Crew

Why Zaun?

Having to eat from the trash was humiliating, but the need to survive outweighed any remaining pride I had.

Sure, I could have tried to leave Zaun, maybe make it to Ionia or Noxus, but I had no idea how to navigate this maze of tunnels and crumbling buildings. Zaun was chaos, and I didn't have a map or a clear path.

And that's how I met Powder.

When I saw her, just seven years old and with that sad expression, I knew exactly who she was. Jinx, the future criminal mastermind of Zaun. But now, she was just a little girl, lost and crying in a corner, a far cry from what she would become.

"Hi…"

"H-Hi."

Powder looked up at me, her big, bright eyes filled with fear and desperation.

"Why are you crying?" I asked, wanting to know more but also looking for an excuse to get closer.

She didn't respond immediately, just let the tears keep falling.

"I got mad at Vi… and now I've lost her…" Her voice was a trembling whisper.

That phrase reminded me of what it was like to be a child. How many times had I felt that way—lost, not knowing where to go or who to turn to?

"Do you want me to help you find her?" I offered, not really knowing what I was doing.

Powder looked up, surprised, almost as if she couldn't believe someone would want to help her.

"You'd do that?!" Her eyes lit up with hope, a rare spark in someone from around here.

"Sure, give me your hand… No, wait, never mind. Just follow me."

After Powder found me crying in that corner of Zaun, we spent hours looking for Vi. The girl wouldn't stop talking, telling me stories about her adventures with her sister and how they always ended up in trouble. Though I was more worried about not getting lost in the maze of tunnels.

"And then what happened?" I asked as we walked down a dark alley, dodging debris and puddles.

"Vi jumped off the roof and punched the biggest thug!" Powder said, mimicking the motion with her tiny fists. "It was awesome!"

"Sounds like a real leader," I replied, sidestepping a puddle of dirty water.

Powder suddenly stopped, looking at me with those curious blue eyes.

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked.

The question caught me off guard. I wasn't ready to talk about my past life, much less the memories I was trying to leave behind.

"No… I don't have any siblings. But I have friends. Or at least, I used to."

"Where are they now?" she asked, her gaze so pure it made me look away.

"Far away," I replied, avoiding her eyes. "Very far."

Powder seemed to notice my discomfort and quickly changed the subject.

"Hey, why do you have those mouths on your hands? Does it hurt?"

I looked at my hands, where the two mouths were slightly moving, as if they were sleeping.

"No, it doesn't hurt. It's… complicated," I said, not knowing how to explain what had happened to me.

"Can they talk?" she asked, leaning in closer, fascinated.

"Kind of," I said, trying not to laugh. "But they don't always say nice things."

Powder smiled, showing her tiny teeth.

"That's so cool! It's like having two extra friends!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"I guess so."

We kept walking, and at one point, Powder stopped in front of a wall covered in graffiti.

"Look, I made this," she said, pointing to a clumsy drawing of what looked like an explosion.

"Do you like explosions?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! They're like… boom!" she said, spreading her arms as if mimicking an explosion. "Don't you like them?"

The original Deidara would've gotten along with this girl.

I smiled, remembering my past life.

And that's how I ended up at The Last Drop, spending the whole day with Powder asking for directions. People weren't very helpful, but we found her.

And my reward? A punch to the face.

"Kidnapper!" I heard a female voice before a right hook knocked me out.

"Vi, wait!" Powder shouted, but it was too late.

I fell to the ground, dizzy. It's disgusting being a kid again. Even a twelve-year-old girl could knock you out.

Vi stood over me, her short pink hair messy, her gray eyes filled with fury. She wore a brown vest over a white shirt, and her fists were wrapped in bandages. She was taller than me, and her stance was defiant, as if she was ready to hit me again.

Things calmed down when Powder explained that I was her new friend and that I had helped her find Vi.

"I still don't like you," Vi said, crossing her arms.

"The feeling's mutual," I replied, though I didn't mean it. I knew the quickest way to get on Vi's good side was to show no fear.

Then Vander showed up, the man everyone in Zaun respected. He was tall, muscular, with a thick beard and a face marked by the scars of past battles. He wore a brown jumpsuit and had a look of concern on his face.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice deep and calm.

"You're the owner of this nightclub, right? You're Boss Vander? Please, adopt me. I can work for you," I said without wasting any time.

Vander looked at me skeptically. "Get lost, kid. Thanks for finding Powder, but I've got enough mouths to feed. I don't have room for more."

But I wasn't going to miss the chance for a semi-stable life. So I became friends with Vi and Powder, and later with Mylo and Claggor. It was easy; the oldest was Vi, at eleven, and Powder was the youngest. Over time, Vander ended up taking me into his pack.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Three years later...

The lab was organized chaos. Tools, blueprints, and prototypes were piled up in every corner, and in the center of it all was the Massive Water Purifier for Zaun, my most ambitious project yet. Though the place was more of a storage room than a lab, Vander had given it to me so I could work in peace. This was where I taught mechanics to Ekko and Powder, and where I spent hours trying to turn my ideas into reality.

Vi walked in unannounced, as usual. "What's up, Dei?" she greeted, leaning on the table with a challenging smile.

"I told you it was a bad idea to rob the surface," I said, not looking up from the prototype I was adjusting. "But no, you always have to do things your way."

"I told you we had it under control," Vi replied, crossing her arms. "It turned out fine. And it would've gone faster if you and Powder had joined the squad."

I put down the tool I was holding and turned to her, my expression serious. "Do you want me to tell you how your 'plan' would've ended without my advice?"

Vi frowned but nodded. "Okay, tell me. What would've happened?"

I had lied to Vi, telling her that sometimes I had visions of the future. At first, she didn't believe me and even laughed, but today, after confirming that the Hextech gems were where I said they'd be, she took it as definitive proof.

"Powder would find the gems," I began, watching Vi's face fill with worry. "During the escape, she'd blow up the room because she dropped one. No one would die, you'd all be fine... at first. Except for the part where the enforcers would see you and chase you. Then, on the way back, some thugs would try to rob you, and it would all end with Powder throwing the loot into the water and you being disappointed." I explained. "You should listen to Vander. He'd say something like, 'A good leader is responsible for their crew,' or something like that."

Vi didn't say anything. She stayed quiet.

"But anyway, this time it turned out perfect. Do you have the gems?" I said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yep. What do they do?"

"They're pieces of magical energy. In my visions, they power weapons like guns, gauntlets, etc. They'll help Zaun's development once we have scientists for it."

"Cool," said an enthusiastic Vi. "I want gauntlets like Vander's."

I couldn't help but laugh at her excitement.

I had some ideas, but using Hextech wasn't in the AI, so I wasn't going to research it myself.

Massive Water Purifier for Zaun

Anti-Toxic Ventilation System

Vertical Hydroponic Farms

Zaun Underground Train

Communication Network

Massive Recycling Plant

The lab was my refuge. An organized chaos of tools, blueprints, and prototypes. In the center of it all was the Massive Water Purifier for Zaun, my most ambitious project so far and the only one I'd started.

For that, I abused the AI. Remember that gift God gave me before sending me to this abandoned place?

AI, explain the steps to me again.

Guide for Water Purification in Contaminated Environments

Objective: Purify contaminated water in Zaun using accessible technology and efficient methods to remove solid waste, toxic chemicals, and pathogenic microorganisms.

Water Collection

Recommended methods:

✔ Rainwater collection: Install inclined metal or ceramic surfaces to direct water into tanks.

✔ Primary filtration: Implement metal grates or coarse mesh to prevent leaves, debris, and large particles from entering.

✔ Groundwater extraction: If there's access to wells or underground rivers, use mechanical or pressure pumps.

Particle and Sediment Filtration

Objective: Remove suspended solids, sand, metals, and oxide particles.

✔ Recommended method: Multi-layer filter

Layer 1: Coarse sand to trap large particles.

Layer 2: Activated carbon to absorb organic contaminants and certain chemicals.

Layer 3: Cotton fabric or synthetic fibers to capture finer residues.

Layer 4: Fine gravel to improve water flow filtration.

Chemical Contaminant and Heavy Metal Removal

Objective: Reduce substances like mercury, lead, arsenic, and industrial compounds.

✔ Recommended method:

Ion exchange resins (if available) to neutralize heavy metals.

Activated carbon filtration to absorb organic toxins.

Rudimentary electrolysis, applying electric current to water with copper or iron electrodes to precipitate metals.

Add neutralizing compounds, like lime or alkaline ash, to adjust pH and reduce toxicity.

Microorganism and Pathogen Elimination

Objective: Destroy bacteria, viruses, and parasites present in the water.

✔ Recommended method:

Boiling (heat water for at least 10 minutes to kill microorganisms).

Distillation (evaporate water and condense it in a clean metal tube).

Chemical purification: Add a few drops of chlorine per liter and wait 30 minutes. Use potassium permanganate (if available) to disinfect the water.

UV radiation: Expose water to sunlight in transparent bottles for 6 hours. If technology is available, use UV lamps.

Safe Storage and Distribution

✔ Avoid recontamination of purified water:

Use sealed storage tanks made of stainless steel or glazed ceramic.

Apply hermetic seals to prevent dust and toxins from entering.

Transport water in sterilized containers with secure lids.

✔ Optional: Pressurization of the distribution system

Implement manual or electric pumps to distribute water to different areas.

Use copper or stainless steel pipes, avoiding lead or corrosive materials.

Vi was sitting in a corner, watching me. She'd been doing that a lot lately...

I was adjusting a pipe on the prototype when the door burst open. One of my workers, a quiet but efficient guy, came running in. He looked agitated.

"Boss, we've got a problem," he said, panting. "There's someone in the facility. They're not from around here."

Vi jumped to her feet, her mechanical gloves glowing. "Who is it? Enforcers from Piltover?"

The worker shook his head. "No, it's... it's Silco."

The name echoed through the room like thunder. Vi tensed up, and I set the pipe aside, wiping my hands on my overalls.

"Silco, huh?" I said with a crooked smile. "Guess it was only a matter of time before he came snooping around."

Vi stepped closer to me, her fists clenched. "I don't trust that guy. What does he want? Vander warned us about him. Told us not to get close."

"Probably the same thing everyone in Zaun wants," I replied, drying my hands. "A better life. And it seems he's seen something that interests him."

Before Vi could respond, the lab door opened again. This time, it wasn't my worker who entered.

Silco was there, his cold, calculating gaze sweeping the room. He wore his usual dark coat, and his good eye gleamed with a predatory light.

"Deidara, how are you? And Vi, it's been a while."

"What do you want? I didn't invite you," I said.

"Can't one come to see another patriot? Few Zaunites would turn down the academy in Piltover."

"Get to the point. We both know you're here with an offer. Vi, leave."

"What?!"

"It'll be a quick chat. He won't leave until you do."

It took a few seconds, but she agreed. "I hope you know what you're doing..."

With that, it was just Silco and me.

"Join me."

And the negotiation began.