. She flew off to play with the children in the Sanctuary, her presence acting as a natural air purifier for the Great Tree.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Jinx pounced. "Do you just stop functioning whenever a pretty face walks by? Is that a passive ability I didn't know about?"
"Powder, please! I'm focused on the mission!" Chen pivoted quickly to save his skin. "Actually, we need to check on your sister. We've been underground for a while—we need to know what's happening in Piltover."
Jinx's manic energy faltered for a second. "Vi... yeah. But the bridges are closed, right? Martial law?"
"We can't go up, but we can call up," Chen said, his eyes lighting up.
"The Radio!" Jinx shouted, hitting the realization at the same time. "The prototypes we built in Heimerdinger's lab! We just need to set up a transmission dish here in the Sump!"
They hit it off immediately, diving into a pile of scrap metal and copper wiring. If they could align a high-gain satellite dish with the Academy's towers, they could bypass the Enforcer blockade with pure waves.
While Chen and Jinx were tinkering with telecommunications, a much darker meeting was taking place in a boardroom filled with toxic fumes.
The Chem-Barons were restless. Finn, a thuggish baron with a mechanical jaw, slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! Silco promised us order. Instead, we've got a 'Goddess' running around the Sump and our profits are in the gutter!"
"The commoners aren't working," another baron hissed. "They're too busy praying to the wind. Production has stopped. The vandals are everywhere. Silco is losing his grip."
The door hissed open. Silco walked in, carrying a heavy iron box, followed by a stone-faced Sevika. He didn't look like a man who was losing his grip; he looked like a man who had finally found the right lever.
"What's so urgent that we're wasting time in a meeting?" Silco asked, setting the iron box on the table with a heavy thud.
Finn stood up, towering over Silco. "We're curious, Silco. How do you plan to handle this 'Goddess' and her little Firelight friends? Because right now, you look like you're losing the war."
Silco leaned back, a cold, predatory light in his mismatched eyes. He pulled a letter from his vest—the one with the crow seal. "I'm not losing anything. I was simply waiting for the right catalyst."
He tapped the iron box. "Someone has given me the means to poison the very air they breathe. Now, I suggest you sit down. We have a city to burn."
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