Sunset over Zaun

There was once a time that all she could think about was being the best. That she wanted to be the greatest and to have all eyes on her. To be praised by not just family and friends, but those who recognized her.

That all changed once she made a choice that sealed her fate and found herself in a playground of a city that played by a different set of rules.

While she might’ve found a new place to stay and individuals that she could put some amount of trust in, the fact of the matter was that what she once craved and sought out for at home was the easiest way to ask for trouble.

Of course, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t put her trust in anybody. Far from it. For the thing is, many might have the same thoughts as you do. However, given their own circumstances, vocalizing such thoughts could do more harm than good and attract unwanted attention.

She did not really think that the lessons from her old teacher would apply in a place like this. But, as it turned out… having a friend or two might provide insight into things that even you can’t fully comprehend.

After all, she was told early on that sometimes the right person in the wrong place can make all the difference in the Undercity.

At least, that was what she hoped.

If there is one thing that Sunset learned in the last eight months of being in Zaun, it’s to always pay attention to your surroundings.

No matter how many times she had been down here, there was always either something or someone hiding where you least expected it. Even though she had a few tricks to blend in, one wrong move and the next thing you know, the way back home is filled with various crooks and chempunks waiting for the opportunity to gang up on you. Which was always ideal to have at least something to defend yourself with.

Today’s trip was straightforward. She knew where she was going, who to speak to and what she was after. Anyone else can just buzz off and anyone who tried to get in her way would be given a friendly reminder to not do it again.

The place in question that she was going to was an old pawn shop tucked away in a corner out of sight from the center of Zaun. Ekko told her that it used to be a place where he worked when he was younger for a friend of Vander’s named Benzo. A good person who looked after him, but was killed by Silco’s men on the night of his takeover. Though, since then, a new proprietor had taken up residence in the shop. Someone not from either Topside or the Undercity, who kept a lot of what was inside intact, while adding a few new things into the mix.

Many folks around here, including the Firelights, were skeptical of this person for various reasons. And for a time, Sunset was too. But, much to her own surprise, the services that they provided actually helped the Firelights get out of a series of jams when the Chembarons were catching onto their activities. So, she had grown to slowly trust them.

Which made things all the stranger when she came by this afternoon, only to find the shop to be open… but someone completely different at the counter as the bell on the door rang.

“Huh? Wha-?”

Instead of the usual person at the counter, there was someone else entirely. Young girl, neon green hair in two big pigtails and standard street clothes. Not to mention she looked very tired.

“Oh, shoot! A customer! Sorry, I didn't mean to be sleeping on the job.” The girl immediately shot upright, trying to straighten herself up and look presentable as Sunset walked in and closed the door. “Is there something I can help you with today?”

At first, Sunset did not know what to think of this. Her immediate thought was that the place was robbed, but aside from a few odds and ends, nothing looked to be taken. Was it possible that this girl… worked here?

“Uh, yeah. I’m here to pick up something,” she said, plainly, “Is Madame Verask here?”

Immediately, the girl’s eyes widened a little. “Oh, you must be that favorite customer she was expecting! I’m sorry, but she left earlier this morning. Took a few things with her and asked me to keep watch while she’s gone.”

She… left? No no, that can’t be right. In the time that she knew her, there were very few occasions where she would leave the shop. And if she did, there would be some sort of advance notice. This… seemed suspicious. “And why is it that she left?”

“Well, she apparently got an invitation to attend the celebrations up in Topside tomorrow. You know, Progress Day and all that.” the girl behind the counter replied.

That… was a new one. In the time that she had been here, Sunset had once never heard of anything called ‘Progress Day’. She could only assume that it was a celebration of some kind, based on how this girl was talking about it. But the purpose of such a day or anything else in between is something that she was having difficulty wrapping her head around.

Nevertheless, Sunset chose to set that mental thought aside and look back at the girl. “Okay, last question. You said that she was expecting me?”

“Well, yeah. To put it in her words, ‘She always comes to the shop at a certain time and asks for the same thing’. Said that you even paid for everything in advance. The only difference today is who’s behind the counter helping you. Speaking of which, let me go bring out the order she prepared for you.”

Jumping away from the counter, the girl went into the back room. Sunset could hear the sound of bottles clinking in the back against one another and several things moved around. A couple things hit the floor, but thankfully did not break as she patiently waited for her to return.

When she did though, it was faster than expected… and she swore that she saw bits of electricity circulate from the pigtails.

“Here we are. One crystalline flask. Bit of a rare commodity to find these days,” the girl said, sliding over a tincture with a red liquid inside. Not only that, but alongside the flask was a folded piece of paper. “Madame Verask also emphasized that you should read the instructions first. That way you don’t end up getting sick.”

Taking both into her hands, Sunset smiled as she started to walk to the door. “Thanks, uh… sorry, I never got your name.”

“Oh right, forgot about that. It’s Zeri.”

“Sunset,” she replied, slipping the flask into her pocket before pushing on the door, “Stay safe now, alright?”

She didn’t even hear the response from Zeri as she closed the door. As she walked away, it wasn’t the flask she carried that she was concerned about. For her immediate focus was on the paper. Unfolding it several times before reading what was written.

And what was written was enough to have her hasten her return.

“We may have a problem.”

Those five words were enough to have Ekko stop what he was doing almost immediately as he turned to see that Sunset was back. He knew that she had left earlier to collect information. However, he did not expect for her to return shortly after leaving about an hour ago. Nor to sound very concerned.

“What sort of problem? You need to be a bit more specific.”

“What do you know about the Sludgerunners?” Sunset asked, pulling up a chair by Ekko’s workstation as he set something back down. A pair of mechanical orbs that had some alchemical components.

“What’s so important about them? They’re a company that mass produces chem-tech for people to waste their gold on led by a baron whose ego is inflated by the chems in their veins. Even if the Enforcers tried to shut it down, they wouldn’t know where to look to find the place. Why?”

“Well, if the information that I received is accurate, which I doubt that it isn’t… they might be expanding beyond the Undercity.”

Immediately, Ekko’s attention was fixed on her, changing from confused to immediately concerned in a heartbeat. “You’re sure about this?”

“If you don’t believe me, have a look for yourself.” Sunset replied, handing the leader of the Firelights the ‘instructions’ that were given to her. At first glance, these looked like standard medical instructions. But to those who knew how to read between the lines, it was quick to see the message that was hidden underneath.

A cipher that very few know the code for.

Sludgerunners are working overtime, moving large batches of Shimmer on Silco’s orders. Might’ve found clients on Topside.

Ship’s coming in at Wharfside Docks tomorrow, crack of dawn. Possibly using the Progress Day celebration as a cover to smuggle it in.

“Shit,” he cursed, gritting his teeth. If there was even a remote possibility that Silco was trying to expand his production, then any attempts they have made to try and slow down his operations would be rendered useless-

It was as he was thinking these things that Sunset spoke up, “You know I’ve been around a bit, but this is the first time I’ve heard about this ‘Progress Day’ or whatever it’s called. Mind bringing me up to speed?”

A deep sigh followed, along with a nod from the leader of the Firelights, “It’s a big festival up in Topside. From my understanding, it’s a giant national holiday dedicated to the ‘founding of the City of Progress’ and extending a hand of friendship to the rest of the world. Though, where most people see a hand of friendship, many Zaunites see it as them extending a middle finger at us.”

“So these guys are using a holiday for illegal smuggling? If this is on Topside’s turf, wouldn’t the enforcers rat it out? I would think that such a holiday would have lots of security.”

“Not if some of the Enforcers are on Silco’s payroll,” Ekko shook his head, “Besides, out of all the things we do, trusting Pilties to keep their word is not one of them.”

Sunset instantly recognized the look on his face. She had seen it time and time again over the course of her stay. The look of someone coming up with something in the moment and preparing to act on it immediately. “You got a plan, then?”

He then looked back to her, before taking the project he was working on and stuffing them into his coat. “How good are you on your dropboard?”

“If you mean if I’ve been practicing, I’ve been keeping up with it. Why-?”

“Because we got a shipment to hit,” Ekko said, before reaching for his mask and strapping it over his head as it sealed in place, “And this time, you’re coming along for the ride.”

If there was any way to describe what Sunset was now doing, insane would not even be enough to do it justice

While it was true that the Firelights did hit and run attacks on Silco’s operations, this one was different for multiple reasons. For one thing, most of what they did was on territory that they knew the inner workings of. The Firelights knew every nook and cranny of the Undercity, from where the chem-barons operated, places to avoid and also where to hide in case things go south. Topside, or Piltover if you want to use the official name, was a place that only some were familiar with, but was always considered dangerous territory.

The other reason why this was considered dangerous was what would happen if this was ignored. Anything with Silco was bad… but if there was a possibility that he somehow had contacts on Topside, then all that they have been doing to cease his operations would’ve been for nothing.

The Firelights needed to send a clear message. And it needed to be done now. Which brings her to where she is now. Inside a large pipe that connected the Undercity to Piltover, looking over the same docks that were listed in the tip that they got and seeing their quarry pull into port.

“Ship’s almost docked,” One of the Firelights that was on lookout duty called down to Ekko and the boarding crew..

“How many on board?”

“From the looks of it, alongside some kind of cargo inspector, there’s two people. Definitely bearing the marks of those on Silco’s payroll.”

The moment that was confirmed, the leader of the Firelights turned to the group that gathered with him, “Okay, listen up. The plan is simple. Once we hit the deck, we only have a limited window of time. We need to be in and out in five minutes. We are only here to deal with the cargo, not to pick a fight against the people on board. Are we clear?”

Most of the Firelights, including Sunset, nodded as they donned the masks over their faces. Some of them happened to have weapons alongside their equipment as everyone started to pull the dropboards off their backs.

“Alright. Everyone board up. We go on my mark.”

Even though Sunset was trying to remain focused, what they were doing was all very new to her and she and the other Firelights inched their boards out of the drainage pipe they hid in. Normally, her expertise was providing the information needed to conduct operations like this and let Ekko and the others carry it out. Now, she’s part of the crew that carries this out. To say that part of her felt nervous was an understatement. However, Sunset couldn’t let those thoughts bother her.

Not when it was time to act.

“Go!”

Immediately, the eight of them descended and swarmed the ship. Their sudden arrival was quick to overwhelm those on board as Ekko took initiative. The second he hit the deck, he hurled two spheres at the guards on the ship and the second they made contact, they were encased in a crystalline substance that rapidly expanded.

The second the guards were down, Sunset and the rest of the Firelights joined them on deck. “Remember our timeline. Five minutes. If we’re here longer, then our friends up here will be free of their bindings.”

Everyone nodded, but it was Sunset that was first to act. With a quick motion, and a faint cyan glow of magic, she pulled the lid off of a barrel next to her. What was inside was enough to make her sick. “Hey, over here. Found something.”

It was Shimmer. Not just vials of the substance, but a full barrel. And given how many barrels there were up here, this was not a good sign.

“The fuck? Have you ever seen this much Shimmer being moved at once?”

To the leader of the operation, this discovery confirmed his worst fears. “Dammit, they are trying to expand.” quickly, he motioned to a pair of Firelights that just joined them, before pointing down at the deck “Check for more below. We need to burn it all, now.”

On her end, Sunset immediately got to work. With each motion of her hands, more barrels were opened, ready to be spilled if necessary. Though, it wasn’t all Shimmer barrels that were up here. Something that she noticed when, out of the corner of her eye, she came across a wooden box tucked behind a few barrels.

The second she popped it open, Sunset couldn’t help but be surprised by what was inside. She was expecting Shimmer, but instead found something different. Weapons of various types from daggers to firearms and everything in between. More than likely something in case the crew needed to defend themselves at a moment’s notice-

BOOM!

Immediately, all the Firelights ceased what they were doing and looked to one another, “The hell was that?”

Smoke began to emerge from the lower deck as all the Firelights tensed up. They were certain that they had security handled, but something was coming that they did not anticipate. The hatch flipped open as the smoke got thicker. Footsteps were getting closer as the smoke made it difficult for them to see all around them. Some of the Firelights were already reaching for the weapons they carried, while Sunset and Ekko just held their ground.

They did not know who or what was coming, and that was the part that concerned all of them.

That is… until Ekko realized who it might be. “Oh shit… It’s her.”

“Wha-?”

The second the smoke cleared, all they saw was a teenage girl. Blue hair, long braids and clothes that looked together as if they were patched together from a carnival tent. All looking towards them with a curious glance.

“Hi.”

A curious glance one moment, before shifting to full on murderous.

In the blink of an eye, something was thrown at two other Firelights on the deck, clinging to their masks as they fell overboard. Two sudden explosions went off as the blue haired girl continued to go forward, drawing a weapon off their hip and twirling it around their finger. As Ekko and Scar engaged her in combat, Sunset tried to use her magic to disarm the assailant. However, she was too quick on her feet and Sunset was only able to pull her firearm away to an angle where a fatal shot at Scar’s head turned into a miss.

From the other side of the ship, Ekko was already at work on an escape plan. Spilling the open barrels of Shimmer onto the deck, he gave a whistle out to one other Firelight that was with them. The second they lit a torch, the assailant was immediately onto them, attempting to try and grab it out of their hands as they knocked their mask off of their face.

It was only then that, as Sunset helped Scar get back on his feet, that she watched this attacker hesitate. Whatever was driving them before had stopped as the blue haired girl stared directly at this Firelight with the torch. Their grip hesitating as she stared at them.

“V-Vi?”

Seeing the Shimmer pool at their feet, Sunset said the first thing that came to mind as the Firelight this girl was staring at looked towards her.

“Drop the torch! Quick!”

Immediately, they did… and the sparks spewing from it immediately ignited as violet flames burned all around them. With another twist of her wrist, Sunset tried to use her magic to loosen the grip this girl had on their comrade. It was enough for them to pull their wrist away and run.

BANG

“NO!”

Sunset could only watch as the Firelight she tried to save dropped dead on the deck. Shot through the heart as flames burned everywhere. Ekko scrambled over to the body, but there was nothing he could do. Glaring as he stared down the monster that killed them.

“Scar? Scar, what is he doing?”

The Chirean looked up, before looking back to her, “Get off the ship. Now.”

Without any hesitation, she got up. Using a rope thrown over the side of the vessel, she quickly descended before getting on her dropboard. She did not even turn to look back as the sound of gunfire erupted in a flurry behind her. Sunset had only one goal in mind and that was to get out of dodge.

Even though they completed what they set out to do today, it came at a cost. And it was unclear as to what to do next.