Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

"Powder, what's wrong? We're all family. Hasn't it always been like this? Which sibling, be it Cipher or me, haven't you hugged before?"

The whole situation seemed ridiculous to her.

She scratched her head, looking puzzled. She thought Powder was feeling unwell. The worry showed clearly on her face as she walked over, squatted in front of her, and touched Powder's forehead.

Her hand was still warm from all the punching practice.

"No fever!" she murmured in confusion. She pressed the back of her hand against Powder's cheek just to make sure.

Maybe she's coming down with something? She's acting so strange.

Powder's face flushed red as she stayed silent. Then, she darted to Cipher's side. She opened her arms, and mumbled, "Hug me!"

"Did Vi make you angry? You're acting so... dramatic," Cipher teased, lightly pinching her increasingly chubby cheeks before picking her up.

The food had been better lately, and Powder had gained some weight. Her face had filled out, losing the sharp angles of hunger that had once marked all Zaun's children.

"Even though she didn't play with me, I'm not mad," Powder said, her cheeks still red.

"Powder! I played with you this morning!" Vi leaned in, imitating Cipher and pinching Powder's plump cheeks.

She wasn't happy with Powder's sneaky tattling and pinched her cheeks harder than necessary.

"Cipher, tell Vi to stop! She's hurting me. I am in pain." Powder shrank into Cipher's embrace, blinking her big blue eyes as she looked utterly wronged.

She had perfected the art of looking helpless.

"Powder!" Vi was even more displeased now.

"Alright, alright. Powder is still young; let's not fight, okay?" Cipher, as expected, sided with Powder, stopping Vi from pinching her further.

He shifted Powder slightly away from Vi's reach.

"Cipher..." Vi's dissatisfaction grew even stronger.

She pursed her lips, looking at Powder, who was cuddled in Cipher's arms, being all playful. Then she glanced at him, who was doting on Powder without even sparing her a look.

Her anger shot through the roof.

Cipher, focusing solely on Powder and ignoring her, made Vi furious.

Her fists clenched tightly.

"I don't care! I want a hug as well!" She punched Cipher lightly and yelled at him.

Vi's stubborn temper flared at Powder's sneaky antics and Cipher's blatant favoritism. She didn't care if there was space or not—she squeezed in anyway.

Finally, like a koala, Vi latched onto Cipher's other side, glaring at Powder. The two locked eyes.

"Vi, you shouldn't climb up here," Powder mumbled in a low voice. Her grip on Cipher tightened slightly.

"Why can't I? I want a hug too!" Vi shook her head and tossed her hair around, giving Cipher another light punch.

Her movements made holding both of them a challenge.

This girl could never sit still; she was lively and full of energy. Her tendency to solve problems with her fists didn't help either.

Even her affection came with punches.

Compared to the now-calmed Powder, he was more worried about Vi.

Back when Vander ruled the undercity, the sibling who caused the most headaches wasn't Cipher, who quietly schemed in the background.

Cipher was a thinker. He acted only when confident of success.

Vi, on the other hand, was different. She was most like Vander.

And that similarity worried Vander the most.

When he was young, he had been reckless and impulsive, thinking he could solve every problem with his fists.

With his unmatched, ironclad fists, Vander had led his brothers out of the darkness of the mines and built the Black Lanes.

But on the Day of Ashes, when the Piltover enforcers pointed their cold, ruthless guns at him, he realized that fists alone were powerless.

Some problems couldn't just be punched away.

Vi, however, still had this flaw. She believed that strength was all she needed to solve any problem.

This time, she had taken her younger siblings to steal Hex gemstones, causing a huge mess. The incident had shaken the fragile peace between Zaun and Piltover.

It was a wake-up call for Cipher: Vi's problem was far more serious than he had realized.

That was why he sent her to the Police and Military Bureau, hoping that Sevika's strict training would teach her patience. If she wouldn't listen to words, maybe experience would be a better teacher.

"You're so big already, practically an adult! Not a little kid anymore. Stop acting like one," Powder said.

Usually, she wouldn't argue with Vi about anything. Whatever Vi wanted, she'd give. But this time was different. She absolutely wouldn't give in.

"No, Powder. I'm also still a kid, so I can hug him too."

Vi mimicked Powder's actions, snuggling tightly into Cipher's arms and refusing to let go. Her grip was firm, challenging anyone to try and move her.

Compared to their always-parental Vander, Vi was much closer to her brother Cipher. 

As long as he was around, no matter what happened, she felt at ease.

The last time the enforcers raided them, Vander couldn't give her that sense of security—but Cipher could.

"No, you're not. You're really not. Now get down," Powder said firmly. Her mind was set. This was her hill to die on.

"Let me lean on him too. I'm a bit tired," Vi said, burying her head in Cipher's arms with an expression of exhaustion.

"… Fine," Powder relented. Seeing Vi's tired state, her heart softened. She reluctantly agreed, but only this once. She made it clear that from now on, this wouldn't happen again—after all, Vi was already grown up.

"Is everyone here?"

The heavy door of the Last Drop Tavern was opened once again. Silco entered, looking at Cipher as he asked the question.

He walked in shoulder-to-shoulder with Vander, both wearing relaxed smiles on their faces, with Sevika following behind them.

Vander was carrying a bag of fresh meat and vegetables he had just purchased.

"Doesn't look like Mylo and Claggor are here," Cipher finally remembered the two younger siblings he had left behind. And Ekko, the foster child of Vander's old friend Benzo, generally didn't eat meals at the Last Drop Tavern.

He forced an awkward yet polite smile at Silco and Vander before turning to Powder. "Where are Mylo and Claggor?"

"They're too dumb! They couldn't keep up with the lessons, so Dr. Singed is tutoring them and Ekko."

"They're not just dumb—they keep holding me back! I'm obviously the best student, yet Dr. Singed keeps asking them for help," Powder grumbled unhappily. She couldn't understand why Singed kept involving Ekko.

Of course, it was my idea, Cipher thought to himself. Ekko has ulterior motives. The tasks he's helping Singed with aren't exactly light work. I made sure Singed gave them the toughest assignments.

But he wouldn't say any of this out loud. Some thoughts were better kept to oneself.

"How much longer until they're back?" Silco asked.

Calling it tutoring was putting it kindly. To be blunt, Mylo and Claggor were essentially being held back because they couldn't memorize their lessons. The extra hours with Singed were as much punishment as they were help.

However, neither Silco nor Vander found this to be an issue. After all, Singed was a top-tier alchemist and a professor among professors. His time was valuable, even spent on remedial lessons.

Even if it was just tutoring, it was already an achievement for Mylo and Claggor to barely keep up. While they might not be prodigies, their talent still far surpassed that of many others.

But now that it was mealtime, both Silco and Vander were a bit impatient. It was a rare opportunity for the whole family to sit down and eat together, and it wouldn't feel right without the two kids.

"Not long now, probably another half an hour," Powder estimated, recalling Singed's tutoring schedule.

The thought of Mylo, that annoying brat, always being stuck in tutoring and having no time to bicker with her made Powder feel a little uncomfortable.

Well… maybe not. It's actually pretty great. Mylo was terrible at studying and always dragged everyone else down. He was such a useless brat.

"I see. Well, let's start cooking. They'll get back just in time to eat," Silco said as he took the bag of meat and vegetables from Vander's hands and walked into the kitchen.

Everyone in the room stared in surprise. The scene before them didn't match their expectations at all.

His movements were surprisingly graceful for such a feared man.

"?"

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The four of them turned their heads simultaneously to look at Vander. The question was clear in their eyes.

How was it that Vander, the warm, gentle and famously kind figure, wasn't the one cooking? And why was Silco, who had the reputation of being a dangerous and ruthless individual, heading to the kitchen?

The world seemed to have turned upside down.

"Sevika staring at me like that is fine, but Cipher, Vi, and Powder—don't you all already know I can't cook?"

"Silco has always been the one cooking. All I've ever done is eat."

Vander spread his hands innocently, his tone unapologetic.

He had always made a living with his fists, not by doing anything as meticulous as cooking. The iron that had built Zaun wasn't meant for stirring pots.

It was better left to those who could cook... like Silco.

---

Thx for the interesting suggestions.

My current idea is: do an interlude (Apex) before they travel to another world (still don't know what world).

Someone pointed out sth important. This is an Arcane fanfic, so the main focus should naturally be Piltover, Zaun, and the broader Runeterra world.

The travel will not be an adventure.

I have to think of sth. 

Either it has to be an event (like Chitauri Invasion in Marvel) or sth like building a small outpost in the new world. Gaining friends, trading partner, exchange techs etc. And some characters need a powerup.

Point out sth you find could be boring or bad.