Malphegor
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Arcane: TTB: Ch. 20
🕑 Added 2025-01-27 01:15:41 +0000 UTC"There's such a commotion in Zaun, and everyone is busy. We want to help!"
Vi strode into the office with her younger siblings, plopping down boldly in front of Cipher.
Her eyes seemed to speak as they stared intently at Cipher, as if afraid his first response would be a rejection.
After all, he had done this before, responding with rejection after rejection the moment he opened his mouth.
"We can help." Powder, clutching a bunny plushie, chimed in earnestly from the side.
The two younger brothers stood awkwardly, chuckling nervously without saying much. Still, their eager eyes betrayed their thoughts.
"Powder, you're not going," Vi declared before Cipher even had a chance to speak, decisively kicking Powder out of their little group.
"Why not?!" Powder's protest came sharp and quick, her grip tightening on her plushie.
"Because..."
Vi wanted to join the police to act as a peace officer, which would mean facing dangerous rioters. It was extremely perilous.
The brothers were passable, but sending Powder to such a situation? That was practically a death sentence.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she firmly decided to exclude her from the group. "It's too dangerous. You're too young, so you're not going!"
She was more worried about Powder's safety than her own and absolutely didn't want her to get hurt.
"I've fought before!"
But Powder, still emotionally fragile and young, failed to understand her sister's good intentions.
Instead, she subconsciously believed Vi saw her as useless and a burden, someone holding the team back, and thus didn't want to bring her along.
"And I'm already 10 years old! I'm not too young. Cipher was already helping Vander at this age!"
Powder, thoroughly dissatisfied, raised her voice in protest.
Cipher reached over and pinched her chubby, baby-like cheeks.
"It's not the same. This time, you're staying behind."Vi sighed. This wasn't like the little scuffles they'd dealt with before. The peace officers would be facing brutal rioters.
"What?!" Powder caught the seriousness in her sister's tone and could hardly believe her ears.
"You're not coming!" Vi reaffirmed firmly, once again kicking Powder out of the group.
"I'm not afraid." Powder's chin lifted in defiance.
"This is too dangerous." Vi tried reasoning with her patiently, though her own patience was wearing thin.
"But family is supposed to stick together, you said so yourself."
"I know what I said!"
"I want to fight. I can help!" Powder stood her ground, feet planted firmly.
"Powder..."
Vi's patience finally ran out, and frustration boiled over. She was on the verge of snapping at Powder when Cipher moved quickly, covering her mouth with his hand before words could be said that couldn't be taken back.
Powder was too young and emotionally fragile. Vi couldn't be allowed to scold her harshly.
"Mmmph!"
Vi glared at Cipher in frustration. But with her cheeks puffed out like that, she looked less intimidating and more like a pink-cheeked squirrel, adorably so, much to his amusement.
She usually dressed tomboyishly, and moments like this, where she looked cute, were rare. Her eyes narrowed dangerously above Cipher's restraining hand.
He didn't immediately remove his hand, choosing to savor the moment and burn the sight into his memory.
Powder, seeing Cipher subdue Vi with just one hand, had a lightbulb moment.
If Vi wouldn't agree, she could always go to Cipher!
He spoiled her the most, he'd definitely agree.
Running to Cipher's side, she pleaded, "Take me with you! I won't drag you down. I can help!"
Cipher released his hold on Vi's mouth, scooping Powder up in his arms instead. "You really want to help?"
"Cipher!" Vi's shout carried more worry than anger.
He shook his head at her, signaling her not to worry.
Vi couldn't figure out what Cipher was planning, but she shot him a death glare, as if to say: If you dare to agree, you'll regret it!
"Mm-hmm! I want to go! I want to help!" Powder nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing with each enthusiastic nod.
Cipher smirked mischievously. "So, do you want to help Vi, or do you want to help me?"
Powder glanced at Vi, then at Cipher, clutching her bunny plushie tightly.
The choice seemed to weigh heavily on her small shoulders.
But in the end, she made up her mind and looked at Vi resolutely.
"I want to help... mmmph!"
Cipher began rubbing Powder's cheeks, preventing her from finishing her sentence. "Who do you want to help, hmm?"
"You!" Powder, quick-witted, immediately changed her tune.
"Good!" Cipher nodded in satisfaction. "That's the right answer. You are such a good girl!"
"So does that mean you agree to let me help?"
Powder blinked her big eyes, gazing at Cipher with hopeful anticipation. She'd mastered that look years ago, and she knew its power.
"I agree, but you have to think carefully, helping me isn't easy."
"I am not afraid! I can do it!" She wriggled happily in Cipher's arms, full of confidence.
"What about me?" Vi pointed at herself, glaring fiercely at Cipher. Her death glare had leveled up.
"Do all of you want to help with something?" Cipher didn't answer Vi right away. Instead, he looked at Mylo and Claggor, who had been watching the scene unfold.
Mylo straightened up, trying to look tougher than his nervous stance suggested. "If even Powder can help, I can't just sit around doing nothing."
"Mylo!" Powder's happy mood vanished instantly.
She glared at him in dissatisfaction. What did he mean by even she could help?!
Her cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Bleh!" Mylo stuck his tongue out and made a face at her, falling back into their usual pattern of sibling rivalry.
Powder, fuming, squeezed her bunny plushie tightly as if she were squeezing the life out of the annoying Mylo.
Just wait until I learn something really cool.
"Everyone's busy. I just want to do something and contribute," Claggor said, much more maturely than the playful Mylo.
"I see."
Cipher nodded, considering how to arrange tasks for them.
Vi wasn't good at studying, her talents lay entirely in combat. Even at her young age, she could defeat many experienced fighters.
For now, she was most suited to becoming an enforcer at the Police and Military Bureau.
Unlike Vi, who had put all her skill points into strength, Powder was a genius scientist. Her talent was at least on par with Jayce and Viktor.
Then there was Ekko, another scientific genius.
Cipher decided to have Powder join Ekko at Zaun Academy and study under Singed.
Singed had mentored Viktor, a scientific prodigy, proving his unparalleled teaching ability.
His methods were strict but effective.
The only thing that worried Cipher was that Ekko had been eyeing Powder since they were kids. The way the boy watched her when he thought no one was looking said plenty.
I'll have to warn Singed to keep an eye on Ekko and make sure there's no early romance nonsense!
As for Mylo and Claggor... He studied the two as they shifted under his gaze.
In the original storyline, these two brothers had been accidentally killed by Powder's experiments early on, so their potential was never fully explored.
However, in the ideal timeline shown in Season 2, when Ekko traveled through time, they were discussing ways to improve Zaun's poor environment. This hinted that they might also have some scientific aptitude.
For now, Cipher decided to send them to study under Singed alongside Powder and see how things developed. Better to keep the family close together.
Having made up his mind, he wrote two letters of recommendation. He sealed them and handed one to Vi and the other to the steady Claggor.
"Vi, take this recommendation letter to Sevika. She'll arrange a position for you as an enforcer."
"Enforcer? Haha, I knew you'd agree!"
Vi jumped up excitedly, snatching the letter.
Cipher smirked slyly.
In the letter, he had made it very clear, Vi had to defeat Sevika in a head-on fight before she could officially start taking on missions.
If she wanted to go wild out there, she'd better train hard first. She'd need five or six years of practice before she'd stand a chance.
"And me?" Powder tugged on Cipher's arm, looking up at him with those big, hopeful eyes again.
"You'll go to Zaun Academy with Claggor, Mylo, and Ekko to study under Professor Singed."
"But... but I want to stay with Vi." Powder looked down sadly, not wanting to be separated from her sister.
Cipher gently ruffled her curly hair. "If you learn well under Professor Singed, you won't need to look for Vi, she'll be the one crying and begging for your help."
"Really?"
Powder lifted her head. She seemed to be imagining the scene of Vi begging her for help, it was certainly an amusing thought.
"Of course."
Cipher grinned mischievously. Without advanced technology on her side, Vi would have to train for years before she even had a chance to advance. Meanwhile, Powder's genius would flourish under proper guidance.
"Stop lying!"
Vi's death glare leveled up again. She couldn't fathom any scenario where she'd end up crying and begging Powder for help.
Not even in her dreams!
But as she watched Powder's excited face, she smiled.
