60 - Better Standing Than Kneeling
There was no way out.
He couldn't escape.
He never thought he would die here, with so many things left undone, so many places he hadn't seen.
But the winds of change had already begun to blow. At least his life wasn't in vain. He believed Viktor would handle things well, someone with his intelligence should know what to do next for Zaun.
From above, like a hunting falcon diving for its prey, Camille struck. The energy field around her, unmistakably the effect of a finishing move, left him no room to run.
Cipher understood that this was the end.
He sprinted toward a more open area, reaching into his pocket for the Glory Grenade he had prepared for himself.
Better to die standing than live on my knees. Isn't that what the old books always said? Funny how clichés become profound when you're about to die.
From the moment he took Vander's place, he had anticipated this outcome, he just didn't think it would come so soon.
The arrival of Camille had completely disrupted his plans.
He hadn't considered everything. He had relied too much on the original story of Piltover and Zaun, forgetting that this was a real world.
But he had done his best.
In his past life, he was just an ordinary man, no extraordinary mind, no agile, powerful body. It was the same in this world.
Unremarkable.
Even with some advantages, he wasn't as gifted in combat as Vi, nor as brilliant in science as Powder. If he seemed impressive, it was only because of his knowledge from another life and the cheat he had.
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The first time he stepped into the underworld, he had almost been gunned down by some low-level thugs.
Rain pounded the alleyway, three armed men advancing on a cornered Cipher, who made a pathetic attempt to aim the R-99 he got from Reed.
"Look at this little rat. Can't even hold a gun right," the thug leader sneered, closing in.
A sudden whistle cut through the air, stopping them in their tracks as a canister landed between them. Smoke erupted, filling the alley.
Precise, controlled gunshots echoed.
Three thuds of bodies hitting wet ground.
A silhouette emerged from the smoke, weapon casually resting on her shoulder.
Bangalore?? Cipher thought.
"Next time, don't bring a gun you don't know how to use." Bangalore said.
Realizing he had met a legend, Cipher seized the opportunity. He shamelessly stuck to her the whole day, begging for guidance.
---
"Please teach me," he offered a bottle of liquor with both hands, desperation clear in his eyes.
Bangalore examined the bottle. "Fine liquor. Stolen, I assume."
"I prefer: tactically acquired," Cipher replied with a smile.
"At least you've got a sense of humor. You'll need it." She uncorked the bottle and took a long swig. "Fine. Lesson one: that grip of yours is an embarrassment."
Bangalore, amused by the fine liquor, didn't turn him away and reluctantly trained him for a long time.
---
"Balance comes from the core, not the legs," she would say, adjusting his stance. "You're standing like you're waiting for a ride."
After missing ten shots in a row during one session, Cipher pointed excitedly. "I hit the target."
"The edge. At ten paces," Bangalore replied flatly. "An actual enemy would've killed you nine times over."
At night, Cipher would practice alone, hands bleeding from raw blisters, muttering Bangalore's instructions to himself.
But no matter how hard he tried, his talent was just too lacking. Even with Bangalore personally mentoring him, his progress was painfully slow.
In the end, Bangalore couldn't stand his incompetence anymore. One night, she secretly dumped Cipher in a safe zone and slipped away.
Cipher woke in an unfamiliar room, a note pinned to his jacket.
"You'll live longer here. Your aim's still trash, but you might survive if you keep your head down. Don't follow me."
Like hell I won't, he thought, crumpling the note in his fist.
---
Now, at the brink of death, the best technique Cipher had mastered was a headshot.
His aim was quite good now.
The Glory Grenade in his hand was an enhanced explosive round, resembling a hand grenade. The activation was similar too, pull the pin, wait a few seconds, and boom.
Simple but effective.
The grenade's design wasn't entirely his own creation.
One time, when he had attempted to return to the Apex world using his [Ready Player One] to travel between dimensions.
Something went wrong with the jump sequence, instead of landing back in Bangalore's world, he'd found himself stranded in the strangest place.
A battlefield populated by warring worms wielding bizarre weapons.
"What the hell?" he'd muttered, watching as a tiny pink worm in a blue bandana lobbed a golden grenade at an opposing team. The weapon had bounced three times, each hop accompanied by an angelic choir sound that grew progressively louder.
"HALLELUJAH!"
The explosion that followed was hilariously disproportionate to the grenade's size, a massive blast that carved out half the landscape.
"Holy shit," Cipher had whispered, eyes wide. Then he'd laughed. "No, holy hand grenade. I get it now."
He'd spent three days trapped in that world, dodging banana bombs and concrete donkeys while trying to reactivate his dimensional jump. The worms themselves weren't much for conversation, but their weapons... those were worth studying.
When he finally managed to recalibrate his dimensional anchor using a discarded bazooka and parts from a jet pack, he'd made sure to take detailed mental notes on that golden grenade.
He'd jumped through, intent on returning to Bangalore, only to find himself back in Zaun.
The Glory Grenade in his hand now was his homage to that cartoon weapon of mass destruction, minus the choir, unfortunately.
With a calm smile, he pulled the pin. The grenade hissed as faint wisps of smoke curled into the air.
He knew that with Swain backing him, Camille wouldn't dare kill him outright.
More likely, she'd capture him.
And in this world, there were too many ways to control a person. If she took him alive, he could already imagine the kind of twisted things she'd do, probably some magic or weird drugs to force him to betray the revolution.
He'd rather die here.
---
Elsewhere, the gunshot that rang out when Cipher was forced to fire had already drawn attention.
Sevika was at the Police and Military Bureau, playing cards with a few off-duty enforcers.
"That came from Cipher's place," she said, her voice tense. "Could be nothing, but—"
A second shot echoed through the night.
The moment she heard the second gunfire from Cipher's direction, she bolted upright. "Something's wrong! Move!"
"Could just be target practice—" an enforcer started.
"When has Cipher ever practiced what he already mastered?" Sevika snapped, already halfway out the door. "Move your asses now!"
She tossed her cards aside, grabbed a VK-47 Flatline from the weapon rack, and charged out.
The enforcers reacted a beat slower, but they quickly followed, weapons in hand.
---
At the same time, Silco and Vander were at The Last Drop, sitting at a table, sipping drinks while going over business matters.
"Single shot. Small caliber," Silco said, setting down his glass carefully.
The second shot rang out, cutting through the night.
Vi, Powder, Mylo, Claggor, and Ekko were playing nearby.
"That's from Cipher's place!" Vi jumped to her feet, recognizing the direction of the sound.
"Vi, stay here and watch over the kids. Do not go outside," Vander ordered as he strapped on his iron gauntlets.
"If it's the Pilties..." Silco started.
"Save it for when we know what we're dealing with," Vander cut him off.
Silco tightened his grip on the shimmer pistol hidden in his vest. Without another word, the two rushed out.
Ever since Cipher took power, he had moved out of The Last Drop and settled in a building nearby.
"Gunfire?" Heimerdinger looked up in confusion, not yet realizing the severity of the situation.
"That trajectory... it came from Cipher's building," Viktor said, his face tense.
"Perhaps a simple misfire? These things happen," Heimerdinger suggested.
"Unlikely."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because he told me once that every bullet that leaves his gun is an intentional decision. And Cipher doesn't waste decisions."
"Professor, something's wrong. We have to check it out." Viktor knew where Cipher lived. He limped toward the door, and the little Yordle beside him quickly followed on his short legs.
"We're going too!" Vi's pupils constricted. She and the others knew exactly where Cipher lived.
"Vander said to stay put," Mylo reminded her.
"And I say Cipher needs us!"
"What can we even do against someone who can take down Cipher?" Claggor asked.
"We can help!" Vi answered firmly.
Ignoring Vander's orders, she grabbed her gauntlets, and without hesitation, led her younger siblings out. Powder clutched a few of her newly crafted monkey bombs, she wanted to help.
---
The streets of Zaun became alive with movement, enforcers from the north, Vander and Silco from the east, Vi leading the children from the south, Viktor limping westward.
Like tributaries feeding into a river, all flowing toward a single point of convergence.
Everyone moved the moment they heard the shot.
Sevika and the enforcers arrived first, just in time to see Cipher pulling the pin on the Glory Grenade.
"No!" Sevika's scream tore through the air, her voice raw with fury. The cigarette in her mouth was crushed between her teeth as she gripped her Flatline and charged forward, trying to tackle Cipher out of the blast radius.
"Open fire! Shoot! Kill that bastard, take her down!"
The enforcers behind her had only just caught up, but their eyes instantly turned bloodshot.
They had just started living decent lives under their new boss, and now someone wanted to take him away? If they couldn't have a good life, then no one could!
Their faces transformed, not the disciplined look of law enforcement, but the raw fury of Zaunites who had finally tasted hope, now watching it being snatched away.
With murderous rage, they unleashed a storm of bullets at Camille.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...
Gunfire roared, bullets rained down in a relentless barrage. But all bullets sparked against shielding, more like angry fireflies than actual threats.
It was useless.
The rounds barely left a scratch. The enforcers, tasked with maintaining order, carried standard ammunition, not explosive rounds.
Rushing out in a hurry, they hadn't had time to switch them.
Camille descended through the hail of bullets, landing in front of Cipher. Energy surged as walls of force locked down every escape route.
Seeing that Cipher was now within her reach, the enforcers ceased fire.
"Foolishness!"
For the first time, genuine anger flickered across her face. Most of her humanity had been stripped away after her modifications, she hadn't felt true rage in a long time.
But Cipher's actions had pushed her over the edge.
If he died, Swain would march on Piltover. The Zaunites would rise in revolt.
How could he be so reckless?
How dare he!
Realizing the gravity of the situation, she made her move. No more holding back. Her bladed leg gleamed as it shot toward Cipher's hand, aiming to kick the grenade away.
As long as he was alive, there was still a chance to salvage this.
For a brief moment before the explosion, Cipher's eyes met Sevika's.
Boom!
A deafening explosion tore through the air. Flames erupted into the sky, forming a blazing mushroom cloud.
The force-field shield on Camille's body activated automatically, keeping her unharmed, but the sheer shockwave sent her flying.
Sevika, who had been charging toward Cipher, was also blasted back, hitting the ground hard.
"No… No! No!"
Lying on the ground, she struggled to lift her head. Watching Cipher disappear into the inferno, she slammed her fists against the ground over and over, her arms breaking open, blood soaking the dirt, but she didn't stop.
"Aaah—!"
She clutched her head, screaming in anguish. For the first time, she felt powerless.
"You were supposed to lead us! You promised!"
Zaun's future had rested on Cipher. But she had failed to protect him. She had done nothing. All she could do was watch as hope was swallowed by the flames.
---
In the distance, perched beneath the eaves of a rooftop, a blue bird watched silently, gazing at the raging pillar of fire.
The wind had already begun to blow.
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