Chapter 27: They got us

Benzo's pawn shop was alive.

Laughter, arguing, the occasional thunk of someone getting smacked upside the head—it was chaos, but the good kind.

Somehow, against all odds, everyone was here.

Powder made damn sure of it.

The moment we finished testing the wireless telegraph, she had BOLTED out of the shop like her ass was on fire, sprinting back to the Last Drop to gather the crew.

And holy shit, did she succeed.

Now? The shop was packed.

Vi. Milo. Claggor. Vander. Even some folks from the Lanes, drawn in by Powder's frantic shouting about how they had just revolutionized communication itself.

The energy in the room? Pure excitement.

---

Powder was practically bouncing in place, her blue hair a total mess from running around.

"Okay, okay, okay—EVERYBODY WATCH!"

Ekko grinned.

Lukas smirked, stepping up like a showman.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat, striking a dramatic pose.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and that one pink gorilla over there—"

"HEY!" Vi snapped.

Lukas ignored her.

"You stand before a historic moment. Today, I, the great Lukas Fontaine, present to you…" He gestured grandly to the machine.

"The Wireless Telegraph!"

He dramatically pressed the key.

CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.

Across the room, the receiver whirred to life.

A message began printing onto the paper.

Everyone leaned in.

And then—

"VI YOU SUCK."

Silence.

Then—

Vi lunged.

"YOU NUDIST LITTLE SHIT!"

Lukas dodged, laughing his ass off.

The room ERUPTED.

Milo's jaw dropped.

Claggor scratched his head.

Vi, still fuming, tried to grab Lukas again—only for Powder to tackle her from behind, locking her arms around her sister's waist.

"WAIT! WAIT! THIS IS IMPORTANT!"

Vander, watching the chaos unfold, just smiled.

Benzo sighed. Loudly.

And the folks from the Lanes?

They whispered among themselves, eyes filled with something rare in Zaun.

Hope.

---

Vi narrowed her eyes at the machine.

"I still don't get it. What's the big deal? Isn't that just one of those telegraphs topsiders already use?"

Lukas, ever the gentleman, responded immediately.

"This—" he gestured to the machine "—is not just another telegraph. This is our dream of a better future, this is the result of our hard work (and some cheating from the system but let's skip that), and for why you don't 'get it'..."

"That's because you stupid."

BAM.

Vi punched him straight in the back of the head.

"OW!"

"You deserved that, dumbass!"

Powder cackled like a goblin.

Milo squinted at the telegraph like it might bite him.

"I dunno, man… This feels like witchcraft."

Ekko scoffed, arms crossed.

"Yeah, Milo. We totally sacrificed a Poro to make this work. You got us."

Claggor, meanwhile, was completely awestruck.

"It—it just sent a message through the air? No cables? No nothin'?"

Lukas smirked.

"Damn right you are."

An older mechanic, hands covered in oil, leaned closer.

"This ain't a trick from Topside, is it? Did you guys actually do this?…"

Lukas threw his arms up.

"This is Zaunite-made, baby! Not a single cog touched by those bougie bastards up top."

Vi looked at Lukas, then at Powder, her eyes filled with questions… and something else.

Something like pride.

"So You're telling me… this thing can send messages anywhere?"

Lukas nodded.

"Anywhere within range. We could put these in different parts of the city and stay connected."

Powder clapped her hands.

"Just click-click-click! And BOOM! Instant words!"

Vi hesitated, before finally admitting—

"...That's actually kinda badass."

Lukas and Powder grinned.

---

Benzo crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"Well. I gotta admit… I didn't think they'd actually pull it off."

Vander exhaled.

"Yeah… but looking at this thing now? I'm glad they did."

Benzo smirked.

"Kid's a menace. But I'll give him this—he's got ambition."

They both looked over at the absolute disaster zone that was now their shop.

Vander just chuckled.

For once, things felt… peaceful.

But the longer he watched, the more that warmth in his chest started to fade.

Because no matter how much hope he felt seeing these kids succeed…

He also felt fear.

Zaun had seen genius before.

And Zaun had buried it before, too.

Vander let out a deep sigh, his expression darkening.

Benzo, standing next to him, caught the look immediately.

"What's wrong?"

Vander exhaled, rubbing his face.

"...You ever get that feeling, Benzo? Like you're watching something amazing happen, but deep down, you're just waiting for someone to take it all away?"

Benzo's jaw tightened.

He didn't answer immediately.

Because he knew exactly what Vander meant.

They had seen it happen too many times.

Brilliant minds, born in the Undercity, wasted before they ever had a chance to shine.

Vander continued, voice heavy.

"I remember a time when I thought we would bring change to things."

Benzo stayed silent.

He already knew who Vander was thinking of.

Alonzo. Felicia… Silco…

Friends who had dreamed big—and ended up dead, or worse.

Benzo finally spoke.

"But these kids… They ain't us, Vander."

Vander blinked.

Benzo gestured to the scene before them.

"They've got something we didn't."

Vander's brow furrowed.

"And what's that?"

Benzo smiled, shaking his head.

"They got us."

Vander stared for a long moment.

Then, slowly, a small smile crept back onto his face.

Maybe… just maybe…

This time would be different.