Runeterra: Arcane - CH 3

The crates were heavier than they looked. I grunted, shifting my grip as Vander’s voice carried over from the bar’s back door.

“Easy now, Hawk. No rush. Just set it down by the wall.”

“Got it,” I muttered, though my arms were already burning. The wood was rough against my palms, splinters threatening to bite if I wasn’t careful. I staggered a little, caught my balance, and finally managed to heave the crate onto the stack by the far wall.

Behind me, Sevika hauled her own load like it weighed nothing, barely sparing me a glance as she walked past. “You’re slow,” she said, not even out of breath.

“Yeah, yeah,” I shot back, rolling my shoulders. “You're just a show-off, Sev."

Sevika snorted, her smirk hidden behind another crate she hoisted with ease. She dumped it by the wall and dusted off her hands. "Someone has to be," she retorted, her tone light despite the edge.

The back alley of The Last Drop smelled like most of Zaun, goddamn awful, the kind of scent that clung to your clothes no matter how much you tried to shake it off, but each day made it easier to tolerate. Vander had parked the cart just outside, its was half-empty by now showing that we’d been at this for a while. The man himself stood by the door, arms crossed and an approving look on his face.

“Good work, both of you,” he said as Sevika dropped another crate onto the stack. “Hawk, you’re getting stronger. If you keep at it, you might grow bigger than me.”

“Stronger? Sure.” I flexed one arm for show. “Another week of this, and I’ll be carrying two crates at once. But bigger than you? Have you seen yourself… you’re a human tank.”

Vander let out a hearty chuckle, the sound echoing down the grimy alleyway. “Well, maybe not quite that big.”

Sevika rolled her eyes. “Are you two done admiring each other’s muscles? Or lack of.”

I gave her a mock glare. "Jealous, Sev?"

She responded with a scoff, dropping the last crate onto the pile. The wood creaked under its weight. "Of what? Your noodle arms?"

I rolled my eyes.

Vander stepped closer, giving the crates a quick once-over. “That’s the last of it. Head inside when you’re ready. Drinks are on me tonight.”

“That so?” Sevika raised an eyebrow, already brushing her hands off. “Generous.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he said with a grin.

Sevika disappeared into the bar, leaving Vander and me in the alley. I wiped my hands on my pants, taking a moment to catch my breath.

Four months here. Long enough that I’d stopped waking up every morning expecting my old life to come rushing back. Long enough that Vander’s kids, including the two newest additions; Claggor and Mylo, were starting to feel like family.

Claggor was the easy one to like. He was steady, dependable, the kind of kid who always showed up when you needed him. Mylo, though... he was a different story. The guy tried too hard, always cracking jokes or making grand declarations like he had something to prove. It wasn’t bad exactly, just… tiring at times. Still, his heart was in the right place. Even when he was annoying, I could tell he cared about the group, that he wanted to fit in.

And Vander… well, the big softie was the glue that held all of this, including Zaun, together. The kind of guy who didn’t need to shout to make you listen, who’d give someone q chance even when the rest of the world wouldn’t. If anyone asked why I stuck around, I’d just point to him and say, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You zoning out, kid?” Vander’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Again.”

I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at the crates like they held the meaning of life or fries… of God how I missed fries. “Just thinking.”

“Uh-huh.” He clapped a hand on my shoulders. “Come on. Let’s head in before Sevika drinks all the good stuff.”

I snorted. “It’s not like you’re going let me drink any of the good stuff.”

“You’re a kid," Vander retorted, ruffling my hair before heading into the bar. “Juice and soda for you.”

I scoffed, following suit.

Inside, the Last Drop was alive with its usual gaggle of patrons; miners fresh from the pits, weary factory workers, criminals and the occasional wayward Piltie slumming it for a night. Every corner of the place was filled with hushed conversations and the occasional drunk laughing and puking his soul out.

"What's the poison for tonight?" Sevika asked from behind the bar as Vander and I approached.

"A bottle of my cheapest rotgut," Vander replied with a dry grin.

Sevika rolled her eyes, reaching under the counter to pull out a dark, dusty bottle. "Figures the good stuff was just another way of saying, the same old cheap stuff."

"What can I say? I've got expensive tastes elsewhere." He winked at her and she snorted, pouring out his drink.

"And for our aspiring comedian?" Sevika queried, crossing her muscular arms over her chest.

"Sadly, it's just juice for me," I grumbled, plopping onto a stool. "Juice and dreams, that's all I get."

Sevika shook her head, but her lips twitched upwards as she grabbed a glass and poured some juice. "Dreams are cheap," she said, sliding the glass over to me. "By the way, should we be concerned the kid craves alcohol?”

Vander chuckled, taking a long swig of his drink before turning to me with an amused glint in his eye. "Hawk, should I be concerned?"

"Absolutely," I replied without missing a beat. "I'm seriously considering starting a mutiny over this. Beer rights for the youth!"

I mean… who could blame me? Gone were the days of a beer or two after a long day of work…. now, I was reduced to only being allowed sodas and what I imagined was orange juice but was far too afraid to find out if it was, seeing it didn’t taste like orange juice… more like the distant, and very mutated cousin of the orange. I still had the occasional beer here and there, but with Vander on full dad mode, I got juice more than not.

“Can you check on the kids for me?” Vander asked, taking another swig of his drink. "Make sure they're not tearing up the place... or each other."

"Sure thing," I replied, sliding off the bar stool and heading towards the back of the bar, where the rooms were.

-——————————————- -——————————————- -——————————————-

The hum of voices grew louder as I approached the back rooms, a mix of sharp quips and the occasional frustrated groan. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was involved. Did Vander have a sixth sense or something? I mean… every time the kids are about to make a mess its like he feels it, maybe its a dad sense or something, it’s like he can smell it coming.

Vi’s voice cut through the noise first, low and dangerous, she was practically growling. “Keep running your mouth, Mylo. See where it gets you.”

“Why?” Mylo shot back. His voice dripped with mock confidence, but there was a nervous edge to it, and by nervous I mean he was two seconds of away from needing a new pair of shorts. “I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”

Claggor’s sigh was audible even before I stepped into the room. “Would you two give it a rest? Mr. Vander is gonna hear, and we’ll all get an earful.”

I paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame to take in the scene. Vi stood with her fists clenched, her stance daring Mylo to say one more word. Mylo, for his part, leaned against the edge of a rickety table, trying to look casual but failing miserably, it was obvious he was trying to make some distance between him and Vi. Claggor stood between them like a referee waiting for the inevitable.

“Am I interrupting something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Four heads turned toward me. Powder’s face lit up like a lamp, her earlier tension melting into a big grin as she bounced up from her spot on the floor.

“Hawk!” she squealed, rushing toward me.

I barely had time to brace myself before her arms wrapped around my waist in a hug that nearly knocked the wind out of me. “Hey, Pow-Pow,” I said, ruffling her hair. “What’s going on in here?”

“Oh, nothing,” Mylo said with an exaggerated shrug. “Just Vi being Vi, as usual. Ready to throw punches because someone dared to speak the truth.”

Vi took a step forward, and I held up a hand to stop her. “Whoa, whoa. Easy, Vi. You’re really gonna let Mylo get under your skin? He’s, what, like a professional button-pusher at this point?”

“I’m right here,” Mylo said, scowling.

“Yeah, and you’re proving my point,” I shot back.

Vi crossed her arms, her glare still fixed on Mylo. “He needs to learn when to shut up.”

“He does,” I said, stepping fully into the room. “But come on, Vi. You’ve got to make him work harder than this. You’re way too easy to rile up.”

Her glare shifted to me, but there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “You’re not helping.”

“Sure I am,” I said, giving her a pat on the shoulder as I moved past her. “Think of it as tough love.”

Powder still clung to my side, looking up at me with wide, curious eyes. “Did Vander send you?”

“Yeah,” I said, crouching down to her level. “He wanted me to make sure you guys weren’t tearing the place apart. I see I got here just in time, I swear he smells these things.”

Powder giggled, the sound light and infectious. “Vi and Mylo were fighting again.”

“Shocking,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the older kids.

Claggor raised his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t look at me. I was trying to keep the peace.”

“And you’re doing a stellar job,” I said, earning a small chuckle from him.

Mylo rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t even doing anything. Vi’s the one who always flies off the handle.”

“Because you never shut up!” Vi snapped, taking a step toward him again.

I slid between them, holding up my hands. “Okay, let’s call a timeout. Vi, take a deep breath. Mylo, maybe try not to antagonize the person who can and will deck you.”

Vi scoffed but stayed where she was, her arms still crossed. Mylo muttered something under his breath but didn’t push it further.

“See? Progress,” I said, turning back to Powder. “What about you? You behaving yourself?”

“Always!” she said with a grin that was far too innocent to be believable.

“Uh-huh,” I said, narrowing my eyes playfully. “Should I be checking for hidden glitter bombs or tripwires?”

“Nope!” she said, rocking back on her heels.

Claggor chuckled. “She’s been good. Just playing with her little gadgets.”

Powder beamed, clearly proud of whatever mischief she’d been up to.

As the tension in the room eased, I leaned against the table, crossing my arms. “So, what’s the real issue here? Or is this just a typical Vi-versus-Mylo situation?”

“She doesn’t trust us,” Mylo said, his tone suddenly more serious.

Vi bristled. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Mylo shot back.

I raised an eyebrow. “Trust you? For what?”

Claggor sighed. “It’s not about us, really. Vi’s just… protective of Powder. And you.”

Vi shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, her usual confidence faltering for a moment. “I’m just making sure they know where the line is. That’s all.”

I tilted my head, giving her a look that I knew would get under her skin. “First of all, awwww, second… Really? Because a few months ago, you were looking at me the same way.”

Her jaw tightened, and I could see the comeback forming in her head, but she didn’t say anything.

Mylo snickered. “He’s got a point.”

“Shut up, Mylo,” Vi snapped.

I held up a hand. “Alright, alright. Let’s not start this again. Look, Vi, I get it. You’re just trying to look out for your siblings. But Claggor and Mylo aren’t bad. Annoying, sure, but their hearts are in the right place.”

Claggor gave me a small nod of appreciation, while Mylo muttered, “Thanks… I think.”

Vi exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. “Fine. But if they mess with Powder—”

“They won’t,” I said firmly. “Right, guys?”

“Right,” Claggor said immediately.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mylo muttered, waving a hand dismissively.

Powder tugged at my sleeve, drawing my attention back to her. “Are you staying here?”

“For a bit,” I said. “Why? You got something planned?”

Her grin widened, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Whatever it was, it was probably going to be messy and fun.

“Alright,” I said, straightening up. “Let’s try to keep the peace for the rest of the night, okay? I don’t want to have to drag Vander back here to referee.”

Vi snorted. “Yeah, because that’d go over real well.”

“Exactly,” I said, clapping my hands together. “So, let’s all play nice. Deal?”

Claggor nodded. Powder grinned. Mylo shrugged. Vi just rolled her eyes, but I caught the small smirk she tried to hide.

Good enough for me.