"AAAAAAHHH!" "OOOH!"
The sounds of the young pair boisterously reaching climax were hard to ignore. It was also attention grabbing for those that saw them get off the couch and start to redress. At least for those not employed at or frequent patrons of Babette's. As Ekko was neither, he felt his face warm and tried to refocus on the task at hand.
"At least we're fitting some with our masks," Jinx quipped to him in a soft voice as she ran a finger across his owl mask.
He made a mock jab at her ribs. "Shush. Stay incognito." He had Jinx, Eve, and Yola dressed as close as possible with loose outerwear and cloaks to conceal their builds.
Huffing behind her scorpion mask, Jinx nonetheless fell back a few steps with the Firelight women. Ekko watched the corners with care. I should have had someone scout out the bordello more. Shouldn't have been too hard to find a volunteer. They could find the best escape routes or places for an ambush.
They had discussed what Silco might do at the opening. Place a finger or toe on the table that may be Vi's? Release gas into the room? Have his chemtanks attack from hidden voyeur areas? They worked out some plans, but they were relying heavily on their secret weapon.
On his toes, he was the first Firelight into the room used for large parties at Babette's and found Sevika, Chross, and Silco. Is he… asleep? Silco sat alone on a loveseat with his head down, not moving except for faint breaths. Sevika got up from her couch with Chross and whispered his eyes open.
"Sorry for the discourteous," Silco said the faintest hint of grogginess as the last of the Firelights entered and stood around. "I lack the vigor of youth now, if I ever had it."
"I'd be tired too after the performance you gave," Ekko offered. Pleasantries aside, I feel naked without my club, crystal bombs, and smoke grenades. The scouts said Silco's outfit had surrendered at the door too, but that could be a ruse.
Almost smiling, Silco shook his head. "Hardly worth more than two washers. I was off tempo for most of it."
"Still, it will be remembered for its venue and audience. Speaking of–we're missing someone."
Silco nodded and looked at Babette. "Have Lock and Ran to bring her in." The yordle madam left and Silco turned back at Ekko. "While we wait, I confess to being both impressed and disappointed at the ingenuity of you and Jinx. My turn to note 'we're missing someone.'"
Shifting his weight slightly, Ekko shook his head. "Jinx is here," he said and gestured with deliberate vagueness to the three women.
Chross snorted at the play; Sevika looked impassive; Silco kept his content-by-his-standards expression as he looked at them. "Naturally. I hope you are doing well. We are close now and your work for Zaun's liberation will outlive us all, Jinx."
"Yet, disappointed?" Ekko asked. I don't want him to dominate, but he knows Jinx well and can probably pick her out given time and focus.
Silco opened his mouth to speak, but Babette returned and Vi was wheeled in after. She was chained to a metal handtrunk and looked drugged.
"What did you do to her?!" Jinx demanded stepping forward, her hand moving on reflex to her hip. Janna save me. Ekko brought his fingers to the mask's bridge of his nose as Silco turned to her.
"I kept my word–Vi is unharmed. She has simply been given a moderate sedative and a strong muscle relaxant for our safety. Both are nonaddictive and given Vi's shimmer-enhanced body they'll be broken down enough to converse soon and down to trace levels within hours."
"First time doing that? Forcing a nonaddictive drug on someone?" Ekko snapped. Courtesy has been going sumpward for us. Time to switch our approach.
Silco took out two cigars. "There have been many sacrifices to get us here." Extending a hand with one of the cigars, Silco's eyes narrowed after Ekko declined the offer for several reasons. "But without the funds and the late doctor's discoveries from shimmer, I infer that Vi would not be alive."
"You… Stillwater… shot…" Vi mumbled from hearing Silco say her name. She was in a sedated stupor bordering on a daze.
He lit his cigar. "It will be time-consuming to adjudicate everything I've been accused of doing. And likely unproductive. Still I didn't know about Marcus' imprisonment of Vi nor did I have someone shoot her."
Snorting, Jinx tightened her fists. "One truth and one lie is better than I would expect from you."
Chross cleared his throat. "Perhaps we need to focus on the hextech shield now. We should know more about it."
Chross sounds nervous, which feels off. Did he know about Vi being in Stillwater? "In exchange for what? We aren't family–I'm not giving out gifts out of the goodness of my heart," Ekko stated.
"Reasonable," Sevika said and looked to her boss. "Should I tell them about our meeting with Heimerdinger?"
Ekko shook his head. "I've already heard it from him."
Sighing, the smoke from Silco's cigar floated upward. "That doesn't mean you know it all. You've heard an account that the founder of Piltover wants you to know. Not my impressions, motivations, or intentions. That is the trade."
Ekko presented his right palm in resignation and listened for about a minute, making a couple of nods throughout. "Let's travel back in time a little. How were you disappointed by the Armadillo?"
Tilting his head, Silco paused in consideration. "Armadillo? Not Tortoise? My predisposition to aquatic life, I guess. It has neither fangs nor claws. A purely defensive hextech might keep your hands unbloodied, but it might not force the council to the peace table. A weapon that would blast, smash, or the like would establish rapid dominance. A shield makes an opponent think of a sword."
"They won't be forging swords. At least not from what we've learned of the Man of Progress."
Silco took another puff. "Jayce is disinclined to it, but that was before his friend and collaborator died in a Zaunite attack. And he appeared to be a man that could be manipulated by a skilled politician. I dislike staking so much on the Topsider's golden boy's conscience."
"If they make weapons, then we will too," Ekko pledged. "For now, we are leading. For some details, we'll keep the source of the device safe and confidential. We've precise control of it, so we can create gaps for large travel, trade, air flow, and weather conditions. We also have small devices that allow individuals or small groups to traverse it with minimal difficulty."
Silco glanced at Chross who had confirmed the small devices with a nod. "Well," Silco replied, "Disappointment waning. The next large topic for me is communication. We do not want someone, say, breaking a truce and killing or maiming a lot of the other one's troops on the eve of a possible war."
"Get better goons," Vi said hazily. Thank you, mask, for letting me smirk without worrying.
Another cigar puff. "I'm taking volunteers," he replied in an icy tone.
Jinx advanced toward Silco. Sevika was up fast. Even if Babette was diligent and forceful in disarming them too, Sevika kept her bioenhanced arm. With its shimmer empowerments and according to an informant recent upgrades, she might be a match to Vi in a fair fight.
"Let my sister go," Jinx ordered him, snatching the cigar from hand in a fraction of a second.
He appraised her for a long breath. "You are aware I do not say 'no' to you often, child. But based on my attempts to discuss matters with Vi earlier, freeing your sister is suicidal for me. I need strong assurances for my and mine safety, since my death would not help Zaun or its people."
Set the trap. Ekko moved forward and put his palm gently on Jinx's shoulder. She looked at him and relented. I hope the masks are enough. Her face was probably showing our affection plainly. I must be too. "Would an oath be enough?" Ekko asked and waited for his opening offer to be rejected.
"I'm not swearing shit to him," Vi interjected. She sounded half-drunk, half-dreaming, but to Ekko she was looking more alert by the minute.
"Drugs aside, her hate for me is too strong to be bound by a pledge."
"Vi would be required to keep an escort, one of yours and one of mine, whenever she's near you?" Jinx proposed. She's an able actress, at least when motivated.
"If only that were sufficient," Silco claimed. "Vi might be the fastest and strongest person in all of Runeterra. Two, four, or even six escorts would not be enough to stop if she wished to harm me or my organization."
Ekko gave a slow nod in concession. "What is your proposal then?"
"An exchange. We will release Vi and Jinx will return to us. Both will have autonomy as long as the other is confirmed to be safely embedded at either your base or the Last Drop. They can meet, but only under set conditions that will ensure no additional attacks." Silco held out his hand to Jinx, ostensibly for her to return the cigar.
A small hand signal from Ekko earlier had directed Eve to sneak away. He let the suggestion sit in the air for a moment to give her time to return. Maybe making Silco a little uneasy as a bonus too.
"'The killing you' idea is better," Vi broke the silence.
Jinx disregarded Silco's hand when his attention was turned to her sister. She took a couple steps back, but looked unsure what to do with the cigar. Finally, Ekko spoke. "No. I don't accept either being kept prisoner. I do have a counter-proposal though. After difficult but necessary discussions, you'll release Vi and take on someone else."
Silco frowned until his eyes widened as he inferred whom Ekko meant. "He is…"
"Here, old friend," Warwick said as he entered.