Kapitel 5: Benzo's Fate
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Benzo's Shop
The air inside the dimly lit room was suffocating, thick with the mingling scents of oil, sweat, and the acrid tang of Shimmer. Shadows danced along the cracked walls, their shapes twisting and distorting in the uneven flicker of lamplight.
Grayson, the Sheriff of Piltover's Enforcers, stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on Vander. "I'm not putting you away, Vander," she said, her voice firm but laced with a trace of regret.
Vander, seated at the edge of the counter, exhaled a puff of smoke from his cigar. The haze curled lazily above him before dissipating. "The Council needs its pound of flesh," he replied, his voice gravelly yet calm, as if he had already resigned himself to the inevitable.
Grayson took a step closer, her expression softening. "Without you down there, it all falls apart."
Vander smirked, the corners of his lips lifting in a faint, almost bitter smile. He raised the cigar to his lips for another drag, the glowing ember casting faint red glints in his eyes. "Benzo will handle things," he said after a pause, his voice tinged with quiet confidence. "He may not have my devilish charm, but he runs a tight ship."
Grayson didn't respond immediately, her silence speaking volumes. Finally, she said, "You know you won't be able to come back. Not for a long time."
Vander's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded. "I know." Without hesitation, he extended his hands toward Marcus, his expression unreadable as if he'd accepted his fate long before this moment.
The faint shuffle of footsteps and the scrape of a chair broke the tense stillness. Then came a familiar voice, sharp with disbelief and pain. "Vander, no!" Vi cried, bursting into the room. Her voice cracked as she pleaded, "You can't do this! You can't just—"
Her words were cut short as Grayson gestured to Marcus. Vander didn't look back, his broad shoulders tense but unyielding. As Marcus began to guide him toward the door, Vi's desperate protests filled the room, raw and heart-wrenching.
The heavy silence that followed felt suffocating, more oppressive than the Shimmer-tainted air lingering within.
And then, they were gone, leaving behind only the faint echo of Vi's voice and the oppressive weight of the choices that had been made.
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"Hey, stop right there!"
Vi turned sharply at the sound of Grayson's voice, only to freeze in horror. Blood pooled on the ground, spreading quickly from where Grayson lay torn apart, her body mangled in an instant. The stillness that followed was deafening, punctuated only by the dripping of blood. No one had seen what struck her, and no one knew what had done it.
"What the devil...?" Vander's voice was low, strained, his eyes darting around the shadows as he tried to make sense of the chaos.
The slow, deliberate sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. Each step echoed, steady and menacing, until the figure came into view.
Silco.
"Silco!" Benzo's voice was filled with venom. His fists clenched as he stepped forward. "You animal. Crawl back to whatever hole you came out of!"
Silco stopped, his face calm, almost amused. "You never did know when to walk away," he said, his tone laced with mockery.
"Benzo, come ba—!" Vander's shout was cut short as the monstrous figure emerged from the shadows. Enhanced by Shimmer, it was a grotesque blend of man and beast, all muscle and fury. With a single swipe, it ripped Benzo apart just as it had Grayson. Blood sprayed, and silence fell once more.
"NOOOO!" Vander's voice cracked with anguish.
Silco tilted his head, his expression one of lazy indifference. "Hmm. Stubborn to the end," he remarked.
Before Vander could act, another voice cut through the tension.
"Sigh. Well, I didn't plan on intervening in your work, Silco," a figure said, stepping from the darkness.
It was Aegis.
Silco's gaze shifted, his usual calm replaced with curiosity. "Huh?" He narrowed his eyes before a faint smirk formed. "Vander, I almost forgot to mention—this is my son, Aegis."
Aegis walked up beside Silco, his expression unreadable. Silco turned his attention back to him. "What do you mean, Aegis?"
Aegis didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, focusing deeply before snapping his fingers.
---
Time distorted. The world around them blurred and twisted.
"You never did know when to walk—huh?!" Silco paused mid-sentence, blinking in confusion. His surroundings reset, only Aegis was still beside him.
Benzo gasped, staggering backward, alive and unharmed. "I... I'm alive!" he stammered, glancing down at himself in disbelief.
Aegis smirked faintly, though his face was pale and exhausted. "Hey, Benzo. Consider your debt to me paid."
"What... just happened?" Vander muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Aegis leaned against a wall, clearly drained. "Just a little trick." while thinking of what happened "I used Rewind Time. It brings everything around me back a few seconds—except for me." He let out a slow exhale, the effort of the ability taking its toll.
"You..." Silco's voice shook, his confidence faltering for the first time. "You can use magic?"
"Yeah, guess I can," Aegis replied nonchalantly, though his weariness was evident. He straightened, looking directly at Silco. "Benzo helped me once, so I owed him. Let him go. You can imprison him if you want, but don't kill him."
Silco stared at Aegis, then sighed. "Fine. I'll spare him. But only because he's your benefactor."
Aegis frowned. "No, not anymore." His voice was cold, final. "I don't owe anyone. I don't like strings attached."
Silco signaled his men to restrain Vander and Benzo without further harm. As they began to leave, Silco stopped, turning to Aegis with a proud yet calculating smile.
Vander didn't try anything.
"Come, Aegis."
Before they could fully retreat, Marcus's panicked voice broke the silence.
"What the hell have you done? This wasn't the deal!" Marcus's face was pale, his eyes wide with terror.
Silco leaned in close to Marcus, his voice a chilling whisper. "The deal's changed. And if anyone else learns about my son..." Silco's tone darkened further, venom dripping from his words. "I'll hunt your family down, Marcus. Believe me, I can make you regret this for the rest of your life."
He shoved a heavy bag of coins into Marcus's trembling hands before turning and walking away with Aegis.
Unbeknownst to Silco, two figures watched silently from the shadows, their presence unnoticed amidst the chaos.
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