The Base Violence Necessary for Change

Violet stood outside the door of the basement room. She took a deep breath in and exhaled before opening the door. Mylo and Claggor were sitting at the table in the middle of the room, getting ready for a battle as the situation had developed to the point where another war between the Undercity and Piltover might occur.

"Vi, where you been?" Mylo asked excitedly, unable to wait and take down some Enforcers.

"Rumor has it, the Lanes are gonna fight," Claggor said, putting the knife he was holding down on the table.

Violet didn't respond to the two and made her way toward Powder who was sitting on her bed tinkering with her bombs.

Powder looked up seeing her older sister walking toward her. "Look, I made them for the Enforcers," she said excitedly while Violet sat down next to her with a loving smile on her face.

"These are smoke bombs and a big explosion grenade. I made it because I wanted to surprise Art," Powder handed Violet three grenades.

"And oh, these two over here are full of nails," she said, grabbing one grenade by her leg. She shook it and hearing it rattle, she cutely giggled.

"I got Ekko and Art to help me with these. They're gonna work this time, I know it," Powder said with determination in her voice.

Violet warily put the two grenades down. "Me too," she said with a soft smile on her face. She moved closer to Powder and moved her sister's hair out of her face.

Powder smiled at the action and it was then Violet lovingly caressed her little sister's cheek before putting her old bunny toy on her sister's lap.

She grabbed Powder's hand and said lovingly. "You know, Powder, what makes you different makes you strong. Always remember that, okay?"

Powder nodded while Violet stood up to leave, but before she could take a single step, she turned around. "One more thing, if Art comes back here," she paused. "Can you do me a favour and tell him that I'm sorry."

"Why?" Powder asked worriedly.

Violet sighed. "We, uh, had a fight, and I hit him."

"What?!" Powder exclaimed.

"I have to go, just tell him that I'm sorry," Violet bit her lip and left the room… I, I don't think I'll be able to tell him that myself…

…The uprising was one of the most traumatic events that changed Violet. It had been years since then yet she was still suffering all the horrible shit she had seen. It was etched into her mind as she could still remember an Enforcer killing their parents in front of them that day.

She knew Vander was right about nobody winning in war, and she didn't want to experience that ever again. She did not want to lose Powder and her family again.

There was only one way that Violet could think of to prevent a war from happening. The Enforcers weren't going to give up in their pursuit and Vander was the same, so, she decided to sacrifice herself, the one who started this mess in the first place.

Still, Violet had many things to do. She wanted to spend more time with her sister, friends and family before leaving, but there was simply no more time.

Tomorrow, the Enforcers would come to the Undercity and wreak havoc to search for the others again. She didn't want any more people hurt because of her mistake in trying to prove herself to Vander.

Thus, using the pneumatic messenger tube the Enforcers gave to Vander, she secretly sent the message to the Enforcers Vander made a deal with. She was in Benzo's shop, sitting on a stool in deep thought, her gaze on the floor while waiting for the Enforcers to come and take her away.

"I shouldn't have done that to Art. He's just a kid," Violet sighed, waiting for the Enforcers to take her away. "So what if he's a Piltovan, he never looked down on us and never did anything to harm us.

"It's too late now. I wish they was more time," Violet stopped talking to herself and looked up as she had heard footsteps come closer to the shop's door. She steeled herself and stood up from the stool, only to be met with a familiar face.

"Vander?" Violet said in surprise.

Vander breathed a sigh of relief seeing Violet was safe. "We don't have much time," he said and entered the shop, followed by Benzo.

"How did you find me?" Violet asked as Vander walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm proud of you. Always have been," Vander said before placing his hands on both sides of her head.

Violet grabbed one of his hands. "I'm sorry, I…. This is the only way to protect the others," she said, unable to look her father in the eye.

It was then the dogs started barking in the distance and standing by the window, Benzo saw something through the grimy windows of his shop. "Vander," he called out.

Vander looked back at Benzo and then back to Violet. "You've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it. No matter how the world tries to break you," he said, confusion visible on Violet's face. "Protect the family."

"What are you--"

Violet didn't get the chance to finish. She was shoved into the basement, the lock rattled as Vander locked the door behind her. To protect his daughter and the Undercity, this was the only choice he had.

Violet ran to the door, angered and shocked at the sudden development. She banged on the door to try to open it. "Vander!" she shouted. "Let me out. This isn't right, it's me they want!"

On the other side of the door, Vander had his head leaned up against the door, his heart was in pain as he ignored Violet's pleading.

"I'm guessing that's for me," said a coarse voice behind Vander.

Turning around, Vander saw officer Grayson and officer Markus standing by the entrance. Grayson nodded her head at Marcus who instantly understood the signal and began making his way over to the basement door.

However, before Marcus could get anywhere the door, Vander stepped in front of his way. "You gonna let us make the arrest or not?" he said, annoyance evident in his voice.

"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke," Vander said before pulling out a match and lighting it with his thumb. He brought out a smoking pipe from his pocket and puts the match at the end of it while inhaling the fumes. He flicked the match and exhaled the smoke. "Won't you?" he asked.

Grayson's eyes went wide at the realization that they weren't going to arrest a kid but the man who is looked up to by all the people of Zaun... This is bad, she thought.

She walked up behind Markus and grabbed him by the shoulder to move him out of the way. She stood in front of Vander, a little to the side. "I'm not putting you away, Vander," she said, not making eye contact with him.

"The council need its pound of flesh," Vander said, bringing the smoke pipe back up to his mouth to take another puff.

"Without you down here, it all falls apart," Grayson tried to reason.

Vander exhaled the smoke and placed the smoke pipe on the counter. "Benzo will handle things. He may not have my devilish charm, but he runs a tight ship."

Violet could hear everything what they were saying and began to pound the door again, using whatever she could to try and break down the door. "Vander, no! You can't do this! You can't!" she shouted fearfully.

Grayson turned her gaze towards the basement door and then at Vander. "You won't be coming back for a long time," she warned.

"I know," Vander sighed and took a step forward. He now stood in front of Marcus who was holding metal handcuffs, raising his arms and putting his wrists together.

"Why?" Grayson asked, although she already knew the answer to that question.

"It's the only way," Vander answered with both hands now cuffed. He walked out of the building with the Enforcers following suit.

Benzo paused for a moment and sighed at Violet's pleading to let her out. It ached him to leave her like this, but he had to for Vander. He looked away from the basement door and walked out of his shop, but what greeted him the moment he stepped outside was too shocking beyond words.

The street was shrouded in a veil of green fog that brought about an eerie atmosphere. Gunshots rang and screams of terror could clearly be heard.

Soon silence descended and before they knew it, bodies of Enforcers littered the ground like a field of red roses and only three souls were left in the vicinity.

Vander, Benzo and Marcus felt goosebumps spring up all their skins. They were on high alert, their backs against the front of the shop and their gaze cautiously scanning the surroundings.

At that moment, amidst the silence and when they thought the situation couldn't get any worse, the sound of footsteps rang clearly in their ears.

The three saw a figure within the green fog slowly walking toward them. They couldn't tell who it was until the figure was close enough, but when they did, they were shocked to see who it was.

"Silco?" said Benzo while threateningly walking towards the skinny man. "You animal. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of."

"Benzo, stay back!" Vander warned but was ignored by the man.

"You never did know when to walk away," Silco said calmly and the next second, Benzo found a hand through his stomach and a humanoid monster 7ft tall staring at him straight in the eyes. Before he could react to the pain, his head was ripped out of his body and was thrown to the ground like a rag doll.

Vander felt an electric shock throughout his body seeing Benzo, his best friend, die right in front of him. The mental impossibility was followed instantly by a physical spasm of total stunned disbelief. He fell to his knees and then extreme sadness took over.

"Hmm. Stubborn to the end," Silco said, apathetically looking at Benzo's dead body.

"What have you done? This wasn't the deal!" Marcus shouted fearfully upon seeing the dead bodies of his comrades and his mentor.

Silco walked passed Marcus who was shivering uncontrollably. "Deal's changed," he said, casually throwing him a pouch of gold coins.

Motioning his head toward Vander, the creature understood the command, walked over to the burly man and knocked him out cold with a punch to the cheek.

Silco turned around to leave while the creature grabbed Vander by the ankle and followed from behind him.