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Chapter Text

Caitlyn Kiramman was transferred to another school, again. For once it wasn’t her parents moving constantly for their stupid jobs. It was her fault this time. She was wrongly accused of frying the electrical system and maybe her parents thought it was smart to transfer her to a “school for kids like you” instead. By “kids like you” they just meant other kids with mental disorders. Caitlyn didn't want to be there. She missed her friends… Her new school? Some nowhere place in Vermont called Nevermore. 

Who the hell names a school Nevermore? Edgar Allen Poe?

On the limo ride there, Caitlyn was restless.  Tobias, her father, adjusted his glasses. 

“Don’t worry, dear, you’ll fit right in,” he smiled gently. 

Caitlyn scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Why? Is it because of the whole auti-”

 “No, dear, it’s the spark thing. We’re sending you to a school for people like you. No more normie schools,” her mother interjected. 

“But, mother, what about Maddie?” Her mother stayed quiet. 

Caitlyn tapped the edge of her violet satchel, her favorite color. “Stop that at once, Caitlyn,” Her mother reminded. 

Soon enough, the limo arrived at the academy and Caitlyn’s mother angrily shoved the door open. Her father stepped out behind her and then Caitlyn with her violet satchel. The academy looked like a renaissance castle, made of stone and brick, and students in purple and black striped jackets, in skirts and dress pants… everywhere. 

A tall woman in white with pale, creamy skin and even paler hair came over. Caitlyn’s father bowed politely, “Good to see you again, Principal.” She smiled lightly and offered her hand out to Caitlyn, but she raised her eyebrow in confusion and muttered a quick “huh?” “Shake her hand,” her mother barked so she quickly complied and grabbed the principal's hand a tad bit too hard. Caitlyn was certainly not good at situations like these, she was so excited to get her parents finally off her back and a dorm room all to herself.

“Welcome to Nevermore academy, Miss Kiramman,” the principal greeted. “I’ll take you to your dorm and give you your schedule.” Caitlyn just nodded and followed, only after hugging her father and waving her mother goodbye.

Up the stairs and down a corridor or two, was Caitlyn’s private dorm room. The principal opened the door to a messed up room.  Clothes everywhere, two trashcans knocked over, posters and a lesbian flag falling off the wall.

 “This is Ophelia hall, Miss Kiramman,” the principal grinned, “See you in my office tomorrow morning, I trust your roommate will help you get adjusted.” Then, Principal Weems slammed the door, leaving Caitlyn alone with her new absolutely rancid dorm room. 

“Is anybody in here?” Caitlyn asked to the probably empty room. 

She walked over to the cleaner side of the room where there was an empty bed and only one half-full trashcan knocked over. She placed her stuff down.

“Sorry- wha- huh?” A groggy voice called from the other side of the room. A lock of ruby red hair moved to reveal a peachy skinned girl with a horrid scarlet sidepart. She wore a bomber jacket on top of her striped school uniform. “Who called?”

“Caitlyn Kiramman. And your room’s a mess,” Caitlyn stated flatly, picking up a sweaty old jersey from off of her desk and tossing it towards her roommate. 

“The name’s Vi– well Violet technically but y’know,” the redhead said. 

“Greetings,” Caitlyn grimaced, resisting the urge to scratch her face off. 

“Yeah whatever. By the way, my dad, my sister and her boyfriend are coming over for game night tomorrow so try not to bother us later.” Caitlyn nodded and began to unpack her 3 suitcases. 

“What did the principal say was my schedule?” she asked. 

“Oh right, give me a second, let me look for it,” Vi grumbled and dug through a pile of rubbish to reveal a paper slip to hand to Caitlyn. 

“Thanks I guess,” she murmured.

 “Gotta go to rugby practice, see you later,” Vi waved and left, not expecting a response.

To say Caitlyn was pissed was an understatement. Caitlyn was absolutely furious. So furious that electricity literally crackled around her knuckles.

But she had a plan, she always had a plan.

When Vi got back from rugby practice, all sweaty and in a tank top, showing off her absolutely toned muscles, she never expected to see all of her stuff… gone? Her side of the room was sparkling clean. The trash can was picked up and emptied, the piles of stuff were sorted, her clothes were neatly tucked in her closet, and her flag and posters were taped up neatly. Did Caitlyn do this?

Speak of the devil, Caitlyn sat proudly at her desk, typing away on her computer, in that perfect rich girl posture.

 “Did you… cle an my room for me?” Vi asked. 

“Yes, of course I did,” she said smugly. Violet ran over and hugged Caitlyn warmly. “Thank you so much.” 

Caitlyn wasn’t sure how to feel. She was supposed to make Violet mad and definitely not happy. And the sweaty werewolf girl was not supposed to hug her while smelling like a room of teenage boys. But she… kind of… liked it? 

Before she knew it, her arms were wrapped around Vi too. Vi pulled away a bit too quickly, even though her hand lingered. 

“Oh- umm It’s kinda late, let's go to bed,” she awkwardly said. “Right- yes- of course, sorry,” Cait mini-bowed and stepped away from the redhead immediately. 

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“Violet! Wake up” a callous covered hand pawed at Vi’s dark blankets.

“Five more minutes…” she grumbled, electricity crackling in her messy hair.

“It’s five o’clock. We're  gonna be late to the meeting with the principal,” Caitlyn nagged and snatched Vi’s blankets off. Vi shuddered in the cold of the dorm room. She was wearing this stained tanktop and navy blue boxers, the same color of Cait’s hair. It was oddly flattering. “Wake up Vi!”

“Yeah yeah in a second,” Violet turned over in her bed.

“You know what? I’ve had enough of this,” Caitlyn barked.  

She latched her fingers around Vi’s arm. Bright light sparked out of her fingertips and morphed itself into electricity. Vi shot up suddenly and made a groan of pain as she was electrocuted. 

“That’s what you get,” the blue haired girl said after the electricity dulled back into her hand.

“Ow, you're such a jerk, y'know," Vi chuckled and rubbed her arm, “I’m gonna get you first when I wolf out”

“Get your uniform on, we’re going,” she ordered sternly and pulled the redhead out of bed, her mouth was upturned in a smile though.

After tossing on her bright purple uniform, Vi grabbed Caitlyn’s hand and pulled her out of the door, down the stairs and through a few hallways. 

Chapter Text

Powder saw the new girl come in yesterday, but she never expected her to room with her older sister. When Powder visited her sister for game night in her dorm, all she heard about was “Caitlyn did this” and “Caitlyn did that.” Vi was so annoying like that all of the time.

All she wanted was to play Uno with her family and boyfriend, not some serious, boring, taller, darker colored hair ripoff of her. She declared mentally that she absolutely hated Caitlyn and would give her all of the plus twos and skips from then on.

Vander, her step-father and physical education coach, was sitting in a criss-cross while handing out cards to Ekko, Vi, Caitlyn, and Powder. She rolled her eyes whenever Caitlyn got a card–or did anything– to the point her eyes started to hurt.

Then, the game started. Vander drew a red four to begin. Ekko placed a blue four, and on top, Vi’s blue six. Then Caitlyn was playing a card, a blue seven.

“Six seven,” Powder retorted annoyingly and moved her hands up and down to which Caitlyn rolled her eyes at. Powder then played a blue reverse.

Slowly and carefully, Ekko stood up, the floorboard creaking along with his footsteps. He was oddly… drawn to the door out, like he was being pulled.

“Hey, spaceboy,” Powder barked, but Ekko didn’t stop.

She walked over and tossed her arm around the boy with white dreads. “What’s got you all funny?” she snickered

He mumbled something unintelligible in response.

“You’re acting all crazy on us, little man,” Vi remarked.

“Genius and madness or however it goes,” Powder snickered and twiddled her index and middle finger in a peace sign on Ekko’s forehead; which made Caitlyn roll her eyes. Powder smirked at that.

Ekko continued his way towards the door in his trance-like state with Powder following quickly behind him. As soon as he touched the door knob, he sprinted down, out of the doorway. The light teal haired girl chased him down and grabbed him by the shirt. He slapped her hand away and ran faster.

“Ekko!” Powder shouted after him. “What the hell?” she grumbled to herself and sped away behind him.

His legs were longer than hers so he was faster, but she still managed to keep up. Ekko threw himself down the stairs, half tripping and hitting his head on a pole. He stopped for a second, rubbing his head.

Then he turned to face a wooden door like every other door in the school. He didn’t budge, just stared up at it. Powder glided down the handrail and stumbled next to the boy with dreadlocks.

“What's going on, man?” Powder mumbled to him, staring into his gorgeous green eyes in confusion.

His gaze was blank.

“Answer me,” she said softly, cupping his cold cheek. “I’m worried for you, y’know.”

Ekko stepped past her and reached for the pearly doorknob. “I’ve got to…” he muttered under his breath. “I need to…”

“What do you need to do?” she asked, stepping in between him and the door.

He brushed past her once more and grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open. The room seemed dark and empty. Probably an abandoned classroom.

“C-me, P-de-...” a dark, gruff voice with a slight accent tinging their tongue, grumbled from inside of the room.

Powder slowly approached the open door with Ekko holding it for her. The air smelled metallic and rotten like old blood. She peered inside but saw nothing at all.

A set of footsteps clicked down the stairs hurriedly. Ekko perked up and latched his hand onto her arm. He pulled Powder out of the strange room, shutting the door after her. She looked him in his eyes and he looked normal again.

The footsteps got closer and Powder whipped her head around to see the bright haired Vi and, sadly, dark straight blue hair down to Caitlyn’s shoulders. She looked… worried. Why would Caitlyn ever be worried about her?

“What do you want?” Powder scoffed and crossed her arms sassily. She put her weight on one of her legs.

“Are you and Ekko alright? Why’d he run off? Did you see anything?” Caitlyn questioned hurriedly, biting her bottom lip with her gapped teeth.

She tried to recall why she and Ekko ran off… but she only came up with blanks. Why did she run down? Why did Ekko run off? Why did she feel weird about that normal door? Powder brushed a hand through her teal hair, her fingers meeting a strand of red-violet.

But instead she said, “Nothing, we’re fine.”

Vi shrugged. “Well let’s not keep Vander waiting, right? As long as you two are good.”

The blue and red haired girl's eyes met calmly. Pale, dirty cobalt against a bright, stunning cerulean. Caitlyn gently reached out and brushed her fingers against Vi’s hand.

They looked like a stupid old married lesbian couple of four and two cats. It made both Powder and Ekko’s eyes roll.

Caitlyn noticed the younger duo’s reaction and stepped back quickly, leaving the shorter girl confused and awkward.

Then Caitlyn snapped her head towards Ekko. “And what were you thinking running off like that!” she barked.

She grabbed his shoulder roughly and sparks fizzled off of her hand and onto his hazel skin. Ekko jumped back.

“Sorry!” he yelped.

“You scared Violet!” the taller girl gestured towards her clueless roommate.

“You did?” Vi asked, “Cait, c’mon I’m just as angry as you. I wanna play Uno and go to sleep. I missed my wolf out this month anyways.”

The group of teens crawled back up the staircase and entered the dorm room where Vander was seated on the floor.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn dashed through the green field at high speed, her long legs letting her weave skillfully through purple uniformed classmates of all shapes and species, clad in their dull teal or orange pennies. A teal pennied classmate, a boy with no face–like literally without a face, where his eyes and mouth were supposed to be was just hazel skin–grabbed Caitlyn by her orange penny. He reached for the ball tucked underneath her sleeve of her eggplant colored uniform. She lurched away, the touch uncomfortable to her sensory issues. Caitlyn pointed her long index finger in his direction as sparks flew and blasted the poor boy. He sprung backwards, letting go of her cyan penny.

Before he could complain she stated factually, “no rules against electrocution in capture the flag. Coach Lanes said so himself,” she smirked confidently, blowing the smoke floating off of her fingertip.

She then sprinted past him, shoving teal pennied kids away as she made it back to the orange team’s side. Caitlyn spotted the old, tattered makeshift goal, that the scarlet haired goalie, Vi, was standing by casually, not paying attention to the approaching members of the teal team. Instead, Vi was talking to a shorter girl with curly brown hair, she was probably flirting. And for some stupid reason Caitlyn couldn’t explain, she was furious. Her winning smile contorted into an angry frown of dislike, and worst of all, jealousy.

Without thinking and ten feet away from the goal, about to score, Caitlyn stormed off of the field angrily, throwing the yorkshire brown ball back to the teal team members. She stomped off to the bleachers and curled up underneath them in the dark. It smelled rancid.

“Uhh what are you doing here?” a familiar annoying voice that only belonged to Vi’s teal haired little sister, Powder, sounded. She was sitting criss-crossed staring at her sketch covered notebook.

“I do what I want,” Caitlyn barked back, holding tears in.

“What’s got you so whiny and cry-y?” Powder asked, oddly genuinely.

“It’s none of your business,” she huffed, “What are you doing here anyways?”

“Trying to solve a mystery,” Powder rolled her eyes.

Caitlyn’s head tilted away from her knees in confusion and raised an eyebrow.

“Why Ekko sprinted off last night. He doesn't remember what happened and he's acting like I'm crazy,” Powder said, which made Caitlyn roll her eyes. After pausing for a second, contemplating if she should say what was on her mind, she began, “I heard a voice from that room.”

“Huh?”

“When I went down to investigate, there was a door and I opened it and someone spoke to me.”

“I think Ekko has a point.”

“I can prove it to you. Follow me.”

Powder crawled up from her spot underneath the bleachers, colorful notebook in hand and walked off, leaving the tall girl trailing behind her.

After a few minutes of walking up stairs in the girl’s dormitory, Powder and Caitlyn reached the normal looking door from last night.

“This is quite literally the most ridiculous story I’ve ever believed,” Caitlyn remarked in her posh accent.

Powder rolled her eyes and reached for the pearl colored doorknob. She pulled the door open dramatically and stepped inside. Caitlyn tentatively followed her, her head brushing too close to the creaky ceiling boards and icky cobwebs.

The shorter girl’s foot got stuck in between two floorboards, causing her to fall face first into the hard floor. She yelped in pain and wrenched her foot away.

“Are you alright?” Caitlyn asked and lifted the girl up.

“Fine,” Powder grunted and marched onwards towards the back of the room.

Caitlyn still noticed the dark bruise forming underneath her cheek. Vi was going to kill her if she found out.

Soon enough, Powder lifted up a floorboard and pulled out a disgusting, pearly skeleton hand, bits of rotting flesh still falling off of it.

Caitlyn cringed and let out a disgusted noise, “What in the nine hells is that!”

“Be quiet, I'm trying to focus,” the girl said, her eyes closed.

“Focus on what? You’re not even looking at it, are you blind?” Caitlyn barked, “Lets just get out of here quick, this is beyond creepy.”

“Shut up!” Powder pointed a makeshift gun that, sadly, probably worked, at the poor girl.

Caitlyn’s mouth snapped closed. She had never shut up so quickly in her life.

After a few awkward seconds, Powder’s eyes opened suddenly, but instead of that light cobalt, her left pupil was a deep teal and her right was a vibrant orange, the whites of her right eye turned black.

Her mouth dropped open and she began to speak, but the voice coming out was a voice that wasn’t hers, “Tell Vander you found me, Kiramman."

Caitlyn rushed to the girl, kneeling down beside her and shaking her warily. She swore underneath her breath when Powder’s body fell limp in her arms. She wasn’t breathing.

“What is going on here?” Vander barked.

Vi was next to him.

She looked horrified.

“I swear it wasn’t me! She just-just got all magicky!” Caitlyn failed to explain, holding tightly to the teal haired girl in her arms.

Vander grit his teeth and moved past her to the unconscious girl. Vi beat him to it, trying to shake her sister awake. Caitlyn crossed her arms in a tight self-embrace to try to console her guilty thoughts. She had helped Powder to do… whatever that was. Her teeth clenched roughly onto her lip to beg herself desperately not to cry.

Vi turned to face her and Cait’s eyes softened.

“This is all your fault.”

Caitlyn practically winced and the hope flickered out of her chest. She dug her fingers into the skin of her arm, it was definitely going to leave a mark. But the only thing that mattered was that Vi hates her now. Her breaths became ragged and choppy.

She long forgot about the message to Vander from the possessed Powder.

Chapter Text

Her eyes flickered open when she felt the stabbing feeling underneath her skin. She winced and sat up, only to be held back by two tubes. One connected into her nose and the other, from her arm to an IV drip. Powder yanked the tube inside of her nostril out and pulled the tube connected to the IV with a wince. She tossed off her light blue and seriously uncomfortable sheets and crawled off the medical bed.

She stumbled out of the door, leaning on the hospital walls for support. Powder scanned the hallway for visitors. Vander was sitting down in a cheap chair that looked a bit too small for the large, gruff man. It made Powder chuckle a bit despite the pain in her head.

His eyes widened when he saw her, “Pow?”

She smiled softly as he ran up to cup her face, pulling her into a tight bear hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist–the only part that was comfortable to reach for her–and nustled up against her father.

“You’ve been out for three days,” he humphed.

And then he disappeared.

She blinked.

Once, twice.

Nothing.

Powder was in a different place now, her head was dizzy and she couldn't help the feeling of missing something. She turned to face a door down the dimly lit corridor and pushed it open. There was Professor Talis at the front of the room and a few of his students and Caitlyn… sitting away from Vi.

“Is there something you need, Miss Lanes?” The professor spoke in his happy but rich voice.

“Nothing- I just-” she glanced down at herself to see her in her own uniform instead of the medical gown.

“Please go back to class,” Professor Talis smiled and guided the girl out of his classroom and back into the hallway.

Vi and Caitlyn abruptly stood up at the same time and in the awkward moment, Caitlyn sat back down shamefully. Powder raised an eyebrow at their strange display. Vi ignored her. What had happened when she was asleep?

Her red haired sister walked up to her, “I heard what happened. Vander’s been missing.”

A hand suddenly tugged at Vi’s wrist. It was Caitlyn.

“He’s been missing? And you didn’t think to tell me?” she barked.

“You’ve been ignoring me all week!” Vi bit back.

“Only because you were talking to that ‘Sky’ girl earlier during capture the flag,” Caitlyn popped her weight onto her left foot and crossed her arms. “And you blamed me for Powder’s weird magic thingy.”

“Sky? Why do you care about her? It’s not like we’re dating,” Vi grimaced.

“I know!” Caitlyn barked, her fingers digging into her own skin roughly to calm her down.

“Geez calm down,” the redhead huffed slightly and placed a hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder.

“No! I won’t calm down! You can’t just practically flirt with another girl and expect me not to be angry! I know we’re not together but I want to be so, so bad," Caitlyn blurted out without thinking.

The whole class was staring now. She felt their judgy, angry, homophobic eyes stare into her soul. Gods, does she wish she never said that. She pushed past Powder on her way out.

Vi just stood there in shock, not moving an inch.

Powder reached to touch her sister’s shoulder. “You good?”

“No, not at all,” Vi rasped, her voice a bit breathless in shock.

“Well…” Pow teased, “Are you gonna go after her or just be a boring wimp?”

Vi was already dashing out the door.

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Vander’s face was always in Powder’s dreams since the day he disappeared. Two days. That's when he was last seen. The sub for physical education was a teacher with a cool mechanical arm she seemed to get along with though. She still missed Vander. It was her fault probably anyways. If she had just not touched that weird bone hand, Vander would be still here and she wouldn’t be in pain all of the time.

She was still stuck in stupid Ms. Medarda’s ultra stupid history class. Luckily, she brought her notebook with her so she was doodling little Ekkos to entertain herself.

“Please focus, Miss Lanes,” the teacher said, the tattooed gold on her creamy chestnut skin glinting slightly in the sunlight as she shut Powder’s notebook with a gentle caress.

Powder rolled her eyes as per usual and leaned her head against her hand to stare out the window. The view strangely contorted and moved in mysterious ways she had never seen before. The grass blurred with the skyline and the trees. She turned her head to focus on the strange view only to see a tall, skinny man. His skin was a greyish pale and his eyes–they made her head ache. They were the least blurry part of him. One was an orangey red like amber of the sunrise and the other a cold icy color.

She knew his name already, “Silco…” she murmured breathlessly.

Then, he stalked towards the window, pressed his body against the pane. It cracked beneath his weight. Powder helplessly looked across the faces in the room. It seemed as if no one noticed it ever happened.

The long legged man paced towards Powder and placed his bony hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met his twisted, deformed ones as an inescapable dread bursted through her veins.

“Did you tell him?” the man asked.

She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her, he already knew the answer, “Good.”

Finally getting the nerve to speak, “Where is Vander?” she growled but her voice cracked when she said his name.

“He’s somewhere where I can keep him safe,” the man said.

She glanced back at her desk partner.

He wasn’t there.

She looked around at the rest of the class.

No one, not even Ms. Medarda.

When she locked her eyes with the haunting man’s, the quartz walls melted away to rusted metal with large, broken and dirt covered windows. Powder felt rope tightly snag her arms back and wrap her hands together. She screamed for help but she was muffled by a gag.

She struggled and struggled against the grip of the ropes, until her arms went lip and her skin felt cold.

She was alone, and she had to accept that.

Chapter Text

She had always been the type to think before speaking, but right now, she felt stupid. Caitlyn had just admitted she had liked Vi in front of a class full of stupid, judgy kids. That’s why she was coddled up in a bathroom stall tapping her foot way too repetitively and peeling off the ends of her fingernails. God, this uniform was way too tight and the fabric was way too scratchy. It rubbed against her skin way too roughly and just made the whole situation entirely worse.

Oh how she hated this new, stupid school. Caitlyn wanted to crawl back to her old friends and mean teachers like Ms. Grayson and Mr. Nolan. And, by Janna, did she miss Maddie. Caitlyn regretted falling for Vi. She should’ve just stayed home that night instead of going on that date.

She remembered Maddie’s stupid grin and how Caitlyn kissed it right off. Their first kisses. Just two giggling teenagers that somehow set the school on fire.

It was Caitlyn’s fault.

Her stupidity and excitement let her electricity loose. If only she was in control, then her hands wouldn’t have fried the grass beneath her. It wasn’t a large fire, no, but it still hurt Maddie. And Caitlyn had to carry the freckled ginger to the ER.

It was her first time being expelled from a school. She was sure Piltover Academy for Girls hated her for it. During that time gone from Maddie, Caitlyn regrettably fell out of love, but she would kill to go back to the Academy.

She didn’t even care how many rumors were spread about her at this point, she just wanted out of this entire magic school with another naive girl sent to the ER because of her and almost worse stupid sapphic drama.

Speaking of said sapphic drama, she heard footsteps outside of the bathroom door and underneath it, were those familiar grimy shoes that could only belong to Vi.

“Hey, Cait, I know you’re in there,” Vi huffed and pressed her forehead against the stall door.

She gripped the edge of her thumbnail and ripped the edge off, it fell to the floor, along with the rest of them, next to her tapping foot, “Leave me alone.”

“Cait,” Vi moaned.

Caitlyn didn’t answer so Vi mumbled, a bit louder this time, “I feel the same way, y'know.”

Caitlyn bit her lip to attempt not to cry (her eyes were already wet with what could be tears), “I can’t be with you,” she murmured.

“Cait,” said Vi, firmer this time.

“Maddie. I can’t just hurt her and leave her for another girl,” Caitlyn grumbled insistantly, “Not even like we ever dated, but I liked her and she likes me,” she peeled off another nail, her foot pumping up and down even faster.

“Cait, I don't care! I don't care how long it takes, I feel the same way about you, I love you, Caitlyn!” Vi paused, “I really just wanted to tell you that, I don't care if you can't be in a relationship, but I really like you more than any friend ever should.”

Vi heard the stall door unclick, but Caitlyn still sat in silence, the tension in the bathroom charged with so, so much regret and guilt and love.

She pushed open the door to see the curled up, pathetic, Caitlyn, tears rolling down her cheeks. Vi rushed towards her and wrapped her arms around her.

“I would kill for you,” the redhaired girl said

It was then Caitlyn realized Vi wasn’t that tough, cocky jerk Caitlyn made her out to be at the beginning, so she let Vi hold her, tightly and firmly, just how she liked it.

Cait cupped Vi’s cheek in her hands and pressed a short, but sweet and gentle kiss onto her lips. “I’m sorry for everything,” the blue eyed girl admitted.

“It’s okay, I'm here, I’m here,” Vi patted Cait’s back reassuringly. She then gently held Caitlyn’s hand and guided her out of the stall.

The two girls walked down the hallway back to Professor Jayce’s science and mechanic’s class. Vi pushed open the door to reveal the strange lack of students.

“Jayce,” Caitlyn mumbled familiarly to the teacher, “Where is everyone?”

“You guys ran out at the end of class, don’t you know? It’s almost night time” He chuckled. Cait turned away shamefully which made Vi smile gently.

Then Vi noticed something, the half moon illuminating her horrified face.

“Where the hell is Pow?”

Chapter Text

Vi dashed out of the classroom, Cait trailing behind her. The two looked in and out of every classroom and every hallway. They ran out to the courtyard, the beautiful stars and half moon high in the night sky. Vi rubbed the tuft of fur growing at the back of her neck.

“What’s wrong?” Caitlyn asked.

“No, no it’s fine, follow me,” Vi huffed.

The two girls approached quickly to the tall building in the distance. It was the only place students weren’t allowed into at all, with cobwebs covering the dusted windows and metal walls. Iago Tower.

Legend says a boy with a clockwork heart, a DaVinci, died in an explosion, or so people believed. The Nevermore boys all whisper about his barely alive body buried underneath the skull tree.

Vi shoved open the door and Cait followed her in.

Cait could see it this time when Vi scratched her neck. The fur was growing, and spreading across her body and Cait could tell it was getting harder for Vi to run correctly.

“Why are you transforming? It’s a half moon?” she asked earnestly.

Vi craned her neck around to look at her, “I missed it- probably late,” she growled, her teeth larger than anyone’s should ever be.

Cait nodded, unsurely, but she wanted to trust her, but Vi’s body was contorting and making herself taller than Caitlyn and she was huffing louder than usual up the stairs.

They reached the door to the control room of Iago Tower and Vi fumbled with the knob before prying it open with her clawed hands. There she saw Vander struggling with rope tied around his wrists and mouth. Vi ripped the gag off of him and moved to work on his wrists.

“Are you alright? Where’s Pow?” Vi hurriedly asked.

“I’m over here,” Powder’s voice called from the darkest side of the room, but it wasn’t her voice, it was too deep and coarse.

One footstep, then another, and Powder’s body was walking toward them.

“It’s okay, Violet, I am right here,” the false girl smiled slyly, and opened her arms to let Vi into a hug.

“You’re no Powder,” Vi stepped back warily.

Powder stepped right past the redhead and blue haired girls and moved to Vander’s barely roped body. She pulled out a knife from her back pocket and moved it to his wrist.

“What are you doing?” said Caitlyn.

“Watch if you wanna,” Powder giggled evilly

She sliced his skin, blood spurted out and covered her hand, then she dug deeper into his flesh, slicing.

“Get off of him!” Vi barked and shoved her off, but the damage was already done

Powder had cut off Vander’s hand.

“What is wrong with you!” Vi shouted at Powder and gripped her uniform collar.

Powder looked her sister in the eyes with that sly smile. But Powder’s eyes weren't hers. They were that amber and cold ice color. It made Vi’s fur stand up, her joints twisted and contorted and she growled in pain.

“V-Vi?” Caitlyn gasped.

Powder’s body started shaking violently. She opened her mouth to speak, “it is too late, Violet.”

Caitlyn pulled Vi back and wrapped her arm around her back to electrocute her. The werewolf slumped a bit and relaxed her grip on her sister.

Powder's jaw contorted into a weird angle almost as if she was screaming but with sound. A black smog floated out of her mouth. It grew slimy hands and legs and almost touched Caitlyn and Vi, but then her body went limp.

“Thanks to the sacrifice you made to me, dear,” the… thing spoke to Powder’s body in that coarse voice Powder once spoke in, but it wasn’t trying to imitate her this time. It was a skinny man now, with greying slicked back hair and a large nose with lanky limbs. And those… corrupting eyes. He smiled and looked at his right hand, “With Vander’s hand, I should be able to be here till the morning.”

Vi stormed abruptly up to him and attempted to slash her claws into him but his body seemingly turned into… goop? She growled and clawed at the bright purple molasses-like syrup. Then the goop moved above her and transformed back into the man. He reached for a dagger in his back pocket and thrust it into her abdomen. She howled in pain and recoiled, jumping back to where Vander was.

She coughed red liquid through her teeth and jumped forwards again to slash at him. Yet, he turned to that purple syrup again and aimed for her shoulder this time, riding a big gash on her muscle. She gritted her teeth and lunged into him, headbutting him against the wall, he landed with a thud. He wasn’t such a strong guy if he couldn’t turn into goop.

Then he turned to Caitlyn.

He grabbed the edge of her uniform and put her into a tight headlock, she tried to wrench his grimy hands off of her, but to no avail. He pointed his jagged knife next to her throat. Vi’s ears drooped and she stepped away slightly.

“Good dog,” the man sneered, “Nothing bad will happen to your little girlfriend over here, just stay back,” the edge of the dagger pierced a tiny bit of Caitlyn’s throat, drawing two beads of blood that stained her uniform.

The window crashed open behind them, glass flying every which way as that familiar white hair came into view. Ekko. He was riding some sort of hoverboard thing that seemed to be levitated by his DaVinci abilities.

He grabbed the man by the collar and attempted to yank him off of the girl. Caitlyn slipped under his grasp and darted to where the werewolf Vi was, red fur and all. The werewolf lunged to help Ekko, but parts of the man were turning into that purple liquid again. She clawed at it anyways.

Caitlyn pointed a finger at the man, closing her bad eye shut to aim just perfectly into his cold eye. She took a breath in, and a breath out. Then, with all of that fiery anger she could summon in her body she shot a powerful charge of bright neon blue electricity at the mauled man. She flinched in pain from the sudden use of so much energy.

Instead of brushing it off and turning into goo, he winced and groaned in pain. His purple liquid parts formed back into his main body when he was stunned, which gave Ekko and Vi the perfect amount of time to dig their weapons into him, but it still wasn’t enough. He barely had a scratch.

Then, he spurted up some blood from his mouth.

It rolled down his chin.
Everyone stopped even moving.

The silence filled the room, and even the large red werewolf in the tower looked confused on who hurt him. And then they heard Powder’s body drop to the ground behind him. She was holding a small knife like always, except this one was covered in goo-man blood.

The man’s body suddenly started to return to black gas again, his limbs foaming around him and Ekko covered his mouth with his shirt so as not to breathe it in.

He was gone.

They were free!