Chapter Text
Piltover – the citadel of progress, known for its humanism and an improbable amount of possibilities for almost anyone, was slowly waking up to enter another peaceful day. Since it was still early in the morning, there were only a few citizens slowly treading the streets. Nothing was disturbing the fragile illusion of safety that has been sedulously fostered by the council.
However anyone who is willing to pay just a bit of attention to the actions of the state towards their own workers, who weren’t so lucky to be born in wealth and are not only impoverished, but also poisoned by their own creation – shimmer, a weapon which was meant to be used against Piltover, know that the golden facade of the city is easily shattered if you dig a bit deeper than what was meant to be.
One of the many sins, the city of progress was trying to brush off, was Stillwater. Lots of zaunites hidden on the floors deep beneath the ground, stripped of any living conditions, trapped in cold stone cells, trying to overcome starvation, freezing and being violently beaten up by enforcers. Some of the prisoners weren’t guilty or even accused of anything, being thrown in prison for crossing the path of an officer.
Steb was locked up at the age of fifteen, for stealing out of all things. He wouldn’t be here for so long as eight years if only what he stole wasn’t some important thing that belonged to the academy. And yet here he was, slowly pacing back in forth in his cell for Janna knows how long. He knew he wasn’t alone on the floor, but the only person there was always punching walls when not beat up. Steb was imprisoned for a year when a girl was brought in, crying and screaming for Powder. At first he thought she was an addict, but after listening to her mumbling, he came to realise that Powder was, actually, a person.
He was torn out of his thoughts by the sound of the elevator doors opening and clicking noises of heels. If it was another enforcer coming to beat him up, he wouldn’t even be upset, after all he was already used to it. But the clicking stopped as well as punches and the Marai focused on the conversation.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I took a look at your files, there is no record of you or your crimes. What are you here for?” – the enforcer was either new or just dumb, thought Steb, most of them had no problem with zaunite “criminals” without any actual crimes. “My sunny personality”, – answered Vi, with her taunting smile obvious.
“You attacked an inmate, why?”, – well this was interesting.
“Why not?”
“He was a witness in an ongoing investigation”, – so the enforcer was also a detective.
“Hm. Bummer.”
“This is a waste of time…”
“Couldn’t have put it better. Hey, give Sico a kiss on the winning eye of his will you?”
“Silco, the industrialist?” – is that what they call him?
After Vi mumbled something about sending someone to beat her up, the detective pulled out something that made the imprisoned woman jerk and grip the bars.
“Where did you get this?”
“There was an attack, this is evidence”, – the enforcer explained – “I need proof, if I’m to believe what you’re saying about Silco”, – Steb couldn’t help but scoff at that. Believe? As if the Piltie’s government doesn’t know about what he has done to the Undercity. The enforcer’s next words were just proving that to him: “…in what mad world would I trust someone like you?”
Steb always knew they didn’t even try to care or investigate, just because it didn’t affect them, but sometimes there was a bit of childish hope inside him, that maybe, someday everything will change, even if he understands that none of it will happen.
The detective left and Vi settled down, the punching finally stopping for some time. But what they both weren’t expecting was the blue belly returning and…freeing Vi?
She had no record, sure, but why would an enforcer of all people let her go? Especially after stating her distrust of zaunites. And after Vi left with her, Steb was the only inmate left on this floor.