Arcane: Let's Burn Down Runeterra!

For more chapters (10+) or if you want to support me, visit https://www.patreon.com/FFAddict. Thank you!

Hearing commotion behind her, the girl in the cell turned her head, seemingly witnessing something unbelievable. Her pupils dilated, and she stood up with a start. Justin, however, took a step forward and suddenly struck with his elbow, knocking out the guard behind him!

Justin had appeared to be passively compliant since being captured and detained, so his sudden ambush was unexpected. Not only were the guards caught off guard, but even Vi didn't react immediately. It wasn't until Justin shouted her name that she sprang into action, silencing another guard by choking him. 

"You, why are you here?" 

"I knew your brain was the size of a seed, but I didn't expect you to say something so stupid," Justin found a key on the guard and sighed. "If it weren't for you, why would I be here, on vacation?" 

"Powder? Is she okay?" 

"She's doing alright." Justin raised an eyebrow. Ever since Vi had slapped Jinx that night, she disappeared, and Justin assumed their relationship was irreparably broken. If Vi really cared, why hadn't she appeared in all these years? 

"If you want to know, go see for yourself. But first, let's get out of here; there's no time for small talk."

"You've got a plan? How do we get out?" Although it had been years, Vi still trusted Justin's strategic mind and instinctively followed him. Back in their old team, she was always the one charging ahead while he masterminded the plans, except for that last time...

"No plan."

"What?" 

"Relax, I'm not as simple-minded as you." Justin ran with a clear objective. "Well, ever since we parted ways, I've grown a lot too. Mainly, with Jinx around, plans often can't keep up with changes. It's mostly improvisation now."

"Jinx?"

"That's Powder. I'm used to calling her Jinx."

"Powder isn't a jinx!"

"If that's what you really think, why don't you show up for years? Haven't I been the one looking after her?"

"I…because…"

"Enough, focus on the task. Once we're out, you can explain to her in person." Justin didn't run straight for the exit with Vi. Given the tight security at Stillwater Hold, the two of them would struggle to escape on their own. So, with the philosophy that strength in numbers was key, Justin headed back to the cells to release prisoners and instigate a riot. 

The patrolling guards were caught off guard. Who would have expected two prisoners, the most dangerous ones, to pop up in broad daylight? Vi charged ahead, unstoppable, like a tiger among sheep. Her fists were harder than iron, each strike aimed for vital points, with blood accompanying every hit. Compared to her childhood "fights," Vi now seemed more like she was in a "battle."

Unfortunately, she still lacked a strategic mind. She dashed straight into the midst of three or four guards. After kicking one away, another grabbed her around the waist, and two more batons were already coming down on her head. Justin joined the fray just in time, tackling the guards away.

"You're pretty skilled." Vi was surprised. Previously, Justin would disappear during fights, but now he was fighting alongside her.

"Long story. I always envisioned playing the intellectual role, but later realized Jinx was more ingenious than I was…so I had to build up my strength to protect her." Justin unlocked the iron door with the key. Inside the cell where he had been held, the prisoners looked at him as if seeing a ghost, huddling together like scared chicks.

"What, have you been here so long you've lost your fight?" Justin looked around the room and chuckled. "You've got two choices: stay in your moldy cells playing dead, watching us walk to freedom, or join me in freeing the other prisoners and break out of this cage." 

"These useless fools? They can't even take a single punch from me." Vi had been held in Stillwater Hold for years, and she'd beaten up every inmate in the place. To her, these guys were nothing more than a ragtag bunch, not even worthy of being called cannon fodder. 

"Strength in numbers; you don't know a thing." The guards at Stillwater Hold reacted quickly, with armed guards rushing over. With Vi holding them off, Justin was free to casually unlock the cells one by one. These prisoners weren't idiots; they quickly grasped the situation and charged out to fight the guards. 

Living in a harsh environment, folks from the undercity either struggled through life or became ruthless and cunning. Clearly, those who end up in jail are the latter. However, while undercity people aren't timid, they lack a sense of unity. The only things that could unite them were shared danger or opportunity. 

Stillwater Hold was designed with a singular purpose: no prisoner should escape. The entire prison is embedded into the mountainside; the only way out is through the front door, making it a literal dead end—situations that force people to fight back against all odds. If it were a walled prison with many ways to run, the released prisoners would scatter like animals, using others as their shield. The result would be most getting caught by trained guards, with only a few lucky ones escaping. However, with only one exit, they had to band together, fight against the odds, and break through. Even a ragtag bunch could have immense destructive power if united. 

The guards were outnumbered ten to one and were quickly overwhelmed by the crowd. Once the guards were dealt with, the flaws of being unorganized showed—everyone rushed forward, creating a bottleneck in the narrow passage, with no one able to get out. 

"Vi, stop them at the front." Vi nodded, picking up prisoners and tossing them aside, clearing a path and blocking the front. Almost every inmate had been punched by her before, and none dared to move ahead. 

"Hey! Get out of the way! Now's the time to break out, what are you waiting for?" 

"Waiting for your mom's seven-day memorial." Justin walked forward with a commanding presence, and the prisoners cleared a path for him. "Use your brains! If you were the warden, what's the first thing you'd do upon hearing about a prisoner riot? You'd order the guards to hold the only exit and call for reinforcements! There are already guards at the door. If we don't break through immediately, we'll get trapped by the next wave of guards, and they'll have guns! Don't panic, listen to me. We're at least two hours from Piltover's main city. Even when the warden sends someone to report this, it'll take the enforcers at least another five hours to assemble and get here. We just need to break through within those five hours!"