A/N: Still here despite the site being buggy.

DOUBLE EDIT: Flames all over the comments, but I'm trying to ignore them, crass though they are. T_T

Added some more content too, spruced up a few scenes and the like.

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here.

That's no joke. Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this, if people don't enjoy...well, I won't continue it. What's the point in writing something no one likes? Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule -two jobs!- I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Now, onto your questions comments and concerns!

We'll keep it short this time around, don't want to spoil things:

Q: SILCO WHEN!

A: Careful what you wish for...

Q: How is Naruto repairing/fixing the damn lanes so fast?

A: You're joking, right? As stated in an earlier chapter, Naruto's seeded the Lanes with his shadow clones. They're busy little bees. And with his current chakra reserves...well, they're not going anywhere unless they take a solid hit. Who knows what they might get up to~?

Q: Are the chapter titles from the Imagine Dragons song?

A: A bit shuffled around, but yes. Speaking of which, give "Bones" a listen. Its another banger of theirs and catchy as all hell.

Alright then, I've kept you long enough. Lets get into the meat of the matter and have some fun!

Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!

Hope this chapter puts a smile on your face~!

"The kids in the dark have been doomed from the start.

~?

Powers at Play

"Oh, shit."

Two little words. That was all it took to ignite the powder keg that the Last Drop had become. Marcus lay stunned out on the deck, drooling into the floorboards. Chairs scraped back as everyone in the bar rose to their feet. Bereft of his leadership, his fellow Enforcers hesitated when faced with that sea of angry faces. Just for a moment. A second, really. More than enough. Sevika whistled. Naruto crossed the fingers of his good hand using a single seal to summon a brace of shadow clones. Vander swore...and reached up to grab his gauntlets dangling above the bar.

Oh shit, indeed.

As one, the Lanes waded in with a roar, decades of rage unleashed in an instant. All hell broke loose. Fists flew. Bottles blurred through the air. Tables toppled and bodies hit the floor as the world swirled in merry madness. A melee broke forth, creating a twisted tangle of arms and legs even an Uchiha would have trouble making sense of. It was madness. It was chaos...

.

..

...it was glorious.

"Don't kill them!" Naruto hollered over it all as he broke a man's arm. "Kick their asses, but I want them alive! Alive, damnit! No killing! You hear me?!"

He didn't think anyone beyond his clones heard him, but he shouted it anyway.

A burly enforcer caught sight of him in the fray and lunged, hands grasping. His good arm cracked out, divesting the man -or was it a woman? Hard to tell with all that armor!- of their helm and more than a few teeth besides. Back they flew, spitting bits of helmet. Another grabbed him from behind, only to howl in pain as he drove his skull back into their face, obliterating their nose. Sevika caught that one by his arm and reeled them away into a bruising roundhouse that sent him spinning to the floor.

He whirled away in time to see Vander clobber an Enforcer making for the stairs. Poor bastard folded like paper. No one would be getting to the kids that way.

The door to the pub crashed open and more enforcers rushed in, batons at the ready. "Nobody move!"

Huh. Marcus had left some men outside after all. Smart of him.

They hadn't brought their rifles. Unwise of them.

"CHARGE!"

Vaulting a table, Naruto dove at the nearest enforcer and speared him to the floor with a powerful kick; such that would've made Might Gai weep with joy. He heard bone crack under his feet, punctuated by a low groan as he dug his heel in. Probably the poor bastard's ribs. He didn't stop to feel pity; he couldn't afford to. Using their chest as a springboard, he launched himself headlong into the rest before they could get their bearings. Three more guards went down in such a manner, ripped from their feet by broad swings of his arm and legs.

Someone hollered and an unlucky Enforcer took a pipe to the face before they could reach him.

A tide of furious men and women followed his lead; all too eager to exact their well-earned vengeance on the arrogant enforcers before them. Wasn't even a proper fight after that. Everything dissolved into a brawl. Naruto lost himself to it. All the anger, all the frustration he'd been feeling, it flowed he realized he was laughing. These weren't all good people, but they were fighting with him against these idiots. That alone heartened him.

Time got funny after that. He wasn't sure how much passed. Minutes? Hours? Less? More?

"Enough!"

In hindsight, Naruto wasn't rightly sure who hollered it; only than someone did. It might have been Sevika or Vander, or anyone else. Whoever did, it flipped a switch. Someone was slapping something heavy against a wall, creating an awful din above the chaos. Truth be told, it didn't matter. With the last Enforcer down the violence gradually began to ebb until it ceased completely; with tempers running high it took the better part of five minutes to sort everything out.

His gaze strayed to the sprawled bodies with a sigh.

All things considered, the enforcers had fared...poorly. Their side hadn't. Only a handful on their side had been knocked about, few with serious injuries. His clones were helping those, even as the rest dragged the last stragglers into the center. Unconscious one and all. They'd be waking up with headaches and broken bones besides.

One of Vander's boys prodded a dazed enforcer with his boot. "Whaddya wanna do with 'em, boss?"

Naruto balked. "Boss?! Me?!"

"Yup. Should we kill them?"

"Wha-no! They're beaten." he scowled at the man as much as the insinuation. "We don't do that here."

An angry rumble went up, the anger that followed threatened to choke his senses.

"Then we should! One of these bastards beat my kid!"

"Yeah, they started it! We should end it!"

"Its only fair!"

Maybe they though it was. Piltover had been putting Zaun down for a long time now; they'd gotten their first real taste of justice here today; only made sense that they'd crave more.

For the life of him Naruto didn't know how to give it to them.

"He's right." Vander stepped forth, and he noted with some small satisfaction that the man's cast-iron gauntlets were now far from clean. "There's been enough violence for one day. There'll be consequences for this. Lets not make it any worse than it need be."

They didn't like the sound of that; Sevika looked fit to storm up and have words with Vander.

An ugly-yet-beautiful idea dawned. Naruto grabbed it and ran with it.

"I never said we were letting them go with their dignity intact."

Heads turned toward him. Kurama chortled.

"Floor's yours. Don't screw up."

Nothing ventured...!

"Dead they only send a single message. But alive?" he spread his arms, channeling his best Kakashi impression. "Just think about it. They'll spread word of what happened here just by breathing; that message will live in infamy." Marcus started this; now he and his men would serve as example. "Tar and feather them, tie them up, then dump 'em on the bridge!" laughter swelled with his words and he didn't have to fake his grin. "After all, we want the world to see the chickens they are!"

A chorus of ayes went up as they went to work as one.

"Hey!"

Naruto turned in time to see Sevika walk -stalk!- his way. She stormed right up to him. He had an inkling of what she was about to do, but for once in his life, he just wasn't able to react in time. Maybe his blood was up. Perhaps he was curious. Maybe he just didn't want to. Then she was upon him.

"Mwah~!"

It wasn't a kiss, not really; she smashed her lips against his and he felt their teeth click together -ow!- before she jerked back again. He barely had time to experience it - then it was over.

"There." she grunted, wiping her mouth with one sleeve. "For a job well done. Got that out of my system for now."

Naruto blinked, too dazed to properly respond. "Bwuh?"

"Me and my boys will clean up this mess. The old dog's glaring at you."

Her piece said, clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. He soon realized why.

Even without turning around, he could feel Vander glaring at him. Why did that bother him so bloody much?

"What's that look for?" he pivoted and planted his arm in one pocket, refusing to show the hurt he felt. "I tried your way." really, he had. For the longest time. "Now we're doing it mine. Its a compromise." his hand swept back up to where the enforcers were even now being divested of their armor. "They're alive, they get to go back to their families, and maybe, just maybe, they learn a lesson from all this."

"And what might that lesson be?" he still hadn't taken the cast irons off. Naruto wondered if he ever would again.

"I thought it went without saying. Don't start something you can't finish."

The old brawler sighed. "You're taking it too far."

"Am I?" A muscle jumped in his jaw. "Way I see it," he dusted off his hands, "I've taken it just far enough."

Vander stepped forward. Naruto matched him. A ripple of anticipation ran through the room.

"These people deserve a better life than this. More than Piltover's leftovers, I think. Most of them probably turned to crime because they never had a chance to be anything more, anything better." The more he thought of it, the more he spoke, and the more he spoke, the more he warmed to the idea. "So, yeah. I'm gonna give it to them. I'm going to make things better down here."

"You're talking about a revolution."

Anger sparked into righteous rage, and he lost hold of himself.

"Wrong!" Naruto jabbed a finger against Vander's chest. "I'm talking about change. Change long overdue."

The old man fell silent at that. At length, he sighed.

"I never wanted to don these gloves again." he glowered down at the grisly gauntlets he still swore. "Bloody cast irons. So hard to clean...

Naruto knew what he meant. Hands once bloodied would always have blood on them.

"Don't doubt that." He set his stance, but didn't retreat. His emotions were too muddied to read; try as he might, he couldn't get his bearings. "Look, big guy. I'm not your enemy." Vander looked like he knew how to throw a punch and he didn't relish being on the receiving end of those fists. Regeneration or not, that would hurt-a lot. "Help me with this. We can do so much good for these people-

A yelp behind him claimed his attention. "Oh, wow...

Naruto craned his neck and found Powder peeking out of the stairwell with wide eyes. Vi and the boys -he flailed for a moment before recalling their names- stood not a pace behind, all but balking at his grim handiwork. It sparked a curious pang of shame within him. He would have preferred they hadn't seen this. Kids were looking at him and Vander like they were heroes. He didn't feel like a hero. He felt tired.

"You guys did this?"

"And how!" Sevika crowed from the back.

Naruto sighed. "We'll talk later. I need to catch a shower- I'll be along shortly."

"Wait!" Vi bleated, bringing him up short. "That's it? You're just gonna let these guys go?!

"After a bit of ritual humiliation, yes."

"Vi." Vander's voice rose in low warning. "Leave it. We'll talk about this lot later."

"No!" she stomped a foot, startling Mylo and Claggor. "They came here! For us!"

"Because you lot hit a Piltover penthouse."

"To prove ourselves!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, tracking Powder as she and the boys wandered over to one of the Enforcers. A little looting might help with Powder with her latest gadget. Any glee he might have felt was soured by Vi's expression when he pivoted back. Oh suuure, now Vander realized how truly eager she was for a fight. He'd tried to warn him, he really had but evidently it had fallen on deaf ears. Speaking of which...

"That doesn't change anything!" he turned back in just in time to hear Vi snarl something in response to Vander. "You both have all this power! But you don't use it! You're weak!"

"Hey, now." How wrong she was. He reached around and grabbed her by the shoulder. "...it takes more strength to restrain yourself than you could possibly know, Vi."

"All I "know" is that you're full of hot air." she scowled at him. "You won't fight. Not when it matters. He was right about you."

Naruto and Vander exchanged a baffled look. "...who is he?"

Vi clammed up; the moment she did, Vander took her by the shoulders and steered her aside, leaving him with that ominous question. In the background one of the wounded Enforcers began to rise. Powder whirled on the spot and kicked him in the chin. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. Doubly so when she planted a foot on his back.

Someone whistled. "Damn, whiskers. What the hell have you been feeding that kid?"

Was that a glimmer of pride he pride just now? It felt like it. "Just a daily diet of kickass."

He ignored Vi's smoldering glare from across the room; because now Powder was preening up at him now. "See?! I knocked him out with one kick! Are you proud of me?"

Knocking out a dazed man wasn't much an accomplishment, but he knew when she was fishing for priase.

Naruto bit back a retort and patted her head instead. "Good girl."

"Sooo?" She leaned into his palm with a pleased hum. "You ever gonna teach me to fight like that?"

"Ha!" A rueful chuckle escaped him. Was this what it felt like to be a parent? It was...strangely wholesome. "Sure, I'll just teach you to fight like a one-armed cripple, shall I?"

They both knew he was anything but; still, she played along.

"Yeah, but you're the badass old man," Powder squirmed forward and latched onto his leg, looking up at him with bright eyes. "You've got moves for days."

"Old, am I? Well, maybe I'm too old to teach you anything." Have that, you cheeky little shit. "And why would I want to teach these moves to a snot-nosed kid with more snark then sense?"

"Because," She smacked her lips, giving as good as she got. "I'm your darling pupil. Somebody has to remember these things before you go senile."

"Darling?" he scoffed. "Maybe in ten years. Trying growing up a little before you act like a pupil."

Powder whined. "Narutooooo!"

He snorted, breaking the tableau and she giggled.

Sevika swept back in, shattering the moment. "Mind if I steal him for a second?"

Powder pouted. "Sure, fine. Make it quick."

She didn't budge. The brawler sighed. "Alone, squirt."

Powder took the hint, and didn't look much pleased with it. She stalked off with a huff.

"Once we've cleaned up this lot," Sevika's lips brushed his ear. "There's someone I want you to meet. After hearing that little speech of yours, he might be willing to help you...

Sense reasserted itself.

"Right." Naruto coughed. "I'll do that. Later."

...who was this person Sevika wanted him to meet?

(.0.0.0.)

...why are we here?"

Sevika didn't answer, not at first, guiding him through another alley.

Naruto blew out a sigh and forced himself to follow...even as his instincts bridled.

This deep into the Lanes, few buildings were left standing; those that remained stood bathed in heavy smog from the mines. She'd offered him a rebreather, but he'd waved her off.

"He made me an offer." she rolled her shoulders in an awkward shrug. "Wasn't interested at the time, so I told him I'd think about it. But he gave me a place to meet...just this once."

She pushed a door open. It parted on rusty hinges with a torture squeal, heralding its lack of use. In an instant he understood where she'd led him and followed her into a sprawling open space. Footsteps echoed hollowly in the abandoned refinery. Pitted steel and twisted frames alone told a sad story of what had happened here.

Wasn't all that bard for a neutral location...

.

..

...given who they were about to meet.

Naruto saw him then, a man sat in a high backed chair behind a wooden table. A bottle of wine and two glassed rested therein, but he paid them little mine.

Flanked by two guards, he was the very picture of poise.

He found himself staring at a pale, tall-yet-thin man of middling age clad in a red and black Piltovan three piece suit. His dark hair was combed through with streaks of grey. His right eye was a startling shade of blue, contrasting heavily with with the scarring etched into the left side of his face...and that eye. That blasted bloody eye Something was wrong with it, heavily discolored with an orange iris set against black sclera. Like it was infected. He fought down a shiver at the sight.

The man looked up at their entry, good eye fixing on them.

"Sevika." and then he noticed him. "You've brought a friend."

"In a sense." Naruto hedged, reluctantly taking the seat opposite him.

"Silco." The brawler grunted, taking up a flanking position. "Hope you don't mind my plus one."

"Come now," the older man tutted at her tone. "I'm hardly going to kill someone for seeing my face...this time. And you, boy." His good eyes swept to Naruto. I've heard of you."

How did he respond to that? Names aside, he didn't even know who this was. "Wish I could say the same."

Sevika swore softly behind him; thankfully the man seemed to take it in stride.

"May I be frank?"

Naruto released a breath. "Please. It'd be easier."

"I'd like to dispense with the pleasantries, if its all the same to you. We both know why we're here." Really? Because he didn't! "We could be allies, or we could be enemies. The choice is yours."

"Enemies, eh?" he warmed to the words. "Everybody wants to be my enemy. Especially these days." laughter spilled out of him as he leaned back. "Never really understood why, ya know? I can be such a good friend, but anyone whose anyone just lives to pick a fight with me."

"Friends?" Silco scoffed at that; it was a hoarse, raspy sound. "I had a friend, once. A man I considered brother in all but blood." he touched a hand to his ruined face and the tainted eye locked within. "He gave me this."

Naruto winced. Sasuke had taken his arm, just as someone had taken Silco's eye. A stubborn spark of pity flared to life in him.

"I don't betray my friends."

"That may well be," the mogul allowed, "But you'll find my trust is not so easily earned."

The ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Yet I can earn it. You just implied as much."

...perhaps."

As he looked on Silco fished a wooden case from his coat and set it down on the table. Nimble fingers flicked it open, revealing a pair of cigars and a lighter within. Much to Naruto's chagrin, he offered him one. He thought about reaching for it, then thought better of the cigar. Never his scene, that.

"Sorry," he held up a hand. "Not really my thing."

"As you wish." the criminal shrugged.

Blast it, that eye really was unnerving him. "I could heal that, you know."

Silco considered him intently. "...you really could. I've heard stories about you. But what price would you demand in return?"

"Nothing." he held out his hand. "I'm not one to leave others in pain if I can help it."

"Every man has his vice." Silco exhaled languidly instead, expelling a ring of smoke into the dead air overhead. "And his price."

Naruto stilled. "If you're offering to buy me out, you can forget it. Ain't got a price."

"Don't you?" His good eye narrowed. "You're rather fond of that girl. What was her name? Powder? Or shall I call her Jinx?" a faint smile creased his scarred face. "The lanes seem fond of that nickname...

A low growl tore through the room, pervading neutral ground. Sevkia drew back to regard him with wide eyes. Even then it took him a moment to realize it had come from him. He wrestled his temper back under control before Silco could capitalize on his brief lapse.

"Careful. You're making me angry." he let a touch of Kurama's chakra bleed into his eyes, staining them a vivid bloody red, just like the old days. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"I expect not." Silco polished off the last of his cigar and cast it to the ground. His shoe stomped down on it immediately, grinding it to dust. "But the fact remains. You style yourself as invincible. Untouchable. Immovable, like the very mountains themselves. You aren't. No one is."

This mustn't register on an emotional level. Yet it did. All of them.

"You know," he drawled, "Some people think they can outsmart me." tittering a little, he crossed one leg over the other. "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'll be the first to admit it." Pausing now, he gave the words a moment to sink in, to let the satisfaction seep into Silco's soul. "And they've gotten the drop on me a time or two, sure." a selfsame smile and shrug. "Its happened...

And then.

...but I've yet to meet anyone who could outsmart my fists."

Sevika snorted behind him and that was it; the floodgates burst open and he laughed, unable to stop.

"You wanna kidnap my apprentice? Use her as leverage against me? Go ahead." leaning forward, he bared his teeth. "Try. See what happens. Powder isn't weak. She'll bend your boys into a pretzel."

Silco met his gaze evenly; if he sought weakness there, he would be disappointed. At length he poured himself a glass of wine and took a languid sip.

Ice cubes clinked in the crystalline glass as he set it down.

"I'd like to let in you in a very important secret I learned when I was about your age, boy." he planted one palm against the table, levering himself upright. "You see, power, real power, doesn't come to those who are born strongest, or fastest, or smartest. No, it comes to those who will do anything to achieve it."

"On that, I'm afraid we'll have to disagree. " Naruto felt his lips thin into an angry line. "I don't want power. Never have. Never will. I just want to keep my promise."

"You have Vander's spirit." a nod was his reward. "And you're not afraid to fight. I'll give you that. But this only ends one way."

"You're right!" he smiled." It ends with you listening to me. I can be very persuasive...

Silence stretched between the two powers at play neither yielding.

"Have something to say, do you? Go on. Enlighten me."

Time to make his move.

"Look, Silco, I worked hard to get where I am, sure, but I only made it this far because I had help." when the older man didn't challenge him, he knew he'd found his opening. "Because people believed in me. You? From what you've told me so far, it sounds like you'd sacrifice everything that you are for your dream; throw yourself on the pyre of your own ambition to see it actualized. You might realize your goal, sure," he rolled his shoulders in a shrug, "But is it even your dream anymore if you can't recognize it? Or your people are left cowering in fear of the very man who saved them? That's not a good dream at all. Its a nightmare."

Sevika hummed behind him. "Told you. He knows how to talk."

"But can he back those words up with action?" Silco fished a knife from his pocket and laid it on the table. "You're not afraid to fight; I can respect that, but you're not going far enough." he pushed it toward him, hilt first. "The only way to defeat a superior enemy is to stop at nothing; to become the thing they fear."

"Funny," Naruto picked it up and twirled it in his fingers, letting the jagged knife dance along his knuckles, "Someone just told me the opposite."

"Vander." Something dark and ugly flashed across Silco's face. "He would, the old fool. Ever the pacifist." it quelled a moment later. "Frankly, I'm amazed you got him to dirty his hands. How did you do it?"

He shrugged. "I appealed to his better nature."

Silco scoffed. Silence stretched between them once more.

...very well. I have no intention to stand in your way, so long as your goals don't interfere with mine."

Aha! Now they came to the meat of the matter. "And what is it you want?

"Freedom for the Lanes." a rare not of passion overtook his calm facade. "The Nation of Zaun, The whole of the underground united as one; independent of Piltover.

Naruto let the words stew, considering the criminal before him. Silco was a bad person. But he wasn't a bad guy. His emotions, though veiled to anyone else, were an open book for him to read. In his heart of hearts, beneath all the anger and betrayal and deceit, he genuinely wanted the best for his people. He wanted them to rise to the surface.

And why shouldn't he?

What choice did the people of Zaun have down here, but to become criminals? You couldn't earn a fair day's wage down here. Kids could barely live down here.

Damnit, some people were eating each other! How did he fix that?! And yet if this man was given the gift of chakra, he would use it for ill.

So how do I solve this problem?

He couldn't be Naruto the dolt here; not Naruto the dense; nor Naruto the dumb. Throwing Silco in a cage might make him feel better in the short run, but it wouldn't change anything. Taking him down or -Sage forbid it!- killing him would only exacerbate the situation.

And then where would they be? Right back where they started. The problem lay with Piltover, but also Zaun.

His mind flailed anew, thinking of all the negotiations he'd seen throughout his life; all the great schemers he could only ever hope to emulate at best. How would Kakashi handle this? Shikamaru? Jiraiya? Tsunade? Itachi? He wracked his brain to the brink, trying to come up with something. Don't do anything Sasuke would. Bad idea. Worst idea, that.

Wait.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face.

He blew out a long breath and schooled his face into an impassive mask.

"There's nothing wrong with freedom." he spoke slowly, choosing each word with infinite care. "Or wanting a better life for your people. Those are the marks of a good leader." Silco watched him like a hawk, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "But you're going about it the wrong way. There's an angle you've not considered."

"Is that so?" his tone gave nothing away, his expression inscrutable. "And you think you've got it all figured out, do you?"

"I do." it wasn't a lie. He'd just realized something Silco hadn't, and he wasn't keen to share. Not yet.

The criminal's gaze traveled to the severed stump of his right arm. "How did you lose that?"

Naruto didn't answer, not right away. Respond too readily and Silco would think him eager to please; take too long and the man might think him afraid. Powder and Vander were the only ones who knew the truth of his arm; that it wasn't a disability at all. Kurama's chakra made for a handy prosthetic. Let Silco think him weak, crippled.

It would make his shock all the more satisfying.

"Fighting a friend." he touched a hand to the bunched up sleeve. "He was like a brother to me."

Something strange sparked in Silco's soul, then. It felt like kinship.

"Betrayal, then." he touched a hand to his ruined eye.

"In a sense."

"I can understand that." Another touch to his eye. "Its always those we trust most that turn on us in the end." he chuckled bitterly. "You see what Vander did to me."

Shock ripped the rug right out from under Naruto. Apparently he hadn't kept his face blank either, because the madman smiled.

"Oh? Didn't he tell you? Vander isn't the man you think he is." he sensed an old story there, one he didn't care to here. "He plays the part of the the pacifist, but he's every bit the monster I am. Worse, even. You'll see, in time."

The knife stabbed down with a thunk, burying itself into the table. Silco quirked a brow.

"That may be," Naruto tore his hand away, "But I still trust him."

"Then you're a fool." There it was; a spark of anger burned in that cold heart. "Just as he is."

"Maybe so." he pushed himself upright and stood. "I'll help Zaun but I'll do it my way. I won't sacrifice my soul to save this city."

Bait the hook. Gain his interest. Make him ask you back later.

This wasn't something he could solve in a single meeting; as much as he might wish otherwise, he needed time to work on Silco. You couldn't force someone to change; they had to want it. He wasn't sure if Silco did. It was still too early to tell. He could only play the cards he'd been dealt-right now he didn't have a winning hand. He would, in time. But not yet.

Naruto made his choice.

He stood, drawing his chair back. "We're leaving, Sevika."

Even after all that, she still followed him. Silco's raspy chuckle echoed at his back.

"Made your choice, have you?"

She lifted her chin in mulish defiance. "I have."

Naruto kept walking.

"Wait."

He paused.

"I wish you good fortune in the war to come...and a warning." Silco's voice rasped at his back. "You don't want to be my enemy. Tread carefully."

"Funny," A scarlet eye gleamed over his shoulder. "I was just about to say the same thing. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I'll see you around, Silco."

...perhaps you will."

The masterminds parted.

It would not be their last meeting.

No. The war for Zaun had only just begun.

A/N: There we go.

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.

If folks don't like this...well, I'll not continue it. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?

They keeps an old man alive.

And enjoy the previews.

As ever:

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Get ready to smile~!

Obvious references are obvious~!

(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.

"It has to end this way."

Now remember kids, murder is never the answer. Murder is the question...

...and the answer is yes.

"Are you feeling angry, humiliated, is that it?!" He caught their fist, snatched them up by the ground and slammed them down. "Idiot! You don't know what humiliation is!" Bone twisted then broke as he stomped down in a rage. "I'm trying to HELP this place, but you're all making this so...damn...difficult...!

"Please, I need you!"

"You're not allowed to die!" Powder clutched at his hand. "Promise me you won't die. Not ever!"

Vander roared.

One punch. That was all it took.

His attacker folded like a piece of sheet metal.

His right gauntlet swept back...then forward, obliterating their skull.

Silco smiled as Marcus seethed.

"I want every gun we have focused on that man! I don't care who sees! Drop the damn building on him, if that's what it takes! Kill him! KILL HIM NOW!"

"Kill them!"

"Why won't you understand!"

"Only monsters deal in absolutes. I'll do what I must.

A tired sigh pierced the foggy gloom.

"You will try, my old friend."

"You call this a wound?"

He walked through the doorway.

"This ain't a wound; barely even a scratch."

His victim pitched backward, struggling to hold their bleeding face together.

"Lemme show you...what a real injury looks like. Feels like! SOUNDS LIKE! Come here! I'll carve it into your corpse!

Get up! Rise, damn you! If you don't get up right now everyone is going to die! Nothing will change! GET UP!

His arms braced against the ground. Pushed. And the rubble gave way.

He was unarmed. His hands empty. His back riddled with wounds he'd taken protecting them, one arm hanging loosely at his side. So much blood. Yet still he stalked forward. Oh gods. She could see right through him. How was he still moving...? Bravado or sheer willpower. Had to be. He'd collapse any second now. But he didn't. He threw his head back and snarled. The sound was dark and painful, filled with so much hurt and regret and...and death. So much death. Like a fell hound howling at the moon.

"I can...do this...all day."

R&R~!