ZIGGS

One thing Ziggs was prepared for - and still praying it wouldn't happen - was that, somewhat, Jinx would indeed... live up to her name, as she professed.

It was totally another to, after the clear success in getting that... beast, to have entirely 'jinxed' it all *on purpose*.

By the time the anti-gravity shield developed by the now collapsed Viktor had given in, Morgana wasted no time in unleashing a field of dark magic that indeed caused more pain to the creature than it already had, before she can casted what he only had seen so few times and in a very long time - an actual magic rift - that transported the beast, before she told Jinx and himself to follow her to across another rift, while Jinx carried Viktor's body and staff holding a visibly shaking with anger Hex Core.

Crossing the magical gateway, they had arrived what was definitely another realm, as it indeed looked like a grove within a forest at night.

Trees as towering as the tallest Piltovan building reaching for the sky, numerous branches and leaves almost clouding up the sky above, independant whether it'd be day or night, such as so that other lights were present to combat the darkness generated from the blocked sun or moonlight. Rocks in most directions did also offer a natural barrier as well as secrecy, some of them engraved with glowing runes. At the center of where Ziggs and the others had arrived, there seemed to be some sort of pool, with glowing violet energies emanating from it, in direct contrast to what looked like a pool of pristine blue-ish water, close by. The soil was clearly one of pure, dirty stone, although that was little comparison to the filthy Lanes of the Undercity. Across this grove some furniture could be seen with candles, lamps, vials filled with liquids and a large assortment of books piled up and spread out. Close to what looked like a tent for private study lied a small perch with a winged creature resting atop it. Some cushy pillows could also be seen close to the magical, violet pool as well.

While Ziggs did look around, absorbing everything he was now beholding into his cortex, Jinx dropped Viktor off at the ground where she was, as Morgana walked forward, to where the beast now called 'Vander' was attempting to get on it's feet and move, in spite of the caused pain by the recent battle. The Veil Lady, however, did act faster and raised her hands, the magic within them invoking what looked like living tree branches and roots that rapidly grasped the beast across most directions, restraining as much as his body as the back and frontal... paws.

"You sure that'll hold... him?", the Yordle asked.

"It held worse.", Morgana answered, a second later, as the branches and roots finished gripping the beast tightly, as he roared clearly for his demand at release.

Jinx, herself, didn't bother much with sightseeing, being instead busy with her own mind that had it's trouble *digesting* all the recently assimilated information, the mind too scrambled for even *their* words to get her attention.

To think, all this time, he was alive... HE, of all people, the one most responsible for how the Lanes had ended up before Silco had risen, still alive... while Silco, her Silco, was all dead...

'Of all the things...', the Vander started.

'Who'd tell...', the Mylo said. 'Vi's daddy made a mutt. One more to the *library of things you didn't do*...'

'How to even feel about about that?', the Claggor asked, at the same time.

'This shouldn't have been possible!', the Silco said. 'It just shouldn't!'

"What... what just happened..."

Jinx didn't even notice Viktor come to his senses as he slowly noticed the surroundings definitely not belonging to Zaun as he looked around, and then noticed the creature, now trapped by nature simply made unnatural.

As unnatural as the beast.

Yes, exactly what happened.

Viktor's self-awareness went back as fast as his supposed bloodstream... or energy... flowing into his body as he rapidly went into his feet and pulled Jinx's shoulder, yanking her away from her mind numbness. "You've let that thing live!?", he asked, angrily, on which Jinx remained on silence, although a triggered by that pull as well. "I told you I was doing him a mercy, Jinx!"

"Mercy...", she muttered, shaking her head. "He don't deserve mercy..."

"And suddenly *you* get to decide that!?", Viktor asked, triggered.

"She doesn't, and neither do you.", Morgana stated, returning to them as Ziggs also joined them, while Jinx had slowly turned around, back to her thoughts. "It's not even about deserving it or not, Viktor."

Oh, as if you got to judge so too, *Veil Lady*!

"Of course it's not, it's about anyone else whom might die, as long as *it* lives!", Viktor pointed to the wolf-like monster. "You *know* you can't keep that thing forever!"

"I won't.", Morgana said. "I'll keep him for the time I need to keep him."

"You think you can reform him.", Ziggs stated, a second later. "Because of his... human part."

"We should owe him to at least try.", Morgana replied.

"I wonder if you tried that with Urgot, as well...", Viktor provoked. "Just asking."

"Urgot became a monster by choice, Vander became one by circumstance.", Morgana censored, not liking Viktor's tone. "That's a false equivalence, Viktor, and you know that very well to act so childish!"

In the meantime of the debate, Jinx's eyes returned to the beast as everything seemed numbed within her, and then that... feeling within her had come up again, just as it was after the whole mess at the 'pure fart' factory. The feeling that made her head dizzy, and then she started chuckling, and then laughing out an unfunny laugh, one that caught up the others attention as they talked, especially Ziggs, whom walked up to Jinx, in total concern.

Because he knew *too well* the last time something like that, this level of breaking down, that was, happened.

"Well, look at that...", Jinx started, shaking her head, as the laughter subsided. "Got yourself a brand new furcoat now, didn'cha, 'pops'? How'd you like your little girl, all grown up?", she raised her arms, showcasing.

'You don't have to rub it to him.', the Vander in her mind said.

"SHUT UP!", Jinx shouted, staring at the figment's direction, pointing to her head, then. "In fact, you shouldn't even be in here, now, not anymore! You're there!", she pointed to the wolf-like figure, returning to gaze on the monster, pointing on her blue hair with both hands. "Yup, it *is* me, you know the name, except I'm Jinx now."

"No... NO!", the 'Vander' beast roared.

"Oh, yes-sir-ee, it is... You can thank your *precious* little Vi for that.", Jinx nodded. "Her best work in a decade... Hers *and* Silco's, among all the other shit he's had to clean up after!"

The beast roared, angrily. "DON'T!", he growled. "Don't... say this... name!"

"Silco.", Jinx said, on purpose, and then increasing in tone. "Silco. Silco. Silco. Silco! Silco! Silco! SILCO! SILCO! SILCO!"

As predictable as it could be, the wolf-like 'Vander' roared high and started fighting against the restraining branches with all it's strength, which held painstakingly against the beast's effort, as a hand yanked Jinx's shoulder and pulled her back, to see Viktor staring furious at her.

"You had enough, yet!?", he asked, livid.

"Geeker got all ballsy now?", Jinx asked all stunned, then approaching him too close, face-to-face, Shimmer eyes shining high. "Must be a topper, you never knew all he did, did'cha?", she whispered.

"I was born here.", Viktor bluntly answered, a couple of seconds. "I *do* remember how it was under him. It was one of the reasons I went topside."

Jinx remained inflexible, staring at Viktor as she then stared at Morgana, whom walked in. "Wha'cha planning with him, anyways?", she asked.

"Bring the counterbalance to the beast.", Morgana answered.

"Counter- what? You mean bring ol' Vander back?", Jinx asked, before the flashes hit her and she shook her head again. "And then what? Things get back the way they were? That it!? Thought you didn't want that for me, but I can guess I'm about *next in line, ain't that right!?"

"Jinx.", Morgana started, but the Loose Cannon immediately turned around to try and leave.

"Just send me back. I'll find my own way!", Jinx shook her head, walking away from them.

"Now, wait a minute-", Viktor started.

"No, Viktor.", Morgana said, as she then raised her hands, mystic lights gathering around them, as a portal then opened up, one that the Loose Cannon didn't hesitate in walking through.

However, the portal remained open as Morgana then stared at Ziggs, whom also stared back. After a couple of seconds, the Yordle got the message and nodded, as he then ran towards the portal himself, which had led him back towards the fissures of Zaun, to the very place where the beast had been captured, as he then saw Jinx ahead of him, walking on rushed steps, no doubt back to the orphanage to get her weapons back.

"Jinx!", Ziggs called, getting the Loose Cannon's attention, whom stared at him for a moment and then shook her head and turned to run off. "Jinx...", he said as he shook his head and ran to follow her. He just couldn't get what it was she was running away from, or even why she *still* kept on running, either away or towards a dead end - more literal than figurative, he feared. It couldn't have just been from that revelation, the person that she knew... could it?

Even as she tried using as much of her Shimmer as she could, Jinx still struggled to get as much distance from Ziggs and nearly collapsed on an alley, as her heart raced as never before and she had to catch a breath before proceeding from the long walk there was from that would-be orphanage. Over a couple of times she came across over two pairs of Urgot's cultists, and in no mood for fighting, she changed ways as to circumvent them. So did Ziggs as well when he saw them, also circling around. He kept on a controlled pace, however, as he knew where Jinx was going, he just had to *get there* before she left.


As she reached the building, Jinx focused on getting upstairs and simply rushing to her supposed room where she could find Fishbones, devoid of the gemstone as she then produced it, having recovered it from the anti-gravity trap and still visibly recovering, as she then rested the launcher on the bed, put it up on the socket, where the lights within it came to life and now were resting as much as the missile launcher. She then sat on the bed herself, as about everything she didn't want and liked washed into her.

The memories of... that night. On the cannery.

How she heard a scream from... her. Of when she did see... him, lying there.

The punch. That phrase.

'Because you're a jinx! You hear me!? Mylo was right about you!'

And then the flashes and voices came to her once again.

'So much for your venture...', the Silco started.

'He'll be back...', the Claggor started.

'Guess you should've let leadface finish the job...', the Mylo said.

'He'll be back and then what?', the Claggor asked.

'But of course, you *had* to jinx it.', the Mylo said. 'Back to business as usual.'

'At least you did the right thin-', the Vander barged in.

"SHUT UP, YOU ALL!", Jinx roared, shaking her head. "I-I need my breath, okay?"

Jinx, as she breathed, could barely hear the running footsteps from minutes later, as Ziggs then rushed into the room, breathing heavily as well, staring into the Loose Cannon whom stared back at him, before she looked away, shaking her head, running hands across her blue hair.

"What the heck was even that?", Ziggs asked, and got only silence in return, for a couple of seconds. "They chase you, you know. Not your ghosts, these issues. And they don't even care about distance, I know it!"

"What do you care anyway, Zigger!?", Jinx asked, angry, glancing at the Yordle for a second before looking away again. "Crowlady just sent you here to get me back there, to her!"

"I'm not even giving a crap about Morgana, right now!", Ziggs retorted, prompting Jinx to look at her, angrily. "I just saw you lash out for absolute no reason and run away! No reason!"

"No reason! Ha...", Jinx mocked, staring at Ziggs, whom just looked serious at her. "You just heard her. Just go back to her and leave me...", she looked away again.

"Leave you?", Ziggs asked, a second later. "I run all this way to here, after you, and now you want me to leave you?"

"You're gonna, eventually...", Jinx shook her head, slowly, her voice almost croaking. "You *all* do... Just get it over with. Pain's already numb at this point..."

The Yordle bomber, on hearing those words, witnessing the Loose Cannon simply shaking her head, running her hand across her head, breathing erratically, could catch a glimpse, much alike the ones back at... that place. With the others.

The others whom needed... help.

'She's simply forgot that help must be received as much as it is given.'

Morgana's words echoed into his mind, his brain absorbing the reality before him, as his eyes then looked for a way to help from that apparent... hole, one would call it, that the Loose Cannon was into. Just as what he learned was like... And, of course, the first step was to make her somehow put her mind out of it.

His eyes immediately turned to the one thing lying on her bed. The rocket launcher she introduced to Ziggs, at that fateful day, in the alley. Fishbones.

A plan came to his mind. Definitely insane, would certainly get him killed, just for the attempt.

But to help Jinx, well... living was overrated, at any rate.

He subtly approached the bed as Jinx was too distracted with the maelstrom within her, subtly pulled Fishbones, little by little, grabbing it by it's shoulder support and lifting it without making too much noise, as he then walked subtly towards the door, crossing it and taking a deep breath.

"Just one thing, Jinx.", he called, loud. "Fishbones here asked me to take him to a walk, if you don't mind."

"What?", Jinx asked, caught off-guard by the question, as she waves dismissed. "Whatever, take him anywhere he- what!?", she then suddenly stopped as realization washed over her as like a thrown bucket of water as she then looked at the bed, to notice the immediately absence of a supposed pieced of equipment.

And then sounds were heard from the close-by staircase, of something heavy falling and hitting guardrails.

And with the rush of realization, also came the rush of emotions.

"Hey, I didn't, hey, hey, hey, HEY, HEY!", Jinx jumped off the bed and dashed to outside the room and into the staircase, having seen Ziggs rushing off to the levels below, feminine anger bubbling up as well as she started rushing downstairs as well. "ZIGGER! MY FISHBONES! KIDNAPPER!"

Ziggs let roll a small bomb close to the building's doorstep as he dashed and rushed, on which Jinx, chasing after, noticed at the last second and jumped backwards and to the ground, as the bomb detonated in a plume of fire and thundering sound and shockwave, shaking the building, the neighborhood and causing even some screams.

"Zigger, why you little...", Jinx growled as she got on her feet. "Y'all pip squeaks, you stay here!", she then bellowed as she got out into the street level, seeing it deserted.

"Jinx!", Ziggs's voiced, made hilarously gruffier. "Jinx, help me!"

"Fishbones, hang in there, I'm-", Jinx answered naturally, starting to run before she paused herself in realization. "ZIGGER, I'M GONNA KILL YA! I'M FIRST GONNA MAKE A PAIR OF SOCKS OUTTA YA, AND THEN I'M GONNA KILL YA!", she started running again towards a nearby alley on she ran all the way along the alley, seeing Ziggs to her right at another street, where he entered the alley to his right and then proceeded ahead, down a set of stairs which a pair of Urgot's cultists lied close by.

"Excuse me!", Ziggs said, charging ahead with Fishbones like a handheld battering ram, passing by both cultists whom simply dodged aside. "Thank you!"

"Zigger, get back here!", Jinx's voice, shortly behind, caught up the cultists' attention as they saw the blue-braided girl heading towards the furry creature, but the cultists tried to stand in the way, weapons in hand.

Jinx, in absolute no mood for fighting bald and scrawny, jump-kicked one and bashed the other's head against the wall, doing the same to the first one as he got up. As both fell down, Jinx continued the pursuit as she saw the Yordle bomber push the rocket launcher past a guardrail leading to a level below, on which Ziggs immediately took an impulse on a nearby wall and climbed the guardrail over, letting himself fall before the Loose Cannon could catch him. He turned his body so he'd hit the floor below with the big bomb on his back first, taking the chance to then land on his feet, pick up the bomb, and head on the direction behind him, taking the closest alley to the left.

Jinx, exhausted and catching air as she had to use the Shimmer within her to run, had barely reached the spot where Ziggs had landed, continuing on as she looked at the nearby alley.

"Jinx! Please, save me!", Ziggs voice, mocking Fishbones, continued on as the blue-braided girl, moved on by anger, rushed on.

"THAT AIN'T FUNNY!", the Loose Cannon roared as she moved along the alley to it's end, entering another street as she looked both directions and could hear the sounds of metal being stepped on, like a dumpster, coming from a nearby warehouse, one which Jinx ran towards, seeing the grate fence had been forced open and some windows broken, especially one with a hole large enough for a Yordle.


Jinx crossed the fence hole and then immediately headed to the large, boarded doors written 'KEEP OUT' over them, using her Shimmer-enhanced strength to pry the boards off, as she then opened the doors, coming across the empty, vast workfloor of the clearly deserted warehouse.

"Show your face, Zigger!", Jinx shouted.

"I'm right here!", Ziggs called, coming out of one of the sustaining pillars, standing face-to-face with the slim girl, both parties breathing heavily from all the running.

"You're gonna get yours for that...", Jinx pointed at the Yordle bomber.

"Hey, *you're* the one who told me to leave.", Ziggs said, in the most cynical of tones possible.

"*Without* Fishbones, I meant!", Jinx retorted. "Where's he!?"

"Might be far away. Might be close.", Ziggs answered. "Depends on *how much* you're willing to talk."

"And what's there to talk about, anyways!?", Jinx asked, incredulous. "It's about the whole Vander deal, I told you, you heard crowlady too! She wants to bring him back... And then he gets all goody, Lanes become his again, and we're bootlicking the toppers all over!"

"What?", Ziggs asked, a couple of seconds later. "Jinx, I don't even know this Vander guy!", Jinx simply glanced at him, a hurt expression. "For real, I don't, I spent over fifty years locked up and forgotten in the loony bin! Look, if you ask me, Morgana's plan does make sense in the right now - right now, that thing, on full wolf mode, it is a hazard to everyone, but some human in him? Might even help us on the whole Urgot thing."

"Yeah, sure might, for you.", Jinx said. "But then... he'll want *her* back. Just like they all wanted."

"Your ghost friends, you mean?", Ziggs asked, and then nodded. "You know what, maybe now might be a good hour to talk about them."

"What, you playing shrink now!?", Jinx asked, angrily.

"You're the one whom wants Fishbones back, don't you?", Ziggs blew back.

Jinx ran her hands across her head, groaning. "And what do you care anyway!?", she asked, as Ziggs remained in silence, shrugging. "They just don't leave me, okay?", she started, fed up. "Stupid Mylo, stupid Claggor, stupid Vander who's now taking up space... Even Silco who's now turning stupid too, 'cause I let him down!", she then started taking heavy breaths.

"That's the group, I imagine?", Ziggs asked. "Where the name Jinx came from?"

"No, S-Silco you leave out of 'em...", Jinx shook her head, a second later. "And the name... my sis said that. Well, her and stupid Mylo, but sis, she... she cemented that."

"...and they've been there all this time?", Ziggs asked.

"It's either them or being alone.", Jinx retorted, as she then shook her head again. "Because everyone will want *her*..."

Ziggs searched his memories, especially the one she referred too at that... breakfast, if one would call that.

"Powder, you mean?", he asked.

"Of course Powder!", Jinx said, anguished. "Weak, useless Powder, whom *never* did anything right... A jinx true to every sense! And then Jinx comes up, far better, stronger, who'd do the things Powder *never* woulda! All to live up to what they wanted, all this time... except they all now want *Powder, and just Powder, now! Never Jinx, only Powder... I'm sure even *you* would prefer her, eventually, Zigger..."

She then looked away and down to the ground, for what felt like an eternity. Just her and her breathing.

"And what does she eat?"

The question caught Jinx off-guard as she turned to stare at the Yordle. "Huh?"

"What does she eat?", Ziggs asked again. "What does she drink? What's her favorite pastime? What kind of animal does she like? What does she do when she wakes up in the morning? What's her favorite color? Where does she like to hang out the most? What she dreams most about? Where she always dreamt of going? How I am supposed to prefer someone I don't even *know, Jinx?"

"But one day, you'd wanna know'er, wouldn'cha?", Jinx asked, a couple seconds later.

"One day, one decade, maybe, I don't know.", Ziggs answered, walking slowly towards her. "I only know who I want to be alongside *right now*. And the one I want to be alongside right now... is that girl whom I've met at that alley. The girl I want right now, is that girl whom showed me the most awesome place ever, to make her bombs. The girl I want right now, is that girl whom had the most interesting theories on enemies.", he approached and took her right hand, with both his. "The girl I want right now... is that girl whom traded a bullet for me."

Jinx remained silent all this time, even with the flashes going on around her, as well as the voices, scracthing at her ears.

'He's lying. Once he sees who you REALLY are, he'll leave you...', the Mylo started.

'Still not so sure about him...', the Claggor said.

'He needs another chance...', the Vander said.

'They always do that, Jinx.', the Silco approached. 'They come nicely upfront with a knife behind them...'

Jinx shook her head. "How...", she asked. "How do I..."

"...know if I'm not full of crap?", Ziggs asked a second later. "I don't know what to say to convince you, really...", he started stepping backwards. "But I can ask you one thing, though.", he stopped when he was but ten to eleven steps ahead of her. "Throw a bomb at me."

"Huh?", Jinx asked, a couple of seconds later.

"You heard me.", Ziggs shrugged. "Throw a bomb at me.", he then picked up one of his unlit bombs. "Or you'd rather I throw it at you?"

"Throw one at ya, you're-", Jinx started before Ziggs then rapidly threw the bomb at her, hitting her. "OW!", she yelped, more in shock than in pain, her attention garnered.

"Come on!", Ziggs said, producing another bomb up. "Throw it at me!", he waved his hands towards himself.

Jinx immediately proceeded to pick the bomb thrown at her up, in a hurry, when suddenly she felt something hit her, which made her react and get on her feet again. "HEY!", she shouted.

"Still slow!", Ziggs raised his voice as Jinx proceeded to throw the bomb at him, but he dashed aside, as he then produced a third bomb and threw at her, as unlit as well, and threw at her, on which Jinx - this time with reflexes awake - had dodged and then proceeded to pick up the second bomb he threw at her and tried 'returning' it to him, only he dodged it again, before he dashed to pick up the first bomb returned and throw it again at Jinx.

This bomb hit her face, however, and so the Shimmer-fueled blood in her started to boil as much as her anger.

"Oh, you wanna play rough now, don't ya!?", she asked as she then unholstered a Chomper, pulled it's pin to prime it and then lobbed it at the wide-eyed-beneath-the-glasses Ziggs, whom had to dodge it far before it then detonated in a pink fiery plume.

A couple of seconds passed by before Ziggs then got out of cover from a pillar, as Jinx catched her breath again. "So you want to up the ante?", he asked, waiting a second before he then nodded. "Okay..."

He immediately lit up the fuse and threw it at a pillar close to the Loose Cannon that then bounced towards her, which had her jump down to the ground to dodge it, as it exploded behind her, and then she got up and collected the second and last Chomper she had, and primed and lobbed it towards Ziggs whom dodged as well, before Jinx immediately went to pick up the third bomb that was unlit, and throw it at him, hitting the Yordle's face in such a powerful hit, stunning him as the Chomper detonated behind him as well, close to the door.

"How's them apples, huh?", Jinx asked, in mockery.

Ziggs shook his head, taking his breath, chuckling. "Woof...", he said, glancing at Jinx. "Been *really long* since I got tagged like that!", he stared at Jinx, catching her breath. "You play this game often?"

"What?", Jinx asked, before she shook her head a second later. "Never played anything, Zigger, just knew how to throw, is all..."

"Really?", Ziggs asked, surprised. "You must be a natural, then. Guess you never played much with anyone, huh?"

"Guess I didn...", Jinx started, before something hit her, and glanced angrily at him. "You trying to be my *friend, Zigger?"

"No, no friendship involved.", Ziggs answered, bluntly, picking up two more bombs. "Let's just say we're... two enemies, testing each other?"

Jinx kept on looking at the Yordle bomber as he shrugged, lightly gesturing the bombs he held on his hands, the glance clearly being invitational.

"Y'know I'm all out.", she said.

"I know.", Ziggs nodded. "But, except for death, there's a way for everything, right?"

He then, after a couple of seconds, threw one of the bombs up as he immediately lit the other one and readily threw at Jinx, whom dodged it off.

Ziggs however, remained immobile. "You'll really just let it blow behind you?", he asked.

Jinx looked behind her to notice there was still some fuse left on the bomb, sparkling away, and thus rushed to grab it and toss it at Ziggs' direction, whom ducked as it exploded mid-air, the shockwave affecting and almost throwing Jinx back down, whom picked herself back up, positioning herself in anticipation for Ziggs' next throw, which was unlit this time and the Loose Cannon dashed aside, dodging it as she went to pick it up and throw it back at Ziggs, whom got yet another bomb ready to throw at her, and so he dodged Jinx's return before he threw it towards the ground to force it to bounce towards Jinx, whom dodged it again out of reflex, that bomb almost hitting her leg.

Jinx took her breath, recognizing at that moment how that fuzzy little thing was actually good at that. Jinx proceeded to pick one of the bombs and throw at a nearby pillar, hoping to bounce it as well, but was a gross miss, as Ziggs then dashed to pick up the bomb and light it up before throwing towards her, on which the bomb hit her shoulder, and it delayed her for a second as she then picked it up and threw it back at the Yordle, but the Yordle had already dodged it.

However, as the bomb hit and impacted a nearby pillar, it detonated a bit too close to the Silco, whom she visualized, out of nowhere, blasting it away into the ground, as it picked itself up, looking shocked and livid.

'JINX!', the Silco yelled, as the girl herself was caught off-guard, even with an unlit bomb hitting her, standing still and snickering honestly at it.

Ziggs perceived it as well, the rush riding waves through him, nodding in satisfaction, the genuine smile creeping up. He could know it as he had it himself.

"Hey!", he called, getting the blue-braided girl's attention. "Are we done with the game, then?"

Jinx, numb for a second, immediately jolted to looking for the thrown bomb and returning it to Ziggs, whom then lit it up and threw at Jinx, whom dodged, picked the lit bomb and threw at Ziggs direction, as he dashed right where she could picture the Mylo was, whom tried to dodge the bomb too late, blasting it and throwing it away, as it fell down, writhing in pain. This caused a rush into Jinx to laugh out loud as well, feeling something she didn't think would feel ever since her success with the gemstone robbery.

The game continued with one more throw as Jinx took the next lit bomb and then threw it at Ziggs' new position, hitting the Vander as well whom did not even move a single inch aside, the full blast enveloping it, Jinx actually enjoying it, for once. As she then went to pick up the next thrown bomb, she could picture the Claggor running away to a specific corner.

"Oh, no, you don't get to be left out!", she shouted as she threw the lit bomb at the Claggor's direction.

"Jinx, WAIT-"

Ziggs' shout came too late, however, as the bomb explosion, where it landed, did hit the Claggor... but also a Chem-tech pipeline.

One that did start a chain reaction that began to run across and long the upper catwalks of the warehouse and would reach the roof.

"Oh, boy!", Ziggs stated, nervous. "Jinx, RUN FOR IT!"

The Loose Cannon and the Yordle bomber began to do so, dashing towards the exit.

"There!", the bomber pointed at a set of shelves close to the window. "Your Fishbones, beneath it!"

Jinx ran to the shelves and pulled the rocket launcher from beneath it as both had ran outside, all as the rooftop of the abandoned warehouse collapsed at the last second, generating a shockwave that threw both the blue-braided girl and fuzzy bomber to the ground, on the open streets of Zaun. Both recovered themselves as they went to catch their breath, for several seconds, staring at each other and then at the destroyed building.

"So much for my place...", Ziggs broke the silence.

"Your place?", Jinx asked, caught off-guard.

"No, don't be much sorry, Jinx.", Ziggs shook his head, not feeling any guilt at all. "In fact, that's the beauty on homes - you don't stay in one forever. Still, it was a *pretty good one* in there, wasn't it? Be honest, now."

Jinx glanced at Ziggs for a second before she then shrugged. "Sure was...", she started, allowing an honest smile to come across her. "Been a while since I had something like that. Still, Zigger... I'd still, y'know...", her smile faded away.

"And I get that.", Ziggs nodded. "I told you I was locked up for a long time. And it was because, the one I needed the help from, the most, he...", the Yordle took a deep breath. "Of course, that one was also on me, that day, and I had the time to let it sink in. Little option on that too. Still, what wouldn't I have given, for him to come back and apologize...", his eyes wandered away in the meantime as he opened his heart.

Ziggs then glanced back at Jinx, paying attention at him. "So yes, Jinx, I *totally* get your theory on enemies.", he continued. "As much as they hurt, they are honest about it. And honesty's what you hold most dear. But friends though, I dare say... they do the one thing enemies rather don't: they come back for you."

"...wait, enemies *do* come back for you too, Zigger.", Jinx stated, shaking her head.

"Yeah, they do, too...", Ziggs answered. "But would *any* of them ever come back, owning up to how wrong they were?"

Jinx's eyes, once glancing at the Yordle, did dart aside for a moment, having to absorb that, shrugging a bit. "Still...", she started. "It'd better... not to go into that place. Not yet."

"I'll respect that choice.", Ziggs nodded. "Where you wanna go now?"

Jinx took a sigh, a couple of seconds later. "Maybe back to crowlady...", she answered, resigned, turning to walk back to the orphanage. "See how it goes, when she does it... doesn't mean he'll get Powder back just like that, though..."

"How long was it since you saw each other, anyway?", Ziggs asked a second later.

"Decade's wortha' fuming, at least...", Jinx answered.

"Well, pity him.", Ziggs shrugged. "Too late for him to want things back. I mean, it's not like you can come back to your house a decade later and still see the flowers just the way they were..."

As they started making their way back, Ziggs' mentioning sparked something up on his mind. Something he once had seen and learned, decades ago, back at the Asylum, but he couldn't make much sense of it, except from where it did come from and what *had* to be related to.

"You know, Jinx...", Ziggs started. "I think I *might* know how to help out with that whole feral monster thing..."