Behind the Last Drop bar stood a three-story structure, connected to the bar by a back door. When Duke had transmigrated into Arcane, his family had lost their lives in an accident, leaving him a substantial inheritance. His father had come from Zaun, and his mother from Piltover, so they had been relatively wealthy by Zaun standards. Duke had sold his mother's house in Piltover and decided to settle in Zaun.
On the ground floor, Violet sat solemnly on the sofa, her silence thick with tension. Mylo and Claggor flanked her, both acting like children about to be scolded, though their misdeeds were far worse.
"What the hell were you thinking, Vi?" Vander's voice boomed through the room.
Violet flinched but didn't look up.
"Do you even realize what you've done?" Vander's voice was low, and heavy with a mix of anger and fear. "An explosion is bad enough—I could've handled that. But Powder... she's gone, Vi! Kidnapped! Zaun isn't a place where mistakes like this get second chances."
He stopped pacing, turning to face her directly. His voice softened, filled with emotion.
"You're her sister. You're supposed to protect her, to keep her safe. Instead, you dragged her into danger. Do you have any idea what could happen to her out there? Zaun is merciless, especially to a child like Powder. Behind closed doors, it's hell—Vi, you know that better than most."
Violet opened her mouth, struggling to find the words, but nothing coherent came out. Finally, she muttered, "I... I didn't mean for this to happen..."
Her voice was weak, lacking the strength to defend herself.
The silence that followed was suffocating. The light from the lightbulb cast sharp shadows across their faces, each one marked with worry and guilt. Mylo and Claggor exchanged guilty glances but remained silent. They knew better than to speak now—it was their fault too, but Violet, as the leader, bore the brunt of the blame.
Vander broke the silence.
"What do you think Duke will say when he hears this? Do you know how hard things already are for him? How he's struggling every day, just trying to get by, to help all of us?"
The mention of Duke hit Violet like a physical blow. Her chest tightened, and her fists clenched. Duke had already carried so many burdens, and now, she'd added another to the pile. She had failed him.
Vander let out a long, frustrated sigh and sank into a nearby chair, his head in his hands. For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of machinery from outside.
Finally, Vander spoke again, his voice softer but no less stern.
"You need to think, Vi. Not just for yourself, but for your family. For Powder. For Duke. You can't keep rushing into things without considering the cost."
Violet looked up at Vander, determination flickering in her eyes. "I'll fix this, Vander. I'll get Powder back."
"No. I'll fix this," Vander countered, standing. "You lot need to lay low until the Enforcers calm down. Do you think Powder is your only problem?"
Violet opened her mouth to protest, but Vander silenced her with a raised hand.
"Enough. You've done enough damage for one night. You three," he said, his gaze shifting between Violet, Mylo, and Claggor, "stay put. Don't even think about stepping outside this place. And while you're at it, take care of Duke for me."
Vander opened the door and, just before stepping outside, glanced over his shoulder. "You owe him that much, at least. Do what I say, and maybe—just maybe—we can fix this mess as quickly as possible."
As Vander left, Mylo spoke up. "So, what do you think Vander's gonna do?"
Claggor sighed, his expression grim. "I dunno… but I know we regret it."
Suddenly, Mylo turned to Violet. "Well, what do you think we should do, Vi?"
Even though he didn't particularly like Powder, she was still family. His first thought was to find her, secretly. Violet glanced at him, her expression firm.
"No. I'll do it alone. You two take care of Duke."
Claggor's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure about this, Vi? Vander's already mad enough as it is. You sneak out again, and—well, I don't think he'll let it slide this time."
Hearing this, Violet fell silent. Vander was right—she was the leader of their group, the one everyone looked up to. But her stubbornness had caused more harm than good. As she reflected on her decisions, hesitation crept in.
Just then, a voice broke through her thoughts.
"So, what's the gang plotting this time?"
The group turned toward the sound. Violet's eyes widened, a mix of shock and relief flashing across her face.
"D-Duke?"
Mylo and Claggor were equally surprised but quickly followed Violet as she rushed to Duke's side.
Violet steadied his wheelchair as he descended the stairs. "Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you think you'll faint again? Should you even be out of bed?" She bombarded him with questions, her concern evident.
Duke chuckled softly, waving her off. "I'm fine, Vi. Relax. What about you all? What trouble have you gotten into today?"
The question made their expressions darken. Somehow, they were more afraid to tell Duke the truth than they had been with Vander.
After a long silence, Duke's tone turned lighthearted. "Where's Powder? Don't tell me she got herself kidnapped."
The last part was meant as a joke, but Violet's face fell, and the weight of guilt settled over the room.
"It's my fault," she muttered, her voice breaking. "I didn't see this coming."
Duke's smile disappeared. His brows furrowed, and his voice sharpened. "Powder got kidnapped?"
Violet nodded, her head low. "It happened about an hour ago. A group of men showed up out of nowhere. Said they needed to take us to their boss. We tried to fight, but—" She paused, her fists clenching tightly.
She explained everything: the heist at the workshop, the strange crystal they'd stolen, and the mysterious man in the black robe. As Violet spoke, Duke's expression darkened, his thoughts racing.
"Where's Vander now?" he asked.
"Cleaning up the mess," Mylo muttered, kicking at the floor.
Duke nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "Find Vander. Tell him I need to talk to him—it's important." His tone left no room for argument.
Mylo gave a quick nod and left.
Duke leaned back, his mind churning. A butterfly effect? He thought. In the original series, Violet and the gang had learned about Jayce's workshop through Ekko and had stolen from it to earn money. Violet's goal had been independence, not relying on Vander anymore. But now, a stranger in a black robe had told them about the crystal—something only Jayce should have known.
Who even is that man?
Duke shook his head, pushing the thought aside. There were more pressing matters to deal with than questioning a random stranger's identity.
"I'm sorry, Duke," Violet said, her voice trembling. "I just wanted to help. I didn't think it'd end up like this."
Her head hung low as regret etched itself across her face.
Claggor rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… me too. I should've stopped them. Should've said something."
Duke smiled faintly, his voice calm and steady. "It's okay. What's done is done. We'll figure this out. As for Powder, I'm sure she's safe for now. Whoever took her probably wants something from Vander. If they're trying to make a deal, they won't hurt her."
Violet's eyes flickered with hope. "You really think so?"
Duke nodded. "They'd be stupid to do otherwise. Powder's Vander's kid. They know better than to mess with her."
Violet straightened up, her resolve strengthening. "You're right. They wouldn't take her for no reason."
Claggor chimed in, his voice more confident. "Yeah, we'll get her back. We always do."
Duke leaned back slightly, allowing himself a moment to breathe. "One step at a time. We'll get through this."
Violet's eyes flickered with hope. "You really think so?"
Duke nodded, his voice steady. "They'd be stupid to do otherwise. Powder's Vander's kid. They know better than to mess with her."
Violet straightened, her resolve strengthening. "You're right. They wouldn't take her for no reason."
A few tense minutes passed before the door creaked open. Vander entered, his broad frame filling the room with a commanding presence. Mylo trailed close behind, his usual nervous energy subdued. Vander's eyes were heavy with the weight of recent events, but his gaze softened briefly when it landed on Duke.
"Good to see you awake, Duke," Vander said, lowering himself heavily onto the worn sofa. His voice carried its usual steadiness, but there was an edge of concern. "How're you holding up?"
Duke offered a faint smile. "I'm fine now. Still got work to do, though. What's the situation? Any leads on Powder?"
Vander shook his head, his jaw tightening. "No leads yet. But the Enforcers showed up earlier. Looks like they've got some idea of what's behind this mess."
Duke's brow furrowed. "And what did you do?"
Vander exhaled deeply, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "What I always do—protect the family. But the Lanes…" He paused, his voice dropping. "They're restless. Tired of laying low. Some of 'em want to fight back. They don't understand what that'll cost."
Duke nodded, his mind working quickly. This mirrored the original timeline—Vander's refusal to wage war against the Enforcers had sown resentment within the Lanes. That resentment had fractured his support and led to betrayals, including Sevika's.
Sevika. The name struck Duke with an idea. In the original timeline, Sevika's loyalty to Silco was formidable, but she'd always been driven by practicality and respect for strength. If he could gain her trust now, she could become a valuable ally. He made a mental note to seek her out when the time was right.
Vander's voice pulled Duke from his thoughts. "So, you said you needed to tell me something?"
Duke straightened in his wheelchair, his expression serious. "Yeah, Vander. This isn't just about Powder or some heist gone wrong. Whoever's behind this knows too much—about us, about Piltover. There's more at play here than we're seeing."
Vander's brow furrowed as he studied Duke. "Go on."
Duke took a deep breath. "This crystal we took? It's not just some shiny trinket. It's dangerous—powerful. And I don't think the men who took Powder are working alone. Someone bigger is pulling the strings."
Vander leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "And you're sure about this?"
"Yeah," Duke replied firmly. "We can't afford to treat this like a simple kidnapping. If we're going to get Powder back, we need to play smart. We need allies, Vander. People we can trust."
The room fell silent as Vander considered Duke's words. Mylo and Claggor exchanged uneasy glances, while Violet stared at the floor, guilt still weighing heavily on her shoulders.
Finally, Vander nodded, his voice low but persistent. "Alright. We do this your way. But Duke, if you're right about this… we're gonna need more than just trust. We're gonna need strength."
Duke met Vander's gaze, his resolve unwavering. "Then it's a good thing we still have some time to prepare."