//While Silco prepared and made his way toward Orion's holding cell - The Last Drop//
Marcus storms into the Last Drop, flanked by two Enforcers. The bar falls silent, its usual happy clamor replaced with tense hostility. As they walk through, glares follow them with grips tightening on mugs, weapons, and chairs.
"What can I get you?" Vander greets them as if they were ordinary customers.
Marcus removes his mask with a hiss, smirking confidently, "Four sump rats will do." He gestures to the Enforcer beside him. "Search the place."
Vander twitches, following the Enforcer briefly while the other turns to stand guard behind Marcus. His expression tightens before shrugging, "While you're wasting your time, how about a proper drink?"
"I'll take the strongest shit you've got," Marcus replies as if it was a challenge.
Smirking, Vander reaches below to grab a bottle of his strongest liquor. As he does, he presses an emergency button, his silent signal for the kids to hide.
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The alarm monkey crashed to the floor from the shelf, and the kids scramble for the beams above.
Powder, however, was struggling. The aftermath from two days ago had left her traumatized; the glimmer of hope that Orion would return was barely keeping her together.
She hadn't been eating well, and her arms trembled as she tried to pull herself up.
The ominous footsteps loomed closer, each one resonating like a drum.
Powder realized she couldn't make it, and made a frantic decision. She dove under the bed, curling into herself, her breath shaky as the monkey's alarm faded into eerie silence.
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Sliding the drink across the bar, Vander smirks as Marcus winces after just one sniff. "Mm. You be careful with that." Vander teased.
Looking up, Marcus met his gaze with a smirk. "Nearly forgot. I ran into an old friend of yours. He had some interesting stories." Reaching out, he snatches Vander's pipe from the counter, prompting Vander to slam his fist against the table at the disrespect.
"You weren't always the peacekeeper-" Marcus sneered as Vander shook his head at the riled-up bar-folk, dropping it into the liquor. The drink catches fire. The Enforcer behind Marcus snarls, whipping out his baton as the others in the bar stood up.
"Let her go!" Vi's unmistakable voice rings out from the back, full of desperation. "Vander!"
Everyone froze. Silence gripped the bar, broken only by the faint screaming of kids and the low hum of bar music.
Marcus's eyes widened as he stood up abruptly, sensing the mounting hostility. Vander was faster though.
Gripping Marcus by the hair, Vander slammed his face into the drink, blood and liquor smearing across the table and burning Marcus's skin. Without pause, Vander followed up with a vicious hook, sending Marcus sprawling to the floor.
The Undercity patrons erupted with shouts, their rage ignited as they charged the remaining Enforcer. His fate would be anything but merciful. A chair flung across the room and impacted him before the onslaught began.
"Leave them alive!" Vander bellowed, pointing at Marcus's struggling figure too before he unclipped his hanging gauntlets and rushed to the back.
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"AAA!" Powder screamed in pain as the Enforcer growled menacingly, ripping her out from under the bed by her hair.
"Let her go!" Vi shouted before she launched herself from the beams above. Her kick landed against the Enforcer's shoulder, forcing him to let go as he stumbled.
"Vander!" Vi cried out desperately, pulling Powder away.
Powder cried loudly in Vi's arms as the Enforcer recovered with a snarl, pointing his flashlight at them while picking up his baton.
Claggor and Mylo both sprung into action with their own battle cries. The Enforcer, now more aware, steps back to avoid their landing jump-kicks.
After they landed, the sounds of fighting erupted from above, snapping the Enforcer's head to attention. Visibly, one could see his grip on the baton tightening, a dangerous glint appearing behind the goggles
Claggor followed up by attempting to tackle the Enforcer at the waist. Without mercy or hesitation, the Enforcer slams his baton against Claggor's head. Blood sprayed as Claggor let out a pained grunt before collapsing to the floor unconscious.
Eyes wide with shock then rage, Mylo hesitated for a split second. It was enough time for the Enforcer to grab him by the neck slam him against the bunk-bed- once, twice, and a third time in quick succession- until Mylo lost consciousness.
Vi had let go of Powder when the Enforcer grabbed Mylo, crying out, "No!" But the Enforcer's actions were so brutal and swift, tossing Mylo's limp body across the table, its contents noisily clattering out, that she had to face him head on.
Vi's eyes burned with fury as she charged the enforcer, fists raised.
The Enforcer raised his baton as if he was going to swing, prompting Vi to hunch in preparation to dodge, her focus on the weapon. Seeing Vi fall for it, the Enforcer sent a strong kick toward her naval.
Spittle flew out as Vi collapsed with painful wheezing, tears blurring her vision.
Powder curled up against the wall, sobbing as the Enforcer approached her. Clutching her head, she whimpered through her tears, "Vi... Mylo... Claggor..."
As the Enforcer loomed over Powder, reaching for her, the door burst open with a deafening slam.
Vander snarls as he charged through, his gauntlet slamming into the Enforcer's face. The impact shattered the Enforcer's mask, sending shards of glass flying. A gurgled cry escaped the Enforcer as the jagged shards blinded and tore into his face.
Powder shut her eyes tightly, clasping her hands over her ears, trying desperately to block out the gruesome sounds of what followed. Wet, brutal noises of flesh and bone breaking.
When she finally opened her eyes, Vander was standing over her. His eyes, full of grief and realization, met hers- knowing what she was about to see.
A bloodied corpse next to her, Mylo and Claggor were unconscious and bleeding, and Vi sobbed as she clutched her stomach in pain on the floor.
Vander trembled, feeling completely helpless in this situation. His voice dropped to a hushed whisper, heavy with guilt, as the gauntlets slid off.
"I'm sorry Powder..."
He turned away, Vander's heart breaking as he moved to attend the others.