The City Is My Hunting Ground

Chapter 5: Those Who Trespass Against Us

Only those who survive this city deserve it

"Hmm, if we go past Blitzcrank's Fleshling Compability Service, we get to the elevator and-"

Only Ziggs was listening. This was so typical to Rumble. No one cared about him. No one wanted to know what he had to say.

He understood Tristana, because she had accidentally took a wrong chemical pill, and was now on a some sort of a trip. Teemo just made fake yawns and leaned towards a wall.

Why he has to be like that? I bet he doesn't even want Tristana, and he just hangs around her to bully me.

"Meesa thinka we use stair, no elevatorrr", Tristana stuttered. Ziggs grabbed her and shook her a little. "We need to get her medicine or she'll be like this the whole day. Rumble, could you go to the upper level and find a pharmacy?"

Rumble looked confused. "But what should I buy?"

"Oh, just tell them a friend of us took a 'BigTrip'. They'll know what to do."

Rumble jumped out of his robot and ran away. He was so excited. I can help Tristana! I can tell her it was me who brang the medicine! Yeesss! And then he found something that definetily didn't fall to the 'Yeesss' category.

It was a body. He almost yelled at the sight but was able to conceal it. Mom had said that in these situations one must not panic. First, he checked could he find help anywhere. But the street was empty. In levels so high as this, people slept at mornings. Maybe I should check if it surely is dead.

And it wasn't. Rumble gasped as he turned her on her back and saw her face. The other side was a normal face of a normal woman, but the other was far from it. It was fully made of steel, with a glowing red eye to scare even more. It looked more like a skull rather than face. And on top of it, she was still breathing.

"A-are you... a yordle?" the woman asked with a voice of a clearly dying person.

"Yes I am. I-I sh-should propably get you h-h-help?" Rumble concentrated all his strength to 'don't cry'.

"No... time. T-tell to T-teemo tha-t they a-are p-p-poisoned..."

"What are poisoned?" Rumble asked while a tear started to fall from his eye.

"The n-n-n..." and then, the woman died.

...

"Geez, thanks, you two. I'm not sure what has happened in these few hours. Give me a brief explanation", Tristana said while yawning. After Rumble hadn't still returned in 45 minutes, they managed to cure her with Teemo's herbs. They told Tristana about Rumble and stuff.

"If he didn't take his robot with her, he's propably got himself into a fight. Seems like we'll still need that pharmacy. Let's go, boys!"

The three made their way quickly to to Rumble who was just sitting on a bench and crying. Teemo opened his mout first but Tristana stopped him. She knew he would just say something mean.

"Rumble, what happened?" Tristana and Ziggs asked. Rumble raised his head and saw his friends. He just pointed to the body and mumbled: "She died... I couldn't do anything."

Tristana and Teemo started to investigate the body while Ziggs sat to the bench and patted Rumble's head. "It wasn't your fault, buddy. You did your best."

"Excuse me, but I think I've found a lead."

Everyone stared to Teemo while he stood there with a proud expression.

"Look at this."

Teemo pulled her sleeve up and revealed two tattoos. One was a roman number, XIII, and the other one looked like a criminal gang symbol.

Tristana scratched her ear. "What I've seen is that tattoos and other marks are very common in Zaun. If we don't know what these mean, this is just a dead end."

Ziggs grinned and tossed a bomb to the air. "I know a guy who may know something about-" he catched the bomb. "About these. He's the scientist who created Blitzcrank, you know. His name is Viktor."

Rumble had stopped crying and asked with a sad tone: "Where can we find this guy? I hope he doesn't live in much lower levels."

Ziggs stopped smiling. "Well, he actually lives in the second lowest level. But don't worry, his house is near the elevator, so we don't need to take any dangerous paths."

"The elevator itself is a danger, and there are rumors that the Wolf also lives on top of it." Teemo sounded like he was telling a ghost story to small children. Rumble started to bite his fingers (I don't know the exact term for that in english).

"But if the Wolf exists, he only hunts 'those who oppress Zaun'. We tourists only help it", Tristana tried to comfort Rumble.

The quartet started to walk towards the elevator.

...

An old man bowed towards a figure standing in darkness.

"Rise. I don't need anyone to bow me. Tell me what happened."

The old man started to speak, albeit hesitantly.

"Well, after she told me that the package is in the correct place, I gave her the tomato, just like you ordered. I saw her taking a bite, so she should be dead now."

The one he was speaking to waved hand to others in the room. Everyone left except these the old man and his 'superior'.

"I shall award you in a way you deserve."

The old man heard familiar clanking and started to sweat.

"You don't have to do this. Haven't I served you well?"

"Heh heh heh."

The old man felt chains getting attached to his legs. Then he was getting dragged.

"Demacians believe that the strong have the duty to protect the weak. Noxians believe that the strong have the right to rule over the weak. But the truth is, that the strong have the right to... live."

Those were the last words the old man heard. A yell of pain, and then he was gone.

"Call IX. The new mark will be... v. V for vegetable."