"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Vi cried as she ran, ignoring Caitlyn's desperate shouts from behind her. "Stupid war, stupid guy, stupid Cupcake, and most importantly, stupid me!"

Vi raised an arm to wipe the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. Her trusty gauntlets were strapped to her back instead of occupying their usual spots on her arms.

"Stupid war for bringing them back together! Stupid guy for proposing! Stupid Cupcake for accepting!"

She had done it. She had actually turned her back on Caitlyn. HER Caitlyn. The one she had sworn to protect. The one person she had been in love with for a long time. She had tried dropping a number of obvious hints about her feelings, but Caitlyn always seemed too oblivious to understand how she really felt. It got to the point that she began to wonder how a person as intellectually gifted as Caitlyn could be so emotionally inept.

It was only now that Vi realised just how much she had misread her beloved Cupcake. Caitlyn was not actually oblivious. She had known about Vi's feelings all this while and was merely stringing her along like a dog on a leash!

"Stupid me for falling in love with her! And stupid me for thinking I even had a chance!"

Caitlyn had been assigned the mission of assassinating one of Noxus' two remaining leaders from the rooftop of a tall building in the outskirts of the Noxian capital. As usual, Vi was given the task of protecting her while the Sheriff focused all of her attention on her sniper shot – a time during which she was particularly vulnerable.

Both of them knew how important the mission was. If Caitlyn succeeded, it would almost definitely bring about the end of the alliance's war with Noxus. If she failed, then their slippery target would most likely slip away. The day before the mission, Caitlyn had approached her with a special request. She wanted Vi to wear her Piltover police officer uniform for once. Vi absolutely hated her uniform and usually preferred to wear her grey armoured suit, but she could not say no to Caitlyn's pleading eyes and could not ignore the stirring she felt in her chest when she saw the hope in those amethyst eyes transforming into joy when the request was accepted.

So she had made special preparations in order to accommodate the request. She had asked hammerhead to modify her gauntlets with the additional ability to change colours at the click of a button, changing them from the usual metallic grey to the gold and white colours of the Piltover City Police Department. Though she and hammerhead were at loggerheads, all she needed to do was mention the Sheriff's name for the smitten lovesick fool to immediately accept. And yet, when she finally donned her uniform with her matching gauntlets, who else could she have met but HIM?

"I asked for her hand in marriage today and she accepted."

Those words were all it took for her whole world to come crashing down. She screamed and screamed until her voice was hoarse but it did nothing to alleviate the pain emanating from her heart. Deep down, she had always known it was impossible. She had an extensive criminal background, while Caitlyn was the Sheriff. How could she even think it was possible between them? It was ironic how similar she and hammerhead probably were. They were both in love with the same woman and they were both jilted by her.

She looked down at her attire and realised how ridiculous it was for her to be wearing that uniform. This was not who she really was. She changed back to her grey armoured suit and waited for Caitlyn to arrive. When the Sheriff finally showed up, clad in her own officer uniform, the first question she asked was about her partner's attire, but Vi was not interested in any of that.

"I love you."

She said it. She did not beat around the bush. She did not want to play any more games.

"I love you too. Now let's go, I need to get up there and set up my rifle," Caitlyn replied with the same dismissive tone she had always used in response to Vi's advances.

"I mean it, Cupcake. I love you. Not as a friend or as a partner. I love you in the same way that a man would love a woman," Vi pressed on.

For once, Caitlyn was at a loss for words.

"I… Vi, we have no time for you to do this again. We need to-"

"Again? What do you mean by again? Do you mean that you've always been aware of my feelings?" Vi interrupted.

Caitlyn finally folded under the pressure.

"Of course I know that you like me that way! Can we please have this conversation later? Now is not the time for this!"

"Why didn't you say something then? Why did you repeatedly pretend not to know how I felt about you?" Vi's voice was cracking now as she fought to hold back her tears.

"I just didn't want things to get awkward between us! You only joined the department recently and I didn't want you to quit! Look, whatever it is, let's finish our mission first. I'll have time for you later."

Vi shook her head tearfully at how flippant the Sheriff was being.

"I apologise, sheriff," Vi replied, emphasising the final word. She never addressed Caitlyn by her rank except in serious situations. She threw her officer badge at Caitlyn before yelling at the top of her lungs.

"I'm sorry for wasting your precious time! And I'm sorry for being such a defective tool!"

Then she ran. And ran some more.

Vi panted and bent over with her hands on her knees. She had run until she was completely exhausted. She looked around. The streets around her had been razed by the fighting and the looting that invariably ensued as a result of the chaos. Most of the buildings were abandoned and the Noxian army had set many of them on fire in an attempt to slow down the surging alliance forces as the Noxians retreated to the capital city.

Vi wiped away her tears one last time and straightened herself before walking around aimlessly through the decimated streets of Noxus. She walked past numerous abandoned homes, many of which had their doors swinging open in the wind, their owners not having bothered to lock the entrances before fleeing the area. She saw several stores with their front windows shattered and their interiors completely ransacked for valuables. The once-great town was in complete shambles.

She let her feet guide her around the random streets, past several more dilapidated buildings, until they finally came to a stop before a small dingy store that was still intact.

"Sinful succulence: treats for your sugary needs," read the sign above the door.

Great, the one place that was still open and it had to be a cupcake store. With a resigned sigh, Vi opened the door to the bakery and walked in.