Chapter 9: Something Sweet

Washers clinked in Ren's metallic hand as he counted what he had.

"Not as much as I'd like, but it'll do."

He slipped them into a coin purse and tucked it safely into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. Viktor had already left to visit Moyna, a trip into the Sump that always took half a day at minimum to complete, which left him with the day to himself. No better time, he thought, to go out and try and find his friends.

He stood before the bathroom mirror and checked his appearance one final time. His hair was still damp from the shower and, without its soft curls, hung down just past his shoulders. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook it out to check that no snarls would form as it dried. In another month it would need a trim but for today, he was satisfied with it.

"Candy shop first, then the usual hangout." He thought out loud as he locked up Emberflit.

Suckers Galore was just one of five successful candy stores across the Sump and Entresol (though a new sixth location all the way up in Promenade was scheduled to open soon!) that were run by a family of candy makers. Affectionately, the community began referring to them as the "candy chem-barons," a title actual chem-barons scoffed at. The family of course, held no actual power in Zaun unless you were a person governed by your sweet tooth.

Zaun unquestionably had the better candy of the two cities – No! – best candy in ALL Runeterra if Ren were to be asked. What were artificial flavors other than culinary chem-tech? Pineapple, orange, coconut, grape, blueberry, honeyfruit, strawberry, cavernberry, lemon, melon; all these were only a handful of the flavors available at the candy shop Ren stepped inside. Glass jars filled with hard candies colored like gems were displayed tightly in a row on a tiered table, trays of jellied fruit slices sparkled with sugar in a display counter, candy "hex-crystals" on a stick caught the eye with their unnaturally blue color that promised an equally blue flavor, and behind the counter, a pair of confectioners twist the cooling sugar into multi-colored lollipops. No matter how old he grew, the sight of this shop and its saccharine aroma always made Ren feel a little happier.

His eyes darted from treat to treat until a flash of shocking green caught his attention. Chem-tech sour drops, a candy of infamy among Zaun's children, shone with a smug aura. Many a test of courage and endurance was had between young Zaunites, seeing who among them could keep the profoundly sour candies in their mouths the longest. Ren had never won any of these. He passed them over quickly and instead grabbed a tin of mixed fruit flavors that would be more to the taste of the kids.

"Thank you. You'll have to come back soon," the cashier said as she took Ren's washers, "we have a new party cake flavor coming out next week. It's got little flecks of color in it that looks like sprinkles."

"I might." Ren responded.

He tucked the candy tin into his pocket and his last washers back into his coin purse. If he could scrounge up a few more, he would like to come back. Ren had learned he wasn't the only one living at Emberflit who enjoyed vanilla candy. Viktor had a bigger sweet tooth than he would ever admit to.

"Thanks, bye."

With treats in tow, Ren turned his steps towards a favorite hangout of some of his favorite Zaunites.

As always, you could smell the candle factory before you could see it. Today the aroma wafting through the neighborhood was a heavy woodsy aroma laden with notes of amber and vanilla. Last week it was less pleasant, an overpowering clean linen that felt like it coated the inside of the nose with its powdery scent.

A small, rooftop apartment in this neighborhood had been vacant for years. The building had never been particularly well maintained by its owner and that top apartment was especially neglected. It was drafty, not well insulated, and offered no privacy, mostly because a section of one of its walls had collapsed and nobody had bothered to fix it. As long as the occupied portion of the building remained livable, the landlord didn't care about fixing that one apartment. The vacancy was filled however by kids looking for a place to hang out.

Ren approached the building and, with a running start, leapt up and grabbed the lowest rung of a fire escape. The metal had a waxy feel under his fingers and he knew he would be spending a fair amount of time cleaning out the joints of his hand that evening. Swiftly, Ren climbed the rest of the way up to the top. He could hear three familiar voices as he neared the top. Doubtless, they heard him too as the metal rattled under his feet.

"Who's there?" a young girl asked.

Ren peeked his head up over the ledge.

"It's me." He answered.

"Ren!"

Curly and Freckles, two young kids who had only just turned double digits in age, smiled in surprise at the sight of Ren. Behind them stood Finnlay, Bonnie's younger brother. The boy had only just turned 13, but if you asked him his age he would lie and add a year or two to appear older. This fooled no one, as his round cheeks and big, blue eyes made him look quite boyish and younger than he was. Much like his sister, his hair was a copper red color.

"Curly, Freckles, Finn! How are you three?"

"Good!" Curly answered.

Ren smiled up at the young boy. He looked pale, paler than he remembered, but he smiled back warmly. Ren knew he had contracted lung blight at a young age that had permanently damaged his lungs and suspected that he was recovering from another minor bout of it.

"And you?" Ren asked as he looked between the two others.

"Can't complain." Freckles said.

"I can." Finn cut in.

"Oh?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't seen you in over a year but you've seen them, Ekko, and even Bonnie without seeing me. What gives?"

"You haven't been with them."

"Still."

"Yeah, you know what, I'm turning mine into a complaint too." Freckles added with feigned annoyance. "You said you would visit more but we haven't seen you in over a month."

"Aww, I'm sorry. Will a little bribery help you forgive me?"

Ren pulled the candy from his pocket and shook it above his head. The little candies rattled around in the tin.

"All is forgiven." She said quickly.

"What? You're forgiving him just like that?"

"Do you not want candy, Finn? I'll take your share."

"Wait! No, I do."

"There's plenty enough." Ren said.

"Did you get cavernberry?" Curly asked.

"Think so. Here, check."

Ren tossed the tin up into the waiting hands of the kid before pulling himself up and over the ledge.

"Alright, it looks like it -Woah!- Ren, your arm!"

Curly looked up wide-eyed at Ren's augmented arm. Ren looked down at it too. He had forgotten that they hadn't seen it.

"Oh, yeah, this. It helps me fight the bad guys better." He slapped his augment's forearm twice. "Pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Curly's voice was as unsure as Ren's was.

"So, you got this because of your hero stuff?" Freckles asked.

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh."

He watched her look cautiously between the augment and him. He could tell she was searching his face, trying to see if he was telling the truth. He gave a thumbs up with the limb.

"So was it made by the mad scientist who made your leg?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, the Doc made this too."

"Same guy who turns people into robots, right? That's what Bonnie said, or something like it."

"He's not turning me into a robot."

"I didn't say you; I said people. You know, like he's done it before."

"Well, I mean, yeah he's put people's brains into golems before but that was to try to save them."

All three of the kids scrunched up their faces in disgust at this.

"Sounds like a mad scientist to me." Finn grumbled.

"There's more to it and - look, he's maybe not had the best track record and I'm helping him to be better. So, trust me about him. Crystal?"

"I do trust you, Ren but I dunno. He's still creepy." Freckles said.

"I could always introduce you to him." Ren offered.

The younger children looked to each other, trying to see if the other was showing any sign of taking Ren up on his offer.

"Nope." Finn answered for the group.

"Come on. I promise he won't turn you into robots."

"Still nope."

"Sorry Ren." Curly offered.

Ren let out a big sigh.

"Nah, I get it. He scared me too when I first met him. Not gonna force you to meet him before you're ready, but I still think you should someday."

"Maybe, when I know it will be safe."

"I promise he won't hurt you. Now let's open that tin up. I don't want to wait anymore. My mouth's been watering thinking about those."

They all sat down as Curly opened the tin and held it out for everyone to take a piece of candy. Ren snagged a bright pink one and popped it into his mouth; a strawberry flavor so sweet Ren was convinced there never was a strawberry that ever grew that tasted like it. It was just what he wanted.

"Ren, question." Finn interrupted.

"Answer." Ren responded.

"Viktor's got a nasty laser, right? One that can burn through like anything."

"Yeah."

"Did he murder anyone with it recently?"

Ren had to control himself from spitting out the candy.

"Not that – No! No, he hasn't. Why would you ask that?"

"Cause he's got a nasty laser and some people last week were murdered by one."

"And you immediately thought it was the guy I'm living with? Other people in Zaun have lasers too you know."

"Hey, I don't know what everyone else at Hope House does with their time."

"It is a little suspicious." Freckles added. "Just want to be careful. I don't trust many grownups who walk around with weapons on them all the time."

"He also uses it for building too."

"And possibly popping holes through people's skulls or cutting off their limbs to force people to replace them. At least that's what the papers say. And some of the adults I've eavesdropped on. And others of reliable repudiate."

"Repudiate?" Ren interrupted.

"You know, like reputable. They've got good rep."

"Uh-huh." Ren nodded and slowly raised an eyebrow.

"And these repudiate people say that the laser burns a hole right through skin and muscle and bone all at once. It can do that right? Bzzzz-zzZZzz-ZZzz-ZZZZ! Four cuts and off go your limbs and he forces you to get robot ones."

The burn marks throughout Emberflit came to mind, as did the grim remembrance of what caused them. Then there was the briefest flash of a Piltovan howling in pain and blood sizzling in the air. But the thought was only there for a moment.

"Finn, come on, he already said he wouldn't hurt us. Most tools can be used as weapons." Curly protested. "Right, Ren?"

"Huh?" Ren blinked. "Oh, yeah."

Finn and Freckles both looked to Ren with concern. Curly alone seemed pleased the big kid agreed with him.

"You good?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Ren moved his organic hand up through his hair and fluffed it out. "Can I talk for just a moment. Last thing about Viktor and then I won't talk about him anymore after, alright?"

All three nodded.

"Sure."

"Thanks."

His hands clenched into light fists as he searched for right words to say. It had never been his strongest skill but he was going to give it a shot.

"Under all that machinery, there's a good man." Ren said and pointed to his chest. "But with more machinery under that, but – ah, I'm messing up the point!"

"But his heart is a human one?" Curly asked.

"Oh no, that's machinery too- "Ren cut himself off and shook his head. "Not the point though. Ugh let me - What I'm trying to say is, I trust him. He's not evil. The important heart is human." He tapped the area over his heart, the edges of his fingers brushing over where metal met flesh. "He, he cares a lot."

"Oh, that kind of heart."

"Yeah, that kind."

Ren exhaled and his muscles relaxed. He had not even realized they had been tensed. He rolled his shoulders and gave another short sigh.

"That was really mushy, Ren. Really mushy." Finn teased.

"Well, I'm a mushy guy. But I didn't come here to be all mushy. There's business to be done. So tell me, how's it all going?"

As Ren spoke, his tone returned to its more relaxed and energetic pace.

News and gossip were exchanged equally between the four. Curly and Freckles shared anything interesting they had overheard (did you know there was another supposed sighting of the slime creature in the Sump last week? Or that a chem-baron allegedly wants to experiment with augmenting a drake?), Finn complained about all the lessons Elodie wanted the him and the others kids at Hope House to take, one of which he was actively playing hooky on to be here, and Ren shared what he thought was appropriate with what he had been up to. It was one thing to tell them he had beaten up an extortionist, but it was another to tell them that he threatened to shred the guy's face.

A rattling sound from the fire escape turned everyone's attention to it. A flash of curly copper shone boldly in Zaun's gloom as Bonnie pulled herself up over the ledge. Ren felt his spirits lift at the sight of her. It had been too long since he had seen her.

"Bonnie!" the two kids greeted at the sight of the older teen.

"Hey Bon, how are you?" Ren smiled.

Only Finn didn't seem happy to see his sister and remained quiet.

"Hey Ren. Talk to you all in just a moment. First I gotta be a pain." She righted her posture and looked at her brother with far sterner a look than her face was used to making. "Finnlay."

"What?" her brother answered.

"I went to Hope House to visit you and you weren't there."

"I'm not a prisoner."

"No, but there were classes today and you weren't attending them. Three days a week Finn, come on. That's all there is. You didn't have these opportunities back in Bilgewater. Don't squander them."

"Fine. I'll go to them all next week. Happy?"

"Something like it. Serious talk done now." She let her posture relax. "How is everyone?"

Bonnie took a seat. Curly immediately offered the candy to her as well and she grabbed one without even bothering to look at the flavor. She gave a "thanks" and let out a long sigh as the sticky sweet taste of cherry filled her mouth.

"Ren got them." Curly said.

"Aww, he did? You're sweet." She said to him.

"And mushy." Finn added.

Ren shrugged.

"They taste better when shared." He said.

Bonnie smiled back at him, though the expression did little to hide the fatigue written everywhere else on her freckled face. As she looked at him, he saw her eyes drift towards his augment.

"Oh, this," he said, not even giving her an opportunity to ask the question, "new augment. Neat, right? Got it from the Doc. Still living with him. Still working with him. It helps with my work. I-"

Bonnie raised her hand.

"If it works for you. You don't have to say anything else right now." Was all she said.

Ren stopped. There was hidden fatigue in her words as well.

"It does work for me."

"Glad to hear it."

Their conversations continued, with Freckles picking right up from where she left off before Bonnie showed up, talking about how the cat at the little bookstore by the Rising Howl just had kittens. Through everyone's stories, Ren kept looking over at Bonnie. She had perked up over the course of the conversation, but he could still tell she was exhausted. There was little doubt in his mind that she was not taking time to rest, not when she was trying to save money to get Finn out of Hope House. An idea came to him.

"You know what I realized we haven't done in a while?" Ren spoke up.

"What?"

"We haven't had a ghost story night in over a year, or well, maybe you all have, but I haven't had one. You know, being away and all."

"It's been a few months, but I'd love to have another." Freckles answered with enthusiasm. "Let's do it! I hope you have new ghost stories!"

"I can make one up too!" Curly added.

"Sounds like a blast." Ren turned to Bonnie. "What do you say, Bon?"

He gave her a playful, pleading look, but he knew it would not take much prompting. Even more than the kids, Bonnie adored ghost stories and urban legends. Scaring children with them? Even more so. It was all good fun to her.

"You really know how to put someone on the spot, Ren."

"We'll only do this if it works for you."

"Oh, it works for me. It's happening. And I'm going to come up with two stories, one that is appropriate for them to hear and one that will be for you and you alone Renatus." She pointed from the kids to him to emphasize her point. "And I promise to give you nightmares or something like them."

"Bespoke nightmares? You spoil me."

"Maybe more than I should."

"Mushy." Finn whispered, earning him a quick smirk from the other children.

The side eye he got from his sister though silenced him instantly.

"So when do you want to do this?" Ren asked. "It's all for you, so you pick the date."

"I thought this was because you haven't had one?" Curly asked.

"It can be both."

"But then it's not 'all for,' is it?" Finn commented in a snarky tone.

"I can share." Bonnie said.

"So, when?"

"How about two weeks from now? It should be more than enough time for me to adjust my schedule at work. We'll meet late right back here, after the eighth bell if you are all brave enough to be out so late after dark."

"It's dark all the time in Zaun." Freckles said.

"Alright, I'll concede that." Bonnie said with a shrug. "Looks like I'll have a tough crowd, but I'm up to the challenge."

With each word, a mischievous glint was chasing away her fatigue.

"So, it's a plan?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, it's a plan."

The next half hour was spent making bold claims of who would make who shriek with their stories and throwing out outlandish ideas for wraiths and monsters. Some were robotic, some crawled from the seas, some raged on the Shadow Isles, and some came from beyond the stars, but all of them were, to some degree, ridiculous. At length, the sixth bell began to ring and Ren looked up.

"Aw shoot, it's getting late. I've got to head home."

He jumped to his feet and Curly and Freckles were not far behind. They ran over and gave Ren a hug goodbye.

"Don't forget, two weeks." Freckles reminded.

"Wouldn't miss it."

Bonnie also stood and dusted herself off. She stepped around Ren, moving to his side without the augmented arm, and gave him a half hug.

"Sleep well, Ren. Only two weeks of good dreams left for you." She said in her best feigned seriousness voice.

"We shall see."

"Yes, we shall. Bye."

"See ya."

Ren waved good-bye, jumped back onto the fire escape, and climbed his way down. He needed this. He needed this time to be with others like him. He had something to look forward to that wasn't just training or studying. It was something with no stakes and minimal expectations. He felt warmer just thinking about it. His mind was at ease.

Deeper in Zaun, a man sat at his desk and cleaned dried blood from his weapon. The new lens had done wonders for its strength. He reached his arm into the machinery up to his elbow. With little more than a thought, a small intense flame sprung at the weapon's tip. A twist of a gear and the lens slid into place. The flame became intense.