Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What are you doing down here?”

Vi paused, her gaze on the ground. 

She hated it, hated how such a simple question could make her lips quiver, threatening to spill a waterfall of the pain and hope that’s followed her these last few days. Vi knew she barely had a chance now and would lose it if she’d looked to Cait.

Sweet, soft, innocent (or used to be). Like a priest that Vi could confined in. Someone to be naturally, deceptively, trusted with her secrets and that’d seek to do by what was right.  

“I-” Vi’s eyes unintentionally jumped to Cait’s. The harsh edge from just moments ago, from months ago when they’d fought, shifted just slightly. Less calculating, just curious concern. Vi swallowed, trying to unstick her tongue. “Me and Jinx are trying to save our dad.” 

The words still felt foreign on her tongue. My dad, our dad. That Vander was even around to be called that. 

And it seemed Cait was just as shocked as Vi still was. Brows jumped, then crushed together. Vi could see the gears turning in that beautiful brain. In a hurry her next sentence came in a jumble of mismatched thoughts, rushing out so quick that Vi barely could keep up, “Ji- Here? Wait, he’s- how? I- I thought you said you saw enforcers-”

“No, it’s not-” Vi shook her head, “It’s hard to explain, but I think that beast that your looking for is him, and if it is then,fuck… I need your help, Cait. Please.” 

There was a pregnant pause. One that lasted much too long for Vi’s liking. But then, thankfully, Cait let out a too-long sigh, her stiff shoulders fell just slightly. 

“Okay.” Cait suddenly took herself back, gathering up herself. She nodded slowly, looking away, but in the split second that Vi could see, her eyes turned back harsh. All warmth drained away. “Okay, I think I might have a plan. Listen carefully, because this,” She sighed, crouching to the ground, “Things might get complicated for us.”

—

Never in Vi’s life did she think she’d willingly let herself get tied up.

Well, that was partially a lie, but she’d have hoped it'd be in more… exhilarating circumstances. Not as a lamb being manhandled to a faux slaughter, especially with it being a man’s clammy hands dragging her there. 

His hold was too tight for Vi to relax, keeping her away from the muffled voices drifting from the tent. Vi just had to pray Cait knew what she was doing, and that she was doing it right. 

“I brought Vi.”  Vi's eyes snapped and she was shoved through.

The shit blind ripped off, forcing her to stare down Cait. Never being the best actress, Vi tried bringing some anger, some bite to her face. She drug out the memory of their last conversation to bring back some of the desperate hate. 

Harsh, scolding words flashed by in a hazy flare, the phantom of a gun ramming into her, the bile and tears that had risen and soiled her face that night. A twitch touched Vi’s lip and burning, pulsing irritation found home behind her eyes as she stared deep into Cait’s cold, fish-like. Hopefully the look of her betrayal and of Cait’s stoic subordination was convincing enough, it just had to be.  

And it was, it worked. They had their little drama show, playing it up for Ambessa, who by all accounts seemed entertained enough with them. Cait turned to leave with a few last haunting words, but a slight nod as she placed the net just in reach. 

Cait and the scientist man (whose face would be gladly rearranged by Vi later) left not long after, and with the cuffs loose enough to slip them, Vi let confidence swell her. Everything was going just as Cait explained, just as Vi hoped. Now Vi just had to pick out the perfect moment to jump Ambessa while she monologued before her supposed kill. 

And yet Vi couldn’t help it. Couldn’t help the grin threatening to split her face, her want to spit back the truth, to revel in her gloating. She got her little speech in about trust. Making it clear that Ambessa should suspect she’d been set up since the start, that her protege backstabbed her for Vi. 

And just as Vi was to bust through the half-locked cuffs, just as she was to send Ambessa to the table, trapped by her own devices, her own folly, Ambessa came up with a devilish smile. 

“Oh, I’m sure your father has taught you plenty. But it seems he missed one key aspect…” Vi then heard a snap, and she tugged only to be met with a metal bite. “Discerning who you should trust.”

No.

No, she couldn’t have…

Ambessa saw through their plot. 

Ambessa saw through their plot, and now Vi was stuck, chained down. The canister with the rope thrown, and Ambessa’s bloodthirsty eyes wandering Vi's rippling muscles. Wondering where to first cut in the prime meat, where best to drag out the information that she craved. 

With a twirl of the knife, she traced it down from Vi’s throat to her stomach, playing at the freshly healed scar. 

—

Nothing good ever lasts too long down here, now did it?

The enforcer showed back up, prancing about in the Sump like she owned it. And with her came some scientist-looking man hovering, practically slobbering with how intense he was looking, over Vander. Holding some vial, bring it closer to him. And Vander just kept on snoozing. None the wiser, never the wiser. 

Great twist, huh? Gonna settle down, then this shit happens. 

“You know I don’t like pigs at the best of times, but they sure are funny. Thinkin’ they can keep pushin’ me without getting slaughtered.” Jinx retracted her lens with a pop, Isha’s wide brown eyes flickering from the scope to Jinx. A nice hot fire burned in them, a little too bright, a little too determined for Jinx’s liking. 

But pulling a smile to cover the concern was easy, she’d just give her something to do, something to distract herself while Jinx dealt with the inconveniences. 

“Keep watch out, I’ll be back.” Isha nodded, knocking her miner’s helmet half off. Jinx slid it back on straight, giving it a good ruffle, before shifting her attention back to her prize. 

The Hextech core slid beautifully into place, buzzing bright blue. Power, electricity, murderous magic coming alight in her hand. Jinx rose, throwing her shoulders back. She was all straight lines as she made her mark known. Time to fuck up that science man's face just a bit more.

The shot was simple. The bullet popped with a rush, crashing colorful glass through its path, continuing to fly straight and true until it found its mark. Splicing the man’s eye in beautiful chaos, the bullet sunk in deep. In place shining black blood oozed and pooled the gaping wound, slipping down like a devil’s lake from his skull. The vial trembled from his hand, crushed under the creator's weight as he buckled under his legs. 

That was one hell of an improvement if Jinx had ever seen one. 

And best it was an appetizer for the encore bloodbath to come. 

Jinx dashed off the balcony, hurling herself through the hole in the glass wall. She’d want to take a bite outta Cupcake before she’d get her bearings. 

Caitlyn fell, slipping over the glass in shock at the death. A cat caught in a corner, she wore fear and confusion deliciously well. But Jinx wasn’t here to ogle her. Maybe her corpse, but Jinx was done with this cat-and-mouse game. With stealing sisters and nearly shooting kids. 

Jinx came in like a death omen, quick and brutal, firing her first of few shots, only for Caitlyn to duck and roll herself up in the glass. Jinx barely sent a few hairs flying. 

Caitlyn rolled into position, flicking her gun up while she got on one knee. It unfolded, shooting out, more telescope than gun, and popped a shot off with a sharp hiss. 

Child's play. When you had shimmer screaming in your veins, bullet time had little consequences in a one-v-one. Jinx zipped away, like a jolt of electricity chucked her, the trio of bullets whizzing past her into a pillar. And Jinx pulled the trigger. 

And somehow the bitch shot one just after, the pair of bullets colliding, bursting of blue lightning and gray powder. Then a second came right in its path, forcing Jinx to dodge back to start.

Perhaps Jinx would just need to bait her out, wait for a need to reload, or till she was too exhausted to properly get back at her. 

A fun game designed just to piss her off proper. 

So Jinx danced, dashing about, throwing herself away from danger at just the last millisecond, for the loving need to see despair consume Caitlyn’s ever-irate, boiling eyes. They traced, growing impatient with missed, missed, missed shots! 

How dumb she looked, wrinkled and trigger angry. Couldn’t land just one measly shot, and yet Jinx was able to dive in and out, weave between bullets and soon come in to pick and prod and beat her ass. 

Between the flurry of clicks and blows, of walls gaining new holes, Caitlyn's gun got stuck. And Jinx pounced, raising her arm up, gun secure, like a parent ready to beat their ungrateful brat, and she pistol-whipped Caitlyn right across the jaw. 

There was the sweet slam of metal cutting skin. Of Caitlyn coughing up a wad of blood, as it splattered onto the glass-covered floor. Of the wine-red streaks running on her palms once she dropped back to the ground. Jinx cocked her gun, holding point blank. 

In the quiet that came from the frenzied fight, Jinx took a quick moment to check on Vander, who had been slowly, groggily waking. Presumably from the fresh smell of blood, if his twitching nose had anything to say. 

Then on Isha, waving like some lunatic, she was always so damn excited to see a fight. It’s a wonder she didn’t end up Vi’s kid. Jinx gave her a little bunny salute, wiggling her fingers before dragging her attention back to a soon to be dead Caitlyn Kirramen. Damn, what a sentence. 

“How humiliating for you.” Jinx laughed, twisting the gun in her hair, making sure she felt the heated metal. “Too bad Vi isn’t here to watch.”

“Quite.” She spoke around the still dripping blood. She licked it from her lips, almost deviously, as she turned a chilling stare onto her. “I would have hoped for better for her, but I supposed she made her choice.”

What-

No.

No. No. 

No no. Nono no.

“You- you! Urk-”

Jinx shouldn’t have let her guard down, in that short time Caitlyn managed to rip her gun up and ram it into Jinx’s stomach, packing a dull, deep aching punch, one that Jinx wasn’t prepared for. Before she could even properly stand, a bang sliced through the air and into easily torn flesh.

Right into her chest. Just barely above her heart.

Jinx's focus was stuck on the new hole in her chest, it beat erratically. She was almost amazed she was able to watch it bubble and hiss without passing out. She didn’t scream, she didn’t know why, too shell-shocked, too fucked in the head? Fuck she wasn’t sure why she wasn’t dead, why would the bitch that kept promising revenge would miss that easy ass shot. 

That was until Vander’s growl ripped her eyes up. 

Caitlyn’s gun had slid to the other side of the room. Vander retracted his oversized, mechanical claw back. It cast a shadow over Caitlyn’s terrified face, four black lines covering her entirely. She didn’t even try to run, didn’t even flinch. It was like she was so overloaded that her gears stopped turning altogether. 

“Don’t touch my daughter!” 

The guttural yell reverberated in the doom, would have shattered glass had Jinx not beaten him to the punch. Vander punctuated it with a lightning flash slice straight across her pretty little face.

Four long, neat scratches bleed. Pooling around her eye, in her eye, and down into her stretched mouth, dripping off her chin like spilled milk. Her face weeping for what she just lost. What she paid for trying to hurt Jinx and her family again.

The scream was ungodly, a piercing and elongated howl. Something resembling one from a broken-down factory long ago. One burned deep in the back of Jinx’s mind. Caitlyn wasn’t dead yet, but frankly letting her bleed out was a better punishment than the quick death of a gun.

Jinx crawled her way up, wanting to let her blood-bubbled laugh spill. To gloat, and hope all the Vi bull was a bluff (it had to be) (it just had to). She finally had what she wanted. A dead Caitlyn and Vi with her head finally out of her ass. 

But as giggles came clawing at Jinx's throat, she was brought to utter silence by an even worse ear-piercing shriek. Vander whipped his head out towards the shattered glass wall, and Jinx gasped at the sight. 

A ghastly, unearthly force seemed to hit the commune in one tsunami of anguish. Souls flowing from gaping mouths, just as it almost seemed Caitlyn’s did. Vander jerked, irritated, but seemingly unaffected for the most part. But Jinx knew this was the start of something truly horrific, she’d learned to smell tragedy from a mile away.

And it proved true because as Jinx watched the mass meeting with God, unsure what to make of any of this, Isha came sprinting, grunting like a wild hog that got water in its ears. 

She ripped at Vander’s bloody claw first, pointing frantically off past some building. He tried to gently swat her away, to shield her from the carnage. But when he didn’t give her what she wanted she crashed into Jinx, pulled at her, throwing her fist out while forcing her to follow. 

Out across the field, a sizable red army carved their way through the outer gate. Noxian forces, if she had to guess, bulldoze through the seizureing masses. Jinx's skin went ice cold.

Dead cold. 

They were going to die. It wasn’t even a question, it just was. The knowledge imprinted in her mind like stone. They were- they were so fucked, it wasn’t even funny. 

Then Isha pulled again. Frantic, crying. Begging for big sister to do something.

No, they weren’t. Jinx wouldn’t let them hurt her family anymore. Not again, never again. 

“Vander!” Jinx scooped Isha up, bringing her legs to lock around her waist, holding her close. Her head jerked wildly like she was caught up in a wind torrent. Taking in everything, the only way out she could think of was taking the high ground. Running on rooftops and getting to the canyon edge. “Vander, I need you to take Isha while I find Vi!” 

From the building, Vander came up behind her, way too damn calm for the upcoming assault, looking almost confused. He sniffed the air, straight back and head tilted up. He stared like he was almost listening for the wind. Waiting for something. Jinx shuddered at what he might have been planning. “Vander you can’t take ‘em. Plea-”

Then his neck snapped west, a deep inhale. “Violet.” 

Then he was gone. A dust cloud left as he bolted. Clawing up a building, Vander disappeared overhead. Unfortunately, it pulled plenty of attention. A Noxian general cried out, turning spears towards Vander, but all she could see was a flying rain of spears piercing through soulless flesh.  

Well, fuck her sideways. 

But this was good (kinda, not really). If he was hot-tailing it to Vi, he could take care of that, Jinx could focus on getting her and Isha out. At least the heat was off her and Isha (even though Vander had to take it), but she’d need to hope he was fast enough to outpace the war machine, while she took Isha up another way.

Jinx raced westward but kept to the ground. Briefly, she caught sight of Vander making a giant leap from a house at the edge of the commune and scraping himself up the side of the canyon. Then again she lost him once he made it over. 

Weaving in and out of the commune buildings while trying to avoid getting pierced, Jinx found a way up the side of the canyon while Isha clung tight. Once up top, Jinx rearranged Isha to be on her back and checked her gun. It was still warm and alive, ready to take out any scouts she found along the way. And she did. Using it liberally, Jinx took stealthy potshots at anything that even appeared slightly human while following the dirt trail Vander made for her.

The trail went cold once she ended up at one of the mouths of the canyon. Or would be cold if it wasn’t for the dirt being decorated with fresh blood and ripped-open bodies. 

Jinx let her shoulder fall, even just slightly. Good, she was getting tired of blasting through this many brains. And her gun was heating up just a bit too much for her liking, for the moment she holstered it while she carefully dipped down into the valley. 

But the still, forced quiet put Jinx right on edge (and not the good kind). There was something eerie, worrying that the remaining Noxians would be right behind them, ready to box them in and pick them off one by one.

Jinx sighed, reaching for the gun, handing it to Isha. Jinx would need to have a good grip in case she needed to run out of there. “Not too hot?” Isha shook her head in the crook of Jinx’s neck. “Okay, good.”

Jinx didn’t waste much time poking about, just surveying as she continued to follow the trail. And luckily it seemed her initial assessment was right, it was nothing but bodies, bodies, and more bodies. 

Well except for laboring breath coming from the back tent. Right where Vander's trail ended again. 

“Gotta good grip?” Isha grunted, pointing her arm out. Steady and straight. Jinx brought her two fingers up, Isha tapping her own to them, then both pulled away and snapped. “Atta girl, let’s roll up.” 

Jinx gave her a good, comforting squeeze on her knee, and neared the tent hoping they wouldn’t need any more firefight.

The heavy curtain was swinging, just recently distributed, and Jinx pulled it back quickly. She’d expected many things to pop out, to try to kill her, kill them, but thank Janna, it was just Vander and Vi.

Vander held Vi almost delicately, like a cracked doll he didn’t want to hurt further, and placed her over his shoulder. Jinx couldn’t tell where the injuries were or the extent, just that it was bad enough to slick Vander’s fur red. But the somewhat erratic rise and fall of Vi's chest gave Jinx hope. 

For once everything was alright after a fight. Well not totally, but Jinx preferred a bleeding, passed-out Vi to a dead one. And Vander was fine, no insides out, and no spear wounds. It was fine, this would have to be fine.

Vander looked about, ears twitching “They- they’re co- comin-”

Isha and Jinx both tsked. “Figures.” 

Jinx pulled back the curtain, considering the best way up the canyon. She got a foothold after ensuring Isha was secured and started on up, Vander hot on her heel. He clawed his own path next to her, jerking his head. “Where?”

Jinx sighed, almost unsure at this point. If not so pretty and pompous tracked her here, was anywhere really safe? 

But after all this they needed somewhere they could lay out Vi and figure the damage done, where they could finally get this fucking bullet out her chest, and where Isha wouldn’t have to be so damn alert. Hell, despite the brave face, poor baby musta been scared beyond the void if not worse. Jinx knew she was.

She could only think of one place, one reprieve to give everyone a break. 

“Home.”

Chapter Text

The streets blurred in one continuous stream of light. Though Jinx hardly paid mind to them or the screams trailing her and Vander as they raced down The Lanes. Her head was swimming through a cold swamp of fear, and all she could focus on was making sure Isha didn’t fall off, and that she got to The Drop before the ticking time bomb blew up her glass world once again.

Jinx barely registered the doors before she was smashing through, “Sevika! Sevika tell me you got some fucking shimmer on you!”

Sevika has been at the bar lounging by herself, a half-filled drink hanging loosely in her hand. Well, that was until she got a good look at Jinx and Isha, with crazed fear apparent on both of them. Not to mention the malignant hole in Jinx’s chest. The glass tumbled from Sevika’s hand, crashing to the ground. “What in the fuck happened?”

Then next thing Jinx knew, Isha was being pulled from her hip, trembling and tear-stained, she stared up at Jinx with wide eyes. Apparently she hadn’t noticed the hole, with how hard she’d been clinging on, Jinx woulda thought she would. Frankly, it’d be a miracle if she didn’t have tiny Isha-sized bruises on her. Or Sevika ones with the way she manhandled her, pulling her skin back along her shoulder. “Your chest-”

“Not that,” Jinx batted Sevika’s hand away. “Vi got her gut’s spilling-”

“Vi?” Sevika jerked back like Jinx just smacked her. “I ain’t wasting shimmer on her. Now go sit and I’ll find-”

“Please, listen, it’s bad.” 

“Tough shit for her-”

“Sevika!” 

Then the door banged open again (damn surprised it wasn’t flying off the hinges at this point). Isha jumped, and it scared a shout out of Sevika, “Who in the fuck-”

But quickly the tough guy act fell off when confronted with the horror that was Vander and Vi.

The blood flow had gotten worse on the road, slicking Vander’s whole shoulder, neck and parts of his face dark red. Vi was slung over his shoulder, limply waving in the wind, like she was some prized kill he’d bring home and cook. He panted, tongue slightly lulled as frantic mismatched eyes wildly surveyed the bar like he wasn’t quite sure where they were.

“Get her on the bar-” Sevika jerked Jinx back before she could walk, “Sevika!”

“Be quiet.” Sevika hissed, eyes bugging at Vander. She made herself a wall between him and the girls but kept Jinx secured in her death grip. With a tense jaw and bulging bicep, Sevika was readying for a fight. She was just baiting Vander to take the first strike. 

Then Vander lumbered closer to her, his ghastly breath fanned across all three of them. He zeroed in on Sevika, hunching to be at her eye level. He stayed silent, a dead stare that left a chilling question of what he was thinking had Jinx not known better. Then he moved past them all, towards the bar. 

Carefully pulling Vi from his shoulder, almost like she was a babe napping there, cradling her limp, lulling head. His head was bent, shoulders arched, blocking the view of Vi. 

“Sev… Pow…” Vander’s voice was so small and pitiful, his shoulders shaking. “Help.”

Then he dumped Vi from his arms as gently as he could. She landed with a wet thump and Jinx screamed. 

Vi lost a lot of color everywhere. Gone was her healthy tanned peach skin, now replaced with the pale touch of death. It had been just a Cheshire cut across her abdomen when they first left, Jinx thought it a bad cut, one that’d need attention immediately, but not this. Not snake-like organs trying to slither out. Not with deep black blood streaming down and up and all over her body like she was some kid's messy canvas.

Isha was clawing on Sevika’s leg, hiding her face in her thigh and Vander almost held himself off, a terror beyond words lingering in his eyes. 

But Jinx?

Jinx lunged, a sob wracked from her throat. Breath escaped her, being dragged out like she lost her soul at that moment. A deep cold numb phantom climbed up her fingers, her chest, her brain as she stared at the possible rag doll corpse-

Then Vi breathed, shallow and desperate and delicate. 

A second burst of energy hit Jinx. They were out of time for dicking around.

“I said where the fuck is it!” Jinx whipped around, nearly smacking Sevika back with her braid. 

And yet Sevika had the audacity to be stone-faced. Holding herself like a threatened cat, eyes darting. Jinx was halfway considering yelling again when Sevika took a solid step forward. 

“You’re going to need more than fucking shimmer for this.” Sevika gripped the counter, her face scrunched into fierce calculation with hints of some unrecognizable emotion.“I need a sewing set, medical wraps, and get me as many clean towels as you can. Go now!” 

Jinx didn’t need to be told twice. Isha was sent to fetch the towels and wraps while Jinx made a B-line for downstairs. Silco never cleaned out the basement, if anything he just stuffed it with more shit and it just so happened that Vi’s sewing case was stuffed between the messes of scribbled on books. Jinx yanked it out and practically chucked it to Sevika first chance she got. 

Sevika caught it with practiced ease, slapping it to the counter, popping the lid wide open. She took a needle between her teeth as she pulled for thread. She tied it in a knot around the needle eye, not taking her eyes off Vi, talking around the needle. “I haven’t cleaned out Silco’s shit yet, he might have some shimmer laying around somewhere in his office.” 

Jinx stiffly nodded, then bolted. 

Just as she rounded up the top stairs, Isha came pounding out of the bedroom somewhere buried under a heap of Silco’s nice hand towel. Jinx gave her a quick pat on the back, “Go get ‘em wet and bring them to Sevika, I’ll be right back!”

Jinx was flying around the corner into Silco’s study. Tearing open drawers, sending files flying until she found the one last vial in Silco’s old syringe. Been waiting all these months for a man who’d never come back… 

Jinx ripped it out, racing back downstairs. It’d be getting its use now, and she couldn’t fuck this up too. 

On the counter, Sevika leaned over Vi’s body, with the cold stance of a coroner, with Isha as her bloodied assistant between Vi’s legs, from hands to elbows splattered red. Sevika was coaching Isha into holding Vi’s slippery skin together as she punctured the needle through flesh.

Surrounding them were bloodied towels strewn on the floor, another wet yet clean one was sitting on the counter. Jinx jumped up next to her, “Isha, move I can-”

“No she can’t.” Sevika hissed, forcing the needle through the other end, pulling skin close. “You’re going to need to hold her down.”

“She’s already down!”

“Not when you shoot her up with the shimmer she won’t be.” 

Jinx hissed, fucking Sevika was right. It was just the pain on her baby’s face, the way she was scrunched with uncomfortable scared tears streaming down red cheeks made her stomach twist. Her hands were too shaky for someone so little. She shouldn’t need to do this. 

But they didn’t have much of a choice.

Popping the cap off the shimmer, Jinx slid herself under Vi, holding her head in her lap. Her face was almost serene, pretty plump lips parted just enough that hopefully she could get it in without too much spillage.  

Jinx took the bottle down in a shot. 

Then she crushed her thin lips up against Vi. As cold and cracked they were, it wasn’t a very pleasant kiss. But Jinx didn’t mind, she let tongue poke through her lips, pushing at Vi’s bottom just slightly, parting them further. Her lips opened, a river of shimmer flowing from her lips as she lifted Vi further, encouraging the liquid to seep down her throat, to light her system up. A hopeful kiss of life.

Jinx held her a beat after the shimmer had drained. She backed away, waiting for bursting violet eyes, a scream of agony, and a will to live. But nothing. Vi was still as stone, not even twitching. Not even breathing…

Vi slipped from her, landing back on the counter. A thump, dead weight.

No.

“Vi..?” Jinx seized, a wave of fresh nausea slammed her, washing her ashore. A sprawled hand grasped Vi’s cheek, pulling her lips, looking for shimmer and finding a black pit. 

Had it not gone down?

Why wasn’t it working?

Why-

“Jinx.” Her eyes snapped to attention, focusing on Vi. But her lips were still. “Jinx.”

The voice was behind her.

“Jinx, I’m sorry.” Sevika. Sad, sorry, stoney-faced, Sevika. Her fingers hovered over paled skin, having only half sewed Vi’s stomach shut in a zigzagging pattern, looking like sharp black teeth, leaving half a deranged grin still peaking on the other side.

“Why’d you stop?”

“I-” Sevika bit her lip, looking away. Jinx shook. Vigorously. No, no she wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be after all this. Not after everything they’d been through. Jinx choked, “Why’d you stop!” 

Sevika sighed, “She’s-”

“SHUT UP!” Jinx didn’t even register moving, didn’t mean to. But next thing she knew she was right up in Sevika’s face, “I blew myself up. Blew myself up!  And shimmer saved me. A cut can’t take her now.” 

“She’s not breathing.” 

“Vi isn’t dead until I say so. Keep going!” Jinx pushed forward, “Please.“

Sevika let the needle fall. Pity had swallowed her urgency, and in that moment Jinx knew she lost. Everything about Sevika at that moment; her eyes, her stance, the very air she gave off, reeked detached sorrow. Like she was watching a little girl have a panic attack after blowing up her family unsure how to deal with the world-shattering blow that’d been to her. 

Sevika licked her lips, tapping Isha to move and offering an arm to help Jinx down. “I’m sorry.” 

And Jinx crashed. The cold numb feeling crawled up again. A reaper forever hung over her head, scything any that came too close. A whine grew in her chest, a want to yell, cry, beg. Just to keep going, because Jinx knew that if Sevika gave up it was over.

No. No she wouldn’t let it. Jinx picked up the needle, poking it through. “Isha pull her skin back-”

“Jinx.”

“Isha, the skin.” Jinx snapped, but Isha stayed frozen, looking between Jinx and Sevika. “Please, I can’t sew-”

Sevika gripped her wrist, “Jinx, don’t do this to her. Don’t do this to yourself.”

The needle fell again. Crushed from her hand.

A tear spilled, her lip jutted, barely able to hold herself up. It was just too much, it was always too much, but now she- she couldn’t- she wasn’t sure if she could even look at Sevika anymore without wanting to tear off her face. She couldn’t look at Vi without wanting to bruise her blue.  

She felt like nothing more than a machine buzzing but instead of being powered by oil and chem she was filled to the brim with anger and regret and pain and-

And then she suddenly realized she wasn’t the only one shaking.

Suddenly a deep, throaty scream was ripped from Vi. It gave Jinx just enough warning to whip around, catching Vi as she bulleted towards her. A scared animal woke, the rational side suppressed in the pain and panic. Through flailing arms and kicking legs, Jinx got on top of Vi, wrestling her to the counter. Sevika was trying to wrangle Vi’s legs and Isha scurried off.

Jinx smacked Vi to the counter, she came sputtering up blood-infused shimmer, and god, how pathetic did she look. Bared teeth and fear-stained eyes, a poor pup fighting from a trap far beyond her means. 

Thin fingers found the short pink hair, running calming streams in it, rubbing soothing circles. Vi kept clawing, ever the two-headed beast, but under all that moxie, her hummingbird heartbeat betrayed how terrified and confused she was. “I know it hurts, but cool it.” Jinx forced her weight down, keeping Vi’s top half pinned, “Isha, you fine?”

Isha nodded, she was just startled and ended huddled under Vander, clutching his fur. He gave her attention, bringing down an arm, pulling her closer, covering her from them. It seemed easier for him to focus on her than Vi squirming like bait caught on a line. 

“What, where- get off me.” Vi's arm flailed, trying for a punch that was easily intercepted by Jinx, getting her wrist in a one-handed vice grip. “Get off me!” 

Vi kicked out a leg, getting Sevika in the ribs. She grunted, eyes flashed. “That’s fucking it.” Sevika elbowed her in the fucking knee like she didn’t have enough wrong with her. 

“Bitch!” Vi howled.

“Sevika!”  

“What?” Sevika used her leg to pin Vi’s straight and still. “You want her popping more of her stitches?”

Fucking hell, half of them were already gone. The wound may not be an angry river, but it sure was aggravated. And it seemed the needle mighta gone missing too. Great, perfect. 

Vi bucked her chest, like a bull trying to throw its rider. And she nearly got Jinx off. Jinx brushed her bangs back, before slapping Vi, “Vi, stop!”

“What-” Finally, clarity crossed Vi. Out of breath and still dazed, but at least not clawing the shit out of her, “Jinx?” 

“We’re stitching you closed and you making it pretty fucking difficult right now.” Sevika barked. Then she pulled out a flask, passing it to Jinx. “Drown her in it if you need to, just get her to calm the fuck down.” 

Though that wasn’t to say Vi became the most cooperative, ever the fighter especially when it did her nothing, Jinx had to use her weight to keep Vi still and as she pressed the flask to her lips, drowning out her questions. The liquid bubbled around them before Vi took a long, long drink, “Good, good, keep going.” Jinx tipped the last drop down Vi’s throat, before flinging her head back to Sevika. “Are you good to start back up?”

Sevika had gotten a new needle (please let the old one have fallen on the floor or something), already readying it. “She’s steady enough now. Just hold the wound and keep it clean.” 

Jinx nodded. 

“Stay still, please?” She asked, as fingers still ghosted over Vi’s jaw, but regrettably, she had to leave Vi trembling. Jinx pulled Vi’s abs together, clearing away the little blood that still leaked, trying to press some kindness in the clothe's touch. 

They worked in tandem as Vi's labored breath continued in an uneven fashion. She stared blankly at the ceiling, and Jinx just wished she could pet her hair back and give her a soft simple kiss to her forehead. 

Instead, she held miserably steadfast. But in her place, Vander finally took a few tentative steps toward her, brushing his forehead against Vi’s, which startled a calm deep breath from her. Isha, careful like a cat, followed behind Vander, pulling herself up on the stool, her eyes flickered between the angry, pus-filled wound brought together with by black string, then to Jinx. Jinx grimaced, “It looks a little ugly, but it’ll be fine.”

“Try a lot.” Sevika huffed, pushing through the last stitch, handing it over for Jinx to tie off the knot. Slumping off the counter into a stool, Sevika took a new glass from the bottom and bottle with it, splashing in brown liquor. She took it all down in one long, greedy sip, savoring it like sweet juice. The cup was slammed to the table, as she took in her handy work. “Shimmer seems to be working.” 

And thank god for that. The wound finally stopped weeping, the bloody smile disappearing behind blackened scabs, but it’d take time for the magic to run its course. Even then, shimmer couldn’t do everything. The surface of the cut would mend, but the rest of the body trauma would be a lingering ghost following for weeks. 

But at least Vi was sewn shut and healing. At this point, that’s all Jinx needed. 

Vi was doing better too, easy breathing and right in mind. She bumped her head back to Vander, sending a sweet smile that lit up Jinx’s insides. 

She’d been stalking Vi for months, watching over, a guardian demon ensuring she was taken care of. And through nights where Vi was swathed in sweat and vomit, glass in her knuckles from breaking mirrors, and tears streaking her cheeks, Jinx had worried Caitlyn destroyed Vi. But Jinx should have known better. You can desecrate a temple, but never destroy the beauty of the spirit that resided within. 

Jinx slid from on top of Vi, taking the medical wraps under Vi’s clammy skin. Vi shuttered, then sighed, fluttering her eyes closed as Jinx began wrapping her up like she was swaddling a babe. 

“Hey.” Vi was watching her almost lazily, the loopy-droopy side effects were coming up now. “How bad is it? Still got all my insides?”

“I think you got some of them on me.” Jinx flicked a splatter of blood from under her fingernails onto Vi’s cheek. And then Vander licked it off. 

“Oh god, get off.” A shiver ran up Vi’s body, cringing into a ball on her side. “Fucking hell old man.” 

“Give him a break, he's like at least three-fifth dog at this point.” Vi gave a heated glare. And Jinx just bursted laughing at Vi’s irritated glow and Vander’s confused cocked head. 

“So…” Sevika tapped her lighter to the counter, flicking it on. The flame wavered weakly before her unlit cigarello between her lips, burning the tip to ash. She took a long drag, blowing it out her nose. “Ya ever going to explain any of this.” The ash fell as she pointed at Jinx’s chest. “And we gonna deal with that fucking hole in your chest or is that the newest fashion.”

Oh yeah, the hole. Funny how she forgot that one.

The wound hadn’t gotten much worse, it just kinda solidified. Blood flaked from the crystalized crater in her chest. When her finger was sliced off, it wasn’t your usual amputation. It was like the meat and bone had been atomized and reconfigured into something unlike flesh, more akin to a blood diamond. It was just the immediate area that was affected, a thin layer between her flesh wound and the undercity air. It helped with keeping it clean, but fuck if it wasn’t the freakiest thing she’s dealt with in a minute.

And now it was in her chest, what may now be a permanent hole decorated with blue-tinged rocky skin. She almost wondered what it’d feel like sticking her finger in… “Oh yeah I forgot I still had the bullet.”

“Hole?” Vi shot up like she got stabbed with a second dose of shimmer. After the whole getting gutted like a fish thing, Jinx didn’t think she could move much less shoot up in a blur. “What fucking hole?”

Jinx shrugged, “The hole the bullet made.” 

“Bullet!” 

“God she’s fucking slow.” Sevika blew out smoke.  

“What happened?” Vi demanded, tearing Jinx around to face her. And her eyes blew at the sight. Bringing a tentative hand up to her chest, she felt at the sharp edge where it went from skin to glass. A thread of electricity pulsed deep under skin, like it wrapped around her heart. “Are- are you okay?”

Who needed electric shock when she basically had Vi fingerfuck her bullet wound. Jinx shuttered, shoving Vi off. “Yeah, just peachy.”

“Don’t be a smartass right now Jinx!”

“Don’t ask dumbass questions-” 

Then Sevika coughed, catching both their attention. “As cute as this reunion is.” Her voice was dripping with toxic sarcasm. “I’m going to put the kiddo to sleep and find some tweezers, hell knows it’ll be a pain to get it out.” 

She whistled to Isha, flicking the cig towards the basement. Isha’d been just watching the whole ordeal in cautious curiosity until Sevika said that. Right then, Isha snapped her head like Sevika just threatened her. Isha stood herself up on the counter, swaddling herself in Jinx, holding a near-deadly look of defiance if she wasn’t so damned cute. 

“Don’t give me shit tonight, I’ve had enough.” 

And of course, Isha came looking for Jinx, like she was gonna argue with Sevika right after she saved Vi… and well with after everything Sevika’s done for Jinx, she’d probably never would again. Jinx dramatically crushed Isha in a hug, “Auntie Sevika’s right, we all gonna need sleep, now get on.”

Isha jumped down, watched her, waiting for Jinx to make the first move, then pulled at her pant leg. But Jinx sighed, “Not me yet, but I’ll be down in a bit, kay stink bug.”

As big of a pouting puppy as Isha could be, she eventually gave up. She took a few short steps back, as though Jinx might change her mind, but when Jinx nodded, Isha rushed down, acting a bit like a huffing steamboat, but at least she went down. 

Sevika was at the head of the stairs, ushering her down, but paused to give the three one final pointed look. “Also, I expect answers when I get back or I’m throwing you three out.”

“This ain’t even your bar.” Vi snapped at Sevika, then winced when she turned too quick. 

“Not talking to you!” 

Jinx waved her off, rubbing at her face. Vi scowled towards the stairs, and Jinx clicked her tongue. “Maybe you should go down too, actually. Take Vander with.”

“But your chest-”

“Sevika’s gonna dig ‘round to get it out, it’ll be fine.” Jinx pulled up a smile, even if the idea of someone treasure hunting in her chest made her hole itch like hell. But she for sure didn’t want Vi freaking the fuck out at Sevika as she picked through it. Vi gasped, ready for a fight, but Jinx just lightly pushed her back, “Don’t be stupid and keep pushin’ me, sides Isha’s probably scared she needs someone.”

“I could get it out, you know.” Vi insisted, pigheaded as always. “Sevika can handle the kid-”

“You literally got gutted like the catch of the day. I ain’t having you pulling a bullet from me with those shaky ass hands.” 

“But-” Vander grunted next to her. His brows pushed in a stern, tired frown around his canines. And after a brief stare-off, the fight visibly drained from Vi turning to resigned fatigue, “Fine but if I hear too much screaming-”

“You will and you ain’t gonna do shit about it.”

“You're making a worse case.”

“Shut up and go to sleep, I’ll be down soon.”

“Fine,” Vi snapped, trailing to the stairs a few steps ahead of Vander just as Sevika came jogging up the stairs. Vi made it by with little but a shoulder check, but as Vander came by Sevika, slammed her arm, stopping Vander in his tracks. 

“This… thing ain’t going down there. I barely want her around near us, but this beast?”

Well someone was ballsy, shit-talking the beast to his face. Vander’s back arched, trying to growl out something, “Not… Not go… Not-” 

But Vi threw herself in the middle, never knowing when to butt out. “You seriously think I’d hurt a fucking kid? Or that we’d much less allow someone in here that could kill us.” 

“You must think I got as thick a skull as you. Because, Violet, I remember you being dragged around by your little fascist whore like a hound on leash.” Sevika spat, shoving Vi back with words alone. “And now you're coming here claiming you ain’t a god damned threat. Don’t insult me, because where I’m standing at you’re capable of whatever heinous shit your master moralizes to you. Be glad I’m allowing you down there.” 

“You fucking bitch!” 

Vi went for a swing, but the weight of her injuries made her sluggish and clumsy, full-on tripping over herself into the wall. Honestly, it was a damn embarrassment. Jinx shoved off the counter, sliding between them before Sevika decided to let her fist do the talking and Vi ended up even more injured (and right after everyone was being so nice too).

“Quit it, Vi.” Jinx grabbed Vi’s shoulders, “Just, I trust her, and Isha’s my kid, so it’s fine… But I can move Van- him upstairs for the night, how about that?”

Sevika laughed like Jinx was being damned ridiculous. Like she could never win.

“What’s it matter?” Sevika sneered, “You’re going to do whatever the hell you want anyways.” 

“Glad we got that cleared,” Jinx gave Vi a very pointed stare, and luckily she did little but give Sevika a glare before leaving for the bedroom downstairs. “I’ll take him up and I guess grab the tweezers if I must.” Jinx ducked under Sevika again, “I was hoping to keep it as a souvenir.”

Sevika hissed, “Go put the damned beast to bed and get back down here.”

“Yeah, yeah. Live to serve and all that.” 

Sevika left in a dissatisfied puff of smoke, a reeking cloud hung in her wake. And now alone with Vander, Jinx let her shoulder fall, smacking back into the wall.

A budding storm was percolating, one created out of the winds of bitter hate and betrayal. One that Jinx wasn’t sure that she’d survive. She could feel the weight of playing mediator prickling at her skin, how much work this was gonna be to get everyone to mesh into some mess of a semi-coherent family. 

Or at least a family that wouldn’t throw death threats like light-hearted teasing. 

And that’s not even touching on Vander and his questionable sanity and tranquility. Or Vi’s loyalty. Or Jinx’s ability not to screw it all up again.

But it was worth the work. Whatever Jinx had to sacrifice, she knew she owed that little girl her dream of her family.

Jinx’s head lulled against the wall, giving Vander a smile, holding out her arm, “C’mon, let’s get to bed. I’m already tired thinking about tomorrow.” 

Chapter Text

In the early morning hour, Vi’s memory was worse than hazy. It was like a hanging warning fog was trying to protect her from the traumatic nature of the night before. But it still came in flashes, seeming more a twisted carnival dream than reality. Blends of nightmarish screams, of bleeding, pulsating neon lights, of a devilish grin ready to cut her red hot life short. The slow trickle of blood was her life’s sand timer, and it’d been quickly running out. 

She held a vague, puzzling recollection of the connective tissue. Something about a Noxian attack on a fey-esque commune submerged in the Sump wasn’t her usual fair of hallucination, but Vi was so out of it she wouldn't be surprised to find a needle stuck up her arm. 

Logically the painful pulling in her gut and the hammer in her head was from a bad fight and even worse concoctions of drinks (she never heeded the warning not to mix liquor). With her luck, she’d been thrown to the street after Green Glass closed and with no Loris to drag her home made a bed on trash.

Vi lulled her head to the side (on a bed, maybe she did find her apartment?), daring to crack an eye.

The room was covered in a dark blanket, a wavering beam from a slit window illuminated the room just enough to see. It was a cluttered and claustrophobic space filled with a pair of hastily built bunk beds, a few beaten and thread-bare couches and chairs circling a table, and a variety of boxes and junk stacked up-top anything that could hold it. Wasting away, forgotten to rot.

Distant familiarity struck Vi, a string of memories being plucked ever so teasingly. But the tone was just off, the feel of the room was not quite right. Decay was potent down here, that wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

Then there was heavy breathing across the way—two sets coming from two small, obscured bodies. Vi squinted with one eye, slight confusion gripping her—until she snapped both eyes open. In that moment, it was like time realigned, popping her back into sharp focus.

Jinx had shown up to her apartment, Vander alive she cried. Her being right, them finding help. Cait, real, in the flesh, together again. Her helping Vi save Vander…

Then the gun to the face. It’s been something Vi asked for. It still stung all the same.  

And then being led to Ambessa, an unknowing lamb brought to slaughter. 

Then betrayal coming with a searing hot knife. 

Then black.

Then a home-made, bar top surgery courtesy of the mad minds of Sevika and Jinx… Fuck no wonder her body felt like pulverized meat. 

Turning back, Vi sighed, trying to reel herself in. 

She was in the Drop. The basement to be more exact. Her childhood room. What a thought. 

Her bedroom was practically stuck in a dust bubble of the past. The nostalgia hit her like a brick. In her lumpy bed, breathing in the still dank air, Vi turned to brush her fingers over Powder’s chipping childhood paintings. It’d been one of a pair of foxes chasing each other about, paint peel stuck to her forefinger, Vi rubbed the blue flakes to powder. 

She’d dreamed of this moment for eon-like years, but the haze of time was always edging, teasing her with its presents. Dreams often felt like cheap cigarettes. She’d get a brief taste of what she craved, but soon when fantasy burned away, an unsatisfied, dissipating smoke filled her mouth as she grew conscious. Then an urgent, near bestial want for more. 

But now, after everything, she had it. There was no denial, this was more than smoke and mirrors. It was as real as a needed slap to the face.

Vi traced a hand from her breast down to her abdomen, pressing it firmly the whole trail down. The past few days weren’t a dream, but that didn’t mean just a happy reunion with her lost home. The consequences still lingered right out of her peripheral, just waiting, begging for her to meet them. Her bed, this room was little but a reprieve. She was still trapped in this twisted Zaun and sooner or later she’d have to leave sanctuary to face it.

What a sobering thought.

With that Vi sighed, shifting. A pulling much further than skin deep, as though her muscles were a tightening string on a violin, laced up her whole torso. It took a fair amount of grit to keep back a yelp, instead Vi winces, scrunching her face into an ugly pout. The pain was nearly an argument on its own to stay lying, but Vi forced through it. 

With as much care as she could manage, Vi rolled from bed, groaning as continual shots ran up from her stomach. Feeling for blood, Vi only found a bumpy run of scabs under the wraps and some flaking. Licking the paper wafer blood off her fingers she pushed up to her feet. She’d need a shower soon, she smelt and felt rank. 

And it looked like she wasn’t the only one. Jinx and Isha were smeared head to toe in her dark dried blood. They still lay, peacefully sleeping off the night; Jinx curled up, hugging air and Isha starfished on the side, head laid to Jinx’s middle and legs dangling. Almost looking like a pair of ragdoll corpses set to rest in Clag’s bed. 

Vi bit her lips, trying to hold off the chill of the thought as she passed through the room, clinging to furniture as her legs figured how to walk with the shimmer and adrenaline out of her system. 

She nearly passed them, there was no need to wake them with her clumsy shake… but she couldn’t leave them there looking like that. 

Jinx took to being pushed on her back easily, but lifting Isha was a process all on its own. Kid was pea size if that, but Vi’s balance was in heated competition with her weak arms and legs. But somehow she managed to scoot Isha up with plenty of pain on her part, but Isha’d been barely disturbed. The girl slept like a damned rock, Vi would have thought any Zaunite kid would be easy to stir, but one had to count blessings when they showed. 

Isha ended up pulled closer to Jinx’s chest, laid in the crook of Jinx’s neck and shoulder, and she instinctually snuggled into Jinx’s warmth, pressing her chubby cheeks in. Vi was able to weasel the blanket out from under them both, covering them. 

Letting a soft smile curved her lips, Vi backed away, quietly feeling for the door and letting out a breath as she pressed it shut silently behind her, leaning her head back to the wood. Out the side door through the warped browning stained glass, the chem light dimly shone a pailing green rather than the deep piss yellow of night. Must have been later than first thought, she needed to get that shower in now before everyone else woke itchy and in desperate need of a wash. 

Vi pushed herself off, making headway to the master bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, Vander’s heavy snoring drummed from the other side. It seemed he also got involved in her blood bath, his fur was all matted to his chest and neck, a purpling spread contrasting to the cool blue fur. 

There was an abhorrent beauty in seeing Vander like this. Here. Alive. In monstrous skin. The humanity still begging to be seen, clawing through the seven years of horrors. Sometimes it was easy to look at him, for Vi to just be glad he was here, but often she couldn’t help looking away. 

Bitter often had an overpowering taste to her tongue, but she still clung to some things. He still slept the same way; flat on his back and an arm lazily thrown to the side, the other cupping his stomach. She’d just have to search for the sweet. 

But today it was becoming too much, Vi passed through to the bathroom door quickly, stripping as soon as her feet hit tile and it was wonderful. With each row of wraps removed, the pressure slowly loosened from her torso. She hadn’t realized how constricted having her stomach up to her breast wrapped was, but god she wasn’t going back. At least not until the cut healed.

Then there was the cut itself. Vi would have expected a very fresh wound, something angry and puss-filled, only barely threaded together with Sevika’s patchy stitch work, but instead, she found one large collection of scabs covering the whole. Jagged and black, Vi immediately wanted to scratch at it, but hell knows how'd that end with her. She didn’t need to bleed out in the bathtub, let that be an early morning surprise for Jinx to find. 

With that Vi turned on the shower, stepping into the claw tub, the warm water washed down her shoulders finally chasing away the lingering chill of the basement and bedroom. A delighted moan fell from Vi’s parted lips as she relaxed into the stream. 

It’d been a good long while since she’d had a shower this nice. Barely two minutes of freezing water in Stillwater was hardly anything she’d count as a proper wash. And in her crap single bedroom, she’d be lucky if the owner ran clean water, much less hot. Cait’s been nice, the most spacious shower she’s seen outside of public ones, but there was an awkwardness she could never beat down. A lingering tension prickled her skin.

But Vi finally could breathe here, taking in swirling steam. It’s often said you don’t realize how good you have until it’s gone. And even more so, Vi didn’t know how good the little luxuries could still be. Stillwater always had its ways of making you forget anything but solid soundless walls and ever-constant blaring lights.

But she only let it go for a few seconds before Vi forced open unwillful eyes to see what soaps she had to work with. While she’d love to stay in here til she was beet red and sweating through the stream, literally everyone else needed a bath so there was no reason to waste good water on her own accord. 

The shower was fully stocked with fancy men's soaps. The thought of smelling like Silco wasn’t the most appetizing thing, but again, there wasn’t much of a choice. 

And so with the monotony that was washing, lathering grimy skin and oily hair, watching the shit dye run off Vi and bleed into the drain, it unfortunately was the best time for lingering thoughts to flutter through and stick around. Some that Vi wished she could avoid.

Processing was… a difficult thing for Vi. A younger her hated it because she felt it worthless, trapping her in self-abusing cycles of what-ifs just wasn’t practical when she had a Powder to care for and a world to change. But after prison, she reveled in the abuse. What was there to do but soak in anguishing thoughts. She’d get giddy when long hourless nights of daydreaming of a family long dead, of analyzing everything she could have done, brought her to the peak of insanity where she could see her family. 

Often it was Vander who showed. Ever the disappointed Vander. A permanted, disgusted frown pressed to his lips. Looking at him was as good as seeing blood on her knuckles.

Then occasionally Mylo and Claggor would visit. Always in pairs, watching her. Soulless, mouth stitched shut. Just owl eyes always following her, a not-so-comforting presence, but they were one all the same.

But sometimes, if she really was a glutton for punishment, it’d be Powder. The picture of pity, Powder would always be silently beyond her bars, reaching, scratching to be with Vi. Then slowly, like sand spilling away in the wind, she’d wither until it was just a voice caressing her ear, quiet questions that could never reach her.

And she welcomed each visit because she deserved it. She deserved so much worse. 

That level of delirium had been left to the cell, for the most part. She hadn’t the time for it, any of it. That had been up until the hit.

It was the first time in a long time she let herself think, to process, and it ripped a visceral scream deep from within her. Lying bruised and beaten. Alone. Lost to misery. Really everything was lost, every last person she cared for was gone or hated her. Vander, Ekko, Mylo, Claggor, Benzo, her parents, Powder, Jinx. Vi herself. One death after the other in a never-ending torrent of a shitstorm that was her life. 

Then there was Caitlyn. Sweet Cait. She promised. Maybe she meant it, maybe it was too late. All the same, she left Vi there to die.

At first, Vi had been a cocktail of conflicting emotions. She wanted to hate Caitlyn. For calling her as evil as Jinx, an animal by association. Just dirt beneath her nail; something she desperately wished she could scrub off. It was something that a younger Vi would have torn limbs for.

But she couldn’t. The anger swelled briefly, but laying on the cold wet metal with the knowledge she was alone again burning deep in her sinuses, she was washed in an overwhelming sea of grief-induced nausea that stole all her fight, all her anger away. Frankly, her will to live. 

And that’s when the real question came in; was Vi actually the jinx?

She couldn’t deal with it, gratefully welcoming back delusions, letting them comfort and coddle. It was often Cait this time, taking on for Vander. A tower of disappointment following her.

But if she was unlucky, in her alcoholic-fueled stupor where she couldn’t tell reality from visions and ghosts, she found Jinx clawing at her. Intimately tracing her chest, playing at her jacket, teasing at her wraps, whispering in her ear.

The quiet question finally became known, “Would you still choose me, even if I’m not her?”

Jinx showing up in the flesh may have been a shock, and Vi’s attack was the result of a build-up of frustrations that she couldn’t quite voice, but now, it almost felt like a chance for redemption. A chance for Vi to make the right choice.

This odd novelty of calm found her now. It was refreshing in the face of years of a spin between constant anger or numb denial. 

She’d finally found her sister again, should have known that Silco couldn’t smother Powder out completely. And now with Vander, a tea light was lit in the depth that was Vi’s black pit of a heart. She had a feeling that with time maybe things would get a little less dark, a little more warm.

Vi turned off the tap, letting the last bit of suds and water drip off of her. 

Carefully she stepped out, dabbing the softening scabs with the lone clean(?) towel left, then she firmly wrapped herself up, just enough to cover the wound. Then with her dirty pants on, Vi groaned because here came the issue; she didn’t have a shirt and she wasn’t about to bind again. 

Bare-breasted, Vi walked from the bathroom, glad to see Vander still asleep (it wasn’t like he’d care, but it would still be weird regardless.) and she rummaged through the brimming closet, finding a long red button-down, surely one of Silco’s…

Great, she was going to smell and look like him. 

Vi forces it on, feeling the stretch of fabric around her biceps and shoulders. She buttoned it about halfway, just enough to be decent(ish), and took her leave to the main floor. 

As she got to the bottom of the stairs, Jinx was sitting at the bar, one leg spanning three stools and the other twisting her back and forth. She had a drink, barely paid it much mind. She treated it more like a fidget, playing with the straw, pushing it back and forth as she stared off.

Enveloped by the morning glow, her skin glistened like sparking porcelain. A doll made flesh. Especially when the rest of her stayed so still, even her frizzy hair barely swayed. Just languidly existing. Vi almost wished she could keep it that way, she was nearly disheartened to disturb her peace. Just nearly.

“Didn’t wake you did I?”

“You wish, I wake when I want.” Jinx turned, already a teasing twist to her lip. Then when she turned to Vi, her face broke into full-on mocking delight, “Mrs. Silco.” 

Vi frowned. “There was nothing else to wear.” 

Jinx lifted herself, swishing her way to Vi. Her hand traced the banister as she leaned into Vi, invading her space, making it theirs. She sniffed at her hair. She always used to when they were kids, claiming Vi’s smelled better than hers. Jinx jerked, revolted. “You smell like him too.”

“Nothing else to wash with.” Vi shrugged.

Jinx wavered, a flash of a fallen face, before she turned her back to Vi. “Eh, guess we’ll have to buy some new stuff, always thought Silco’s smelt a bit too girly. Doesn’t fit you.” As she settled back to the bar, a hand laid flat on the counter, she eyed Vi, “And we’ll have to drag your shit here.”

“Here?”

“You’re staying.” Jinx said quickly, “Right.” 

“Well if I am, there isn’t much to drag. I pretty much got everything on me now.”

“No shirts and one pair a pants?” She asked with a laugh, but the humor was lost on them both, “Didn’t think you drank your money that bad.” 

Vi turned her face away, a shameful blush creeping up, “I had more- it doesn’t matter.”

“Had?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Vi insisted, softening, “Shit’s shit. I can get more.”

“Add it to the list. Fridge’s dry, all we got is liquor. I was thinkin’ of getting something simple for now then get a haul later. If you're up to hauling that is. Speaking, how’s the stomach situation treating ya.” 

“Like shit.”

Jinx nodded. “Figures. Mine’s not so happy either.” 

Vi froze. The hole. Shit, she forgot about the hole. She should ask, but she worried that speaking its name would make it real. Perhaps most of the night was real, but couldn’t the crystalline crater be a shimmer-induced hallucination? 

It couldn’t apparently, the crystal was still burrowed in her skin. Still jagged, still twisting Vi’s stomach in immense worry.

It wasn’t any better or worse, whether that was a boon or not, Vi wasn’t sure. “Is it hurting? I could get something to cover it.” 

“Isn’t gonna need it.” Jinx absentmindedly scratched at her chest, then her lips fell into a frown as though she remembered something distasteful, pulling her hand back, “Completely rocked, even inside. Sevika had a hell of a time treasure hunting, but it’s out. Thinking of putting it on a necklace.” 

She picked the bullet between her nails, it’d been laying in a shot glass with some embedded blue crystals encrusted on it, but through the light, Vi could still see the shining gold detailing with shadowed indentations. 

Ruins. 

Vi was damn near ready to bash her head in. 

In that singular second of recognition, any calm acceptance for the day previous burst into a pulsing heat that wracked up her arm, into her rock-hard fist, and made a home in her head. It wasn’t a surprise, couldn’t be, but Vi found the news audacious all the same. Caitlyn didn’t just betray her, didn’t just nearly get her killed. No, she tried to trade three lives for one. Vi’s family for her counselor mom. And Vi, as unwittingly as it was, nearly led her to her prized kill.

Words escaped her. It was like she was being choked of them, the constriction in her chest barely let her breathe. It took a second to unlock her body enough to function, unclenching teeth and jaw, to spit, “Caitlyn?” 

“Who else?”

The words came out dripping in dersion. Vi deserved it, fuck she deserved all of it. Rubbing at her face, trying to dry away threatening tears, Vi stumbled from the steps. The buzzing in her knuckles yearned for flesh to pound, even would take wall, but Vi held off. Instead, she crushed Jinx to her, shrouding her like her arms could be a cage to keep her safe. 

Jinx slightly tensed in confusion as Vi knocked her head to hers, “Oh baby, I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” 

“I-” Vi’s voice hitched, a million things wanted to come out, and none she could articulate in a way to make Jinx understand. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” 

“For what to happen?” Jinx asked in a deadly cold tone, disbelief raced over her and she bolted back from Vi, ripping herself so fast Vi nearly toppled over from the speed. Holding herself off like a dog ready to bite, Jinx stood at the other end of the bar top. “What did you do-”

Vi bit her lip, pulling back the fleshy skin, almost imagining blood dripping into her mouth. “I-”

“You what?”

“There had been a man leaving the commune. There was something… off about him. I didn’t like his look so I followed him out.”

“As you would do.” 

“Caitlyn was there, she was on guard. She caught and pinned me. I-” A hand ripped through her hair, pulling the ends, coming back dirty black. Vi took in a breath, forcing herself to find the words. “It’s complicated.” 

“Complicated?” 

“She was chasing down Vander with some Noxians, said they were looking for a beast. I begged that she’d help me save him.” As she said it, Vi realized how hopelessly naive that sounded. How frankly dumb. “And-”

“And you trusted her?” The giggle was laced with dangerous amazement. “You told her about us!” 

“No, yes, but- listen.” Vi begged, “I didn’t know what else to do, we’re talking about an army-”

“I don’t give a shit about an army.” Jinx rounded on her, rim rod straight and spitting like a viper, “You trusted her and told her about us? And you, you of all people, let her take you down. You didn’t try to knock her out and run?”

“There were scouts-” 

“Not that many if they let you waltz up to your lil ‘cupcake’ without a damn shot.” 

“You’re acting like I’m made of metal. Like I wanted this to happen-”

“No, I’m acting like you weren’t thinking,” Jinx yelled, she hit the bar top, knocking over her glass. “And I don’t care that you didn’t mean for it to happen, we both know that means nothing-” 

“What the hell do you want me to say then?”

Vi shouted back, punctuating it with a stool flying to the ground. Just as Jinx was to retort, her lips forming cruel words, a blue-brown blur crashed into Jinx. Isha huffed unevenly, her thin arms wrapped around Jinx, hugging her back to Jinx’s stomach like she could be her shield from the big, bad scary Vi.  

Silence rang clearly through the bar. It was the only thing taking up space, the insurmountable room between Vi and Jinx and the silence that consumed them.

For a six-or-so-year-old, she had too sharp of eyes, too potent of a glare. A deep regret froze Vi in place, she couldn’t move. The anger just boiled over, and in Vi’s heart of hearts, she knew she was directing it at the wrong person.

Jinx paused too, some of that fight drained from her as she crouched, turning Isha around. “I… I don’t know. I had hoped you’d let go of that enforcer fixation.” Isha’s face was buried into her hair, but Jinx took care to stare down Vi. Disappointment swelled her. Then she became resigned, something defeated. “After everything she’s done to us, to you. Maybe that was stupid of me.”

“I’m sorry.” Finally, Vi could move, stumbling towards them. If she didn’t make this right, she might not get another chance. Forgiveness could be limited, Vi knew that well. “I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” Jinx agreed, lifting Isha, letting her curl to Jinx’s side. Isha still held onto her glare, the heat was still a bit too much for Vi to bear. “I don’t want to lose you, especially because of her. She nearly stole you away from me again, but I-... I have people that depend on me now. Vander, Isha… I can’t keep fighting you on this.”

“I’m not going to leave you, Jinx.” Vi pushed forward. “I promise, I- yes, maybe it was stupid of me and maybe there was another way out and I was blinded. But, I can’t change what I did. Let me show you that I’m here, please. Let me make the right choice for once.”

Jinx walked past her, heading for the stairs, “I want to believe you, trust me I really do, but… It’s been seven years of absence and six months of shit decisions between us both. I-” Jinx slumped her shoulder, “I need to get her washed, theblood is itching the hell out of me, I can’t imagine she’s doing any better. I’ll be back.” 

“I’m not leaving.” Vi impressed again, she feared Jinx didn’t believe her. “And I won’t hurt either of you, okay.” 

Jinx shrugged like it didn’t matter anymore. Like Vi’s word weighed as much as dirt. “We’ll see.”

Chapter Text

It took her a moment, but Jinx got her and Isha washed. Well, mostly. 

Jinx had no issue letting warm water melt away sticky blood and her frustration with Vi, but Isha on the other hand wasn’t so keen to sit still, much less relax. As soon as Jinx got her scrubbed red raw, the sopping mophead of a girl started running.

Jinx didn’t put up a fuss. Vi had rangled Powder enough in their time to deal with Isha for a few minutes while she finished. And maybe a bath to herself wouldn’t be too bad, room to soothe both muscle and mind. It could be nice, even.

Though it seemed in these lone moments, voices enjoyed drifting in, settling in unwilling ears like maggots knawing on rotting flesh.

Though these mumbles were drowned in the murky pink water circling her, calling a siren's screech. Jinx flicked her finger like she could taunt the specter beneath, chide it for being so annoying. The ripples calmed, settled, everythingbecame a bit too stagnant, too quiet. Even the environmental noise dulled around her, everything but her immediate surroundings ghosted her.

Jinx became very aware of herself, of the slight buzz of her breathing body, of the strain inside her eye. Like she was shot up full of coffee after sleepless days, she wished to close her eyes, to block the burgeoning headache, but her eyes were unwilling, far too alert to let rest.

These past few days, past few hours really have been a lot. Perhaps too much. Maybe she should be glad it didn’t come on sooner…

Prickling irritation tingling up her back, she could almost (almost) feel Mylo’s needle fingers poking her. A tease, it was just a tease.

Then the prelude shadow of a pre-teen whisper, something stuttering Vi, Vi, Vi, Vi- and Jinx jumped up. Not now, not today.

She dried, dressed, and woke Vander. Clag stood in the corner. 

Jinx walked out, shadowed (always shadowed), down to the main stairs. She told Vi to find a hose, and she did, a rusted one, and took Vander out back. Mylo laughed, cackled, choking on his own spit, he found it so funny. 

Turned into a damned dog, just for you Ji-

Isha pawed at her. She wanted to play.

Jinx pulled something up, a thin stretched smile? A feigned flash of fevered excitement? 

She wasn’t sure, she wasn’t feeling it. But she must have pulled something satisfactory because Isha was pleased as pills at the promise of paper and crayons. Now she just needed to find them in this dingy labyrinth full of booze, needles, and tax receipts. 

Though childhood goodies still were plentiful, Jinx needed to dig for a bit. She managed to collect the finest assortment of broken crayons; cyan, lots of red, and a bit of black. The stubs rolled happily on the counter towards Isha as Jinx made her way upstairs back to Silco’s office. 

The door’d been creaking ever so slightly. Pressed shut, Jinx ventured into the frenzied mess she left the night before. Drawers open, all his important papers strewn akimbo. A wreck made of his pristine sanctuary. 

Silco would be… disappointed to say the least. He didn’t need to be here to tell Jinx so. And yet, gut-busting as it was, this was the only space where nothing quite reached her. 

A soothe of stale smoke was the only thing that lingered, staining the air. Even over the months, this room continued to mourn. Jinx wasn’t sure if it’d ever feel full again, she almost wished it wouldn’t.

She bent down, swiping the papers into a cluttered clutch. It wasn’t like Silco could care, and Sevika already made out with anything she needed. The rest of this was waiting to become moth rotted, she might as well make good use of them. 

Jinx stood, ready to leave, when the slice of metal hitting metal and a bell chime caught her attention. Now who would be sending mail to a dead man at this hour?

The paper left to the desk momentarily, Jinx plucked the Pneuma Tube from the receiver, popping the canister open. A hastily scrawled note slid to her palm. And from Sevika no less.

Expect me around thirty. And tell your pair of guard dogs to keep their muzzles on. I need help with something, and no one else is willing.

- S

Cute. 

Jinx clicked her tongue with a dissatisfied pop. Her lips were pulled even further, annoyance and confusion briefly came over her. Gabbing the papers, throwing the note in with them, and turning back to the door, Jinx decided to leave questions hanging in stale air. She’d get her answers soon enough, as unwanted as they were. 

Her hand wavered, shadowing the handle. With a sigh, she expelled the knot of emotions settling in her throat.

Down, brave soldier, embrace the chaos below. 

Perhaps chaos was an overexaggerate. Vander and Vi may be a pair of sopping messes, trailing rivers behind them, but otherwise, they were boring as could be. The only bit of irritation was the continued staring and laughing. Nothing new, just worn and tired. 

They all turned as she took the last step. She must have been frowning too openly because Vi gave an embarrassed smile, shrugging. “Sorry, uh, he kinda sprayed me… a lot. But hey, we’re all good now.” 

Jinx nodded, making her way to Isha. The paper fluttered from her hands, barely hitting wood before Isha grabbed at them, going for a black crayon. Jinx swiveled into the seat next to her, and Vi tried for the seat next to Jinx. “Feeling better? You look… much better.” 

“Fine enough.” Jinx lied.

Reaching for her own page, Jinx rubbed the slight indentations from Silco’s pen. She could nearly make out the words. Bet he’d love to see his work vandalized like this, huh? 

She took a red and drew a few embroidered hearts, filling in unnecessary, usually asymmetric detail.

Vi tried for some light conversation, but Jinx just wasn’t feeling it. 

She wasn’t quite ignoring her, but she wasn’t quite forthcoming either. Curt one-word sentence answers only took them so far, and eventually, Vi got the memo. She went downstairs and a slight worry caressed her, Vi’s leaving again~ But then she sat in a booth, fingering through a dusted adventure book.

Silence blanketed them. There was still the least little bit of static floating around Jinx’s ears, but once Isha leaned into her, a little bead of her tongue sticking as she stayed hunched, the worse filtered out. Easy to ignore. Especially when it seemed to be easy for everyone else.

Vander paced a bit, seemingly irritated by being soaked still. Every so often his ear twitched and he’d start a shake before remembering he was inside. Jinx pressed her lips shut, focusing on her picture. “You okay Vander?”

He just grunted, shaking his head one more time, before hobbling towards them. Behind the bar, his rightful place, Vander eased himself into the stool behind there. Eyes trailed to the knocked cup and the splotch of juice left to dry. He hooked a claw into it, pulling it upright, and then brought a second. Each kid had their own special cup, Jinx’s had been decorated with doodles denoting it as hers, but this second one was bare, though from the same set. 

They wobbled as Vander clumsily worked around them, though it didn’t discourage him. The small icebox behind the counter popped open as the cups corrected themselves, Vander grabbed out some mixer, probably some fruit juice, and slammed that down. His palm and fingers could nearly cover the entirety of the bottle. He made to unscrew it, but it just became a hassle, one he was growing more agitated with each second.

Jinx’s lips pressed thin. She reached for it, gently sliding it from under his hand. He deflated as she poured, Jinx sent him a weak smile, then tapped Isha on the shoulder, pointing to the cup. 

Isha snapped her head up, finally knocked out of her little creative cloud. She scrambled for the juice, bringing the cup to her lips, then paused. Vander been watching her, like he was waiting for something and Isha’s smile was just the cure for his slight funk. Tapping her pointer and middle fingers to her chin, mouthing ‘Thank you’ she then greedily went at it, all one shot.

Kid could give Vi a run for her money.  

Vander hummed, deep and raspy, content. 

And Jinx took her own cup in hand, bringing it to Isha’s empty cup to clink. “All set huh, gottach juice and crayons, what else do you need?”

A bright smile bubbled up, Isha nodded vigorously, before going back into the coloring trenches.  

Vander set a third scratched-up cup, and Jinx poured, not really paying it much mind. Then she felt something solid and moist behind her. Vi breathed a ‘Thanks.’ as she reached over, taking the cup, tipping it to Vander. Jinx’s muscles clammed up, she’d expected Vi to retreat now, but she lingered. Always lingering. 

But Jinx was set on quasi-ignoring still. She didn’t bother with the trio staring down her back, hoping if she focused on Isha and her doodle, it’d all melt away.

And it didn’t, which was mostly Vi’s fault.

Jinx could feel the trace of her eyes following each motion on her fingers like Vi had a canvas in her mind she was trying to fill. Jinx hunched over, curling over her page. She enjoyed the comforting warmth Vi usually gave off, would even preen at it… But now an uncomfortable trickled up her face, prickly needles scratching in a deep red in her puffy cheeks.

“That’s cute.” Vi brushed at her arm as she looked over. The blush worsened. Janna, did it worsen. “I like the little stars inside, I’ve never seen an eight-sided one.” She’s just trying to prove loyal, caring. She’s not really interested. 

Was that her or was that Mylo?

“It’s whatever,” Jinx mumbled, swallowing thickly. The more she gave in, the more space she’d give up. So Jinx stretched out, tossing an arm back as she crowded Isha, “What you got going on? Bet it tons better.” 

Isha nodded, scratching one final detail in red, then she pulled her arm back, pushing the page to Jinx. Jinx traded without thinking, letting Isha study hers. They've done this before, Jinx would gush and Isha would point at what she liked on Jinx’s. And just as Jinx was going to point to how much she liked the coloring choices and how good her stick figures looked… until she took it in, taking it like a bullet to the chest, horror wrapping her neck in a choke.

The setting was very cheery enough to start. There were a lot of blue grass scribbles dotting the ground and a light blackish-grey line of sky with a bit of a red sun peaking in the corner. 

Then there were four stick figures and a crude blocky beast. Two stood off to the side admonishing the scene in the foreground; one black, tall and stout, one slightly shorter, with long blue braids, manic as all hell. They both had giant knife-splitting grins as they watched in absolute glee:

A wolf ripping a stick person in half and a little girl with a blue scribble of hair next to him waving. The woman in two was the only one with a frowny face. 

And the rest was saturated in red. Red wolf. Red enforcer. Red slick ground, a peek of hell with how aggressive it was edged in. If Jinx lifted the page, she’d bet there’d be bleed-through.

Isha watched close, wide brown eyes watching, wet with hope. Jinx sighed, a hailstorm of questions circled her. Did she draw this for Jinx? Did she think this was normal? Thought death and destruction and all this scribbled in blood was what Jinx liked. What she’d encourage. What Isha should strive for. Become the next wreckless loose canon, Piltover’s second most hunted. 

She already runs bull-headed first into everything, ready to rally masses on Jinx’s behalf, doesn’t know the cost. That it could and very well will kill her, leaving Jinx her own specter-made flesh. A deep, guttural scream forced room in her throat just at the idea. When Silco- when Silco died, when she killed him, she was beyond irate, a boil of years exploding out of her at once. All she could see was red.

Isha’s death, the grainy flash that fizzled before her, next to Mylo’s petting hand, his ever-deepening laugh. Despair lay across her shoulder, a chilling blanket with that ever-present curling toy monkey’s paw wrapped 'round her once again. 

Jinx swore she’d protect her, shelter her. That Isha’d never have to bloody her hand, dig it out under nails for her own sake.

She’s gonna die~ All for you. Always for you, Ji-

Vi reached around her, plucking the page from her loose grasp. Fuck she forgot she was behind her.

Jinx twisted, trying to gauge her reaction, Janna let her have enough tack not to berate Isha. And while a flash-and-you-miss-it string of worry crossed her, Vi relaxed her features, and even at the end a soft, near-endeared huff left her lips. “I like it.”

Isha held some slight skepticism, but the budding excitement was bursting through the cracks of her paper-mache exterior, cupping her right hand in a ‘c’ and blowing it up.

“You do?” Jinx asked, distraught. Then mentally slapped herself, pulling a smile. Painfully. “Of course you do! It has good dynamics?” Jinx almost asked, fuck she shouldn’t be encouraging this, but how else should she deal? She couldn’t grasp the words to explain her issues with her picture. She promised she’d be safe and encouraging, but- but what else was there to say. “They- uh, they look so… happy.”

No one was listening to her. Isha's eyes were on Vi, Vander craning his neck. 

Vi tapped her, doing the same gesture that Isha had, “What does that-” 

“Really?” Jinx said, knocked from the daze. Vi raised a brow, “It means really, basically. Like asking if you're sure.” 

“Oh, of course, I’m sure.” Vi said taking Isha’s other side, setting it on the table, pushing it towards Vander, “Remind you of anything?”

Vander stared at it, almost like he was upset with it? (Which thankfully she wasn’t the only concerned walnut here), then jerked his head, brows furrowed at Vi. 

“They killing the monster.” Vi said with a laugh, “Rawr.” 

Jinx cocked her head. Nevermind, that actually knocked her out of it, because what in the hell was she-

Vander groaned though it came more like a growl, ducking his head. Vi laughed again, all teeth.

Jinx’s eyes flickered between them, “Is there some cruel joke I’m just too dumb to get.” 

“Too young. It looks just like a picture you drew right after Mom and Dad, uh, passed.” 

Breath caught in her throat. Hard as a rock, she could hardly talk around it. Fucking hell- “Really?” 

“Yeah, except it wasn’t Vander ripping anyone a new one… obviously.” Vi tongued for the straw to her drink, taking a sip, “You remember that game we’d play where we’d pretend to be scarier monsters?” Jinx nodded, unsure what the hell that had to do with anything. “Well on the walls, it might be too faded to see now, you drew I think it was the razor crab disemboweling one enforcer and chewing on another. Vander had come down to check on us cuz we’d been fairly quiet, especially for the time, and when he asked what you were drawing you said ‘They killing the monster’.”

Vander shook his head, “Rawr,” half swiping a mechanical claw.

“Yeah like that.” Vi snorted.

Fucking hell indeed.

If that didn’t make Jinx want to bash her head pulpy with a brick, instead she buried it under arms and shame. Jinx was on track to fuck Isha up as bad as her. 

She felt a bump on her shoulder, barely peeking up; she saw it was Vi hovering, instead of Isha like she’d hoped and promptly forced her face back down. “Are you seriously this upset?”

“Fuck off.” 

“Jinx.” 

“Vi, I’m serious-” 

“Hey kiddo, why don’t you head downstairs for a moment?” There was a beat of silence, then Vi sighed, “Please.”

A chair scrapped as unwillingly as ever, and Vi took the place. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“My kid drew your girlfriend getting slashed in half and you find it funny. Maybe that fat head of yours got something wrong with it.” 

“She ain’t my girlfriend.” Jinx raised a brow. Vi rolled her eyes. “Anymore. Besides, it's not like it didn’t happen. Wellmaybe not quite like this, but… it’s good for her.”

“She’s fucked.” Jinx threw her hand out, “She’s gonna get all radicalized and do something dumb and die, and it’ll all be my fault.”

“She’s Zaun.” Vi shrugged, “She was born to be fucked up. You don’t get born into shit and come out not a little pissed as hell.”

“Not-” Vander groaned, “Not help…” Then a rough hand was laid on her back, it rubbed back and forth. Vander was leaning over, something sad twisted his face. “Thought… thought I- I messed… you too.” 

Yeah, because she turned out as the undercity’s most stable citizen. Jinx paused, swallowing her natural reactionary words. If they didn’t stop, her gasket would blow clean off. 

Maybe for his sake, she could pretend it helped, it didn’t, but she didn’t like that sad sorry look on Vander’s face. She sat back, rubbing at her face. 

It was fine, everything would be fine. Everyone will live. 

She kept saying it like a mantra, maybe a prayer could come about with sheer will alone. She had to believe it, even if Isha was a little fucked up, she’d be fine as long as Jinx was around to protect her. Like how Powder would have been fine if… all that didn’t happen to Powder.

It’d be fine, it’d have to be.

“You’re still an asshole,” Jinx said to Vi. She shrugged. 

“I thought it was cute.” 

“You think that’s cute?” She pointed to the picture.

“No, you.” Vi said, “Well you as a kid, I always thought it was cute… I really didn’t mean to upset you.” 

“Whatever.” 

“And she’s not fucked up and she’s not going to get hurt, not with us here, not by drawing a silly picture. She’s a kid figuring out a scary world. We need to give her grace to say and make scary things.”

“Guide ‘er,” Vander added.

Vi nodded, “I think you should talk with her about her feelings.”

Jinx sighed, “I would, but she can’t. She came to me not being able to communicate at all, so I had her draw, but this is complicated and I don’t know how to respond. Like is this cry for help? Is she trying to make me happy? I genuinely can’t tell. And she can do some gestures, but it’s only very basic stuff.”

“Guessing she can’t write or read.” 

“What do you fucking think? That I got some genius orphan that came packaged with all the schooling she’d need?”

“Okay, you can reel back the dickishness, thanks.” Vi huffed, “We can teach her, and in the meantime, we try to read her the best we can. We may fuck up, may say stupid shit, but we course correct. We make it through, we always do.” 

Vi was right, she was a jackass and way too laissez-faire about it, but she was ultimately right. 

“Okay. I’ll talk with her. Where’d she go? Downstairs?”

“Yeah.” 

Her stool scratched as Jinx made headway for the bedroom. She pushed open the door only to find Isha curled up knees to her chest, and a concerned pout staining her lips. Regrette settled as Jinx silently watched her. Perhaps her reaction was too much, perhaps she should have left to deal with the shock alone.

Regardless, what was done was done, all she could do was try now, “Hey stink-bug. Sorry Vi kicked ya, we needed to have grown-up talk.”

She put her right hand in a half heart, extending the thumb straight. 

“Uh, because…” Jinx sighed, “Because I was a little upset. Not at you, just cuz yesterday y’know.” 

Isha nodded, scooting over. Jinx took the spot, crossing her legs, letting Isha sit on her lap. It was nice, a heavy pressure keeping her grounded, blowing away the cold of upstairs. 

“Are you okay?” Isha looked down, her face scrunched in thought, “It’s okay if you’re not okay.” 

Eventually, she laid a hand on Jinx’s chest, right over the hole. Electric strings tickled her, but Jinx brought a smile, genuine for once. “I’m fine here, you don’t got to worry-”

She shook her head vigorously, whipping a bit of water drops still clinging to her hair on Jinx. A slight chuckle filled the air, “I’m serious, I’ve got secret powers, no one can ever hurt me hurt me, I’ll always be around. So don’t worry about me, I’ll keep us both safe, forever.”

Big brown eyes were brimming with tear-felt emotion studying her. Then suddenly it was like a damn gave way, Ishadidn’t sign anything, just pancaked herself against Jinx, cuddling close. Maybe an afternoon nap wouldn’t be so bad. Jinx laid them down, watching Isha more than resting herself. 

Up above the bars doors creaked open. For a split moment, Jinx feared for more mind games, one to keep her alert, thatwas until heavy footsteps and a strong voice asked, “Where’s Jinx.” 

Welp, shit she forgot.

But Vi had dealt with Sevika enough in the past to have a nice chit-chat without Jinx’s involvement. Besides Vander loved to play mediator, she was sure they could conduct themselves as adults without her input. 

Surely.

Chapter Text

Vi tongued the edgings and scarring on her lip, a boil of emotions slowly turned to a cooling simmer. Like a wind-up toy, Vi felt she reached her max turning. It wasn’t anger or even the vague sense of being upset that set her on edge, Vi didn’t really have a name for the brand of frustration that Jinx elicited, but she damn near brimmed with it. Every word shared between them was the wrong one, every gesture offensive. 

Vi missed the old ease with her sister, now-days they either were spitting nails or nailing each other to the ground, and not in the fun way. Not play wrestling or pillow fights or silly arguments that would keep them up hours. Powder’d been puddy in Vi’s hand, so malleable, so simple. She could pull a smile from Powder just by gazing her way.

But Jinx was wild as wind and even more unpredictable, a constant course of raging emotions spinning her and sweeping up everyone in her vicinity. 

Vi supposed she’d been right, or Jinx really, the sister she knew was gone, though death wasn’t the right analogy. Jinx hadn’t slaughtered Powder, nor had she tumbled down a well never to rise up. Powder just grew older, grew different than Vi fantasies for years. Yet it had the same effect. Powder- Jinx, whoever she was anymore, may still thoroughly be her sister, from her twinkling eyes, crinkled excited face, or over-worried pout, yet became completely unrecognizable to Vi

Seven years of absence and six months of shit decisions…

A slow breath leaked from Vi’s nose, desperately wishing it’d been cigarette smoke instead. Isha’s drawing still innocently laid next to Vi, she quickly folded it. 

A rough hum hooked Vi’s attention, reeling her eyes towards Vander. He was losing it, himself. It was unimaginable, a wrestle between beast and man constantly wagging in one’s own mind. The beast was winning now that it was just the pair, Vander laid his head and arms down, folded in, like he planned to take a nap on the counter. An eye closed and another looking at her, shining with some want.

Another sigh ripped from her as she trailed her nails up and down his shoulders. Vander purred, full on and Vi just pressed her lips so tight they were gone. Where had her life gone so wrong…

A bang shocked Vi and Vander up, like an electric touch jolting them into a fighting stance. An elongated shadow poured into the bar, stretching up them both, the figure obscured by the lime-light outside. Eventually, the pale neon red inside (Silco’s tacky fucking club) illuminated Sevika. 

Ah, just what Vi needed on her fine shitty morning. 

Sevika barely brushed over Vi, taking a quick sweep of the space. Her ever-present frown dug deeper in her face as dissatisfied eyes settled back on Vi, scrunched like Vi was shit made sentient. “Where’s Jinx?”

Vi stiffened at Sevika’s smarmy voice poking around her cigarillo. The ashes flicked to the bar ground as she filled up the room. Her tone brought a sour taste to Vi’s lips like she was licking away days-old liquor and vomit.

“Taking care a Isha.” Vi fingered for her forgotten drink, taking the rest in a long, languid gulp. Whipping her lips on her shoulder, she rolled her shoulder, keeping an even temper, “Now what the hell you want?”

“I sent word I was coming, told her to keep you in line.”

Vi scraped her chair back, pushing herself in Sevika’s space. A server pout twisted Sevika’s lips, flickering agitation flitted across her face, and like a pissed cat popping claws, Sevika tensed her bicep, bulking her up for a fight. 

And damn her cuz it worked. Vi’s aching gut dropped at the sight, having been put through a year's worth of abuse in a day. And it wasn’t like Sevika was one to mind ripping stitches, her handiwork or not. 

But this was Sevika, and if anything, Vi wasn’t gonna look like a weak whimpering fool in front of her. She may be house, holding all the cards, but as long as Vi could bluff confidence, she still had a fighting chance not to look completely inept. “I ain’t anyone’s lap dog, now spit out what you want or get out.” 

Then the tension in Sevika’s shoulders snapped, puffed into harsh smoke. Sevika huffed a laugh, tonguing her cigarillo, twisting it to the other side before removing it. “Quit acting like you own shit or are owed shit.” The smoke hissed from her lips, blowing right to Vi. “Now get Jinx, I ain’t waiting any longer to check on that cult-” 

“The cult?” Animosity drained from Vi; a dam of anger breaking away, instead filling a waiting valley with fresh fear. “Something happened?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“Quit beating ‘round my bush, tell me what the fuck happen-” 

“They’re dead.” 

The news hit harder than any punch Sevika could have dealt. Vi musta looked gobsmacked; jaw lax, brain buzzing yet more than empty. The horrid implication ran miles in her head, a bloodbath of Noxians raining down their spears upon one of the Undercity’s only reprieves. Peaceful people laid to waste, children turned orphan, left sobbing, left waiting to be taken with their kin. Vi's eye twitched, nearly turning back to the not-so-innocent drawing on the table.

Fuck, if Caitlyn was there in the commune then that’d mean the Noxians were as well… how could she have thought it’d play any different.

Vi’s voice fizzled, her breath stolen straight from her. Only a squeak of a question managed to escape the volt of Vi’s throat, “Dead?”

But damn Sevika for her nonchalantness, the ease as she said, “Move, if there's survivors, I don’t want them waiting any longer.” 

And then she passed Vi up, shouting out for Jinx down the stairs. That metal wind-up finally triggered, sending Vi in a lightning-paced daze towards Sevika, nails scratching her metal shoulder. Sevika jerked like Vi’s touch was made of pure fire. “Get your fucking hand-” 

“I’ll go.” Vi near pleaded. It wasn’t quite so desperate to be one, but she was verging, “Leave her and the kid be, Jinx’s been having it rough today. I can- I want to help, we can handle it.” 

Sevika stiffened, “And if there’s Noxians?”

“Don’t bullshit me, you wouldn’t be heading with just Jinx if you thought there were.”

“I just don’t get you…” Sevika lowered her head, hacking a loogie. Vi almost imagined her spitting it at her, but instead she snapped her tongue, swallowing, shouldering past her. “I ain’t got time for tricks or payback, people are dying-” 

“Sev.” Vander’s ears pricked, lifting his head in a slow jagged manner, like it was weighed down. Sevika stopped dead, an uncomfortable silence filling them as Vander worked an uncooperative snout, “She- she help. Taught ‘er to-” 

Sevika nearly laughed, deep in her throat. It came strained, in a short burst of pained confusion. 

“I won’t do shit to you, I have no reason to.” Vi stepped forward, “And I want to help, let me help.” 

Sevika kept her back to Vi. She became unreadable, not even tense nor truly relaxed, just a silent stone scale that could land on either side. A long moment passed before something finally popped the uncomfortable bubble.

“Whatever.” 

That's all she said before walking straight through the doors, clicking close after her. 

That was good enough for her. Vi gave Vander a squeeze to his shoulder, “I’ll be back, tell Jinx I left.” 

Vander grunted as Vi trailed Sevika, she pushed open the bar doors and was welcomed with the morning air hitting her in one big miasmatic, greasy wall. 

Vi doubled on impact, curling in as she wheezed and gasped on the residual grey that still poisoned the air, pure smoke and ash invaded and coated her lungs, leaving this acidic chemical aftertaste that flared up her nostrils. Fuck, the Drop musta had better ventilation than she first gave it credit. 

Vi tried to get ahold of her breathing, but the second take of air was worse than the first, forcing even more of a burst of sputtering spit and a tang of blood. 

Some areas had been better than others, Vi’s apartment had been out of most strikeways, but the Lanes had been their prime interest. She’d thought that being in it, even in minute amounts comparatively, would have prepared her, but this was just pure burning hell.

The haggard coughing hushed into the occasional pitiful fit as she crawled her way up a pole, and when Vi managed to get her breathing straight enough, she caught the oil-slick smirk Sevika sent her while she took in a deep breath, like she was drinking in a cool crisp bought of fresh winter’s day. 

“Come now, we’re burning chem-light.” 

Then she started down the Lanes, leaving Vi in her proverbial dust trail still hacking. Vi had no choice but to follow, Always being lead, never the leader anymore it seemed. 

As they forced their way through, Vi kept covering the cough with a clearing of her throat, as she hunched herself in. Despite being outside, she’s never felt more caged and claustrophobic. The Lanes weren’t the clearest, plenty of crowding, vendors practically standing on each other, spitting sales pitches, calling for interest, and the mill of the not-the-most unfortunate was a decent size. And the wall-to-wall buildings didn’t help, adding into one long corridor bouncing off its own noise as she maneuvered against the traffic. 

Though that wasn’t it, or at least not all. Vi swore a constant barrage of knowing eyes followed her through the narrow cobblestone road. That each shove was full of malicious purpose, that each accidental stare would jump-start a fight. That she was being picked and prodded and encouraged to start something so they could have plenty of an excuse to kill the trencher-turned-Piltie Pig.  

But nothing came of it, though maybe that had to do with Vi obviously being with Sevika than lack of intent. She took to the Lanes like she owned the whole damn street, stiff as steel, but lax in her walk and swagger. She demanded respect and distance, a deathly cool version of Vander’s own stride when he’d been top dog. 

Sevika lazily watched the people, nodding to some, a quick word to others, usually unrecognizable except for a few Vi picked as Silco’s old goons. Though the air between them stayed quiet, there was no use in talking, especially as they reached the Howl’s station and started to crowd their way on.

The old rusted animal was a brick box with a pair of levels and dark yellowing window panes that hardly provided a view anymore. It sat on the precipice of oblivion with only a giant, grating, industrial chain holding it steady enough for people to enter. 

It swayed with the additional weight as Vi surveyed the space and Sevika paid faire and struck up a chat with the conductor, a woman made of wrinkles and soaked in liquor and cheap perfume. The rest of the haul was a busting can of sardines practically, no place to sit and barely a possible graffitied wall to lean herself on. Most were laborers, it seemed shift change must be coming up. 

Coal stained was a common sight, especially when you got out of the Lanes and into the more poor districts. Instead of bustling business, most of the rest of lower Entresol was packed with tenement housing. 

A couple of kids in uniform poked at each other, showing off scratches and injuries. Vi could only imagine they got them in a steel box rather than out playing. Then there were dragged down older folk, particularly several passing a flask after a long shift. It was a ragged sea of patchwork overalls and despair.

Vi bristled. Crazy how close she came to this being her life. 

Sevika shouldered her and they made their way back. The sea parted for them, for Sevika, eyes looking away, almost like they feared to acknowledge her. They settled in the far back, Vi against a peeling paint on spider and Sevika cracked amber glass, staring pointedly out the window. Guess it was hard to see firsthand the damage when one profited so heavily from it. 

Vi considered staying shut up, but admittedly, the clink-clink-clinking of metal on chain as they descended wasn't the nicest sound on the ear, and the increased sting of factory smog mixing with her morning dose of grey was worsening the twist in her stomach. Shit burned worse than Freljord Vodka straight and right in her nose too. She’d just need a half-decent distraction. 

“What were you talkin’ with her about?”

Sevika's gaze didn’t break, “Dian doesn’t go lower than she needs to.” Vi shrugged, figures. Unless you quite literally spend your last coin to go rot in the Sump, no one would pay to get down there. Usually, you find yourself taking a long walk off the short cliff that is the Entresol and land there. “And then she tried to talk me out of it.” 

Vi huffed, “Bet her employer wouldn’t like her denying coin like that.” 

“Occasionally people care for more than just their own hide.” Vi frowned, “Be on guard, she said the Sumps weren't right.” 

Vi rolled her eyes, “When is it ever?” 

And with each stop the Howl hit, the more and more passengers it lost, eventually second to last stop, the last batch before them gave them varying degrees of confused split-second glances, none still brave enough to acknowledge their presence, aside from one loud mouth.

“Think they ‘eading for that loons paradiso?”

“Don’t get messing with Baron business.” An older woman hissed, pulling his threading cuff.

“Baron? And they ridin’ Ol’ Howl with us lot, you los’ it.” He laughed abrasively.  “First some crazed Piltie with hammer dickin’ ‘round, now Barons joining Sumps finest suicide cul’. Sure, sure.” 

The woman hushed him, looking back toward Vi and Sevika, and practically jumped when she caught Vi watching. She took the man, ducking and dragging him out. Last out, now Vi and Sevika were left for the slow descent down.

Vi worried her lip. She couldn’t imagine that Viktor made it into a suicide cult, especially with the purpose always being to aid those forgotten below. But wouldn’t word of Noxus’ invasion spread quicker setting fire in the Lanes? They should be the prime suspect in a mass death situation unless somehow Viktor's group got caught in suspicious shit that Vi hadn’t known of before. And that’s not even touching the Piltie.

With the space emptied, Sevika slid to a seat as the Howl groaned again, what little light filtered through the windows being drowned out by sorrow and shadows. 

The view was replaced with a jagged grey rock face and a thick ever-present fog hanging in layers nearly like milky thin clouds. It took a long while to get into the cavern that the Sumps was carved into. There was one stop that still worked, any lower had been flooded years before Vi was a glimmer in anyone's eyes. With the Howl finally hitting, Sevika hulled herself up. 

The conductor turned her thin, worried face towards them, coughing, “Don’t get in too much trouble now.”

Vi smiled, cheekily, “Can’t promise that.” It didn’t seem to entertain her. 

“There’s a buzzer inside the station. Press it when you need me.”

And with those parting words, Sevika and Vi were left to the depth; a wasteland of her past.

The station was little more than a metal loading box that had a hole cut out for the Howl’s doors, and most of a wall missing for an entrance. Rotting and chipping dull green paint, it was liberally littered with holes through the ceiling, some from stolen planks of metal, some rust eaten. It was barely a barrier to the greater Sump, but it was as close to a safety spot as one could get. There was always that button…

Regardless, Vi took the first few steps into the abandoned streets of the old minors district, her first home.

The colors of youth had filtered out over the years, having been bled dry into a varying grey scale shadowing everything. Everything: decay and death. Even the gravel road cracked and powdered under her weight. Off in hazy distances, broken, flooded, and burnt buildings in half construction still stood, their foundation obscured by a blanket of trash, chief amongst them broken shimmer canisters and maggot-filled food. 

The smoke down here wasn’t burning, a chemical or a man-made pollutant, it was just musty. Just like the accumulation of dust in an old bar’s basement bedroom. The air shimmered with the occasional blinking chem-light, or at least around the ones still lit.

Vi ran a hand up a brass chem-pole, creaking under her pressure, trying to orient herself. If she closed her eyes, she could almost smell the fish markets and the coal dust, see a street worth of people trying to get by. Then axle grease and worn leather and a father's rough hands and a mother’s soft, stern tone both warm and guiding... 

It hadn’t felt like rock bottom as a kid. Maybe back then it’d been too full of good people trying to get by to feel like she was missing anything. Sure they’d been trapped in a cramped shack, and her parents always were away, always beat down and tired, and the food was worse than poor,  but Vi’d never known anything else, never thought she needed anything else. 

Even now she’d still take the Sumps for the shit hole it was if she could just have that warmth again. If only. 

“Been a long moment,” Sevika said, she blew some smoke into the already dense smog. “Real long moment.” 

“You sound almost nostalgic.” Vi choked, then played it as a tease. It didn’t work. 

“I ain’t,’ She shook her head, a thin veil of disgust hid something deeper behind her eyes. “Trust me… Now where’s it?”

“It was built ‘round Hope House, though it span wide enough to catch our old house in their outer fields.”  

Sevika nodded, and they left for it. Down forgotten dirt roads that Sevika seemed to have memorized. Most of the trip was littered with the same sights as when the first left the station, there being no greater variety than a few fleshy torn corpses or dried sprays of blood, nothing a shock to either, though Vi still took it in with a heavy heart. That was until they came upon a shack still standing, with a busted-in window and a Noxian war flag planted next to a recently dug grave. Vi’s bristled but passed it all the same, but Sevika for the first time seemed spooked, halting.

Sevika muttered something under her breath, Vi hummed, questioning, and Sevika sighed. “Dealer’s shop is stranded…”

“Obviously.” Vi nodded towards the banner. 

“Side door's broke” Sevika stepped up, leaning in, “Her wares are a mess, and the shimmer’s gone.” 

“Shimmer?” Vi questioned, “Do they know about it?”

“I don’t know.” Sevika hissed, “And I don’t know what all she had.” 

“She could have run. Coulda taken it all with her.” 

Concerns still creased Sevika as she pulled back, “For her sake and ours let's hope.”

They trudged on now with Noxian banners becoming an uncomfortable companion till they hit the gates of the commune. 

Its golden arches curled around itself like a pair of old trees entangling themselves. It stood a mockery of a barrier, it should have been a protection between the violence of Piltover and the peaceful paradise that Viktor constructed. 

Beyond the split-second beauty of fields of food and flowers spanding acres which was slightly blighted by the numerous banners and the half-torn tent housing, there were few gleaming rays of light filtering down from some unknown source illuminating the true tragedy. 

Previously forgotten by God and man, there was no light, but now it churned in cruel glee, spot-lighting a torrent of twisted, terror-stuck corpses carpeting the floor. 

The land, now a death pit of perfect bodies in their ruined utopia lay before her, mingling into one endless, indistinguishable amalgamation. 

None of the bodies had started decomposing, just leaving paling sheets of people, almost porcelain with how glossy and glass-like their skin became. They were tethered with spider-like webbing that had once healed them, now growing black like mold infesting their skin. They became more like cracked dolls than human corpses. 

Though humanity didn’t lay in their appearance, but rather the way they rested. That’s what really stole Vi’s breath away. In crumpled heaps, dropped dead on the spot, whatever their source of destruction left a clear calling card edged into each victim's face forever, a jaw-breaking screech that pittered out long ago, still calling, begging to be heard and understood by the living. If she listened just well enough, she was sure she could pick up the reverberations still bouncing off the walls of the Sump.

Vi gulped, blood frozen, her skin turned deathly cold. A distant scent of gunpowder flitted under her nose, forcing a gag. There’d been only one other time that Vi’d seen so many mannequin-esque corpses piled up. Only one time when she couldn’t tell when one body started and another ended.  

Acidity hit Vi’s mouth like a punch, she barely had enough time to double over before she emptied her guts over a spray of yellow flowers. 

“Oh my gods-” Vi huffed, “Oh my gods what the-” 

She kept flashing, stuck in a carousel between reality and a deep buried memory. She’s long made herself forget her parent's corpses, their widened eyes, dull with death and bodies pumped full with blood-soaked holes, weeping for life. The sulfur encased her, the rancid screams of people dying, a deep, long breath of a faceless metal monster watching her with unknown intent. 

Vi heaved again.

“Shit, kid.” Sevika sighed. Vi felt the phantom of a hand over her shoulder, she jerked back reflexively, almost scared to be touched. Sevika didn’t need any more invitation to pull back.

“Why would they do this?” Vi asked in a haggard breath. “Kill us, for what?”

“This isn’t the Noxians doing,” Sevika said as she crouched near a child, a spear was lodged in her leg, but the blood barely let. If you could call it blood, this is. It was a purpling black bubble, similar in color to the webbing across her chest and neck, but her blood was inky. Almost too watery to be blood, and was only peeking from where the brass spear was embedded with a few gray tear stains running down her legs. 

She moved the girl's leg, nodding, then briefly brushed a finger over some of the webbing crawling her neck. “What the hell is this?”

Vi didn’t answer, nearly heaving again as Sevika manipulated the body- oh god a body.

“Vi?” 

“What!” 

Sevika clicked her tongue, “You said you wanted to help, yeah? Now quit being a pansy and get over here.” 

Vi fisted the ground, dirt digging under nails. The shaking in her arm turned angry as she shot faster than a firecracker, “The fucks your issue-”

Sevika smirked, huffing a laugh, “So easy to rile you up.” Sevika turned back to the girl, a hand cradling her neck, “Now again, what’s this black shit on her?”

“Fucking bitch.” Vi muttered as she neared on unsteady legs, swallowing around the chunks still in her mouth. As she got closer, she felt that nausea washing up, but managed to take a breath calming the raging tides. But Vi more than kept her distance, but answered, “Viktor, their leader, said he healed people, all his followers had similar markings, so I’m guessing it was part of the process.”

“Or part of what was actually killing them.”

Vi bit her lip, “He wasn’t-”

Sevika gently laid the girl back, then swiveled on heel to examine another corpse, a young man with a banner thrust through his chest. “Where is this famed charliten anyways?”

Vi bristled, then paused. “I don’t, fuck- You don’t think the Noxians would have taken him?”

“Would they have any use?” Sevika asked, standing, “Besides I don’t get why the hell they’d attack a bunch of bodies. What use did they have here.” 

“They initially came looking for Vander.” Sevika raised a brow, “That’s what Caitlyn tol- said, I overheard her.” 

Shaking her head, at the situation or Vi’s shit excuse for a cover-up, she wasn’t sure, sighing, “Still doesn’t explain fucking with the dealer down there, not to mention it’s a ghost town. I can’t imagine all of the Sumps came flocking.” 

“I don’t see why not, better here than out festering in your own waste and shit.” 

Sevika hummed, “Still, something is just off. I don’t think they were just here for Vander, or at least didn’t leave with just him in mind…” 

“Well, what else could they have wanted.” 

Sevika was quite a long moment, only to break with an anticlimactic, “I don’t know.”

Sevika carefully maneuvered around the corpses. Her shoulders hung lower than Vi’s ever seen as she gazed upon each of them. Her lips wavered, her cigarillo about to tip over. “Let's find this bastard and see what answer we can beat from him.” 

Vi tensed, the way Sevika kept talking, Vi was worried should Viktor actually be alive she’d see to it he wasn’t any longer. And maybe it was deeply naive of her, but Vi was more than certain Viktor had nothing to do with this. The way he cared for these people, the hope he brought…  She’d just need to get there first. “There was a glass dome he stayed in, the shattered one over there. I’m going to look for survivors.”

“I’ve dealt with such people like this before, there won’t be, trust me.” 

And with those haunting words, Vi departed for Viktor's quarters. 

As she got away from the epicenter of the massacre, it got easier to ignore the palpable linger of death, until she came upon the metal structure encasing Viktor's dwelling. A blown back hole was through the top, the doors off their hinges, and something had been obviously dragged behind a pair of awkward footsteps. Vi shoved her way through, shouldering the door off its hinges. Creaking it slammed to the ground and Vi gasped at the sight:

Viktor, in a pool of deep violet blood, a hole cut straight through his chest, through his whole body, encircling the outer edge in crystalline and, against God’s will, lay barely breathing. 

Chapter Text

Chilled silence poured into The Drop, the only disturbance was Vander’s thunderous low snore and Isha’s softened hiccups. Though both were drowned in a thick oil of the buzzing bouncing round Jinx’s head. 

Just in Vi’s absence everything dulled to a staticy gray-scale, leaving Jinx near edging. Rest eluded her, it was as though her anxiety took a blade to her eyelids, keeping Jinx wide eyed and alert since the doors last slammed shut. 

It was almost like her body was waiting for doom to come banging open her broken down doors once again. 

They got out too easy last night. There must be something waiting. Waiting for Vi in whatever wasteland Sevika decided to drag them both to. 

Shards of vile thoughts tried to take hold. At first Jinx valiantly held firm in avoiding them, but that cocktail of shimmer and self-hate did love torment her, love to let her skin get shredded to pieces. Soon worries would worm their way into her fertile brain and plant gory glory, the sort of grotesque sights she couldn’t ignore.

Before her playing off the dust coated bunk ceiling of a silver screen came a million scenarios looping on cheap film. Stuttering past her, each more detailed as she engrossed herself in them more and more. 

First it was dashes of blood and guts slashing across her coming seconds at a time. Then soon, whisper on stale wind, came hefty, defiant groans as Vi fought for her life and limb. But no matter how hard fought, she’d lose and lose and lose. 

It always led into Vi hitting the ground, red spit dribbling from delicate rosy lips, gut-chest-head-everything spillage splattering to the ground in gruesome heaps. Each time a faceless monster would stand aloft over her, with a deeply familiar razor wire grin splitting the blackened mass before they striked down the final killing blow.

The only constant was the painstaking end: each time as the light left Vi’s paling eyes, Jinx ignored the blood, would feel the fleeting warmth of her muscled, soft arms, taste the sweet salt staining her lips as Vi whispered her name, her final word.

Soon Jinx's eyes cracked open. Unaware that they’d even closed, unaware of her hand laying a little lower than her stomach.

Jinx groaned, shifting to her side, trying to ignore the gory erotica that kept plaguing her, a fantasy she should have ditched way before now. (Especially since Vi was back, Vi was willing to be with her, trying for the first time in years. She can’t keep doing this, she can’t jinx it this time.) 

Jinx shifted, rubbing, stretching her eyes thin, forcing them to stop seeing for just a moment. Once the fuzz dissipated, she was greeted with half of Claggor looming in shadows. The sneer weighed heavy, his breath a suffocating fog choking her.

So instead she watched Isha. Curled like a pretty kitty-cat, Isha slept crushed up and small, the only moment was her eyes crinkling, a worsening frown and further curling, hunching tighter than a ball.

She was so damn small. Jinx laid a hand over her arm. Cold, clammy, thin. 

If it wasn’t for the slight moment she could swear she’d pass as a sleeping angel.

Claggor grunted. She didn’t need to hear him to know what he was thinking: 

Psycho perverts like you deserves them dead. 

“I know.” Jinx muttered, melting to the mattress, back to him, begging for him to get bored. “Can you just stop probing my head for just a minute? I already fucking know.” 

Suddenly the air grew light, and Isha stilled. Jinx sighed, half turning, peeking out the corner, no Clag, though now she could pick Mylo’s stuttering banshee tittering. 

He must be ratting about somewhere. In the floors, hanging off walls, waiting in rafters, who knows? But he was just waiting to give her a scare. It felt like life was just waiting to give her a scare.

Fuck this, there’d be no scare. Vi and Sevika would be fine, maybe blooded up from getting on each other's nerves, but nothing a good dose of peroxide and chucking a bar rag couldn’t fix. And it wasn’t like Isha was gonna suffocate on her own spit (Right?). She wasn’t gonna die out of nowhere. Everything is fine, everything is-

Rotting. A festuring relationship with a dead sister and a skin n’ bone puppy. 

How long shall this dream last Jinxy-

Isha snuffled, tensing. Her nails scratched thin lines, grasping for a safety net in the wild world of dreams. Jinx untangled her fingers from her hair, shifting to encage Isha in a hug, slow enough not to startle, but just a tad tight to wake her. Her eyes snapped, the shadows of nightmare still lingering until she got her barings. Rubbing her face, rubbing the tears into her forearm, she sat up looking about. From this view, she’s so small… So fragile… It seems everyone she loves is so…

Weak. 

“You okay?” Jinx whispers. Isha didn’t smile, but she did nod. “Let’s get you out, how bout? Take you for a bit of air before Vi gets back and gets all scared we’re gone.”

Isha made a peace sign, sticking her thumb through the middle of her fingers. Where? Then she made a fist.

“Where’s Vi?” Nodding like a just sprung Jack-in-the box, Isha let the first slip of a toothy grin. “She and Sevika are out.” 

Again, where. 

“I don’t…” Jinx sighed, she can’t say she doesn’t know. Curiosity kills little girls, and she’ll either keep pestering til Jinx figures some cock and bull story or try to go figure herself. Better the cock and bull. “They’re visiting a friend. Wanted ta talk about stuff.” 

She points to her lips, flapping them like a puppet gone mad, then a fist with her thumb out. 

“I don’t know what they’re talking about, short stack, she didn’t say.” Jinx scooted, “Now let us not waste, we’ve got plenty of the day to spend.” 

And she was faced with a full on child sized glare, how sugary sweet. “C’mon babe, it’s just borin’ grown up stuff, nothin’ you’d like.” 

Still nothing.

“How about we go do some shopping and we make ourselves a stew?” Jinx slipped back in next to Isha, digging boney fingers into boney ribs. Isha squirmed like bait on a line, and Jinx planned to reel her right in. “And once Sevika and Vi come back and love the shit out of it, you can lay in on ‘em and ask all your favorite questions how’s that sounds.” 

Isha managed to wiggle her way from Jinx, flopping to the bed like an annoyed cat, but in a half-huff she rolled out, holding on the warped wooden door, swinging. She’d take that as a win, she needed one just about now. 

Jinx bounced herself up, pulling Vi’s old hooded jacket over her hair. Her and Isha pattered up the stairs, Jinx talking of everything they’d need to get as she reached the door. Just barely curled her fingers around the handle, the door slammed, Sevika about pancaking Jinx into the other door. 

“Fucker you serious?” Jinx cursed, falling on her ass. Isha came to a stop, a silent giggle wracking its way up her, when Sevika turned a red-iron hot glare to Jinx. 

Well didn’t she look as radiant as a raging rottweiler; the fuck crawl up her ass? It didn’t seem she was one to talk, a grimace was edged in her mountainous face, lips screwed shut, but that slowly sloughed off as Isha came running to her.

Isha, brighter than fireworks, banged on her right bicep furiously. Sevika huffed, now cooling to more of a pissed off poro, said, “Yeah kid, I can see you.” 

“Where’s Vi?” Jinx asked as Isha signed where and pointed at Sevika, they both got one of Sevika’s famous annoyed teeth snaps in return. “Checked on that fucking cult, she’s a bit slowed down.”

Isha got real still real quick, like a corpse-like cold wave crashed into her, her hands fell frozen to her side, excitement traded for a vague veil of worry. 

Jinx’s lips dragged down as she dragged herself up. “Why in the fuck would you risk running into the Golden Army to check on a good-for-dead cult? You two could have died!”

“To search for survivors.” 

A bark of a laugh ripped through her. The dumbassery! Out of Vi this was suspected, but Sevika? “I told you there weren’t.” 

Sevika raised a brow, a disbelieving chuckle broke, “Yeah?” 

Jinx jerked her head, the fuck sort of response was-

Then the door damn busted open again, though at least this time not with Jinx behind it. 

Now here comes Vi, huffing like her lungs were punch holed and couldn’t hold air, and her guest of honor? A purpling tin man that was peeled wide open looking like the deadest body Jinx’s ever seen. 

There was a nice gaping hole ripped through his center, and like Jinx’s new addition, clear blue crystal encased where the wounds flesh bits (or whatever bits he’d have) would be waterfalling out. The little bit of man left, his face really, was a putrid white cast: a canvas stretched far too thin, looking like a dull pencil could poke through and make him bleed more.

Vi hauled him in on back, her a hunched peasant carrying her false messiah. Still though, she was too short to haul him properly, his toes literally scraping against the ground, metal on wood. Vi sneered, spitting nails at Sevika, “Gonna lend a hand?”

Sevika pulled a cigarello from her pocket, practically twirling it in her face. “Sorry, it’s busy.” 

“Fuckin’,” Vi grunted, then with a shocking bit of force body slammed him to the counter. And who would have thought, the not-so-dead corpse groaned on impact. Even Vi grimaced, surprised. “Shit sorry, Viktor.”

Jinx tensed tight, damn near feeling like a wound up chomper that was going to blow off on them. Except it wouldn’t be pretty color coming from her mouth.

Because why in the ever loving fuck was Vi dragging in near corpses made of fucked up flesh through her bar and then suplexing them onto her fucking counter. If Jinx didn’t watch it, soon she’d be taking on a stress headache worse than had she taken the door to the head twice. 

But then of course, those bulging, pleading, puppy-dog Vi eyes laid into Jinx. Blistering blue, so vibrant that if Jinx didn’t watch it she’d get sucked in and the pissed off would puff into air. Jinx continued her stare down, waiting for Vi to spill and then for her dumb ass mouth to reignite Jinx’s anger. 

For once Vi was smart. She didn’t dare to ask, but Jinx knew what she was begging for; a Goddamn miracle. 

“You think shimmer’s gonna fix that?”

“No.” Vi scoffed, “I ain’t that dumb.” 

“But you think I can do something, don’t you?” Jinx pressed, “Else why would you drag in a hunk of junk.” 

“He isn’t a ‘hunk of junk’, he needs help! I couldn’t just let him die there, surrounded by all those bodies, bleeding out… I just couldn’t leave him like that. ” Vi clamped, her fist wrapped around his limp hand, a tight squeeze, one pushing in her reassurance. It was soft in its own way, something that’s been long lost, long foreign to Jinx. Vi’s tender touch was barely a whisper to her skin. “There’s gotta be something we can do.” 

“Are you serious?” A giggle broke at the audacity. “People die all the time. I’ve got a parade of bodies, it ain’t nothing new, it’s nothing worth saving him for-”

“How could you-” Vi bit, “After everything he’s done for us, I thought you’d be the easy one to convince.” 

“Yeah, great point, why the fuck are you into this shit?” Jinx turned to Sevika. 

Sevika sighed, deliberate and slightly annoyed, it seemed more with herself than with the question. Her tone wavered as she watched on, “We talked and Vi believes he may have some information on Piltover, or so she claims. It's why that Piltie apparently went to take him out. Thinks he’d be willing to work with us.” Sevika paused, eyes shifted down, first hitting Isha, then back to Jinx, “I agreed she could drag his ass and talk with you, under the condition that he’s got a kill switch on him should you do it. I don’t need this to become an issue.”

Oh now this was new.

“Is that so?” Jinx raised a sharp brow. 

Vi perked like a pup finally given a bone, “Yeah, of course. He was close with the council, but after what they did, I mean he couldn’t possibly stay loyal to them.” 

Jinx blew a breath brimming with disbelief, how silly. How fucking naive, especially of Vi. Arms crossed, Jinx swallowed around the vile she wanted to spout. Instead she sneered, pulling up a honey-sweet smarm to coat her dripping sarcasm, “You know I may be a metal worker, but I can’t pull miracles out my ass.” 

But Vi didn’t get any of that, with all sincerity she darted forward, taking Jinx by the hand, “I know you can, because you're so damn smart. And there’s these digrams that’ll help, just please.” 

A blush slowly started to crawl her cheeks, Jinx quickly shifted, Jinx shrugged her off, “You won’t take no for an answer, will you?”

“Thank you, Jinx.” Vi squeezed her hands. “I’ll be back.” 

Then she was gone, taking the steps two at a time, Jinx was left in a buzz, trying to hold onto the warmth slowly dissipating from her numb fingers.

Then a rough tug to the pants pulled her away. 

Isha’s eyes took up all her face, near bugging at the sight of the man splayed before them. She trembled against Jinx’s side, as though she was about to topple over, Isha clung to Jinx with a hand, the other scratching another chorus of little thin lines into her arms.

Jinx choked, but before she could say anything, Isha brought a shaken hand pointing at the man, then sighed an x over her heart. Dead, is he...

“Fuck, don’t-” Jinx crushed Isha to her breast, hoping to block all the nightmares. She brushed back a few strains of sticky hair back, “Hey it’s fine.”

Isha whipped her head, eyes still brimming with tears and fears. Jinx softly cursed. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking hell. Fuck Vi for bringing in strays, and fuck the fact that Isha looked like she was living through a million life-times of death in that moment. Jinx knew where that glazed look actually was, where she was.

“I- I-”

A hand came to Jinx’s shoulder, a soft push to move back, then Sevika was taking over, cigarillo back in her pocket, on knees to Isha’s height. “Hey, look at me.”

Isha sucked her lip in, snapped back, focusing on Sevika. “I know it looks scary, I even think it’s scary.” 

Hesitantly, Isha pointed a finger at Sevika, “Yes, I do. But even when we’re scared we keep hope and keep a brave face right?” 

Isha’s eyebrows furrowed, her potent pout showed the insult. She tapped the side of her head with her finger. “I know you know, cuz you’re a smart, brave girl. So right now, we’re gonna let these two shimmer-heads figure this out and leave ‘em.”

She slammed her right pointer to her left, making a cross. Sevika huffed, shaking her head, “You ain’t fine, but that’s fine, now c’mon.” Sevika hauled Isha up, holding her in an iron grip, combating Isha trying to wiggle out. “Let’s get out of their way.” 

Jinx stood back, with them, “You think this is the right thing to do?” Jinx asked one final time, her last stance, “Seriously?”

“Honestly?” Jinx nodded. Sevika shrugged, “I have no fucking clue, since Silco died… well it's like all sense went with him. Usually I would say let cultists lay dead, but with Noxians beating us down and the undercity in tatters as is… Maybe we need whatever help we can get at this point. Just do me a favor, use your head before you damn the rest of us, since I know she won’t.”

Jinx smiled. Sevika still thought she had a brain to use. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep Vi on leash. Or try to.” Jinx spun on heel, gently bumping foreheads with Isha, “And I’ll see you later, stink-bug. Be good for Sevika, kay?”

Isha hesitantly bumped her back, still not thrilled about being forced to leave, but soon Sevika and Isha left, leaving Jinx in an uneasy air. And it no sooner got worse as Vi came up. 

“Guess what I dug out from under your mattress.” Vi said, high-kneeing it up the stairs. She changed into an old-old shirt of hers, another tan hoodie that showed off the scarring on her abdomen, Jinx cringed just slightly at the sight, but covered up her hair with a mask secured round her mouth and nose. On her hip a burlap sack was tied down. “Saw it peaking while I was looking for a bag. It’s a bit dirty, but works.” 

“Yeah…” Fuck. 

Thank Janna, Vi didn’t focus on her, instead jogging towards the door, calling “I’ll be back soon, try to keep him stable while I’m out.” 

“Wait.” Jinx snapped up, “Back from where?”

“It nowhere, just, I’ll be back-”

Jinx flashed around Vi, blocking her in. Startled, Vi jerked back, “What the-” 

“It’s just nowhere, yet it's got all these fancy diagrams on how to save a little tin god? Now, now, you know I don’t like liars.” 

“There was this scientist. I’m just going to his lab, it won’t be long.”

“A scientist? How’s he gonna help our little situation out?”

“He worked on Viktor, okay! I saw him encased in the magenta glob of web once when I ran through to get this hammer. It was hextech and it could blast a laser. I think… I just need to get up there.” 

“So this scientist has a laser blaster?” Jinx’s eyes wandered over to Viktor. Well, well, how's that for a love story. Killing your darlings, how precious. Maybe Jinx and him would get on. “One he might be very intimate with?”

“Jinx.” Vi groaned in a you-are-so-right-but-I-don’t-want-to-admit-I’m-going-to-break-in-a-psychos-lab sorta way. 

“And I’m guessing mister murder man lives up in Piltover?” Jinx pressed, leaning into Vi, smelling her slight stank.

Vi back, as soon as Jinx took up air. “Like I said, I’ll be back.” And then, the audacity of it, she made a pass around Jinx.

“No you’re not.” Jinx slammed her foot, “If you are going to force my hand, and everyone else is gonna pity the fucker, then at the very least I’m coming with you, don’t want to fix a hole in your chest too.” 

“Jinx-”

“What.” 

“I- I don’t want you to get hurt, Jayce, he went missing a while back, he doesn’t know me and Cait broke it off so he won’t find it odd should he show up. But if he did and you were there…” Vi went still stone. She didn’t need to say it, the silence spelled it out. Vi sighed, slow and deliberant as she shook away whatever vision wafted before her eyes. Then, suddenly, baby blue settled right back on her. Misty, sincere, begging. “I can’t risk him doing that to you.”

It was a sweet sentiment, but one Jinx wouldn’t let Vi go through with. “You said you wouldn’t never leave me again, that you didn’t mean to the first time.”

“Seriously-”

“You’re little girlfriend couldn’t kill me and she was three feet away, Vi. No one can kill me, not even me.” Jinx tried a smile, bumping Vi’s shoulder, “So if you want me to help in your little pet project, then you’ll let me come with you.”

“She isn’t my fucking girlfriend.” Vi gritted, turning away. And Jinx wanted to full belly laugh, cuz that was her biggest concern out of all of that? “The second you hear something you hide.” A little better.

“Yeah, no duh.” 

Vi gaze was still full with uncertainty, but one glance towards her little coin-operated boy and she sured up. “Fine, let's get heading. We can’t leave him much longer.”

—

Vi’s gut wasn’t doing the best, so they took old paths back when Powder was just learning how to jump without twisting her toes and falling to her death. Short, reliable gaps between buildings and for once Jinx lead the way with Vi her trailing duckling. 

Vi’s ego bruise was damn delicious, if Jinx might say so. 

They got through the golden maze of Piltover, barely a word spoken between them, Vi much too anxious to say anything should some enforcer have super hearing or some shit. And over below wasn’t much better either. 

The dressed streets of Piltover, papered in adverts and colorful signs and sights, now suffocated in blue-gray wanted postage, practically begged for patrons. Perhaps the fear she laid over Piltover wasn’t exaggerated. Only the occasional Noxian troop in some form of death march came into view, backdropped by paint splattered walls from when Jinx released the Grey. Even a hint of burn carried all the way up here, Jinx just had to smile. If only Silco could see. 

It was nearing the afternoon by the time they actually made it to the illustrious lab. Gold light poured like warm ale onto the glossy floor, but it seemed some invisible barrier stopped any further light from fluttering in. Beyond the glistening bay windows, a crazed mess of cork boards and papers littered what once was a tidy and eclectic room of wonder. 

This wasn’t the first time she’s been here, but the chill seeped into her pores, like something died here and sucked whatever whimsey and warmth used to breathe life into this space. Vi immediately began gathering handfuls of documents, ripping papers off boards, anything she deemed to be connected to the mysterious revival of one tin man. But Jinx instead was enamored by something a little more organic. 

It was full body mirror size, or maybe a jinx and a half mirror sized, with a bronzen base that was encased in dried cornflower blue slug laden with those familiar purple wisps. Hm, interesting. 

Most the slug dripped dripped its way down to a puddle on the floor, as though the box was holding a cube of jelly that’d been flamethrower melted. But that seemed a bit silly for our oh-so serious Piltie scientist. 

Jinx scooped a bit under her nail, jiggling it, playing with it between her fingers. “Someone knock over a year's supply of jelly or something? There’s so much.”

“That’s the glob I was talkin’ ‘bout. Or what’s left of it.” Vi muttered, stuffing a few more papers away in her sack. “Don’t play with it, could be toxic.” 

Jinx smirked, turning towards her, “But you play with me and I’m toxic.” Jinx then stuck it in her mouth, and for a moment it felt like a burst of cosmic energy blew up in her, a scorching heat set fire to mouth, esophagus and various guts. Then all her insides went fuzzy and numb. “Ugh, it tastes like… static, how is that a taste?” 

Vi groaned, “Jinx.” 

“What?”

Another groan, “You know what… I love you.” 

“Aw, so sweet, sis.” Jinx smiled. “At least that makes one of us.”

Vi scoffed in what seemed to be the start to one of her lectures, but instead she just pulled Jinx up by the arm, “C’mon and quit dicking about. I’m kinda confused and concerned about some of this.” 

“Some of what?”

“This.” Vi shoved towards Jinx. “I don’t really get it, like at all, but it sounds like they used some hexcore on him? I think? Or at least they were researching it.” 

“Well no shit, this is the hextech womb, your pair o’ scientist practically birthed it in here.” Jinx flipped through the pages, faux reading, “Ain’t that big a surprise.” 

“But it involves shimmer. I saw it mentioned, that’s why I picked through it.”

Oh? Well now, would you look at that. 

“Well I guess that explains the resurrection bit, shimmer obviously got that property, and the healing people of their sins… Damn I guess I got a brother in arms with ol’ bolts for brains-” 

“Would you quit that, he’s got a name.” 

“Oh now Vi, there was nothing wrong with a good sense of teasing-”

Jinx was cut straight off when a pair of click-clacking heels came down the hall. The both stilled as the color drained straight from Vi. She shoved the bag of papers at Jinx as she jumped to cover her. 

“Fuck- get back home I’ll meet you soon.”

Well Jinx knew she said she would. But she’d live being a bit of a hypocrite. “Vi, I’m not-” 

Vi grabbed her by the shoulders, bruising, “Listen to me for once Jinx. They trust me, I’ll get out of here fine. And you’re the only hope Viktor has right now. I’ll be back soon.” 

“And if you’re not.” 

“I will, I promise.” 

Before Jinx could get any more of an argument in, the doors opened and Jinx flashed away, throwing herself over the bay window edge, barely clinging on with cat claws. Should she stay? Should she run? If they caught Vi with Piltover’s most wanted… well they’d both be thrown to the dogs. 

But if Vi was wrong.

If Vi was wrong and Jinx left her… left her to die. Would she even be able to live with herself?

Before Jinx could think either way, a strong voice floated through. “Jayce we need to- oh it’s… you.”

“Counselor?”

Chapter Text

Counselor Mel Medarda: what a breath-stealing and chilling woman.

Others may have come running in a tizzy, but despite her haste, she strode in ever cool. Collected, almost too calm.

Her fine threads and jewelry were traded for white robes fluttered and golden bands that twisted her body and pressed flesh to her, it seemed tight enough to suffocate, if not for the clarity and strength in her voice Vi would have thought she'd be choked. Her hood wind whipped off and suddenly she came to a stand still, as stark disappointment took her at first sight of Vi. “Oh it’s… you.”

“Counselor?” Vi asked, taking a worried step forward “Are you–”

“I’m fine,” She wasn’t. “Could you inform Counselor Talis I’ve returned. We need to speak, urgently.” 

“Returned?” Vi raised a brow. Vi may have been gone some time but, she’d left at all? And returned from where? And wait- "Wait, why do you need Jayce?”

“It’s not the task force's concern.” She brushed Vi aside with a frustration laden gesture, then nonchalantly made for her leave “I can’t keep distracted by this–“

Vi furrowed her brows, “You talkin’ about the Noxians?” 

And suddenly Counselor Medarda was stopped, drawn up like a pristine puppet on strings, arms clamped close in, shoulders hiked high. Slowly she creaked her head to Vi, only the shadowed side of her face shown, her lips barely moving as she asked. “The Noxians? What of them?”

The Noxians. What of them.

Blood drained straight through Vi. “There’s something else?” 

Counselor Merdarda wasn’t moved to answer her, keeping to her high stature. Fear may have threatened to pluck her voice, but then rage filled back her lungs as Vi screamed without second thought, “We’re dealing with a civil war and invasion and there’s something else threatening us?” 

And it seemed it was such the damn case, because Counselor Medarda's perfect face pinched in with each word said. She turned to fully face the side, bringing her joint palms to her lips like a sinner considering confessing to their crimes. Her pointer fingers barely brushed them in thought, then suddenly as though she realized she broke character for the fraction of a second she did, that the slip would further freak Vi, she brought her now clasped hands to her front, acknowledging her head on, smoothing the wrinkle of worry from her face into a sheet of neutrality. 

“The threat isn’t Piltover’s, but I do still need to speak with Counselor Talis. Trust me, should it become your concern, then Kirraman’s Task Force will be the first to know.” 

“There ain’t a task force anymore, and no damn enforcer will probably listen to you.” Vi snapped, “Not with the Commander running the shit show, and Ambessa gassing her up. But fuck knows if either of them are alive. Fuck knows what the hells going on, so I need to know what the fucks–”

“What?” That sounded choked, desperate, broken. “Ambessa’s… She’s..?”

God that pitiful fright. How nostalgic.

Vi softened (just slightly, though)(Ambessa did still try to slaughter her family and gut her)(bitch).

Vi should have figured there’s some form of relationship between them. Ambessa had been all over Counselor Merdarda after the memorial attack, practically cradling her like a newborn babe still bloodied from the womb with the sort of vulnerability that nearly felt invasive to watch.

She should have known. So Vi, despite her vendetta, was pulled to offer some comfort, a shred of honesty. “I don’t know for sure. She may still be fine.”

“Of course, of course...” Counselor Medarda muttered. And with a breath, her armored heart was resealed, hiding her fleshy emotions as she appraised Vi, “Tell me what you do know then.”

And Vi wanted to laugh. “So you expect me to give up information on Ambessa, but you won’t even tell me what’s gonna come banging down our doorstep–”

“Nothing’s coming for you, aside from retaliation for insubordination should you not answer my questions.”

Vi couldn’t hold it back anymore, she a bark of a laugh ripped right through her, the audacity was far too much for her to keep a straight face. “Have ta’ be part of your little piggy patrol to be insubordinate, right Counselor? There is no power overhaul here. The Councils been turned to dust. We exchange information the old fashioned way; you got something I want to know, and I got something you want to know. So spit it out.” 

The air was drenched in a palpable freeze, Counselor Medarda eyes narrowed to slits finally she made her first move from her static spot, a drawn out and calculating pace as she arched about Vi, a wolf circling her prey, but not to eat, more to kill for revenge. 

Vi snickered, throwing back her shoulders. How audacious, thinking her bravado was anything but cute. Even should she be serious about physical intimidation, Vi wouldn’t kowtow to a threat from some skin thin aristocrat. 

“Personal matters such as these are not of your concern. So I suggest you stay to your place.”

Still speaking in riddles, huh? Vi sharpened her stare, something wasn’t adding up quite right. 

Personal matters such as these. And yet here she’s talking like it might become an issue, but not an issue for Piltover? 

Counselor Medarda’s been gone for months, seemingly letting Ambessa take over in her absence, and is only coming back because of possible threats. Gone where? And why Jayce? If these are personal matters why drag him into it? He may have a mind for science, but fuck all if he had an ounce brain for anything else. 

Vi’s missing so many pieces, has too many damn questions and isn’t sure which thread to pull to start unraveling this complex mess of a political and social tapestry. 

 Vi crossed her arms, “Well let me ask this then, where you been?”

“That’s also none–”

“Of my concern, sure, but I’m just curious. You’ve been gone for months, now you come banging in demanding Jayce, yet this has nothing to do with Piltover. Maybe, who knows really?” Vi shrugged as she got in her face, “What it seems like is that you left to give an opening for Amebessa to take control, and now that something’s threatening the main empire, you’ve come running back to get Jayce on your side and rally up Piltover if need be. So I’m just curious what game you're playing at.”

“My mother’s possibly dead and you're proding a phantom issue because you can’t keep to your place.” 

“If your mother’s dead it’s only cuz she tried gutting me and my father caught her in the act!” Vi gripped her shirt, throwing up the tails and briefly letting the red scabbed up scar show. 

Counselor Merdarda’s eyes flashed to it, breathing a deep bout to calm herself as Vi continued. “But like I said, I don’t know because I was bleeding out at the time. Though you Noxian’s done worse, I’m sure you’ve done worse, so it shouldn’t even be a concern what happened to us, right?”

Counselor Medarda was quiet for but a moment. First it was a soft sigh, then she dragged sorry eyes to Vi finally looking her in the eyes. “I… I apologize. Violence like this shouldn’t have been carried out on good willed civilians. If you believe there is some conspiracy between me and my mother, as conspicuous as it might sound to you, I promise there isn’t. And I promise my leave wasn’t to allow this to happen. I hope to right whatever wrongs that may have cropped since my departure.”

“You’re not gonna give up anything are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought maybe you broke for a second, that maybe we’d have an actual conversation, but guess not” Vi shook her head. “Words don’t mean a lot in a world where everyone talks out both sides of their mouth. You're just trying to placate me to get what you want and to get me out of your way, I get it.” Vi walked away towards the bay window, leaning against it, readying to tip below. 

Her gaze flickered to the case that once held Viktor in stasis and now was left with festering globs of matter rotting on the floor. She couldn’t keep wasting time while Viktor was wasting away on some counter. She wasn’t going to let someone die just to get one over on a some incomparable counselor, especially one as sewn-lipped as Merderda. “But I got more important people to worry about than trying to pull strings of truth out of your web of lies.”

Vi begins to lean back, fully intending to let the sweet Piltie wind take her below. But before she could breach too far past the balcony's ledge, Vi felt a brief buffer as Counselor Merdarda called out, “ Wait! ” 

Then like Janna called her to stay, she got shoved several feet forward, right back onto her hands and knees before Medarda. 

Vi scratched her fingertips to the marble floor, the smooth glide of the waxed floor proved she was still here.

But how in the fuck.

Vi’s quickly turned, the large bay windows were still blown open and the thin strip of balcony unobstructed. So how–

“Wait, you don’t mean…” Vi turned back to Counselor Merdarda. Her gaze shot to the casing and back, “Where’s Viktor?”

“You care?” 

“Of course I care.” Counselor Merdarda scoffed, affronted… but as her gaze crawled back to the casing, taking in the empty void left, suddenly her squared shoulders fell, “Of course.”

Vi took a breath, standing as she attempted a casual lean and lightly pressed a hand behind her back. For a slight moment, it felt like the air had a ‘give’, but once Counselor Merdarda’s hard stare came back to her, the barrier reformed. 

Well, fuck her from the back. 

It couldn’t have been Counselor Merdarda, could it? Vi swallowed the thick flem building in her throat. Dealing with some politician was one thing, but a fucking mage ? Of course Vi gets herself trapped with one, just her damn luck kicking her right upside the ass again.

Vi took a quick breath. Just placate her and hope she lets down whatever defences she has. Make it sound urgent and maybe her reasoning will slip long enough for escape. It wasn’t complex or air tight, Vi damn well knew that, but it was the best plan she’d get under pressure.

“Someone tried to kill him,” There was no way in hell she was going to insinuate it was Jayce given how close he and Counselor Merdarda seemed. “I need to get going, my sister is with him seeing if she can do anything about it. That’s why I came here to–”

“Check Jayce’s research,” She hummed, looking about the hole filled boards, nodding. “Is he in hospital, wait, is your sister a practitioner?” 

“Of sorts.”

“Of sorts?”

“She knows her way around hextech, and honestly that’s the best shot we got. We can't drag him much further than where we’d found him, we barely got him out the Sumps as he was.”

“Gods this is ridiculous!” Counselor Merdarda was full on racing, running a track into the ground, her usually carefully hidden anxiety rushed off her in waves. Until she paused mid-step, “Has Jayce been informed?”

Vi hesitated, “He should have–”

“Have I been informed of what?” A haggard voice called down around the door, accompanied by a thump, thump, thump of metal hitting marble thundered up the still hall. 

Oh Janna no. Oh Janna please, no.

Fear prickled up Vi’s back, brushing its chilled fingers down her bumpy, hair raised arms as time tick tick ticked to a stop. Her fervent mind sped miles in minutes, trying to process what mess she’d just invited in.

Her world collapsed and focused solely on the slightly parted doors, now being busted open as the man that murdered a god came limping through towards them. 

Would come for her neck should he discover what Vi planned to do.

A thick coat of grit and grime had been painted over a usually pristine and coy face. One once carefully curated, shining with hope of prosperity and peace, made for propaganda of progress, and here he was now, nothing more than the definition of raw. A man hardly anyone would think to listen to on first glance. It was as though Hell found Jayce and dragged him kicking and crying right through it, and with a familiar twitch to Vi, she knew she was fucked.

Vi’s back hit the wall, but both the counselors were much too distracted with each other’s presence to notice. 

Counselor Merdarda stifled her gasp, she practically leaped forward, as though Jayce held her on rope and jerked her closer. “Jayce what has happened to you?”

“I’m fine.” He wasn’t. “But now’s not the time, what’s happened since…”

“Viktor’s dead– Well I guess he was revived, but then died again, did you–”

(Steady now Vi, move too quick and he might sharp shoot that laser right through your chest too. Shimmer ain’t gonna fix a fuck up like that. No, cat crawling away was the best play here.)

“Viktor.” Jayce croacked. A vibration of doom reverberated through the room. Counselor Medarda knew no better, but Vi did. Vi could feel it rattling through her bones. And so did Jayce, “He… Yes I know, what of it?”

“What of it? ” Counselor Merdarda rushed to him, brushing a calming hand up his arm. “I thought you’d be distraught.” 

“He died once already Mel– he died by your hand, by mine, by that demon.” Jayce barked, grip twisting, tightening over his hammer. It burst to life excited for bloodlust. Counselor Mederda flinched ever so slightly at the insult, at the threat of the buzzing hextech hammer. She jerked to defend herself when Jayce finished with, “I was wrong. He needed to stay dead.” 

(Almost there, just inch a bit more and you’ll be home free from a laser beam death.)

And that drained any of Counselor Merdarda’s hot emotion, cooling her to Vi’s level of terror. Counselor Mederda mouthed his last words before a blank realization struck her. The tightening in her features, the shining pool in her dark eyes, she dragged them to Vi. “Had he done something to warrant such…”

(Right there, now lean and–)

“He was creating an army to destroy Piltover. If there was another choice… there wasn’t… I had to.” 

Vi bounced off the air (Janna damn it!). Vi tried to shoulder it, but a thin glaze of shimmering light stretched wide before her. Then something wrapped her wrist, whirling her round to face them, “You’re trying to revive him?” Counselor Merdarda was shocked, which good on Vi for somehow playing her (as unintentional as that was) and Vi grimaced, hissing. 

“No, he’s not–”

Then Vi came face to face with the Mercury Hammer.

There’d been few times in Vi’s life where she knew deep in her skin that her life may be cut short. When she felt the careless caressing of death wrap boney fingers round her throat, knowing no words or fighting could possibly save her now. And funny thing is, it wasn’t really herself she was fearful for.

She feared for Jinx.

Another broken promise to add to their shattered mural of a happy life. One that she was always so close to filling in the cracks and yet some death or destruction always stole away her happy end right before she found it. 

It was Vi’s idiocy that led her here and would leave Jinx alone.

Maybe having Isha and Vander and Sevika would be enough. Maybe this was the best that Vi deserved, to have one last morning with her sister and die trying to save a life. Maybe her’s wasn’t much of a life, but it was one worth giving up to let Jinx run free.

Distantly she heard Counselor Merdarda screech, calling Jayce off, and a whip of heavenly light flashing before her eyes wrapping around the head of the hammer. Just as she realized a blessed moment of distraction, Vi bull headed and hopeful, made to jump through the window one last time. But instead of a flitting sheet of magic stopping her, a bullet sang, slicing through the air next to her ear, and cut into the concrete. 

Both counselors passed their struggle. Counselor Merdarda gasped, “No…”

The room stilled, the chaos quenched for a brief moment until a shadow draped over the banister. And like a tidal wave of rats crashing into the lab, scurrying up the walls, the shadow covering the sun, leaving in its place only one person to look at.

Jinx was quite literally haloed. A gleaming outline of her slim, gorgeous figure shook violently as a series of dark giggles fell from her heaving shoulders. 

“Threaten us?” Another giggle pushed through like her body was overfilled with them interrupting herself with the need to get them out, “You gonna threaten us? Want ickle Vicky so, so dead, yet you couldn’t finish the job.” Her head tilted, the whites in her eyes shining as she stared down Jayce. The man flinched, seeming near petrified at the sight of such small yet terrifying being, “Perhaps my first lesson hasn’t stick well enough, huh? Maybe we should fix that.” 

Then Jayce came all back in focus, time snapped back for him. Cold assurance took him as the hammer whirled to life, heating with power, “You.” 

Vi tackled Jinx to the ground as a blazing white hot laser blasted right above them, powdering the flooring of the balcony. They landed in a heap, Vi crashing hard into Jinx’s boney side as Jinx sprawled on the ground. 

Jinx didn't stay down for long, she sprayed the room with bullets first chance she got. Six shots of smoke and metal flew aiming for Counselor Merdarda and Jayce. But before making their mark true, a tangle of whip-like energy, like Counselor Merdarda was bending the sun rays to her will, struck each down with a bath of arcane sparks raining down. 

Then as a sharp crack was coming just for them, Vi made to throw Jinx down again, but her sister just snickered, kicking Vi back down.

A second later she was gone. Jinx blurred about the room, the split fractions Vi caught of her she was adorned with a girlish grin, stark contrast to the furious concentration of Merdarda. Vi scraped herself off the floor. Merdarda was just ahead, eyes just for Jinx and Vi was ready to flatten her to the ground. Ready to knock her out before they really figured what her magic was made of.

That was before a high pitched buzz came to life, splitting Vi’s ear. 

Vi’s heart stopped. 

Jayce was shot off to the side of Merdarda, the hammer he held steadily, but his quivering arms, gritted teeth, and twitching hammer head said Jayce was anything but. Despite the jittering, the shot was damn wide enough it’d do its job. It’d take a half of Merdarda in the process, but it would surely consume Jinx whole. Swallow her up and leave nothing for Vi to keep nor mourn… 

Vi didn’t even realise she lunged. First thing she did notice was the biting edge of a letter opener and the second was throwing her arm back, a scream ripped from her as she stabbed the blade in the juncture of the pole and the main body of the hammer. 

She felt some cut through and suddenly the hammer hissed.

Then it shook, a pop of sparks flew at her.

Then Vi was blown clear back on her ass. 

Her head hit, sliced right off a desk, a thick trickle of blood streamed down her cheek bone and into her ear. Vi was engulfed in a dull full body throb as she pushed herself from half laying against the desk. Rubbing at her ear, spreading the blood over her cheek Vi tried to pitch into the chaos around her. 

She hadn’t even registered it as an explosion at first. The first signs were a series of sputtering coughs and an electric cloud of dust and blue particles floating about her. She made the mistake of taking a breath, a sputter of her own coughs her reward. Soon Vi found herself doubled, clutching her scabbed stomach, praying nothing been ripped beyond repair. 

Forcing herself up, her head full of bees swarming, dulling the excited screams when she heard her name, first drowned in a river of blood with how thick her head felt, but then coming clean and clear through.

“Vi! Vi move, Violet!” And then not a moment later, as the cloud began to settle, Jayce towered her, dirt and dust streaking down his face twisted with pure insane malice. His hammer risen aloft, Vi suddenly felt like a small child again petrified in front of a scary monster ready to snuff out her young life.

Her gut pulled as she made to dash left, but it seemed she was too late, got the warning seconds after she needed it, because there was no damnable way she was going to get out of his war path before it smashed a part of her bloody.

That was before Jinx, a woman made bullet, came plowing straight into him, sending Jayce and his hammer sprawling to the ground, a growl on her lips, “Don’t touch her, she’s mine!” 

Her gun came quick to her hand again, like it never left, aiming straight for him, when– 

“NO! ” 

A barrier must have flown in front as the bullet ricochet off invisible glass, nearly taking Jinx’s ear had she not dodged. 

Then the bullet bounced again, kept ringing round in a square, nearly striking Jinx each time, and Jinx, for the life of her, couldn’t get out of the path. She bashed between the walls, the shining string thin enclosure grew smaller and smaller and smaller until the shot hit the roof at such an angle that then it spat down, slicing Jinx’s arm and bursting into the floor.

Shimmering pink tinted blood oozed from the long cat like scratch down Jinx’s bicep. But that wasn’t the end. The enclosure continued to shrink, constricting Jinx’s thin body bound by invisible ropes. 

Vi let worry go long ago in this fight, but seeing Merdarda closing in, seeing Jayce try to haul himself up, them both tiredly victorious with her sister panicked, trapped. Her air being squeezed from her.

Vi let thought leak out, let Vi go to the back of her mind and 516 emerged.

She came furious and craving the sweet sight of blood and bone. A pretty Piltie set to be more specific. 

Vi made a break. Merdarda tried pulling out her stops but they became beautifully telegraphed in the dust up. With the light and dust playing off, Vi maneuvered round them like it’d been part of her plan, as she zeroed straight in on Jayce.

Merdarda yelled, “Jayce watch–”

But it was too damn late, Vi got there in moments and with all her strength and momentum centered in, Vi smashed the heel of her boot into Jayce’s braced knee.

The first crack of broken wet bone and flesh was nothing less than delightful. A poke of bone came out the back, but Vi didn’t focus much on his sickening agonized screams nor the gore that came right after. Because Jayce was damn dumb enough to collapse, dropping the Mercury Hammer right before her.

Vi smiled wide and feral as she lifted it, the tremendous weight a comfort in her hands as she turned, eyes on her true mark.

Before Merdarda could even process, even think to capture Vi, she twisted about, pushing her weight into her throw as she slung the sparking hammer head on at Merdarda.

Merdarda’s jaw dropped, eyes blown as she dropped herself. Before the hammer could make it’s last stop to the shield Merdarda surely brought up, Vi hauled ass to Jinx, looping her arm round her waist and raced with a bright bloom of fear, excitement, and electricity licking their backs Vi finally made it to the balcony and threw them over edge. 

Vi barely snagged on the lower ledge as the blow out destroyed the banister, rocked chunks plummeting to the lower sections of the university. Vi huffed, thank Janna, as she held Jinx in her clutched arm. As the debris slowed, Vi unfurled Jinx and fell down with her to a lower level. 

“Damn you were so lucky.” Jinx said after they hit. Despite the trite tone, she was smiling wider than a mad man. “So, so fucking lucky.”

“Yeah?” Vi asked, “Well I also damn well saved your ass with that luck.”

Jinx bit her cheek, a laugh, “I guess, was damn hot, the way you broke his knee in. Blood gush and spray like in a slaughterhouse. And you see the look on her face? HA, it was brilliant!” She practically danced round, “I knew you were still in there.” 

Vi quirked a brow, “What?”

“You! I knew you still had it in you, just needed a little push, a little jinx.” She bounced over, a giddy giggle bubbling out of her. She swept Vi in a hug, lifting to her toes, “I still can’t believe you said that, that you did that!”

“Can we celebrate my murders later, I’m-,” Vi grabbed Jinx by the shoulder suddenly feeling off, “I’m–”

She came back to her feet hard, suddenly Jinx backed away, stricken with panic, “Vi” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah? Can’t you feel the river you’re bleeding out?” Jinx ran a hand across Vi’s now wet shirt and saw the blotchy spread on Jinx’s stomach. And well honestly she hadn’t noticed it or the specific blend of pain that now laced up her stomach. She hadn’t noticed at all. “Fuck this was such a bad idea. I was just jokin’ when I said you’d been ji-”

“Just get the bag.” 

“Vi–” 

“It’s said and done, now go get the bag.”

“Are you going to be able to climb?” Jinx half yelled, half freaked. 

The question rang into silence. Vi’s ever losing battle with standing wasn’t allowing much time to keep fucking around. She huffed, her eyes dragged up to the crumbling balcony, another chunk threatening to topple. “Ain’t got much a choice. Let’s get going.” 

They managed to grab the bag and made a run for it back to the Drop. Vi just prayed they had time.

—

The blood seepage was evident as they made their way even more slowly leaving the scene, a trail of soft curses and occasional dots of blood following them. About half way on their way back Vi was getting peaky and dizzy, she called to take a moment of rest before nearly swishing her way off with the wind and down to the cold cracked cobblestone of Promenade’s back alleys.

Since then Jinx insisted Vi stay off her feet. Worse than that, she basically forced her. She swiftly tied the bag to her waist, then picked Vi right up off her feet and carried on as though Vi weighed nothing to her. 

Jinx was so stone faced through it all, Vi couldn’t even hope to read anything off her. Powder had been an incredibly emotional person, she couldn't keep her heart off her own face much less her sleeve, especially when it came to her eyes. Those shining gray eyes were the perfect window to her soul.

Now, be it the shimmer that infected her or just her being grown, them having moved apart, Vi couldn’t tell. 

She wondered if perhaps this is how Powder felt, when Vi picked her up after a scratched knee or a bruised hip and kept her cool as they walked home. If she felt so helpless, so dumb. Like she could have done better, that she should have done something different to not be such a burden.

Vi gritted her teeth, they were nearing the bar. Enough was enough. 

“Jinx please stop, I don’t need to be carried anymore.”

“Good Lady, quit being a baby and stop squirming, gonna drop you.”

“Good! Drop me and let me walk in at least, leave me a little dignity.”

“Dignity, ha!” Jinx kicked open the doors to the Drop, Vi haphazardly in her arms, bridal style for Janna’s sake, and blushing worse than raspberry red. “Like you had any to start.” 

Vander dragged up his head, groggy from napping or maybe just bored with watching Viktor barely breathing for the hour or so they’d been gone. He first did a quick sweep of them, seemingly not noticing anything off, before whipping his head back round. 

He came bulky yet quick, suddenly slack jawed and breathing heavy with concern through his canines, he brought an oversize paw to cup Vi’s head. The pads brushed the dried blood, peeling some off and rerubbing it to the skin. 

But something in Vi cringed quick back into Jinx (still in her damn arms, and her iron grip wasn’t gonna let her move otherwise). But she got coddled regardless, damn it all. 

“V- Vi hurt again?”

“You know her, always getting in scraps.” Jinx moved passed, leading them down the stairs, “She’ll be bouncing up in no time,” She gave an easy smile for Vander, then kept the dark muttering, “or so help the world.” between them.

“I’m fine.” Vi reminded her. 

“You are?” Vander asked, he crowded close behind Jinx, towering her. His ears flicked, staring down sad and anxious, the emotions so thick Vi could practically smell the funk of it sweating off him.

“Yes I promise,” Vi reassured. “I promise.”

They made it to basement, Jinx shuffling through the room and flopping Vi to her bed while Vander knocked this and that out his way, standing awkwardly in the center like he was unsure what to do.

“Well,” Jinx put her hands to her hips, raising a brow, “Gonna do a little strip tease or am I gonna need to get some scissors.”

Vi pulled an ugly grimace, did she have to be so crude. “Just turn round you both.” Vander shuffled round, sitting with his back to her on the couch, but Jinx just snorted like she’d asked her to 

“It’s just tits. Quite stallin’.”

“Bitch.” Vi begrudgingly removed her shirt, the full display of ripped scabs and the bubbling blood beneath made her take in a breath. Finally laying back the pain hit her all at once, all that adrenaline rushed away leaving her fatigued and even more light headed.

Jinx raked over Vi’s naked torso, taking in the totality of the wound. She lingered just a moment too long, enough to make it uncomfortable. Vi herself was on the verge on snapping at her, but Jinx beat her to the punch, “Welp, I’ll be back to deal with that, try sopping up some of the blood why dontchya.” 

Jinx started climbing her way out, before pausing and grabbing a pillow case off Clag’s bed. “You think it’s clean enough?”

“It looks filthy.” 

“Just a little dust,” Jinx tossed it to her, “Can’t imagine that’d take down the big bad Vi.”

Vi rolled her eyes and Vander grunted, “Little dust.” He shook his head, “Dirty.” 

“Well, can’t do much about it.” Vi shrugged, but Vander made a messy reach to take it from her hand, tearing it to shreds with his mechanical claw. He looked at the tattered mess, then stood.

“Be back.” 

As Jinx came bouncing back in, Vander just squeezed through the door. She shook her head at Vi and the bit of fabric still caught in her fingers. Vi scooted back, trying to contain the pool in her divet as she leaned against the back of her bed. Vander came back with a clean bar towel before taking his leave and Jinx laid that over the wound carefully letting some of it soak up. After slowly peeling it off, Jinx then deftly wrapped Vi from waist to bust until she couldn’t see any red seepage, it felt like she was wearing a bone-in corset. 

But then she also finally felt stable again, wasn’t worried one wrong twist would rip even more and leave her with a gut trying to slithering out of her. Vi hit the bed, huffing and Jinx placed the wraps next to Vi as she stood. “I ain’t got any more shimmer, not that you should be taking it anyways, but that’s to say you're gonna need to stay on your ass this time round.”

Vi nodded, figures honestly. It wasn’t the best news, but definitely not the worst. Jinx’s barely scraped arm was proof enough of that. Vi cringed, as she’d been being babied, she completely forgot Jinx got a run of a wound herself.

Vi held the wraps to her, Jinx clicked her tongue, “You’re gonna need more, keep it.” 

“Jinx your arm.”

Her brow crinkled, then eyes rolled. “It’s healed, see, see?” Jinx shoved her biceps into Vi’s face, there was a dried trickle of magenta blood flaking off her arm and the wound was obscured with a crusted layer of scab somehow. “Now lay back, I’ll be back in a jiffy- Hey!” 

Vi brought her last bit of strength to force Jinx down to the bed, she fell with a plop. Be damn if she was healed, Vi wasn’t going to let her go walking with it exposed. It just wasn’t right. She could just see that Jinx was readying to race up and out, so Vi slung a leg over her, keeping her still with her muscled thigh as she pried Jinx’s arm from her side.

“Just a little, enough to cover it.” Vi ignores Jinx’s glare, “I ain’t gonna let you catch something cuz it's open.” 

“How is it being scabbed open dummy.” Jinx shoved her, “It’s fine.” 

“One layer.” Vi already started wrapping, soon enough she was tearing it off the end and tucking it in. Jinx eyes slitted as she gave Vi her world famous pouts, ripping herself from Vi the second she laxed in her hold. “Better.” 

“Better,” Jinx muttered, pulling her high pitched mockery, “It was fine, got shit to do.” 

“Whatever, I’ll be here when you get back.”

“I’d guess, won't be gone all that long. Thirty tops.” 

Vi quirked an eyebrow, “You ain’t healing Viktor in thirty, don’t fuck with me.” 

Jinx turned back round, a humors fill of disbelief, “You fucking with me? No, I'm getting us food, he can wait.” 

“Jinx.” Vi groaned, “I didn’t re-rip myself in half for nothing!”

“You self sacrificing hoe, Violet, are you serious?” Jinx hissed, “No, I’m getting food and picking up Isha. If he hasn’t died yet, then he’s gonna be fine for a while. Sides we don’t got half an idea on how to fix him, so–,” Jinx untied the sack from her waist, dropping it to the bed, “Have fun sorting.”

“And how you bringing Isha back if Viktor still sprawled on the counter?” 

“Well he’s just gonna have to take temp residency in Vander’s room, Vander in Clag’s bed, and me  n’ Isha in mine.” 

With that, Jinx finally left, leaving Vi still buzzing with a good undercurrent of annoyance. Jinx’s voice fluttered down the stairs as she screamed up, “Vander I’m heading out, can you haul Viktor upstairs and make sure Vi doesn’t get herself killed or some shit.” 

“Out?” Vander asked, “Out where?”

“Out to get a better fucking attitude,” Vi shouted.

“Yeah, how 'bout you suck my dick!” 

Jinx banged out the room and Vi let the anger simmer and then calm. She was just so damn worried that all their work was going to be wasted because Jinx just couldn’t take it seriously. Because she didn’t see the need in inconveniencing them to save a life.

Vi threw her head back, then crawled her way back to a sitting position well enough she could sort. Eventually Vander came back in, he bumped the couch closer to her, falling on it he relaxed, the silence grew easy between them with only the occasional shuffle of paper. 

When boredom set in, Vander shook himself out, tilting his head her way, “Wha’ read-?”

“I don’t know.” Vi said, placing some diagram in with the definitely useful pile and then something discussing the hexcore in the possible pile, “It’s all so much.”

Vander hummed, and the comforting weight of his gaze helped loosen Vi up just a little, it was nice having silent company again. It continued on as such until Jinx came back, already causing a racket around the main floor, slamming doors and telling Isha to meet her in the basement as her clomping heeled boots rang overhead. 

And the pitter of Isha came to a stand still as she hung in the doorway, almost like a little ghost watching as she held back from coming in. 

“Hey kiddo, have a good time with Sevika?”

Isha nodded hesitantly a few hand gestures accompanied it and she waited a good long moment for Vi to respond, but fuck if Vi knew what she’d been trying to say. Deflated, Isha turned back up the stairs and Vi felt just the least bit guilty (fuck, she really needed to get Jinx to get her up to speed). 

Then Vi had an idea. Jinx was going to be busy, surely, it was gonna be Vi’s time to give the kid some play. “Hey, you like bedtime stories?”

She did some sign, but then stopped part way through and nodded, again hesitantly. Vi gave her back a tight smile. “I left a book up in the bar by a booth, why don’t you go get it and grab Jinx and I’ll read you some.”

Then Isha finally cracked half a crooked tooth grin as she high kneed her way back up the stairs. Vander huffed affectionately as his eyes trailed Isha. It was sweet having a kid around again, Vi had been the one to take in strays before, after all she was the first to befriend and gain trust with Mylo before he even dared step foot in the Drop. 

But sometimes with Isha it felt off, she felt like a far away shore that Vi could see off in the distance, but couldn’t quite reach. If Powder been easy to read and Jinx a close case, Isha was a perfect blend of the two, clearly excited to open up, though reserved when it came to Vi. But maybe she’d finally found something to break through.

Isha came back with the book, dragging Jinx down with her. She held some raw steak in her hand, a devious grin spread on, “Gotchya dinner Van.” 

Vander huffed, unamused. “Cook it.”

“Seriously?” Vi asked taking the book from Isha.

“What, just tryin’ to be courteous. I mean you didn’t see the chunks taken out of them enforcers, but he didn’t seem to mind raw meat then.” 

“Cook it.”

“Okay, fine I’m just teasing anyways, jeez. Only down here cuz I got dragged while unpackaging.” 

“Just needed to tell you it’s all sorted the best I could, and from what I could tell, looks like you got your work cut out.”

Jinx shrugged, “Figured enough.”

“I can cook if you need me too.” Vi offered, Powder was never the best around the kitchen and she didn’t figure Jinx had puzzled that one out herself. Vander had pretty much ensured she could cook and forgot to teach the other three. But Jinx shrugged.

“You’ll eat your gray meat and you’ll enjoy it.” Jinx smirked, “Once you ain’t dying you can do dishes, how bout that.”

“I cook it.” Vander stood, stealing the steak from Jinx, hobbling up the stairs.

“Or he can cook it.”

“Maybe it’ll be a bit more edible than otherwise.” Vi said, scooting back, shifting the paper into one pile, stacked in such a way so that Jinx could sort them back out easily.

“Or maybe it’ll get doggy hair in it.” 

“Like yours wouldn’t get in it somehow. Here. Top is useful, middle maybe, and bottom is basically the rest.” Jinx scooped it out of her hand and with the free space Isha dived to the bed, criss-crossing her legs. “You ready?” 

Isha nodded, and Vi’s eyes wandered over to the book she’d been reading earlier. She picked it out of Claggor’s things. It’d been one he was reading around the time of the incident, she remembered it clearly, Claggor enthralled in it, saying that Vi should pick it up after he finished.

Vi flipped the cover, honestly she hadn’t gotten much past the title page, because a simple message crisp as the day it was written kept pulling her eyes. 

Happy birthday, my boy. May you find your own adventure soon.

Vi smiled, her throat trembled, caressing the lettering as she switched to the first page. Beginning to read, “Had Iscac’s mother known what trouble his uncle would have brought in a week prior, she wouldn’t have let him in…”

Jinx took up the spot Vander just left vacant, her eyes flitting to them occasionally as Vi read in a low voice to Isha. The room was filled with Vi’s attempts of silly voices and soft gasps as Isha got more enthralled in the story. And with it was a heated love Jinx showered them in as she watched, and Vi couldn’t help but bask in it. 

Finally, things were getting a bit better. At least for now.

Chapter Text

Caitlyn never experienced a silence so deafening in her life.

She was vaguely away of the wet trickle staining her hands, dripping into her lips, spilling onto her tongue. It took her shocked self far too long to recognize the chunks of flesh, malleable matter for what they were.

Hey popped eye now dripping from the socket.

The excruciating state of her body was so insurmountable it nearly became tolerable, a cold so deathly it became burning to sit in it. But despite it all she sat, she stood, she walked from the wreckage of a hastily laid plan, nothing to show but her gore and the body of a mad man.

Caitlyn found the rest of the invading Noxians now retreating. No not retreating, chasing. Hunting.

Caitlyn’s cry for help died on her numb tongue, a pitiful attempt if there ever was one. 

But she was no quitter, she was no girl bound for death. That day of the memorial, she took sight of the ruins of the monument, of her mothers cold dead stare, one that would never melt back into the warmth of motherly affection, that would never hold love or life again, she promised, swore, she’d live for her.

So Caitlyn pushed until she crashed, practically fainted into Rictus, he now her strong legs dragged her limping to base camp where the feast of a blood thirsty beast had been. Where Ambessa laid face down and while she had been nowhere as close as her mother in her heart, Caitlyn still bit her lip in fear, tearing and tasting flesh.

Then she groaned, a shaking palm pushing the ground. Rictus dashed from Caitlyn, letting her crumble as she watched him try to raise Ambessa. 

For a moment Caitlyn thought she’d shove away his attempts at aid. Then she realized, while still alive, Ambessa was in no position to let pride fill her as will of life was all she had to cling to.

Rictus looked upon her with a stony face, only interlaced with a crack of concern. His small, crinkled in eyes shot to Caitlyn, “She’ll bleed dry before long. Well have to bury-”

“No.” Caitlyn launched with a sudden burst of energy. Her trembling hand solidified around the base of her rifle, her fingers finding home in the trigger. There was barely hope in the Sumps, but where there was life, there was need. She knew where she needed to go, “Keep the wounds compress all long as you can, all your men in fact. I’ll be back. Have faith.” 

Rictus barely tilted his head in a nod, “Tis all we have.” 

—

A series of harsh bangs wracked up the side of the shack. The woman inside running it groaned with an air of annoyed exhaustion as she rammed the metal sheet, her barrier to the greater depths of the Sump. “What?” 

Caitlyn made quick work in twisting to the front, her gun long and steady. “Out.”

The woman didn’t look spooked, her sunken eyes considered her in a similar manner to someone offering her chipped rock for her wares. A smirk curled, but the amusement didn’t budge from her lips, “That’s no way to get anything down her, deary.” 

Caitlyn shot a round.

A thin string of blood curled down the woman’s ear as a sputter of glass blew behind her. A clean hole now through the back of her faux protection. Now she was wide awake. 

“Out.” Caitlyn’s thinning patient was clear cut, and the lady made her first smart move. She stood, hand raised. 

“I ain’t looking for trouble, what do you want?”

“I want you out.” Caitlyn growled, “I have no further need for bloodshed tonight, but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to it.”

The woman didn’t take much more convincing, it seemed self preservation won the battle and she fled with Caitlyn’s gun training until she became one with the smog. A waste of time as it was, Caitlyn quickly took all she could, particularly taking care to gather all the shimmer the woman had to offer.

Hopefully this would be well enough to heal those in need. Caitlyn considered the purple vile, the disgusting mixture of all of Zaun’s sins and vices sloshing in one innocent package. Even shown in the right light it could shine with a disturbed beauty.

Caitlyn downed a dose, moaning as the scorching drug hit her system. A burst of fire lit her, lifted her to a higher sense of feeling, and then suddenly she was slammed back to the ground, only a dissipating smoke lingering on her breath.

The malignance of pain that needled her finally calmed, now an uncomfortable thrum which was preferable to the blaring cutting knife that previously felt embedded in her skull.

Now just to reach the camp and pray to any listening and merciful god for the chance to make it home.

—

Her father had been a wreck. Worse than one in fact. It took him a moment to take his hand back from the rapidly healing scars that now adorned Caitlyn’s face. Since they all miraculously made it to the hospital bay, she hasn’t seen herself, hasn’t seen anyone besides an army of overworked nurses and doctors racing about attempting to treat those they could.

Caitlyn had handed over the shimmer to them, and while they’d been reasonably apprehensive in taking it, they eventually agreed to take it, if only to research later. Caitlyn still held a vile, there was this irksome impulse to keep it, she’d never know when it’d needed. 

And after being probed and then coddled by her father, all the highs of adrenaline and fear flooded out of her, leaving Caitlyn in a shell shocked state of blank staring.

The reality that she was now technically half blind was a hard one to take. The realization came in waves and hadn’t quite hit until her father made a comment. As he held her face, thumb inches from the scaring, so gentle and yet his veins popped through his paling papery skin, he mumbled, “Those demons… Hell will rain. Hell will rain yet.”

The radiance of anger didn’t cling to her. It was completely unreasonable that she should feel so numbly calm. She’d poured her energy into her father, managing his emotions, and then finally once he fell asleep in the corner, she began to poke through her own fraught feelings.

And she didn’t get far before Rictus entered. 

“Ambessa is stable.”

For the first time since maybe forever a smile ghosted Caitlyn’s lips. “Thank you for the update. Are there any major injuries?”

“The beast tore through her. The doctors said the skin healed, but the organs still are disrupted.”

The beast…

Vi’s father; the beast.

Caitlyn looked to her own. Even in sleep he was still tense, still blanketed with constant sorrow and worry.

In her quest for revenge she served Vi on a platter, one at the time she’d been regretful to have done, but now a deep emotional ache ran through her worse than any flesh wound could give her. 

She thought it was the right thing, the beast was a mindless animal that needed controlling and Jinx was a monster that needed to be put down. Caitlyn still believed that to be the case, a world with Jinx was a world that would never see peace.

But still, was it so shocking that a man, even one wrapped in the furs of monstrosity, would come raging for his daughters?

Perhaps in this case they were wrong, perhaps she was wrong.

Perhaps there was a way to talk some sense into Vi, get her and her father to safety (Caitlyn didn’t doubt his soul, but she did his true competence). Vi’d agree that Jinx needed to be laid to rest before, surely they could work a plan where nary more death needed to come.

“That’s to be expected.” Caitlyn eventually said, “When she comes to and is able to, I’d like to speak with her.”

Rictus nodded. It was odd, he hardly spoke to her, and these past hours have been the most she’s heard of him. But surely once ‘normality’ came seeping in, with Ambessa back in practice, everything would be as it was.

Caitlyn tried to lay back and rest her tired eye, but as Rictus opened the partition to leave, a dashing train of red stained white robes and a shaggy man in her arms flashed by. It took Caitlyn a moment too long to realize that was…

“Mel?” Rictus grumbled.

“Jayce!” Caitlyn bolted, pushing past him and startled her father. Sleep made him sluggish as he slurred some question, but Caitlyn didn’t have the time to answer as she was toe to heel with Counselor Medarda dragging him and a pair of nurses coming to her aid. 

“His knee’s been snapped and there was another explosion in the hextech lab. Get him to the emergency bay quickly!” 

And as she came upon them, the entirety of Jayce’s injuries became apparent; Jayce’s calf bent forward, a pop of red bone stuck out the back side of where his knee should be. Beyond that he was half covered in burns and soot, almost as though he’d been half covered before the explosion. 

Jayce hacked, and Caitlyn breathed, finally.

Then she was shoved to the side as her father and a tide of staff came rushing with a rolled bed carefully taking Jayce from Counselor Medarda’s quivering arms. 

In a blink they were gone, already wheeling him into Caitlyn’s room.

Counselor Medarda made to go with, just Caitlyn grabbed her, her fingers slipping on Medarda’s blood stained skin. “Who did this? When did this-”

“Jinx and that woman that was with you, she’s turned sides. Snapped his leg, then blew the lab.”

“Vi…” Caitlyn gasped. She, she… How could she?

Caitlyn's voice cracked. She was alone.

Caitlyn trailed in silent horror as she watched in the door way. Her father started calling for all sorts of needed equipment and medications, and Caitlyn’s palm instantly found her hip.

The vial.

“You need to give him this, it’ll stanch the bleeding.” Caitlyn brought it forward with trembling hands, her father barely glanced over it before taking hold of her.

“Caitlyn, you need to leave.” 

“No! Jayce needs help, he needs this!”

“He’s in professional hands-” Then Caitlyn elbowed passed, a brief flight of regret, but all the same she zeroed in on Jayce. Quick as she could, Caitlyn popped the vial open, pulling the stopper with her teeth and lifted his head, distantly the commotion played behind her fell on dull, determined ears. All Caitlyn cared to focus on was the liquid spilling into Jayce’s mouth.

Suddenly the storm stalled, everything calmed as Caitlyn laid Jayce back, bated breath as she waited for the shimmer to work its magic.

Just as she expected a pair of deep violet eyes and piercing scream to come for her.

What  she didn’t was the prolonged, agonized scream. 

Jayce flew upright knocking Caitlyn back. Those eyes, those damn eyes, they haunted her and now she watched as Jayce was wracked with them. The nurses made to restrain him, a few screamed in horror, of what Caitlyn was unsure. She was spell bound frozen, unable to take her sights off Jayce, trying to convince herself he was fine, it was all fine. This was just the process in a moment they all see he was- 

Then her father ripped her from the room, Counselor Medarda now charging for them, “What did you give him?”

“I- don’t-”

“Caitlyn what did you give him?” Her father’s touch was harsh, demanding.

“A drug from Zaun, it heals all injuries. It’s how we got out alive!”

“A drug.” Her father’s gaze turned back, purpling veins protruding from ashen skin, he dropped her, “Oh hell.” 

He was inside, spitting up a storm of demands and then suddenly another scream. Jayce gripped his lower thigh, and Caitlyn’s breath was stolen.

His leg healed wrong was the best way to phrase it.

It almost looked like the leg of a deer, bent like that, the bone now sticking out encircled by skin. It almost grew up on it, like it had attempted to redraw it in, but gave up when it got an inch or so up. 

The screams morphed from ones of pain to that of terror.

It was a sound she’d never forget, a sight that would flash behind closed eyes for months, years perhaps. A betrayal of decency she wouldn’t let go unpunished.

But all that was in the back of her mind. In that moment, Caitlyn could do no more than puke on the floor.

Chapter Text

It’s no wonder with all this running around and war nonsense that everyone would be exhausted. Feasting on their sad steaks and finally getting a chance to stew in the mess made, it was like a cork got pulled and all the anxiety and adrenaline and excitement got sucked right out the whole bar. 

Vi and Vander did little else as Jinx fussed around with the papers enough to mock interest, a dutiful hum and an ‘ah-ha’ when she so felt it appropriate, and Vi was more than satisfied with her pantomime of the good scientist, the good sister really, and didn’t say anything more after she left them on the coffee table.

And with lady luck on her side (only for the small fries apparently), Vi passed right on out not long after, leaving Jinx free to putt around with Isha the rest of the time before bed. It was nice, nearly normal. 

Then the night wore down and Jinx had found herself hovering the bed after she’d tucked Isha in her own all tight. 

Pensively she watched the warm snare. She couldn’t help but feel it a trap; this was far, far too good for someone like her. 

Jinxes deserve devastation, to rot alone. No springs of love and comfort to water their beds, just hard cracks in the road that they grew from. Cold, dead concrete. Like some people left. 

Sometimes Jinx just imagined what it’s be like. How the frozen howl of an empty hall would crust her skin. How the echoes of her wails and of tormentor's laugh would follow for days. It was almost like she was prepping for bars in a Pilty prison, a hell like no other. 

A hell right in line for her.

In her bed she’d leave the blanket off, curled in a ball, thinking the stiff mattress was nothing more than solid concrete. That the four posters of the bed was really her whole life. And with the blackness that ate away at the rest of the room, just the lingering smoke from burnt candles pricking her nose, the illusion usually stuck.

Jinx huffed, not quite reveling in her masochism, but not quite brave enough to stop it. Because goddess forbid what if she woke one morning and this was but a dream? That it had all been a paper thin picture, one she waved too close to open flame, didn’t treasure in the ways it desperately needed… and suddenly it was all gone, smoked into an illusion.

So she slept fitfully. Mylo curled along her back, a black blanket with weight and horrid words to spill to her ear. Jinx’s brows crinkled, lips puckered ready to beg him off, but still dutifully silent because despite all the imaginations she knew there was a family beyond that little smoke barrier, one that would come to her aid no matter the cost, and because of that she couldn’t bare the thought of weighing them down with her sins and discomforts.

It’s fine, after all she eventually slept, and she woke pleasantly. Almost surprisingly, she woke at home.

Jinx was bundled in warmth, blanketed with actual wool, and the basement was lit sparse with candles, just enough that Jinx could see further than her nose. In the dim light a dust-up danced as it worked its way to being settled. Closest to her, Vander was snoring sandwiched between the couches she’d push together for him the night before. Aside that, it was silent. And for a brief prickle of a second, fear flooded her, washing away any residual grogginess. 

Vi and Isha were gone.

But…

But there was music drifting from the floor boards.

Jinx fell back to the bed, fuck she had to get this under control. Any second a duck wasn’t in row didn’t mean it ran off and got half-a-head bit off by an enforcer. Not that Vi wouldn’t make a good chew toy… 

Jinx just had to chill-

Coulda left a record runnin’

Could still be out, still be found dea-

“And you could be sucking Clags dick.” Jinx muttered, and the thought alone creeped them both out well enough that Mylo’s wispy violence dissipated with the smoke. 

Which left Jinx to her own devices. She cat stretched herself out, eventually rolling herself to her back and off the bed again, then she opened and quickly pressed the door shut. The first thing that greeted her was the same melodical beat drumming from up the stairs, old and jazzy, nothing like the usual haunts ‘round here. 

Recognition hit a moment later and Jinx peaked a smile. It was 'Vi’s song’ as Vander used to joke. The one sure to get her to stop crying as a babe, the one playing when Vi first started walking, went right over to the jukebox and hit it to the beat. And the one Vi used to always play when she got weepy and nostalgic, even if it was about getting high and hounding your girl, as romantic as that was.

Bobbing her head as she took to the steps, the main floor was still and lifeless despite the music and it continued to be an unnatural sight. There hadn’t been a moment where there hadn’t been a full house witnessing Jinx’s entire life. The only other time was right after the ‘change of hands’ as Silco had called it, when he tore just about everything nostalgic down and replaced it with the trendy club life scheme that still decorated the walls. 

Jinx hummed to the song, now definitely feeling out of place as fingers traced over warped wood of the bartop, padding her way towards the back kitchen where a voice lazily drifted through and Jinx paused right in the partition between business and home. Present and past.

Silco hadn’t the funds to do a full on remodel, just what people would see, just enough to establish himself as new and different than Vander. Jinx couldn’t imagine the kitchen saw use besides the alcohol splashed glasses and maybe the mop bucket in the years since Silco set up residence, and though he did live here, it was difficult picturing him in this space. Cooking his own meals, brewing his own coffee. He hardly showed those soft human moments to anyone, had only really started sharing them with her in the last few years. 

Jinx thought it special, a privilege. And look how you repaid-

Jinx’s fingers clamped, reflectively preparing, but as she slowly unclasped her eyes, all tension seeped through her heels, letting her drop. Jinx couldn’t help her half deranged and relieved smile at the sight she saw. At how right and natural it felt. 

The counters were cluttered full with dishes from the night previous and the sack they used in their escapade was bulging with a few veggies falling out the lip. And then further in Vi was actually up and about. Having dragged a pair of bar stools in for her and Isha to sit on, she was showing her how to make fish.

Vi had herself seated in front of the iron stove and Isha next to her with a mountain of scale that Isha carefully laying one at a time, spaced methodically with precision. She could almost see he making a shape or some such out of them. 

Once set, Vi started passing the seasoning she’d just used to Isha who caked them over top the scales. Over on the stove top proper Vi had herself a huge cast iron with a half dozen fish frying. “It's all in the spices, anything can taste great with them and nothing tastes decent without, get me.” 

Isha nodded, shaking her fist up and down in a ‘yes’ when she accidently knocked on the pan, the small clank-clack about kicked it sideways off the counter, but Jinx flashed herself just quick enough to save most of them. 

“Shit- good catch.” Vi had jumped up, but settled back down as Jinx righted it. 

Isha signed ‘thank you’ flushed with embarrassment, Jinx gave her a soft smile as she rubbed her back with one hand and aimed to smooth the sideways pile back out with the other. “Hey no floor, no fowl. We can just spread 'em back out and sweep the rest-”

“Not with those hands, wash ‘em.” Vi smacked her wrist back with the side of her spatula. “Janna knows where they been.”  

"Excuse you, I’m clean.” Jinx clicked her tongue, swishing around Isha, she got right up to Vi’s red tipped ear and whispered. “And you’d know, saw you watchin’ all last night.” 

Vi eyed her with intensity, then quickly they darted down, “Make me sound fuckin’ perverted.” 

Jinx giggled, blowing hot air in her ear then dodging out the way before Vi could reflectively elbow her guts. “How ‘bout you quit being cute and either get out the way or actually start being useful.”

“Wooow, she’s being sweet n’ shit today ain’t she?” Jinx asked Isha, “And to think I was gonna let you use my kitchen.”

Isha giggled, taking a scale and chucking it at Vi in retaliation, sticking its fishy landing right on her targeted cheek. Isha tapped Jinx pointing, and Jinx was debating if she should even try to hide her shit eating grin as Vi flicked it off. “Pair of comedians you both are.” 

“She learned  from the best after all.” Jinx brought her two fingers up, tapping them to Isha’s who excitedly banged them together, then snapped! “Speaking of, what are you two doing cooking?”

“Well your little progeny also has your appetite, fucking smacked me awake and dumped a bag full of random shit on the bed.” Jinx’s heart stopped for a quick second before speeding up double time. 

Fuck she let it happen again, she swore after Isha wiggle wormed away the first time, when she- when she got arrested and Jinx wasn’t sure she’d see her again that she wouldn’t let that happen again. And here she was, fucking messing up again! And Jinx wondered why she needed to be constantly alert, how could she have not heard the bed creak above her, how could she have let Isha sleep alone. Fuck even when they did share a bed she was still sneaking out. Horrible fucking faux-protector she was, couldn’t even be bothered to wake when-

“And well half of it was like, void fruit or some shit.” Vi continued, eyes on the fish instead of Jinx and her freaked out face. “So I took her out to show her how to find and pick the best stuff. Didn’t do too bad I’d say.”

Jinx's eye twitched. 

Isha gave her a full crooked tooth smile and Jinx deflated, pushing her tense tone into a low hiss for only Vi to hear. “You taught her how to steal as your lil morning stroll when we’re being hounded down?” Jinx asked snidely. Then leaned down to Isha height and whispered a quick, “Good job.” 

Vi scoffed, not really that offended, but just in a teasing sort of mood. “No you did, I'm sure. Just showed her how to have a better eye.” 

Jinx clicked her tongue. It wasn’t like she was wrong per se, but she was never one willing to claim defeat, especially when concerning Vi. Ever. 

Jinx looked to the now smoking fish and smirked, angling towards it, “Putting that ‘better eye’ of yours to good work right now, huh?” 

“Shit.” Vi hissed quickly flinging each fish off the iron and onto a ready by plate. “Shit, shit, shit.” 

Jinx smirked at the mess of fish flesh her sister was making, only to look down when Isha tapped her. She pointed to the scales, now spread and ready to be baked and then pointed to the bar. Jinx waved her off and Isha dashed her way behind the bar fishing for juice and a cup and settled herself at one of the booths. Vi was still cursing up a storm as Jinx hipped her to move it and ripped the metal oven door down. She plucked a match, lighting the burner and throwing the scales in.

“Okay so where’d you get the money?” Jinx asked as she straightened up.

“The money for what?” Vi was still half flustered, but cooling in her nerves as she began to plate their side of potatoes. 

“You mean you two actually bagged all this and didn’t get caught. C’mon I ain’t stupid.”

“Who said we didn’t get caught?” Vi smirked and Jinx musta looked half way to killing her before Vi laughed low, “Okay fine, she did get away with the veg, though we had to leave some after she got butterfingers and it slipped. Tho the fish I paid for, decided I wanted the decent shit, not the rotting-on-the-dock-get-for-a-cog type shit.”

“And yet the question still lingers.” 

“Oh, well I also taught her how to pickpocket. Off you.” 

Jinx instinctively smacked her ass and… Motherfucker. “Bitch-”

Vi held her velvet bag in her two fingers, it swayed mockingly in front of her. Jinx ripped it, sticking it in her back pocket. “You serious?”

“Count it if you want.” 

“And how are you paying me back, huh? I already wasted a grand total of like a hundred cog on your piss poor performance in the ring.” Vi puckered her lips, brows arched, and Jinx near croaked. Fuck she was meaning to keep that private, so much for that now, she might as well rub the salt in. “Thought the Hell Hound could take a hit or few before she went spewin’ her drinks. Guess you can only hold your liquor as well as a pup.” 

Vi was silent for a second and Jinx wondered if she pressed a button too many when Vi shook her head.

“Didn’t know I had such a loyal fan.” Her tone was low, husky as she moved all the pans to the half of the stove not used and blew the flames out. The light illuminated her lips just briefly, fire licking at her and detailing every dent and scar carved to them. Jinx flicked her eyes away as Vi leaned into the counter, invading Jinx’s space with her sweat soaked musk, something that shoulda been sour, but was just the mix Jinx couldn’t get enough of, “You always bet on losing dogs or is this a new thing?” 

Jinx’s face flamed up, had she not known better she’d a thought the fire in the oven was getting outta hand. “No, just a you thing.”

“Well I’m sure I can find some way to pay you back.” Vi winked and Jinx stumbled, crashing into a pile of dishes, blood shot to her face so quick she was shocked her eyes didn’t pop from the pressure. Vi snorted, like it was funny. Like any of this was funny or cute, just some sisterly banter. “How ‘bout making you actual good food, you’re getting so skinny, we gotta work on that.”

And then Vi was out of the kitchen, a pair of plates in hand leaving Jinx to her not so innocent thoughts. Jinx shook out her shoulders trying to still her stuttering, traitorous heart. No Vi wasn’t flirting with her. Not days after she tried to throw herself at Caitlyn Kirraman’s feet, not after she still sees nothing but a baby sister long dead. She didn’t mean these teases in the way Jinx had wished. 

Jinx shoved herself away bringing her own plate out and meeting the other two out at the booth, taking her seat next to Isha who already was swallowing her fish whole and overworking on getting it down. As Jinx was telling her to cool down, the fish wasn’t gonna sprout legs and run, the record eventually crackled to a close, though Jinx barely noticed until Vi got up pulling a new one and replacing the old in its sleeve. She hit the hood and suddenly it started back up, something once again old and familiar, a slow pop ballad about losing at love. ‘Powder’s’ track, how cliche.

“There’s a few tracks already in there y'know." 

“I saw.” Vi said as she slid back in, arm slung over her propped up knee, forking in a full mouth of food. She kept talking around it, “Need to restock, can’t deal with that punk shit.”

“Okay old man.” 

“What can I say, I know what I like.”

“You like what Vander used to like.” 

Vi shrugs her shoulders, “I think I’m gonna hunt ‘round and see what Silco didn’t chuck out. Though with my luck it’s gonna be next to nothing.”

Shoulda known, even if the bar was Jinx’s in name, of course Vi was going to be on it like soot on a miner. Jinx eyes flitted about, not quite sure she was ready for a change, ready to let Silco’s touch go. “Think we can wait on all that, yeah. Till after the war y’know.” 

Vi shrugged again, shoulders a little squared and held off. “During the first it was a community center. Where people met up, plans disgusted and laid. You might not remember, but it was a beacon of hope. With you running it it’d almost be the same.” 

“The same?”

“You have Vander’s reputation now, could pull people in here. We could actually get a movement going-” 

Jinx gritted, “Are you really one to talk about community and movements?” 

Vi paused half way to a drink, her lips barely moved. “Are you seri- look, I ain’t trying to pick a fight with you, Jinx.” 

“Then quit picking.” 

“But-”

“But nothing!” She slammed her fork down. Isha paused her eating, side eyeing them both and Jinx just for her sake picked it back shoving something in her mouth. Better to chew on fish than Vi flesh. At least at the bar booth. 

Jinx swallowed hard, tonguing along the inner line of her lip before she started again. “I like keeping low, I like having a life that isn’t chaos and death and sacrifice. These last few days have been so close…” Jinx paused. “I shouldn’t have let us go up topside, it was a dumb idea for an ever dumber cause.” 

Vi bristled, the same way she did in a losing fight. She withdrew, backed further into the booth cushion, waiting for her opportunity to strike down and kill.  “Don’t give yourself too much credit, I’da done it either way.” 

Weak throw. A distraction. One that Jinx bit despite knowing better. “My point exactly.”

“Look, I get it, trust me I fucking do. There would be nothing I’d love more than just leaving here and start somewhere new-”

Another weak hook, one to make Jinx think she was winning. And yet she fucking still bought it.

Because hell if that wouldn’t be the dream…

“Then… then let do that!” 

“But I, we, can’t just let shit go down without trying to fix it, without trying to shut down the shit Noxius and the enforcers are doing. C’mon Jinx, there’s people that look up to you, do you not see how special that is?” Vi pointed to Isha, who was very obviously listening in while pretending not to listen in. “It’s what…” Here was the punch to the belt, Jinx barely had time to brace for the surprise. “It’s what Vander and Silco would have wanted, for us to make a difference, yeah?” 

Jinx opened her mouth and thought better to shut it. About to say hasn’t Vi made her difference in reletting loose the Grey? Haven’t they both done enough destruction for several life times of changes? That anytime either of them did a damn thing it bit everyone in the ass so hard they about didn’t have any left.

But she was worried that Vi with her hard glass sense of self would shatter at just the right hit. And then Jinx would do nothing but cut herself on glass trying to take back her words.

So instead she’d do her soft pushes back. Change the subject, “I think we got enough goin’ on right this second, a whole civil war starring the disaster duo can wait. We ain’t got shit for the house for one.”

“You’re right.” And Jinx was pleasantly surprised how easy that argument died. Vi stood, pinching her ring finger to her thumb, “Me an’ Isha will head out, get us some supplies and such, get me some clothes,” She pulled at another of Silco’s silk shirts; black, clingy, unbuttoned just low enough to see the bandages covering her breast. “And I’ll see you for dinner.” 

“You think you’ll be shopping for six whole hours?”

“Nah, I think you got a hot date with Viktor and your secret lab.” Jinx damn near growling. “You said you’d do it.”

“Right I fucking did,” Jinx snapped, “Add it to my list o’ mistakes.” 

“Yeah that and not watching your pockets.” Vi flashed the velvet wallet again and Jinx lunged, but before she could snatch it Vi stuck it down her shirt. Oh like that’s stop her. “Hey hands off the merchandise.” 

“How the fuck?” 

“Told ya I was teaching Isha to pickpocket, nice shot kid.” 

Isha pittered out, guilty little smile stained her face. Jinx scowled and Isha put her hands together, touching her chin, ‘Sorry.’ as she hugged Jinx's hips.

“Oh she can quit bitching,” Vi ruffled Isha’s hair, “Meet you outside, gonna get some more funds.” 

Vi started heading for the stairs and Jinx shook her head, “Don’t let her get you in trouble. Understand?” And Isha about as serious as ever nodded before bolting out the door, hanging off the handle waiting for Vi. And speaking of, Jinx swished herself to the base of the stairs, yelling up, “The hell you doing? The safe's been drained if that’s where you're heading.”

“Not Vander’s.” 

“Vander had a safe?”

“Yeah, one for emergencies,” Vi yelled from the top floor. And it seemed all their racket finally woke the beast as Vander came bleary eyed and grumbling up the steps. And as soon as she went up, Vi came bouncing down the steps, Jinx’s wallet stuffed fat and full. “Viktor still seems stable, keep the ride easy for him could ya.” 

“You’re stealing from everyone today, aren’t ya.”

“What I think is that this constitutes an emergency, don’t you Vander?”

He looked at them both, confused, but not quite like he wanted to get involved with their obvious bullshit. “Su- s- sure.” 

“Food’s in the kitchen, I’ll be back and forth with the haul.” Vi came to Jinx, taking her by the shoulder, a light searing squeeze. “Thanks again, see you tonight.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Jinx rolled Vi off, mostly cuz she was getting so fed up with her blistering sunny self and fuck did she not want to drag a dead body half way across the Undercity. Vi went out and Jinx watched just long enough for Vi and Isha to go strolling down the end of the building before she turned back to Vander unhinging his maw like a dumpster made wolfman and dropping his fish head first. Bones and all. Jinx sighed, always left with the mess. 

She started clearing plates and balancing cups as she headed for the kitchen with Vander keeping the door open for her. She dumped them in (Vi could do it when she got back, cuz damn her that’s why) and took the crisping scales out, leaving them to cool. She took a spin around blowing out all the candles, eventually circling back to Vander wolf down his last bit of fish.

“Hey, think you could help me with something?” Vander’s ear perked and Jinx figured that was good an answer as any. 

—

What a lovely family outing; Jinx and Vander and a rotting corpse. Just some nice daddy-daughter-dead body bonding time. 

After Jinx strong-armed the doors open (literally throwing her whole body into it) and Vander shuffled in sideways to make it, she threw on the lights with the excitement of a young kid showing off their newly decorated room to their parents. They crackled to life, flickering enough to give spasms, but lighting the steps as Jinx hopped down them, skipping two or three at a time until she hit ground zero with a nice loud bump. She swung back round, watching impatiently as Vander and the body came molasses slow after. “Ain’t it nifty, my own little mad scientist lab.”

“Pro- blade.” Vander mumbled as he looked over the edge into the ‘Abyss~’ as she liked to call it. The place where all bad inventions go to die. 

“Yep! I fashioned it out of an old ventilation shaft.” Jinx twirled, “You shoulda seen the rust bucket it was before I beautified it!”

Vander grumbled as he backed away, keeping a careful distance from the edges (Silco had too, he wasn’t the thrilled-est when Jinx initially showed him. Something something death-trap he’d said. Freaking old men and their perchance for looking over edges.)

Eventually Vander came towering near her, his head craning near a one-eighty to see all around him, then slowly he rotated it the other way, drinking the sights dry. Her an’ Isha left it in a pretty chaotic wreck what with all the half dried paint splotches from some old projects, all her equipment and materials splayed on her desk and a rumple of a now sagging pillow fort by the couch. 

Jinx twisted herself in knots cataloguing everything she’d need to spot up before the mad scientisting could start, “Shoulda really thought about cleanin’ up before inviting you over. Hmmm…” Jinx did a spin and closed her eyes, welp, no time like the present. “I guess I’ll get organized now if I must.” Jinx sighed, kicking a most of the way full box with her heel to the desk and turning up the tunes to a respectable blow-your-ears-out volume, “You can dump the body in the tub, I’ll get to him when I have room.”

Vander grunted (and didn’t listen to her) laying the metal man half way on the couch, his arm flip-flapping away from him and his legs hanging off the end of it and completely trampling her pillow-fort. Now what was she gonna tell Isha?

Jinx rolled her eyes, as she picked through her desk of junk trying to make a man sized hole. As little metal bits and nails went flying, Vander ambled around the room, looking back round to her every odd second like she was somehow going to fling herself off an edge or a mystery bomb would blow, tearing her face off full on off. Ha, make a Jinx mask outta that, the Jinxer would be so pleased.

But then he made it to her array of hanging dolls and bastard toys. Now it was Jinx’s turn to gawk (to wait) (to be screamed at, horrible horrible creature!). He made it to Mylo, noosed to the ceiling tight and secure, just the way she liked to keep him.

Didn’t get me to shut up now did i-

She wished, once again she had foresight. She already killed his kids, and now she strung them up as though they’d been a pretty pair of decoration dice. It was no wonder for a split moment the humanity was shaded and something animalistic, damn dangerous crawled from behind his yellow eyes.

Claggor grunted, his rancid electric breath fanned her. Jinx jerked to get away, only for frozen boney fingers to spider up her arm. Mylo, fuck.

He won’t be able to forgive Jinx, not when he sees how far she’s fallen.

How crazed, how dangerous. How you’re really just a snake walking in his baby girl’s skin.

Can’t wait to join us Jinxy? Just a little trip where all failures go to die.

Jinx fell backwards, flat on her ass, and must have said something cuz Vander was over her, a padded paw pulling her up, pulling her face to face with Mylo almost daintily laid in his metal claw, a bit of threading catching. The weight sagged her down, almost like the years, a hundred pounds a piece, finally crashed right on her. 

“Can you get him away?” Jinx choked out around the miasma that swarmed her throat. As the metal creaked and Vander’s monstrous shadow swept away from her, suddenly a wind of relief brought fresh air. She breathed, she swallowed, she dared to drag her eyes up as she hunched her desk.

Vander had collected both boys from the ceiling, laying them next to each other mixed in the bed of pillows and other half broken toys. Great, now the fort was even more tainted. 

“Did… did you..?” Jinx stiffened as Vander ambled back, he wasn’t looking at her. She was almost glad he wasn’t. “I miss ‘em too.”

Jinx’s laugh died before it even clawed up her throat, damn pitiful. “Miss them?” Vander cocked his head, a brow furrowed, a cousin to his famous disappointed frown. “How can I? They chatter away at me everyday. Never shut up.” She spat that, fingers tangling, worming their way into her dead head of hair. Then lower, mostly in a hiss to herself, “Never let me forget.” 

Jinx wasn’t quite sure what was running through Vander’s ol’ nogging, but his bulky body somehow morphed into something more comforting, especially as he came back over and slung them into a half cocked hug, and with same delicate hand that he’d have handling a fresh-born baby, he guided Jinx’s hand from her head. 

Jinx would have pushed him off, really wanted to in fact, but for some reason her body just wouldn’t move. Like she’d been pushing and pushing her gears to go, go, go and finally the stress broke some cog. 

Instead she clung to his warmth and cried.

Jinx couldn’t say how long it lasted nor how she ended up on the floor. Vander’s half grumbled- half intelligible platitudes of, “It’ll be okay, Pow-er.” made her hiccup and smile through the salty tears pooling the corners of her lips. Janna what a fuck-up mess this all was, that she was. And how fucking horrible was it that she’d been hoping for a moment like this, just to be held and hugged and told it would be okay. 

Jinx loved Silco as much as she could, as dearly as a daughter could love a father with his peculiarities towards affection. But this was something that couldn’t be replaced. He’d always give her a pep talk of sorts, encouraging her to keep pushing forward, but the soft solace of letting her emotions breath for a minute, for one god damn minute, was overwhelming. 

It wasn’t even Vander’s half ass (well full ass considering his half scrambled-egg brained) attempt to comfort her that done her in. No, it was like Jinx was grieving many life-times worth of pain, many lives she’s lost and all the life she’s wasted over the years. It struck her heatedly that she never quite got over anything, she’d barely moved on from dear ol’ mommy and daddy before her world got turned on its head and then she never learned to say goodbye to any of them. To Clag and Mylo sure, even to the old Vander and Vi who no matter how desperately she’d try to keep seeing them came and went like puffs of smoke over their scarier, more concrete forms now. 

And beyond that she forgot to mourn the life Powder had, and in much the same way she never mourned past Jinx’s life, how royally she fucked that right up (Jinx, Jinx, Jinx, JINX-) 

Nor did she mourn for Silco. She just did as he said keep pushing forward, keep distracting really.

Jinx pawed at her sore wet face taking a look up to Vander, she gave him a shy smile, managed to wiggle her way out of his overheated grasp and stand. “Thanks, um, yeah. Just thanks.” 

He nodded, “Any… time.”

Yeah, okay. Jinx shook herself, whipping off the jittery bugs running up her arms and making her anxious brain run in ways that for the moment were unproductive. She did best in steps, with dictation. Silco said she could run a mile a minute in the wrong way if she wasn’t watching it. Just take a moment and…

“Vander clear the desk, unless it looks bomb-able then leave it, Imma get cracking at these, uh, things.” Jinx kicked her chair over to a rare open space upon the rusting paint caked floor. Jinx started flicking through what Vi’d sorted and was trying to create a time-line of construction, to see and figure where magic man had made connections and how those connections lead to a whole Viktor. Maybe once she got a handle on how the monster was made she could then maybe think of re-re-animating him. 

(Sometimes Jinx wondered if Vi’s utter belief in her abilities was the highest of compliments or if she was just using her.)

Used. Ha, like a worn out bar rag.

“Wrong analogy, dumbass. Ugh, if you're gonna mock me, do it right.” 

Vander grumbled questioningly and Jinx just waved him off. She went back to the messy maze of runes, pulling at her bangs, hoping the pain would block the trickle of voices trying to clog her ears still (cry it out and yet they still come to bother). And she did get somewhere with this.

After Vander cleared her desk (and moving her bombs she noticed, hooking them in the metal claw and flinging  them in the damn pit. Janna’s sweet tits he could never listen?) (And he had the audacity to say they were ‘danderous to ‘er’, like motherfucker did he know who he was talkin’ to?) He came to lay like some tired old dog next to her. 

If she had more self control (and if she wasn’t feeling so frustrated and alone on this) she’d let sleeping dogs lie, but instead Jinx hesitantly laid her hand over Vander’s metal claw. An eye popped open, lifting it just enough to lay it on her knee. It was all the permission she’d need.

Jinx used to like playing with people, she’d hold Vi’s hands and map out the scars and split skin. She’d say it was to help her heal, that she wanted to take care of her in the same way Vi did for her, but really she just liked to run her thumbs up the bumps and rough callouses. Draw her own lovely constellations, freckle from freckle, on Vi’s arm, back, legs, anywhere she’d let her take pen to skin. 

And braiding, did she love getting hands in hair. She’d braid and braid and braid anyone’s hair that would sit still long enough for her to do it. Mylo once fell asleep and woke to a whole head of stuck up stick thin braids and his hair a curly mess after he forced her to take them all out.

Even with Silco that was why she loved doing their whole little syringe ritual, beyond the gross curiosity, it was a way to touch, to show she cared.

Jinx picked at the chips in the metal (steel if she was guessing), scratching her padded tips over the claw ends, digging her nail in deeper as she read, finally there was a dull moment of reprieve.

And in that she thinks she might have figured some things out.

So as it would seems, dead boy over here wanted to take a crack at immortality, or maybe just not dying, which novel concept as that was to Jinx, he apparently saw that Shimmer’s healing factor could mix with the reatomization and reality bending of hextech, two destructions make a creation or some shit.

And then his notes ended with the discovery of making his leg metal and then some blood splotch came as an unwanted decoration and a note that the project was to be canned wholesale.

And then one fish-bone show later and a new series of notes were to be made. The old annotated, written over and analyzed which birthed Jayce Talis’ frantic and crazed writing that often bleed into each other and occasion made Jinx rewrite them, letter by pain staking letter, to make a damn lick a sense of them.

Jinx’s head was spinning with runes and ruins and hex-blue sparks, trying to mentally calculate how to reconfigure a body that was so totally destroyed made with such foreign material. Because while she understood in an abstract way how they turned flesh into crystalline metal, she was starting to realize that getting that dead machine pumping again was a completely different ball park.

Jinx crumpled one of the more batshit notes and chucked it as far and hard as she could, growling round her teeth. They risked so much for that stoopid ass heist, and for what? Nothing! That’s what!

She shoulda figured, really. Should have seen the writing on the wall and told Vi to leave dead bodies to rest and that if she refused? Jinx shoulda broken her legs and made her stay still, that’s what! 

Woulda done some good, know where Vi was at all times, have her be totally reliant on her for everything… and have a fulltime baby sitter with nothing better to do, winwinwin for Jinx right there.  

But then there just had to be that damn sincere smile. That earnestness. That “I know you can figure it out because you’re so damn smart.”

Jinx blushed, huffing. Fuck, she didn’t want to go back and disappoint Vi. But did she really have the want or need to fix someone she barely cared enough for to remember the name of? But then there was the ever pain up her ass that were the Noxians. Despite the new one Vander ripped through the Noxians, it sounded like fancy gold lady upstairs may be planning to take up arms in her mother’s death. The fire power might just be worth the headache.

And wasn’t that just glamorous for her.  

Jinx sighed which grew into a boiling scream. It danced on the walls, mocking her with her own distorted voice as it pitched up up and up until a deep one echoed after.

“Pow-shit, Jinx. Are you-”

A split second. The intruder was on his ass, Jinx with a ripped strip of floor in hand pressed to his throat. She’d a sliced it if she hadn’t caught on to who she’d just tackled.

Ekko. Wasn’t today full of surprises?

“How’d you get here?” She asked, refusing to take off the pressure.

“How- where?” He tried to back out of her iron grasp, but there was no running for pray, “Can you chill out, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Did you track me? Have you been stalking me? Suposta be boy savioring the Undercity yet you wastin’ time following me here?”

“Why would I track you? No, I just got back and I had the sense I needed to find you, that you were about to do…” He paused, moving his head millimeters, trying to avoid the bite of the makeshift knife, and yet a trickle of blood slipped.

“Do what?”

“I’m not sure, something you couldn’t come back from.” 

And here was Jinx’s dilemma, cuz fuck if Ekko wasn’t watching her with the second most sincere eyes she’s seen. Like they were back to being a pair of idiot kids running round the Lanes. Like she was a friend, someone he saw worthy of saving.

Like he was looking at Powder.

Jinx spat and laughed, “You serious right now? Ha! No for real how the hell did you get here, cuz only four and a half people ever been here sides me and ones dead, ones mutes, and the other one and a half just got here and the last is Sevika and I’m guessing you two ain’t buddy-buddying it up at the bars so-”

“It’s a lot to explain, especially with a knife to my throat.” 

“Well it’s staying and you’ll like it until I’m certain you’re not gonna try anythin- HEY!” 

Jinx suddenly was weightless and up in the air, kicking and flailing as she spun round by her shirt strap. Eventually she turned herself all the way to a very unamused Vander holding her like she was some soaking wet cat that just took a swim in his keg. 

See, Jinx liked to think she was the epitome of kick ass, gonna razor rip your face off, fearsome scary bitch, as she would phrase it. But damn was it hard keeping the aura when she couldn’t even get out of his claws. 

“Put me down.” Jinx kicked again, not like it did anything, but it was the principal of things! Ekko couldn’t think she lost her edge especially when she had plenty more threatening to do.

“No.” Vander grunted.

“I swear to Janna!” Jinx tried to brute-force her strap to break, but in her thrashing, the knife got thrown, bounced its fuck ass way into the abyss and Jinx screamed again, “Put me down now!”

“Apolo- apolo-ies.”

“Why?” Jinx swung her way back round pointing, “He’s the enemy. Tried to kill me, y'know. Like shooty shooty bang bang like that enforcer. Except he was gonna bludgeon me, but still! The same still applies!” 

“Ittle man? Really” Vander raised a brow (she thinks?) and then when she nodded very forcefully he bursted a full belly laugh. It was enough to shake her. To shake the whole propeller.

And here Ekko was, with the audacity to be somewhere between amusement and utter-befuddlement. Jinx scowled, barking, “What are you staring at!”

“I’m going to be honest, I’m not quite sure.” 

“Well I been deweaponed, thoroughly thanks to you, so let me down…” Vander didn’t budge, and Jinx, defeated, said, “Please.” 

“N-no fightin’.”

“Well not in front of you apparently.” 

“Fine.”

And Jinx was carefully let down, Vander unhooking his claw from her shirt and Jinx rolled her shoulders in a dramatic display which Vander just huffed like she was being silly. Screw him, she had every right. Damn well embarrassed her in front of her like fifth greatest enemy or whatever. 

Jinx jerked her head back, a sneer stapled to her face especially when Ekko’s halfway endeared ooie-gooie eyes brushed over her. She shivered. 

“Out Ekko, I got things to do, very busy schedule wouldn’t you know, and I can’t squeeze your bs in.” 

“So you’re not going to explain that?” He gestured to Vander. “Or the hole in your chest? Or why the Undercity is teeming with enforcers?”

“Oh c’mon you're brainy enough to puzzle that last one out.” Jinx twisted back going down the stretch of propeller. She’d vainly hoped Ekko woulda left of his own devices, but Vander’s whole ‘play nice kids’ bit got him way too comfortable for her liking, too confident. He held a healthy bit of reserve with Vander, back stick straight and eyes darting about as he continued to take up space in her lab, but they kept coming back to her, like she was some bright light to his buggy eyes. “What?”

“You didn’t answer the other two, and also why is there a body on the couch?”

“Does this look like question answer time? As the body clearly shows, Imma bit busy, so go bug someone else.” She paused, “Ha, get it.” 

He didn’t. Or at least didn’t find it funny. See, this is why they couldn’t be friends.

Ekko was rubbing his face, both hands ran up the bridge of his nose and over his eyes coming together as though he was praying for the strength to deal with her. Good, maybe if she couldn’t kick his ass outta here, she could trigger a frustration fueled flee. And if that didn’t work maybe Vander could freak his shit out more. 

Ekko’s back was to Vander as he slowly crept up on him, and Jinx could barely beat down the smirk as the anticipation grew. 

It was odd to see a beast be shy, though maybe shy wasn’t the right word. Cautious, more like. It was unclear how much Vander realized of his own mutilation and transformation, but a sad side wondered if he’s always seen himself a hulking beast that needed to show care as not to scare.

It was just unfortunate he was being so damn like that when she had really wanted Ekko scared out his mind and out of her hair.

Vander made himself apparent, and while Ekko pinched in slightly, he semi-relaxed waiting for Vander to make his move. “Hell-o Ekko.” 

He breathed, taking in what Vander said, and barely inclining his head towards Jinx he said, “Don’t tell me he is who I think he is.”

“What you can’t see the resemblance?” Jinx came close, hip bumping Vander. This close he looked as exhausted as she felt. Too much mental work to appear human. Something she was all too familiar with. 

“How?”

“It’sa long story. One I’m still piecing, long’n’short of it, he, uh, was held up by some mad scientist type, I guess he somehow got out and me and Vi’ve been workin’ on it.” 

Ekko took them in, a full fledge of pity, “If you need help finding that man-”

“Don’t be dumb,” Jinx snorted, “Already took the fucker out.”

“Right, forgot who I was talking to.” Ekko looked to the body on the couch, “Was he a part of this?”

“That a whole new mess, one Vi forced me into.” Jinx rolled her eyes, then they lit up, “Hey you know things.”

“About what?” He asked, then sighed, “About that? What do you need, a place to bury him? A fucking autopsy.”

“You know hextech, dontchya?” Jinx leaned a bit forward, “And helping people, you like helping people.”

“And?”

“Well help me help Vi by helping him by reading all this and fixing him yourself.” Ekko’s owl eyes blinked at her like she’d started babbling in incoherent tongues rather than her regular already barley coherent rambles. She flashed to the floor, ripping the pages up and thrusting them to his chest. She let them go assuming Ekko would at least have the half decency to hold them. He did not. Instead they fluttered to the floor making even more a mess. “Well… what’s the hold up?”

“Fix him?”

“Yeah, but not here, I got other other important things to do. Namely bombs cuz someone got tidy happy here.” 

“Didn’ want ‘em go off.” Vander muttered. Jinx rolled her eyes, like he’d care before.

“You used to let me hang Mouser from my bed bunk.” 

He paused, blank face. Then turned to face away from her, “Didn’ go off ‘fore.” 

Jinx gasped. How dare.

“Woooooooow. I see how it is, I see how it is!” 

Vander shrugged, “Do ‘ood job now… Too g- good.” Jinx sneered. The disrespect from them both!

“Hey you wanna take both the body and Vander for a bit? Fun pair they are, sure they’ll be a big ol’ hit for your bug buddies.”

“You serious? About ‘fixing’ this guy?” Ekko asked, he had his arms crossed with an elbow resting on his wrist to balance his face in his hand. It was his ‘thinking’ pose he’d have when they were kids. Like when they wrecked their shit from drive-bying enforcers (with paint… unfortunately) and they’d need to get it wrapped up quick. Jinx had a knack for little things, chemicals and small gizmos; but Ekko loved him his mechanics and machines. 

Jinx nodded, hopeful.

“Jinx he’s got a whole ass hole through his chest!” 

“Well you go tell that to Vi! She about killed us both and mighta actually killed a pair of counselors for this guy and won’t stop bugging meee-” She pulled her braid again in frustration and if Ekko’s jaw hadn’t already been flapping it might have just dropped.

“She got in a fist fight with counselors? For him?” Ekko whipped around, studying the body for a hot moment and flung himself back like a hyped up jack in the box, “Who is that guy anyways?”

“See that’s what I’m saying!”

Vander turned to Ekko, “Vi-... Vi-tor…”

“Okay fine ya got me, his name’s Viktor.”

“What’s important about Viktor, Jinx? Details, please! And don’t act like you don’t know them.” 

But what’s the fun in that? All this pushin’ was really grinding her gears. But fine if he really wanted the whole production, who was she to hold back. Joke she was, might as well go full on court jester. “Okay fine I’lla catch you up, what ya know?”

“I know you blew a chunk out of Piltover.” Ekko spat, Jinx giggled. Cute how he had an issue with that, c’mon didn’t they all have a common enemy here. “And then there were issues at the tr- at the base,” Jinx raised a brow at the correction. “A mentor, of sorts, suggested we speak to this Jayce guy to get a better grasp of what was going on and… and… it gets complicated but we weren’t… here anymore. I just got back.” 

Oh interesting, Jinx smiled, all teeth. “So after me and Vi got Vander to take a chill pill and quit ripping people in half,” Vander huffed, and Jinx rolled her eyes, like she was wrong. “She said there was this metal Maji in the Sumps doing miracle magic, healing shimmer heads, regrowning limbs, the like and worse, better.”

“And that’s him.”

Jinx nodded, “Yeah, well you see, Vander was a complicated head-case, couldn’t crack it even with all his bullshit.”

“H- H- He ‘elp- ped.” 

Vander was stuttering worse for ware, Jinx could see just how brain exhausted he was getting. Great, she got herself tangled in worthless talk and it was helping literally no one here. Jinx ran a hand up Vander’s arm, palm full down, frowning, hoping Ekko could see his time was coming very close to up. “He did help, I guess he kinda cracked it a bit. More like a nut than a safe ya’know.” 

“I guess?” Ekko said, not paying attention, “Is he okay?”

“F- fi-”

“He’s hanging, but the point is Vi got all sentimental and somehow talked Sevika into thinking he’d help us, maybe, who knows, and cuz your buddy Jaycie fucking lost it whereever you bozos went he made this whole mess for me to clean up. Musta got back before you, but didn’t come back with it all, if you get me.” 

Ekko glanced to the papers, then back to Vander who was hunching, closer to getting on all fours. Jinx was wondering if he was readying to take a nap or go on the attack, but whatever it was he wasn’t committing one way or the other. And Ekko for his part was damn worried. Soft hearted boy he was, sometimes it seemed he was more related to Vi than she was. Ekko bent plucking them from the floor, hesitating as he gathered the last of them. “Do you think he’d be able to help Vander? Should we get him, uh, fixed that is?”

And there it was, her ticket.

Jinx didn’t think for a damn second there was hope of getting Vander of full sane mind. Why’s that? 

Cuz there was no damn way in hell she was going to let anyone, anyone lay another magic finger on Vander. The stench of sorrowful death was still a haunting image, one that would occasionally flit in and would make Jinx thank Janna and whoever else let them escape that day, that they did. Because had Viktor been able to get his twiggy fingers all the way in, had Vander been fully brought out… Who knows what woulda happened.

A half-malformed father was better than a dead one, better than a mind-controlled echo, one that imitated the person previously present. 

Jinx lightly scratched down Vander’s fur and was just glad he was still there in the way he was. 

But Vi was right in the fact they were fighting a war. A war she’d do her damndest to keep them all out of, but perhaps adding some supercharge soldier was her one shot at doing it. Make him the charismatic face of a resistance that everyone would flock to. And if some bolt wasn’t screwed quit right? Well Jinx knew how to kill something if she really wanted to. Hell even when she really didn’t want to. 

But Ekko didn’t need to know that, and Jinx just needed someone to figure this out and she’d just get him fixed for a funeral later. 

“Maybe, that’s Vi’s hope.”

“Fine,” Ekko stood up, paper clutched like the wind would snatch them away, “But I’m not taking the brunt work.” He took a long, hard breath. “I want to speak to Vi first, and then we’ll get arrangements made.”

“Arrangements?”

“For you coming to my shop, it’s a lot more stable than this. We’ll actually be able to pin these up and shop for ideas.” Jinx tsked, Ekko huffed, “You’re asking for help, are you really in a position to bargain?”

“That’s all we do down here, scrape and scrap, huh?”

“Unfortunately for you, this is a charity; you get what I’m willing to give. And I know you well enough that you ain’t pushing this off on me because you don’t want to do it, it’s cuz you can’t.” 

Jinx hissed, “Oh don’t act like I ain’t got anything on you, I can fix him if I wanted to.”

“Then prove me wrong.” Ekko shrugged, “I’ll meet you at the Drop, guessing that’s where you’d be staying. Send word to Vi for me, would you?”

And then like he owned the damn place Ekko walked out with way too much confidence for Jinx’s liking. If she wasn’t playing the  good guy she’da hit him right upside his smug little head. “Ugh, you see what I have to put up with? Oh… Vander.” 

“Yeah?” He’d dozed off while they’d gotten into it, his groggy eyes popped open at his name. Jinx cracked her neck, dragging her sorry ass to her bare as fuck now desk and pulled a page. Quickly she scribbled out a note and rolled it up in a Pneuma tube to be shot down the shoot. She’d figure she’d let Vander have his rest, hauling some of the already demolished fort from under Viktor and giving it to Vander. Jinx then laid herself in the chair, content to tinker small scale for a moment as her stare blanked out and she could finally find her calm again.

Welp crazed writing out her hands, outta her problems. For the time being that was. 

She was sure she knew how’d it go, Vi would convince Ekko that Jinx was no harm, that’s why he wanted to talk with her. Cuz he didn’t trust Jinx, but Vi, oh valiant Violet who gassed their people and arrested who knows how many more was the beacon of all that was good and righteous. 

Jinx still held those twinges of anger over Vi’s traitorous actions. She’d been trying to find it in herself to give Vi grace, but the insult rubbed Jinx just a little too raw for her liking. Besides, how could she give up an opportunity to get Ekko outta her hair.

Maybe pawning off the scrap metal hadn’t worked, and if that was the case, fine, whatever, she’d figure it out (she could figure it out, damn him!). But if that was how he wanted to play, Jinx wasn’t just gonna let Ekko waltz into her life, charm everyone and play the dashing hero, the one to come save Jinx. Because obvious or not he was enjoying teasing her, and Jinx was going to smash that baby before it had the hope to grow.

So with a fringed smile Jinx just imagined the surprise Vi would walk into. Jinx did like torturing her, just slightly. 

Because if Ekko was going to be all strung up about Jinx, have the half-n-half wishy-washy bullshit where he still obviously saw Powder, wanted Powder, craved her sweet naivety, and yet was annoyed with the reality of who she was, that was fine. He could face bitter reality for them both.

Sevika must have just gotten it, Jinx could imagine, she’d be there leaning against the doors as Ekko got there, and what a story he would hear. Jinx stretched out, ready to take her stroll back to the Drop. So she lazily left, telling Vander to come back when he was ready and was dreaming up the blow out from her biggest bombshell yet.

—

Y’know maybe Jinx should think things through a bit more. Who would have thought?

Not in the, oh nose the world is ending, what a terrible fuck up I am, sort of way, just in the, really shoulda guestemated the consequences of having three zealous overachievers that all kinda hate eachother in one room for a prolonged time sort of way.

Sevika, apparently, wasn’t all that keen on convincing Ekko to hate Vi (not like there was much convincing when push came to shove and explanations had to be made and Vi didn’t have herself that great of an excuse on her end) (The way that angry blush bursted on her face, how she stuttered and spat, like she had a damn leg to stand on.) (Ugh, dreamy).

But then Ekko wasn’t all that happy to talk with Silco’s usetobe number two either so he was just having a not great day with any of them it seemed. Just as planned.

What wasn’t planned was Sevika playing jailer, trapping them all in.

Currently Jinx was over by the bartop chomping down on scale chips (divine) while Sevika was hounding the entrance and Vi exiled herself into the corner of shame, literally. Ekko was eyeing to get around Sevika (and damn if Jinx wasn’t excited about that) until Sevika just had to open her big ol’ mouth. “I get with our histories this doesn’t appear to be a good faith offer. And if there’s one thing I know, trust is a hard thing to win over down here, and the Chembarons haven’t made that any easier, but I was never solely loyal to Silco.”

“Don’t bullshit me.” Ekko snapped.

Sevika raised a hand, and in the same swipe took her cigarillo out, “Hard to believe as it is, I wasn’t. It was a calculated call on my part, I believed he was our, Zaun’s, best shot at achieving any semblance of independence. He may have not been the ideal choice at running it, I’m not here to argue that one way or the other,  what I am saying is that this is a time to start setting aside differences and focus on the actual threat.” 

“Yeah, we need to create a collective, get people in one place, everyone on board.” Vi piped up, apparently feeling embolden, or maybe she was just trying to win back brownie points from either of them. Jinx just kept picking the spices out her nails and licking them, enjoying the show. “Everyone’s so blind sided right now, and besides Piltover’s propaganda, people don’t know shit.” 

Ekko barely acknowledged Vi, parting his lips and sighing instead. “What is it that you two are asking, because it sounds like neither of you are on the same page, how are we supposed to ‘rally’ Zaunites like this? Even if I were to try to trust either of you, this isn’t something I can put weight on.” 

“Part of the problem is that Piltover, Noxious, whatever is controlling up there right now is so insurmountable I frankly have no damn ideas how to formulate an attack, and I have no pull, period.” Powerlessness has always been a hard pill for Sevika to swallow and even worse to spit up and admit. But somehow she managed to hack it, showing tender skin in a way Jinx hasn’t seen in a while. “I hate to say this, but back a couple months ago we at least had an idea of what we were dealing with, a corrupt system with rules and holes that could be worked around. This beast is something completely new. I need help, I need pull. Since the only ‘players’ left in the power grab down here are the Firelights, aside Jinx, and she’s made her position clear, you're my best shot of getting anything done.”

“So that’s it…” Ekko sighed, he started to run his fingers through his locks before they quickly got caught. 

“It isn’t romantic I know, I don’t play with fantasies of grandeur.” That stare was dead pointed on Vi who flicked her off in response, “But I can ensure whatever resources I have at my disposal will be put behind you.” Ekko hissed a laugh, something about ‘shimmer’ under his breath. “Assuming we can reach a truce.” 

“And once the truce is over?”

“That’s something to be disgusted with whoever you bring with.”

“Well I don’t think this is something we need to worry about right now.” Vi butted in, “We have so many other fucking problems right now, we should stay focused.” 

“You do get we’re in this mess because of the power vacuum left open on both sides of the river right?” Sevika snarked, “I’m going to be straight, I’ve been in this game a long, long time, far before any of you were a glimmer in your daddies eyes. I’m not here to seek power, but I’ve seen fuckers who get into this just to get that slim bit of control, of wealth, they get a taste and then everyone else gets fucked for it.” Sevika sighed, eyes long off and tired. “It’s a valid concern, luckily for us there’s just the one Baron left and she seems content on keeping to herself, at least for the time being.”

Ekko nodded, “I’ll say this, considering everything it doesn’t sound like we have the luxury of being picky and it sounds like we’re running out of time before we're all under boot again, maybe even worse than before… You talk a lot, and maybe deep down you think what you're saying, what you’ve done justifies your actions, but I ain’t the one here with Zaunite blood on my hands. We’ll be in touch, but I won’t promise more than that.” 

And he was gone, thank Janna. Fuck, she didn’t think that would ever end.

Jinx dragged her head up, teething off the spices crusted to her fingers, checking first to Sevika, who surprisingly looked satisfied. Jinx raised a brow, “Sevika getting shit talked and she didn’t even defend herself, didn’t see that coming.” 

“I’ve smacked that kid upside the head more times than I can count, no shit he ain’t gonna be biting at the fence to work with me.” Jinx laughed around her thumb, “I’m just relieved I have someone listening to me… and hopefully willing to act on it.” Jinx mocked gasped at the accusation, but then here came dower Violet, still moody for the apparent tear down of the century.

“I need to go talk with him again.” Vi made a move, and Sevika, what a shock times two, made the move to stop her. 

“Give it a rest.” 

“Look I get you don’t give a shit what you’ve done, but-”

“One bitch with blood on her hands to another; he right, there ain’t anything you can say that will change what you did, won’t change how he thinks of you now. So do him a favor and save your breath… it’s rancid anyways.” 

Vi growled deep down in her throat, kinda sounded like a meat grinder with how grindaly it was getting, but that seemed to make Sevika’s day all the better. She went out with a barking laugh as the door slammed shut. Damn Jinx should just lock it at this rate. Make sure everyone leaves them alone alone.

Vi sulked, looking like she wanted to bitch and moan, like she wanted someone to tell her it was alright. That she was alright. And maybe Jinx would in a little, but she did also love drinking in that sweet sorrow that Vi poured off.

Jinx hid her smirk, keeping to her end of the bartop while she savoured a plan well foiled. Ha and Ekko thought he could full on wiggle his way back in. Sure work with Sevika and leave her and Vi to be peacefully on the side line-

Then there was the distinct slice of metal hitting metal, and a little chime ringing from the top step.

Now who would be sending a dead man mail at this hour?

Jinx cautiously made her happy way up the stairs (and that was to say she was not happy, and very much concerned). It’d been a quiet day, quieter than most. Jinx forgot to savour that luxury while she had it, like a person forgets to appreciate breathing when they’re six feet under water. Because with each step, the twitching, teasing whispers poked and prodded and scurried right up her back. She became coated in them, like Mylo grew a million fingers that all suddenly coalesced onto her all at once, a shadow that would pry open her mouth and make permanent residence in her head.

Jinx bolted into the office, shoving the door and the shadows out. A beat up Pneuma tube waiting innocently for her. Jinx tentatively took it, deep breath, and she popped it open.

I’ll be back around your lab sometime later tomorrow. It isn’t Vander’s fault everyone fucking lost it.

- Boy Savior

Jinx stared at a wall for a nice long time. What a pretty wall it was. A pretty distraction.

A distraction, because here she had thought something horrible had happened. What, she didn’t know (neither did Mylo apparently because he hadn’t said anything, just tittered). For once her ducks were accounted for.

And yet, someone might be dead in the near future.

Jinx screamed, chucking the tube hard.

Chapter Text

The next morning came much too quickly, the dread was nigh overwhelming each minute that passed the night before and it was reaching a boiling point. Not necessarily because she’d have to deal with Ekko, she’d had her temper tantrum and Vi scolded her and that was that. No, it was mostly because no matter how much she tried to ignore this whole situation, hide it away behind a sheer curtain in her mind, that lingering shadow continued to peek out, toying with her. 

Despite Jinx’s sky-high over-confidence in her fabulous genius, Mylo kept giggling how she couldn’t do it. A failure all again, huh Jinx?

But the morning was easy, Jinx woke to Isha shaking her and Vi already most of the way through cooking breakfast. Jinx picked an old vinyl that she knew Vi would like and she waited at their booth with Isha by her side and not too long after Vi was done and Jinx helped serve, while Vi was pretty mobile all things considered. 

“You won’t guess what I found.” Vi said.

“Oh, will I not now?”

“All our old school stuff,” Vi clamped down on her overpacked fork, her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Jinx licked some juice from her lips, crinkling her brow. 

“Yeah, Silco schooled me.”

“Himself?”

“So surprised? I was made to run this one day after all.” Jinx leaned back. “Ain’t all that surprising.”

Vi hummed, “Figures I guess… I was thinking we could start schooling Isha-” A knife clattered to a glass plate and Isha started shaking her head rapid fire. “We talked about this kid.” 

She thumbs her down. Yep, all her kid.

“Aw, auntie Vi ain’t being fun is she?” Jinx said more to Vi than Isha, loving seeing her get riled up over dumb stuff.

“Oh don’t go picking sides, she needs to learn to at least write and read,” Vi mumbled, “You remember what Vander used to say.” 

“Hey I ain’t the one that needed convincing, sister. You were the hard head-” 

And a clank and Jinx’s good morning was over. 

The argument on pause, well between her and Vi that is Isha was still whining as much as she could, and Jinx hiked her happy self up and retrieved the Pneuma tube and bringing it back to the table, only to find a message from Ekko demanding for her to haul ass to the lab double time. 

A spalter of egg stained the page as Jinx finished reading it. She flicked it, grumbling. “I got more coloring pages for you Ish.” 

Before Jinx could slide it over to get graffitied, Vi snatched it right off the counter, her already steady smile sprung wider, “Hey, Ekko wrote.” 

“I told you we were going to take a crack at it.”

“I just wondered when… Nevermind. Hope it goes well.”

Jinx quirked a brow, but dropped it not long after. “Kicking me out already?”

“I will once you actually eat a decent amount, so get going. Don’t want to leave Ekko waiting too long.” 

“Oh crime that would be.” Jinx rolled her eyes, but soon they all turned to Vander ambling up the stairs, much past wake up time and had himself about half way to being on all fours.

“Hey Van,” Vi scooted out the booth, following him into the kitchen, just as her back turned Isha reached over for Jinx’s plate and scraped a good heap onto her own. Good girl. 

As Jinx finished the last bit of bread she kept for herself as a little half obscured show played in the kitchen. Vander trudging about the kitchen while eating with Vi tried to get a conversation started up, but she failed terribly. Tired old dog he was, a nap wasn’t too far off even after he woke it seemed.

“Hey where you heading?” Vi was trailing him back out the kitchen, little duck she was, and Vander huffed, hunched, looking wound up and uncomfortable. Almost like he was a wild animal waiting to be let loose from his boxed in cage.

“D… Down.”

Vi’s smile died, a soft, concerned frown replacing it. “Okay I’ll be up here if you need anything.”

Vi bumped him, and Vander jerked, his fur raised. Jinx for a shock of a second was worried he’d go off, but the moment passed and Vander ambled his way back down the stairs, not a sound spilling from his snout.

“I’m worried.”

Jinx stood on the booth, jumping out the back way. She slid into Vander’s now lone spot, glancing through curtained bangs to Vi. “He’ll be fine, just growing pains.”

“I know, just, fuck…” Vi ripped a hand through her hair, a deep breath taken and held close to her chest before pushing the air out in a slow machine controlled hiss, “I think you need to get going, don’t you?”

She didn’t waste much time getting to the lab after that. 

Jinx muscled her way through the door, already irritated by the fluorescent flickering welcome. She couldn’t help the fish hook sneer as she trounced down the echoing steps, taking each one at a time. 

Nothing’d been changed since yesterday, but for some reason today the dull rotting grays of the propellers keeping them alive and dark drying paints splotched on them zapped her mood something fierce and fast. 

Trying to keep the annoyance from her face, Jinx zeroed on the stereo, flipping through her collection first thing., refusing to acknowledge Ekko or the nice and new cork board (probably the only nice and new thing here) that he’d apparently dragged in. He’d already gotten the pinnings up, and was over by Viktor poking around him, occasionally noting on a spare sheet of paper and clipboard. It seemed that Viktor’d been moved roughly and with little success; he was more half off the couch than casually dude-bro laying on it. 

Jinx slammed something in, something to brighten this corpse of a place up. She needed the proper mood music to get anything done. Then she came over, finally ready to start this little experiment of a partnership. 

“Nice of you to join me.” Ekko said as a way of greeting. 

“Rude of you to break in,” She turned back scrutinizing the board, “So you stuck ‘em up.”

“And your rough translations.” 

“So, what you got with that big ol’ brain of yours?”

“Nothing that’d be new to you, I’m assuming.” Ekko picked his notes, handing them over. Jinx scanned them, seeing just about the same conclusion she reached, “So?”

“So we’re at square one then,” Jinx said, “Agreed?” 

Ekko shook his head, “Not necessarily, at least we know what he’s been, uh, altered with. We know he was once human and can assume most of his biology is intact. Unfortunately, I don’t know about you, but I know next to nothing besides basics.” 

“Well I know how to blow up biology, buuut that’s about it.” 

Ekko had this tug-o-war on his face, half way between rolling his eyes and actually finding her joke semi-humours, but instead an awkward cough won out and they left it at that. “I tried bringing him over, but, well, we’ll need to haul him together. So…” He gestured for her to take a side and Jinx shoved him back.

“Hey, I ain’t wimpy, noodle arms.” Jinx came trampling over her now very sad pillow fort, kicking aside the one patch work blanket she hadn’t given Vander and squatted level to Viktor. She stuffed her arms under him and with one great hoist he… actually lifted fairly easily. Huh? Considering how hard Vi’d been huffing and puffing and trying not to blow her lungs out Jinx was surprised how light he actually was. 

Jinx strolled right past Ekko, taking Viktor bridal style over to her work desk and with all the grace of a shot-putter chucked his ass on the metal table. Hard. 

“Oh no, sorry Viktor.” Jinx said dripping sarcasm, circling back to grab her set of tools now soon to be medical instruments. 

Ekko was on him quick, trying to feel for a pulse. “Did… did he just groan?”

Did he? Jinx wasn’t really paying attention. She slugged her tools next to his feet watching Ekko mother hen with detached amusement. “Well maybe when I said ‘dead body’ it was a bit of an exaggeration." 

“He’s missing lungs and a heart! How is he not dead?”

She shrugged. Ekko groaned. What? If she had all the answers he wouldn’t be here right now, would he?

“Well I don’t know, he seemed not-quite-dead, but maybe you’re right.” Jinx couldn’t care less, honestly. She had a job, sure, but mocking Ekko was never not fun. “Maybe it’s like a reflex? Like with those frogs you and Mylo used to electrocute and they’d do a jig, remember? Oh Benzo had been so pleased by the stench of fried frog guts.” 

“Vocals aren't a reflex,” He ignored her jab. Sad. “And you dumping him on a table damn for sure isn’t triggering any regardless.”

“Well I don’t know what you want out of me, cuz I sure as shit ain’t got answers, ain’t that why you’re benevolent ass is here?” Jinx snapped, slick and slicing. “Apparently Jinxy can’t do shit, so hero Ekko gotta come in, yet you've been here however long with those papers and you're giving me sass?”

“How about you check your ego for a second and stop taking everything as a personal attack, Jinx.” Ekko spat poison, spat as though her name was the worst insult ever put to words. Jinx's worsened sneer turned to a boiling scowl and her already piss poor mood was just about to hit critical. Damn there’d be two bodies to deal with.

And he musta felt the palp of her pissed off because Ekko backed right down. Taking his hot huffing self, he leaned the desk angled away from her. “He’s been modified with Hextech and Shimmer, right?”

So back to business. Fine, Jinx can ignore a problem too. “And?”

“Would that be enough to keep him alive do you think?”

Jinx shrugged. Ekko shook his head, “Fine. First things first, let’s get him and the notes checked out.” 

Jinx rolled her eyes, predictable first step. But fine, she’d play nice for now. 

So that’s how they spent their first uneventful day, a few hours running tests and noting data. Jinx thought it needlessly boring, that this was all a waste when they should be doing y'know stuff, but she didn’t fight it, instead she let Ekko spend his time doing his biopsies on the blood, skin, and crystals (All that was found was that yes, he had metal skin, oily watery not-blood, more like rot liquified, and crystals. Whoopdie doo.)

Ekko looked around the lab, in that famous thinking pose of his. He went walking up to the board looking like a lost little boy in front of a manual. “Well let’s ask this, he’s alive, somehow, obviously the heart and lungs don’t matter for that so why is it that when he got shot through he went comatose?”

“Do I look like I fucking know.” Jinx spat, “Oh wait, was that rhetorical?” 

“Of course it was, haven’t you worked with anyone ever?”

“No, too much emotions and connections and team work makes the dream work. Useless bullshit.” 

“Anyways.” 

Jinx huffed, “Well he obviously needs it for energy, or consciousness, or whatever mystic bull powers him for some reason.” 

“You think if we could get a synthetic heart and lungs we could rig it to him?” Ekko asked.

“Well wouldn’t synthetic ones need to be pumping something? Blood, namely.” 

“He’s got blood, obviously.”

Jinx scoffed, “Whatever’s in him is all watery and slick as oil. Not any blood I’ve seen.” 

“What’s with the semantics? Blood is blood and if he needs a heart to pump that then lets get him one.” Jinx slumped, frowning, “What?”

“It’s just, I don’t really wanna spend all that money, I got a family to feed y’know.” 

“You’re ridiculous,” Ekko slung his satchel, “I’ll send some notes, check around.” 

“To where? You got a place that sells prosthetics on the cog?”

“You know sometimes it pays to be pleasant,” Ekko shouted back, “See you in the morning, and keep your bitchy side at home.” 

Fucker. 

Jinx left not long after him, Ekko having to get back to his little hidden base and Jinx frankly was glad not much of the day got eaten up. 

And then she came home to an absolute mad house.

“Isha I swear to Janna if you don’t get outta the fucking rafters!” Vi was storming around, hopping to some table and ranging on it til it wobbled. Though with the way she was shouting up a storm at her kid, Jinx had half a mind to help gravity out.

“What do you think you’re doing, huh? Screamin’ at Isha like that.”

Jinx tried for a low tone threat, the type that would make skin crawl off bone. But maybe it was because it was Vi and Vi wasn’t scared of shit, or maybe she was kinda losing her touch, but Vi scoffed, near collapsing to the table. “I tried getting her to sit down and read with me, but the little shit ran where I can’t go.”

“Don’t name call, fucking bitch.” Jinx snapped. So with little more explanation Jinx kicked herself up on the booth back, using the momentum to grab a beam. Jinx pulled herself up and on, scurrying along the many beams calling for Isha to come back.

Then when after a couple of minutes of bumping her head and just about slipping with no sight of Isha, Jinx was getting kinda worried.

Oh fuck, did she get stuck? Or somehow lost and couldn’t figure her way back or-

There was a squeak of hinges up on the second floor. Silco’s office. Where that secret door to the roof was.

Thank Janna, Jinx headed straight up there. Her little hideyhole up in Silco’s office had been graffitied to hell and back, Jinx crawling in and rubbing pink and blue chalk all over her, and while she was expecting it to be even more cramped, she wasn’t expecting Isha to be trying to crawl out. Isha’s guilty smile was met straight on by a very unamused Jinx. 

“Where you think you’re going?”

Isha hesitated. Then patted her shoulder; Sevika’s. 

“C’mon babe, you obviously know you can’t be doing that.” Isha signed she didn’t, like Jinx had been made a parent just yesterday. “Don’t be lying, I saw that look on your face.” 

Isha curled in on herself, a pronounced pout until she made a fist. “Vi?”

Then covered her ears. Then repeated and Jinx nodded. “Vi’s not listening?”

Yeah she’s figured. While she’s been giving Vi pointers on speaking Isha, she ain’t the best guesser with her gestures. It’s probably why Vi brought up the idea of school, it wasn’t like she hadn’t before. Jinx brought herself further in, molding her back up against the ceiling so she was sitting next to Isha. “Is this about her teaching you?”

Isha gave a plain thumbs down and Jinx huffed a laugh. “Oh trust me, she’s got a brick for a brain, can’t imagine she’d be a stellar tutor.” Isha giggled, “But that don’t mean she’s wrong. And it definitely doesn’t mean you need to be running out of the house, hear me?” 

Isha shifted away, scowling. “You’re cute, but you ain’t so cute that you’re not in trouble. I left for three hours, I expected better than this.” 

She cupped her ear and pointed at Jinx. She couldn’t quite tell if that ‘I hear you’ was meant to be sassy and sarcastic or if she was just trying to get Jinx to stop her lecture. Probably the same thing at the end of the day. Regardless Jinx had more fish to burn so she left this one hanging for now.

Jinx jumped down from the spot and helped Isha down as well. She came shadowing and skulking behind Jinx as she finally rounded down the stairs and made eye contact with Vi. She straightened up immediately, on high alert. Good she knew she was in the dog house too.

“Isha go play, me and Vi gonna have a chat.”

Isha went running with a very noticeable shit eating grin, as Jinx rounded on Vi. And Vi had already gathered herself up, hands on her her, lips turned like she had half a right to be annoyed right now, “A chat with me? Did you have a ‘chat’ with her?”

“Are you seriously beefing with a kid?”

“One that kicked me in the shin and booked it, yes.” Good instincts.

“Okay look, I get it, but your supposed to be the fun aunt, I’m her big sister-mom-whatever, the one that’s laying down rules and shit-”

“Jinx are we being serious-”

“I’m trying to just get shit done, now I get you got all these big ideas and you want to fix the world in a day, but can we just take baby steps? And can those baby steps be something that Isha wants to do, because I don’t have the time to wrangle her in and you obviously aren’t feeling up to chasing her down yourself so.” Jinx threw her hands, “It’s done, we’re done.” 

Vi walked away, back stiffened and hand gripping at her hair’s roots. Then Vi stopped, taking a seat, “It’s not that I want to fix the world, I just can’t understand her and I want to I just can’t.” Jinx softened, “I just thought it would be better for her in the long run.” 

“Yeah, I know you mentioned it a few times.” Jinx came closer, “Just, be patient with her please, and try.” Vi opened her mouth and Jinx shushed her, “I know you are trying, just try harder.”

Vi parted her lips, but instead of a fight only a sigh came out, surprising. Usually when you got Vi revved there was no stopping her until she felt satisfied that she won. “Okay, I’ll figure something… Enough of that, how’d it go?”

“Well I’m home now, so fine. Ekko is sending out for parts so that why I’m early.”

Vi smiled, “Well I won’t complain about that.”

The night went by like flash paper, Jinx was swallowed up in the slow lazing about, enjoying it thoroughly, and right as she blinked chemlight was lighting her way in the early morning haze. Jinx came in bright and early with an extra side of bitchiness just cuz. She was leaning against her lab door impatience racing through her tapping foot and clenching fingers. For some reason she just wasn’t feeling it, the very air was drenched dower. 

“So you ready?” 

Jinx growled, being bossed round by fucking Ekko, mighta well join his stupid bug club with the way she was being dragged around. 

They started down a long stretch of powdered granite, Jinx pulled up a mask and hood as they came close to civilization, though Ekko, surprisingly, stayed bare faced, “The mask is a dead give away.” He said as explanation, then shrugged, “And Roe likes to see me.”

Jinx scoffed, “Gross.” 

They took up ol’ Howl and Jinx sucked her breath, ugh, oil and sweat, never a pleasant mix, and once blessedly out and away from all those smelly workers she took in the sweet, sour breath of weeks old Gray. It continued to ghost the air, never letting them forget what they did here, sometimes it was a good reminder to have. Besides, the burn never bothered her.

Her and Ekko turned from slow side streets onto the buzzing and lively main hub of the Green Light District; far outside of the reach of the Lanes, it was a shadier side bought and owned by Margot herself. It had her whole aesthetic cat scratched into every square inch; a green dragonfly with its wings painted like colored glass, which was tagged on just about every wall, street sign, and vendor sign that hadn’t cleaned their shit recently. 

And bonus, that’s how to spot her girls; by the tattoo tramp stamped right on their back. Well if it wasn’t hidden under ten pounds of leather, leashes, and belts that is. Margot called them her winged pets, Jinx called them flies, and it seemed there was a swarm on nearly every corner, musta come package with the resurgence of Enforcers on patrol. 

Jinx kept her gaze down and low while Ekko stiffened, opting to lead them down some back way. 

“Getting jealous.” Jinx joked, “Kinda taking your whole thing, buggy boo.”

Ekko sniffed, whether that was at her or the air, she couldn’t tell. She was about half way to trying out another jab to get his gears going when a third set of footsteps joined their duo. 

Jinx paused, then started right back up again. She couldn’t risk it. Don’t look back, don’t be suspicious, just look like you belong and that you ain’t expecting trouble. It was the best way to keep out of it.

But it was more than difficult to keep her shoulder lax and her head steady and straight. Each step spiked her anxiety that bit more. Her shoulders felt like jumping at every tap, her eyes snapping left, right, left and she couldn’t figure how to get a peak, just one little one to calm her nerves without alerting their tracker to her suspicion. 

Then they got faster, harder. They were gaining.

How was Ekko being so cool about this?  

 Jinx leaped closer brushing his back. “Do you hear that?” 

“No.” Wow, could he be any louder?

“The footsteps, we’re being followed.” Ekko stopped dead in his tracks, and Jinx banged right into him and nearly tumbled over his leg. Ekko turned to the side. 

“We’re here.” He said plainly, “And if we are, it isn’t by Enforcers.”

And he was right. The long corridor, seemingly caving them in with its towering tenant houses on either side was populated by nothing but rats. 

Jinx straightened herself, trying to keep her cool demeanor on point. She just accepted it was in her head (probably) (most likely, actually, let’s be honest), but still she couldn’t shake the feeling digging deeper in her skin.

Ekko stepped towards a brown door that by the paint chips snowed on the stone around it used to be blue. He knocked a pattern and almost immediately a small child pushed open the bottom half the door. She was maybe about eight or so with a slick bush of brown hair knotted in a bun, and a gapped toothy grin shining bright on her face, “Ekko! Where you been?”

“Somewhere far away, but I’m glad to be back.”

“Were you on a super secret mission?” She asked, gaining up on her excitement. “Did you find some special arti- artifack.”

“You been reading adventure books?” 

“Yeah, all the time.” The kid swung off the door, “I’m in the middle of the one you brought last time- oh do you have anot-”

“Roe get yourself back inside!” A deep voice shouted from beyond the door. “And lock it!”

“But Ekko’s here!” Roe ducked back in, slamming the door with them. Jinx raised a brow to Ekko, but he just put a hand up to wait. Not soon after the full of the door unlatched and opened a sliver. It musta been invitation enough because Ekko slid in and well, Jinx didn’t need to be told to go through unlocked doors.

It was a one room shop with a display case of cloudy glass and a variety of machines and crap on layout, and then there was walls and walls of shelves with more worn down parts and trinkets, the less expensive shit, out to grab. The wood paneled floor squeaked under pressure, and Jinx took in the crowded mess for what it was. Nothing special.  

Ah, now she got why Ekko liked it here, it’s just like Benzo’s. 

Roe locked the door, and Jinx turned her attention from the kid to who she was guessing was the kid's dad. He was a skinny twig of a man for the bark of a voice he had and almost too tall to keep himself straight, he curled over the display case like some twisted tree she saw once. The kid came bouncing ‘round the bend, just a little round cherub, all smiles on her dirt face.

“See you brought unexpected company.” The man said, nodding to Jinx.

She looked to him, silently asking if this would be a problem, Ekko shook his head. “She's a… let’s say business partner, we’re looking for parts.”

“Well you got eyes, but I’m in need of a bit more detail before I go selling to any ‘business partner’ of yours.” 

Jinx swallowed, so help her Janna if Ekko just invited her into a shit show. She pulled down the mask and threw back the hood with little care. She could deal with a skinny and a kid. (Not that she would, she’d probably just walk out the door.) (But that’s not to say she couldn’t if she needed to.) 

The man inhaled, but damn if that kid didn’t come screaming and throwing hands like a firework. “Jinx! You found Jinx!” The kid danced out away from dad and came pulling at her. “You're Jinx.”

“So I been told.” 

“I saw you face down by the river in this big paintin’ and- an’ I asked who you were and my sissy says you're a hero. Like a real life one!” 

Oh Lady Janna, why this? Why now?

Jinx gathered herself and slid all her complex and negative feelings about being made a legend to the back burner of her mind as she knelt down, very mindful of the two pairs of eyes watching. Jinx tried for a sweet smile, but it just felt sickly, though it seemed to be good enough for the kid. “I’m no hero, I just… Just do my part, yeah.” 

“I want to do my part too.” She bounced, “I wanna beat up the bad guys, you know like pow-pow.” The kid went around the store fake fighting, kicking up dust and taking down invisible foes with ease. “Mie’s fighting with Ekko, she’s good good.” 

“I’m sure she is good, I got a big sister who’s good at punching bad guys too.” 

When she ain’t sleeping with them.

The kid gasped, and the dad was looking a little weary at the whole ordeal. You know what, felt. “But, you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you should leave it up to us big people, for now.” Roe deflated just a bit, but Jinx ruffled her hair, “We all got our own things to do, I bet you polished all these, huh? They look shiny and new.” 

“Yep!” She perked right back up, “And I’m learning how to repair things now too. I did this one.” Roe ran off to the side and while Jinx continued to entertain her, praising her little radio that obviously had seen better days, Ekko went to the counter and started his bargain and banter. “I bet you could put some stickers and it’d look real cute.” 

She shook her head, “Its com- comnision? He’s a mean old miner, he wouldn’t like it.”

“Well he sucks, don’t he?”

“What are you getting,” She turned her attention to Ekko as the father sat down two items, the metal lungs and heart on the glass. “Are you building something cool!”

“Nah, just trying to help a friend.” 

“Well I’ll slash a third off each, but you might need some modifications on it.” Ekko nodded, “And I ain’t promising it’s gonna hold. There’s a reason it's on resale.” 

“We’ll work with what we got, I appreciate whatever you can give.” Ekko turned back, a charming smile slipping off, “Okay cough it up.” 

Jinx clicked her tongue, chucking the sack. “Don’t spend it all.”

Roe pulled her dad’s shirt. “You should give ‘em more off. It’s for Ekko and Jinx’s friend.” 

“I’m giving him Mie’s ‘friends’ discount, they can live with that or they can get out.” 

Jinx chuckled, yep, definitely see why Ekko liked this place. 

They paid and Jinx’s wallet cried from being so poor and so skinny, but they left with the lungs and heart and a little Roe trailing out after them hanging off the door. “You gotta tell me where you went, okay, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Is it a good story?”

“I sure think so. Magic’s involved.” 

She gasped, and before the conversation could continue on for eternity, dad saved the day again, “Roe get that door shut and locked now!”

“Okay bye Ekko. Bye Jinx.” 

Slam. Lock.

“Well.” Jinx nodded, “That was a lot.” 

“She’s a sweet kid, thanks for being nice.” 

“Oh don’t act like I’m gonna tear the kids heart out and dance on it.” Jinx snarked, pushing her mask up higher making sure her whole get up was secure. “Let’s get heading.” 

So quickly they went back down out of Margot’s territory and into the quiet streets of the abandoned factories. Jinx took up hauling duty, and through it she chewed on her lips, unable to get the fear that this was all going to be a mega shit show.

The rest of the night went quick with plotting and fixing up the pair of machines, then the next day they came and spent the time implementing them, namely carving out holes and space for the lungs and heart to slot in. It was a whole production, took them into the late night with lots of oily ink like blood on her hands (and hair, don’t ask how), but finally edging towards midnight, it clicked. With bated breath Ekko turned it on and…

The lungs inflated. The heart pumped.

Jinx jumped, damn near squealed, Ekko joined in with the theatrics, shouting up his own storm. They jumped into a hug, and for a second it didn’t feel wrong. It felt… almost good. Almost like when they were kids.

Then Jinx had to fling herself off. What was she thinking? She couldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let Ekko get that hope. And she saw it, in his disappointed eyes, he was getting soppy for her. 

Jinx hardened, she needed to kill it sooner or later. “Good work, I’d say. Think it’s time to start heading. Wifey’s got a meal already getting cold and she oh so hates when I’m out too late.” 

Ekko blanched, wiping away whatever romantic sorrow he’d felt trading it for disgust. “You talkin' about Vi?” 

“Call her what you want, I still got places to be.” Jinx smiled, “I’ll come back early to check on the progress and write, I’m hoping for good, not dead results!”

And Jinx left with all the confidence of an unseasoned scientist. oh the ego on her. She should have known it wouldn’t be so simple, and a niggling, cackling bastard kept voicing that. 

But Jinx brushed it all away, her bee-line for the Drop was peppered with the occasional click clacking of unseen feet, feet Jinx damn knew who they were and ignored Mylo tiptapping- trying to get the jump on her. But as she cornered Holgoncia Avenue something drawed her attention. Enforcers, armies worth, all stampeding, beating down and harassing, ‘Have you seen this person?’ing.

Jinx ignored it, she’s seen this song and dance many a time. Or so she thought. 

Cuz it just took a flash of pink to recatch her eye.

And so curiosity killed her stride as Jinx jumped down, finding her old wanted posters still stuck nice and tight to the walls, but now in good company. 

Vi looked down right feral. Her dog-like growling and slitted eyes were the most prominent. But then there was her tattoo, dramatized and bold on her face. In all sorts of ways she looked pinched and permanently pissed. Like just being next to her would get you targeted and shredded on first sight. 

Vi’s wanted poster made her look dead dangerous and cold, much like her own, though while ‘Jinx’ looked a dead woman walking, ‘Vi’ was lively with anger and violence. A pair of sisters, those wanted posters. But Jinx couldn’t help seeing all the missing marks, the little touches of actual warm life and love left out in her sister’s bastardization of a portrait. 

It was mostly in the eyes, they couldn’t get them right. It had the rough shape and the cool, ice kissed coloring, but inside they were void. 

Not the Vi she knew, not the Vi anyone who knew her would recognize. 

Jinx's shoulders suddenly tensed. They were looking for her. It was one thing when it was Jinx’s head on ice, but for Vi to be one of Piltover’s ‘Most Wanted’...

One moment Jinx was there by herself, the next Mylo had caught up, eating this right up.

The one after she was home. The in between was foggy, forgotten. It didn’t matter, because Jinx had the real deal here, not some mimic on paper. 

Jinx crushed Vi’s back into a hug, her trembling fingers felt for the hard, stable muscles under her shirt, soaking in the warmth of her skin.

She was real, she was safe. 

“Hey.” Vi said, turning so that Jinx’s face was smushed into her chest, Vi brushed back a bit of fallen hair. “Missed me that much?”

Jinx detached slightly, still holding, but not clinging. “What, can I not give you a hug?”

“Never said that.” Vi slung her arm back round her, “How was it?”

“Think it will work. We got him metal lungs and a heart.” 

“That’s great, I’m sure it’ll work.” Vi beamed, it was pure and radiant and it sunned her skin, making Jinx go from cold stone white to blushing red. “C’mon.” 

“C’mon what?”

Vi traced a hand up her side, ghosting it down her still encircled arm and with sudden ferocity Vi grabbed her hand and jerked her into a spin. It was shit and Jinx clumsily turned about her heel, near falling into Vi (she should have just let herself, face full of-)

“Dance with me, will you?” Vi pulled, leading her out to the bar.

Jinx for a real hot moment thought Vi was going to take both her hands, spinning them round, twirling them like she used to as when she was five or so and barely could keep her feet

straight. But surprise of the century, with a final yank, Jinx landed right in Vi’s arms. 

Her hand pressed firm to her lower back, the one still in Vi’s grasp was warm, entangled, held out. Jinx scrambled, frazzled as she felt, to hold Vi’s shoulder as she took lead, taking them on a tour of the bar floor. Jinx couldn’t even smile, so close like this she often was enamored, star struck pouring her gaze into Vi’s bright and brilliantly smiling face. She swore all the light in the Undercity could be found in Vi’s eyes, the way they dilated, and grew when they brushed Jinx, the way she knew she was loved.

Jinx was running so high off the warmth, off of being so close to Jinx she was half considering this a dream. 

“You know,” Vi suddenly spun Jinx out, and spun her back in, crashing into her again. “Mom and Dad played this at their wedding, think Vander said it was their first dance.” 

Jinx perked an ear, ‘Hold Me Now,’ another old track, one she could barely pick from memory. She vaguely remembered a party, many faceless people talking up a storm, one she hadn’t liked, too much noise, but dad held her, swinging her around, she thought maybe singing too her... Jinx melted just a bit more into Vi’s arms, laying her head on her shoulder “It’s a pretty one.” 

“Yeah, I guess it was from some famous Piltie band that mom loved and sold faster than food in a famine. Dad was saving for part of a wedding present for the better half of a year, but they couldn’t find it anywhere.” 

“But he was just so lucky to find the last copy and get it.” Jinx cheekily finished, most of Vander’s stories concerning their parents ended in such sap.

“No,” Vi spun them, “Dad and Vander mugged some guy for it.” 

Jinx reeled back. “They did not.” 

“Go take it up with him, but Vander said he was a real shit head, so.” Vi shrugged, “Better mom’s than his.” 

“Oh good Goddess, maybe I am related to ol’ pops after all.” Vi laughed.

“Yep, his idea and planned it all out too, guess he took Vander for muscle.” 

“Oh I believe it.” Jinx giggled after, Vi was just too infectious. 

Soon the song began to wind down, fizzle to a slow static and Vi and Jinx detached, the laughing and closeness gone with it. Vi twitched, seemed she was about to reach out, but kept herself pulled back. “Well I guess we should get heading down, I need to check on how Vander’s doing and I bet your beat as hell.”

“Yeah.” Jinx sighed, “Yeah, I guess.”

Vi started down for the stairs and Jinx hesitated in following, “Hey Vi, think we can do this again?”

Vi paused, she couldn’t read her, did she say something, imply her hidden desires, let them leak out in her hopeful plea? 

Then she turned, “How could I say no to such a pretty girl?”  

Jinx swore her heart coulda stopped right then and she’d die happy.

Jinx mumbled something in response, almost too embarrassed and blushy and worried she’d be too forward. It wasn’t long after they hit the sack, and the warmth of the bar stayed up stairs, instead Jinx came face to face with the cold lingering in her lone bed. 

Jinx laid awake and just prayed and prayed and prayed it would all work out. Tried to drown the doubt of Mylo and her own voice out with her hope and the rise and fall of Vi’s chest. 

But then Jinx came in the next morning, calmer, cooler, and with more clacking, heels, they were definitely heels. And more posters, bigger, meaner, more in her face. Vi, Vi, Vi scrawled everywhere, and Jinx had just hoped and prayed and begged that tin can would be up and at ‘em this morning.

He was dead with the synthetic heart and lungs fallen through his chest cavity and an oil spill, drip, drip, dripping on her floor, over her desk, down Viktor’s back. It was watery and in the right light shined a rainbow of failure. 

The crystals had crushed close the opening they made to his windpipe, cutting out their life line.

“Motherfucker.” Jinx just about crushed the stupid fifty cog thing in her hand, about chucked it into the abyss. Down, die! Go where all failures end!

Ekko grabbed it from her, trading in a hex gem.

“What’s this?”

“I was thinking that if it didn’t work then we’d have to try hextech. Or I guess more accurately modifying what we got with hextech.” Ekko sat it down, pulling her spinny stool with his foot. She really needed to get a second if this partnership was continuing much longer. “I’m not totally surprised his body rejected it since it’s old chem.”

Jinx pulled a breath, it was one failure, what was one failure in the grand scheme of things? “You think if it’s all Arcane he won’t see it as foreign and will take to it.”

Ekko shrugged. Of course.

“Okay fine, one question.” 

“Shoot.”

“The hell you get this?” Jinx shook it in front of him, “Stole it off some super trooper.”

“I figured we wouldn’t be needing your giant ass laser blaster or whatever it is, ever again. So…” Ekko nodded towards Fishbones. Jinx frowned.

“You gutted my baby.” Jinx cried, throwing the gem at him, making Ekko freak and try to juggle it to safety. “Okay, I’m over it, I got like three more.” 

“Where!” 

“Up your ass,” Jinx turned, pulling out drafting paper. “And I ain’t wasting more time, let's get plotting.”

Two days and two long nights. That's how much it took to finagle the chemtech into accepting and melding together with Hex. It was a long long process that Jinx doesn’t remember much of and would be glad to bang the last little bit she did out of her head. Especially on the ending of the second night going into the third morning when Ekko came back after fishing for parts.

“They have new wanted posters out. Just thought you should know.”

Damn they were all the way down here already. “Captured my likeness well huh, you can practically feel the murder vibrating off the page.” 

She was getting chatty, its a thing that happens when she was manic and tired and she was really fucking manic and tired right about now. She could so go for a sandwich right now, one with fish and pickle (hey don’t knock it til you tri-

“Not just you, Vi too.”

Now she wasn’t feeling so manic and tired. “I know.”

“They turned on her fast.” Ekko said, more to himself than Jinx, “I should have known when I met that Enforcer that she was too genuine. Vi should have known.”

“Vi should have thought before she gassed the Undercity.” 

Ekko tensed, then relaxed with a grunt. It almost sounded sadly amused, but not quiet. “I hadn’t thought there was anything she could have done to make me doubt her. If she hadn’t admitted to it, I might not have believed it… Why did you bring it up?”

“Maybe I thought you should know.” Jinx said, fitting the gem into the center of their abomination machine, “Maybe I’m still fucking livid and want her to suffer. Who knows.”

“Don’t act like you give a shit about anyone else. Sadist you are, I’d place cogs on the second.” He almost laughed at that, at her expense. 

“Fuck off.” 

Ekko jerked back, just slightly, then coughed. “Um, so you ready to implant, hopefully this back piece will keep it from crumbling in.” 

And much like time one it worked, or so it seemed. Though this time was much more weary of a celebration. A look of hope, of exhaustion, of fear if this wouldn’t work because if not, where would they go next?

They left with much trepidation, and Jinx took to the roofs regardless of the shaking mess she was. And unfortunately as it so happened any time she wasn’t in her lab, she heard noises. 

Some she could avoid, you know, the tune-out-and-ignore usual of Mylo hunched and howling. What was a bit harder of a press was that fucking set of heels. Jinx kept twisting every which way, but she was alone no matter how hard or fast she spun about. She would have blamed Mylo clawing from the shadows, his fingers digging, tapping at odd walls, just trying to find any way to catch her eye. But this was different, this was real. It had to, this wasn’t like one of those sounds in her head, it had an echo, it had palpable distance. And they would be right here!

And they weren’t, nobody was.

Fuck maybe I am losing it.

Lost it a long time ago

Did you really even have it

Jinx smacked her head. And smacked it again for good measure.

Focus on what’s real, pain’s real, pulsing and heat-hot and tangible. Real.

Unfortunately so was the chilled breath, one full of sewage and funk, one pooling, pouring down her spine. Like Claggor thought her one of those fancy decorative fountains you’d pour water down, instead it was with his spit.

Jinx threw herself back, hitting a wall, a hundred little scrapes barbed into her as she breathed. Breath. It’ll be-

She needed to get out.

Get out, get out now. 

And she was gone, then she was back home. 

And it was fine. Janna it was fine.

Vi and Isha were much the same way Jinx left them two and a half days ago, and Jinx wiped the pouring sweat from her face gulping. Vi and Isha crowded, checking over her, Isha trying to tell her something, excited she was home? Wanting to play? Vi was solemn and serious, “What happened, are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine, it was nothing.” 

Vi looked doubtful, “Can I get you something to eat?”

“Yeah, please,” Jinx sighed. Isha’s mood dampened as she crowded close and Jinx guilty as all hell for that. “Hey why so frowny? I’m all better now, let’s go play.”

Yep all better. If only it stayed that way.

She spent a day at home. It was pitiful, but Jinx almost didn’t want to face the body, fearful of what would be found. She shot Ekko a message saying she’d swing round when she could, that it’d be closer to night fall and just  enjoyed the time carved out while she could.

In that time she watched Vi and Isha cooking, Vi and Isha working around the bar, making a game out it, and finally Jinx and Isha doing something fun, some modeling with clay and then Vi joined in. She started to notice that Isha would show off to Vi first now, want her opinion and then turn to Jinx. It was a little thing, maybe Jinx was being over sensitive.

Vi looked over to her, smiling. “Think I might head for a minute. Got some errands to run.” 

Jinx hesitated to stop her. She had told her about the posters. She knew, and despite Jinx’s wishes she could just keep her chained to the Drop. But that left her with more one-on-one time with Isha, something Jinx didn’t plan to squander. 

Then that afternoon Jinx got a letter from Sevika asking her over, deciding it wasn’t too late and that she’d enjoy just a bit more distraction, she agreed and headed out and found herself in the worst round of cards she’s ever played. 

Sevika had herself a small apartment on the upper side of the Entresol, nothing stylish and fab, but leak proof and with plumping, all that anyone could really ask for. They were playing cards on her sink-in couch, her dining table made more of an office desk with all of Silco’s actual important work stacked in leaning towers. 

“Here hit me.” Sevika slung Jinx a few new cards. Jinx flipped the corners up and frowned, damn, crap hand yet again. “Jez, hogging all the goodies still.” 

Sevika snorted, “Kid, you ever heard of a poker face?”

“Isn’t that when…” Jinx tapped the crap coffee table with the edge of her card, spinning it. Her brain was too fried, fuck. “I ain’t got any good jokes.”

“Nor any damn sense.” Sevika snatched the one from her hand, reshuffling the whole lot. “Thought Silco woulda taught you a thing or two about keeping your cards to your chest.” 

“I think that’s what he thought too.” 

“Well since poker’s out the mix, what do you know?” 

“I know old maid. Ooo, and war, war was always fun.”

Sevika paused half way through her bridge, a couple cards sputtering out. “I ain’t playing children's games with chips.”

“Ugh, shoulda brought Isha with.” Jinx whined, “Fine, me and Silco mighta had a thing with crib, if you got the set.” 

“That’s better, I’ll go get it” Sevika stood walking to a carved wooden cabinet and taking out the cribbage set, and laying it out on the table. It was old, stained wood with some designs along the side, intercepting diamonds in a criss-cross pattern. Jinx slid out the back piece, taking the silver pegs and leaving the gold for Sevika. 

“Fancy, where’d ya get it?”

“It was my father’s.” She didn’t elaborate. 

So Sevika dealt the cards two at a time between her two fingers, flinging them rapid fire. After the deal, they started up the game. “Hows the kid doing? She runs by sometimes, but I haven’t had the time to check in as of late.” 

“She’s fine, I think Vi’s smotherly instincts are taking over and she’s been teaching her read and  showing her how to cook just about every damn thing she can think of. House smells more like fish than the docks.” Sevika hummed, “Tho it’s kinda cute… kinda wish I had the time to help… Not that I was ever the cookin’ type. There’s a reason I was dishwasher most nights.” Or more like shoved it off on Mylo and ran off, but still. “Was thinking of taking her junking tho, see what treasures she can find.”

“Think that would be good for her, for the both of you…” Sevika paused a second, “You aren't overworking yourself? I know how your sister can get, if I need to knock her down a peg or two I will.”

“No, she hasn’t said a damn thing on it,” Jinx smiled, at the offer. Oh to see Vi bloody and pathetic. “‘Sides asking if I had any breakthroughs and asking after Ekko.” Jinx frowned, “Janna, he’s so annoying. All charming and straight lace. I can’t proper mad scientist with him all talking about ethics. It’s part of the process, y'know.” 

“Well, I’d offer my services, but I’m trying to keep a friendly manner with them. Whoever’s been writing isn’t the most enthused on my offer.” Her and Sevika took turns counting points and moving pegs, and Sevika huffed, “Missing a couple, there Jinx. Thought you said Silco taught you.”

“Where’s that.” 

Sevika counted three fifteens, Jinx was always shit at counting up her fifteens, and moved her own peg up six slots. “Good enough for you?”

“Ugh, we're playing by those rules?”

“I ain’t your daddy, I don’t plan to go easy on you.” 

“Oh whatever, count your crib and get out my face.” Jinx sneered as Sevika jumped up another eight, damn shouldn’t have thrown that seven and eight. She forcibly took the deck at Sevika’s snicker and dealt, “Well, are they at least somewhat open to working with you?”

“The Firelights?” Sevika shrugged, “Seems like they’re willing to test the waters, at least they’re responding. Margot’s gone full awol. Can’t get a damn letter back from her.”

“Aw, lost love, how tragic.” 

“Shit one night stand more like. I was just hoping I could get some use from her mouth for once.” 

Jinx counted hers, and fuck how was she losing this hard still, even with a crib. “Thought you told the bug buddies you were done with Chem-Barons, hmm?”

“What they don’t know now ain’t hurting anyone, ‘sides I just said Margot was quiet, none of that other shit.” 

 See there has been this thing Jinx’s noticed; Sevika’s many frowns and tensings. Over the years she could read each of them like a plain sentence, it was funny how she went on about Jinx not having her poker face when she was damn closer kept with a manic mask. Sevika was always so one note that even the tiniest of changes spoke volumes.

But now Sevika’s lips were pursed, crinkling like she had a cigarette to pull from, or perhaps wished she did. Jinx guessed she was getting low, now technically out a job she couldn’t keep up her pack-a-day habit. Jinx smirked, “So what’s got you worried then?”

“How-?”

“Don’t dilly-dally-dance around, just answer me.” 

“It’s just, I know her type, gangsters and mob, they just don’t go quiet for no reason. Either someone took her out and I didn’t hear about it or she’s got something brewing.” 

“Don’t think she got scared of us? I mean c’mon we tag teamed all them other Barons.” Jinx giggled, “Could be looking to save that pretty lil face of hers.” 

“If that’s the case, she’s definitely plotting to take us out, she wouldn’t risk us acting first. Though frankly I just need her under foot and the sooner the better.” 

“Well, as much as I’d love to offer my services, I’m out of commish, and I ain’t gonna let Vi whore herself out either.” 

Sevika shook her head. “Ida hope you would reconsider-”

“I got too much to lose right now Sevika, and I’m determined not to,” She threw down her last card, happy to get last point, “I’ll get that bot up and running, maybe even hand your resistance over whatever toys I can get built, but I don’t want to be a ground troop. Not anymore.” 

Jinx moved up ten, and for the first time this game Sevika came up short, only getting a two point hand. 

They were now about half way, Jinx still a healthy bit behind, but she was gaining, as slowly as she was, but still. 

Sevika put her frustration in the shuffle, Jinx wondered if one could break cards by bending them too hard. She’d imagine it, each one going snap, snap, snap. 

“I’ll take what I can get from you.”

Jinx frowned, both at her hand and at Sevika’s words. That silent second half, what would come after a ‘but’, made Jinx tear skin from her tender bitten lip. She didn’t say anything, this round, matched points. “I think you need a break from all this war shit and I definitely need more of a break from the body, let’s head out, relax some.” 

“Ain’t that what we're doing right now?” Sevika asked.

“I mean get an actual meal in,” Jinx looked around the kitchen, the damn thing was spotless, not even a pan on the stove cooling, nothing in the sink, not a crumb to be carried off by the ants crawling about. Beyond that it looked like the whole apartment hadn’t seen Sevika in a hot second besides maybe the table. “Your kitchen looks mighty unused, cuz I sure ain’t the sort of guest you’d scrub down for.” 

“Of course not your highness. I’ve been busy. Trying to see if I can scrounge up aid while I wait.” She sighed, “Fuckin’ feels like I’m always waiting now days.”

“What, can’t take a break during all that waiting to get some Jerichos? Don’t tell Vi, she’ll have my head on a hook. Be the next catch of her day.” 

Sevika stood, the floor squealing under her weight, “Fine, I was getting bored of kicking your ass anyways.”

Yeah, so was Jinx. “Thanks for the mercy, don’t think this lil’ ol ego coulda taken it right now.” 

Sevika was half way to responding as some solid hit her chute. Sevika walked to it, unfurling the rolled up page from the tarnished Pneuma tube and for the first time that night, she actually smiled. What a long dead sight. “Fuckin’ finally.” 

“Bugs?”

“They want to meet in a few days at the Drop.” Jinx frowned, “And they were wondering if you’d be showing.”

Okay, had Jinx not been upset before, she was definitely showing it now, “No.”

Sevika rolled her eyes, “No surprise there-”

“And neither will Vi.” 

That caught Sevika off guard, "Excuse me.” 

“The Lanes hate her anyways, it wouldn’t be putting your best foot forward-”

“The Lanes don’t know her, they know a pink-haired pig in a mask, but they ain’t know that dipshit’s name, thank Janna.” Sevika slung her coat, “Just cuz you want to play it safe doesn’t mean she will. Actually had us a nice chat for once earlier today, think I can actually rile her up to do some good for once.”

Jinx’s skin went cold. Not with fear, but chilled anger. So Vi decided to go searching for trouble behind Jinx’s back huh? All that I got errands, coming back empty handed, didn’t think Jinx would find out. Just so she could try at playing hero, getting on Sevika's good side so she could just get herself fucking killed. 

Jinx didn’t like it, but if she had to go behind backs too, so be it, because she could just see it, see Vi going out there, heart ripe and ready on her sleeve, waiting for someone to stab straight into it and kill her. Jinx was certain she was going to die, there was no getting around it.

“You will not! This is what I was talking about, too much to lose. Just do me a solid here. Just- just say they don’t want her there.”

“You already soured her reputation with the Firelight leader, made my shit case worse for myself in the process, I ain’t going to keep letting you shoot my foot for your comfort.” 

“Whatever, just keep your mouth shut about it if I buy you dinner. Just about this, please.”

“I got my own coin, don’t think I’m one to be bought, but unless she seeks me out again, I won’t mention it… for now.” 

Jinx lips wobbled in frustration, but she pulled them tight not to show in front of Sevika. It was fine, it was fine, she had time, she would just figure some bullshit story, lie to Vi and get her to skip. She had a few days. She had a few days, a few days, it would be fine.

Jinx slammed the door. She’d go to Jericho’s but damned if she was not happy about it now. 

And she came back into the lab the same way, slamming. She lightened up on the road, but then after she ate and she couldn’t keep justifying pushing it off any further she decided to go head on down to see how Ekko was holding up.

And she couldn’t keep it out of her head, Sevika wanting to drag Vi in. It wouldn’t be dragging, who was she kidding, she already said Vi was interested, sounded like she seeked her out. Vi would be more than willing to join up, pig signing up for the slaughter as it was. And the wanted poster, that damn wanted poster now laughed, cracking up, the pair of them, a cacophony of noise as she stomped down lower and lower into the depths.

But once she entered the lab it was even more oppressive, the weight tried to crush her, but she forced her way down, swallowing the miasma building up.

And Jinx came back right. Why the hell did she have to be right!

The crystals crushed it again, and Jinx was fucking aggravated.

Jinx chewed the corner of her lip red and raw as Ekko went over and over what they could have missed. She mighta even tore a fine piece of herself off (was it cannibalism if you ate you, especially if you weren’t even all that human anymore?) In a disturbing way the electric pulses of pain grounded her, kept her here and now. Made it so she could think. 

She took to tonguing the sore, it was something gross yet yummy, she liked lapping the sweetened blood the few seconds it would flow before the healing kicked in, especially for a small flesh wound like that.

A few seconds…

Licking her lip, Jinx turned curious eyes towards Viktor. If he really is pumped as full as she was then why wasn’t he healing? If he’s alive, the Shimmer should be taking front row now that she thought of it. Was it just too big a wound to heal? Or was he just not able to?

Jinx paused her thought, plucking a pair of pliers from her soot covered tool bag. She hovered Viktor, “I’ve got a theory.” 

Ekko rubbed his left eye, turning, waiting on her to just blow his mind. And, well, she did.

Jinx stabbed Viktor in the arm, digging the pilers an eighth-inch into dense skin, the skin didn’t split like normal, caving in with the soft material of organic life. Instead his shredded. A section curled up along a seem Jinx had been lucky enough to stab close too, leaving a section of sharp skin poking up and a pool of vibrant purplely-gray water muck with glimmering rot leaking a tear thin river from the puncture hole. 

In a flash Ekko pushed her out the way, the pliers clanked onto the desk and out of her hands as Jinx crashed into the ground as quick and hard as one would into the arms of an old lover. “Are you fucking crazy?”

“Is it healing?”

“The hell are you talking about ‘is it healing?’ You just stabbed him!” 

Jinx peeled herself from the floor, she really coulda held her own if she wanted, but what's a mad scientist without a little dramatism. A giggle brushed her lips, but Jinx didn’t let the full damn break until she shoved Ekko over seeing the now very shiny scab scaled over the hole. Jinx picked it and under?

Unblemished skin.

“HA, suck it up!” Jinx pointed, a giddy girl she just turned into. “He heals!”

Ekko stared, slackjawed. 

“Okay, fine since you're slow, I’ll give you a little lesson with a special hands on example, oh how fun.” Jinx swiped the pliers back up, twirling, “So you know how I tried to murder suicide us, well as you maybe can see I’m running on Shimmer now.” 

Jinx took the pliers and before Ekko could even gleam at what she was planning, Jinx stabbed them in nice and deep. It hurt so good.

A bubble of vile liquid popped and continued to slither down her forearm as she slowly and deliberately opened a hellish cavern about a couple inches or so long. It was disgustingly beautiful, her own body working trying to save her, preserve her. That she could abuse this, something that was constant and reliable for once. 

That she deserved this at all.

And also it was just a good party trick if you asked her.

Then Ekko shouted at her, the pliers ripped and flew splatting on the floor. Nice, new bright colors. 

“Oh Janna, Jinx, what the fuck!” He cradled her arm, then dropped it with all the grace of dead roadkill. Her arm went floppy, swinging at her side, helping the flow of the last spurts of blood cascade down her spindly fingers. Jinx slowly rubbed the blood as it started to dry and powdered, enjoying seeing Ekko run a muck, a chicken with his head lobbed off, panicking for scraps of fabric, now look who was being dramatic. “What the hell were you thinking! And put some pressure on that for Janna’s sake.” 

“Oh pish,” Jinx waved him off, flinging the last bit of wet blood, “It’s fine.”

“Fine! Fuck it isn’t fine, help me!” 

Jinx cast her sight down, and yeah, no it was definitely fine. There was the now dried purple-red river that Jinx had started flaking off, and at the mouth a now sewn shut scab. “Come here, look.” Jinx shoved her arm at Ekko and while he tried his damndest to avoid looking at it, he eventually calmed once he saw it closed. “Neato huh?”

He was agape, how special was it to get Ekko so shocked he shut up. He blinked a few times before turning away, “You just fucking ripped a hole in your arm with rusted metal, we need to get you checked.”

“Aaan! Wrong answer,” Jinx flung herself into her rolly stool, “What we were looking for is, if he heals, why ain’t the hole healing?”

“You just stabbed yourself to- to prove what?”

“Prove he can heal on his own, duh, just gotta find what’s blocking it. And wouldn’t you know I think I see a whole ring of it.” 

“Let’s back this up, ignoring you stabbing yourself for no reason, which I’ll get back to. You think that he’s going to what? Regrow a heart? We pick away the crystals and he’ll heal right on his own?” 

Jinx shrugged, “Worth a shot, right?” 

“I’m fucking done with you.” Ekko started walking, not out, but just enough not to be close. He exiled for a moment, a long sweet moment that was rudely ended with Ekko barreling back, holding a hand out. “Give me the pliers.”

“Are you gonna stab yourself, have us all a little party?”

“No, I’m going to take them with me so you don’t fuck his or more importantly your shit up anymore.” Jinx giggled. “What.” 

“Oh nothing, go on run off, I’ll shoot you when I’m done.” She finger gunned him, grinning wide and mad.

“Jinx, please let's take a break.”

“I don’t need one, goodbye Ekko.” 

And look, for once in her sordid life someone listened to her. He got the pliers on his own and stormed up the stairs, angling back just a second, “I’ll be back in the morning.”

Jinx waved, sure he would be, and he would see she was right!

The propeller was absolutely vibrating with sounds and music and manic madness and Jinx took to using a knife to chip, chip, chip away at the many many layers of the mini mountain tin man had parasited (was that a word) in his cavity. Jinx sang and screamed her emotions, Viktor's pained groans and gurgles adding to the back up vocals.

“Woah, woaaahoooo,” Jinx sang into the knife, then brushed it to Viktors. “Your part.” Boring, he didn’t sing. Well she’d sure as shit make him. 

Another slice, another splinter of crystal chunked off. She carved and cut for a hours and hours, but at this rate it what did this fucking time sink matter? Another night away from Vi, another night from Isha, another night of Vander getting worse and worse and worse and where was she, picking and scraping some dead body.

What did it matter anymore how she got him jumping? What did it matter if it was ethical or sustainable or made any logical sense? Jinx was invested, damn straight, she wasn’t stopping, she needed to know what was so damn special about him, what made him tick.

Maybe two failures was too much to go this crazy after, but see Jinx didn’t fail. Powder failed at just about everything, her whole life was a experiment in how big a fuck up you could before you tripped and died, but Jinx? No Jinx was perfect. But not perfect enough.

Jinx cut close, slicing through the entirety of the layer, the thin sheet she had been trying to leave as to keep a her desk clean before she had to get real hacksaw and black bloodied. 

They’d only seen his windpipe so far, all they needed to see to connect the machine to him. Though, now that she’s sliced, well the two inch section into the insides was just something Jinx couldn’t help but get curious about. 

And so the last layer was peeled back, and like when a too soon picked scab was torn off, a gush of thinning liquid came out, Jinx had a clean towel on hand, dabbing it, and once she got a picture perfect clear view Jinx just laughed.

Gears.

Yep gears. And wires and metal plates and all sorts of not human looking parts making up her metal man. So it wasn’t just the plating, she was right, not biology at all. Jinx laughed again, cackling. “Oh man, look how fucked up you are, matched pair we are huh, buddy?”

And it continued like that through the night and Jinx finally, finally got all the crystal off, Viktor bleed, bleed a whole heaping lot, draining down and off her desk and onto her lap, but Jinx was riding her high too much to even give half a shit about her sticky thighs. Finally, heal, fucker heal.

And if he didn’t heal? Well there was no more rock, no more blockage. They’d stick the heart back in, get his beat up body beating and then done, voila! Presto!

Done. Finished. Hopefully.

She passed out not long after. 

And then she woke to Ekko tapping her.

“Um, are you okay?”

“What, don’t I look picture ready papa?”

“Not even touching that, uh.” He looked back, “So did you get any progress on your batshit idea?”

“Hmm?” Jinx asked sleepily. Then her eyes snapped. She flashed to the corpse.

“He re-rocked!” The fucking audacity!  “Light him up.”

“I’m not lighting him on fire.” 

“No dummy,” Jinx sloughed herself into a knotted pretzel looking out under her arm, “With electricity, remember froggy legs? Let’s juice him! He wants to play hard ball, let’s play.”

“Forgive me for not getting that from let’s ‘light him up’.” 

“That’s okay, cuz if this don’t work that’s the next plan.” Jinx turned back to Viktor, getting milimeters from him, “Hear that, so if you don’t wanna get extra toasty, wake the fuck up!” 

She ran and got jump cables, scapped from an old project and Jinx hooked them up to her old generator (dumb idea, Ekko called it, tried to stop her, not good enough. She called him dumb and shoved him off and did it anyways. Dumb idea, don’t press) and when he did his jig and finished that was it, the whole sordid show. 

Finished. Done. Failure.

And then the lights and electricity blew out. 

Fuck her and fuck this.

“Ugfhh, I hate you, you hear me!” Jinx screamed, “I’ll wake you up and once I do you’ll feel a hundred suns of fucking fury, you hear me!” 

“Would you calm down?” Ekko ripped her away, clawed into her shoulder. “It's been maybe a week or so get a fucking grip.” 

“It’s been a week!” Jinx slammed the table. “I don’t do this, I don’t need a week, I crack nuts like this in hours, a day max. It’s a stupid body, what isn’t working?”

“Maybe we could try the heart again, maybe we just did something wrong, or maybe there was something else we missed and we just need to go back and do another biopsy with someone who knows medicine.” 

“We don’t have time to study! There’s enforcers out there.” 

“I know.”

“Who have these fucking wanted posters of Vi, we don’t have the time to be dicking around, I don’t have the time, he needs to work now!” 

“What is him working tomorrow or in a week going to do Jinx? Seriously this is for Vander, not Vi.” Ekko stared at her and Jinx swallowed thick. “Look I know you're worried about her, I am too, I don’t want her locked up again, but take your stress about that and leave it at the door.”

“You don’t see.” Jinx ripped herself away, away from them both. 

“See what, explain it to me please.”  

Janna, how could she? Explain that Viktor could take her place, would be poised to do so, would hopefully be so bitter and sorrow filled for his lost brethren he’d turn trust on Piltover if he hadn’t already. That maybe something in that would be their saving grace. Or who knows, maybe batshit Jayce Talis was right and he was planning the worst brazing of Piltover, wrack them over the coal, set them a light, make them scared and terrified of his nonstopping army of misshapen, yet disturbingly perfect zombies. What a blessing, what a sight that would be.

Vi would be safe, Vi wouldn’t be needed. Neither of them would, they could continue and if the world burned then let them leave the world and find life and love with each other. Let her have her life and be alone. 

She could see it; Vi in her bar, made in her own image, an easy smile unburdened by war or any horrors she’d otherwise be forced to witness. No more and no less scars that were already on her. 

Happy. Healthy At peace. 

And maybe, hopefully with Jinx close by her side. In her arms, snug and knowing that’s where she belongs.

That was almost worth all her paranoia and craze in gold. 

“The more protection the better.” Jinx found her lips forming on their own, “You know, Vi’s doing him a solid, I’d like to think he’d pay her in kind.” 

“That’s presumptuous. And unrealistic, he never asked to be saved, he doesn’t owe her anything.” Ekko said lightly, “Vi knows that, at least I hope she does.” 

“She does. Of course she does, I’m the selfish one aren’t I?”

Ekko didn’t even try to correct her. Just let the statement hang.

“I need a fucking break.” Jinx left and didn’t come back for a long while. 

—

Jinx slumped her way into the Drop, another old record was on blast, in the past week Vi had changed out all of them, most were the old set Silco had left in storage, a couple though had been finds that Jinx didn’t even want to guess how much they were. 

Isha was sitting and coloring, while Vi was going through the glasses. Said something about wanting to get them replaced eventually, but would stick with the sick green glass cups till they actually were making a profit. Jinx hadn’t the energy to tell her they weren’t opening back up (especially after she thought she made it very fucking clear the week and a half ago), but it was better to leave her to her pet projects than to rip everything away.

“Hey, how was it?” 

Isha tripped herself out of the bar stool, quickly blowing her hands up then crossing her fingers in a ‘fine’. “Yeah I’m fine, if that’s what you’re asking.” Isha nodded happily, scrambling back up her chair and yanking a close one closer for Jinx to take. She did and Vi had her a cup of juice before she even sat. And Chuck thought he could compete. “Thanks.” 

“What she wear you out or something?” Jinx would have liked to think it was teasing, but she was pretty damn sure Vi would have taken Sevika out if the answer was yes.

“It wasn’t her…” Jinx chewed on her words, been chewing like a cow since she left Jericho’s really. She decided to shift, “I went back to the lab after, you know the drill.”

And here we go, Vi softened like dough in her warm hand. She reached, taking Jinx’s shoulder, “You’ll figure it out, eventually, there ain’t a crazy thing you can’t do, don’t stress it.” 

Jinx just had to roll her eyes at that, but couldn’t hide the smile slowly ticking up. She pounced over toward Isha pulling a slight giggle from her, “Hey what you got going on?”

It was over more of Silco’s old paper, now with a full assortment of colors, Isha was making up all sorts of patterns in pretty pinks and purples and oranges. She took part of the page with swirls and stars, some string night sky, and tore it off. She grabbed Jinx’s glass and as she raised a brow, she wrapped it around the top and pointed to it.  Vi leaned in, “I was thinking instead of trashing all this good glass, we’d just give it a little personal touch,” Vi took the cup and Jinx worried it’d slosh all over the table, but Vi set it back down. “Oh I do like that, it’s pretty nifty. Could do a star theme huh?”

Isha nodded before turning to Jinx expectantly. Jinx had wanted to frown, wasn’t this supposed to be her and Isha’s thing? Making art pieces, creating a colored mess. Jinx teaching her things and coming up with fun ideas.

“Me too, the colors go so well together, and the swishy swirls are so fun, I think I’m gonna get some more paper and we can make some more designs.” Jinx nodded towards Vi to follow and Vi ruffled Isha’s hair as she threw the bar partition up, following her up the stairs.

Jinx turned, making sure Isha hadn’t followed before turning back, “How’s she been? Good?”

“Oh yeah, we’re having a good time, gonna take her out to get some paint tomorrow.”

Jinx smiled even if she sorta felt a tear trying to slip, “That… that sounds fun.” 

“Hey, you know if you need to take a couple days break you can.” Vi bumped her, leaning up against the hall wall, “I think she misses you. A lot. I know I do.” 

Jinx now was definitely smiling. “I’ll take a day off for tomorrow at least. I’ll tell Ekko we can cool our jets for a bit.”

Vi nodded, “Speaking of, he’s-”

“He’s been fine the last four times, yes Vi.” Vi slumped and Jinx slipped up next to her. She didn’t think she’d take this hard a hit. They haven’t even spoken since and Vi’s been down right depressed. 

“Maybe me and Isha can drop by soon, cover up the body and all that so she doesn’t have to see it.” 

Jinx looked up, pulling at her lip. “I’m sure it can’t hurt. But maybe tomorrow we can go get them paints and then go junking. Maybe.” 

Vi groaned, “You serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Jinx swished around her, “C’mon, it’s mighty fun, the sea of the Sumps as they say.”

“More like the shit in the Sumps, but fine we can go.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, really.” Vi bumped her, “It’s a date.”