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With bomb backpacks strapped on, the group arrived at the bridge. However, the scene was not what they had imagined. The entire bridge was illuminated: on the Zaun side, a sickly green light from hextech lamps, while the Piltover side had normal daylight lamps.
"Uh... maybe we should retreat for now?" Ziggs suggested, sounding like an amateur performer trying to back out. "Uh, I'm not saying I'm scared, just a strategic withdrawal. Yes, that's it, strategic."
Jinx glanced at the bridge, then back at Ziggs perched on her shoulder, and suddenly she chuckled. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a few mechanical fireflies, tinkering with them to create a small drone. She tied Ziggs to the drone: "I'll toss you over in a while, then you set up the minefield, and I'll maneuver you back."
Ziggs only wanted to demonstrate his talent through explosions for scientific research. With Heimerdinger, he realized that whatever he did would eventually explode, so he figured he might as well study bombs. But that didn't mean he was willing to sacrifice himself for them. "Uh... let's think this over. What if I get spotted?"
"Don't worry, my piloting skills are top-notch. Off you go!" With that, she prepared to toss Ziggs.
"Jinx? Phil? What are you doing here?" A voice suddenly called out from behind. It was Silco. Jinx scratched her head: "Just checking on the situation, right, Phil?" She shot a meaningful glance at Phil. However, Silco didn't seem to mind: "I was planning to tell you this news at dawn, but Piltover has agreed to sign a peace treaty, just a moment ago." Although Silco's face didn't show a smile, Phil could see the delight in his eyes.
"Your wish has finally come true, Silco." Phil wasn't too surprised but still felt a sense of joy. Once Zaun separated from Piltover and the environment gradually improved, everything would fall into place, and it could become another Piltover. "Yes, our dreams have been realized, Vander..." He said the last few words softly. As he spoke, the sun began to rise slowly, its rays piercing through Zaun's haze and casting light on their faces, a long-lost radiance.
"Next Monday, which is the day after tomorrow, the peace agreement will be signed. There will be a ceremony in the upper city, so prepare yourself, Phil." With that, Silco left to handle the post-war adjustments.
"Phew, that was close." Ziggs let out a sigh of relief. "Jinx! You can't force me to do things I don't want to do!"
"Hey, don't you trust me? I told you my drone piloting skills are excellent." Jinx teased, tugging on the fuzz on Ziggs' face. Despite their age difference, the playful nature of Yordles allowed them to get along well.
"The first goal is finally achieved." Phil didn't pay attention to their antics and looked toward the other side of Piltover. "But there's still much to face. This Runeterra isn't entirely safe."
Vi walked through the streets, feeling like a living corpse. She didn't know where she belonged anymore; she had no home. Jinx had asked her to kill Caitlyn, something impossible, and Jinx knew it too, yet she held onto a sliver of hope. Vi couldn't see Jinx as her sister; her sister was only Powder.
She had always believed that if she killed Silco, Jinx would fall with him, and the familiar sister would return. However, she couldn't bring herself to do it, and she hated her own helplessness. Unknowingly, she found herself at Benzo's workshop. She looked up at the sign, memories flooded back, and her eyes blurred with tears once more.
She leaned against the closed door of the tavern, staring blankly ahead as if seeing Vander's figure. "I wish I could tell you everything will be fine, kid, but I know that's a lie. All I can say is, she still needs you. Everyone still needs you, so what are you going to do?" "But she said she doesn't need me, that she's doing fine. She's not my sister anymore; she calls herself Jinx now!" Vi saw Vander's figure, and she was no longer the tough leader; now she was just a daughter. "So, what will you do? I've told you, you can't just think of yourself. When you say jump, they jump. When you say swim, they dive. When you say burn, they add fuel. But no matter what happens, the responsibility is yours because you're their leader." "Fists can't solve everything. Problems will just get bigger, and there will always be things fists can't handle, kid. You need to learn to use your heart. Remember, no matter what she becomes, she'll always be your sister. Understand?" Something seemed to return to Vi's eyes, and she wiped them with her sleeve. "That's my daughter," was the final whisper as Vander's figure completely vanished from her sight. "Hey, beautiful, done crying?" Ekko's voice came from the side. "I wasn't crying," Vi glared at Ekko. "Come on, The Last Drop isn't ours anymore. Should we head to my place first?" Ekko extended his hand to Vi, who was sitting beside the tavern. "Yeah, let's go." She pulled herself together.
"Is this the last batch of enforcers?" Phil watched as the enforcers departed one by one. "Yes, the peace agreement is to be signed tomorrow." Silco lit a cigar. "Some enforcers died, but we were kind to the prisoners." "It's called 'leaving room for tomorrow's meetings.' But are we really going to stop the production of Shimmer? It's Zaun's lifeline," Phil questioned. "This isn't a sustainable means; it will exhaust Zaun's potential. I remember those were your words to me." "I understand the reasoning, it's just that letting go of such profits is hard," Phil shrugged. Zaun doesn't have much else to offer. "It seems Noxus is about to start a war again; their fleets are positioning in the east of Noxus." "This looks like an invasion of Ionia. Runeterra is about to become unstable again. We could profit from the war," Phil suggested. "We just drove away a Noxian diplomat last time." "Noxus doesn't have just one diplomat," Phil replied, and the older and younger exchanged a knowing smile. Phil reflected on the original storyline where Singed's gas led to the destruction of the Wuju village, leaving Riven alone. If Zaun's technology heavily backed Noxus this time, what could Ionia possibly use to resist? Of course, it would depend on how much money Noxus was willing to invest.