Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

Bilgewater, Central Port District.

The docks.

Bzzzzzz...

With a deafening hum, the air trembled violently as a streak of blue light burst from the bow of the Siren. Under the eyes of all of Bilgewater, it crashed directly into the Dead Pool.

In the face of that blue beam, the Dead Pool was like a cracker tossed into boiling oil, slowly dissolving as it was devoured.

In just the blink of an eye, the infamous black-sailed pirate ship, the pride of the Pirate King, the Scourge of the Seas, and ruler of Bilgewater, Gangplank's ship, was reduced to nothing.

All that remained was a glowing blue arc skimming the sea's surface, stretching forward, further, and further, until it vanished into the horizon.

Szzzt!

Electric arcs flickered in the air, and the scent of ozone, left behind by ionized air, filled the surroundings. A thin layer of sea surface had been completely vaporized.

"What... was that?"

"Was that a god's weapon?!"

"It obliterated the Dead Pool in the blink of an eye! My gods!"

"Bilgewater is about to change!"

"Now that Gangplank's dead, who's going to rule Bilgewater?"

"Has to be Miss Fortune. She destroyed his ship!"

"But she's just a woman!"

"And she wields Bilgewater's most terrifying weapon!"

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know!"

...

On the docks, the crowd murmured, having originally gathered to witness what they thought would be the gruesome death of the arrogant Piltover outsider, Duke, hung from Gangplank's mast as a warning.

Some had hoped to seize the opportunity to curry favor.

But things changed too quickly. In just ten minutes, the Dead Pool had been destroyed, and Gangplank was gone with it, buried under a divine blast of blue light.

In the crowd, two members of the Naga-Kabouros cult glanced at each other, then silently slipped away.

At the bow of the Siren, steam poured from Duke's railgun, the rails scorched beyond use from that last blast.

The core, however, remained intact, it only needed a rail replacement.

"That was a bit much..."

Even Miss Fortune, who had taken part in the battle, stared at the lingering electric arcs in the air, the ozone in her nose, and felt a shiver of fear.

The man who wielded that weapon was etched deeply in her memory.

A powerful weapon meant nothing without its creator.

Everyone saw the weapon's destructive power. But what Miss Fortune saw... was the terrifying genius behind it.

A fearsome weapon might grant temporary power. But a genius craftsman? That was true, lasting strength.

If she held on tightly to Duke... she could have as many of these weapons as she wanted.

Her gaze toward Duke softened. Meanwhile, Duke frowned at the scorched railgun. "Wally, how much output did you set it to?"

"Three hundred percent," Wally replied honestly.

Duke twitched. "One-twenty percent would've been enough. No wonder the rails melted."

He sighed. "Never mind, I'll replace them later."

"Yes, Father!"

"So, what's next, Duke?"

Miss Fortune spoke up. Duke glanced at the crowded docks. "Time to say hello to everyone."

"Say hello?"

She looked confused, then glanced at the railgun. Her brows lifted.

"Ah... I see what you mean. Yes, it's time to make an impression."

"Raven, turn us toward the docks!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Raven turned the helm, and the Siren slowly drifted toward the pier.

Its looming shadow cast over the dockside, sending waves of unease through the crowd.

She'd just sunk Gangplank's ship. Was she about to wipe them out too?

From above, Duke looked down and said to Miss Fortune, "Have them bring me a list of names. You handle the rest."

"You're not stepping in?"

"I chose you for a reason. You're going to manage this city. It's your time now."

"You really trust me that much, huh?"

She smirked playfully. Duke didn't reply. He turned, removed Wally, and headed into the cabin.

His right arm still ached, that last move had been too much. He had forced the blast that could level a building into the ship.

It far exceeded his current limits.

"Should've worn Wally. Got cocky."

He flexed his wrist and sat down at Miss Fortune's desk.

"This is my third day in Bilgewater. Day one, I recruited Graves and took in Neeko. That night, Gangplank's men came after me.

"Day two, my ship was sunk, and I became the target of a city-wide bounty.

"And today, I flipped the whole situation on its head."

"Compared to Piltover, this place is something else. Back home, I just sat in a lab doing research. Here? I just killed the Pirate King and changed the fate of a whole city."

"But... the real challenge starts now."

"The Harrowing comes in twelve days. And in the meantime, Bilgewater will descend into chaos."

"I need to focus on the Harrowing. The mess Gangplank left? Let Miss Fortune handle it. She wanted in on this, so she better pull her weight. No freeloaders."

He picked up a box of cigars from her desk, selected a square-tipped one, clipped the end, lit it slowly to bring out its flavor.

"During the Harrowing, I'll go all out. Show everyone my strength. Use that chance to crown Miss Fortune as queen."

"Then have Camille send support to back her up, while I quietly return to Piltover. That should wrap up this trip nicely."

With his plan set, Duke took a long draw from the cigar and crossed his legs.

"Time to enjoy a well-earned break."

...

Bilgewater, atop the cliffs.

Temple of Nagakabouros.

The temple was built of interwoven stone, shaped like the gaping maw and jagged teeth of a deep-sea leviathan.

Its entrance hung above the bay, overlooking the endless blue sea.

Inside...

"Truth-Bearer, I think we need to retreat to Baru."

"Bilgewater's people can't be saved. They welcome outsiders. They've already betrayed the traditions of the Serpent Isles."

"To us, these outsiders are barely better than the undead."

A stocky Voice of the Deep grinned toothily. Just the thought of leaving Bilgewater brought her joy.

"You've said all this before."

The towering Illaoi, stronger than anyone else in the room, paced slowly around a central stone table. Her eyes, however, showed she wasn't convinced.

"But we can no longer summon the Great Beasts. We can't draw upon their power!"

Beside the Voice stood an aged Serpent Caller. He wore a robe of rough indigo-dyed hemp, uneven in weave and ragged in texture.

The faded ink stains made it look like he was draped in a tangle of sea monster tentacles.

His face was marked with deep black tattoos of jagged teeth from a leviathan's maw.

"These fools built the Bloodharbor with their own hands. They've driven the Great Beasts away. Only starving juveniles answer our call now."

"But you know as well as I do, young beasts won't survive the Black Mist of the Harrowing!"

The people of Bilgewater never washed the blood from their docks. Instead, they built permanent moorings across the shore, as if asking to be devoured.

"I know what must be done."

Illaoi, who had been inspecting a jar of offerings, picked out a single mango.

"Truth-Bearer!"

The cult members sent to the docks returned, their faces unreadable. Illaoi leaned on the stone table, her huge frame looming.

"How did the farce end?"

"Gangplank and the Dead Pool were sunk by a woman. Even the Great Beasts we sent couldn't save him."

"So..."

Illaoi lowered her gaze to the mango in her palm.

"Bilgewater has changed hands, Truth-Bearer."

"So it has."

Her heart stirred, though her face stayed neutral. She stared at the mango in silence.

"Then what do we do next?"

The Voice of the Deep asked tentatively. Illaoi raised her head, eyes locked on the two senior priests before her.

"Perhaps... Nagakabouros will soon call upon this one..."

"Miss Fortune," the Voice added helpfully.

"Yes. She will face her trial."

The two priests stiffened. They exchanged looks and silently offered a moment of pity.

No one faced Nagakabouros' trial easily. And in their eyes, no mere Bilgewater mortal ever could.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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