It was a miserable journey. Silco walked in front, followed by Sevika with Jinx over her shoulder. Jinx was crying pitifully and struggling but not enough to be more than an annoyance to Sevika.
How Silco wished he could comfort Jinx. But he was the cause of her tears. He'd made this decision. He'd decided to turn her in and throw her to the enemy. If it had been just for his own sake, it would have been an unforgivably selfish act.
But even for the sake of the nation he had dragged out of poverty, his nation, it felt terrible to betray her. Did they really need independence? They had got along without it for so long. Silco shook his head. He couldn't believe he was having this debate with himself. He was so close to finally realising his dream. He had a responsibility to his people, and he had to do what was best for them.
But Jinx was one of his people.
What would they do to her? He couldn't be sure how she would be treated in Stillwater. It was where Piltover sent their worst criminals. Jinx was tough, but there were others who were bigger and stronger. And would the guards be watching at all times? And even if they were would they care?
He would bear responsibility for anything that happened to her in that place.
"I can't do this," Silco said. "Put her down. Untie her."
Sevika stopped, but didn't put Jinx down. "Sir, are you sure?" she asked.
Silco nodded. This was what he wanted. But was it really what was best?
"You already signed the agreement. Topside'll take this as an act of war."
"So be it. They're not having my daughter."
Sevika rolled her eyes and swung Jinx down to the ground, dropping her with a thud. Jinx's head hung down as Sevika unfastened her bonds. Her shoulders were shaking, she was continuing to cry.
Silco was seized with the fear that it was already too late. Had he already destroyed Jinx's trust in him for considering handing her over?
"I'm so sorry," he choked out.
Sevika cut the rope around Jinx's ankles, releasing her. Jinx didn't move. She didn't try to run. Her head hung down, her hair obscuring her face.
"Jinx?" Silco said, his voice barely more than a whisper. He wanted to rush over there and throw his arms around her, but she might just lash out at him. She had every right to. "I'm sorry Jinx, I'm so sorry."
Jinx slowly raised her head to look at Silco. Her cheeks were wet with tears mixed with blood from her open wounds. The whites of her eyes were bright red, contrasting sharply with the fading purple glow of Shimmer in her irises. Silco gulped, horrified with himself for what he had done to her.
"I can't believe I was so stupid. I need you, Jinx. I could never give you to them."
Jinx got to her knees and crawled the short distance to Silco, throwing her arms around his legs and resting her head against them. Silco let out an unsteady breath, relief flooding over him.
"We have to get you out of the undercity," he said, reaching to touch Jinx's head.
"I'm not going without you," she mumbled without looking up.
Silco winced. He wanted so badly to stay with her, and she wanted the same. "It's the only way."
"No!" Jinx wailed, hugging his legs tighter.
"I want to keep you safe," he said, stroking her hair.
Jinx looked up at him with such sadness, black makeup and blood smeared on her face. "I want to stay here. I don't wanna be alone."
Silco bit the inside of his cheek. He reached into a pocket to take out a handkerchief, and used it to gently wipe Jinx's face.
She stood up and threw her arms around his waist, holding on tight to him. He put his arms around her, stroking her head and back as she sobbed. "It's all right, Jinx. Everything will be all right," he whispered.
Silco took a few steps towards Sevika. Jinx shuffled along with him and lifted her head, but refused to let go of him.
Sevika looked at the two of them, speechless.
Silco laid a hand on Sevika's shoulder. "Sevika. My most trusted and loyal servant. Thank you, for everything."
"Silco…" Sevika frowned at him, her suspicion growing.
"I must ask one final thing of you. Not a word of any of this to anyone. When they ask, tell them we simply disappeared."
Sevika snorted. And then nodded curtly.
They dressed in the plainest clothes. Jinx hadn't worn a dress since she was a toddler, but they had to ensure to draw as little attention as possible. They blended in with the other people in the cheapest seats on the ship. Jinx kept her head down, pretending to be sick, a scarf over her head to hide the hair she had refused to cut. She had however allowed Silco to undo her braids and roll it into a bun at the back of her head. He wore an eyepatch to cover his most striking feature. Coupled with the drab, commonplace clothes, no-one would recognise him.
His heart was broken for Zaun. The independent nation that never was. His home. The place he had fought for his entire life. Now he was just a poor father, travelling with his daughter, looking for a better life. He put his arms around Jinx and rested his chin on her head.
They would go far away, as far as they could. Somewhere where they would never hear about the fate of the undercity and Piltover. The guilt would haunt him forever. But it was nothing compared to the guilt he felt over sacrificing Jinx. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of few, except for when it was the one who you loved more than anything.
Sevika took over Silco's former role, temporarily, she told herself. She didn't want all this bother. But to refuse would to be disloyal to Silco, and disloyal to the people of the undercity. Her people.
Topside didn't believe her when she told them that she had no idea where Silco and Jinx had gone. But they couldn't prove otherwise, and the two of them were gone before Piltover had the sense to extend their searches beyond the limits of the undercity.
Without Silco, the Council considered their agreement void. Charitably, they did not immediately attack the undercity, but they refused to consider another request for independence. The undercity re-built their infrastructure the best they could, as they always had, and once again ramped up manufacture of Shimmer. There was a demand for it. Many people would die or go mad without it. And Sevika used it herself, so it was a no-brainer. Topside didn't like it, and there were those in the undercity who didn't either, but as far as she was concerned, they could go fuck themselves.
The undercity continued as it always had, scraping along somehow. Sevika wondered if it ever was possible to fight the status quo and make a change. Vander had believed it, once, but time had beat the youthful optimism out of him. Silco had held onto his belief much longer, but even he had eventually fallen prey to human weakness.
Sevika sat at Silco's desk, smoking a cigar, her boots propped up on the desk. It would always be Silco's desk. Not hers. She didn't want a desk, she felt so out of place behind it. She flicked cigar ash into the ashtray that Jinx had decorated, or defaced, depending on your point of view.
She had been horrified that day when Silco had abandoned everything and run away. She knew how much he doted on Jinx, but even so, it had seemed so out of character. But with time, Sevika's opinion shifted. She was glad that Silco hadn't bowed to topside's demands. If he had, he would have lost her respect. If he'd given them Jinx, how many more of their people would he be willing to sacrifice in order to build his nation of Zaun? A nation build on blood and suffering that failed to protect its people wasn't worth anything.
