Arcane Anew

Later on, Kieran came around, agreeing to work with him.

"If you get caught, or things start getting dicey, I'm out," Kieran warned.

Did he actually care about topside and the betterment of Piltover?

No.

He did want to get his hands on the crystal designs, though. If the Syntaxi were on par with Hextech without using this 'Bracken', which was from Shurima according to Kieran, it was perhaps a safer alternative catalyst without risking wild magic.

Perhaps Hextech gems, the refined version of Hex crystals, were safe too. Orion was unsure of the long-term side effects though considering the corruption Hexgates caused over time.

In reality, since it used magic as its foundation, Hextech was likely far stronger for Orion than Syntaxi crystals. But again, the unknown dangers loomed.

If he was to stay in Piltover, however, he needed to deal with Jayce and Viktor before the catastrophe of season two.

At the same time, he didn't want to be a bitch-boy to the powers at hand anymore.

The solution he came up with?

Outside of becoming more unstoppable with his magic- which would take time- he would have to gain influence. n other words, become what he had hated.

Sure, he could likely stop bullets and defeat half a dozen enforcers. But that wouldn't be enough if the conflict escalated. By the end of such a fight, he figured he'd be drained.

Orion, in short, leveled up from defeating thugs, but now his opponents would be Enforcers- or worse.

The same goes for Zaun. He did want a better future for Powder, Vi, and the gang. But he was also just tired of being tossed around or hit.

Kieran let him stay the night, and the next morning, after Seraphine had left, Kieran laid out where the factory was and how heavily guarded it was. 

It was definitely something Orion couldn't accomplish alone. Several days were spent afterward trying to figure out a plan and scope out the area. When it wasn't that, he would help Seraphine backstage for a few coppers here and there.

Orion thought Seraphine's opinion of him would improve if he helped, but she was very dismissive. She was more focused on the crowd and the 'soul of the people', only paying attention when he mentioned wandering the undercity.

"Stay out of trouble!" Seraphine warned him with a glare. "You're a walking catastrophe! I don't want you ruining my work like you did last year!"

When she said that, he realized that she only let him stay near her because she wanted to keep him off the streets. Her opinion of him was pretty low.

Yet, like a blessing, he spotted Caitlyn on the bridge checking IDs and performing random inspections.

She was growing up quite well, looking more like her Arcane character after the year he'd been away.

Sixteen, the same as Vi, and mentally in that very volatile stage of youth.

'The overzealous criminal hunter of Piltover...' he mused, recalling some fond days spent training with her.

If it wasn't for the disaster in the Cultivar, Orion may have perhaps stayed and trained with her until adolescence. Good food, training, and solid connections.

Thinking about it, if Orion maintained connections, he could've stopped Jayce and the whole Hextech invention.

Could've, would've, should've.

They were here now, and Orion was planning to use Caitlyn in a way that would've made Corina proud. Yet another bad taste in his mouth. But to stay in Piltover, this was what he believed he needed to do.

'Power comes from those who are willing to do anything to achieve it'

Silco's line, deplorable to many, yet still ringing true. Orion couldn't align himself to the chaos Silco would bring, but he still respected him.

The Syntaxi production facility resembled a towering structure rising from the heart of the Undercity. With no walkways leading to it, all entrances were either at ground level or accessible through underground passages.

Curiously, the tower was lined with windows, an odd feature for a facility in such a hostile environment. Orion considered using his magic to leap up, vanishing into the smog after scaling just a few levels. Still, he knew he needed a distraction to pull the guards away from the main areas of operation.

Kieran, who maintained the factory's airflow and ventilation system, had overheard various conversations during his work. His knowledge of Hex Crystals, however, came from honing Seraphine's headphones to filter out the city's noise.

Using Kieran's rough knowledge, Orion determined production and the custodian office were located between floors ten to fifteen. The lower floors, visible from the street, served as a front- a mix of shady business dealings and the typical undercity criminal enterprises.

Once inside, and the guards drawn away, Orion anticipated relatively smooth sailing. There was one, trouble part of this plan that he'd yet to nail down though.

The distraction.

Rumors of her survival had reached him, and the realization struck a strange chord. He felt a pang of relief that he had saved more than just the gang that fateful day. Guilt gnawed at him for what he was about to do.

With his arms folded, Orion watched Caitlyn from an alleyway. She was very observant and noticed him within a minute of leaning against the wall. He was lost in thought, forgetting to move when she spotted him.

Caitlyn quickly became bothered, shifting her stance as her weight shifted between her feet. Her eyes flickered from the other enforcers back to him repeatedly.

A creepy masked man lurking in the shadow of an alley, watching them, was undoubtedly cause for alarm.

When Caitlyn started to mention it, Orion had already vanished back into the alley.

'If I can't manipulate the Enforcers to take action, then I'll have to break in the hard way.'