07 Hunger 🌶️

We arrive in the so-called "nicer" part of Zaun—if such a thing exists. It's cleaner here, less of the grime and soot that clings to the rest of the Undercity. The cobblestones underfoot are swept, and the flickering streetlights are more polished, their glow steady and bright. 

The buildings are sturdier, more refined, and I can see the creeping influence of Piltover here, its claws slowly sinking into Zaun's bones. There's something sterile about this area, a forced order that doesn't sit right with me.

Sevika walks with her usual confidence, though her eyes dart around more often, scanning the streets and rooftops for any sign of trouble. She's tense, and that puts me on edge.

"This is the area Piltover's been encroaching on," I note, keeping my voice low.

"Yeah," she replies without looking at me. "Piltover wants to make it 'better.' As if Zaun needs their idea of better."

I don't have a response to that. She's not wrong, and I can feel the resentment simmering just beneath her words. We keep walking until we spot a man leaning against a lamppost, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood. His eyes flick to us, lingering on Sevika for a moment before settling on me.

"You here to join?" he asks, his voice rough and skeptical.

Sevika steps forward. "We heard you're recruiting," she says smoothly. "We want in."

The man's gaze hardens. "This isn't a walk-in club."

"We're serious," Sevika says, her tone turning cold. "We're done with Piltover's bullshit. We're ready to fight."

He studies us for a moment longer, then nods toward a side alley. "Wait here. I'll bring the boss."

As he disappears into the shadows, I turn to Sevika, my voice low. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"That prisoner said they didn't know who their leader was. Yet this guy's going to get him like it's nothing."

Sevika's eyes narrow. "You're right. This is a setup."

Before I can respond, shadows move. Figures emerge from the alleyway, circling us with predatory ease. It happens too fast. The man who spoke with us isn't alone anymore. Six, maybe seven people surround us, armed with knives, pipes, and makeshift weapons.

"Guess you're not as smart as you think," the man sneers. "You really thought we wouldn't know who you are, Sevika?"

I feel the tension ripple through Sevika's body as she steps in front of me, her bionic arm whirring to life. "You've made a mistake."

The first man lunges, but Sevika's ready. She punches him square in the face with her metal fist, and the sickening crunch of bone echoes in the alley. He drops like a sack of stones, but the others close in.

I don't have time to think. My instincts kick in as I throw up my hands, summoning the golden magic that's always been there, buried deep inside. A wave of shimmering light explodes from my palms, knocking two of them back, but it's not enough. They're too many.

I'm grabbed from behind, a knife pressed against my throat, and for a moment, panic seizes me. But Sevika is there, her bionic arm smashing into my attacker, throwing him to the ground. We fight back-to-back, my magic and her brute strength working together, but it's not enough.

"They just keep coming!" I shout, blasting another attacker away.

Sevika grunts, knocking another man out cold, but I can see the strain in her movements. "We're outnumbered," she says through clenched teeth. "We have to run."

I hesitate, wanting to argue, but another knife whistles past my ear, slicing a lock of hair, and I realize she's right. "Fine. Let's go!"

We break away, running down the nearest alley, our footsteps echoing against the brick walls. They're still chasing us, but we don't stop. We twist and turn through the maze of streets, dodging carts, leaping over debris, until finally, we find an abandoned warehouse. Sevika pulls me inside, slamming the door behind us and shoving a heavy metal bar across it.

We're both breathing hard, our chests heaving as we sink against the wall. My hands are trembling, bruised and bloodied, and I can't stop shaking.

Sevika watches me, her face slick with sweat, blood dripping from a cut on her brow. "You good?"

I nod, though I'm not sure if it's true. "Yeah. You?"

Sevika wipes the back of her human hand across her mouth, smirking. "Still breathing."

It's such a simple answer, delivered with that cocky ease she always wears like armor, but tonight, it hits differently.  "We should stay here until the coat is clear."

I study her, every detail burned into my mind: the sweat clinging to her neck, the way the light glints off the metal of her bionic arm, the smirk that feels both infuriating and irresistible. She's utterly unbothered by the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, and I realize I'm staring, drawn to her in a way I can't explain.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm not," I lie, but my voice betrays me, breathless and shaky.

She takes a step closer, looming over me, her presence overwhelming in the confined space. "Yeah, you are," she says, her voice lower now, softer. There's a teasing edge to it, but her eyes—those dark, intense eyes—are serious, searching mine as if she's trying to unravel me.

The tension between us thickens, the space shrinking until it feels like there's barely enough air to breathe. My heart races, and I hate how transparent I must be, how obvious my desire feels. But Sevika doesn't move away. If anything, she leans in, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from her body, the scent of sweat and metal clinging to her.

Something wild sparks in me, something I can't control, and before I can think better of it, I close the distance between us. Her lips are rough, but the way she moves them makes my head spin.

Sevika freezes for half a second, as if caught off guard, but then she's kissing me back, hard and demanding, her bionic arm pinning me to the wall. The cool metal of the wall digs into my back, but I barely notice. Her human hand knots in my hair, tugging just enough to make me gasp, and she takes the opportunity to bite at my bottom lip, pulling a low moan from me.

Her mouth trails down my neck, teeth scraping along the sensitive skin. Her fingers sliding to the bare of my upper thigh.I stop her hands from going any further to my sensitive region despite how horny I am right now. 

"Are you really thinking about fucking me out here?"  I say, my voice sounding breathless against her lips.

"Yes," she breathe, her voice trembling but honest, and then she laughs.

"You're ridiculous," I say, but I feel Sevika's hands are already sliding down my waist, gripping my hips with possessive strength.

Her hand finds the hem of my white dress, shoving it aside as she presses her thigh between my legs, and heat blooms low in my stomach. The rough texture of her pants against me, the way her body cages me against the wall—it's overwhelming in the best way.

"Sevika," I gasp, clutching at her shoulders. She's stronger than I imagined, and her intensity is like a fire threatening to consume me.

Her lips find mine again, rougher this time, as if she can't get enough, and I lose myself in the rawness of it all. But then, reality crashes through the haze of desire. The danger. The chase. The fact that we're in the middle of Zaun with blood on our hands.

I wrench my mouth away, gasping, trying to catch my breath. "We can't," I say, voice ragged. "Not here."

Sevika chuckles, her voice low and gravelly as she presses her forehead to mine. "You're the one who kissed me, princess."

"I know," I whisper, still trembling, "but... we need to get back to Piltover while we can."

She pulls back slightly, eyes narrowing, the heat fading into something more practical. "No," she says, her voice turning cold and sharp. "The coast isn't clear. They'll be waiting for us around the corner."

"So what do we do?" I ask, frustration bubbling up, desire warring with the cold reality of the situation.

"We move in silence," she says, calmer now, but still fierce. "I know a place. Somewhere we can lay low until it's safe."