Chapter 5.3 Outcome of mission

Dusk had already fallen over Zaun when the boys finally returned from their mission. The narrow streets seemed even darker in the dim light of the lanterns, and the air was thick with the familiar smell of oil and smoke. The evening was quiet, but the tension, as always, hovered somewhere on the edge of perception.

"I knew it, I shouldn't have taken her!" Mylo whispered, rubbing the bruise on his elbow that he had earned during an unsuccessful jump from the platform. His displeasure, as always, was overflowing. "We almost got caught! She… she's just a magnet for bad luck!"

"Shut up, Mylo," Vi snapped, throwing him a hard look. "Before I make you. Should I remind you who exactly tripped over their own feet?"

Mylo snorted, frowning in displeasure, but decided not to escalate the conflict further. Vi always knew how to rein him in. He lagged a few steps behind, occasionally grumbling under his breath, but quieter so she wouldn't hear.

Vi glanced ahead, where Powder was walking with a light, almost bouncy gait. She was smiling, almost glowing with happiness, like a ray of light among the gray walls of Zaun. Her blue head of hair swayed faintly with each movement. Vi found herself unable to help but smile back.

"For the first time in a long time, she was happy," Vi thought. And it was true. Powder looked as if she had just received the highest award for her efforts. She was out of the way, hadn't made a single mistake, and now she carried her success proudly, as if it were the most precious trophy.

"You should see how happy you are," Vi muttered quietly, but she was no less pleased.

She found herself thinking that this was a step forward for her little sister. Perhaps, very soon she would be able to take her on more serious forays, where the risk was higher, but the reward was also greater. Yes, Powder was still small, but Vi saw her potential, and she always tried to prove that she was ready for more.

"Where are you jumping to?" Vi suddenly called out to her sister, to at least slow down her zeal a little.

Powder turned around and, still smiling, waved her hand.

"I'm just happy! We did it, right? I did it!"

"I did it, I did it," Vi gave in, shaking her head. "Just don't get too cocky, or you'll trip."

"There you go again!" Powder rolled her eyes, but there was not a drop of offense in her voice. She knew that her sister was proud of her, even if she didn't say it out loud.

Meanwhile, Claggor just chuckled silently, looking at the satisfied Powder and the grumbling Mylo. He walked calmly, keeping his hands in his pockets and not interfering in their exchange of remarks.

"The main thing is that it's all over," he muttered with a smile. "Let's go home before someone notices us."

And they walked on through the shadows of the evening Zaun, each immersed in his own thoughts.

The last drop in the evening hours was like a bubbling cauldron - noisy, smoky, full of voices and laughter. People crowded around the tables and the bar, some were passionately playing cards, some were arguing in raised tones, and some were just sitting in the corner, thoughtfully sipping a cheap drink. The floor glowed with uneven reflections from the dim lamps, and the air was filled with a mixture of smells: alcohol, machine oil and cigar smoke.

Behind the counter, Vander, habitually tall and strong, like an unshakable rock, poured drinks with tireless precision. His confident movements betrayed many years of experience - he did not just place orders, he maintained order in the establishment. And even in this chaos, it was nothing for him to notice his "boys" who had just entered the bar.

"They're back," he muttered under his breath before catching their eye. A restrained but warm smile crossed his face. With a single nod of his head, Vander indicated the door into the back of the establishment, which led to their room. The gesture was as laconic as the man himself: go and rest.

Vi, walking ahead out of habit, cast a quick glance at Vander, as if confirming that everything had gone well. He nodded again and switched to the next customer, although the attention to his charges was still present in the corners of his eyes.

"Whew, finally home," muttered Claggor, stretching his shoulders.

"Of course I'm home," grumbled Mylo, squinting in the bright light of the lamps and trying not to step on someone's outstretched boot. "If it weren't for my bruise, I'd already be asleep!"

Powder, unlike them, was full of energy. She was practically jumping up and down, casting quick glances at the bustling customers around her, as if each of them were a piece of a new story. For her, such evenings were always something mesmerizing.

"Well, the people here, as always," she whispered as they made their way to the door.

"Get used to it, Powder, it's Zaun," Vi chuckled, pushing some inattentive guy out of her way and finally pushing the door into their room. "Well, march downstairs. We'll report to Vander and go on about our business."

The door closed behind them, drowning out the noise from the hall.

They went downstairs and threw down their completely stuffed backpacks, which were almost empty early in the morning. They were filled to the brim with everything from metal parts to medicine. They took whatever they could get their hands on. Vi sat down on the couch, threw her head back and relaxed. Claggor raised his glasses and sat down on the other side. Dissatisfied Mylo went and jumped onto his bed with all his might. Powder hesitated a bit and sat down next to her sister, smiling timidly at her.

"So how did you like the outing?" Vi asked her, raising her head. "Did you like it?"

"You're still asking?!" Powder exclaimed in surprise. "We stole so much stuff right under those Peacekeepers' noses!" "Hah, I'm happy for you, little sister!" Vi stroked her little sister's cheek, smiling contentedly.

Vander appeared on the stairs, his heavy boots echoing loudly in their small shelter. His broad shoulders, as always, gave him an imposing figure, but the softness of his features betrayed his fatigue. A shadow of worry was visible on his face, but seeing his charges alive and well, he allowed himself to relax a little.

"So, what do we have here?" he asked, looking them over and noticing the backpacks that, apparently, could explode from the contents. His voice was a mixture of sternness and warm concern. "Looks like they dragged everything that wasn't nailed down."

"If it was nailed down, Claggor would have ripped it out," Mylo chuckled from the bed, not changing his lying position.

"Very funny, Mylo," Claggor muttered, adjusting his glasses and pretending that it didn't bother him.

Vander walked over to the couch and sat down on the armrest next to Vi. His gaze slid over Powder's tired but happy face, then over the others.

"Did you do it okay? Did anyone get caught?" he asked, although the answer seemed obvious.

"Everything is clear, Vander," Vi replied, straightening up and shrugging slightly. "I told you, we did it quietly."

"Yeah, right, quietly," Mylo muttered. "My leg won't let me lie."

"It's your clumsiness, not the case," Vi snapped, throwing him a warning glance. "Don't exaggerate."

Powder jumped to her feet at that moment, barely containing her delight.

"Vander, you should have seen how much stuff we brought! Metal, tools, and even some things that looked like medicine! We fooled everyone!" — She raised her hands in triumph, her blue eyes shining.

"Quiet, Powder" Vander smiled, dampening her enthusiasm, but his voice was soft. "Good for you for coming back in one piece. And I'll have to look into the "medicine" thing. If that's what they need, someone down there will be grateful to you today."

He reached for the nearest backpack and, unzipping it, peered inside. Vander was carefully pulling several parts out of a pile of metal, examining them with professional interest.

"Not bad. Very good, even" he muttered. "But you're still risking more than you're worth."

" We're doing well, Vander" Vi answered firmly, looking up at him. " Better every time."

Vander looked at her a little longer than he should have. There was determination in her voice, but he could also hear something else: the fatigue of being in control, the desire to cope alone and take everything upon herself.

"Just remember that we're not here to chase after 'everything at once'. We're all here for each other, okay?" he said seriously, looking around at them all. "You need to rest. And I'll take care of what we have."

Vander gently patted Powder on the shoulder, as if reminding her not to lose her head, and headed back to the stairs. He turned around already on the steps:

"And no more business this week, if the Pilties suddenly notice a loss, even on such a small scale for them, they'll increase the number of patrols in Zaun, it won't be safe. Understand me?"

"Understood," all four responded in unison, although there was a dissatisfied grumble in Mylo's voice.

As Vander closed the door, the room was once again filled with the familiar silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the tired teenagers. Vi leaned back on the couch and allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment. Somewhere nearby, Powder was already rummaging through the backpacks, examining their finds, and Claggor and Mylo settled in more comfortably, as if neither of them wanted to be the first to disturb this brief moment of peace.

"Well" Vi said contentedly, putting her hands on her knees and getting up." There's still time before nightfall. And you heard Vander, we have a whole week. What should we do?"

"We can go get something to eat" Claggor raised his hand.

"Oh, you just want to eat. You are always hungry!" Mylo quipped.

"Calm down, both of you" Vi waved her hand, cutting off the budding argument." Claggor, you always want to eat. Mylo, you always whine. So let's go to Benzo's. We'll pick up Little man and get something to eat at the same time."

"Pfft, why always to him?" Mylo grumbled, throwing his hands behind his head. "He'll run around like an awl in one place again."

"So what? He's funny" Vi grinned, straightening her shoulders. "Unlike some of the others here."

"Oh, thanks," Mylo rolled his eyes, but of course followed.

Claggor chuckled and headed for the stairs first, pulling his backpack higher on his shoulders. Powder, who had been sitting silently next to Vi, perked up.

"Can I come with you?" she blurted out, jumping up and looking her sister in the eyes.

"Of course, you should always be with us," Vi smiled and ruffled her hair.

Powder jumped up happily and immediately grabbed her bag. She was always happy to go somewhere with the others, even if it was just Benzo's.

The team emerged from the basement. The Last Drop was still noisy and filled with fun - the smell of cheap booze, the hum of voices and laughter enveloped the space of the bar like a living blanket. Vander was standing behind the counter again, giving orders, but noticing the guys, he nodded briefly and waved his hand so that they wouldn't dawdle.

"Let's hurry up," Vi urged them, already on the move. "Before it's night and Benzo hasn't closed up shop yet."

"Wait a minute! I'm not made of iron," Mylo muttered, trailing behind.

"Not iron, but slow," Claggor teased him, which made Powder laugh.

So, joking and talking, they left the bar for the narrow streets of Zaun. The Zaun air was habitually saturated with dampness and soot from numerous pipes and ventilation systems, and the dim lights of the lanterns weakly illuminated their path. In the distance, they could hear the hum of cars and someone's distant barking, but for the guys, this was a normal part of the city symphony. Vi walked ahead, confidently making her way to Benzo's shop, while her friends rushed behind her, continuing to tease each other.