Thana

PART ONE. . . Suspicion

Odessa’s POV

The scent of smoke, liquor, and something nefarious filled the air. It always did in the city below known as Zaun. A place I called home, for the most part. But I was used to it, the obtrusive noises and smells, I was used to it all.

I’ve memorized every street, alleyway, secret tunnels, the pipe systems, the dock times for shipments, all of it. Almost every minuet detail. It’s what I did, it’s what I do and have done for the past 11 years. It’s how I survived in this precarious environment. The many gangs, the enforcers, the druggies, all of them I had kept my distance from all these years- remaining nothing but a shadow to them, all the while keeping tabs on them. I was a.. A mere background piece in someone’s big world picture, a dot in the background. It’s not that I didn’t want to be one. No. It’s because that’s how I survive, the less people know, the better. The less likely I get involved, the less likely I’ll get killed.

Being a woman in this city was bad enough, but my skills? If they found out about them.. it would have them all fighting over my capabilities like the best fight dog in the black market, or the druggies fighting over the last vile of shimmer.

It was a late evening, the normal buzz of neon lights and drunks roaming the streets. Some crying, some throwing up in alleyways, others bothering the rest. The occasional enforcer in the usual dark blue and gold attire going past the sneering crowds, changing shifts with the other group that patrols mediocrely the undercity.

I stuck close to the large groups, my ragged dark brown cloak pulled over my head. My copper mask covering my face, dull enough but still occasionally catching the bright colored lights of the passing bars or brothels- the signs that spoke to a persons desired sin. Despite the noises, I kept my senses sharp, my breathing steady, my steps light yet ready. Now was not the time to relax.

..When was the last time I relaxed?

But the slow and steady noise of a commotion slowly grew, and I looked up a bit to see a raven perched on a rickety metal railing. ‘danger’ it caws, flying off into the smog filled skies.

Danger. Course there was danger, it was Zaun, but what did it mean? I had a weird skill to understand avians, mostly the crows and ravens along with the smaller black birds. It’s how I got most of my intel without someone noticing, no one suspects the birds were smart enough to remember conversations and details long enough to report it to someone- let alone someone like me. Yet, I kept trudging on, rerouting my course too quickly would draw attention- I’d just disperse with the crowd when-

Thunk.

The sound of hoverboards and heavy boots landing on the ground filled my ears, and a collective murmur and gasp from the crowds arouse that meant one thing; Firelights. They were a up and coming gang, full of younger revolutionary vigilantes that opposed the bigger gang groups that formed the Chem-Barons, specifically Silco- the main head of it all. The man dubbed the Eye of Zaun.. So, the fact they were this deep in enemy territory was a bit odd. Planned. They always had one.

As crowds and gnarly looking faces started to tense and get defensive, I realized I was too close to a cluster of men in correspondence to Silco- his underdog henchmen that were everywhere in this city. Maybe I should’ve listened to my raven friend..

Silco was like the main leader of the chaotic city, as much as one could have with the amount of gangs going at eachother throats, he held the most control- and has for a while. Especially after Vander died.. supposedly.

I watched as the lackeys pulled out their knives and assorted weapons as a bunch of cloaked-masked figures came down from their hoverboards poised like birds of flight ready to strike, leading me to stick to the crowds smart enough to be backing off and giving them space. While others not so logical enough decide to get involved, others stuck out of it to watch and gossip over it while sticking out of the main fray. Like vultures lurking around potential prey. Me being in the group sticking out of it. Always.

“The hell you doing?” A Silco-lackey sneered, gripping his knife and pointing it at the group as his eyes narrowed, the sound of the shimmer powered parts of his body whirring in the midst of it all. One of the Firelights, a bulky man with a canine like white porcelain like mask stepped forward. After the uprising of the gang, this seemed to have been a sort of second in command in the group from what I’ve learned. Leaving me to wonder..

Where was the leader..?

“Proving a point.” The masked Firelight grumbled, and without much hesitation the group attacked, and the goons of Silco retaliated in response. The sound of grunts, metal against clothes and other metal, explosions with bursts of color filled the street- leading to more commotion from the crowds around. Some fleeing, others getting into the fray as well, and gossipers lingered at a safer distance than before but even they were leaving.

What was the Firelight’s plan? They’re clearly outnumbered, deep in enemy territory that they haven’t travelled into before, there wasn’t really much to gain from this, unless.. it was a ploy.

I didn’t like that, and I could faintly hear the distant but familiar alarmed caws of a crow I knew weaving in the air down into an alleyway. Suspicious it called to me.

Ok now I really shouldn’t stick around-

I slowly started to weave my way out of the watching crowds, slipping into a nearby alleyway and briskly going down through the labyrinthine alleyways, listening and watching my surroundings carefully as I did so. Though even as I left the area of most commotion, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was still being watched, and not just by the birds.

…I could faintly hear the droning noise of a hoverboard.

Shit-

I didn’t exactly give a second to spare, to even check over my shoulder to see if it was just one passing to join in on the futile fight. Time was precious and valuable just like information. So without a second thought I bolted off before I could even get a look at the person following me. Though from the sound of the hoverboard increasing noise, I could tell they were giving chase. To me. But I had the advantage of being on ground while they were on a hoverboard, allowing me to skid around a corner and look over my shoulder just enough to faintly to see an outline of someone in.. baggy clothes and a owl mask?

It was the Firelight’s leader. The one I didn’t see at the fight. I knew it, something was up and somehow I got caught into it.

Despite this revelation of concern. I didn’t make any change in my plan, sprinted farther as the owl-masked man flew after me on his hoverboard, drifting through the tight alleyways with ease. “Hey, Wait-“ I could hear the leader holler from behind his mask. Voice mildly distorted, probably a gadget to make it sound that way- some criminals had that to mask their identities. But the shout didn’t deter me. I just tensed. And that familiar thrumming went through me as I felt the familiar spike of energy course through me.

Like a splash of cold water on my face I felt myself go quicker. Kicking up detritus and rubble in my way while avoiding larger piles of muck. Making another abrupt turn, using my heel to kick open a manhole cover just enough to catch it with my glove and jump down into the sewage. Slipping down into it I let the cover fall over me, using my hand to soften the fall as to not incriminate my maneuver.

I held my breath as I leaned back against the cold cement of the sewer, looking up. Listening.

Over the sounds of the sewer water dripping and the distant chaos of that fight, I could hear that distinct hoverboard and someone mumbling “Fuck, fuck.. Where did she go..?!”

I didn’t want to stay too long, that was confirmation enough that he was clueless for now and I should use the opportunity while I had it. With a deep breath I carefully started my trek through the sewers away from there, further away from the chaos, more so to the edges of Zaun. Closer to the abandoned warehouses near the harbors on the other side from the bridge that connected Zaun to Piltover. Still listening. Always listening.

That was a close call, too close for the time I have been alone. This had been the first close call in ages. Why in the world did the leader of the Firelights go out of there way to go after me with that whole fight in the way? Was it a distraction? Did he know about me?

The thought of him knowing about me, even just a small concept, made me grip my gloves so hard it made the leather creak. But I couldn’t think about it, not right now, I had to get to a safe house. And i just will that the little chase didn’t draw the eyes of unwanted people…