Chapter One: "The Stormy Starting Point"
"As of today, you all hereby resolve to protect the innocent, pay heed to all details, stick close to honor, deliver justice, discover the truth, never wander off of the right path onto the wrong one, and dedicate your lives to the ongoing peace of our city as well as the peoples who call it home. In the name of Piltover, forever ad always from this day onwards, you are a weapon as well as a shield. You are a guardian of Piltover. You are an enforcer of its balance, a protector of its continued splendor." – Piltovian Police Academy, Graduating Ceremony Oaths Declared by Sheriff Caitlyn
"Another bombing threat at the Herald Bridge… Two explosions on the Walnut Highway… A volley of gunshots at the Diamond Square Marketplace… We can't keep letting this go on, Caitlyn! We can't let the public think our grasp on the Loose Cannon is loosening! All of this waiting, this planning, this doing nothing, has got to stop!"
"Vi, do you not think that I completely agree with you? Do you not think that I've been putting my all into keeping Piltover safe? Most of all, do you not remember that I once organized a city wide manhunt for she who has been running around blowing up the property, treasures, and even… citizens of our city?"
"Well, yeah, of course, I totally remember that city wide manhunt and maybe that's what we need here and now! It'd be better than just sitting here in the headquarters fretting, worrying, twiddling our thumbs together, while hearing about all of these threats, bombings, and other stuff Jinx is up to! Like we did right off, we need to get another all people up and at arms in progress! The Loose Cannon can't escape all of Piltover like she did before-"
"Please, lower your voice and take your seat, Vi. You shouting as well as hitting things is doing nothing good for anyone, especially for me. Do you know that I've had a headache since, well, um… gee, I can't even remember anymore. Still, we can't organize another city wide manhunt. Not with its citizens too scared to even leave their homes-"
"Cait! Wow, that's what I'm talking about right there! What's happened to you?! What's happened to this city?! Are we really becoming that hopeless?! You mean to tell me that you and me can't just walk out into that street below our office here like we did when Jinx first showed her stupid smirking face and rile Piltover up to swarm her?!"
"Again, please stop shouting, Vi! I'm right in front of you, not a thousand miles away! And, no, us getting the citizens to join in on the manhunt then had been a rare coincidence that night that ended in… failure, regardless. Even though she herself gave us a chance to do so by showing us she was going to target the city's vault, we failed to catch the Loose Cannon. Instead, she brought the building down on top of you, didn't take any gold, and left us all to see that we had walked right into-"
"Okay, okay, Cait! Stop talking! I know how that night went! I know how I didn't… I know that things didn't go exactly according to plan then. Yet, that was then! A month ago! This is now! Haven't we licked our wounds enough?! Haven't we allowed this reign of terror to go for more than long enough?! We're losing our city, Cait! The people are beginning to wonder if we're even trying to do anything in the slightest-"
"VI! STOP! Just stop, please, and let me have a moment of quiet… Look, I know that you know that I know your pain. I know the city needs us more than ever but… do you really understand how difficult things are becoming? Truly, it's just you and me that stand a chance against the Loose Cannon here. So, instead of blindly running in, we need to bide our time and await an appropriate opportunity to strike back. We cannot fail against Jinx again like we did a month ago or, seriously, we'll lose everything, Vi. We'll lose our only remaining support, sponsors, fellows-"
"Listen to you, Cait… Talking like we're trapped in a corner by that sneering, giggling, blue ponytailed freak with her rocket launcher and stupid gatling gun! I thought you, we, never backed down from a mission or criminal or whatever! Yet, here you are lecturing me about how defeat is just on our doorstep! You know what? Screw this! Screw your biding your time!"
"VI! Don't talk like that! Don't twist my words into what we both know isn't at all what I'm saying-"
"We're going to lose Piltover if we don't wait for the right moment! That's what you're telling me, Cait! Yeah, well, we've waited for over a month and look at where that's gotten us! Nowhere! If anything, it's dug our pits of troubles deeper than ever and if we wait any longer for your supposed opportune time to strike… we won't be able to get out of those pits because PILTOVER WILL BE GONE!"
"Stop shouting! Stop being stupid! Stop – Wait, where are you going, Vi?! Answer me!"
"I'm going where I please, thanks! I'm going out to check on what's left of our city – the city we swore to protect on our oaths – and get as far away from you in the meantime! See, I CARE about Piltover, its people, its future! I got out and DO things while you sit here all hot and bothered!"
"You DO things?! What?! You break necks, smash faces, bust down walls, run into a fight headfirst at which I have to cover your ass as well as pull it back out when things turn bad! Alright, fine, GO! Get out of here! Go and get some fresh air! Get as far away from me as you can! That's a splendid idea! We could both use some peace and quiet, couldn't we?! Yes, we could!"
"Just shut up, Cait! You don't know what you're talking about! All we've ever done since Jinx showed up is cower in our city! Well, unlike you, I think it can still be saved… and not by sitting around hoping for a solution to fall in my lap! With or without my fists, I'm going to go out and get our solution! I'm going to go inspire the people!"
"GET OUT! LEAVE ALREADY! DO WHAT YOU THINK IS OH SO FANTASTIC! PROVE ME WRONG AND THEN YOU CAN BE SHERIFF! HOORAY, EARLY RETIREMENT FOR ME!"
For the northeastern City of Progress of Runeterra, "Piltover", the day in question was a Saturday. As for the date, it was September 12th with the weather being a tad in between what was casually classified as gloomy as well as mediocre. Truly, as the many clocks throughout the quiet city followed the example of Diamond Square's deeply tolling clock tower by showing it was late into the night – around 10:17pm, to be precise – the skies overhead just couldn't decide whether or not to show the full moon along with stars or just continue hiding it all away from observers behind drizzling rainclouds.
Yet, considering the fretful situation Piltover found itself in nowadays, with someone as vexing as the Loose Cannon freely roaming its streets without restriction, who was really interested in seeing the luminous heavens above? Was seeing the moon along with stars really worth getting wet over? Not only that but, most important, was it worth getting blown up, shot up, or just downright humiliated by supposedly funny Jinx, Pow-Pow, as well as Fishbones? No. No, it wasn't.
And so, for the past month since she'd outdone the entire community at the vault, every Piltovian had taken to staying in their homes… to avoid any potential mishaps with the Loose Cannon who had come from nowhere for no reason as well as made the City of Progress grind to a complete halt in everything.
Truth be told now, the presently mucky, stormy sky kind of reflected the common attitude of Piltover today. Yeah, both the city – with its hurting economy, wrecked buildings, frightened populace – and the heavens – being dark, thundery, clammy – had obviously seen better days… and it was too bad those kind of days had vanished and would not be back for who knew how long.
It was crazy to believe but in a matter of thirty days since she'd shown up Piltover's police force plus finest leaders, Jinx had went on to take over not only a majority of the ruined south section of Piltover – the slums, so to speak – but had displayed to everyone that days were not simply filled with fun, certainty, as well as safety. No, with the Loose Cannon having claimed a good portion of the south side of the city for herself as a kind of playground, the Sheriff and Enforcer of Piltover along with their allies were becoming increasingly confused on what to do about the crisis on their hands.
Yes, as nuts as it was, Piltover's finest – Caitlyn, Vi, Jayce, even Ezreal, along with others – were not sure on how to proceed against Jinx's craziness. Where so many problems threatening the peace had simply caved in at a firm punch from Vi, from a well-aimed shot from Caitlyn, from an enticing smirk from Jayce, and from a suggestion of Ezreal's genius, this particular Jinx just didn't want to… go quietly. No, at everyone's expense and well-being, she just wanted to keep on having her so called "fun" where she demolished, tore apart, along with detonated plenty of things with her instruments of destruction which she happily called "Pow-Pow" and "Fishbones".
Again, thirty days had transpired since Jinx had humiliated Caitlyn's as well as Vi's attempts at catching her with a city wide manhunt. During those past thirty days, plenty of changes – not at all the good kind – had come to be throughout Piltover.
Having taken the most of the attacks from the blue ponytailed terrorist, the southern slums of the community had been evacuated so not to have citizens be hurt as the Loose Cannon had most of her fun in creating chaos there. In turn, the one traditional bridge entitled "Herald" which connected the northern city's side with the southern was reinforced with everything leftover from Caitlyn's police forces.
When that operation had first begun, when the Herald Bridge or one way to the city's north and south had been secured, it seemed Piltover might actually have some control over its suffering. Yet, to purposefully mock her already wounded if not shaken adversaries some more, the protected bridge didn't discourage the maniacally blue haired terrorist from occasionally invading the north to wreak havoc upon whomever thought they were safe. And every time she did, every time she had hit then ran during the recent month, it had cruelly drove an unseen yet deadly wedge between everyone until, now, no one of Piltover seemed to… trust one another like they used to.
Well, seeing as their previously glorious City of Progress was a constant victim of abuse, seeing as their safety was always in question, seeing as how their supposed heroes didn't seem to be having any control over Jinx's rampages, who could blame the Piltovian citizens for becoming shrewd, cautious, isolate from each other.
Once before, Piltover's streets were filled with bustling, excited, friendly peoples whom had come from everywhere across the continent to see its towering skyscrapers, impressive techmaturgy works, along with historical sights. Today though, like it had been for the last month, those same streets were empty, still, lacking in energy, dotted with wrecked rubble, and were drenched if not flooding with rainwater from the recent thunderstorm that had passed by.
Sadly, due to the coming of a lone crazed girl who talked to her weapons for fun when finished blowing up all that she could, there were many things missing or that had been stripped from the City of Progress these days. Where there had been happiness, there was none. Where there had been an abundance of safety, there was danger instead at every corner. Where there had been a nearly perfect balance, there was only chaos.
Yet, what was most unfortunate about this entire event was that there was uncertainty in place of certainty nowadays and due to that, it was becoming a harder thing for the Piltovians to continue to believe in something like teamwork, friendship, as well as looking out for each other. And on this particular night where the thunder boomed, the lightning flashed, and a constant drizzle depressingly fell over the hurting city, this attitude of struggling to hold onto friends – on what should be done to help Piltover – had especially just been discussed/shouted out between who were usually unquestionably the best of friends; "Sheriff Caitlyn" and "Enforcer Vi" themselves.
For years, since they'd decided to pair up to combat crime in whatever shape or form it came in, Caitlyn as well as Vi had grown closer than the usual police partners did. Yes, the two women had grown to not merely be guardians over their dear yet suffering city. They both considered each other more than best friends for they practically were, with very good reason, sisters. They were and had been sisters in arms, in heroics, in miraculous feats against every challenge that had come at them for what honestly felt like forever.
Nevertheless, with the arrival of Jinx, experiencing the same as their weakened home city, the loyal Piltovian sheriff along with enforcer had felt just as much pain, stress, and distress for the past month.
Seeing as they really were caring leaders that hadn't repeatedly failed anyone until this point, since they many responsibilities to many parties of folk, maybe Caitlyn and Vi had suffered more than most everyone… and now, both had obviously unleashed their bottled up emotions, anger, plus contempt upon each other. Then, when finished yelling her mind at her disheveled partner, with a mighty slam of the front door that sounded dangerously close to flying off of its hinges afterwards, Vi had stormed out of the police headquarters to begin sloshing through the dark, mucky streets dimly illuminated by famous "Heimerdinger's" star rods/posts.
What was the hotly pink haired, steel fisted, fuming woman's destination? Well, Jinx was lucky tonight. The enforcer of Piltover wasn't looking for fight with the Loose Cannon but was actually heading towards where she knew she could get a good drink and maybe even a good brawl with some other smart mouth. Fast like, be it a face or surface, she needed to find something… to PUNCH, to DEMOLISH, to SMASH!
In the meantime, trying her best to not appear to be too shaken up about the harsh exchange that had just occurred between herself and her closest friend if not ally during this most difficult time, Caitlyn slouched down into her leather desk armchair behind her.
Next, with much controlled sniffling, a rub of her watery eyes, a brushing back of her ruffled brunette hair plus setting down her symbolic top hat on the desk in front of her, the sheriff put her weary face into her gloved hands. Then, realizing she had her gloves on in the first place, wanting her skin to feel some fresh air rather than be pointlessly wearing her uniform all of the time, she wrenched them plus her boots off to angrily throw them onto the floor!
"Hmf!" The sheriff uncharacteristically sniffed in an attempt to feel better, getting up out of her chair to walk around to maybe make herself feel a bit more in control of her out of control environment, "Vi, how could you – Why would you say that I – Ooh, sometimes you just know what to say or do to make me want to – to – to – AUGH!"
Knowing she was going to burst out screaming at the top of her lungs one way or the other, knowing she had to vent, to free herself from the fiery anger within her trembling heart, to unleash everything to think clearly on what could be done for her city, Caitlyn took a kind of sick but great joy in noticing the small assortment of pillows lying upon her personal sofa nearby. Immediately, going into a dive, the suffering sheriff shoved her reddened expression into the velvety cushions and yelled as loud, as fierce, as bestial as she could without end.
Of course, an individual as important as a sheriff behaving like this – like a demented child throwing a tantrum, like Jinx even would if thwarted – was downright ridiculous. Yet, Caitlyn just… didn't… care…. about… anything… ANYMORE!
Well, as sheriff naturally, unlike how Vi had just described her before stomping out of the headquarters to who knew where, Caitlyn did indeed care about plenty in life. Yet, she just couldn't keep things contained inside her conflicted self anymore. She had to do something, to weep, to fume, to break down some walls if not stress, anything, in order to possibly discover the smallest shred of relief or optimism she'd lost a while ago… since the Loose Cannon had put everything into question.
And so, keeping her screams of emotional anguish muffled so as to not attract more of the unsure attention her fellow police were already giving her outside of her office, ignoring the growingly uncomfortable sensations of aching pain building in her gorgeous cheeks, throat, along with cranium, Caitlyn continued to release what she needed to release! Finally, with a last sob after what felt like an eternity of screeching into her sofa's pillows, she just wearily laid her disturbed yet still pretty self out on the sofa. Outside in the meantime, like her tears, the rain began to pour harder. Like her huffs plus whimpers, the thunder answered back with a mighty boom or low grumble on occasion.
As Caitlyn cried to herself at the moment, it seemed… it seemed like the world was doing so alongside her, wasn't it? And for obvious reasons, both the sheriff along with world – the world of Piltover – had good reason to be indulging in the waterworks.
"Ugh, Vi, you can be such a handful sometimes. You know that, right?" Caitlyn sniffed to herself in a whimper, actually feeling a bit clear headed like wanted since she'd ceased venting, "Of course you do. As can I, I know. This isn't our first fight like this and I admit that I have my flaws too… I don't know how to knock in some heads, break down some walls, and create a fast solution like you do at moments, do I? I take things slow while you take them fast. I'm the tortoise, heh… and you're the hare."
Sitting up on her sofa with a renewing feeling of wisdom, courage, even control over everything around her, the sheriff of Piltover swept aside the hair hanging in her tired looking expression. Standing up with as much as dignity as she could, she then made her way around her desk to the large window behind it where, with a rubbing of her reddened eyes, she took to gazing over the star rod lit street below.
Indeed, since they'd combined their strengths back in the day, this huge but meaningless feud Caitlyn had just had with Vi over how to handle Jinx hadn't been the first time they'd been so torn on how to handle a villain. Throughout the time they'd worked together in outwitting, humiliating, along with putting criminals behind bars, the sheriff and enforcer of Piltover had had their rough spots with certain foes whom had proven to be a bit more elusive, mysterious, cunning, just a different kind of adversary that had pushed them to their limits.
Nevertheless, in the end, whether through Vi's hextech gauntlets or Caitlyn's precise rifle and both of their wits put together, no criminal of Piltover had ever bested the law. No criminal had escaped justice for forever.
And truly, even though they had raged at each other during this thundering night, neither Vi nor Caitlyn had really meant what they had said towards one another. This was just another rough patch where the pair of them needed to get some fresh air alone so they could compose themselves, regain their honor, and realize just how much they as well as Piltover needed each other. For if the Enforcer and Sheriff of Piltover really did allow Jinx to drive a wedge between them, not only did that spell out defeat for them but for all of the remainder of the City of Progress.
And such a thing as defeat wasn't at all acceptable in either Vi's nor Caitlyn's books. To the very end, until their dying breaths if need be, the sisters of the law would not give up on their city, their people, nor each other. In that fact, as she watched outside her office window, the sheriff had truly believed for longer than she could remember.
"Vi, we're just under a lot of stress, right? Yeah, we're not really angry at each other. We're just worried, confused, distressed." Caitlyn whispered to herself next while looking over the street outside the window of her private quarters, guessing that Vi had headed north to where she usually did for a drink or entertainment at any bar she could find first, "Soon enough, in a drunken stupor, you'll kick down my door, we'll both say we're sorry, you'll collapse on my sofa in a heap, and then, welllllllll…"
At this, with a humored smile actually creeping across her attractive face framed in her brown hair, the sheriff took a seat at her desk while purposefully grasping a nearby black marker, "Then I won't be able to resist it. Like old times, I'll just have to doodle a moustache or two on your drunken face overnight. Then you'll wake up next morning, find out, take pride in my handiwork but warn me I'm next, and we'll both set out to begin figuring out how to put this certain Jinx of ours… in her proper place; behind bars."
Quite heartened by what she knew was going to happen like always after having a heated fight with Vi – knowing that by the next morning they would be best friends getting back on track of their mission to save their home city from terrorism – Caitlyn resumed laying herself out on her comfortable sofa rather than be at her desk.
Lying there on the velvet brown mattress adorned with a most comfortable blanket of Freljordian yak pelt, the sheriff would await Vi's drunk plus loud return which would involve the enforcer with over large hextech hands smashing down the door, trying to open the awkward conversation with a terribly slurred joke, before she would try to apologize for her idiocy from earlier while passing out cold on the floor moments later.
Seriously, after having experienced it done dozens of times beforehand, that would be the exact way the all-knowing sheriff as well as stubborn enforcer of Piltover would reunite after their fierce verbal exchange. All Caitlyn needed to do in the meantime was wait, think, maybe even grab a few winks, while her troubled self-recovered from her own previous case of raging.
Actually, wait. If Vi was going to enjoy one too many drinks at some rough tavern, why couldn't Caitlyn grab herself at least one? Seeing as how she'd been put through so much since the arrival of the Loose Cannon, didn't she deserve some comfort, some pampering? Yeah, a bit of adult drink couldn't hurt. In this case, with her head along with throat achingly throbbing, it would even do the sheriff quite a bit of good to put down a bit of alcohol and have some things… suppressed from her conscious.
So, with a bit of a forced spring in her step to make herself feel a bit more optimistic than she really was feeling, Caitlyn ventured back to her desk where she opened the bottom drawer, and retrieved the familiar half full bottle of "Golden Nectar White Wine" she'd been given by the Yordles at the academy of "Science and Progress" three months ago as a gift for her presence there.
In turn, snatching a tiny glass from a nearby shelf that held many an item – evidence from other missions, pictures of far off places, portraits of friends along with family – Piltover's sheriff gracefully seated herself upon the sofa again. Next, with a simple toss of her hair over her shoulder, a blink of her hazel eyes, she gulped the shot of wine she'd poured herself.
While the grand yet bitter beverage took its effect on her, the sheriff let out a slight gasp of relieving breath. Then, a bit against her will, she downed another gulp of the alcohol and was looking to do another when a part of her brain demanded she stop. She needed to stay in control of herself, not go overboard. Thus, almost by themselves, the sheriff's hands forced her to set aside the poison yet gleeful drink and with a partially content sigh to herself, she leaned back against her velvety seat while many a thing began to go through her head.
Truly feeling more tired than she'd ever been or could recall in her life, partially just wanting to sink into the floor to never be seen again as she had indulged in her adult beverage more than expected, Caitlyn took to aimlessly gazing around at her rather impressive office for no apparent reason. Soon enough, without reason either, she began to recall the memories, missions, days that had led up to this point; to where she was indeed sheriff, where she was within as well as in charge of the police headquarters, where her office that had practically served as her home since Jinx's arrival was decorated with articles, pictures, relics, décor, pieces of evidence, items, along with much more that dated from today to years in the past.
As a certain article on the front page of a newspaper set in a reinforced case that was bolted onto the wall to the left of her desk – on the respected "Piltover Seeker Weekly" – had said then in the past and stated today, it had been at fourteen years old that Caitlyn had set out into the lower streets of Piltover armed with only her family rifle and tracked down plus dealt with the exact muggers who had mugged her father. Then and there, with much concern yet encouragement from the many people in her life, Caitlyn's glorious career as a protector of Piltover had begun… and, soon enough, she had become head of the efforts in putting down organized crime; she'd become the sheriff.
From then on to tonight, the pondering sheriff in her office remembered she'd seen plenty during her successful but harsh line of work. Up to this moment, she'd won against impossible odds, learned from her few losses, put so many behind bars, dealt justice to corruption, established peace in her city, as well as made everyone she loved very proud of her. Especially her parents who were safely being watched over nowadays by police forces in a secluded area that only Caitlyn and her closest allies – her best of friends – knew of.
No, with how complicated the design of this plan in protecting the innocent was, not even Jinx with all of her surprises could hope to touch the sheriff's hidden parents or anyone else important to the structure of Piltover's future. Of course, every citizen of the City of Progress was important. Every life mattered. Nevertheless, if the city really wanted to survive the coming days, it needed its best investors, politicians, leaders, traders, scientists, and so on, to be able to recover when all of this dreadful Jinxing was finished.
So, on the day the south of Piltover had been evacuated and the north was subjected to terror instead, those important people required for the recovery efforts in the future had been relocated elsewhere in secret. And when the time came where the Loose Cannon was no longer loose, those certain influential people would then be allowed to return to their homes as well as begin taking charge of their professions again.
And as for whom else knew of where every important figure of the City of Progress was being safely hidden away out of the Loose Cannon's mad sight, they were, again, few in number. They had been actually personally handpicked by Caitlyn and the majority of them were or had been her closest companions in life.
Firstly, naturally, there had been Vi who had eagerly accepted the chance to defend Caitlyn's parents along with others from Jinx's mayhem; not through her fists but through silence, observation, understanding. Then, secondly as well as thirdly, Jayce and Ezreal had agreed to help the sheriff when she requested their aid in protecting the location of Piltover's important folk. And fourthly… wait, Caitlyn had chosen a forth to aid her in protecting the influential people of Piltover?
Yeah, actually, the sheriff had indeed chosen a fourth contact during the relocation efforts. Yet, who had it been? Why was she remembering it now? More importantly, how could she have forgotten?
Well, that was because the fourth individual/best friend she had picked to help her protect what was important to Piltover's coming days… he was a very old part of her past; a part she never thought she would need to go back to for anything because she had had control over Piltover until Jinx had done her best to blow it sky high for the last thirty days.
"August… August Cousitarian." Caitlyn mumbled to herself without thinking and then covered her mouth in shock, knowing she'd just voice the name of the fourth contact plus best yet isolated friend she'd included in keeping her parents along with others hidden from harm, "I chose him, didn't I? Yes, I chose Vi, Jayce, Ezreal… and I also chose, even if he didn't want me to, August in case of a serious emergency."
At the mention of this August character, at the moment she'd begun thinking of why she'd chosen him to help her, Piltover's sheriff involuntarily but contently found herself pulling up a certain floorboard located just right of one of her sofa's legs. From that secret spot, knowing she hadn't touched this floorboard for many a month, she drew out a most weathered elm box covered in dust, a web or two, along with scars. Yet, where the container looked a bit worse for ware, its air tightened contents of random aged files, pictures, miniscule objects, and even a golden card labeled "C", were in the same mint condition they'd been in when put inside however long ago.
It was while Caitlyn looked over the yellow "C" card that she began recalling bits of her earlier days when she'd been younger, when she'd been learning to become sheriff, when she was still capable of making mistakes around the bad guys. Yet, it hadn't been until she was called upon by the righteous west kingdom of "Demacia" – where the golden "Jarvan" lineage had ruled for centuries to nowadays – that Caitlyn had actually found a truer challenge in her exciting life; a worthy adversary who could match or even outdo her in wit, skill, along with surprises.
Countless times, the sheriff knew she had come so very close to catching this villain for Demacia; this villain who always mockingly left behind a card with an ornate C upon its face at every crime scene. At the same time though, really only known to her and having been kept hushed up by those few slightly involved with the story of that certain night, it had been when Caitlyn had been outdone once more by her C card foe in a warehouse late at night that she hadn't been the only one… for when she had reached down to pick up the left behind card to add to her increasing pile, a booted foot gently but precisely placed itself upon her gloved hand from the dark!
Instantly in turn, seeing her try for her rifle strapped over her shoulder when her hand was trapped, a strong hand had gripped the future sheriff by the back of her neck.
"That card you've got there… That'll be mine, miss. Release it." Caitlyn had heard her assaulter state firmly then, his boot along with hand grip keeping her awkwardly pinned all the time, "It's clear that, for the longest time, we both may have been on the same case's trail here. We're aiming to do the same thing, finish this race as well as the rat who's making us run. Yet, I need every scrap of evidence I can get, you see. I admit that that is indeed a pretty card, almost as pretty as you, yet I can't have anyone distracting me from – UNGH!"
On that night, with the symbolic C card along with keeping one's dignity as the prize, Caitlyn had done everything in her power to not only free herself but even capture whoever had had the nerve to think he had the upper hand on her!
Speaking of hands on anything, in a matter of a blink of the eye in that warehouse, the sheriff had wrenched her foe's hand off of the back of her neck, elbowed or nearly elbowed him in his privates – there was no honor when fighting criminals so why bother feeling sorry about it – and then managed to shove him off of her so that she then had both of her hands freed, loaded her rifle, as well as then aiming at a rather casual young man who showed off dirty brown hair, sapphire eyes, as well as a very impressed expression.
"Wow. A pretty face not to mention enthusiast on self-defense?" The young man or August Cousitarian had chuckled that night while massaging the place he'd been elbowed, having epically just met Caitlyn for the very first time, "You have no idea how hard it is to find a, well, young lady like that anywhere in Runeterra. Even here in Demacia, even though they like to say they are, the maids wouldn't know independence if it smacked them in the face. Well done in fending me off, miss. Very well done."
It had been then on that night in the warehouse, even though few knew about it and fewer had permission to speak of it, that the solo mission to find the culprit who left behind C cards became a duo mission. Caitlyn as well as August, for their own good as well as honest reasons and even though they had started off a bit rough, found they could do more, fight better, along with chase their elusive card dealing adversary if they did so as powerful partners, not as bitter rivals.
Together, for some time to come, being intellectual, strong, swift, honorable equals in their line of work, Caitlyn and August easily earned recognition, accomplished miraculous feats, foiled heists, captured criminals, dealt justice far as well as wide, and one even went on to become the Sheriff of Piltover whom took to looking over her peaceful city… while the other faded into the passages of time in places unknown.
Indeed, on the day she'd been given the honor of being sheriff of the City of Progress, Caitlyn's fantastic partnership with August had been… unknowingly not to mention sadly dismissed as had her days of chasing after the ghost like card leaving suspect entitled "C". Well, concerning her newest duties as a leader of her city, Caitlyn hadn't the time for that certain mission and August understood. If anything, he had worked harder than ever then to accomplish it for them both.
Of course, in the beginning, seeing as they had been the best of friends if not subtle enforcers of the law across Runeterra for the longest time, the two of them had happily remained in touch. However, as the days passed, as the seasons rotated, as the years came as well as went, August became more and more… isolate. Or had it been the other way around? Had it been Caitlyn who had gotten caught up in being sheriff, in protecting her city, in leaving her earlier days behind?
One way or the other, it wasn't until Vi had actually joined Piltover's finest – that she had become Caitlyn's actual partner – that August just kind of fell off the face of the world. And it wasn't until a crisis as big as Jinx happened that caused him to return for a moment to see how things were holding up in dear old Piltover. Perhaps he could be of… some assistance?
Obviously, when he came forward from the unknown to see what was going on, Caitlyn hadn't needed to tell August that Jinx had made a hectic mess of the formerly grand City of Progress. All he had had to do before reaching the police headquarters was look around at the uncertain depression to get that answer to that inquiry. Nevertheless, even though having been isolated while working to still catch the C fellow who had been eluding him for so very long, August had shown he had been a bit worried for his former partner by recently coming to see how she was holding up… and then he showed he cared about her even more when he agreed to be a secret contact – her fourth contact – for her hidden parents.
Even though Caitlyn had given up on her former mission of catching the card leaving C, even though she had left him behind to be sheriff over Piltover, it appeared that August hadn't completely left her side. In a sense, even though quite unpredictable now, he was still at the ready to help those in need, to keep others safe, to answer his former partner's calling.
How very… loyal of him. How very, um, romantic?
Boy, that yordle gift wine was working fast on Caitlyn wasn't it? All she could ponder over wasn't on how to handle Jinx tomorrow; it was about her past, past, and more past. Heh, here she was literally thinking of making up with Vi tonight one moment, going to capture the Loose Cannon the next, and now she was thinking of an old friend/partner being loyal to her when she hadn't been that loyal to him.
Meh, it had to be clear by now that the uptight sheriff didn't usually partake in drinking like Vi did or was doing at who knew where. And being a lightweight about adult beverages wasn't such a bad thing. Yeah, whenever they went out, Caitlyn usually was the one that had to control the tipsy steel fisted enforcer when things got a bit too hectic. She was Vi's yin or yang or whatever balance there was to be had between them.
Anyway, rubbing her dreary face in her softer than soft hands, the sheriff went about putting away the things she'd gotten out since she'd begun sipping her personal store of wine.
Back in the bottom desk drawer the yordle gift beverage was replaced. Into the secret floorboard, the items relating to elusive card dealer C and distant August Cousitarian were put back… but not before Caitlyn noticed a piece of old parchment amid the items. And upon that piece of parchment, expertly drawn out in a lightly faded black-white sketch, was herself in a citizen's get up – not her sheriff outfit – leaning up against August as they were seated together in what looked to be an open area of grass?
Where had this been done? When had it been done? Judging by the happiness they showed off in the sketch, had Caitlyn and August been THAT close before they had dismissed each other to pursue what they thought was more important today?
My, how time flew by… and how easily it made people forget about things. Especially the good things.
Perhaps… perhaps Caitlyn should sit down at her desk, get out the number she knew was August's and tell him to get his ass over to her office to join in on the fight against Jinx? Not only that but catching up with him, learning about where he'd been, hearing what he'd been up to, would be a nice change of pace for the always pressured sheriff, wouldn't it?
Yet, as Caitlyn decided getting back in touch with a very old friend was a good idea to follow through, she froze in her actions when she heard her office door be knocked on. In turn, a most uncertain voice requested through it, "Uh, um, sheriff? You there? If you would permit me, may I come in, please?"
End of the "The Stormy Starting Point"…
