Returning to the Lotus Gang's hideout, Marlsen rushed over the moment he saw Leo.
Then, his eyes fell on Jinx, who was joking around with Isha and had already returned to her usual self on the way back. And then... there was Vi, utterly heartbroken, her spirits crushed to rock bottom.
What the hell happened to Vi on this trip to make her look like such a wreck?
Marlsen was curious.
Unfortunately, no one was about to give him an answer. Leo was already leading Jinx and Isha toward the main tent.
Seeing this, Marlsen turned to Vi, hoping to ask what had happened.
"Vi, you guys—"
"Get lost!"
Vi shoved Marlsen aside and stormed after Leo and Jinx, brushing past him and disappearing into the tent.
"Damn it!" Marlsen muttered under his breath, annoyed. "Think this is still the old days? You think you can take Leo? How dare you treat me like that? I'm the boss's man now!"
The kids from the Lanes had all taken a beating from Vi at some point, especially Marlsen. He'd been a troublemaker when he was younger and got pinned down and thrashed by Vi several times. Hmm, hadn't Leo also been on the receiving end of a beating from Vi back in the day?
Muttering to himself, Marlsen started to wander off when he noticed that pretty little Piltovan chick sneaking up to the tent, trying to eavesdrop.
His first instinct was to stop Caitlyn, but then he remembered what Leo had said—as long as she doesn't try to run off, she can do whatever she wants.
With that in mind, Marlsen decided not to interfere with Caitlyn's snooping.
Meanwhile, inside the tent—
Leo and Isha sat together, looking at the gloomy pair of Vi and Jinx. The two sisters were exchanging a few disjointed words, though it was mostly Vi talking and Jinx giving half-hearted replies.
"Alright... well, Jinx, I'm going to step out for a bit. You two have a good talk."
Hearing this, Vi turned and shot Leo a grateful look. She desperately needed a chance to be alone with Jinx.
The moment Leo stood up, Isha immediately grabbed his hand, letting out a couple of soft yelps to show she wanted to go with him.
Isha couldn't stand the atmosphere anymore either!
It was just so strange!
Her big sister clearly liked the red-haired woman, so why was she acting this way towards her?
From what Isha knew of her sister, if anyone else had been pestering her like this, she would have shot them dead by now. She wouldn't be sitting there so obediently, just listening.
It was obvious she liked and cared about her!
But if she liked and cared about her so much, why wouldn't she show it?
Little Isha couldn't figure it out. In the end, she came to a clever conclusion—adults are just like that. Indecisive and so much trouble.
Leo looked at Isha and smiled.
He was growing fonder and fonder of this little tag-along Jinx had brought back. He took her hand and led her out of the tent. The moment he stepped outside, he saw Caitlyn, bent over with her rear in the air, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Ahem." Leo cleared his throat.
Caitlyn spun around, a blush spreading across her face, her eyes filled with embarrassment. She patted her knees as she stood up straight and looked at Leo. "Did you see Silco just now?"
"Were you just listening in on our conversation, Miss Enforcer?"
"I was just... I was just passing by," Caitlyn said, offering a foolish lie that didn't make her look very bright.
Isha pouted, refusing to even look at the cop.
Anyone Jinx hated, she hated too.
See, this was how Isha knew her sister actually liked the red-haired woman. If the person bugging her sister in the tent right now was this cop, Isha would probably be looking for a white sheet to help her sister cover the body.
"Alright, you can continue your stroll. I have some business to attend to. I'll have someone escort you back to the Topside in a few days. For now, please just stay here," Leo said to Caitlyn.
Seeing that Leo wasn't calling her out, Caitlyn nodded vigorously. She raised her hand awkwardly, her fingers moving stiffly in what looked like a wave.
Leo chuckled and turned to leave.
But Isha started following him. Looking down at the little girl, Leo asked, "You want to come with me?"
Isha, fiddling with a toy, didn't even look up. She just held her hand out to Leo.
Understanding her meaning, Leo took her hand and said with a smile, "Then you'd better stick close. Where we're going is very dangerous."
...
At the Last Drop tavern, Silco sat at a table, drinking. He had dismissed Sevika and the rest of his crew. Staring out the window, he felt the liquor tasted especially bitter today.
Drinking alone, Silco suddenly let out a laugh. He raised his glass as if toasting someone far away and said to himself, "Vander, I'm sorry, my brother. I'll admit you were right about one thing. Of course, just this once."
"Having a daughter is a real handful..."
Silco poured the rest of his drink onto the floor. Just then, a voice spoke from behind him—
"Uncle, old man Vander was right about more than just one thing. He was right about a lot of things."
Silco spun around. Seeing who it was, he turned his gaze back to the window. "How did you manage a change like that? Is it Piltover tech?"
"Do I look like I'm equipped with any tech?"
Leo walked into Silco's room, first setting little Isha down on a sofa.
The moment she entered the room, Isha grew excited, because the place was covered in graffiti she recognized.
"N'yah!"
She turned back, her mouth open in a cute, toothless smile, and pointed excitedly at one of the drawings.
"You're saying the drawings on the wall are the same as the ones at home?" Leo chuckled.
Isha nodded emphatically.
Leo turned his attention to Silco, who was pouring himself another drink.
"Do you have any juice?" Leo asked suddenly.
"..."
Silco was silent. After a long moment, he opened a drawer in his desk. From it, he pulled out a cup with a monkey painted on it in blue and pink, and then he took out a bottle of juice.
He really has some...
Damn, I knew you doted on Jinx, Silco, but isn't this taking it a little too far?
Silco poured a glass of juice, placed it on the table, and gave it a push. Leo picked it up and handed it to Isha.
Sipping her juice, Isha wandered around the room, full of curiosity about this place.
This was where her big sister used to live!
Leo, meanwhile, focused on Silco.
"Leo, you have talent. You should join me. With you, we could achieve Zaun's independence."
"Autonomy isn't just my dream; it was Vander's dream too."
"No. It's the dream of every Zaunite."
"It is indeed my dream, but Uncle, your way of changing things is, in my opinion, far too radical." Leo took the drink Silco had poured for him and shook his head.
"Besides, I didn't come here for you to recruit me. I came to discuss a partnership with you."
"A partnership?"
"That's right, Uncle. I want you to stop the proliferation of Shimmer, to bring the Chem-Barons' factories under control, to let this..."
Silco waved a hand, cutting Leo off. "Stop the proliferation of Shimmer? Do you know why it's called Shimmer?"
"Because it is the faint, shimmering light of hope for the people of the undercity."
"I admit that Shimmer has hurt a number of people, but that is their own problem. It's their lack of self-control, using Shimmer for the wrong purposes. When used correctly, Shimmer is harmless," Silco said grimly.
As the Godfather of Zaun, the mastermind behind it all, he was of course aware of the city's current state. But so what?
Looking at Leo, Silco continued, "Revolution requires bloodshed. Sacrifice is unavoidable."
"Vander's verbal peace treaty with the Enforcer chief, what did it get us? It got us penned up in the undercity. It got us Piltovans pushing their advantage time and time again. It got us collapsed mines, polluted rivers, and filthy air."
"If this is what you wanted to talk about, then you can leave. Or, you can make your move."
As he spoke, Silco's hand, which had been hidden under the table, moved toward a gun he had fastened underneath.
He never entrusted his life to anyone, not even someone he knew.
For that reason, Silco had been prepared to counterattack from the moment Leo walked in.
But Leo simply held up his hands and said:
"What's the hurry?"
"I haven't even said what I want yet."
"Hear me out on the partnership I have in mind. It won't be too late to make your decision after that."
"Silco."