Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Isha peered up at the sign once again. It matched the one Jinx had once scrawled on the piece of paper. 

“If ya ever get into a tight spot, and you can’t find me, then ya go here. Get the girl with pink hair. She’ll help ya.” 

Isha felt wary of being up Topside. It was a place she had never dared to traverse willingly. Yet there she was standing on the porch of a fancy house after slipping through the bars of the fence, a poster grasped tightly in her hand. She had to wipe away all the makeup on her arms and change into something less showy. She hid her hair under her helmet. 

Isha reached up and she knocked. One. Two. Three times. 

She waited a few moments before knocking again. She was taken off guard when a man answered the door and for a moment she hesitated as she wondered if she was at the right place. 

“Hello?” the man asked, his voice soft. He gazed down at her, confusion and concern creasing his face. “May I help you with something?” 

Isha looked down at the paper she held before she unrolled it and showed him. Uncomfortable recognition filtered through his eyes before he nodded. 

“Ah. You must be here for Caitlyn,” he said. He stepped aside to let her in. “Please come in, I’ll go get her for you.” 

Isha shuffled inside. Everything was so big and clean. She peered around in a dazed awe as the man hurried away. 

When the woman arrived, Isha’s heart sank in her chest. There was no pink hair. 

“Hello,” the woman greeted with a gentle smile as she approached her. When she was in front of her, she crouched down and held her hand out. “I’m Caitlyn Kiramman. I heard you’re looking for me?” 

Isha hesitated before peering over the woman’s shoulder. There was no sign of anyone else. She didn’t take the offered hand, but the woman didn’t seem bothered. 

“Would you like a drink?” Caitlyn offered as she straightened up. “We can talk in the kitchen.” 

Isha reluctantly followed the woman through the large house and into a grand kitchen. She watched as Caitlyn got a cup out of a cupboard and filled it with water before setting it down in front of her. 

“May I know your name?” Caitlyn inquired as she leaned against the counter. It made her look smaller. 

Isha reached a hand up before pausing. The woman probably wouldn’t understand her signs. 

Caitlyn waited patiently. Isha curled her fingers around the poster in her hand for comfort. 

“Would you like something to write with?” Caitlyn finally inquired. Relief filled Isha and she nodded her head. Caitlyn disappeared before reappearing with a few sheets of paper and a pencil. Isha took the pencil but wasn’t sure how to tell Caitlyn she needed colors. She wasn’t good at spelling, Jinx had barely taught her how to read. 

Still determined, Isha climbed onto a stool and pulled a sheet of paper toward her. She started quickly sketching out a woman before drawing an arrow to her hair and writing the word 'pink'. She then held it out to Caitlyn. 

Caitlyn frowned slightly as she looked at it. Finally, after a moment, she asked Isha, “Are you here for Vi?” 

Isha perked up at the mention of another woman. She nodded eagerly, hoping that the woman was the one Jinx said. 

“Okay.” Caitlyn gave her a smile that was a little tighter than before. “Wait right here, please. I’ll go get her.” 

While Caitlyn was gone, Isha dared to drink some of the water and she started to doodle on the paper she had already drawn on. She was engrossed in drawing when Caitlyn showed up again, this time with a pink-haired woman. 

Isha perked up and slid off the stool, scrambling to the woman who took a step back when she approached. 

“Hey,” the woman greeted, slightly awkwardly. “Caitlyn said you’re looking for me?” 

Isha stuck her hand out with the rolled-up picture, and after a moment Vi took it. Isha watched as Vi opened it up and then paused when she saw the wanted poster of Jinx. 

“You came here about Jinx?” Vi asked, her tone switching to something serious. Isha nodded her head. Vi crouched down in front of her as she inquired, “Did she hurt you?” 

Isha shook her head furiously. She patted herself down before she found the right pocket and dug out the weathered scrap of paper and held it out to her. In neon blue pastel crayon, the Kiramman symbol was sketched out. 

Vi took it with a frown before passing it to Caitlyn. “Did she give this to you? Did she send you?” 

Isha hesitated. They were taking things all wrong. 

“If Jinx threatened you, it’s okay. We can keep you safe,” Vi said gently. “You don’t have to be scared.” 

Isha let out a frustrated grunt as she signed the word she desperately wanted to say. Vi watched her with a frown. 

“I don’t understand. Does that mean something?” she asked a little helplessly. 

Isha reached out and pointed at Vi’s pink hair before pointing at the blue crayon and then at the blank sheets of paper. She mined writing. She wanted colors. 

“I… think I have colored chalk?” Caitlyn hesitated, unsure if she was interpreting her correctly. Isha perked up and nodded her head. “It only really works on the blackboard I have. You’ll have to follow me.” 

Isha descended deeper into the house with the two women. She was brought into an office where spread out along an entire wall were notes and string, all centering around a wanted poster of Jinx. Isha wondered if she was in the right place. They didn’t seem to like Jinx. 

“Here.” Caitlyn held out a box of colored chalk before pointing to the blackboard that Vi was erasing. “You can use that.” 

Isha wasn’t sure how to ask Vi if she was friends with Jinx so she settled on drawing Jinx and then drawing Vi the best she could, utilizing the pinks and blues to do so. She drew them close together with smiles on their faces before she brushed the chalk dust onto her pants. She tapped on the drawing of Jinx before she shoved a finger at Vi. 

Vi followed the finger as she looked between Isha and the drawing a few times. “Oh… yeah. I was close to her once. But don’t worry, I won’t let that get in the way.”

Isha groaned and dragged her hands down her face. She slapped her cheeks a few times in thought before she dropped the chalk and moved toward Vi. She gripped her hand, finally deciding that if she couldn’t tell them then she could show them. Vi stumbled after her as Isha tugged her toward the front door. 

“Woah, wait!” Vi paused and Isha wasn’t able to drag her anymore. “Where are we going?” 

Isha stomped her foot in frustration as she jabbed a finger to the floor underneath her. 

“Right. Zaun. Okay.” Vi nodded her head. She glanced behind her and Isha noticed that Caitlyn had followed. Isha allowed them a few minutes to get dressed and pick out their weapon of choice. She preferred to be prepared, and she had her own gun hidden away in her jacket. 

Isha tried taking them through the tunnels but they were reluctant to follow her. They thought she’d get lost. Isha knew the tunnels like the back of her hand. Jinx never doubted her directions. Even if Isha did make a mistake somehow, Jinx would grin at her and call it an adventure. 

Isha’s chest ached. She missed Jinx. 

Vi eventually got her to agree to take an elevator down to Zaun. It took much longer but Isha was willing to be patient as long as she listened. Isha wasn’t sure why Caitlyn was following her, or if Jinx even wanted her there, but she figured more people couldn’t hurt. 

Her legs took them to the last place she saw Jinx. She was outnumbered and Jinx had told her to run. Isha didn’t want to leave her but for the first time, Jinx raised her voice and yelled at her in such a way that Isha couldn’t do anything else but run. 

The alley they were in was desolate. Isha paused at the opening before shuffling into the narrow space. She peered back at the two women who were keeping an eye out for trouble. 

Isha stared at the brick wall to her left where a dried dark smear of purple was left. She reached out and brushed her fingers over it, remembering the way it had gushed from Jinx’s face. It was crusty and dry, telling her how much time had passed. 

Vi squatted down next to her to look at what she was doing. Her brow furrowed at the smear on the wall. “What is this?”

Isha patted the bricks, and when she got Vi’s attention she fisted a hand in her hair and mimed smashing her head against the wall. She wiggled her fingers over her face and then shoved them outward like an explosion against the wall, mimicking a pained shout. 

“Shit!” 

Isha jerked at the swear and spun around to look at Caitlyn who was holding a Chomper grenade. The pin had been mostly pulled, and when it was moved the pin came with it. 

Isha scrambled toward her, snatching the pin off the ground and yanking the bomb from Caitlyn’s hands. Caitlyn tried to rip it back but Isha shoved the mouth mechanism up and deftly inserted the pin back into it, locking it into place to stop it before it exploded. 

Jinx had taught her how to build them. Isha didn’t build them herself but liked to watch Jinx. Jinx told her a lot.

“The boring part about making things explode is knowing how to make them not explode.”

Isha learned how to stop explosions and contain them before they happened. It was fun lobbing bombs away from her as Jinx kept passing them over one by one, pin already pulled. But if she couldn’t run, Jinx wanted her to know how to deactivate it. 

“Nobody knows how my bombs work. Anybody who tries to take them apart dies. I’m the only one… well, I guess there’s you now too.”

Once Isha knew how to deactivate the bombs, Jinx let her color them, content that she wouldn’t blow her hand off the moment she turned her back. 

The Chomper in her hand was one she had decorated. She scribbled on it just over a week ago. 

Isha was lost in thought until a hand gripped her shoulder and she immediately twisted her head to bite. Vi yelped and shoved her away, and Isha felt only a little bad. 

People that Isha trusted knew not to grab her unless she saw them coming. Isha’s teeth had been her greatest weapon and kept her safe for years. She’d bitten Sevika three times, and once it was on her metal arm and knocked out a baby tooth. She only bit Jinx once before Jinx learned to never do it again. Jinx didn’t get angry with her for biting.

“You got a nasty bite on ya, kid. What’re ya lookin’ at me like that for? You think I’m mad? I get it. Ya can’t tell the difference between the hand that feeds and the hand that strikes. A hand is a hand is a fist and all that. Believe me, kid. I understand.” 

Isha rubbed her fist over her chest in a silent apology, although she didn’t think Vi understood her. 

“How did you know to do that?” Caitlyn asked her. Her voice was sharper than it was earlier. 

Isha’s eyes flickered between Caitlyn and Vi. She slowly reached into her pocket where she had stuffed the poster and gestured to it. 

“Jinx taught you?” Vi asked breathlessly before Caitlyn could. Caitlyn stood rigidly, assessing Isha carefully. 

Isha nodded. There was no point in hiding it anymore. She lifted her helmet from her head to reveal her bright blue hair and the two braids she had been growing out. The two women’s eyes went wide at the sight. 

“Who are you to Jinx?” Vi’s voice was desperate, face pinched in distress. 

Isha didn’t know. She didn’t have an answer. Jinx was her protector. Her sword and shield. She kept Isha safe and happy. She fed her and clothed her and gave her a whole place to sleep. Isha got toys and to play games. Jinx was safety and security and love. 

She didn’t have a sign for it. There was never a need. It was Isha and Jinx and that was enough for them. 

“You’re mine now, right? You’re not… leaving? You can’t do take-backsies, kid.”

Isha looked down at her hands as if they could tell her what to say. In the end, she settled by cradling the air in her arms. 

Vi stared down at her arms. Then up at her. Then back down. “You… are her baby?”

Close enough. Isha nodded her head. People saw her with Jinx and called her “Baby Jinx” but that was because she didn’t give them her name. Jinx had called her a baby before, but it was mainly teasing her for not being able to do something. 

“Of course you can’t reach the top shelf. You’re just a baby, aren’t ya? Ha! Don’t pout at me like that, missy. When you’re my baby, you’ve got me to reach the top shelf for ya!” 

Isha missed her. Her eyes burned and she wanted to cry. Sevika was too busy and Isha couldn’t track down the latest meetings she had been to. Isha was alone again and she really, really wanted Jinx. 

“Okay. Hey.” Warily, Vi reached out to grasp Isha’s upper arms. “It’s okay. You don’t have to cry.”

Gripping her helmet tightly in her hands, Isha couldn’t help herself. Jinx missed a Stink Maw race, and it was too dark and lonely in bed the previous night. Jinx wasn’t there for Isha to crawl into bed with to steal her warmth. 

Isha sobbed. Everything good that happened to her always went away. Isha was the one who convinced Jinx to get Jericho’s that day. If she hadn’t complained about being hungry, they wouldn’t have gotten caught, and Isha wouldn’t have had to run. 

The hands holding her arms pulled her closer and Isha was surrounded by warmth. She cried against the soft jacket as the arms cradled her close, a soft shushing caressing her ear. Yeah, maybe she shouldn’t be crying on a woman she met an hour ago, but Jinx trusted her and that was enough for Isha to let her guard down. 

She eventually pulled herself together enough to push away, swiping a hand over her nose to clear it. She yanked the hat back over her head and let the comforting weight ground her. 

“Jinx is important to you, isn’t she?” Vi asked, not upset that Isha got snot and tears all over her jacket. Isha nodded her head miserably. “Something bad happened to her, didn’t it?”

Isha glanced at the smear on the wall. She gave a sniffle before she turned to the depths of the alley and started to traverse deeper, leaving the two women to follow after her. 

There was a little metal tube hooked on a leather cord that sat around Isha’s neck. The metal was a whistle, one given to her by Jinx. 

“If you need me, blow on this as loud as ya can, and I’ll be there.”

Isha hadn’t needed to use it yet, but as she went deeper into the alley she pulled it out from where it was tucked in her jacket and brought it to her lips. The whistle was high and shrill, piercing her ears. She blew into it again, pausing and waiting, desperately hoping that she’d hear something. 

“Hey, kid.” Vi caught up to her. “Did you... see what happened?”

Isha glanced up at her as they walked. She saw some bits. But she had been focused on skipping over cracks in the ground until they were attacked. Then Jinx protected her, blocking her view. When Isha was knocked away from Jinx, she didn’t get a good look before she was ordered to run. But she saw some and so she nodded. 

“Did you recognize anybody else?” Vi asked. 

Isha knew there were a lot of powerful people in Zaun, but she didn’t know their names. Jinx seemed to know everybody, even if she’d pretend not to know who they were just to make them mad. Sometimes she’d stoop down while they walked together to point someone out and whisper who they were and why Isha should stay away. 

“They touch a hair on your head, I’ll make their insides come out.”

Vi asked questions as they walked. Isha wasn’t oblivious to Caitlyn following behind them, silent after learning who Isha was. 

“Are you hungry?” Vi asked suddenly. Isha peered up at her in confusion but had to admit that she was. They never made it to Jericho’s and Isha was in a hurry to get back and try to find Sevika. Her rumbling stomach answered for her and Vi gave her a knowing grin before holding her hand out. “Let’s go get some grub.”

Isha looked at the hand extended before reaching out to take it. 

Chapter Text

Isha perched on her tiptoes as she watched Jericho prepare his usual special. When she arrived without Jinx by her side, he looked down at Isha in confusion, tilting his head as he glanced up at Vi and Caitlyn. 

He asked her in a grunt if Jinx was alright. Isha responded with her own softer grunt that Jinx was okay. At least, she hoped so. She clambered up onto a stool when he set the steaming bowl down, and she yanked it closer to her. She heard Vi laugh at her eagerness, but she dug into her bowl with the same fervor. 

Caitlyn, however, did not want anything, which made sense. Isha hadn’t expected Vi to want Jericho’s, but she came to understand Vi was a Zaunite living Topside. Caitlyn, however, was a Piltie down in the Undercity. She thought Jericho’s was gross. 

Isha watched through mouthfuls as Vi teased Caitlyn with a piece of fish covered in sauce. When she scrunched up her face and politely turned it down, Vi laughed. 

Isha finished her bowl quickly, licking her fingers and then the bowl clean before setting it back down. Jericho grunted at her to ask if she wanted more, and Isha let out her own affirmative grunt. She ate her seconds just as quickly as the first. She half expected Jinx’s fingers to reach into her bowl to pluck a piece out. A hand with pink and blue nails was the only hand that Isha would ever let take her food. 

Vi finished her food and was content to watch Isha eat. Isha scrunched her nose up at her and stuck her tongue out with half-chewed food on it to make her look away, but all it did was make Vi laugh. Isha couldn’t be too mad about it when she wasn’t the one paying, so she finished quickly and watched as Vi dropped a handful of coins on the counter for Jericho as thanks. 

“Righty,” Vi said as they walked away from Jericho’s. “Let’s keep looking.” 

Isha let Vi and Caitlyn take the lead but steered them away from parts she knew wouldn’t be helpful. They spent much time in the alley looking for clues, and the daylight disappeared quickly. With a full belly and after a day of running around, Isha was getting tired. 

She hadn’t realized how much time had passed until she rubbed at her face to try and stay awake, doing her best not to stumble into Vi or Caitlyn’s legs as they walked. She could hear them talking but was too tired to listen in. 

She was so busy following their footsteps that she missed when they stopped walking and stood around. Finally, a hand touched her shoulder, and Isha lifted her head. 

“Hey,” Vi started, her voice soft. “It’s getting pretty late.” 

Isha knew that, but she had a sinking feeling in her heart as Vi squatted down in front of her. 

“It’s no use to look for clues when it gets dark. It’s too dangerous.” Vi glanced up at Caitlyn before looking back at Isha. “I know you said you’re Jinx’s… baby. But do you have anywhere else you can stay for the night?”

If Isha knew how to get a hold of Sevika from the chem-barons, she’d do it. But she didn’t know where Sevika was nor where the woman lived. She shook her head. 

“Right.” Vi rocked back on her heels for a moment in thought. “Caitlyn has a spare bedroom that you can use for the night. You’ll be safe there. And we can keep looking in the morning.”

Isha glanced up at Caitlyn suspiciously. Then again, she’d followed people home before. And by people, she meant Jinx. And that was really only because she fell on her. 

“It’s true,” Caitlyn said after she met Isha’s gaze for a beat. She looked tired, but not in a way that sleep would fix. “You can stay the night.”

Isha wanted to protest, but a yawn broke through, and she had to reach up to rub her sleepy eyes. Reluctantly, she nodded her head. Jinx told her being sleepy wasn't good.

“Ya gotta go to sleep, kid. Ya can’t come with me tomorrow, tired. Gets your awareness down. Being sleepy gets ya killed. So honk-shoo, kid.”

Isha agreed and tucked her frustration away for the night, following after Vi and Caitlyn. She was starting to get tired after walking around all day, and her shoes were giving her blisters, not that she’d complain. She was tough. She could handle it. 

Vi caught her attention as they stepped on the lift up to Piltover. “Hey, kid. You look asleep on your feet there. Want a piggyback ride?” 

Isha peered up at the pink-haired woman. She rubbed her heel against the back of her boot to test how much further she thought she could walk before nodding her head. Vi stooped down, and Isha arched herself up on her tiptoes to push herself onto Vi’s back. Vi wrapped her arms around her legs and stood, heaving Isha up a few inches. The motion knocked Isha’s hat from her head and she reached for it, a surprised noise escaping her lips as it hit the ground. Caitlyn caught it before it rolled off the edge of the lift. 

Isha reached for it, and Caitlyn held it out for her to take. Isha couldn’t fit it back on her head and sit comfortably on Vi’s back, so she settled on grasping the strap inside with one hand while the other looped around Vi’s neck. 

It was nice not to have to walk. Her feet got a break, and she saw Piltover from higher up at night. Isha watched the lights and buildings go by as they walked, resting her cheek tiredly against the warm shoulder before her. She must have dozed off during the walk because the loud groan of the gate of Kiramman manor woke her up. 

Isha rubbed tiredly at her eyes as Caitlyn held the door open for them. She felt Vi pause in the front room before Caitlyn took over and guided them further into the house. They finally reached a room with a pristine white door, which Caitlyn then pushed open. Isha’s eyes widened at the size of the bed inside. It was possibly the biggest bed she had ever seen. The one she slept on was just a mattress on the floor with a nest of blankets and pillows. 

Isha was too busy staring at the room in awe to notice when Vi had entered until she was set down on the bed. It was impossibly soft and squishy, and Isha wiggled her legs to bounce a little. 

“You like that?” Vi grinned in amusement as she gripped Isha’s left knee. Isha stilled in surprise at the touch but watched as Vi gripped the buckle on her shoe to undo it. Isha glanced over to the doorway where Caitlyn was still. She stood there and cast a shadow from the hall light in the dark room. Isha met her gaze, and Caitlyn held it before she looked away. Isha wasn’t sure how to take her stare. 

“Cait,” Vi suddenly said, Caitlyn’s attention snapping to her. “You should go get a first aid kit. Kid tore her feet open.” 

Isha turned her attention to her feet, surprised to see that the inside of her boot and her heel were smeared with blood. 

“Doesn’t this hurt?” Vi asked, her hand wrapped around Isha’s calf as she inspected the torn open skin. Isha shrugged slightly. “You could have said something. We could have taken a break.” 

Isha didn’t reply to that. She didn’t need a break. She needed Jinx. And when she got Jinx back, Jinx could fix her feet. 

Vi had her other boot off by the time Caitlyn returned. With the attention of both women on her, Isha squirmed uncomfortably. Caitlyn kneeled in front of the bed with Vi to take a look at the damage before opening the kit up. 

“I used to get blisters like that on my feet too,” Vi said. She was inspecting the inside of Isha’s boots. “I’d get them from wearing shoes that were too big. I was told I’d grow into them; it was better to have shoes that were too big than too small, but they’d rub my feet raw all the same.”

Isha had more shoes. She just chose to wear her boots because they were hers before she found Jinx. After that, Jinx helped her alter them to make them look like hers. Isha couldn’t bring her whole outfit like Jinx’s Topside, but she could bring her boots, which were enough comfort, and the pain was worth it. 

“I’m gonna clean up your feet and put some bandages on it, okay?” Caitlyn got Isha’s attention. Isha nodded her head and braced herself as Caitlyn carefully dabbed at the popped blisters. Caitlyn had been very distant and quiet since Isha told her who she was. At least the best she could convey at the time. Isha didn’t know why. She knew that Jinx wasn’t liked Topside, so the address given to her was a surprise, but she didn’t think Jinx would send her to people who didn’t like her. That was too much of a risk. They could hurt Isha if they were willing to hurt Jinx. 

Isha turned the puzzling question over in her head as Caitlyn patched her feet up. The sound of someone knocking something over in the hallway and muttering to themselves made Isha look up. 

“Sounds like Tobias is home,” Vi said. She stood and set Isha’s boots down before looking at Caitlyn. “I’ll go tell him we have a guest.”

“Okay. Be there in a moment,” Caitlyn replied. Vi gave Isha a grin and a wave before she left the room with her hands tucked in her pockets. Isha watched Caitlyn work on her other foot. The band-aids she used weren’t colorful like Jinx’s, but they worked the same way. 

“There.” Caitlyn finished smoothing the last bandage over Isha’s heel. “That should hold for the night.” She gathered up the trash she had and closed the kit, rising to her feet before pausing. Isha waited for her to speak. Jinx sometimes got stuck in her head too. Isha always needed to be patient and let her find her thoughts. 

“Jinx,” Caitlyn suddenly started. She seemed uncertain of how to say it. “She… looks after you?”

Isha nodded her head. 

“And… she’s good to you?” Caitlyn asked. 

Isha nodded once more. 

“You said— you said you are her baby.” Caitlyn looked away from Isha to the window that let the moon shine through. It cast a warm blue glow over everything in its path. Isha watched Caitlyn tighten her grip on the trash in her hand. “She’s too young to have had you. She must have found you somehow. Couldn’t have been more than a year.” It sounded like she was starting to talk to herself more than Isha, her voice a mumble. She stared out the window before turning to Isha. “Jinx… she is not… she is not a good person.” 

Isha knew that Jinx didn’t think she was a good person either. Jinx told her once. It was a bad night, and Isha found Jinx still at the workbench late at night after waking up. Jinx was resting her head on her arm as she rolled what looked like a blue marble to and fro across the surface. 

“I don’t know why you’re still here,” Jinx said in a hoarse voice when Isha approached. “You should go.”

Isha stopped beside Jinx, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 

“I’ve done bad things, kid.” Jinx’s violet eyes were fixated on the blue marble. “Ya don’t get where I am without breaking a few things. And people… I’ve killed a lot of people.”

Isha thought of the three men Jinx had killed without a thought. Without even knowing who she was, Jinx protected her. She reached out to set a hand over Jinx’s and stopped the fervent rolling of the marble. 

“You don’t ever gotta do that with me.” Jinx’s eyes latched onto Isha’s. “You never need to pull the trigger. You don’t need that kind of thing on you.”

What happened? Isha signed the inquiry, and Jinx picked up on what she was trying to convey. 

“It ain’t a happy story.” Jinx sat up and shoved the marble into her pocket. She peered down at Isha tiredly. “You should go back to bed, kid.”

But Isha wanted to know. She reached out to brace her hands against Jinx’s knees and leaned forward, tilting her head up to peer at her. 

And Jinx told her. 

There were some long tangents that went nowhere, and Isha didn’t have all the details, but the talk of grief and loss of family settled with Isha heavily because it was familiar in a way she didn’t want to think about. Jinx talked of explosions and a party, and she fell into uncontrollable giggles that turned into tears. Isha kept her fingers fisted in the fabric of Jinx’s pants, tugging on them whenever Jinx got off track or stuck. 

Finally, Jinx took a deep breath and looked down at Isha, a purple tear sliding down her face. “And that’s the story, kid. The end.” 

Isha let Jinx’s pants go. 

Jinx looked down at the action, something uncomfortable and guilty crossing her face. “Did I scare you off?” she asked so very quietly. “Are you scared of me? Of what I’ll do?”

Isha shoved herself up on her tiptoes and hugged her as hard as she could, trying to squeeze all the things she couldn’t vocalize into it. Jinx stiffened at first before she pulled Isha closer and buried her face in her hair. Isha gripped her tightly and wished she could tell Jinx that she promised she wasn’t going anywhere and that she loved her. 

Isha stared up at Caitlyn. She inclined her head in acknowledgment. Jinx did bad things, but she did good things too. Maybe Isha was too close to see it, but she loved Jinx. 

“Just…” Caitlyn shook her head. “Sleep well,” she finished. It was obvious she had a lot more to say but didn’t. Isha watched her go, the door closing behind her and leaving the room feeling very big and dark. 

The bed, although very big and squishy, was too cold. It was too quiet. The sound of Jinx, either tinkering or snoring, wasn’t nearby. Isha had gotten used to it. If Jinx wasn’t there, then Sevika was. Isha didn’t have to be alone anymore. 

Isha slid off the bed and moved toward the window. She twisted the lock and pushed the window open before leaning on the sill. She never saw stars very well down in Zaun, but they were very clear and bright. It made Isha remember the one time she was out late with Jinx. Jinx was telling her about constellations, and Isha was pretty sure that Jinx made all of them up, but they were funny, and Jinx told really good stories. 

She watched the stars and searched for the creatures Jinx told elaborate and expressive stories about. She was tired but couldn’t sleep, eventually slipping out of the room with the hopes of tiring herself out. She hung her helmet on the door's doorknob so she could remember which room was hers, and she set off. The floor was soft underneath her bandaged feet. She wandered down the hall, looped back, crossed her room, and continued the other way. 

She stopped when she finally heard voices, recognizing the familiar cadence of the women she had spent the day with. 

Cautiously, she crept closer to the cracked door.

“—supposed to do?” Caitlyn’s voice sounded rough despite how quiet and muffled it was. 

“We’ll take this one step at a time.” Vi’s voice was gentle and soft. “We have to find Jinx before we can do anything else.” 

“And then what?” Caitlyn demanded sharply. “You know what she did to me, Vi. What am I supposed to do if she’s right there in front of me!” 

“Hey.” Vi’s voice was sharp, and it went quiet for a second before Vi continued, her voice softening once more. “You’ll have me there. We don’t know what we’re walking into, but I’ve got your back, okay?”

“I know.” Caitlyn’s voice was quiet. “You always do.”

A heavy sigh. A slow shuffle. 

“The little girl explains the quiet,” Caitlyn commented. “Jinx hasn’t been sighted or connected to any major incidents in months.”

“Yeah. I really wasn’t expecting that,” Vi admitted. 

“Vi.” Caitlyn’s tone was pained. “Jinx killed my mother. Then she went and got a child of her own, like some sort of mockery.”

“She’s not mocking you,” Vi hurriedly said. “If she wanted to do that, then she’d show the kid off.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Caitlyn demanded. “Jinx killed my mother, so I kill her, and then I put that grief on another child!” 

“Woah, hey!” Vi immediately yelped. “We didn’t say anything about Jinx being a mom!” 

“Well, how else do you interpret the statement, ‘I’m Jinx’s baby’ then?” Caitlyn retorted heatedly. 

“She’s nineteen!” Vi said, a slightly panicked edge to her tone. “I wasn’t— shit, that was not what I was thinking.”

 A few moments of heavy breathing. 

“Vi. It’s alright.” Caitlyn’s voice was soft again. “Just breathe. Look at me. We’ll get through this.”

Vi let out a strangled noise that sounded like a whimper. She then let out a wet laugh. “Powder never knew how to do things the easy way.”

Isha turned away from the room. She knew that Jinx didn’t always make good decisions. She made mistakes. But Jinx sent her Topside because she said Vi would help. 

It didn’t seem like they wanted to help. Caitlyn wanted revenge, and Isha wasn’t sure whether Vi would help her or not. 

Isha reached into her jacket and brushed her fingers over the gun she took, ensuring it was still tucked away safely. Caitlyn and Vi would help her find Jinx. What they did after that was up to them. 

But Isha knew what she would do. She’d protect Jinx no matter what, even if it was from the people who helped her get Jinx back.

Chapter Text

Isha was awake before the rest of the house. She was tempted to wander again but decided to stay put and instead explored the room. The bed was big and squishy, and Isha kept waking up feeling like she would fall through it, but she knew it would be the perfect bed for Jinx. 

Of course, that was because she slept with Jinx more than she slept in her own bed. It wasn’t like she meant to at first. It was a whole two months before she woke up from a nightmare, unable to control her tears. Jinx was grumpy and sleepy, but she shuffled out of bed to see what was wrong. 

Isha couldn’t remember how she ended up in Jinx’s bed the first time, but she woke up feeling warm and safe with a body at her back. She started to slip into Jinx’s bed more often, and Jinx started to sleep closer to the wall so there was more room for Isha to climb in. 

“I used to share a bed when I was like your age. I used to share it with… it doesn’t matter. But I always felt safe. She chased the monsters away… does it help you?”

It did. It helped Isha remember that she wasn’t alone. But now the bed was too big, and Jinx wasn’t there to keep the monsters away. 

Instead, Isha pulled the huge blanket from the bed and dragged the chair from the nearby desk. She spread the blanket between the dresser, the chair, and the bedpost to make a fort. It sags down way more than the one she had back home, but it was enough of a comfort that she could crawl in. There were no lights or a nest of pillows and blankets, but she let her shoulders drop at its familiarity. 

She stayed there until there was eventually a knock at the door. 

“Kid?” Vi’s voice was thick with sleep. “You up?”

Isha crawled out of her pathetic fort and scrambled for the door, yanking it open and startling Vi. 

“Oh, hey,” Vi grinned at her. “How are the feet?” 

Isha peered down at the bandages on her heels and rubbed them against each other before shrugging. She then looked back up at Vi. 

“Are you hungry?” Vi inquired. “Breakfast is being served.”

Isha nodded her head before pointing at her shoes and then at the window that was still open. 

“We can keep searching after we eat.” Vi made an educated guess, and Isha was relieved that she understood. She nodded her head and stepped out of the room, following Vi down the hallway and to the kitchen. 

The man who answered the door when Isha first arrived sat at the table alongside Caitlyn. He looked up when he heard them enter, and he smiled gently. 

“Ah, hello,” he greeted her. “I hope you slept well.” 

Isha shrugged and made a so-so motion with her hand before hesitantly looking up at Vi for guidance on what to do. Breakfast usually consisted of Jinx dropping a plate, bowl, or baggie into her lap while she was still in bed, and then Jinx would brush through her hair while Isha sleepily ate her way through the food. Or Jinx would drag her out of bed to go get something to eat, sometimes tucking a still-sleepy Isha under her arm like she was a crate of bombs and weighed nothing. Isha couldn’t recall the last time she ate at a table with a bunch of other people like that. 

Vi was willing to guide her through breakfast. Isha felt out of place with everything so fancy, and she did her best not to spill food or chew with her mouth open. Isha wondered how long it took Vi to adjust to being a Piltie. She still had Zaun in her; there wasn’t getting rid of that. Vi could run through the lanes like the back of her hand, and she knew that Jericho’s was so good that it was off-limits from other gangs. 

There was a lot of food, and Isha felt a little overwhelmed. She was tempted to eat everything she could, instincts ingrained in her that she needed everything she could get because she never knew when she’d eat again. 

The first time she did so with Jinx, she ate so much that she lost it on the floor in an alley. Jinx was grossed out but awkwardly comforted. However, one thing she promised Isha: 

“I know how it feels to wonder when the next time you’re gonna eat is. But ya don’t gotta worry about that when you’re with me. I promise ya, pinky promise even, that your belly will always be full as long as you’re with me.” 

Isha didn’t really believe her at first. When Isha started  asking for more once she cleared her plate and knew there were leftovers, Jinx would ask, “Are ya really still hungry? Or are ya just worried?” 

Once she thought about it, most of the time, it turned out to be worry. 

Then Jinx disappeared with the people who took her, and Isha skipped a few meals. It made some part of her tummy twist because Jinx had kept her promise.

Caitlyn left when she was finished to get changed, and Vi followed shortly after her, promising to return quickly. Isha was left with Tobias, who offered to show her back to her room if she was uncomfortable. 

Isha didn’t take the offer but didn’t reject it either. She was content to watch Tobias as he finished eating. 

“I’m afraid we never got proper introductions,” Tobias said. He introduced himself. Tobias Kiramman, Caitlyn’s father. He asked for her name. 

Isha raised her hand but paused when it brushed against her forehead rather than her hat. She pulled her hand back down. She knew how to spell her name; it was hard not to after so many years of it being stamped in dark ink inside the hat given to her. 

Isha peered down at the table before her and tried to trace the letters on the polished wood.

“My apologies; I didn’t realize you couldn’t speak,” Tobias frowned slightly. "Do you know the sign?”

Isha perked up and nodded her head. 

“I think there is a difference between Piltover sign and Zaun sign, but there might be some overlaps.” Tobias wiped his hands on his napkin. He reached up and signed something. Isha didn’t get all of it, but she understood most of it and grinned. 

Isha introduced herself again to him but in sign. She went extra slow for him and repeated her signs a few times if he didn’t understand. When he asked her more about what she was doing there, Isha tried her best to think of a better phrase.  Tobias was unhappy when he saw Jinx's wanted poster the previous day. Isha didn’t know what sign she should give Jinx, so she settled on something that fit. 

“You’re searching for your mother,” Tobias translated with a soft look on his face. Isha felt a little uncomfortable at the use of the word. She wasn’t sure if Jinx would be angry with her for it. “I’m very sorry to hear you got separated.” 

Isha told him how Jinx said if she ever got into trouble, she should go to the Kiramman place and search for the pink-haired woman. The sign for pink didn’t translate well, but Tobias understood when she signed 6.

Caitlyn reappeared first, pausing when she saw Isha was still there. “Right. Why don’t I escort you back, and you can get ready?”

Isha slipped from the chair she was in and waved to Tobias.

“Goodbye, Isha. I hope you find your mother,” Tobias said. Caitlyn faltered when he said that and looked down at Isha. 

“Isha?” she repeated quietly. “That’s your name?” 

Isha nodded. She followed Caitlyn out of the kitchen, watching the woman furrow her brow in thought as they walked. 

“How old are you, Isha?” Caitlyn inquired. Isha held up seven of her fingers to Caitlyn. “Seven? I remember when I was seven. The world seemed so big to me.” 

Isha let out a grunt of agreement. When they reached the guest room, Isha entered and grabbed her shoes, ready to shove her feet back into them, when she grimaced at the crusted blood inside. Caitlyn noticed and frowned slightly. 

“Do you… have another pair of shoes?” Caitlyn cautiously inquired. Isha nodded her head, which seemed to surprise Caitlyn. 

Home Isha signed to Caitlyn, not that she understood. 

“We can go pick them up,” Caitlyn mused aloud. She held her hand out for the boots, and Isha reluctantly passed them over. She followed Caitlyn into the bathroom and watched as she started to scrub at the stain in the sink, which was where Vi found them. 

“Ooh, right,” Vi grimaced at the boots. “How are your feet this morning, kiddo?”

Isha glanced at the bandages on her heels and shrugged. Vi already asked her about that earlier. 

“Isha said she had another pair of shoes,” Caitlyn stated. 

“Isha?” Vi asked in surprise. She looked down at her. “That your name?”

Isha nodded her head. 

“My father knows basic sign from his profession,” Caitlyn stated. “He and Isha were having a nice talk when I found them, isn’t that right?” 

Isha bobbed her head in agreement. 

“So.” Vi leaned on the counter and momentarily watched Caitlyn. “We can go pick up your shoes first. That means going to your home. Are you okay with that?”

Isha didn’t really want them to see where she lived. She may not have minded it the previous day before she knew that Caitlyn did not like Jinx at all. Jinx certainly wouldn’t be happy if Isha led them home. 

“It’s okay to have hesitations.” Vi gave her a gentle smile before she leaned down slightly. “I promise we won’t tell anybody where you live.”

Isha arched an eyebrow and shoved out her pinky finger. 

“Swear it,” Vi solemnly promised. She marked an X over her heart before linking her finger with Isha’s. “Cross my heart and hope to die. Gun to my head, brain on the street.”

Isha blinked because Jinx would say the same thing. Isha marked her own X over her heart and let go of Vi’s hand. She then turned to Caitlyn, who was working on drying the boots. Isha shoved her pinky out at her. 

Caitlyn looked down at the hand before glancing up at Vi. 

“She needs a pinky promise you won’t tell where she lives,” Vi said. 

Caitlyn hesitated, setting the shoes down and staring at Isha. After a moment, she took a deep breath and reached out her pinky finger. Isha hooked their fingers together and marked an X over her chest before waiting for Caitlyn to do the same. 

“Gotta cross your heart promise, Cupcake,” Vi explained. 

“Right.” Caitlyn met Isha’s gaze before she moved her hand up to mark an X over her heart. “Cross my heart, promise.” 

Isha kept a tight hold of Caitlyn’s finger for a moment as she assessed how truthful she was before letting go with a curt nod. 

She really had to hope that they meant it. 

Her boots were still damp, so she ended up riding Vi’s back down to Zaun again. She gripped her helmet with one hand while Caitlyn carried her shoes. 

Isha led them home. Well, she led them near her home. She made them stop and wiggled until Vi set her down. She held her hand out for them to wait and reached for her boots from Caitlyn. 

Isha scrambled home and quickly went to her chest of clothes, digging through it until she found a better-fitting pair of shoes. It wasn’t until she had tugged them on that she realized Jinx was not there to tie them for her. It wasn’t that Isha hadn’t tried to learn to tie the laces; she even memorized the tune about bunnies that Jinx sang each time she tied them, but she just couldn’t seem to get it. 

“Nobody’s perfect at everything, kid. Everyone’s got a weakness. Yours just happens to be shoelaces.” 

Isha tucked the laces into her shoes and darted out the door, doubling back quickly to snatch a Chomper before she went to where Vi and Caitlyn were waiting. She nearly tripped over the untied shoes as she skidded to a stop next to them. 

“Hey,” Vi greeted her with a grin. “That was quick.” She glanced down to check out the new pair of shoes before offering, “Want a hand tying them?” 

Isha scowled and shuffled back a foot. She didn’t want help. But she did need her shoes on tight in case she had to run. Jinx always made sure to double-knot them in case they got into trouble. Vi waited until Isha huffed and stuck her foot out. Vi tied them quickly and even double-knotted them, giving her foot a pat when she finished. 

“There we go,” Vi hummed as she straightened. “Those aren’t going anywhere.”

Relieved that they could finally get a move on, Isha bounced on her toes as she waited for their thoughts on what to do next. That revolved around questioning people who may have seen something. They seemed reluctant to bring Isha with them, but Isha was determined. They might not talk to Pilties, but a lot of people know who she was. 

Vi hoisted Isha up onto her shoulders so she wouldn’t wander off and could be better protected if something happened. Isha was pretty sure it was because Vi was getting all fussy over her feet but was willing to put up with it to do what she needed to get to Jinx. 

The first few people questioned kept their noses out of business that wasn’t theirs. They asked around and were sent in a few directions. Finally, one person they cornered heard Jinx’s name, and his eyes latched onto Isha. 

“Baby Jinx,” he stammered out a greeting. Isha watched Caitlyn’s shoulders tense. “I don’t know where she is.” 

Isha scowled at him and squinted as she tried to recall if she knew his face. She shoved a finger at him, and he winced. 

“I swear it,” he promised. He paused, his gaze meeting Isha’s before he looked away. “But I might know someone who can help you.”

Vi kept a firm grip on Isha’s legs as they followed after the man. They were ready for a fight. Caitlyn took the lead, a hand on the gun she had, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice. 

Isha recognized where they were going before they almost arrived and grabbed onto Vi’s hair to tug at it. She wasn’t supposed to be there. She wasn’t allowed. Jinx was very clear about that. She grabbed at Vi’s face until Vi acknowledged her by looking up. Isha shook her head, and Vi stopped in her tracks. 

“What’s wrong?” Vi asked. 

Vi must have been away from Zaun for a while because everybody who’s anybody knew that they were about to walk into Smeech’s territory. 

“These great lumps are Smeech’s men,” Jinx said as she toed a dead body. “Same guys who tried to nab ya when we met. You must’a really pissed him off. Or maybe he’s just mad a kid got a one up on him.”

Isha shook her head at Vi. She didn’t know the right sign or even what she could convey to Vi. She settled on pointing to where they were going and shaking her head frantically. 

“What’s the hold-up?” the man leading them inquired when he noticed they had stopped. “Are you coming or not?” 

“Where are you taking us?” Vi demanded. She lifted Isha from her shoulders to set her on the ground, her hand pressing on her shoulder, ready to shove her away or pull her closer if needed.

“You wanted answers, didn’t you?” the man asked. His gaze fell onto Isha. “Can’t you play nicely with the big kids?” 

Isha reached into her coat and grabbed the Chomper, which she tucked away. When the man saw the flash of neon-streaked metal, his taunting turned to fear. 

Isha tried to take a step toward him, but Vi’s hand was locked on her shoulder, so she was kept in place. She peered up at the woman who looked down to meet her gaze. 

“Do you think they might have Jinx?” Vi asked under her breath. 

Isha hesitated in thought, glancing up at the building. She didn’t know a lot about the chem-barons, but she knew that she was supposed to stay far away from Smeech. If he had gone after her, then he might have gone after Jinx. 

Slowly, Isha nodded. 

Vi nodded her head. “Alrighty, kid. Listen. You head back two streets and wait for us there.”

Isha wanted to protest, but Vi’s grip on her tightened slightly. 

“If a fight breaks out, I’ll feel a lot safer knowing you’re not there.” Vi glanced up at the man who was watching them carefully, his eyes trained on the Chomper that Isha had yet to reveal fully. “Besides, would Jinx want you there?”

Isha slumped in on herself. Jinx would be mad if she were there. Isha would be in for the scolding of a lifetime. She reluctantly shook her head. 

“Good.” Vi loosened her grip. “Go.”

Isha paused to watch the two women before she turned on her foot and ran, tucking the Chomper away again. She looked back just once to see Vi shove the man against the wall, a fist raised and poised to strike. 

Isha skidded around the corner and paused, taking a moment to think through her options. 

Jinx would be mad if she went, but Isha could handle Jinx being mad about many things. Jinx could be scary when she was mad, especially when she threw things, but she’d never once hit Isha and always lost her anger if Isha cried. 

Caitlyn and Vi weren’t aware they were going into Smeech’s territory. 

Isha heard the sound of a smack and a body hitting the ground. She peered around the corner to watch as Vi kneeled on the sternum of the man who was now lying on the ground, blood flowing from his nose. 

No. Isha decided she couldn’t leave. She could help. She’d stay hidden and out of the way, but if there was even a chance that they might need her, she’d take it. 

Isha pulled the gun out from where it was secured, checking the magazine. She pressed her lips together and tucked it away once more before gripping the Chomper in her hand. Its familiar shape and feel made her think of Jinx. 

Jinx. She was doing it for Jinx. After all, Jinx would do the same for her.

Chapter Text

Isha knew she was small. While it made a lot of things hard, one thing it made easy was her ability to sneak and not be noticed. It helped her survive for many years. That, coupled with quick fingers, let her snag food and coins. It was what let her follow Jinx for so long. But Jinx knew she was there sometimes, always turning her head to peer into empty spaces, her eyes searching before settling on Isha. 

Jinx was annoyed at first. It was an endless cycle of “Get lost, kid” and “Scram, kid” repeatedly. But Isha followed her. Jinx was safe. People stayed away from Jinx, so they stayed away from her. 

And then, one day, Jinx was eating something and walking when she paused and looked over her shoulder. 

“Hey, kid. Ya hungry?” she called out. Isha stepped out of her hiding spot and caught up to her, peering up at her curiously. Jinx held out the unfinished kebab in her grip, and for a moment, Isha wondered if it was a trick. She reached for it, ready for it to be yanked out of her reach, but Jinx’s hand held steady, and she let go once Isha had a good grip on it. 

It was still slightly warm. Just smelling it made Isha’s mouth water. She glanced up at Jinx again, but the woman was already walking again. Isha quickly shoved a cube of meat into her mouth and ran to catch up with her. 

Jinx kept doing it. Buying food and not finishing it, offering the leftovers to Isha. 

“Sevika says I shouldn’t feed you,” Jinx hummed, sticking her hands in her pockets as she walked, Isha gnawing on the remains of a chicken leg. “That’s how you get strays.”

Isha glanced up at her as she sucked the grease from her fingers. Jinx looked down at her before a grin stretched across her face. Her hand moved and landed heavily on Isha’s helmet, shoving it down over her face with a laugh.

Isha shoved it back up to see again and found that Jinx’s laughter was contagious. A grin crossed her face as she peered at the woman who offered safety and food. 

Isha kept that memory in mind as she trailed behind Caitlyn and Vi. She gave Jinx a silent apology for not following the rules. It was for a good reason. If Jinx really were there, then she’d probably be forgiven. Jinx wouldn’t get mad and make her leave for breaking a rule. 

The inside of the building was musty and dim. Isha wrinkled her nose at the scent of mildew clouding the air. She stayed tucked behind some crates she found, relieved when they didn’t have to traverse too far into the building. 

She recognized Smeech when she saw him. It made an uneasy feeling prickle along her spine and she clutched the Chomper closer. She listened as Vi demanded to know where Jinx was. 

Smeech didn’t even bother to deny it. That was the first thing that made Isha’s heart thump harshly against her chest. He laughed and talked about how it was easier for everyone to have Jinx out of the way. 

“Where is she?” Vi demanded with the patience of one who had very little restraint. 

Isha didn’t hear Smeech’s reply because a gunshot rang out, and pandemonium ensued. Isha hunkered down behind the crates. She yanked her helmet further down on her head and took a deep breath before she poked her head out. She watched one man slip out of the room toward some stairs, and when Isha had a clear moment, she took it and followed after him. 

The man walked hurriedly, his heavy boots' loud clomping echoing through the room. It allowed Isha to move a little faster than she would have because she wasn’t too worried about making noise. The man sharply turned a corner, and suddenly, there were two of them. One was stationed outside a heavy metal door. 

“They’re lookin’ for her,” the first told the second. “She still secure?”

“Sleeping like a baby,” the second chuckled. He leaned against the wall, a gun relaxed in his grip. “Who came?” 

“Some Piltie trash. They should be glad we’re taking care of the problem,” the first said. 

Loud gunshots echoed above them, and the second man laughed. 

“Bet Smeech has got to test that new improvement of his out,” he bartered. 

“And waste it on filth like them?” the first scoffed. “You’re on.” 

Isha ducked back out of sight and pressed her back against the wall. She looked down at the Chomper in her hands before she started to twist the head off. 

“The best part about making booms is knowing how to contain it. Small booms can scare as much as big booms. But even though huuuuge booms are fun, they’re not always needed.”

Isha looked at the contents inside the body. The explosive powder glittered in the dim light. Isha couldn’t remember the measurements that Jinx had babbled to her, but she tipped the body and dumped some of the powder into her hand. 

She knew how much of a boom a fully functional Chomper did. She didn’t need a whole boom, just a little one. She looked down at the half-emptied body before dumping the explosive powder into her jacket pocket. She screwed the head back on, listening for the click inside to signal it was active once again. 

She felt hot, and her chest was tight. She wasn’t supposed to touch the explosives without Jinx. It wasn’t safe for her to mess with them on her own. She could mess everything up. 

Before she could talk herself out of it, Isha gripped the pin and yanked. Immediately the clicking of the Chomper’s jaws echoed in the air, and she heard the men shift in surprise. Isha turned the corner and rolled the bomb along the floor as hard as she could toward the men before taking cover behind the wall. 

“Shit—” the first man didn’t get to finish his sentence before the Chomper went off. It rattled the building and made Isha’s back teeth ache. Cautiously, she peered around the corner to inspect the damage. 

Two bodies were strewn on the floor, not quite fully intact. It made Isha’s stomach twist, especially once the smell hit the air. But she shrugged it off, skittering toward the door. It was locked, of course. Isha glanced back at the bodies. To her disappointment, the keys resting on the man’s torso had melted together from the explosion. 

Isha took a moment to think. She reached into her pocket and touched the explosive powder still there before peering at the lock. She located the warped remains of the Chomper bottom and dumped the remaining explosive powder in there. She tried to think of everything Jinx had told her about building bombs and making booms. Isha reached up and yanked her hat from her head. 

There was a little light on the miner's helmet. Used to help her see in the dark. The battery inside had died long ago but Jinx had once said, “Never trust that something is truly dead. Appearances can be deceiving. Things will still have juice in them.”

Isha yanked at the little light until she could screw the cap off and reveal the battery inside. Her hands were hot and sweaty as she pried the battery out. She dropped it into the Chomper body carefully. She then took hold of one of the wires and yanked it from its spot. She brought the wire to her mouth and bit down on the coating until she reached the metallic inside. She did the same with the other side before she twisted it into a loop. She wouldn’t have much time to get out of the way once she dropped it inside the Chomper. 

Isha secured her hat back on her head. She secured the Chomper to the door handle with her shoelace and dropped the wire into the body. 

She didn’t make it back around the corner before it exploded. The impact knocked her off her feet, and she hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her. It was hot, but it was all gone in a quick second. Her ears rang for a moment as she collected herself and pushed off the ground. She stood only to stumble when her weight caught on her foot. The laceless shoe had gotten twisted. 

Isha gritted her teeth and leaned against the wall as she hobbled to the slightly crooked door on its hinges. She gripped the doorknob, and with a yank, the door slowly inched open.

It was there that relief bubbled up inside Isha’s gut. Jinx was sprawled on the ground, her back to the door, and Isha's elation slowly turned to dread as she hurried inside. 

Jinx was cold as Isha gripped her shoulder, tugging her weight toward her to try to get Jinx on her back, but she was too heavy. Isha pressed her fingers below Jinx’s nose and waited for a few moments before she felt the soft breeze that indicated Jinx was breathing. 

Isha heaved out a shuddering sigh and gripped Jinx’s top as she pressed her face to her chest. More gunshots rattled off upstairs, but Isha couldn’t turn her focus away from Jinx. There was blood crusted in her hair and splattered on her face from where it had been bashed against the brick wall. Three large wounds were open on Jinx’s abdomen, and Isha had to look away from them. Jinx was alive, and that was enough for the moment.

Isha pulled the gun from where she had tucked it away and sat in front of Jinx, ready to protect her from anyone who dared enter.

The grip on it is slippery. Isha knew her way around a gun; practically every kid in Zaun was raised knowing so, but there was a difference between knowing how to shoot and actually doing it. 

She’d do it. If she had to, then she would. She just needed her hands to stop shaking. Stop it. She couldn’t be so nervous. If she hesitated, it could be the difference between life and death for her or Jinx. 

She sat in the light of the cracked door and waited, listening hard for any sound that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. 

Finally, she heard movement, and she pushed herself to her knees to shuffle forward, the grip on the gun tightening. She waited until the person approached the door, and when the figure stepped inside, she swung her arm and aimed the gun. Her finger trembled on the trigger. She’d never shot anyone before, and to be honest, she was scared. Jinx told her that she’d never have to shoot anybody. Isha readied her finger and exhaled sharply. She didn’t get a chance to squeeze before a gunshot took the man down. As a new figure approached and entered the room, Isha again aimed her weapon and pointed it.

She froze, eyeing the barrel of the rifle that was immediately pointed at her head. It was quickly lowered, and Caitlyn let out a breath. “You’re not supposed to be in here.” 

Isha pointed a finger behind her to Jinx. She shuffled back toward her, shoving her body against Jinx’s torso just in case Caitlyn did something rash. Caitlyn hesitated when her eyes landed on Jinx, and Isha saw how her grip tightened on her rifle. 

Before Caitlyn could do anything, another set of footsteps pounded down the hallway, and Vi appeared, out of breath and a little bruised. Her eyes landed on Jinx, and she immediately crossed the room. The look of concern on her face made Isha shuffle back a few inches to let Vi look at her. 

“She’s alive,” Vi confirmed with a breath out. Her hands cradled Jinx’s face delicately, wiping away the blood smeared on her cheeks. Vi didn’t hesitate to slide an arm under Jinx’s knees and then around her shoulders, heaving her into her arms. 

Isha stood to follow but immediately stumbled when she put weight on her bad foot. She crashed into Vi, gripping her pants for stability. Vi held steady and looked down at her in concern. 

“Are you okay?” Vi asked. “What’s wrong?” 

Isha gritted her teeth before she pointed a finger at her foot. If Vi got Jinx out, then Isha could sneak her way out. It was what she was good at. 

“You hurt your leg?” Vi guessed. Isha gave a reluctant nod. Vi seemed to assess the room before glancing at Caitlyn. “Cait?”

Caitlyn looked down at Isha, a look of deep thought on her face before she sighed heavily. “Can you cling to my back?” 

Isha blinked in surprise before she nodded. Caitlyn crouched down, and Isha hobbled toward her, her grip on her gun secure. She hooked her knees against Caitlyn’s hips and wrapped an arm securely around her neck, ensuring not to choke her. She tried to leave enough room for Caitlyn to still shoot if needed. 

“Secure?” Caitlyn inquired, her hand briefly reaching up to touch Isha’s leg. Isha nodded her head. “Right. Let’s move out.”

They got out and to the end of the hallway before Caitlyn faltered behind Vi, who was already rushing up the stairs. 

“Isha,” Caitlyn said quietly, and Isha let out a slight hum. “Tuck your face against my shoulder, okay? Just… don’t look.”

Isha knew what Caitlyn was asking. She wanted to tell Caitlyn that death wasn’t new to her and that she had been exposed to violence before she could walk, but the smaller and softer part of her that she had forgotten before she met Jinx told her that it was okay to be a little scared. 

Isha pressed her head against the crook of Caitlyn’s neck, hiding away from the world. She could feel how hard Caitlyn’s heart hammered against her chest from where she was pressed against her back. Despite her racing heart, Caitlyn was calm and determined as she navigated her way out. 

Isha dared to peek as the gust of air hit her face through the open doors. She tilted her head to poke an eye out and caught sight of the spray of green liquid against a wall. That was all she needed to see before shuffling to hide her head again. 

Caitlyn picked up the pace when they were outside. Isha knew that while she wasn’t exactly heavy, she wasn’t light either. Jinx wasn’t normal; she was fast and strong and could carry Isha while leaping across gaps. Caitlyn wasn’t Jinx. Caitlyn was a regular person who was trying to keep up with the strain of running while carrying extra weight. 

“You feel like you’re going to fall off any second,” Caitlyn stated between harsh breaths. She slowed down, her sights still on Vi further down the alley before she patted Isha’s leg. “Climb down. We’ll try something different.” 

Part of Isha was worried that Caitlyn would leave her right there. Jinx was out; there was no reason to keep her around. But Caitlyn hadn’t tried to hurt her yet, so Isha loosened her grip and lowered herself to the ground. Caitlyn looped the rifle strap over her head and slung it over her shoulder, stooping down to scoop Isha up in front of her instead. Isha had to admit she felt more secure and liked that she could keep an eye on their backs while Caitlyn watched their front. 

“Vi, slow down!” Caitlyn called out as she hurried to catch up. 

And they left Smeech’s territory.

They went back to Kiramman Manor. Isha hadn’t thought they would, not with how Caitlyn spoke about Jinx. But they were there, putting Jinx in the room where Isha had slept the previous night. 

Jinx was still sleeping heavily. Isha worried about her head wound, but Vi reassured her that it wasn’t anything deadly. 

“The body sleeps to help it heal,” Vi said as she cleaned the blood off of Jinx’s face. “She just needs a lot of sleep.”

Isha refused to let them look at her leg until Jinx was patched up. It wasn’t a big deal; she tripped and hurt her foot. But Vi insisted on taking a look, and Isha gave in, if only to make her quiet. 

Vi deemed it a sprain and nothing serious. “Welp, kiddo. I think you’re gonna live.” 

Isha wrinkled her nose. Vi brought her to the bathroom to clean up and finally saw the ash and gunpowder left clinging to her clothes. It was smeared on her hands, and there was a smudge on her face. Isha did her best to scrub it off, watching the grime rinse down the drain as she squished the sweet-smelling soap between her fingers. 

Vi took it upon herself to finish the job when Isha missed a spot on her face. She squirmed under the touch, letting out an unhappy noise to let Vi know that she was displeased with the manhandling. 

“Calm down, it’s just a wet cloth,” Vi said as she pinned Isha down to clear away the ash. “You wanna get ash everywhere?”

Isha did not point out that her clothes were covered in it and that it would get everywhere anyway. She stood still the best she could and put up with it, trying to bolt the moment she was set free before she remembered her injured leg. She had to let Vi carry her back to the room with Jinx. 

Isha kept curled up next to Jinx and waited for her to wake up. It was soothing to feel the warmth and familiar smell. Even though the sour copper smell of blood clung to her, Isha didn’t let it deter her. She curled up against Jinx’s side and pretended they were back home in their nest of blankets. 

While Vi cleaned up in the shower, Isha caught Caitlyn watching them. She stood in the doorway like she meant to go in but couldn’t. Isha wasn’t sure whether to acknowledge her, so instead, she buried her face against Jinx’s collarbone. 

She fell asleep at some point. She woke to the feeling of fingers twirling her hair and stiffened before she felt the familiar touch. Jinx tapped her fingers twice against her head, and Isha sat up, elated that Jinx was awake. 

“Hey, kid,” Jinx greeted with a lopsided smile. She looked tired. It was dark outside, and Isha didn’t see anybody else around. 

Isha shuffled forward to wrap her arms around Jinx’s neck and clung to her tight. 

“Miss me?” Jinx asked quietly, although the joking tone was lost. Isha nodded her head fiercely. “I missed you too, kiddo.”

Isha breathed out a sigh of relief, melting against Jinx as she felt her hand cup the back of her head. 

“I see we’re Topside,” Jinx commented. She paused momentarily before saying, “You came and got Vi, huh?”

Isha nodded her head. She refused to be sorry about it. 

“You did good.” Jinx pressed a reassuring hand against her back. “Are you hurt?” 

Isha gave a slight shrug, which prompted Jinx to push her away. Isha huffed but told Jinx that she hurt her foot by twisting it. 

Jinx frowned slightly, inspecting the room before saying, “Alright, kid. You gotta fill me in. What happened?” 

Isha did her best to explain. She didn’t have all the words needed, but Jinx was always very good at reading between the lines. Jinx watched quietly, her violet eyes flickering between Isha’s hands and her face every so often. 

Isha finished and lowered her hands. She wanted to squirm under Jinx’s stare. Finally, she asked Jinx, Are you mad?

“Not at you,” Jinx said without hesitation. “I’m mad at a lot of things, but never you.”

Isha made sure to ask even though she went into Smeech’s. 

“You helped.” Jinx shrugged as if Isha had done some little insignificant thing. “You saved me, kid. I can’t be mad at ya for that.” 

Isha gave her a wobbly smile. She felt the familiar burn of tears welling up once more. It was silly to cry over something that already happened. Jinx was there and safe, so why was she upset?

“Wanna cry?” Jinx asked, and Isha slowly bobbed her head. “Then let it all out.”

Isha fell into tears, pushing herself back into Jinx’s arms, where she felt safe. Jinx held her close and pulled the blanket up higher to wrap around both of them. 

“I never told you who Vi was, huh?” Jinx stated as if she realized something once Isha was out of tears like a well drained dry. Isha shook her head. “Vi. For Violet. Or Violence. Or Virtue. Or Victory. It really depends on who ya ask. I once called her Vi, for sister.” 

Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. The mannerisms that Vi and Jinx shared weren’t because they were both from Zaun; they were both sisters. 

“If anything ever happened to me or Sevika, I hope you’d come here,” Jinx mumbled. Isha wondered if she was supposed to hear that. “Vi might not like me, but she’s a sucker for kids.”

Isha wanted to tell Jinx that it wasn’t true. Vi did like her. A lot of what she saw said otherwise. But she knew better than to say something like that, so instead, she burrowed closer and closed her eyes. 

She fell asleep before she heard the terse and hushed conversation between Vi and Jinx.

Isha worried that Caitlyn would hurt Jinx when they first saw each other both conscious. Caitlyn was wound up like a tight string, ready to snap, her gaze locked on Jinx. Vi stood next to Caitlyn, chewing on her lower lip in worry, ready to intervene at any moment. Jinx stood next to the bed, Isha leaning against her leg.

“Jinx,” Caitlyn addressed her. Her voice was strained, and her eyes finally flickered away. “If you agree to keep the same level of interaction with Piltover as you did the past few months and stay away, I am… willing to let you go.”

Jinx scrutinized Caitlyn. “Wowie, are you sure you didn’t get bopped on the head too?”

Caitlyn scowled. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Jinx scowled back even harder, her hands finding Isha’s shoulders to pull her close. “Why?” 

Caitlyn’s eyes landed on Isha. Their gaze met before Caitlyn peered away quickly. 

“I’m… tired of making more orphans.” The admission was reluctantly drawn from Caitlyn’s lips. “You might have killed my mother… but I can’t put that grief onto Isha.”

Jinx peered down at Isha as if to question their relationship. Isha wanted to shy away and apologize for the signs she had used to define their relationship to other people. After a second, Jinx gave her a slight grin and placed a hand on her head. “It’s not like I asked for this one. She dropped out of the sky. Literally.” 

Relief flooded through Isha. She wasn’t rejected. She leaned into the touch on her head, wrapping her hand around Jinx’s leg. 

“I’m done.” Jinx breathed out the confession. “I’ve got more important things to do now. You Pilties stay away from me, and we’ll be the best of friends.”

“I hope that I don’t ever see you again,” Caitlyn said with the utmost sincerity. 

“Likewise,” Jinx gave a sloppy salute before stooping down to scoop Isha up. “Well, kid? Shall we go home?” 

Isha nodded her head. Jinx carried her all the way back home, humming loudly as she went and dancing around the alleys with Isha cradled close.

However, as soon as they stepped through the door of their home, they were immediately confronted. 

“Where the hell have you two been?” Sevika demanded.

Isha clutched the note tightly in her hand as she knocked on the familiar door of the Kiramman manor. She didn’t have to wait long before the door swung open, and the familiar sight of Vi greeted her. 

“Isha?” Vi blinked in surprise at the sight of her. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

Isha held out the note that Jinx had scribbled, and Vi took it with a frown, taking a second to look it over. She read it again before looking down at Isha. 

“Seriously?” she inquired, and Isha nodded. Despite the annoyed tone, there was a tiny twitch of Vi’s lips as she opened the door wider. “Okay. Get in.”

Isha scurried inside with a grin.

Hey Sis! 

So, last time we talked, you said you’d do anything for me if it were within your power. Well, here’s where you live up to your promise. 

I’ve got big things to do and little time to do it. Your mission for the day… drum roll please… is babysitter! 

Congrats! Maybe you’re learning how to be a sister again, but now you can learn to be an Aunty Vi too. 

Keep an eye on the munchkin for me. There better not be one perfect blue hair out of place on my baby when I pick her up.

Ta-ta for now! 

XOXO Jinx

P.S. It stands for Jinx