Caitlyn wanted to say that it wasn't the truth, she wanted to say that the yordle is lying. But when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
Because what Teemo said was all true.
Sure, he ignored some of the elements on purpose. But as unbelievable to Caitlyn as it is: Piltover is one of the reason of the dying Zaun.
In fact, there are only three elements that made the dark chaos. Piltover, Chem barons and foreign powers.
Piltover grabbed all the remaining value of Zaun. Making Zaun its servant by the embargos. If Zaun citizens don't want to starve to death, they can either accept the exploitation in factories and mines or become a thug for the Chem barons.
The Chem barons were the original leaders of Zaun. They helped Piltover when the people of Zaun are being exploited. They sold the people out for their own profit. They control most manufacturing of Alchemical goods. They formed labor dispatching companies, taking a big chunk out of the minimal salary of the people they use to lead.
As for the foreign powers, they needed a chaotic city to serve for the purpose of transferring intelligence. So as Piltover slowly turned Zaun into its own sewer, they sped up the process and supported all forms of embargo Piltover forced on Zaun.
With the three mountains crushing down, the people of Zaun lost the chance to fight back at all.
Piltover an Zaun are cities that relies on trade. There is no food being grown here. So, if the people of Zaun start a rebellion, the first obstacle they face is an embargo for all type of food. How do you rebel when the whole city is slowly starving to death?
As the facts made Caitlyn dumb-founded, Teemo decided it's time for the final blow.
"The people of Zaun works in highly contaminated environment, they work the hardest, but their salary can't even support themselves. People of Piltover can be educated, free medical support and hex tech items. But people of Zaun who provided all of this doesn't even own the slightest of welfare!"
"Are the people of Zaun lazy? No!"
"At the docks of Piltover, citizens of Zaun are working themselves to their limit, in the underground mines, people of Zaun are competing against the mining colossus!"
"Are the people of Zaun avaricious? No!"
"Most people of Zaun just want to live! They don't want big houses or ostentatious feasts; they just want to live!"
"Are the people of Zaun evil? No!"
"Despite the high crime rate, if you take out the crimes done by the Chem barons' thugs. The crime rate of Zaun can't even match Piltover, where rate of financial crimes reached its peak!"
"Then, why is the life of people of Zaun poor and dangerous?"
"That's because, those free boxed lunches you Pilties throw down a sewer, those are 80% of the wages of a hard-working father in Zaun. And in the interference of the Chem barons, this man probably didn't even get the remaining 20% of his well-deserved salary!"
"The poor man did the work worth one golden hex, but he only got two silver hexes. And the rest of it, is Piltover citizens' welfare!"
Teemo's words echoed off the walls of the suite. This is the information he collected all this time running the Omega tavern. No one can argue with it. Because it's all fact.
Jinx still looks as careless as ever. Ziggs looks extremely confused. But Ekko's eyes are filled with tears.
Teemo's words were like a shovel, digging up all those painful memories in his heart.
He tried fighting back to those in power. But by himself, there is not much he can do. He can set a low low line for the Chem barons, but that's it!
The boy who shattered time risked his life. Rewinding time. Failing one time after another. Dancing on the tip of the blade. But the only thing he managed was to grab a little more from the Chem barons' fat fingers!
Why does Ekko despise Vi this much?
Because in all these years, countless Zaun geniuses left. They cut away their past. Forgetting the people struggling to survive.
Day after day, month after month, year after year. Until Ekko is the only one left.
The room fell into silence.
Undeniably, Caitlyn is a good person. She follows the law, she serves justice. But as a Piltover citizen, at her birth, she is living off the blood of Zaun. It is the sin of the class she belongs to.
"Caitlyn, when you go back to Piltover, I want you to tell those sitting high up in their comfy sofas and deciding the destiny of the two cities one thing. Tell them, people of Zaun aren't born to be slaves. We don't have to bleed for them, we don't have to sweat for them. Zaun belongs to the people of Zaun. We are the same with citizens of Piltover. We are born equal!"
"Zaun opposes all kinds of exploitation and oppression. Are Pilties and Chem barons better than the workers of Zaun?"
"No, you are not. You just have more luck."
"But this is not permanent. Zaun will rise once more. And I will lead the people of Zaun to victory myself!"
Yes, Teemo is trying to bring a new idea to Valoran. An idea different from the order of Piltover, the freedom of Bilgewater, the Justice of Demacia, the balance and shadows of Ionia, even the imperialism of Noxus.
The name of the idea is called equality.
In a place like Zaun, Teemo is alone. Sure, his power is at the peak compared to mortals. But he can't clear Zaun all by himself.
There are only little things he can do against the dark side of this city .Against Giant Chem colossus, inhumane poison gas, Chem-altered assassin, the bounty hunters and even possible foreign intervention.
But he seen Zaun's future.
And all they need to light the fire of revolution, is a single spark.