"Where's Silco," Orion demanded, his gaze shifting over what he could only assume were the Kiramman house heads. "There's no way he was ready for this."

  "Oh?" C purred, her fingernails trag the edges of the cloth sack, her eyes dang mischievously. With a sudden movement, she grabbed the head underh and a heavy muffled grued.

  Orion grimaced, guessing it to be Tobias. Whether he is scious or not was another question. "What miraculous gift gives you the fht to know if- or when- he's ready?" C asked mogly.

  "This reckless act... without thinking of the sequences... it isn't him," Orion trailed off, his brows furrowing in thought. Slowly, his gaze lifted to meet C. "...So what are you doing?"

  C ughed pyfully, releasing Tobias's head and rotating to Cassandra instead, rolling her head in circles like a doll.

  "What a clever little flower," she cooed, her eyes fshing with amusement through her venomous delight. "You're right- he wouldn't do something like this. Silco prefers his quiet games in the shadows. But more retly..." Her smirk widened. "...he's visited an old friend. No thanks to you."

  "Vander?"

  "Indeed."

  "Isn't that a good thing," Orion asked, fused.

  "Hardly," C replied with disgust. She rolled her eyes and shoved Cassandra's head forward, elig a pained grunt. "You think speaking to the man who threw away so many lives is a good thing? I warhe fool, yet he chose to ignore me."

  C's voice shifted to mog somberness as her gaze cast upward to the cracked gss ceiling above. Her hands betrayed her false calm, g violently at the air. "But that's also Silco, isn't it? He will sacrifice everyone and pretend it's all for the future- for Zaun! But in truth, we are tools for the moment."

  Her gaze slid back down to Orioourning to its snake-like quality. "Silco views you as a tool. Piltover will never accept you. And Vander? He is both a traitor and a coward."

  Around Orion, he heard grunts of approval as the mood shifted with the thugs stirring. One smmed his on into the floor with a snarl. Her words were riling them up, their bodies itg and ready for a fight.

  Gritting his teeth, Orio an irritation creep into his thoughts. He ched his fists, his voice low but sharp as he asked, "Your as don't make sense. Wasn't it Silco who gave you a sed ce?"

  C's voice tio curl like a serpent around her words. "Oh, Orion. Silco didn't give me a sed ce- he made me a useful pawn. Sed ces usually e with...a leash?" She gave a soft chuckle at the end, her fingers back to pying with the sacks.

  Her eyes darted up to Orion, starting to lose their patience. "Do you think you're any different? Do you think he will view you as anything but aool to discard when your usefulness is over?

  C's smirk fades with a newly formed cold, hard stare. Her hand outstretches to Orioone no longer purring or twisting her words. "I'm you more than that. You've seen how Silco thinks- how he uses people. Join me, Orion. Together, we ensure Zaun rises and bring Piltover to heel for trampling on our people."

  Before Orion could respond, muffled shouts and cttering of boots echoed from outside.

  "They're here," ohug said, his voice thick with eager anticipation.

  The thugs exged knowing smirks aed gheir hands moving to unholster the dangling Chemmasks at their waists. Excitement rippled through them, their movements deliberate as they prepared for a fight.

  ced toward the sound, her voice dropping with a sharp, anding edge. "Decide quickly, little flower. Because if you're with them..." A malicious smile grew as she raised her own Chemmask to her face, an ominous toting through the muffled mask. "...Then you'll leave with them."

  Orion's anger fred as realization hit him. "This was your pn? er yourselves to fight Enforcers?!" he snapped, his voice filled with disbelief. Waving his hand furiously, he shouts, "Are you stupid?!"

  "Stupid? This is calcuted, Orion." C's voice was razor sharp even through the Chemmask as she gred at him. Her voice rose, addressing not just Orion but the thugs around her as well. "This isn't a er- it's a trap. When Piltover bleeds, they will remember the name a Veraza and those who fought for Zaun."

  'She's no different,' Orion thought bitterly, his jaw tightening as fury and frustration bubbled beh the surface. His fists ched at his side, his gaze briefly flig to the ground, thoughts rag, before returning to a with steeled resolve.

  Orioended a hand, drawing a gleeful look and a smile visible through the Chemmask as she tossed him a spare.

  "Good choice, my flower." a cooed with satisfa. Around them, the thugs let out brief cheers before one yanked a lever. The room plunged into darkness, and the thugs faded into the botanical garden. Orion held his breath as a hissing sound filled the air. It became thick with an unknown pollen while making it difficult to see.

  Orion exhaled slowly, f himself to step bato the shadows.

  'I o escape... or deal with her here,' he thought grimly, his hands trembling as the impeding fight sent adrenaline surging through him. 'Time to dance.'