VIKTOR
The Hexclaw's beam cut effortlessly a circle around the door locks to that abandoned tenement - or perhaps a hotel - like a hot knife on butter. At least there was no one looking, from the street, as the circle collapsed harmlessly on the floor, opening the door where Viktor and the orphans all entered.
It were but more than fifteen, maybe thirty minutes, since the tremors that collapsed the abandoned orphanage. Viktor knew it wouldn't take long before someone would arrive, even if were enforcers, which would be unlikely. But someone would try coming up and would try and *carve* the place apart. Viktor knew they had to be on the move, and it had to be as close to the heart of the Undercity. The resources needed for so much his business as upkeeping the orphans that now became his reluctant company lied there, as well as the fact the tremors now started quite the commotion, between the enforcers, the Chem-Barons and other gangs, so Viktor was somewhat able to move freely and unnoticed. Him and the orphans, that is.
Of course, it didn't mean they couldn't remain outside for long, even more as a nearby street they passed by showed clear signs of engagement, especially blood on the streets and several buildings broken into and wrecked.
If anything - especially some gang or group - was out there, it was better none of them were to be around to find out.
The building's lobby was clearly shown to be abandoned, the floor dusty and deserted as the corridor corners ahead had spider webbing around them. A set of stairs a bit ahead to the left led to the upper floors. The lobby was slightly spacious, which allowed for a small reception, with a room besides it, and even a long forgotten mail box. Most of the doors appeared shut and, in comparison to the old orphanage, the floors were a bit more intact.
"With a weapon like that, you could've been making a living.", Tory commented, as the other orphans went in, still a bit startled by Viktor's appearance, the claw that just opened the way with it's beam and especially the Hex Core held within the walking staff, the very thing that took Tory's original arm, now exposed to everyone.
"It's a *TOOL, you remember that.", Viktor corrected, a bit too harshly. "You ever start thinking of what you have as a weapon, you're prone to doing something stupid. You know what happened the last time...", he then directed to the rest of the orphans. "Anyone thinking on exploring any new rooms, don't go alone. Go in pairs or trios. I'll need two of you to accompany me."
"Where you're going?", Tory asked.
"The obvious.", Viktor answered. "Food, medicine, salvage. While we still can."
"I'll go, I can h-", Tory readily offered himself.
"I need you here, to look for them.", Viktor interjected. "Bar the door, I don't even know if the landlord would ever show up.", he then turned to the orphans. "Who comes with me?"
"Naph, Bherma.", Tory called, as two young boys, a barely scrawny one and a freckled one stepped forward. "These two might help out, they know their way around junk."
Viktor nodded and gestured with his head to the door outside, as the two kids moved out, while the others moved in. "Do you have a password?", he asked Tory.
"Wait, what?", the boy with the asked.
"A password.", Viktor answered, but Tory was clearly lost.
He doesn't know, just what we needed...
Viktor took a breath of frustration. "I knock the door, after you barred it.", he continued. "You say a word, I say it's counter."
"Like what?", Tory asked.
Viktor then thought for a moment. "You say 'Thunder'.", he pointed at Tory and then pointed at himself. "I say 'Lightning'. Can you at least remember that?"
Tory nodded, after a second.
"Don't open for anyone else.", Viktor said, quickly turning and stepping. "Not until I get back. Now go, get the door shut."
Tory nodded, as he then proceeded to do so after Viktor and the two boys departed, back to the streets of Zaun. They went for a while, across the main roads and along the alleys, and while temptation was indeed too much, Viktor was sure to keep them away from the deserted stores, for the moment.
Drawing attention was not in Viktor's plans, for the moment, and it wasn't bright to already move in at the closest places, regardless of the needed supplies.
Viktor and the other two boys, Naph and Bherma, moved into another street, with it's buildings and the rocky formation of the fissures towering way above, having managed to get three crates still intact. That street, also like the other one, seemed to have seen some conflict, being deserted and with clear evidence of blood, wreckage and forced entry signs all around.
"What happened here...", the scrawny boy whispered.
"What happens every time after a catastrophe.", Viktor answered, then taking glance of what seemed unnatural up ahead. It looked like an open fissure, as some debris no doubt from a building that collapsed topside did rain down when Viktor saw it.
He's got a point. Even after a disaster like this, the people would be out by now, checking the damage, looking for survivors. This is just too deserted...
Though he didn't nod, Viktor could agree with Sky's assessment. It was indeed unnerving.
The trio reached another nearby alley, noticing piles of junk and trash close to a dumpster, which led to another residential tenement ahead.
"It seems like a good start.", Viktor said, taking a deep, reluctant breath.
"Anything in particular we're looking for?", the scrawny boy asked.
"Whatever you can find.", Viktor answered. "Start with metal and... we work our way down."
"You don't know, do you?", the freckled one broke the silence.
Viktor let out a silent groan. "I'll be off for the food and medication.", he said. "You two stick together."
"We stick together?", the scrawny one asked. "Why grown ups always get to go alone?"
"I can handle myself better.", Viktor answered, bluntly. "I'll be back.", he then turned around, with his crate in one hand and the staff holding Sky in another, walking back into the street.
We could work a bit in your people's skills, Viktor.
"I guess, but not now.", Viktor said, entering a nearby, abandoned small grocery store, where while some things, especially canned products were down to the tiled floor, some glass jars broken as well as signs of struggle within.
Noticing no one close by, he lowered himself, picking the products he could and subtly putting them in a crate, keeping a watchful eye. He then noticed, while picking them up, a subtle trail of blood being dragged to the door leading outside. That did unsettle him. "It makes no sense...", he whispered. "It doesn't even look like a looting attempt."
Because he was dragged, you mean?
"Looters would have left him in there.", Viktor answered. "A body is just... too much weight. And almost none of the goods were ta-"
A sudden cracking sound then interrupted Viktor's answer, on which he dropped the crate and quickly got on his feet, turning around, the Hexclaw at the ready. Luckily, there was no one behind him, and he then walked out slowly to the deserted street, anticipating trouble. Apparently no movement.
But then he noticed movement, something smaller walking out of a broken-into Pure Air parlor and took a step back.
What the...
It didn't take long to notice the smaller being noticing Viktor either and jumped a bit back, showing something on his hand. Viktor didn't have to come closer to notice it was a bomb.
"No sudden moves, now.", Viktor warned.
"I don't want any trouble, either.", the small, googled creature said, his voice on the defensive as well. "I'm just here to help."
Viktor could notice by his fur and cat-like ears he was a Yordle, no different than his mentor, Professor Heimerdinger was, though this one was radically different. He wore what looked like some sort of tactical vest, to not mention a metal-clad helmet of sorts and googles covering his eyes, as well as ironclad boots himself.
"Prove it.", Viktor answered, as he nodded towards the bomb. "Put it away."
"You do it first.", the Yordle bomber nodded to him, noticing the Hexclaw pointed at him. Tension loomed in the air.
Looks like it's on us, Viktor. Put the claw down.
"You *know* what he's carrying, don't you!?", Viktor murmured, in a low enough, but still stern tone.
I know. But how can we expect any trust if we don't show it ourselves?
Viktor closed his eyes from behind the mask and then, a second later, he lowered his hand as the Hexclaw was lowered too, him standing there. Eventually, the bomber himself lowered the bomb and holstered it back, both letting out some small breaths of relief, but their guard still a bit up.
The Yordle then started stepping forward slowly, as did Viktor, to get into a closer, more talkative range.
"Who're you, anyways?", the bomber started.
"I could be asking you that.", Viktor answered. "Did your bombs do any of this?"
"Of course not, I just got here.", the bomber said, feeling offended. "More likely the zealots did that..."
"Zealots?", Viktor asked. "As in like, a cult?"
"A real bundle of them, really insane.", the bomber answered. "They've been attacking people around, breaking into places, I myself even ended up in trouble with a group of theirs."
Viktor, on absorbing that information, took a look backwards, at the grocery store he was just in, and noticed the signs from earlier, especially the products left alone and the trail of blood.
It explains everything...
"It changes everything...", Viktor murmured before glancing at the Yordle. "What's your name, at any rate?"
"Ziggmund.", the Yordle answered, extending his hand. "But you can call me Ziggs."
"Ziggs...", Viktor attempted to memorize it as he shook the Yordle's hand. "You can call me Viktor. And you said you're here to help?"
"Sort of, I was pointed to here.", Ziggs said.
"Pointed?", Viktor asked, a second later.
"This strange, hooded lady, sitting close by.", Ziggs answered. "Well, she was before she vanished."
The new information caught Viktor's attention. Especially the 'hooded' part.
"Hooded lady?", Viktor asked.
I knew it was too good to be a coincidence...
"Ziggs, did this lady also let out some sort of purple magic, almost violet?", Viktor asked.
This question also caught Ziggs' attention as well. Not from the strangeness of it, but apparently that one before the Yordle was also aware of this lady's existence, as well as the supposed magic. "I didn't see it coming from her.", he answered. "But it was purple. Almost like chains on fire, the same that got the zealots chasing-"
VIKTOR!
Sky's shouting made Viktor jump behind as he then noticed something land out loud, which then made Ziggs jump and turn around as well. It was a sight Viktor met the first time, right there, and it froze him. Ziggs, on the other hand, had met it before, and it terrified him, the Yordle's heart beating fast as well as his breath.
"Not again...", Ziggs silently cursed.
The enormous wolf-like beast, with it's iron claws and a large chemical device on it's back, which was now on it's feet, growling and sneering at the Yordle.
"Found... you!", the beast spoke, it's tone mixed between pain and feral anger.
Viktor stepped back as did Ziggs, but the beast advanced slowly, lowering in preparation to pounce as the iron nails extended from it's right hand. This made Viktor instinctively raise his right hand as the Hexclaw fired. The beast lowered further, but the beam cut a small gap on it's shoulder, making it yelp in pain and clearly stirred in anger and roared.
The monster immediately started to charge as Viktor turned to run as fast as he could to the grocery store within, barely being caught, while Ziggs dashed aside out of the beast's way, and immediately started lighting up the bomb he had holstered. Within the shop, Viktor fell to the ground as he jumped in to see the beast attempting to reach him with it's claws, but the staff holding the Hex Core reacted as it fired away a bolt that hit the beast's iron hand itself, making the beast recoil in pain.
As the beast let out a roar and trying to push itself at the store's door, an explosion hit it's back, pushing the beast and hitting it as it turned behind.
"HEY!", Ziggs' unmistakable scream was heard as the beast then let out of the door, starting to chase the Yordle whom no doubt bolted away, leaving Viktor behind, heavily breathing and shellshocked.
Viktor! Viktor, we have to go!
Viktor, having been snapped out of it by Sky, immediately went on his feet and picked up the crate, immediately walking off the store and into the now deserted street, walking back the way he came. The two orphan boys, Naph and Bherma, rushed in.
"Hey, you saw that?", the scrawny boy asked. "What the hell was that?"
"We're going back!", Viktor spoke louder, alarmed and rushing his steps. "Right now, COME!"
Viktor walked non-stop as the kids rushed to pick up their crates and headed back to the tenement, a thousand questions swirling his mind plus the urgency for safety garnering on him.
Questions concerning so much the hooded lady and how she got that one, Ziggs, to meet him. A possible shady design behind all of it.
As well as the newfound wild creature, that now roamed the streets, with it's iron devices.
Devices Viktor could deduce must've come from the only one he could think of, who'd have the *stomach* for such.
Viktor would confront that one when the chance presents itself. He only hoped to be wrong about this.
But then, he thought about the same with Rio, eons ago...