CHROSS

The return to the hideout was steadily a shaky one. While the trail of cultist corpses hidden in the alley dumpsters or beneath garbage mounds could, for a while, ensure the route between the Last Drop and the safe place to the other Chem-Barons was a clean one, there was always a group or two to wander around, of the likely thousands that now formed Urgot's little army since his breakout at the Dredge, ready to replace the fallen.

And then that explosion happened and then the initial gunfire, which drew the cultists' attention like moths to a flame, that practically did force the wagon into marching forward no matter what happened and the escorts into a 'fire at will' stance in contrast to the previous 'moving in slowly and neutralizing any dangers ahead' before giving the wagon the clear sign to move in, rather slow and noiselessly.

The wagon did stop eventually at a small beverage warehouse, lightly guarded, as the escorts did take Chross out of the safe compartment, put him on the wheelchair and headed to the interiors of the warehouse as the wagon drove away. Passing by the rows of pallets containing barrels, drums and bottle grates at the barely lit interiors, Chross and his henchmen did reach a set of doors leading to a supposed storage, that the henchmen entered and pushed Chross in before one of them pulled a lever below, as the henchmen outside closed the doors.

By then, Chross and the sole henchman felt that standard rumble and felt the floor lowering itself to the underground, revealing a medium-sized corridor, for two people at most, where the henchmen pushed the Chem-baron forward, reaching the end of the corridor and opening it's doors, revealing a rather lavish room, almost a living one, adorned and also carpeted to a modest decadence. Above lied a small chandelier as did comfortable armchairs and a central room table, as a bookstand filled a wall and even a bust of some historical Piltovan figure, by the corner.

And the room wasn't empty, as the other once-highest heads of Zaun were there as well, and reacted to Chross' arrival as parents often did when their children came in a tad too late at night.

"Where have you been!?", Renni asked, rising from her armchair. "It had better been *too important* to miss, for your sake!"

"It was important, according to my judgement.", Chross deadpanned. "That you need not know, right now, is for your sake."

"Well, what was it? More power plays of yours?", Smeech asked. "And in the meanwhile what was once our city is now a playground, out there!"

"You could've also let me surface, too!", Margot protested. "My businesses are out there, fending for themselves!"

"Now THAT would draw the cultists' attention, and waste a perfect safehouse.", Chross spoke firmly, staring at Margot. "I know you have some attachments and some manpower is indeed irreplaceable, Margot, but what good will you be if you're caught and quartered?"

"Look who talks...", Renni scowled, raising her arms. "In fact, look at us, the once mightiest of the Undercity, scurrying below like sewer rats as topside and the fanatical scum fight over what was ours! Margot has a point, we should've been up there, if anything just to keep face with the masses!"

"And whoever is winning the conflict up there gets to squash you before you can get organized.", Chross replied. "In a conflict between two belligerents, the last thing they want is a third party with ample room to build. So we should remain here, and let both wear each other out for some time.", he then glanced at Renni. "In the meantime, Renni, there's something I should talk to you. And only you, in my chambers."

"Why her alone?", Smeech asked. "We can hear it just as well."

"It's something only the Sludgerunners can do.", Chross answered. "Unless either the Scrap Hackers or the Vyx have also mastered experimental Chemtech, which I find *too* unlikely. Shall we, Renni?"

The henchman pushed Chross' wheelchair to a particular corridor to the left as Renni followed right behind them as they reached the corridor's end and it's door, which the henchman opened. It revealed a rather modest bedroom, in contrast to the deluxe living room behind them, with a bed, some carpet and a wardrobe and rack with a lamp, as well as a small bathroom nearby. Almost like a hotel room, if only for the absence of windows and rather a vent shaft by a corner.

"Guard the door, Araxi.", he ordered his henchmen, as he then left Chross' chair close to the bed and facing Renni as he then passed through the door and closed it, leaving both Chross and Renni alone.

"Spill it.", Renni said, already preparing for the worst.

"Sevika knows.", Chross deadpanned, bluntly.

Renni glanced at Chross, realization rapidly dawning on her. "It's where you've been at...", she started, attempting to control her anger. "You've made an agreement with her! The very right hand of the late one whose personal crusade took my boy from me!"

"The one whom's now out there, holding all by her own against Urgot.", Chross stood firm. "And while the topsiders were the ones whom cost you your son, to place the blame solely on them or Silco is myopic arrogance. You agreed he supervised that plant, per Silco's demand, you should've been aware of the risks."

"Rich words coming from one of you...", Renni sneered, recalling Chross' origins.

"To not mention we all know where a Chem-Baron driven by emotion generally ends up, and now you're *treading* on that path.", Chross censored.

Renni glanced a killer stare at the Chem-Baron at the wheelchair. One that the wheelchair man easily read through.

"Go ahead and do it, if you dare.", Chross warned, a second later. "But be warned you'll never have your vengeance should I or Sevika fall. Unlike Finn, whom thought on nobody but himself alone, or the others at the living room, Sevika is at least still willing to make topside pay. If you want your son's blood paid back, you can't afford to be as finicky!"

The old-aged woman tried forcing her stare at Chross, although her face imperceptibly did shake a bit and her eyes darted aside for a second.

"Arrogance killed Finn, Renni.", Chross said. "Would you die for pride or rancor? I don't think so. The Chem-Barons whom stood longer did humble up and prepared for compromises. Or sacrifices. And that's why we also need, right now, to make one of ours a lamb, by the time all this dust settles."

"Who? Smeech?", Renni asked.

"Margot is a fine piece of jailbait, I won't deny it...", Chross shrugged. "But she's too unlikely to keep the wolves above and down here fed. And we all know where the project just let out loose came from."

"The project we also helped out, mind you!", Renni protested, angrily. "For all we know, he could very well rat out on *each one of us, all for a lighter sentence!"

"He was still the conceiver, most of it will still fall on him. And the chaos can become our advantage, if we're fast enough. We find out what he knows about us and clean up as Piltover is focused on him.", Chross replied.

"With what I heard of this new 'Warden-Marshall', it doesn't look like she'd *need* proof to act on the rest of us...", Renni shook her head.

"Even information must have something substantial to stand on.", Chross said. "I know her, and she knows that. Still, it has fallen to this, Renni. Him... or all of us."

Renni glanced at the door for a while and then back at Chross, before she closed her eyes.

TWITCH

The mutated rat almost yelped in pain as he felt the shot paw touch the ground again, the agony soothed by borrowing one of Ampare's anesthetics, as well as an accidental taste with a lost drum of some spilled purple-ish liquid he dared lick, which indeed made his body spasm and intensify his pain, but also noticed the gunshot wound somehow did regenerate faster.

It'd take a while for him to run again at his former full capacity, but now he could walk on his two feet, no thanks to the Jinx girl whom had taken his servant, the future of his realm, away from him.

All in an unfair deal. Who'd ever trade a vassal for a bullet?

Whoever *sane* person, that is?

As he went on his feet, Twitch checked his crossbow, at least that in working condition, when he heard steps approaching what seemed like his initial domain - an assortment of trash and a few emptied dumpsters, stuck by the corner of an alley by the main urban area of the Undercity. This triggered his reflexes, which made him turn quick, feeling a sting of the pain from the injured paw, aiming the crossbow.

It was Rhott and a couple of cultists behind her, entering the scene with a rather un-surprised and slightly disgusted expression at the scenery.

Humans, of course... How could they comprehend a rat man's modest abode?

"Well, well...", Twitch snickered, lowering the crossbow. "The almighty dear Rhotty, so high above all, does pass by my humble dominion for a visit? I'm flattered."

"There are many places I'd rather visit instead, vermin.", Rhott answered, coldly. "You're fortunate the Mighty One still sees some utility in you."

"Oh yes, I've been meaning to talk to him, about what the Jinx girl did to me.", Twitch nodded, teeth grinding. "A vassal of my future domain was taken by her, at a rather unfair paymen-"

"I care not - and neither does he - on any quarrel you have with the Baron-kin.", Rhott interjected.

"She had injured me!", Twitch immediately retorted, gesturing at the shot paw. "And then takes what was given to me by destiny, all for a-"

"Nothing is ever given, vermin!", Rhott raised her tone. "And you should've fought harder for your... vassal. Personally, I only regret *not being present* to witness it. Still, there is a task for you."

"Oh, there is?", Twitch asked.

"Yes.", Rhott answered. "Topside has cut off-"

"And why should I, exactly?", Twitch interrupted, in defiance.

Rhott stepped forward with her long iron nails on display. "Because it will be either my wrath, or Urgot's, you'll face.", she threatened.

"Well...", Twitch shrugged, before suddenly dashing forward, hitting the crossbow's stock right at Rhott's face, driving her back, jumping the other cultists in alarm. "Maybe he'd see this as a favor!"

The others prepared their weapons to charge the rat beast.

"Hold!", Rhott shouted in an assertive, commanding voice. "The vermin is mine..."

"That's 'your majesty Twitch' to you, Rhotty!", Twitch pointed the crossbow at her. "Or just Twitch, but in any case, you'll give me the respect *long overdue*! I did prove myself in the Dredge!"

"With the Baron-kin whom just shot your leg!", Rhott retorted. "I doubt you'd ever manage it *alone, given your true nature!"

"Kettle meets teapot, Rhott!", Twitch blew back. "Tea-Rhott!", he laughed at it. "*You* judge me? You whom scurries to the Mighty Dreadnought, thinking you're *so* protected!? You can prove me wrong here and now, I dare you! But if I kill you and I might, I think he will reconsider if you're as strong as you said you are! He might even make me an heir! A lord of two kingdoms!"

Rhott suddenly charged Twitch, whom was not prepared to fire the crossbow, and thus hit away the crossbow as she grabbed the man-sized rat and threw it to the wall, using her nails to hit the side of his face as she grabbed the rat's throat.

"More like a master of none, vermin.", she said, holding the nails close to the rats' eyes, but suddenly Twitch, being backed to the wall, pushed himself back using both paws to kick Rhott off as she was too distracted with attempting to threaten him, and so he pounced into Rhott as she fell with her back into a garbage pile, him revealing a broken crossbow bolt on his hand, laughing.

"Oh, how long have I waited this!", Twitch savoured the moment, but then the two cultists charged, which Twitch noticed and thus dashed past them and grabbed the crossbow, which he jumped backwards as he fired a bolt, hitting one of the cultists in the diafragm. He then charged and pounced into the second cultist, using the crossbow to push him back and make him tumble into another pile, all as Twitch dashed to pry off the bolt from the diaphragm of the first cultist and then use it to stab his throat with it, all as Rhott went up and moved away from the fight. Twitch then took the same bolt, reloaded it into the crossbow and shot the remaining cultist in the chest, making him fall down at the trash pile.

As Twitch got up and noticed the bodies, he noticed Rhott wasn't close by, and he turned around to see her close to the entrance to his realm, to which he laughed. "I should thank you, Rhotty.", he said. "Some sport is always good for a sovereign. You can return to him, now, and give him my regards.", he turned around to loot one of the cultists, to find any worthy belongings to strip him off.

Rhott bared his teeth at the insolence, but her heart raced as well, at the thought of having to return to the Dreadnought bearing news that not only Twitch wouldn't comply, but that she also failed to convince him and even lost two cultists in the process.

Her eyes darted aside, the mind racing as well. She already wasn't in good favors with Urgot after she criticized Jinx.

Apparently the options were lacking, except the most obvious and hurtful one. One that would hurt more her pride than her life.

And how that angered her, so...

Rhott groaned, shaking her head. "A vassal, then.", she declared, getting Twitch's attention, again.

"Come again?", Twitch asked, staring back at her.

"You clearly want something for this...", Rhott bared her teeth. "So be it. Perform the task we offer, and so we will a... subject for you."

Twitch's head tilted a bit, shrugging. "Is that fear I smell, Rhotty?", he asked, snickering. "Not of me, of course. But still, it's quite a *first* out of you, huh?"

"Would you still keep up the bickering, verm...", Rhott angrily started, pausing herself forcefully, mustering the needed bile and revile to utter the man-sized rat's name. "*Twitch*? Or would you rather have this trade, and we *both* have what we want?"

Twitch shrugged, a smile coming up on him. "At long last, an understanding...", he mused.

"I won't offer it again.", Rhott replied. "You do the task we have for you and you have your vassal."

"Ah, ah, not any vassal.", Twitch pointed a finger upwards. "THE vassal. The one that was taken. He would be mine, again!"

Rhott's eyes widened, in realization. "The one taken by the Baron-kin!?", she stared at the rat. "You're insane!"

"You make the offer in my fief, Tea-Rhott!", Twitch retorted, his voice in full confidence and authority, feeling totally in control of the situation. "*I* get to set the terms. You don't like them, you've my leave to leave!"

Rhott took a breath in frustration, closing her eyes, not believing what was happening. "So be it!", she said, having had enough. "THE vassal, then! The one taken from you..."

Twitch chuckled. "*Now, we are improving.", he said, in approval. "So what it is you ask of this sovereign then, Rhotty?"

Rhott stared at Twitch for a second, eyes in a killer stare, before she then continued, attempting to remain civil, yet in apparent control. "The Piltovans have cut off all accesses from the Undercity to above.", she said. "Or at least the most obvious ones. However, some Ears did inform that there are rumored routes within the sewers and mine shafts. Old ones, that can forfeit the need for elevators and stairway accesses."

"And you believe me capable of finding them.", Twitch followed. "Because I'm a rat."

"A human would take days to find it.", Rhott said, coldly. "Something I'd honestly have preferred..."

Twitch snickered for a second. "Ah, such a trivial request, hardly worth a king's time...", he stated, getting Rhott's glance of triggered ire. "But, for my vassal, so be it this casual toll. Besides, I've been meaning to do it, eventually, for what is a ruler that knows not the land of the lay?", he raised his arms, gesturing around.

"It's lay of the...", Rhott started in ire, before she saw Twitch change his expression to a warning one, and that stopped her. The rage of the vermin ordering her around bubbled within the core of her being, enough for her to groan and turn around and leave, in abject frustration and hasty steps.

Twitch simply cackled at it. "There is no shame in humility, Rhotty!", he bellowed. "No shame in humility!"

He cackled on, in triumph.