Arcane: World Two - AU (Non-binary reader)

A/N: I'm back from fighting monsters in the Mojave desert with Omni-Man

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Air takes the vacancy of Iogran Mac's seat, crimson pools on the dusted floor below Felicia's face, her hand covering the cut on her jaw: "It won't happen again, believe me-"

Her words are cut off by the knife of one of the council members slicing at her arm. A sharp pain in tune of a sharp squeek as Felicia hides her pained noises. The councillor beside Mac's vacant seat speaks up: "And if it does, we cut you off" He's the bartender at the Pardido, the bar for mercs.

Felicia's eyes widened, her pupils shrink: "There's- there's no need for that!" She pulls herself to her feet. She covers the cut on her arm with her hand; the wound by her lip becomes more apparent as she speaks: "y/n won't repeat this, I swear. You know they're worth it"

Much to their dismay, the councillors know she's right. You're the best killer they have. One of the councillors wears goggles over her eyes and a dirty lab coat around her waist. She reaches under her desk and lifts a case: "This case contains an experimental compound; it's been given the name Furtum Fidei" As she states its name, Felicia feels a chill run down her spine. "If your mutt acts out again, you inject it with this. It will cause them to become unable to act against your commands, but it will, in turn, never stop killing" The dust that circles the room is the most visible movement. "You will need a constant stream of targets, or it will kill on instinct"

Felicia warily takes the case, she hears the liquid flow inside the syringe. All she can manage is to nod.

***

"Fuck you too!" Ekko yells from one rooftop to another, Claggor standing on the opposing one. "That one should've been a foul, and you know it!"

Claggor, holding the leather ball, winds his arm back: "Pipe it, Scrapper!" He throws the ball across the rooftops, it creating a small shadow on the streets below before landing in Ekko's hand.

Ekko lifts the ball behind his head, preparing to aim for Claggor's head: "Who you calling a Scrapper!?" He throws the ball with a daring expression on his face.

Within inches of his face, the ball is caught by another arm: "Hey! No headshots!" Mylo yells out after saving his brother's nose. Ekko shrugs, spins to face the bridge and crosses over. He's about to go down the stairs when he's stopped by Mylo: "Don't bother trying to talk to Powder; she's not given up yet"

Ekko sighs, aware of the state of Powder: "Do you ever think she's... right?" He feels the tension growing behind him.

There's silence before Claggor's interruption: "I wish she was"

***

Downstairs, a map of Piltover and the Undercity sprawl across your old maps. Ink drags lines from place to place with tags attached to them. Under the house of a previous target lies a newspaper headline: "Four dead by blowdart in midnight robbery" Under the fighting ring the words: "New champion leaves opponents in two". Under the bar where you killed Mac, a photo of the survivor is pinned.

She hides a pistol under her belt, covers her face with a hood and puts an extra layer over her torso before leaving. She moves through the bar's crowd, avoiding being noticed by almost all. Silco watches her escape; he nudges Sevika, incentivising her to follow Powder: "Tell me what she finds; keep yourself hidden"

Sevika nods before following Powder, she lines the shadows to stay out of sight as she watches her peruse through the dark streets. The musk of soot rises as she nears a bar, looking up at the sign: "Pardido". Beneath the glowing sign, made up of scrapped lights, is a wooden board with black ink smeared across it: "Saloon 4 Mercs".