THE DREDGE

'Priority warning. Priority warning. Potential security breach, possible break-in attempt. All guards off-duty to scramble and convene at loading bay, in full gear, at once. Guards on duty to maintain positions. All detainees to cease work and remain still or return to cells. This is not a drill!'

Didn't take long for the megaphones to start echoing across the large cavern chamber of the Dredge. As it didn't take long, after that, for multiple groups of guards, with rifles in hand, to form up and march across the chamber's platforms, boots on hard steel, to reach the storage deposit where, according to some accounts - especially from a pair of guards whom arrived with a supply truck - was where Hout - or who was supposed to be Hout - was headed to. The borehole elevator and the vertical one at the other end of the cave chamber were already locked down by the time three groups of several armed guards had descended from the guards' fortified residence at the surface level, the Cantonment, right to the mine level.

As they reached the storage, the guards took positions, rifles at the ready. The storage was darker than usual. No doubt the lights were all killed. Only a few crates and barrels could be seen from the available lighting outside.

"Guard Hout, or whatever your name is!", one of the guards shouted. "You're ordered to step out, hands where we can see'em, right now! We'll shoot on sight if you won't!"

As expected, there was no answer. The guards, rifles pointed at the entrance, stared at each other, nodding.

"We'll cover.", the shouting guard nodded, as about ten guards stepped into the darkness slowly, few of them carrying lanterns with them.

The ambience was eerily quiet within, the lanterns managing to illuminate a few crates and barrel stacks at a time. The steps of the guards did echo around the empty storage room, all of them remaining silent, guns at the ready. This wasn't the first time something like this happened. And, by Janna's will, it wouldn't be the last.

"Got something here!", one of the guards close by shouted, drawing the others to the guard's location. As they approached and illuminated ahead with additional lanterns, they noticed what the guard mentioned.

A crate, riddled with nails on one side, busted open, the fragments of that side spread on the floor. Some of the fragments did show some odd signs of painting. As they further approached, with care, they could light up the inside of the crate, outrageous drawings of sky blue, green and pink all around the four insides that circled the crate.

The very back interior of the crate, however, focused most on a single message, with what seemed to be surrounded by some aura mimicking a spotlight to the person's face.

Amidst it, the word 'HELL-OOO!' was written, faces amidst the 'O' letters, one a sad one, the other a happy, and the last one dazed. Below the word, a drawing of what looked like a monkey was evident as well, either to mark an identity or an attempt at shock and awe.

Suddenly, a loud sound of a flare went out, catching everyone off-guard, whom turned to the source of the noise.

Atop the crates, a lone girl was on sight, holding a lit flare high, as she looked down. A girl with the longest braids ever, and clearly sported some sort of weapons all around her.

The guards aimed all their weapons at her, whom looked up at them with uncommon eyes almost purple, shrugging. "I'd stay right there, now...", the guard warned.

Jinx simply snickered.

Then, out of nowhere, something whistled in a high velocity, hitting one of the guards whom left the flank unguarded, and he fell to the ground, catching all the others off-guard again.

At the same time they all 'twitched', Jinx simply let the flare drop.

One of the guards noticed the flared dropping, but the girl didn't move.

In a fraction of a second, he lowered his head to the ground.

And noticed too late what he and everyone else were stepping on. It was too late to stop the flare, which hit the ground, bouncing, as it's flame then touched the inflammable substance coating the floor.

The flames rapidly spread like a gust of wind, enveloping all and every guard present in flames beneath the waist-level. But the flame spread didn't stop, as it then reached to some barrels on which the substance was sprayed on.

The inevitable came in a couple of seconds.

BOOM!

An enormous shockwave and fireball erupted from the storage entrance, in a fitting, ear-shattering sound, that caught all the guards at the entrance, as well, sending some falling to the ground, one or two having bounced back but still all enveloped by the flames.

The explosion caught the attention of the pair of guards of a nearby tower. Several had succumbed to the shockwave, as two of them were rolling on the ground, trying to be rid of the flames. One had come out running, screaming from the flames burning him.

That one's sprint did not last, however, as he was suddenly hit by something on his back, and he collapsed to his knees.

He was then hit again on the back and fell down, revealing two bolts sticking out like sore thumbs.

Behind him, was the evident shooter, brandishing some sort of weapon and cackling while at it.

But the pair of guards at the tower noticed it was anything BUT a man, whom was cackling.

It was instead what looked like a giant rat, on his two feet.

"YES!", Twitch shouted, laughing in triumph. "Oh, yes! Such an entrance! Bow now, you people you, this is my time now!"

The guards at the tower looked at each other before staring back at that... thing.

And then, as any other decent guard would do, they opened fire at it, shooting their rifles, which immediately ended Twitch's moment of joy, forcing the human-sized rat to dodge and take cover close to the guards' bodies. As the guards kept firing, they barely heard the sound of something heavy being fired and only noticed at the last second something coming to them, on which they jumped the tower instinctively, falling hard and painfully to the platform, as the tower exploded in an azure fireball that tore the frail structure apart.

As the guards picked themselves up, they could see someone else which walked off the flames, a large weapon resembling a monster on her shoulders. A small, slim feminine frame of long braids, which got something on her hip, like if it was the weapon's ammunition, and introduced it right into it's mouth, raising the weapon up and pushing it down behind as if it were cocking it, as if the weapon 'swallowed' the ammunition.

When the guards were about to react, Jinx was faster, unholstering the sidearm with her left hand, shooting both of the guards, hitting one in the chest and the other in the shoulder, as Twitch could get on his feet and move in to shoot them with his crossbow. Jinx then, the blood pumping, made evident by the glow of her purple eyes, dashed forward to then aim Fishbones at the other nearby guard tower, firing it, as she quickly released the monstrous rocket launcher, getting Pow-Pow and starting to fire at the guards by the catwalk, hitting one in the chest and wounding him. Fishbones' payload hit the tower also in a fireball, which did garner the attention of the prisoners in the cells that immediately roared.

"PARTY TIME!", Jinx bellowed as loud as she could. Twitch then followed suit as the Loose Cannon charged forward, moving faster like no one has, as the guards attempted aiming and firing, as the man-sized rat tried reaching a point where he could shoot some more guards as well. Jinx fired Pow-Pow at other guards in elevated catwalks in both sides of the chamber, wounding three and almost no regards for any possible collateral hits, and she then lowered the rotary cannon and fired it an incoming group of guards charging in and whom tried to fire, taking two down as the other dashed for cover. As she ran to a set of stairs while firing her sidearm at an incoming guard, hitting him but not killing him, other guards attempted shooting her, failing to notice Twitch aiming and firing the crossbow, taking more of them down before more incoming ones could shoot back, but Twitch could dodge and head to cover, as well.

Above, by the surface level, the explosion and it's slight tremor, that shook off some dirt from the rocky walls and roofs, did not go unnoticed by either Voss or Crimson. And then some more explosions and gunfire, dimly heard.

"Wake the tanks up.", Voss ordered, and Crimson nodded, starting to move to the office.

The game was afoot.

Below, as Jinx moved up the catwalks leading to some of the larger cells, she readily dashed up and bashed and headbutted one of the guards before pushing him past the guardrails and down the bottom platform, and then shot the other with the sidearm, hitting him in the chest, before rushing in and bashing him three times with Pow-Pow. She then took the rotary cannon and aimed it at the nearest cell lock, opening fire as the prisoners had to back off, squeezing themselves. Meanwhile, Twitch did fire against the guards whom attempted shooting him, providing cover for Jinx in essence.

After a brief hail of fire, the large cell's lock was pretty much like an ironclad swiss cheese. One Jinx had little trouble in plucking it out, and the cell door was opened, for the awed mass of prisoners within it. Jinx simply gestured, in a humorous way, to outside. It took one of the prisoners to roar, emboldened by the act, and the rest did follow as Jinx chuckled at it. Just like children, they went, as some of them were the smarter to head into closer to the former storage and picked the guards' rifles now in... proper hands.

Jinx, at the next cell to the unlocked, instead resorted to use one of the Chompers to bust open the cell lock, which had almost the same result, but was fun all the same. The Loose Cannon then jumped the guardrail and back down into the platform as the prisoners poured out from that catwalk to charge the advancing guards, whom opened fire, but also started to get under attack from the armed prisoners as well. Some of the armed prisoners did ascend to the catwalks on the other side to free up the others, obviously wanting to add up to the waves against the guards whom massed up to blockade the platform lanes ahead, supported by the guard towers which Jinx didn't fire at yet.

Nor was she planning to, yet.

"Hey, this is my moment, you puny people!", Twitch complained as the prisoners started charging themselves against the guards.

"Rat man!", Jinx shouted. "You wanna set Urgy loose or not?"

Twitch groaned a moment, but as he saw the starting engagement between the prisoners and guards, as they attacked and killed one another in melee and firefight, he then catched on, and thus backed away along with Jinx towards the control station at the back end of the chamber, behind the raging flames of the storage, that controlled the elevator leading further below.

This small control station was obviously fortified in violent riot cases, able to prevent small arms fire, rifles and made-up bombs or flammable cocktails, and it's reinforced bulkhead door could take some major hits and explosions.

However, it had a dangerous flaw one could exploit - it's exterior catwalk the guards believed could be used as a vantage firing point. While it indeed had a sole access by a metal staircase besides the elevator, it's access gate, though tall and even covered by barbed wire, wasn't resistant, even more to either explosives, rotary cannons or an individual whose strength was doused by Shimmer.

And Jinx had *all* of the three, hence as she dashed and ascended the stairs with her Shimmer-induced speed before the local guards could even aim, fired a hole at the gate with Pow-Pow and kicked it, the gate didn't stand a chance. As the guards tried firing as well, one's helmet bounced off the crossbow bolt Twitch was firing below, getting his attention, as Jinx already moved in with the sidearm and pulled the trigger, hitting the one aiming at the catwalk's gate at his mask. The bullet's hit was enough to distract him as she fired again with the sidearm, hitting him at the googles this time, collapsing to the ground. The other guard, as he turned around to shoot Jinx, was hit by another crossbow, this time at his back, on which Jinx rushed, headbutted him and jumped to kick him with two feet, pushing him back and over the guardrail, falling down the catwalk. This guard was finished off by the man-sized rat.

Jinx took Pow-Pow and fired up at the station building, bullets pounding into the glass which prevented them from piercing through, and then she moved up and bashed up the glass with the rotary cannon's back in such a strength the glass couldn't hold, this time, and so it opened a way for her, and as the guard within it tried cocked his pistol to fire, Jinx charged him and bashed his head first against the panel holding the controls to the elevator and then against the wall, before making him trip to the ground - letting out a sarcastic 'whoops' while at it - before then jumping with two feet on that guard and giving a final stomp on his head, before then walking to the bulkhead door and unlocking it for Twitch, whom just arrived, to come through.

"Not to judge, but can't you *slow down* a bit?", the plague rat asked, snickering.

"Got a better idea.", Jinx replied, in the same irony. "*You* stick around. Deal?"

"Me?", Twitch asked, caught off-guard. "Shouldn't *we both* free Urgot!?"

Jinx pulled a large lever by the panel, as both she and the rat started feeling the rumbling of something large and noisy below starting to work. "And who's gonna push that?", she asked, gesturing at the lever.

Twitch glanced for a second at the lever. "You?", he asked back.

Jinx shrugged for a moment. And then raised Pow-Pow to aim it at the rat, whom recoiled back a bit.

"Yes, I... think I will.", Twitch said, forcing a smirk.

"Ooohh, sure you will...", Jinx nodded, waving the rotary cannon a bit. "Just remember, Pow-Pow here doesn't like when they break her heart.", her next words then gradually turned menacing. "And you not being here when I call you, that'd break her heart *so much*..."

Jinx went past Twitch, outside to the catwalk and circled around the control station, to a rather man-sized tube that did a curve from upwards to deeper in the wall where the elevator below the catwalk was. She found a service hatch at it which she ripped right open and then entered the tube, with a bare minimum of light within it provided by electric lamps, definitely not expecting the chilly wind that started blowing at her, blowing the braids forward, making her briefly coil her arms. As she went ahead, she found a possible source of all that wind, a functioning vent, one of perhaps several, that circulated the air from the surface far below.

It made sense. As it also made sense for Jinx to draw Pow-Pow and shoot it out at it's pivot, drilling it out until she could kick it off, getting it off the way. It then took a turn to the right and then split between ahead, essentially going further right, and to the left, which Jinx headed to as it presumably led further to the next chamber below. As she went ahead she shot up and kicked another vent as she then saw what seemed to be a hole ahead, almost the same diameter as the tube Jinx was now in.

She then backtracked, grabbed the vent fans which she kicked out, and then threw them into the hole before the unstrapped Fishbones and placed it's armored, fish-like monster tip below, jumping herself by latching into it. As she fell, using her strength to push further down, Fishbones pushed the fan pivots further down, ramming through the fans along this fall, pushing them apart allowing the Loose Cannon to descend. Two fans later the fall diverged into a diagonal forward which nearly disrupted Jinx's push, but she could quickly correct herself with Fishbones at the lead.

Meanwhile, right below, those in station at this lowest level, prior to the Sumps, suddenly heard the small rumble as they then saw some cogs at the edges, in the back end of a dark, ironclad grand corridor - more like a hall - moving.

"The elevator!", the underchief shouted as the guards on station raced from the control station past the elevator, shutting the station's doors while also taking the two Chemtanks along as well. As the Chemtanks awaited besides the elevators to act, the guards, including one with a machine gun, took a firing line by the encroaching elevator. When the doors barely started to open, the guards opened fire, to ensure the newcomer of the welcoming committee waiting.

Only the welcoming committee didn't come by the elevator, but instead by a side vent on the walls, which made the guards get caught off-guard and jump scared when they saw a sudden burst of something coming off of one of the vent's grate, flying to the other side. It seemed a collection of broken metal, but there was something else amidst it. In that case, someone, whom was rather faster than any of them could react, and drew out a rotary cannon which opened fire at the guards' line, shooting down several, including the machine gun guard, as only a couple could run away.

The retreating guards were bumped aside by the advancing Chemtank duo which closed in on Jinx at an absurd speed - a product of the Shimmer enhancements her dear 'daddy' graced Zaun with - with wrist-mounted blades in hand, preparing to bull-rush her before finishing her off.

It was always like that with most they've met.

Only these 'most' weren't as juiced up with Shimmer as the little blue-braided girl was. And these 'most' didn't have more than one encounter with the Firelights, whom used aerial superiority and speed to their advantage.

This is why, as she could catch a glimpse of them approaching, Jinx let herself drop down with her back to the cold, steel floor, as the Chemtanks went past her. The Chemtanks stopped before the elevator, noticing they didn't hit the nimble slim girl, and turned around to see Jinx, back on her feet, waving 'hello' at them and snickering like a child. One of the Chemtanks growled, an unnatural one behind the armored helmet, and dashed at Jinx, attempting to strike with the blades. Jinx dodged it, though, and clamped a Chomper at the Chemtank's back before kicking him a bit away, the explosion knocking him to his knees.

The other Chemtank charged Jinx next, attempting to slash her, but Jinx dodged as well and kicked that Chemtank back before bashing him with Pow-Pow's back, disorienting the Chemtank and giving all the seconds needed for Jinx to rev up the rotary cannon and fire at the hulking suit, the bullets piercing through it's body, which had him fall on his knees. Jinx then bashed Pow-Pow's back at the Chemtank's helmet with such a strength it shattered the 'fishbowl's' glass open, the smoke of Shimmer venting out of the destroyed helmet like a human chimney. This Chemtank fell to the floor.

The first Chemtank by then had gotten back on his feet and attempted attacking Jinx, but the Loose Cannon herself dodged that too and dashed past him in an unnatural speed, kicking his back to force him to fall. As the Chemtank did fall and tried turning around, waving the blade. He found nothing.

Then the Chemtank turned around again... and came face to face with the barrel of a makeshift pistol that Jinx's fired, the bullet piercing the glass and hitting the Chemtank's face behind all the Shimmer steam. And the Chemtank collapsed to the ground, never to come up again, purple smoke coming out of it violently, like pressure steam from a leaky pipe.

The two surviving guards whom watched it all unfold beheld it all awed and terrified. That a little girl like that was capable of handling two of the most dangerous the Dredge's security had to offer... They immediately turned around, banging at the station's fortified iron doors, panicked.

Jinx, almost honestly snickering, simply stepped forward, picking up Fishbones and loaded a rocket into it. As the guards turned around, they saw the little blue-braided girl aim the rocket launcher and simply fire it. They attempted to dive for the rifles they dropped too late, as the warhead impacted and exploded on the iron doors with such a violence the shockwave threw both guards away from the door, in total pain as the doors themselves bent itself unnaturally backwards, opening them by the force of the blast. Jinx casually walked forward, humming the song of her childhood, as she unholstered her sidearm and then shot the two downed guards as she approached them. As she approached the busted doors, she could see the underchief knocked by the panel, fighting to get up as he saw Jinx, whom simply tilted her head.

"Hi.", she greeted before she then grabbed the underchief , headbutted him and threw him outside, reaching for a lever that stood out in the panel, just like up there. As she pulled it down, a large square behind her started moving down, with the underchief in it, and thus she also noticed a red button with 'SPEAKER' written in a label above it.

Below, Urgot and his followers could hear some distant sounds from the thick iron walls ahead and above them. Then, after a while silence. And then new noises came, that attracted the attention of all of them like moths to a flame.

And then, something at the base of the Sump started moving down, revealing a lit large square large enough for a vehicle.

Large enough for the Dreadnought, in his magnanimous size, to ascend.

And at the center of that square, lied a single one of those guards at the center. But not any guard. It was a commander.

"Hey, down there!", a voice suddenly came out of the speakers. "Up for some fresh air, anyone?"

Suddenly, as the underchief regained his senses and looked around, before he saw the crowd of flesh before the darkest cave chamber, he realized to his dread, where he was. And the crowd roared and charged through without the Dreadnought even ordering.

"Deliverance...", was all Urgot muttered, but one which could indeed send shudders. He then stepped forward towards the elevator, alongside Rhott, whom indeed grabbed and pushed more than he did to get her own space in the elevator.

As the others reached the underchief , whom tried shooting them away, and even killed one or two, it wasn't enough.

His screams were heard below in the chamber, were barely heard by Jinx in the control room. They weren't heard by Twitch upstairs, as the prison riot continued in a violent battle and even less at the surface level, where Voss and Crimson kept on, slightly nervous.

"Miss Voss!", a guard suddenly approached from behind them, within Voss' office, whom then turned. "Telegram, the facility!"

Crimson and Voss stared at each other, tense. "What is it?", Crimson asked.

"Only one word.", the guard informed quickly. "Breached."

Crimson and Voss' hearts stopped by then. "Impossible!", Crimson said. "No one could've reached there *this* fast!"

"No one we know...", Voss said, nervous. "We have to curb this, right now! Get everything down there!"

"*Everything*?", Crimson asked back, and Voss nodded, teeth baring into the open. "I'm going down there.", Crimson stepped forward, then. "Deploy the incendiaries! Ready the Ditch!"

As Crimson readied his axes, running forward to descend to the mines and rally the guards under attack, those above went to something large covered by a blanket. Others moved back to the Cantonment, some with a smile on their face.

The time for playing was over.

Below, Twitch was fighting hard the temptation to rejoin the fight, counting the seconds on which Jinx or something else would call to pull that cursed lever up. He was barely managing it.

He walked from one corner to another of that tiny control station, as he watched the conflagration happening ahead, in small snippets. This was to be the big moment. It was, but Twitch did wish he was at the thick of it, finally showing to all those below, in the sumps, all of those whom simply looked down on him...

Especially that Rhott, that one whom was so sure was the Mighty One's favorite... Always talking Twitch down, feeling herself *so on top* of things. Like most of those people far above, judging themselves so far above the others...

The impatience and anxiety got the best of him again, and he growled in frustration for that. "She's taking too long!", he vented. "I should've been there, I *was* there, and all these... people are having theirs! At least I should have had something, if only to kill the-"

Suddenly, a large thump was heard and felt on the catwalk, catching Twitch's attention in time to notice a large figure, one wearing some sort of armor, especially a helmet, running to the small control station and already stepping inside through the window Jinx shattered, with some sort of blade in hand.

"I didn't know I just had to ask...", Twitch then snickered.

The Chemtank, in response, growled and drew his blade, advancing towards the man-sized rat, jolting that one to action in dodging the incoming blade and running past the Chemtank in such a tight space, rapidly turning around to fire the crossbow without even aiming.

The bolt managed to hit an iron section of the helmet. And make the Chemtank growl further. As the Chemtank advanced, so Twitch did have to get out the door and into the catwalk, on which the Chemtank followed, wrist blades at the ready. The Chemtank attempted striking again, but Twitch could dodge, his animal instincts speaking first and guiding him, and he tried firing the crossbow again at the first opportunity, but the Chemtank dodged and started running and circling at an absurb speed even Twitch couldn't fathom, to then try and strike the giant rat whom barely dodged the tackle.

And their catwalk dance continued on.

Below, it didn't take much for the broad elevator to ascend into the great dark corridor fit enough for the enormity of the Dreadnaught and several of his followers which also took a ride on the elevator. Amongst him were Rhott and the others, though that other creepy person, Ampare, wasn't in sight, at least not yet.

As the elevator went up, the first thing Urgot saw was her, the very blue-braided instrument of his deliverance, standing by the blasted open doorstep smirking, before raising her arms like 'Well?'.

Urgot, even though in his mask and intimidating sight, could only stare at Jinx as with an equal, head high. "I will say this once, little one.", he started. "Your strength is why we are here. Don't let it fail you, now. The Dredge won't let it's strength fail it, either."

Jinx simply lowered her arms as the Dreadnought's followers moved in to commandeer the control station. She then noticed Rhott staring at her with a neutral face before nodding imperceptibly at the Loose Cannon.

Urgot then moved up to one of the shutdown entrances by one of the corridors and then used his frontal spider legs to kick them open, much like a horse would, forcing the entrance open. "That.", he pointed within the room as the followers started moving in. Urgot then cleared off and did the same to the other entrance, which other followers entered as well, while the elevator started moving down back to the Sumps.

The act drew Jinx's curiosity and she thus stepped into the left entrance, which was now brought to life. As she got there, she instead found what looked like a broad workshop, with heavy duty machinery by the cabinets, as well as an open square in the back with scaffolding of some sort, like a mounting area, On the walls, tanks filled with chemicals extended up to the roof as well as some sort of racks containing metal parts, almost like limbs, one of them looking like it sported a cannon, one which one of the 'Hands' started prying off the rack. In a large bench, also lied some sort of canisters as well as some sort of large, spiked roulette which a couple of Hands picked up as well, starting to transport it off the room.

As a third hand picked up as much of the canisters as he could and walked off, one of them fell to the floor, on which Jinx took a look at it. It seemed more like a thicker bullet round, thicker than the ones Pow-Pow spilled out. The canisters had vials filled with some sort of green liquid, most likely corrosive, with a broad base before the bullet-shaped tip, which was revealed to be grappling latches instead, doubtlessly meant to grab a target or surface. Much like her Chompers did before exploding.

It took a while before Jinx noticed a large pattern of crimson on the floor close to the corrosive ground, long dry, which sent a small shiver on her spine.

Something clearly bled there a long while ago.

She then left the room, heading to the other which Urgot opened, as the followers were seen mounting the spiked roulette into the Dreadnought's cannon arm, as well as the canisters into a second cannon besides that one. Jinx could now see the back of the man-machine himself, seeing a large reel filled with chains, for some reason.

As she entered the other room, she then saw what looked some sort of heavy duty surgeon's office, to an extent, long left in disrepair. In one end, lied a large operating table, almost the width and length of half a master bed, with a large lamp extending towards it, drawers with instruments surrounding it, crimson stains of long-dried blood staining them, the floor and some sections of wall. On a section of the wall also lied what seemed to be large vats filled with some chemical solution and additional racks with limbs.

As the hand pried a limb off the rack and left, he could clear the sight of one of the vats for Jinx to see it's content and get her heart raced a bit by it, slightly gulping down her throat.

A man, shirtless, pale and long shriveled, forever floating amidst the sick-green liquid, having apparently been long gone, even with a tubed mask on.

Jinx then looked away, back to the controlled station, but then she also started hearing them again. It was always at those times, when she either doubted or felt uneasy, that they came.

'What, got a bit nervous, now?', and the Mylo always went first at every chance, every time. Always snickering. 'I also think this might be your new home...'

"Shut up...", Jinx whispered and brushed him off, not on the mood for that.

'Sure, was hoping you'd end up buried in rocks or jumping a cliff...', the Mylo continued.

'I'm a bit uncomfortable, too...', the Cleggor started.

'A bullet in your face or a knife in your tummy...', the Mylo went on.

'You can still walk off, at the first chance...', the Vander meddled.

Jinx tried groaning as slightly as possible.

'How long until they do it, huh?', the Mylo teased further. 'You quit being useful, they'll shove you right in there...'

"No, no, no...", Jinx shook her head.

'Yes, yes, yes.', the Mylo nodded. 'I could say they'll also chop you up in that table, but even that's too good for y-'

"Little one!", a voice called from behind, and she turned around to see Urgot staring at her. "The time is upon us."

Jinx then nodded, taking a breath and steeling herself.

'Yes, focus on him.', the Silco said. 'Remember what he said, don't let your strength fail you. Jinx doesn't, and look what *she* accomplished. Jinx is perfect. *You're* perfect.'

Jinx nodded, putting her grinning war face back on, heading past Urgot's humongous size, almost taking over the whole corridor, and entering the elevator which Urgot and Rhott then entered, as well as some other Hands. Jinx pressed the sole button on the elevator wall, with the word 'CALL' stamped on it.

Nothing happened, however.

Jinx, after a second, pressed the button once again.

Nothing. Again.

Jinx's breath and heart were racing. She just couldn't believe this, and could perceive Urgot, Rhott and the others glancing at her.

She pressed the 'CALL' button more times.

Above, a loud enough cranky buzz rang on the small control room, but there was no one to answer.

The dance wasn't over, yet.

Multiple times, Twitch attempted to aim and fire at the dodging Chemtank, with little success, as the Chemtank dodged Twitch's attempted aiming before dashing forward to attempt an attack with it's blades, which Twitch had to dodge. In one moment, he tried forfeiting firing the crossbow and took a chance with going at the Chemtank's leg and did manage a bite, but the Chemtank was fast and resistant enough to grab the giant rat and throw him away, into a wall close to the tube where Jinx went into.

The Chemtank dashed forward again to try a strike, on which Twitch, whom barely could get on his feet, dodged in time and ran past the Chemtank, almost limping. The Chemtank didn't lose momentum, however, and after turning around attempted two more slashes, on which Twitch rolled backwards, before firing the crossbow at whatever he could hit. The bolt hit the Chemtank's diafragm, making him pause for a while as the man-sized rat cocked the crossbow to reload it. The Chemtank attempted another strike but Twitch dashed past the Chemtank, whom quickly turned around as Twitch turned as well.

And then the slash came, the Chemtech blade grazing a cut into Twitch's left side of his snout, also reaching his lips as well, making him back off and yelp in pain. As the groaning Chemtank attempted catching breath and attempted another slash but then Twitch fired the crossbow blindly, screaming.

The bolt hit the Chemtank's knee, the impact being enough to knock him down to his knees. Twitch, taken by the fever, cocked the crossbow again and fired, this time at the Chemtank's helmet, the bolt hitting the glass but staying right there, despite the crack forming up around it.

Twitch simply roared and charged to bash up the Chemtank's helmet several times, until the glass gave in and the purple smoke bursted out, which caught up Twitch too, making him cough for a while as he inhaled the Shimmer gas within accidentally. Twitch felt dizzy for a while and shook his head.

The cranky buzz kept ringing on.

'Called it...', the Mylo said, in total irony.

"I told him...", Jinx mumbled.

'We're trapped, there's no way to go!', the Cleggor shouted, nervous.

'This is on you and one else.', the Vander said.

'Saw it coming a Piltover away...', the Mylo mused.

"I told him!", Jinx bared her teeth, almost feeling dizzy. "I warned him- I even SHOWED it to him!"

"The vermin...", Rhott said in the back. "We should've known better!"

Jinx roared and punched the 'CALL' button.

Urgot, on his end, simply looked at it as he then pointed upwards with his majestic left hand. Two Nails stepped forward and started climbing using their iron limbs to stab and support themselves on the walls. "He's *mine*.", he said, solemnly. "Remember that."

Jinx groaned in frustration, breathing heavily. "Jinxed it, again...", she whispered.

'Oh, what breaking news!', the Mylo followed, never missing a chance.

"Jinxed it, jinxed it...", Jinx whispered in pain.

"Have you, now?", the Dreadnought asked, from the back. "How so?"

"Shoulda been him down here, and me up there!", Jinx turned around, eyes darting off, frustrated. "I woulda pushed the stupid lever- brought you up, even if it's boring..."

"And would he have it made as far, down here, as you have?", Urgot asked, a second later. "You forget whom had him sent alongside you, first and foremost. I had told you before - I am not infallible, Jinx. All I can do is seek out my mistakes, and correct them..."

Suddenly, the elevator did start moving up with a small tremor, catching everyone off-guard. Urgot simply groaned again, this time a surprised one, as Jinx looked upward, dumbstruck. As the elevator went upwards, the two Nails once sent to climb the shaft had descended into the elevator as well, also as surprised.

"Are we to still bring him to you, Mighty One?", one of the Nails asked.

Urgot remained quiet, staring forward. Jinx took a breath and readied Pow-Pow, probably anticipating something fishy. Rhott took a step backwards, flexing the iron nails as the Nails themselves stared forward, preparing for the inevitable shortly ahead.

It didn't take long for the guards wielding incinerators to descend to the mining level and join up with the guards locked up in a vicious firefight and melee with the released prisoners, which had already grabbed up several guards' rifles and shot what they could before they were out of ammunition.

The incinerators were escorted by guards wielding broad shields, which covered their size, against rifle fire from anyone whom could fire a muzzle, accidental or intentional, into the fueling tanks, and when brought to the front, the word 'BRIMSTONE' was roared, and thus the guards on whips, shields and riot batons gave way for the shield bearers to open way, and the incinerators to let out the tanks' contents in a fiery way, setting ablaze the clumped up masses of prisoners whom couldn't retreat, and thus many started to burn alive, the chemical-induced flames searing through the flesh of the unfortunate.

And thus many of the guards in shields took the chance to push them off the iron platform below, to their inevitable fates, while some riflemen executed them, as other riflemen fired back at the shooters whom had to retreat along with several whom saw the Dredge guards clearly saw that enough was enough. Other prisoners were so desperate to charge the lines they did not care and thus moved and burned, literally so, with a reckless abandon to their doom. Some with rifles did stay their ground, even as they were inevitably gunned down. The Dredge guards held their positions, as they were trained for this situation, just waiting for the order of their Security Chief to strike.

Behind, at the very bottom of the diagonal borehole, Crimson himself had just arrived, fully packed and holding a helmet - a reminder of grand days gone since he arrived at that hellhole - on his left arm. A good quantity of guards just waiting deployment were also mustered, almost cluttering the area.

Crimson took a breath to start his address.

"MEN OF THE DREDGE!", his roar echoed across the cavern, even as the battle sounds close by persisted on, and the eyes of those present were all fixed on him. "Don't be mistaken - This day, it was inevitable! But the aftermath is *still* in the balance, and so is the fate of the fissures and beyond! The very thing that we had all sworn to contain is loose, but it hasn't crossed this borehole, yet. And it WILL NOT, if *we* have something to say and do about it!", the guards shouted, then. "Look to your fellow men, count your bullets, shine your clubs and shields and sharpen your blades! For when the sun rises, and if you've done your job right and well, the so-called Dreadnought will have something to dread! And, the Warrior willing, that spider and his rabid cult, whom've come to gorge on our flesh and blood, WILL CHOKE AND DROWN ON THEIR OWN!"

The guards roared, spirits set on fire for the fateful upcoming.

"For the fire and fury, where the axe joins the gun!", Crimson started to finish. "WITH ME MEN, TO WAR!"

The guards roared and turned, starting to sprint forward into the chamber's depths.

The elevator gate hadn't even time to arise, as it was instead busted open by the twin legs of a monstrous man-spider machine, as hands prepared to advance and a blue-braided girl, younger than most at that shaft, pointed a rotary cannon and fired a bit ahead.

And yet there was nothing, except a downed Chemtank, the visor shattered with some bolts riddling his body, laying down at the metal floor as if he were tossed. Urgot simply stared at it as he walked forward, as did Jinx, Rhott and the others, hearing a snicker behind and above them.

"You see that?", Twitch started, laughing up high, as all turned to see him. "You see what I did? I did this! All *me*!"

"You were playing!?", Jinx asked, upset, before her face got neutral. "Oh..."

"You almost jeopardized everything in your glory-seeking, vermin!", Rhott censored, angrily. "You should've even be *grateful* of the opportunity the Mighty One bestowed you!"

"It seems he is.", Urgot then glanced at the downed Chemtank. "And he did make the most of it, against all expectations...", he muttered slowly and then turned the other way around, small flames erupting forward as several prisoners fall back. "Steel yourselves. Our destiny lies ahead, and it is rude to keep it waiting..."

Urgot started stepping forward as Jinx flexed her shoulders and started stepping forward, Pow-Pow in hand, and so did Rhott. Two Hands from Urgot's initial group, that weren't the Nails, circled to ascend the steps to the catwalk, no doubt to also take positions from the as Twitch himself jumped down, crossbow in hand, to join the others below.

As they advanced forward, into the platforms of the Dredge, Urgot and the others could see the guards immediately stopping and falling behind shield formations as the Dreadnought gazed in amusement, at their attempt at forming a barrier.

"So...", Urgot started, gazing at the shield barriers. "Which among you are worthy?"

"Get back to your cell!", one of the guards in the shield wall shouted. "NOW!"

Urgot fired a round from his large cannon, on which the clearly broad muzzle erupted from the loud shot and hit a shield with a violence to recoil the man, breaking the formation that had to rapidly close ranks. The spiked roulette just mounted on the cannon spinned forward, Jinx realizing it was actually an ammunition magazine for the most explosive, heavy round, befitting the Dreadnought's power.

"You're not getting past, monster!", another guard roared. "Give it up!"

As that happened there was movement on the catwalks where the prison cells were, as flashes walked past by and then attempted jumping at the Dreadnought. Jinx noticed it and opened fire on one, as Urgot quickly noticed and grabbed him with his left hand, grasping the Chemtank's body before Urgot's upper form spinned before releasing the body, throwing it at the center of the shield formation, before he then fired the canister launcher at the leftmost shield wall, as well. The canister latched into one of the shields and clanked three times, almost like the sound of Jinx's Chompers, as then something mixed with the green liquid within and suddenly, a loud explosion with quite the fireball knocked a gap in that shield wall, sending some flying behind, opening a gap.

As Jinx, Twitch, Rhott and the others fought the incoming Chemtanks also jumping from the cell catwalks, Urgot impulsed himself forward, right into the shield wall, grabbing one of the shield bearers and tossing behind him as if a toy, the Mighty One himself amidst the group of bodies that'd fall around him. Jinx noticed riflemen forming up in a catwalk to shoot him and fired up Pow-Pow at them, hitting them with some falling, before a Chemtank bashed her aside, and she had to fight him, dispatching him quickly. Twitch and Rhott each handled their Chemtanks with Rhott apparently having some difficulty until she pierced the helmet's glass, neutralizing him.

"Aim for the helmets!", Rhott shouted, proceeding to deal with another one.

During the chaos, by the breached shield group, Urgot's leg joints opened up to reveal two of the six cannons beneath the joints, on which they opened fire, dispensing fiery havoc at the grouped up guards on both ends, searing and blasting through several that fell on the ground, as Urgot started turning to his right to handle the shield wall on the right, two other legs opening their cannons up and firing this well. By firing, it was in the most definite literal sense, as the cannons instead dispensed liquid Chemtech that rapidly crystallized on contact with hot air, and was ignited by lighter fuses at the highest end of the legs' extremities. The high velocity dispensing coupled with the fiery and solidifying properties handled the rest in piercing and cutting through plating, clothing and flesh.

As Urgot turned his attention to the rightmost shield wall, he fired his cannon once again, letting out repeated broad fiery bolts that exploded on impact, recoiling the shields before the Dreadnought grabbed one of the shields and took impulse forward towards the shield wall, bashing it and forcing a gap into it, dropping the shield away and grabbing one of the shield guards and tossing him out of the platform to his fatal fate, the legs finishing off the rest. As he turned further ahead, he could see riflemen attempting to form a firing line, but Urgot fired first, the bolts hitting and tearing apart each and every Dredge body with the strength of a nimble beast each. One of the guards fired and did hit Urgot in the belly before being shot down too, but seemed only slightly phased by it, before he gunned down that last one too.

By then, the Chemtanks and shield walls were neutralized as were the riflemen, which Jinx fired off with both Pow-Pow and her sidearm. Urgot allowed himself to laugh out loud, groaning in satisfaction. "Gods, have I missed this!", he bellowed, as his followers rushed forward, and then he did, at the central platform.

The cultists started charging the Dredge's guards across the platform's lanes, one flank being met head on with Crimson and his axes as the incinerators and their broad shield guardians handled the center and the other flank whenever the cultists massed in perilous numbers for prolonged melee. Urgot fired additional rounds and canisters, blasting a group of incinerators into a fiery ball as one of the rounds hit a fuel tank, and a canister explosion forcing the other to retreat, emboldening the prisoners whom retreated into resuming their attack, roaring in savage encouragement. Some of the cultists did carry some sort of firearms, no doubt also put together by Ampare, as well, that performed as much the same manner as the Dreadnoughts' knee cannons, only without the great punch the Six did carry.

Not shortly enough, the lanes of the Dredge were all soon taken in a vicious hand-to-hand combat with the dwindling guards and the numerous prisoners and cultists. Several of the catwalks at the cells by the walls and amidst the platform were being overtaken in crossfire, the rifle-toting guards which could aid their comrades on the ground instead having to exchange shots with the cultists whom could take their own positions on other catwalks. As Urgot himself charged the center, firing indiscriminately and without a single regard for whomever he'd hit, Rhott led the charge towards the same flank which Crimson was on, she pushing cultists and prisoners alike, attempting to break the human barrier as Crimson attempted to strike at her, but she pulled back pushing others forward before she also tried a strike with her iron nails, but could barely pierce through, let alone scratch, his thick Noxian armor when they hit him.

Jinx and Twitch, on their end, had ascended to the catwalks by the cells, each in a different direction, and started firing at the guards, Twitch more out of fun than Jinx, whom knew it just wasn't over yet. She, in one moment, took the last Chomper she had and threw it at a section of riflemen at a catwalk, which did explode sending two down to the metal floor, knocking the target back to the wall and down as well.

The explosion, however, did garner Crimson's ears, whom turned to see the small, long braided girl toting a large rotary cannon of sorts, with which she fired a hail against guards above, attempting to fire. Though it was the first time he saw her first hand, he did hear of her, repeatedly in conversations from other guards, a mention or two from Voss or a visiting Chem-Baron, more often Renni than the others, including the so-dreaded 'Eye of Zaun'. And that one is, supposedly, his daughter, whom was infamous for a penchant for destruction and mayhem, all underneath an innocent face.

The very one he beheld now, and suddenly the explanation of how the Dreadnought came so far above was now clear as water and a cloudless sunny day.

Crimson's heart raced as well as his breathing, and thus he pulled back to the wall of guards, attempting to hold the prisoners and cultists back. "Hold the line!", he shouted, getting past them as he made it back to the base of the borehole elevator as to make a long turn, avoiding the battle. "DEPLOY THE DITCH!", he roared, continuing to run to the other side, as the Dredge guards continued to try and hold and push.

Jinx took a glance below, after she dispatched a section of riflemen, mess of bodies fighting each other below, as Urgot impulsed himself forward to the thick of it, over three of the spider legs of his firing ahead, hitting anyone in the way indiscrimanetely - guard, prisoner or follower - searing them all in crystallized chem-fire, if not lethally. The guards' wall could barely hold his blasts as well, as he approached to apply brute strength, fiitting of the Dreadnought.

However, suddenly, behind the wall of guards, Jinx could see something large approaching and parking, almost like a wagon, but a large one and clearly armored, with broad shields twice those she saw but seconds ago, on both sides of this wagon. She then saw the shields lowering to reveal an upper, exposed part, where she could see a foursome of guards locking and loading something she could've recognized a mile away.

Heavy caliber machine guns, which they started firing at Urgot. However, the Dreadnought noticed it in time and grabbed a guard to catch the initial volleys as Jinx, triggered, fired Pow-Pow at the gunners. Although one of them fell down, the shields started moving up, bouncing off the Loose Cannon's rounds. However, this gave the Dreadnought the room to grab a shield and pull back, as the lower side of this wagon started firing after a section of the guard's wall opened up, mowing down any prisoner or cultist unlucky enough to be in the way.

Unknown to Jinx, but very well known to Urgot, Crimson and the guards of the Dredge, the Ditch was well inspired on a famed Noxian siege weapon - the Citybreaker, a large engine capable of tearing down the most fortified walls in cities, castles and fortresses. However, this one was never to tear down any walls, but men instead, especially in a situation as dire as the Dredge was at this point. Especially against something as lethal as the Dreadnought himself, hence the shields to bounce off his rounds and explosives, let alone smaller ones, as well as the engine to drive such a large steel beast forward, worthy of the Dredge. A beast to counter another, which was imprisoned and now fighting to break out. And the guns to make it's name.

Hence the name 'Ditch'. For it was *indeed* the last-ditch effort, especially against the mighty Dreadnought. And it was working.

And Jinx didn't like that. She'd come too far, and it was all too close for her to see it fail, now. Her heart racing, she rapidly picked the last rocket for Fishbones, the one she was saving for a final, special blast, and loaded it on the monster-shaped launcher.

However, as she went to aim it, she heard someone rushing at her, turning around to see a large, armored figure closing in. Jinx groaned, dropping Fishbones and grabbing Pow-Pow to bash him out. However, that one was fast as well, managing to block her bashing.

As she felt the block she could see something she didn't think to see in there. An axe. Hitting her gun.

The armored figure didn't hesitate however, and rapidly hit Jinx on her face, disorienting her, and then took the axe and hit it's eye on the girl's stomach before he pushed her off the catwalk, Jinx falling painfully on the platform below, feeling blows she didn't remember receiving in a long time, blows that made those she received from the Little Man days ago look like love pats.

Crimson then jumped from the catwalk down into the platform, falling on his feet in a thump which Jinx felt, that made her get on her feet quickly, getting face to face with her aggressor, whom noticed her racing breath.

"We've heard much of you, Loose Cannon.", Crimson started, gesturing then at the chaos around. "You clearly live up to it."

"What, you want an autograph?", Jinx asked in sarcasm, a second later, grabbing Pow-Pow.

"I'd want you to come to your senses, but that wouldn't be of your nature, would it?", Crimson asked back. "You don't even *know* who's the one you're trying to set loose, do you?", he then glanced into her purple-ish eyes. "Or maybe you just don't care..."

Crimson noticed Jinx staring at him, then, as if he knew something. Which he did.

"Don't bother, little girl.", he smiled a wolf's smile. "You won't need worry about it, shortly..."

As he drew his axes, the heart racing Jinx immediately fired Pow-Pow, only for Crimson to run aside, to the right, and then dash towards her to strike his right axe, which made Jinx stop firing and jump aside. Crimson didn't lose his momentum, however, and proceeded to strike with his left axe for her to dodge. She used Pow-Pow to try and bash him, but he blocked, on which Jinx kicked him back. Crimson tried attacking again, but Jinx dodged and dashed past him, drawing her sidearm and firing, only for the bullet to deflect harmlessly off Crimson's shoulder armor. As she fired again, Crimson dodged down and threw his axe at her direction, forcing Jinx to move, as he then charged at her to make a strike he knew Jinx would dodge, as he then pried off the axe off the floor.

The Loose Cannon, on her part and feeling the Shimmer in her, dashed screaming towards him rapidly and bashed Pow-Pow at him as he tried blocking it, and then she bashed again, hitting his face. Not wanting to lose momentum, Jinx went to bash the rotary cannon at him again, but Crimson could block it and push it aside, as he did a rapid slash movement with the left axe, the blade cutting through Jinx's belly, she feeling it and instinctively jump back. She put her hand, feeling the wound cut, adrenaline rushing through her a hundred-fold.

Crimson hit both his axes on one another, getting Jinx's attention, and roared, startling her, before he charged at her.

In the meantime, Urgot, forced to pull back as the upper section of the Ditch resumed it's fire, took cover on a nearby pillar, attempting to fire his cannon and cannisters at the armored wagon only for it's shields to barely bounce them off. As the took cover, he then heard the roar, and his attention was turned to see the scene.

The very instrument of his deliverance, trying to fight and fend off the very representative of those whom turned on him.

Indeed, a mile or league away, he still could recognize a Noxian when he saw one.

And while the exit was but ahead, only the Ditch as an obstacle, this was too... paramount to pass up.

Jinx, her heart like never before, dodged Crimson's axes, ran past him and kicked his back, and then, as he turned around, she tried punching his face, landing some blows before Crimson pushed her back, he himself feeling slightly the punches. That these felt like bricks, coming from such an apparent, frail girl...

Jinx screamed and tried charging again, but Crimson was faster as he dropped his left axe and grabbed the Loose Cannon's fist, returning it to her face, stunning her as Crimson landed another blow to her diafragm, and then turned her around as he used the right axe to make a cut at the back of her right tight, making her scream. He turned her around again, hitting her face again, and kicked her back, making her fall down with her back to the platform floor, feeling even more hurt.

It'd take time for her to get back on her feet. Time she wouldn't have as Crimson picked the left axe back up and stood before her, the towering, armored stature, the axes at the ready to give the final blow, savoring the moment.

"You would've made quite the Trifarian...", Crimson mused.

As he prepared to raise his axes, however, something bursted on his right shoulder, catching him off-guard, and then, suddenly, he was yanked back and dragged, until he stopped dragging, as the very thing that latched onto him was forcefully pulled. He then felt and saw a hand grabbing his torso armor, lifting him and throwing him on another direction just as fast, as he hit a guardrail that felt his impact, bending backwards.

Crimson didn't take long to raise his hand to see his aggressor - the hulking figure, in the tubed mask and on spider-legs, brandishing a large cannon, replacing one of his arms, glancing at him.

"After all this time...", Urgot mused. "So much for a reward, Crimson..."

Crimson spat. "Reward...", he started. "More of a sentence! Having to make sure you don't get out, and not allowed to go back to Noxus or even kill you, because THEY won't allow it!"

"Indeed, they won't.", Urgot coldly replied. "It's what loyalty to an usurper gets you..."

"If he only knew, he'd have this remedied, already!", Crimson retorted in defiance.

"I suspected so.", Urgot said. "But fret not, he'll join my... benefactors soon. And you'll be there to receive them all."

Suddenly, Urgot's frontal plates, by the base before his spider legs extended and below his belly, opened up, revealing some sort of compartment within, on which two vertical blade and spike riddled cylinders extended forward and started spinning wildly. At the center, some sort of anchor fired something at such a speed that pierced through Crimson's chest.

He saw it as a large hook. Tied to a pair of broad chains. Which started to pull back, towards Urgot himself, dragging Crimson along. The Noxian tried to resist and pull the hook out, fleet planted against the plating, but the chains retracted with further strength, yanking Crimson towards the compartment, and the grinder cylinders that closed in, hitting the sturdy chains, sparks flying out.

Jinx got up to then hear the anguished screams of a man that startled and froze her, along with something clearly automated grinding through metal. The screams turned into sounds of choking as they then stopped and Jinx could see something falling off below, as well as the sounds of something shutting off.

Urgot then turned around, walking towards Jinx, staring at her for a moment before walking through. As Jinx looked down, at the base of the spider legs, however, she noticed something dripping out from below. Some liquid. Crimson red, leaving a trail as Urgot walked by.

'Yes, that is a bit scary...', the Cleggor started.

'Jinx.'

'This wasn't worth it.', the Vander followed.

'Thinking about that tube now, huh?', the Mylo teased. 'Who'd blame-'

'*Jinx*!', the Silco shouted, snapping her out of it. 'The wagon. We're too close, now. Finish it!'

Jinx nodded and started moving again, fighting off the pain on her thigh and belly, rushing back up the catwalk stairs, back to the vision of the armed wagon which cleared most of the attempted advance of the followers and prisoners, and now Urgot tried attacking it again, wielding the broad shield to deflect fire. She readied up Fishbones to fire and took aim, and this time there was no axe-wielding people to disrupt her again.

She pressed the trigger, and the rocket was at last loose from the monster-shaped launcher, headed towards the wagon.

However, the Ditch's operators noticed the rocket in time to raise their shields and thus allow it to absorb it's impact, though it shook the vehicle. As did Urgot, and as the shields rose, he knew what to do, and fired a canister towards the firing ports below the vehicle, on which it latched to a machine gun before the shield could be dropped.

The canister detonated, blasting the weapon and it's wielder.

But it also started blasting other things within the Ditch, clearly the munition within as it started blowing around and popping like beans in a can, in a way that at first got Jinx jump offguard, but as she saw it, the wagon, like that, did look like a toy wild on a spring. It brought a small snicker to her.

Eventually, the popping stopped and the shield collapsed below, as even the guardsmen mounting the guns above were all down. The roar of the prisoners and cultists erupted as the center charged unabated, with Urgot continuing to fire his cannon at the guardsmen left, whom retreated to the base of the borehole.

Above, a guard reached the midst of the borehole shaft to roar the last words she expected - let alone wanted - to hear.

"THE DITCH HAS FALLEN! THE DITCH HAS FALLEN!"

Those words were all it took for the prisoners, on that level, to try and rise up, but the guards were numerically superior there and rapidly went to putting them down. But not for long, and Voss knew it.

Her heart raced as she knew what this meant. There was but a single option, now. The single hope, however slim, to prevent further catastrophe.

"Seal the borehole!", the Queen of the Dredge ordered.

The guards stared at each other, nervous. "NOW!", she roared, descending the stairs.

The remaining guards at the cargo bay started hurrying up to the storage at that level, as other picked up barrels and whatever other ordnance to stack up at the sides of the borehole entrance as the great iron doors opened. Some soldiers started planting bundles of dynamite as well, wiring them to a detonator as others took position to fire off at the incoming prisoners, all to simply buy time.

Voss, on the other hand, immediately hopped into a truck, with keys on, and started it, driving towards the iron doors, whom she ordered to open up, the guard in charge doing so without hesitation, not wanting to incur the Queen of the Dredge's wrath.

A queen just dethroned, whom now left the Dredge for one last thing to do, before she had to disappear.

Jinx, despite her recent injuries of that now shredded Noxian, did manage to get down to the prison's elevator, seeing the stream of prisoners and cultists heading upwards through the enormous, diagonal borehole as Urgot stood there, all the others moving ahead, towards ascending in any way, through the lateral stairways or directly by the floor rail where the elevator would come up, like a swarm of ants, under fire from the few guards left from above, attempting to curb the advance.

While Rhott remained at the base of the borehole, smiling like an enticed child at the unique event, Twitch went ahead, no doubt to try and add more guards to his kill tally, having the time of his life. Jinx rested her back in a corner, her hand feeling the belly slash wound. After some hours and a proper stitching, it'd be good as new. The Loose Cannon herself felt exhausted by all that action, including that one-on-one fight. That and a bit disturbed by whatever Urgot did with that Noxian...

Then, she took a breath and looked up, as she saw the chaos before her - prisoners and cultists running towards that borehole in savage, ecstatic behavior, the wild shooting around at the rocky roof and the shouting of prisoners and cultists everywhere, some flames going around, the memories of all that just happened flashed in. Of sheer satisfaction in a long time coming.

Something Jinx recognized *too well*, that also brought up that rush of satisfaction and accomplishment she didn't have for quite some time.

The rush of a run well done, after something thought impossible was done.

Like when she accomplished in robbing that stupid gemstone from topside, to which she managed to prove Silco she wasn't weak. Something thought impossible in the topsiders' minds.

And again there it was, what was thought impossible - the deadliest of prisons, cracked over... like an egg.

And... SHE did all that. *She* accomplished that.

A small smirk and lightness crept in.

'Yes, Jinx, look at it.', the Silco's voice crept in as well. 'Who else could've done this? Who would've even come close? Would Powder ever accomplish the same?'

"No...", Jinx said, a light smile coming up, slowly shaking her head. "She wouldn't..."

'Indeed, she'd not.', the Silco followed. 'But Jinx? She already-'

His voice was suddenly interrupted, not by Mylo, but by a loud gunfire sound, one which made Jinx jump in reaction and then recognized, hearing it too recently.

She looked to the source, and saw Urgot firing his cannon repeatedly in one direction, which Jinx looked at and saw the large furnace, connected by a main tube extending upwards, to the rocky roof, leading to close to the elevator and then upwards, no doubt to the level above them all, where lied the sole exit leading to the Undercity.

As Urgot kept firing one of the rounds pierced through the tube, the sparks doing the rest of the work, igniting the chemicals within it, that immediately spread over and the accumulation of heat in a small contained space did all the rest, as the furnace detonated with a violence in a large, loud explosion and fireball that got the attention of most, seeing the hellish eruption that took most of the middle section of the chamber and flew up to the roof as did also a string of detonations from the sole tube connecting it.

The explosion did also take Jinx by surprise, shielding her eyes for a second, awed by it. She then stared at Urgot. "...what'd you do?", she asked, the tone being clear enough.

Urgot stared back at her. "There is no coming back.", he said, coldly.

The detonation ignited, like dominoes, the remainder of the Chemtech tube that started exploding in sequences, rocking away the rocky roof above and not showing any signs of stopping, stifling the excitement of the prisoners and changing it for alarmed screams of desperation, of a freedom apparently short lived. The explosions took a turn upwards, to where Jinx, Urgot and the others could not see it.

But the guards could, and did feel it by the time the explosions reached the sides of the Cantonment's entrance, crippling the supports as the wall fell and blocked the entrance, smashing some caught unlucky. The blast of the explosions also did catch up with some of the barrels and dynamite bundles close to the borehole entrance in the yard, blasting the guards away but also the most forward of Urgot's followers and released prisoners as the Dredge rocked violently, convulsing. The explosions continued into past the sides of the 'eye' window where Voss' office was, exploding both sides of the massive wall in a way that made the twin iron doors no longer the sole access of the Dredge.

The explosion got Voss' attention as she was driving the truck into the vehicle lift leading topside, her heart racing as she jumped off the truck, and beheld in shock as the explosions continued on, past the vehicle lift that now became useless and some of the flaming Chemtech tube collapsed in flames atop the vehicle she was, on towards the undercity and then above, to a clandestine pumping station somewhere close to the southern shore. It took another explosion to snap the fallen queen out of it and get her to run, up the ruins and in the direction of the undercity, so she could reach her destination as fast as she could.

Below, Jinx and the others could see the sites where the Chemtech tubes feeding the once furnace exploded, revealing cracks and collapsing streams of dirt raining down.

"The chamber will give in!", Rhott shouted. "Move!"

Jinx rapidly took off as did, Rhott, Urgot, Twitch and all of the others, forced into braving the piles of fallen corpses in the diagonal borehole, the shakes of collapse disrupting some of the movement, as they were able to reach the yard, now an inferno of flames and several fallen guards strewn about, metal blasted and twisted everywhere. And two massive gaps on an once wall, as the iron doors remained strong and sturdy, but were no longer the sole exit. Unlike below, that chamber, the very entrance to the Dredge, didn't show signs of collapsing, yet, but none would be

Unknowingly, a guard whom had survived the explosions outside the prison had come to his senses and saw the devastation around him, and tried taking a look inside at the damage, only to witness the large sillhouette of something rather monstrous. Something that guard knew too well, and it was all he needed to know to bolt away, also running towards the Undercity and finding whomever he could find. He ran off at his constant shoutings of "He's loose, he's loose!".

Within the yard, Urgot could find the iron doors and fired a canister at each side, blasting away the remaining supporting strength on the walls, making one of the two pairs collapse on top of the other, collapsing together like dominoes and thus allowing the Dreadnought and those behind him - Jinx, Rhott and Twitch - to cross through to the outside, the guarded, most of the once deadly and fierce guardsmen of the Dredge, now strewn about like abandoned, bloody dolls.

The Loose Cannon herself could feel the 'freshness' of the warm night, because of the fire behind, as did Rhott, Twitch and the other survivors that started streaming out of the Dredge, some taking the stop to take a breath, as Urgot continued on, stopping before the very front checkpoint of the Dredge and looking upwards admiring the sight of the fissure he was into, something he didn't see in a long time. While he heard but did not bother, Jinx and the others took notice of a large, dry growl noise from behind them. The growl of collapsing earth.

Within the devastated mining chamber deep within the Dredge, the structure of the furnace gave in to the laws of gravity as did the rocky roofs of the chamber above, whom started crumbling and falling down, in essence taking the Cantonment with it, all those trapped now with a definitive, final destination. As everything collapsed, burying the once primary part of the mine prison like earth sealing a tomb, the heavy rocks that once held the guards' residence hit the below floor, pounding with the strength of godly toddlers, while the fiery furnace and it's inner components, coated with fire, crashed into the bottom of the chamber, the falling the rocks being strong and consistent enough to cause once tight fissures to open up, on which a lone flaming component fell down, being pushed every time it got stuck in a rocky corner by the collapse of the roof and it's constant shocks.

This flaming component, an insignificant cog still on fire as it was sprayed with inflammable chemicals at the detonation, continued it's descent as the crushing rubble had covered most of the fissures, into an apparently bottomless pit, a lone, insignificant gust of light. If there were more, it would have revealed a large chamber, of something far more ancient, and foreign, recalled only by ageless beings.

As it fell further, it then touch something much more larger mid-air, formless, colorless and odorless, but still present all the same. Something generated not out of thin air, but by eons of natural development, of organic micro-organisms breaking down under the heat from above and the lack of oxygen. Something accumulated and slumbering in peace up until that very moment of upheaval far above.

A gas pocket, which ignited and brought a sudden light to the chamber and it's archaic architecture, once bone-white walls with golden lines running along and across, a door in particular with an adorned golden disc, of an once dominant empire that spanned that isthmus and the southern part of Valoran.

All of which were soon covered in flames, that rapidly spread over beyond the cracked walls and taking more and more chambers, making the distance, and still, like a rat in a maze, it wouldn't find a way out to vent itself.

But it would exit, one way or another.

And it did, as explosions then bursted across multiple locations on the shore of the southern isthmus, so much from water as from rocks at the shore, which blasted off with a violence unimagined and flew forward in their directions. Even sites of a wharf by the Pilt River, one close to the Bridge of Progress, did explode as well, catching the blockade there off-guard, as well as the airship crews whom watched the whole scene unfold.

At the entrance to the former Dredge, Jinx, Urgot and all the others felt the shock of those explosions, whose violent shakes took everyone but the Dreadnought to the ground, though even he didn't expect something of that magnitude, and started moving ahead, seeking for a better ground, as all the others had to pick themselves up and move as well, knowing it was better they were anywhere but there.

But, even after the initial shock, Jinx noticed, to her own dread, the shakes did not stop. They continued on. The ones that had to have been brought in by Urgot's destruction of that furnace. It seemed impossible, but it was happening.

An earthquake.

The same earthquake that started vibrating Sevika's office at The Last Drop, on which she felt and noticed everywhere else shaking by the window and immediately moved out, ordering all her henchmen as well as the bartender Thieram out of the building, as all looked into the street some of the houses, buildings and catwalks rattled, attempting to hug the sides of the fissure they leaned upon, some still collapsed, as well as some catwalks and bridges, all falling victim by the combination of after-shocks and gravity, all of which the Chem-baroness beheld with dread.

The same earthquake that Voss felt when she was at the edge of the Undercity, forced to take cover to wait it out. The same for the escaping last guard, in another location, far from his queen, left to trace his own path to warn who he could.

The same earthquake that shook the abandoned warehouse where Ziggs was in, after he exploded another bomb as a test, the explosion making him oblivious to all the others outside, and as the tremors begin, he immediately grew nervous and panicked, hiding himself within one of the closets as everything rocked around him, his heart and breath both racing.

The same earthquake that shook the Firelights' haven, interrupting Ekko's work, whom took a second before he realized what was going on and left his office, shouting for all the others to leave their makeshift homes whose roofs collapsed soon after, him reuniting with Scar and the others. The treehouse, on the other hand, remained sturdy and strong, only a good quantity of it's leaves falling due to all the shaking.

The same earthquake which rocked the abandoned orphanage, to the point it caught Viktor's attention and he moved out of his room, shouting for the orphans to move out as he went to pick up and help take Tory out, but as they were about to leave the room, the roof gave in and blocked the corridor, and Viktor and Tory were, effectively, stranded, with nowhere to go. The same earthquake that rocked Jinx's hideout, if only barely, with almost no noticeable damage, except some Chomper components which all fell over.

The same earthquake that those from above felt and were panicked, as the enforcers attempted moving in for the rescue. Doors were busted open as the enforcers identified themselves and instructed the screaming civilians to move to a safe spot, while cracks bursted open at the ground, shockwaves rocking harder the surface than the Undercity, Piltovan architecture collapsing too easily. However, some of the ground gave in where the cracks erupted, fissures forming from the collapse to below, taking buildings, people down to their fate, all as the airship crews watched it in absolute horror. As it was the same earthquake which the enforcer armies were forced to retreat to the staging areas, several casualties already, to await for further orders, a staging area almost having caved in itself, as well.

The same earthquake which the Beast, whom had just tore down yet another pair of victims, a couple of Chem-Punks from a deal gone wrong, had just sensed the tremors and debris falling close to it and, out of self-preservation, did take shelter in a sewer pipe opening.

The same earthquake which rocked Piltover if only lightly, to the point Jayce Talis, whom fell asleep after being awakened by the explosions, that he confused for a thunder, could barely feel it. But would soon know of it. Others, however, were quite awake at the time, in particular Ambessa Medarda, awoke at late night, whom noticed the starting crumbling at the horizon, and set off to change herself again.

The same earthquake that caught Vi and Caitlyn's attention following the apparent explosion sounds, which they rushed to the highest floor of the Kiramman mansion, seeing in horror the dust arise and buildings collapse, their hearts stopped. They immediately started moving down and out of the mansion, every fearful thought, one worse than the other, rushing through their minds and leaving just as quickly.

However, it was also the same earthquake that slightly rocked the Central Precinct, but Camille could feel the vibrations and found it too uncommon, and rapidly departed and scaled up to the rooftops with the aid of her hooks, noticing the rising dust and some sights of buildings collapsed on the other side of the Pilt River. She immediately returned to within the building, heading directly to the command post.

"Alert the Bridge blockade now!", the Warden-Marshall ordered. "Full quarantine!"

Eventually, the tremors ceased, allowing Jinx and the others to get on their feet, many still in shock and trying to grasp what just occurred. The Loose Cannon herself, however, was aware of it.

Only one thing came through her head at that moment.

Get high.

In the vertical sense, that is.

Thus she started walking ahead, past the remaining prisoners and cultists, and past Urgot, whom simply noticed her going ahead but did and said nothing, and towards the Undercity, in hopes a possible elevator could be found, along the way.

"Baron-kin!", Rhott called, to no avail.

Jinx walked forward, without pause, as she reached the edge of the most urban areas of the Undercity, only noticing some small damage, almost as if that tremor was nothing, but the Loose Cannon, somewhat and somewhere within her gut, knew better. She found a vertical elevator and activated it, raising further and further upwards, to the surface level of southside's topside. As the elevator made it's stop, Jinx walked out, seeing the streets were, in their majority, empty. She rushed to the first building she found and started scaling it up to it's roof, just like she learned in her childhood.

As she finally climbed the rooftop, she could finally see the extent of the tremors' damages. And she just remained frozen, speechless, unable to convey emotion to cope with such a level of destruction.

It was like Zaun had expanded, with more fissures having been created and joining the original ones, almost forming a spider-like figure, as smoke and dust erupted from some places, as airships loomed the skies above the devastation, too focused on the chaos to bother with a rotary-cannon-toting girl. She could see some of the bridges from the original Lanes had collapsed, perhaps a building or two. But the devastation was even worse topside, with Piltie buildings wrecked up, some falling down to the newly-made fissures.

Jinx simply remained there, speechless, not knowing how to react. But she was definitely not alone.

They were surely seeing it too. The ones she couldn't hide anything from, anymore.

Especially something like that. And the very one to judge most was, as always, the first to appear.

'Now... you've... done it.', the Mylo said.

Final Notes:

(Conclusion in March 03rd, 2023)

And I make Mylo's last words my own, in regards to this chapter, which supposedly would've been shorter IF, well emphasized, the Dredge segment had run as it would have in the previous chapter. But, now looking at how this chapter went, I definitely now don't regret the strategic decision made, and now things can go forward, I hope, to get the big event for Act V in motion. So much so that I expect the next chapter may be smaller, I believe, but I said the same about the previous chapters, so I'm not counting much on that...

And yeah, I'm sure that, by the time you're reading this, you still didn't expect I'd take the 'earthshattering' term I stated in the previous chapter's final notes quite literally. Of course, some may think the final was just written too much in a rush, but really I'm certain I didn't want to drag on just for the sake of making things dramatic, so I can leave this final scale and scope of the quake to the readers' imagination, only providing the basic informations necessary to each point-of-view for each character and their reactions to the earthquake.

I honestly became slightly satisfied with the run of the Dredge, especially how I could weave in several of Urgot's in-game abilities, but the bigger satisfaction was indeed with the pre-Dredge events, especially concerning the arc involving Camille, Vi and Caitlyn.

And indeed, Caitlyn's pre-Tea Party memories do give that 'deleted scene' feeling that you believed would add further to the story, and I liked that the most.

This chapter also, I believe, is where I can truly start diverging from whatever it is both Riot, Fortiche and Netflix are planning with their run, especially with something as monumental as this quake. A further explanation for it is on the works in my development journal for it.

Until the next chapter.