Chapter Text
Jinx
Jinx was on her way to pick up Isha from her tutor after visiting Vi and Gert.
Red scribbles appeared in her mind’s eye. Shit. Forgot my wallet.
Jinx swivelled her car to a street on her left, taking a detour back to her house. Within minutes, she parked her car in front of her home: a quaint, beige cottage. Jinx searched for her wallet in a hurry. Once she’d found it, she stuffed it in her handbag. That was when Jinx’s phone buzzed in the pocket of her leather jacket.
“Jinx, where are you? You were supposed to come at 8pm.” The voice of Isha’s tutor was shrill with urgency.
Jinx checked her watch. Yup, it really was 8:30pm. She had lost track of time when repairing Vi and Gert’s electricity system at their place.
“I’m sorry, Teach! On my way right now.” Jinx said as she unlocked her car and shoved her handbag into the passenger seat. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Please tell Isha to wait.”
Before Jinx could start the engine, several lights flashed in her face. Even the car window couldn’t shield her eyes, which were squeezed tight shut. After someone yanked open her car door, a pair of arms dragged her out with a piercing harsh grip. The callouses of her assailant’s palms caused friction with her own smooth skin. Jinx winced and thrust her arm out of the person’s grip, which belonged to a burly enforcer towering over her. Meanwhile, other enforcers cornered her.
No, no, no. Why are they here? What did I do? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Stupid Piltie goons!
Jinx brandished a small pocketknife out of her belt and flung it around, her eyes darting from each enforcer to another. “Stay back!”
“Powder Jinx Lane, you are under arrest for committing arson at the Estate of House Ferros,” said a female enforcer with a bob cut as she and her colleagues closed in on Jinx.
Jinx’s grip on her knife faltered, her hand trembling as she tried to ignore the scribbles in her mind that flared at the mention of her old name. “W-What are you talking about?”
In a second, the same beefy enforcer grabbed Jinx’s wrist. The next second, she slashed his face. He howled in pain while a smaller pair of hands pinned Jinx’s ones behind her back, forcing her to drop her knife. Something cold and metallic clicked around her wrists, grazing her skin.
“You have the right to remain silent,” said the Bob Cut enforcer, tugging at Jinx’s cuffed wrists. She winced.
What the fuck are they playing at?
You know what to do, Jinx.
Get that knife.
Kill them!
No, no, no! As much as I hate these guys, I can’t kill them.
Jinx struggled against the grip of two enforcers who dragged her towards one of their cars with their police car sirens blaring, drowning out all other noises.
“Let go of me, you assholes!” Jinx continued thrashing around. “Whatever you think I did, I didn’t do it! I just came back after visiting my sister and her fiancée. I swear on their lives!”
Begging. Really, Jinx? That’s pathetic.
You have become soft over the years.
Where is Jinx the Loose Cannon?
The Old You would have knocked them out in seconds.
Shut up!
The voices always came at the worst times. The enforcers blindfolded Jinx, then shoved her into the back of the police car, not giving her a chance to breathe.
***
The next thing Jinx knew, she was yanked out of the police car and taken into a dimly lit room, all cold and sterile. She presumed it was one of those interrogation rooms in Stillwater. Vi had told Jinx about several horror stories during her time in Stillwater's juvie section many years ago. There was no colour. The metal chair Jinx sat on was as cold as a fridge. A metal table separated her and an enforcer sitting on the other side. He was a man with ginger hair and a moustache. He reminded her of the previous Sheriff of Piltover, Marcus, who worked with Silco before he was arrested. Then Jinx had killed Marcus in a rage. Fucking traitor.
“Do you know who I am, Ms Lane?” he asked.
Jinx scoffed. She didn’t give a rat’s ass about who this man was or all the topsiders’ stupid-as-shit status symbols.
“Answer me,” He demanded, his voice now a deep growl.
Heat bubbled in Jinx’s chest and gut. Too bad she didn’t have a weapon. Jinx spat on the enforcer’s hand. He slapped her in seconds. The sting lingered on her cheek, crawling like fire ants.
The ginger-haired enforcer huffed. “I should have known you would not co-operate easily. I am Sheriff Harold.”
Jinx gave an exaggerated yawn. Gosh, he was just as boring as Marcus too. And grumpier.
She flashed him one of her classic shark-like grins. She leaned in closer and cocked her head. “What are you accusing me of this time? Something about the Ferros people’s place getting blown up?”
“Yes,” said Sheriff Harold with a sharp hiss like he had a spear up his ass.
Jinx cackled. “Oh wow! Some fancy rich family got their fancy-ass house blown up? Boo Fucking Hoo! As if they can’t pay for the repairs out of their own pockets. First-world pro-”
The Sheriff interrupted Jinx with a full-on strike to the face. He slapped her so hard that her neck twisted and ached. So hard that she felt her cheek bruising. But adrenaline rushed to her head. Until now, she had forgotten how fun it was to piss off topsiders. A slap or two didn’t scare her.
“Do not speak unless I permit you to, scum,” he spat. Damn, this guy needed an anger management class. “Ms Lane, you have been arrested for the felony of arson, which has resulted in the hospitalisation of the majority of House Ferros as well as three of their servants. Lady Emilia Ferros, daughter of Madame Camillie Ferros, has even died in the fire. Therefore, you have also been charged with second-degree murder.” He shot a glance at the enforcers who cuffed Jinx. “Lock her up.”
In minutes, Jinx was shoved inside a small, empty, prison cell. While rubbing her bruised cheek, Jinx took everything in. There was little light, no colour. The cell only contained a bed, a toilet, and a sink.
Ugh, Janna, I hope I get a fair trial and not rot in here for years like Vi did.
Maybe you will. It’s nothing less than you deserve for everything you have done.
Shut up! That was a long time ago. I… I’ve changed. For Isha.
Sure. Just wait until your curse infects her. Then you’ll beg to be locked up here. Hahaha!
Jinx slammed her ears to block out the voices. Unfortunately, though, their faces grew larger, and the volume didn’t diminish. She turned her gaze away from the several pairs of eyes, which inflated like balloons.
***
“Get up. Your lawyer is here to see you.” That’s all the burly enforcer, who now had a scar on his cheek, said a few hours later. He dragged Jinx, now clad in a beige prison jumpsuit, out of her cell and took her to a small room. It was just as beige and stale as every other interrogation room.
Jinx sat on a round table, still with handcuffs grazing her wrists. A brown-skinned woman wearing all-black slacks approached her, heels clicking against the floor. She sat down and placed a file of papers between them on the table.
“Hello, Ms Lane. My name is Ava Carson,” said the woman as she clasped her hands. “I will be your lawyer for your trial. Ms Sevika hired me.”
Ava Carson. Jinx knew that name. She had never met Ava in person until now, but she’d heard about how this woman was one of the best lawyers in Zaun. Sometimes, Silco had rambled on about how much Ava had helped him get out of legal hassles. Of course, Sevika the Ogre would hire her.
“Never thought we would meet,” Jinx said, propping her elbow on the table, using her arm as a prop for her chin.
Ava made a small smile. “Neither have I. Silco told me a lot about you.” She paused and then examined Jinx. “How did you get that bruise?”
Jinx’s eyes widened and she put a hand on her left cheek. She almost forgot about the reddish bruise there.
She shrugged, her expression blank. “The Sheriff was an asshole.”
“Did you say or do anything to make him mad?”
Jinx scoffed. “I just told him like it is. That the Ferros place being blown up is not much of a big deal.”
Ava’s smile faltered. “While I agree with you, I advise against provoking the enforcers and wardens here. That will just make it more difficult for the judge and jury to take your side in your preliminary hearing.”
Ugh, boring. But Jinx had learned enough self-restraint over the years to not voice those types of thoughts. It turned out that being 23-and-a-half years old was different from being 19. Jinx fiddled with her manicured fingers under the table, silent for a moment. A lump formed in her throat.
“What will happen to me?” she asked, her voice quieter than usual.
“Your preliminary hearing is in a week,” Ava said. “First, we will go through the evidence we have so far. After you talk to your family, we will choose who will be your witnesses in case a trial follows the hearing, which is very likely.”
For the rest of Ava’s visit, they discussed all the evidence they had, and which ones would work in Jinx’s favour, and which wouldn’t. Jinx already liked Ava Carson. She was just as good as Silco said she had been.
An hour later, after they completed their discussion, Ava guided Jinx’s family to her table and then left the room. Standing at the front was Vi, her sister with short pink-red hair, wearing a grey tracksuit that hid her muscles. Standing next to her was Gert, Vi’s fiancée. She was a dark-skinned woman with short, curly blonde hair and lip piercing, dressed in a leather jacket and ripped jeans. Lastly, there was Isha, the kid Jinx had taken in a few months after Silco’s arrest five years ago. Isha was a cute little thing with her denim overalls, big amber eyes, and dyed curly blue hair with bits of her natural brown hair peeking at the roots.
The young girl crashed into Jinx, her small arms coiling around her neck. Jinx smiled and hugged the kid back and swayed them. She made eye contact with Vi, who was frowning, and then Gert whose eyes were soft with concern.
Isha let go of Jinx and moved her arms to sign a question. “Why are you in jail?” Jinx gulped and her stomach dropped. How the hell could she explain this to a 9-year-old?
She wanted to keep Isha away from all this.
Well, you can’t! Because you’re a jinx.
Shut up, Mylo! For fuck’s sake. Jinx clenched her jaw.
But maybe they’re right. Maybe Isha’s better off without me.
No, no, no, pull yourself together.
Jinx took a deep breath and smiled at Isha. “It’s… hard to explain, kid. You see, they thought I committed a crime.”
“Did you?” Isha asked, her eyes as frantic as her moving hands.
“No…” Jinx’s voice trailed off.
That was when Vi stepped in and ruffled Isha’s hair, her grumpy frown practically glued to her face. “That’s right, Ish,” she said, her upper lip stiff. “Jinx has done nothing wrong. Topsiders are so quick to accuse us trenchers for even just breathing the wrong way.”
Isha’s lip wobbled and she looked back at Jinx, rapidly moving her hands. “Please come back home.”
Jinx tucked a strand of Isha’s hair behind her ear. “I can’t. Not yet.” Not until three days later when the stupid hearing would be done and over with.
Isha’s bottom lip wobbled again, and her eyes became even more erratic. Gert then picked the little girl up who clung to her like a monkey.
Gert smiled at Jinx sadly. “You don’t deserve this.” She then looked at Isha. “Shh, it’s okay. You’ll still get to see your mom.”
Despite feeling a stab of discomfort in her chest at Gert's last word, Jinx pushed it down when Isha’s whines became louder. She hammered Gert’s back with her small fists.
Jinx gulped, her eyes suddenly moist. “Get her out of here.”
Gert nodded and walked out of the room with Isha draped over her shoulder. Jinx blinked back unshed tears as she heard the kid’s cries. Vi sat down and put a large, calloused hand over Jinx’s manicured one.
“I can’t believe they have done this,” Vi said. “They never learn.” Then she paused. “There was no way you could have exploded the Ferros Estate. It happened a few minutes before you left, hadn’t it?”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t need to state the obvious, sis,” Jinx said with an eyeroll.
Vi gritted her teeth. “I swear to Janna, if Gert and Isha hadn’t come with me, I would have punched every enforcer on my way here.”
Fear spiked in Jinx’s heart and her hands felt stiff.
She put her free hand over her older sister's. “Don’t do anything stupid, sis. It would be ridiculous if both of us end up in here.”
Vi swallowed a lump in her throat. “You’re right, Pow. I’m sorry.”
Jinx was not the only one who had changed over the past five years. The Old Vi would have already punched the wardens on her way here without a second thought.
Then thoughts about how this situation would affect Isha swarmed Jinx’s mind. Five years ago, after taking the bus from the Firelights Community Centre, Jinx had bumped into Isha. She hadn’t understood Sign Language back then, so it’d taken her a while to figure out that Isha had been a runaway foster kid. She could never forget the fear and hollowness in the little girl’s eyes, despite their bright colour. Isha had worn rags and multiple bruises over her small body. She had only been four years old. When Jinx had looked at the little girl, she’d seen her younger self. Isha had begged her to not take her back to the “scary house with the scary, fake Mom and Dad”.
Jinx had let Isha follow her home that day despite not knowing what to do, fearing that she would have cursed the kid. But now Isha would be even more doomed if Jinx were to get arrested for this crime. Who would take care of her? Who would make sure she never had to see those awful people again? The thought of Isha being forced back to that horrible place almost made the voices return. It recoiled around Jinx’s ribcage like a vice, ready to suffocate her and crush her heart and lungs. Jinx’s breathing fastened.
Then an idea slithered into Jinx’s mind as her breathing slowed. She took a pause before breaking the silence, looking at her sister. “You and Gert must take care of Isha, especially if I end up here.”
“No!” Vi’s frantic eyes and firm grip on both of Jinx’s hands startled her. “No, I won’t let that happen. Yes, Gert and I will take care of the kid, but you will come back to her. If not, guess we’ll have to start another riot.”
Jinx’s leg started bouncing. “Please! You have to promise me, Vi. Promise me that you and Gert will be her new guardians if I get locked up.”
The sisters were silent for what felt like minutes. Vi stared at the table. She furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the side. Vi had always been reckless but Jinx knew she would think carefully about the welfare of their family. Or at least she hoped so.
Finally, Vi sighed and looked back at her younger sister. “I promise.”
***
Caitlyn
The Next Day
Caitlyn was typing an email on her computer to the last person she had represented as a prosecutor. Her fingers danced over the keyboard. The piano lessons Caitlyn’s mother had paid for her to do when she had been a child really paid off. At that thought, her heart ached. Caitlyn’s mother, Cassandra Kiramman, only died six years ago but she never stopped missing her. She sometimes wondered if her mother would be proud of her now if she were still around.
Shoving those thoughts aside, Caitlyn sighed and proofread her email, then clicked ‘send’. Seconds later, she rummaged through various casefiles on her desk. Some were complaints from smaller Noble Houses in Piltover about robberies; others were from clients suing particular business owners. Whenever Caitlyn wasn’t prosecuting on the DA’s behalf as the Assistant District Attorney of Piltover, these were the activities she had often occupied herself with.
Her head throbbed and felt stuffed. It had been months since Caitlyn had an exciting case with real stakes. She craved a challenge. Something that could really change Piltover for the better, even if in a minor way. That was when another file was added onto the pile with a slam. A strong presence loomed over Caitlyn from behind.
“Here’s a new case, Young Kiramman,” The gravelly voice of her boss, District Attorney Grayson, carried a lot of weight. That was how Caitlyn knew this was serious. “We received this complaint from Madame Camille Ferros last night.”
Caitlyn’s heartrate quickened at the mention of Camille Ferros. She was the leader of House Ferros, one of the few Noble Houses in Piltover whose wealth and power were almost on par with House Kiramman. Caitlyn read through the new casefile in minutes, then reread it. She noted three key words: Arson, Arrest, Jinx. At that, she gripped the file. There hadn’t been any complaints or reports of Chembaron Silco’s prodigy committing crimes in five years. Until now apparently. Caitlyn gritted her teeth as she recalled how the enforcers hadn’t arrested Jinx for her crimes due to Silco’s deal with them; he had disbanded his Shimmer business and let them arrest him only after they’d agreed to give immunity to the young woman he called his daughter. According to this file, Jinx had been arrested for allegedly blowing up the Ferros Estate.
“What do you say?” Grayson asked with her arms crossed, now standing on Caitlyn’s left. “Can you take on this case?”
“Yes. Count me in.”
Caitlyn had to take on this case. She owed it to her mother, who was assassinated under the orders of Silco. Jinx wasn’t directly involved, but she had created the weapons that were used to kill Cassandra Kiramman. The Loose Cannon represented the worst of the Undercity. Scum like her deserved to be punished.
***
After work, Caitlyn returned to the large, opulent mansion she called home. She wiped her brow and entered the main living room, which was originally a hall room, with its pristine brown walls and multiple oil paintings of her and her parents, as well as photos of her mother in her youth, and their forefathers and foremothers. Caitlyn now sat down on the red plush sofa, which was so long and grand that it stretched across from the door to the opposite end of the room. Two servants busied themselves, dusting the walls. Caitlyn briefly greeted them as she fiddled with her hands.
Then she pulled out her phone, and searched up Jinx on Bling, Piltover’s online search engine. There were several headlines about her. The most recent article regarded Jinx’s arrest for the Ferros Estate explosion. Every other news article had been published five years ago. The most notorious Jinx-related news had the following headlines:
“Another Gang War Breaks Out in the Undercity. Witnesses Report the Infamous Jinx, Prodigy of Chembaron Silco, Has Been at the Forefront.”
“The Loose Canon Strikes Again! Two Enforcers Dead on Progress Day.”
Until the Progress Day Attack five years ago, no one had managed to capture any images of Jinx. She was almost like an urban legend in Piltover. Caitlyn returned to the article about the Ferros Estate explosion. It contained most of the same information as the casefile Grayson had given her, though with less detail and formality. At the heading was a photo of Jinx with a scowl. Caitlyn’s jaw clenched as anger boiled in her gut. She had been following every bit of news regarding Jinx throughout the years, and they had never failed to infuriate her.
“Hello, Darling.” A soft male voice snapped Caitlyn’s gaze away from her phone.
Her father, clad in a simple, royal blue suit, was sitting on her left with a small smile.
“Good afternoon, Father.” Caitlyn wrapped her arms around him. Her father’s scent of aftershave and black coffee calmed her down slightly. Enough for her to not want to grind her teeth.
“How was your day?” Tobias Kiramman asked after they had ended their brief hug.
“That terrorist from the Undercity, Jinx, has been arrested,” Caitlyn said, hissing the terrorist’s name with all the venom and spite she harboured.
Her father gaped. “How? We haven’t heard anything about her in years.”
“She had blown up the Ferros Estate yesterday.”
“Ahh.”
“I will be the prosecutor for that case.”
Her father was silent and stared down at the ground. His fists tightened and his lip curled to form a grimace.
“It was about time that devil would be taken down,” he muttered. He then looked at Caitlyn, still frowning but his features now slightly softer. “You must win this case, Caitlyn. I know you can.”
Anxiety crawled up her spine. Although Caitlyn wanted to believe that, Jinx was difficult to take down, largely due to her connection to Silco. She had to be calculating and meticulous if she wanted to get Jinx behind bars.
“We’ll see, Father,” Caitlyn said.
Once upon a time, Caitlyn Kiramman used to give the Undercity folk the benefit of the doubt. They hadn’t seemed as bad as her mother and other Piltovans had made them out to be. Caitlyn had thought that surely, at least some of them were innocent, especially the children. She had thought only the Chembarons were corrupt. However, after her mother had been assasinated, Caitlyn'd realised how easy it was to hate them.
The past few months after Councillor Kiramman’s death had been difficult for both her husband and daughter. Caitlyn recalled how back then, her father had taken sick leave from his job as a surgeon because his grief had led him into a spiral of depression so severe that he had rarely left his bed. The servants had had to spoon-feed and bathe him, often on Caitlyn’s orders. Meanwhile, Caitlyn had overworked, taking on more duties and cases than she could have handled to fill the void her mother’s death had left behind. She’d even resorted to dubious methods to get as many Zaunites behind bars as possible.
Caitlyn was not afraid to do the same for Lane v. Ferros.
***
The Hearing
“Tell me. What were you doing at 8pm on May 10th?” Caitlyn asked.
Her chin was held up high. Her arms were crossed, and she held her stern gaze against the pale, blue-haired woman sitting on the defence table. Jinx, wearing a hoodie, tank top and pair of pants all back, fiddled with her bottom lip and looked to the side as if this preliminary hearing was beneath her. Anger rose in Caitlyn’s gut and her teeth clenched; she would not stand for this disrespectful behaviour.
Yet, Caitlyn waited for Jinx’s answer, slowing her breathing to appear as calm as possible, her posture still stiff.
Jinx gave a sigh and stood up, looking at Caitlyn. “I was nowhere near Piltover at that time. I was at my sister’s place, fixing her electricity system.”
“Oh, is that right?” Caitlyn said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, according to the documents of your sister and her fiancée, they live in an apartment close to the border between Piltover and Zaun. Isn’t that correct?” Jinx made a quiet scoff. “So even if it’s true that you were at their house, you were still close enough to get to the Ferros Estate afterwards.” On Jinx’s right, her defence attorney – Ava Carson – shot up from her seat, frowning at Caitlyn.
“Objection, Your Honour!” Ms Carson exclaimed. “The living arrangements of my client’s sister and her fiancée are irrelevant.”
“Overruled,” said Judge Barney Hoskel as he raised his pudgy hand. “The prosecution has more to tell, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Carry on, Ms Kiramman.”
It was good that Councillor Torman Hoskel’s cousin was the judge. Caitlyn knew he would have her back.
***
Jinx
Kiramman. Jinx savoured that name after she sat back down. It sounded familiar. She took a moment to rack her brain. Oh, that was right! There was a councillor that Silco’s goons had assassinated all those years ago. Something about Councillor Kiramman trying to block all Shimmer trade routes. Was this lawyer that councillor’s daughter or something? Great. As if Jinx wasn’t already in deep shit. With a prosecutor related to a dead councillor, her life would be as good as over.
Jinx stared at the prosecution lawyer – Baby Kiramman - in front of her. Smacking that self-righteous frown off that beautiful, angular face was the only thing that kept her present.
Wow, you’re so touch-starved that even a lawyer from topside does it for you.
Shut up, Mylo!
Baby Kiramman frowned at Ava before speaking. “Here is the evidence implicating Ms Lane in the Ferros Estate Attack. Please bring down the projector screen.”
The judge moved to the right and then seconds later, the projector screen unrolled. It showed a snapshot of a dark wall with splatters of purple spray paint and pink graffiti doodles. The largest doodle was a monkey with beady red eyes and a jaw as angular and rigid as a human skull. Another doodle was an evil grin with sharp, jagged teeth, eager to devour.
“Right now, you are looking at a photo of Jinx’s signature graffiti doodles caught in the basement of the Ferros Estate,” said Kiramman.
She then clicked on her projector remote. The next slide was a comparison photo between the first photo and a compilation of other photos of Jinx’s graffiti caught in various scenes – like in the bunker of that airship on Progress Day five years ago and the walls in that little house when she had blown up the Enforcers and retrieved a Hex Tech USB drive for Silco.
“In her previous crimes, Jinx had left behind the exact same drawings as you can see here,” the prissy Kiramman lawyer continued. “No other criminal has drawn anything in such a haphazard style.” She gazed at Jinx, her ice blue eyes cold and unreachable. “A good representation of the Loose Cannon.”
Ugh. These rich folk were so stupid they couldn’t tell the difference between the copycat graffiti and Jinx’s own graffiti. For one, the copycat art used paint that was too clean. No specks of other colours like Jinx’s own paint. Secondly, she had never drawn a monkey that resembled a human skull that much. The lines of the evil mouth’s teeth were also too neat, too rigid.
Not to mention, how the paint was sprayed with too much precision despite its chaotic splatters. Jinx was never deliberate with spray paint. She was always random, always aimless. In the first snapshot, it seemed like whoever framed her was trying too hard to be random. To imitate chaos instead of becoming it. It was as if they didn’t know how to let the colours and whimsy take over.
Jinx couldn’t help but snort. Ava, Kiramman, and a few jury members looked at her with confusion. Jinx cleared her throat.
In seconds, Ava sprang up from her seat. “Objection, Your Honour! Graffiti isn’t substantial enough to incriminate my client.”
“Sustained,” said the judge, dull like an automaton. "Do you have any more corrobating evidence, Ms Kiramman?"
Jinx swore she saw the corner of Kiramman’s glossy mouth perk up. “Indeed. I have more to show.”
She clicked her remote again and there were screenshots of what Jinx clocked as metal remnants scattered all over the front gates of the damaged Ferros mansion.
“Traces of coated steel and iron have also been found at the scene,” Kiramman continued. “After Jayce Talis had his scientists from Hex Tech Labs review these materials, they had found that the specimen matched exactly with the metal in Ms Lane’s previous chomper bombs.” She clicked her remote again and the new slide showed a photo of one of the aforementioned bombs, dismantled post-explosion and oozing with a thick, green liquid. “There were also traces of Chemtech, the Number One signature of a weapon created and used by Undercity folk. But that’s not all…”
Okay, at least whoever framed Jinx had designed the bombs correctly. Maybe they weren’t that dumb. The Kiramman lady once again clicked the remote, the next slide a near-microscopic view of the scrap metal photo. It showed… Jinx’s fingerprints. What the fuck.
Kiramman held her chin up and straightened her back so much that she looked like a stuck-up giraffe. “Even Ms Lane’s DNA had been found at the crime scene. Citizens of the jury, as you can all see, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to argue for Powder Jinx Lane’s innocence.” She shot a high and mighty look at Ava. “Unless the defence has better evidence?”
At that, Kiramman moved back to her table, sitting beside a fit, elderly, white-haired lady with one of her arms in a sling. She must have been the Head of House Ferros; Jinx only remembered that her first name started with a C.
“I have evidence that can prove my client’s alibi, Your Honour,” said Ava as she walked to the centre of the courtroom. “Please upload my file.”
After the tech people did as she’d said, Ava took the projector remote and clicked to show a screenshot of Jinx’s previous phone calls from that day. The last call from that night was with Vi at 7:40pm. Below, were two earlier calls with Vi and then one with Gert. The call at the bottom was from her boss, Viktor. “As you can see, the only people Jinx had been in contact that night shouldn’t arouse suspicion. None of them had been Chembarons or street criminals.”
Then Ava played a recording of Jinx and Vi’s phone call at 7:40pm. Initially when Ava had brought up the idea, Jinx hadn’t wanted to play any of her previous calls at court because it had felt cursed. The idea had tingled up her body like a leech wanting to drain her dry. But eventually, she had permitted it because it was the only thing that could prove her alibi - and it helped that Vi was more than okay with it.
“Jinx, where are you? Gert and I have been waiting for ten minutes.” Vi’s voice boomed from the speakers on every wall.
“Chillax, sis! I’ll be there in five minutes. Just got caught in traffic,” Jinx’s voice said. “Look, it’s not my fault my boss got me to work overtime, ’kay?”
“Right. That’s fine. Just be careful.”
“Of course, sis. Got my handy toolbox and shit.”
“See you soon.”
“Bye, sis.”
Everyone was silent for a moment after the recording stopped playing.
That was until Lady Long Legs Kiramman stood up. “Objection! This recording is irrelevant.”
“How so?” Ava barked.
Kiramman crossed her arms with a frown, just as combative. “While this piece of evidence helps prove your client’s alibi, it doesn’t necessarily disprove her involvement in the Ferros Estate Attack.”
“Ms Kiramman, you can’t argue against evidence.”
“Enough!” The judge shouted and silenced the two lawyers. "Do either of you have any more evidence to show?” Both Ava and Princess Kiramman shook their heads. Then he looked at Jinx. “Ms Lane, how do you plead?”
Jinx sprang up, telling the judge in his pudgy punching bag of a face nothing more than the truth. “Not guilty.”
The judge’s eyes narrowed. “You may take a seat.”
Jinx obeyed, much to her own irritation. Can it get any worse from here?
The judge paused and stacked his papers, then stood up. “Citizens of the jury, given the evidence presented by the prosecution, I hereby declare that we will run a proper trial to determine Ms Lane’s sentence once and for all.”
Yep, that answered her question. Of course, the Pilties wouldn’t let this go. Jinx took a deep breath and scanned the crowd for her friends and family. In a middle row on the right side of the courtroom sat Vi and Gert, who were accompanied by the sisters’ close childhood friend, Ekko, and his boyfriend, Ezreal. Vi’s expression was tense, her jaw clenched and her eyes full of worry. Meanwhile, Gert and Ekko flashed Jinx soft smiles that she knew was their way of trying to reassure her. Lastly, Ezreal held his thumbs up with a wide grin, flashing all his teeth. Jinx couldn’t help but smile back at her sister and friends.
***
Caitlyn
The courtroom cleared out quickly. The members of the jury exited first, followed by the friends and/or family of both Camille Ferros and Jinx Lane. Lastly, the judge, the prosecution, and the defence emptied the courtroom with their departure. Caitlyn steadied her breathing while fiddling with her fingers. She reminded herself that this case extended to a trial. So far, so good.
As they exited the door, Caitlyn and Jinx made eye contact. Jinx’s plump, purple lips parted slightly. Shivers ran down Caitlyn’s spine as she caught a glimpse of her enemy’s pink tongue. She gulped, then shot a glare at Jinx and walked away, trailing behind Camille Ferros.
“You have done so well back there, Darling,” she drawled, her voice deep and posh, as she waved around her free hand. “That scoundrel is the reason my daughter is dead, and my brother, nephew, and grandniece have broken several bones. If that woman is not locked in Stillwater by the end of the trial, I will have a word with that judge.”
Caitlyn gulped as tingles crawled up her spine like ants. As much as she respected her client, Madame Camille Ferros, CEO of Piltover's largest weapons corporation, Ferros Corp., was very difficult to please. Even Caitlyn’s mother, when she was alive, had often taken multiple meetings to come to ideal negotiations with the Ferros matriarch.
“I will do everything in my power to bring justice to your House, Madame Ferros,” said Caitlyn, slightly bowing her head.
She and her client exchanged their goodbyes just before the Madame entered an expensive taxi. Caitlyn sighed and looked out into the drop-off area. Her father was meant to pick her up, given that on Mondays, he worked half the time of his regular shifts. A soft breeze blew Caitlyn’s loose, shoulder-length hair to the side, some of her bangs getting in her face.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Princess Kiramman,” a raspy voice drawled just as Caitlyn finished getting her hair out of her own face.
She grinded her teeth and her nostrils flared like a dragon ready to spit fire.
Caitlyn jerked her head to face Jinx who was standing on her left with a smirk.
“What do you want? The hearing’s over,” Caitlyn said, her voice cold as she redirected her gaze to a row of trees.
“Why did you take this case?” Jinx asked, ignoring Caitlyn’s question. “Was following in your mama’s footsteps too boring for ya?”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. She owed no explanation to this menace. “Well, maybe if you had grown up, you wouldn’t have these charges.”
This time, Jinx’s eyes widened, her mouth open like a puffer fish. Both women were silent for a moment. Then Jinx closed her mouth shut and her face twisted into a death stare, her eye twitching.
“You won, Kiramman. You don’t have to shove it in my face,” Jinx snarled, her raspy voice an octave lower.
The audacity of this woman. She was the one who approached Caitlyn with her taunts. But Caitlyn didn’t say anything as she glowered at the woman in front of her. The Loose Cannon didn’t deserve a dignified response.
Jinx then cocked her head. There was something in her powder blue eyes that Caitlyn couldn’t detect. Jinx’s gaze was sharp, but there was a tremor in her clenched fists. She looked down at the ground for a moment, breathing at a staccato speed as her side bang covered half of her face.
Caitlyn felt like she was watching a bomb countdown before it would inevitably explode. A few old articles about Jinx had reported that she had been so unpredictable that she would have shot anything in her sight if she had felt antagonised. Caitlyn clutched the small pistol in her handbag, wondering if those articles were still correct.
Suddenly, Jinx raised her head and then looked back at Caitlyn, blowing her bang out of her face. “You know… You may think you’re all high and mighty with all your money, noble house, and lovely long legs” – Jinx’s eyes flickered down to Caitlyn’s legs (heat flushed her cheeks) – “but you’re no better than me. There is not a single person in this city who doesn’t have a skeleton in their closet.”
“Whatever my sins are, none of them top being a lowlife terrorist,” Caitlyn spat, somehow hoping her words would make the other woman drop dead.
Jinx gritted her teeth. Her eye twitched again. “You-”
“Jinx! What are you doing?” Ava Carson came barrelling towards the woman in braids. She grabbed Jinx’s arm and dragged her away from Caitlyn. “Don’t provoke the prosecutor! It will just give her even more ammunition against you.”
That was one thing Caitlyn could agree with Ms Carson on. Caitlyn’s father arrived a few minutes later. During the long car ride home, he asked her how the hearing had gone. All Caitlyn could share was her victory, which pleased him. Despite the outcome, Jinx’s piercing blue eyes lingered in her mind.