"That's… genuinely surprising, Logan. How did you do it?"
Silco glanced at the Shimmer brute on the ground, then looked up and asked Logan.
Now that he could see Jinx was unharmed, he'd already pulled himself back from that moment of losing control.
"Simple," Logan replied. "Jump down, then smash into him."
"Logan, you wouldn't have dared talk to me like this before." Silco studied him—so steady, so composed—and spoke suddenly. "I remember you used to run the moment you saw me."
Logan burst out laughing. "You said it yourself, uncle. That was before."
The word uncle made Silco narrow his eyes slightly—then he heard Logan continue.
"People change, don't they? And honestly, your change is way bigger than mine."
"Me?" Silco shook his head, voice even. "I haven't changed. You're the ones who changed—especially you. Your change is… unbelievable."
Logan set Isha down and patted her head, then pointed at Jinx.
Isha tilted her little face up at Logan, hugged his leg, and rubbed her head against his thigh. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came out—just a silent, earnest thank-you. Then she ran to Jinx, wrapped both arms around Jinx's arm, and helped her up.
And right then, something rustled above.
With a soft scuffing sound, Vi dropped down from overhead.
After all those years in prison, her skills hadn't dulled at all—if anything, she'd gotten even more agile. She came down lightly from the height and landed cleanly. First thing she did was look at Jinx, and when she saw Jinx was okay, she let out a breath.
Then Vi turned to Silco.
Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pressed into a hard line. She started cracking her knuckles as she moved to Logan's side, glaring at Silco like she wanted to swallow him whole.
"Silco," Vi shouted, "do you fucking remember me?"
Silco looked at Vi, then flicked his gaze to Jinx. Jinx's eyes had locked onto Vi the second she appeared. Something like pain flashed across Silco's face for an instant—gone as quickly as it came.
He snorted at Vi. "Violet… you really learned Vander's gutter-thug attitude down to the bone. When Vander raised you, he'd already put his past behind him—he'd become a different man. And yet you're exactly the same as he was. Should I say you're too much like him… or that you're not like him at all?"
"Don't you fucking say Vander's name!" The second Silco mentioned him, Vi's fury detonated. She bent forward, about to charge.
But a hand stopped her.
Vi froze, then looked at Logan—his arm out, blocking her.
"Let's talk," Logan said to Silco, his back to Vi. "Uncle."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Mm…"
"How you're going to walk out of here—out of my hands—without getting hurt."
The moment Logan finished speaking, he vanished from where he stood. Silco's pupils tightened—just a blink later, Logan was already behind him.
Logan's right hand settled on Silco's shoulder. Smiling, he murmured, "So? What do you think?"
"Seems like if we don't talk, I'm not leaving here safely." Silco's voice stayed calm.
Behind Silco, Sevika didn't dare move. Out of everyone here, she was the only one who had personally learned just how strong Logan really was.
"Exactly." Logan nodded toward Vi. "Just look at her face."
And hearing that, Vi flared immediately. "What the hell is there to talk about with him? Logan, why haven't you killed him already—what are you waiting for?!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him and it all ends!"
"Shut up!"
The voice didn't come from Silco. Not from Sevika. Not from Logan.
It was Jinx.
She was holding Isha's hand, and the look she gave Silco was painfully complicated.
"Pow—Powder?" Vi stammered, staring at her.
"I told you—call me Jinx." Jinx's voice was flat, but firm. "How many times do I have to say it?"
Vi went still. The moment she saw how serious Jinx was, her anger surged like a wave.
Just like Logan said—Powder had lived through hell. She'd been hurt. She'd been wronged.
But did Vi not get to feel wronged too?
Her father was dead. Her friends were dead. She'd been locked in prison. All she'd clung to, all those years, was the thought of her little sister named Powder.
And then she got out—and everything was different.
Powder had become Jinx. Her own sister had become the adopted daughter of the man who killed their father.
What kind of sick joke was that?
If Powder was gone too… then in this Zaun, who was even left that felt familiar? Someone she knew? Someone she was tied to?
No one.
Nothing.
"He killed Vander," Vi said, pressing a hand to her chest, voice shaking as she spoke to Jinx. "He killed him!"
Jinx looked at Vi, and her expression suddenly turned bleak—like something dimming inside her. Softly, she said, "He killed him? That's not right."
"Not right? I saw him do it with my own eyes—" Vi started, but Jinx's quiet words cut her off.
"But Vi… did you forget?"
"Dad was killed by me. I'm the one who did it. I'm the one who got him killed—got them killed. You told me yourself. You said it to my face. You said I was poison."
That single sentence stole every word from Vi's mouth.
All the bitterness she'd been holding—because Jinx was protecting Silco—evaporated instantly. In its place, Vi was left with nothing but regret.
She stared at Jinx—head tilted, eyes on her—and in that moment she realized she really had done something terribly wrong.
Jinx looked at Logan, and there was a flicker of pleading in her eyes.
"Logan… let him go."
That expression made Logan pause.
He'd known Jinx for nearly half a month now. They'd been together every day, side by side. He'd seen all kinds of faces from her—bright laughter, unhinged cackling, fury, gloom, heartbreak.
But he hadn't seen this.
"I understand." Logan nodded.
"Uncle, go back for now." Logan said to Silco. "Later, I'll come find you at The Last Drop. I know that place."
Silco drew a slow breath and looked at Jinx. His lips moved like he wanted to say something—
But Logan pressed a hand to him and leaned down, speaking in a voice only Silco could hear.
"Don't push her anymore, Silco. She's almost at her limit."
"If you really love her."
"…"
"Go."
Silco didn't speak again. After one last look at Jinx, he turned and addressed everyone.
Sevika gave a curt nod and raised a hand. The people Silco brought with him fell in behind her.
In no time at all, they were gone.
All that remained was Vi, looking hollow and lost, staring at her feet—Jinx with Isha clinging to her—and Logan standing off to the side, watching it all.
Logan rubbed his head, a headache building behind his eyes.
Running into Silco today had been an accident.
And Jinx clashing with Vi because of Silco… that was even more unexpected.
Because in Logan's mind, the person Jinx loved most was Vi. After that came Vander and Silco. Even the end of the Arcane story made it clear—Jinx fired at Silco in a panic and hurt someone close to her yet again.
But she did it to protect Vi.
So why now… was she talking back to Vi for Silco's sake?
Had something gone wrong somewhere?
Logan shook his head, shoved the thoughts aside, and looked at Jinx.
"Come on," Logan said. "Jinx, Vi. Let's go back."
Jinx held Isha's hand and walked to Logan.
After hesitating, Vi followed too.
She had so much she wanted to say to Jinx.
But she didn't know how to start—so Vi looked at Logan with a silent, desperate plea.
Logan didn't even look at her.
He only showed her his back.
Because he was looking at Jinx.
"It's okay," Logan murmured, wrapping an arm around Jinx. "I won't hurt him. I promise you."
Jinx looked up at Logan, her expression shifting rapidly.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really," Logan said.