An Enforcer rushed forward, presenting a copied scripture of the transfer papers.

  "This symbol..." Vander's eyes went wide after Greyson handed him the papers. A circled 'V'- his old symbol of leadership, one he hadn't seen in years.

  Greyson's brows furrow, watg him closely. "Your old symbol of leadership?"

  "Aye. The st time we crossed this bridge, this was our symbol..." Vander growled. His grip tightened, crumpling the papers as he read it.

  His eyes snapped back to Greyson with a dangerous glint. "Give me time to look into this. I might have the people responsible ready for you to lock up."

  Greyson nodded, her gaze flickeriween him and the paper. "Marcus-"

  "We're keeping him until this is resolved," Vander interrupted firmly, turning away. "He'll live." The finality in his to no room fument.

  After Vaurned, Greyson did the same, sighing under her breath. There was nothing more to say. All Greyson could do, outside of calming and stalling the cil, and reinf their defenses, was hope that Vander could uhe truth behind this situation or pacify his people.

  When Vander arrived at the mue ihe Riverside Cemetery of Promenade, with Benzo and a few loyal patrons from the Last Drop, they moved with intense purpose.

  "The hound-? Wait, wait!" the mue's assistant stammered, his voice crag as Benzo lifted him by the scruff of his colr.

  Wordlessly, Vander unfurled the dots, shoving them so close to the man's face that his breath fogged the page. The assistant's eyes darted between Vander's stern gaze and the crumpled papers, his expression shifting from fusion to dawning fear.

  "Ah- this symbol- Silco!"

  When the assistant sputtered out Silco's name, Vander snarled. "Where is he?"

  "The other side of the bridge, further north! The abandoned seafood factory- he's expeg you!" The assistant's words tumbled out in a panic as Benzo's grip tightened.

  Vander's gaze sharpened, letting the man choke and struggle a moment longer before nodding to Benzo. "Let's go."

  Benzo's eyes narrowed, voice cold. "About time. I've wao snap that rat's neck for a while." He drops the assistant to the ground who is left sputtering and holding his neck with relief.

  As the group turned back toward the bridge, a small figure hiddeween the shadows of the tombstones scurried off unnoticed.

  --------------------------------

  //The Last Drop - Late into the night//

  "I call dibs o!" Cggor decred, smirking at Mylo's e.

  "No no no no, I found it!" Mylo shot back, crossing his arms.

  "But I called it."

  "I found it!"

  "Respect the dibs!"

  Cggor and Mylo tinued bickering over the array of gimmicks id out. Despite their bandaged and stitched up wounds from the previous fight, both were eager for payback.

  So was Vi. She sat leaned forward, resting her forearms resting on her legs, brows furrowed intehought. Shame weighed heavily on her. She felt like she had failed to protect everyohat wasn't going to happen again.

  Her firaced the brass knuckles Orion had given her for her birthday. Her eyes closed briefly, bitter with regret, before she stood up, her expression hardening with renewed determination.

  Powder peered over at Vi from their bed. She was busy fiddling with her explosives and gadgets. This time, she felt certain that her creations would work- they just had to work!

  k-k-k

  Soft, high pitched noises drew Powder's attention to her brown pouch. Three glowing, unstabilized Hextech crystals shimmered within.

  Before the violenside the Last Drop, Vi and Powder had sat on the rooftop together. Powder had showhe crystals then, but her ected them to the massive explosion. Vi told her to keep it a secret from Vander; a secret between them just like Orion.

  This led to multiple chases and a frontation ihe Last Drop where Vander ublicly accused of being weak in front of the kids, causing many patrons to storm out in disgust.

  This was before the fight with Enforcers began.

  "Vi, are we going or what?" Mylo called, bitterly giving up o aling on his lockpig kit.

  Cggor was also looking at Vi while resting the bat against his shoulder. He smirked o time at Mylo, who scowled, before they both looked to Vi again, waiting for her response.

  Cggor's demeanor had shifted too. "Before I would've said we shouldn't go against Vander... but I want some payback!" Cggor tapped his bandaged head. "I don't want to sit around and do nothing."

  "I guess the Enforcers finally did something right for once," Mylo grumbled, rubbing his own bandaged head, still sore from the repeated smming.

  Suddenly, the door burst open. All eyes snap to the entry.

  Ekko ran in, panting, eyes lit up with excitement! Spotting Cggor first, he waved. "Hey Cggor!"

  Cggor chuckled softly, "Hey, little-man! What are you doing here?"

  "I was following the crowd when Vander, Benzo, and some others from the bar left the bridge!" Ekko bounced on his heels with excitement. "They left the bridge for Riverside Cemetery!"

  The group exged fused gnces. Ekko paused, clearly waiting for a bigger rea.

  "And...?" Cggor asked, raising a brow.

  "Oh! Yeah!" Ekko blinked before speaking faster, eyes wide as he was tinually uo tain his excitement. "I was close enough 'cause it was dark and quiet, so I was all stealthy and sneaky-" He exaggerated some tip-toeing motions. "Anyway! They're looking for someone!"

  "Who?" Vi asked, frowning. "Who's so important that they'd leave the bridge?"

  "I don't know," Ekko responded quickly. "But they were pissed. Benzo sounded ready to kill someone! I heard the guy they were strangliion an abandoned seafood factory... the one on the north side of the bridge!"

  Vi exged tense gnces with Cggor and Mylo.

  "Why would they go all the way out there?" Mylo muttered, gripping his lockpick tighter.

  Cggor shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know. But if Benzo's that mad, then something bad is happening."

  "You're right. If Vander's going that far, it's serious. We should be there!" Vi excimed, nodding. Her grip on the brass knuckles tightened. "I'm not sitting this out. Vander said we should stick together- so we will. No matter what."

  Powder spoke up from the bed, uainty in her voice as it drew everyone's attention. "But Vi... What if we make things worse?"

  She traced her creations with her fiips as her emotions leaked out. "What if... someos hurt? Like before?"

  Powder didn't o say more- everyone knew who she meant, as well as their own injuries.

  Vi k down in front of Pently resting her hands on her shoulders. "We aren't running in blind this time, Powder. If Vander and Benzo are walking into dahen we o have their backs. Right?" Powder hesitated before nodding.

  A cheer from Ekko echoed through the room as he jumped in pce, "I'm ing tht?!"

  "As long as you stick close to Powder," Vi nodded. "If it gets too dangerous, you two run." After speaking, Vi walked over to the gimmicks, retrieving a smoke fre, and ha to Powder. "Use this, and we'll find you. I promise."

  Cggor chuckled with his excitement starting to bubble too, hitting the bat against his open palm a few times. "Let's do this!"

  "Yeah," Mylo cheered, raising his lockpi the air with a grin.

  Vi smiled at the group, their iious energy spreading as fidence reignited in the room. For the first time in a while, they felt like a team again- ready to face whatever came !