Episode 15: Grudges

Caitlyn's sharp eyes caught movement in a shadowy alley just beyond the construction site. A group of rough-looking men lingered, their voices low and menacing. In the center of the group stood a woman, her body language tense and defensive. Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, gripping her rifle instinctively.

"Not on my watch," she muttered, her boots clicking softly against the cobblestone as she approached.

The closer she got, the more she could hear. Snippets of conversation floated her way, the men laughing and taunting. The woman, clutching a small bag to her chest, stepped back, her gaze darting between them like a trapped animal.

"Come on, sweetheart. No need to be shy," one of the men sneered, stepping closer to the woman.

"Yeah, just hand over the goods. We'll even let you walk away," another chuckled darkly, his knife gleaming in the dim light.

"Back away from her." Caitlyn says, putting her rifles into position.

Caitlyn kept her rifle trained on the gangsters, her sharp eyes unwavering. Just as she prepared for the next move, heavy boots echoed behind her.

"Mind telling me what's going on here, Kiramman?" a gruff voice demanded.

Caitlyn stiffened slightly but didn't lower her weapon. She didn't need to turn around to recognize the Sheriff, Marcus, standing behind her.

"Sir," she began, still keeping her aim steady. "These men were harassing this woman. I intervened to de-escalate the situation."

Before Marcus could respond, the woman, clutching her bag tightly, stepped forward. "It's true! She saved me from them. They were trying to take my things. If she hadn't stepped in..." Her voice faltered, her gratitude and fear evident.

"And where, exactly, were you supposed to be right now, Kiramman?" he asked, his voice cutting.

Caitlyn's jaw tightened. "On patrol near the construction site, sir."

"Exactly," Marcus snapped, folding his arms. "You weren't supposed to leave your position. This? This is trivial. Petty street thugs. Not your concern. You think you're above your orders, running around playing hero?"

Caitlyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes, biting back a retort. "I only acted to protect the citizen, sir."

Marcus sneered. "Spare me your justifications. One more stunt like this, and I'll make sure you're stuck with even worse assignments."

Caitlyn's lips pressed into a thin line, and she gave a curt nod. "Understood, sir. My apologies."

Marcus waved her off dismissively. "Get back to your post. Now."

Caitlyn turned, her boots clicking against the cobblestone as she walked away, her pride bruised but her resolve intact.

Meanwhile, Marcus motioned to his subordinates. "Round them up," he ordered, gesturing to the gangsters. "Take them to Stillwater Prison. Let them rot there."

The gangsters exchanged nervous glances but didn't resist as the enforcers approached, shackling them one by one. Marcus shot a final glance at Caitlyn's retreating figure and shook his head. "Always stepping out of line. One of these days, she'll push too far," he muttered to himself.

...

Jayce entered the lab and found Viktor slouched over the counter, asleep, his frail frame barely holding up against the late hours they'd been pulling.

Jayce picked up one of the unrefined Hexcrystals, holding it up to the light for a better look. His brow furrowed in determination. "We just have to figure out how to make these stable, Viktor. Once we do, the next era of Hextech will begin."

Viktor stirred, lifting his head groggily. His pale complexion and sunken eyes spoke of exhaustion, but his sharp wit hadn't dulled. "Why don't we hire some big minds from Zaun to help us with it?" he mumbled, his voice tinged with weariness. "We lack imagination here."

Jayce chuckled, setting the orb back down. "Come on, Viktor. This is way too complex for someone from Zaun to understand."

That woke Viktor up. He straightened in his chair, gripping his cane tightly as he turned to face Jayce. "You forget, I am from Zaun," he said, his tone sharper now. "And while you're quick to dismiss my people, they created Shimmer—an alchemical marvel, for better or worse. Don't underestimate them."

Jayce raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright, fair point. But even if those big brains exist, where would we even find them? In some back-alley lab? A night club...?"

The scene abruptly shifted to the dim, chaotic interior of the Last Drop. The room was alive with pounding music, flashing lights, and the smell of alcohol mingling with smoke. The bar was crowded with patrons, all lost in their own wild revelry.

At the center of it all were Jinx and Bael, commanding the energy of the room like it was their domain. Jinx, ever the whirlwind of chaos, stood on a table, holding Pow-Pow Zeta in one hand and a half-empty bottle of booze in the other. She screamed along to the music, her wild laughter cutting through the noise.

Bael leaned against the bar nearby, a faint smile playing on his lips as he sipped his drink.

Jinx leaped off the table and grabbed Bael's arm, dragging him into the fray. "Come on, Bael! You promised we'd party like there's no tomorrow!" she shouted over the music.

Bael rolled his eyes but let her pull him along. "Fine, but if you cause another collapse like last time, I'm blaming you entirely."

The chaotic energy in the Last Drop shifted slightly as one of Jinx's favorite songs began to play. The beat was electrifying, the kind that made your heart sync with its rhythm. Jinx's eyes widened with pure joy as the first few notes filled the air.

"BAEL! It's our song!" she shouted over the music, grabbing his arm. "Come on, you owe me this one!"

Bael blinked, caught off guard. "Our song? Since when do we have a song?"

"Since now!" she declared, tugging at him like a child eager to open presents. "You've been sitting here all night like some boring old scientist. Come on, just one dance!"

He sighed, "But dancing is hard..."

"Who cares? Just move!" she encouraged, grabbing his hands and spinning him around.

Her laughter was infectious, and soon he found himself grinning despite his initial hesitation. She pulled him closer, swaying in sync with him as the song reached its peak.

"This is what it's all about, Bael," she said, her voice softer now, almost drowned out by the music. "You and me... no one else. Just us against the world."

He looked down at her, her bright eyes shimmering with a rare sincerity that caught him off guard. "Yeah... just us," he echoed, his voice steady.

The moment was fleeting, as Jinx's playful nature took over once again. She grabbed his hand and spun herself out dramatically before falling into a fit of laughter. The crowd around them cheered, caught up in her contagious energy.

As the song ended, she leaned against him, panting slightly from all the excitement. "Told you it'd be fun."

Bael smirked, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "You win, Jinx. But don't get used to this—I'm not a party guy."

"Oh, I know," she said, poking his chest.

Suddenly, Bael's hyper senses capted an obstacle coming their way quickly. A chair was thrown their direction, he quickly pulls Jinx towards him making the chair crash in the bar.

Everyone looks at the direction the chair came from, it was Sevika. She seemed pissed.

"The AUDACITY!!" She flips an entire table and throws it at them, they dodged easily.

The party ended as everyone scattered, not wanting to get involved with one of the most powerful figures in Zaun.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Bael shouts.

Sevika groans as she responds, "My problem?!" She runs towards Bael, during her course, a capsule of Shimmer injects itself in her mechanical arm which enhances her speed and reaction time.

Jinx gets passed off and reaches out for Pow-Pow Zeta, but just as she was about to load it with the Hextech Orb, Bael tells her to stop.

Meanwhile the latter is trying to push Sevika away while she is doing the same. The clash of brute strengh was at its peak.

"I'll kill you for what you did to Urgot!" She says, pushing Bael more.

Before Bael could react, Sevika charged at him, her feet pounding against the floor like a bull charging its prey. Her mechanical fist swung with terrifying speed and precision, aiming directly for his chest.

Bael managed to block her strike with his enhanced arm, the impact sending shockwaves through the room. Sparks erupted as metal clashed against metal, the sheer force of the collision rattling the bottles behind the bar.

Jinx's eyes burned with fury as she reached for Pow-Pow Zeta, ready to end the fight with one devastating shot. Her fingers danced over the Hextech Orb, preparing to load it into her weapon.

"Jinx, no!" Bael shouted, his voice strained as he pushed back against Sevika's relentless strength.

"But she's ruining our night!" Jinx snapped, her eyes darting between Bael and Sevika.

Bael swipes his foot on the floor, making Sevika fall for a second. This gave him enough time to take a step back and analyze the situation.

This was the first time he'd fight someone as strong as Sevika. And her arm... it was made almost the same as his, although his was self made with more upgrades then hers, her arm's biggest flaws, was the fact that the shimmer injections were visible for a second before being sent to the circuits, if he managed to destroyed the mechanism in that single second, she'll have to fight with just one hand.

As Sevika was ready for yet another round, another capsule appeared for a second before being injected in her arm, giving her an immense boost of power.

"Jinx stay back... I figured it out!" Whcih she obeyed.

Sevika comes running, her first up. She cracked her knuckles and snarled, her mechanical arm hissing as another capsule prepared itself.

Sevika charged at him, her fist flying like a battering ram. Bael tried to sidestep, but she was too fast. Her mechanical fist caught him in the ribs, sending him crashing into a nearby table, shattering it on impact.

The world spun for a moment as Bael groaned, struggling to get back on his feet. "Damn it…" he muttered, wiping blood from his lip.

Sevika didn't give him a second to recover. "Stay down, kid!" she barked, raising her arm for another strike.

Bael rolled to the side just in time, her punch denting the floor where his head had been. He scrambled to his feet, but Sevika was already on him, her enhanced reflexes making it impossible for him to gain any distance.

Another punch came, this time slamming him into the bar counter. He coughed, feeling the sharp sting of splinters digging into his back. She grabbed him by the collar and lifted him with ease, her strength amplified to monstrous levels.

"This is what happens when you mess with the wrong people!" Sevika growled, slamming him onto another table. The wood splintered beneath his weight, and he cried out in pain.

As Bael lay there, dazed and gasping for air, Sevika loomed over him, her mechanical arm whirring ominously. "I'm gonna make sure you don't get up again."

Bael's mind raced. He couldn't keep up with her overwhelming power; every injection made her stronger and faster, and he was rapidly running out of options. Then, as she raised her arm for a final, devastating blow, he saw it—a brief flicker of light as another capsule began to descend into her arm.

It was now or never.

With a sudden burst of energy, Bael leaped up and grabbed onto her mechanical arm, wrapping his legs around it to hold himself steady. "What the hell are you doing?!" Sevika shouted, thrashing to shake him off.

The capsule appeared, glowing brightly as it prepared to inject itself into her system. Bael extended his iron arm and barely scratched the capsule when Sevika kocked him instantly.

Bael gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Sevika pinned him down with her foot, her weight crushing him. She sneered, her face twisted with rage. "You really thought you could—"

Then it happened.

The capsule, now marked with Bael's boom-boom tattoo, which appeared instantly, started descending slowly to her arm... For a split second, everything was still. Sevika glanced at her arm, confusion flashing across her face.

Bael, despite the pain coursing through his body, grinned. "You shouldn't underestimate precision."

Before Sevika could react, the capsule erupted in a violent explosion, shattering the mechanisms in her arm. Sparks and shards flew in all directions as she screamed in pain, the force sending her stumbling backward.

Her mechanical arm was now useless, hanging limp and sparking at her side. She clutched it with her remaining hand, her breathing ragged as she glared at Bael with a mix of fury and disbelief.