Vi wasn't a chemistry master, but by the looks of the sample Viktor showed them she knew something wasn't right at all.
The man had gathered them around a desk that had contained equipment which was usually used in chemistry labs. Plastic testing tubes and small distilleries of simiral material were the prevailing equipment, some of which contained a reddish liquid. Under other circumstances, Vi wouldn't mistaken it; it was human blood. But there was something extraordinary in it. It was darker than the common blood, and the black cells floating in the plasma looked like small black rocks thrown into contaminated water. Caitlyn starred at the sample, a hand stroking her chin sceptically. Vi guessed that she was recalling her encounter with Sona at the Institute.
"That's the sample Heimendinger provided" Viktor explained in his robotic voice "Obviously, there was something odd with it. It's those little black dotes you see over there" he said, pointing with his metallic finger "Those are cells, black cells, and a sign of a disorder"
"How did they occur?" Caitlyn asked, her eyes locked with the Jayce's blood.
"Probably inserted from a third party. A human being is incapable of creating such cells, even if they suffer from any sort of blood cancer"
"What kind of substance can do something like this to a man?"
"A good question, sherrif" Viktor applauded "There's only one actually, and that's the Black Rose"
"The Black what?" Vi asked, buffled.
"The Black Rose" Viktor repeated impatiently "The name refers both to the substance and the plant it's produced from. The Black Rose is a very rare yet very dangerous type of rose. The Institute made sure to eliminate it, but apparently they weren't really successful"
"What exactly can the Black Rose do?" Caitlyn inquiried
"You saw yourself what it's capable of, and that's only a small part of it, I'm afraid" Viktor shook his head "The Black Rose infiltrates the brain and renders the upper intellectual functions completely useless. In other words, that specific part of the brain stops functioning, and the victim is a slave towards their «master»"
"But how can they even be controlled? I tried to put some sense into Jayce and he wouldn't listen to one damn thing I said to him" Vi interjected "How's that possible?"
"It's very difficult to gain control over a man that has been infected over the Black Rose. Only very powerful mages had managed to master this magic technic, still it gave an incentive to use their magic like that, so its cultivation was strictly prohibited"
"It's understandable, considering its risk level" Caitlyn commented "But it doesn't explain what happened to Jayce. We're pretty sure he wasn't dragged, not by Jinx, not by anyone the day of the incident"
"That's because he was possibly dragged a long time ago but the cells were activated that specific day" Upon seeing the confusion painted on their faces, Viktor proceeded in explaining more "Depending on the dose, the Black Rose works in two different ways. One turns the victim instantly into a monster and in the other the substance remains in the body without doing any damage, until the signal is given before the invasion of the black cells begin. That happens only under the guidance of a powerful wizard"
Vi turned instantly towards Caitlyn "Do you think that was the phone call about? To activate the cells?"
Caitlyn's gaze met hers, before she nooded affirmatively "That's the only logical explanation we can give for now. But there are still more questions" she added, walking towards Viktor "If Jayce was indeed dragged before the incident, how come he didn't remember anything about it?"
Viktor let out a frustrated sigh "That's because the cells took over the association regions of the brain that have to do with memory. It's obvious he wouldn't remember anything"
"Now, it makes sense" Caitlyn praised, sounding pleased, before everyone fell silent.
Vi's mind was working like a hexetech machine, trying to link the new data with what they already knew. So, Jayce had been dragged long ago before the incident with Jinx. Whoever was behind this, they were just waiting for the right moment to use him as a weapon, and they had almost succeeded in achieving, which by the way was what exactly? Help Jinx? Create havoc? She wasn't really sure about that. And where did Harrod Fitzwilliam fit in all these? Had he discovered something about the Black Rose? Was that the reason behind his visit in Ionia in that seminar? Was this why he had disappeared in the first place? Vi looked over Caitlyn carefully, trying to read her expression. The sherrif seemed to be lost deep in her own thoughts, while Viktor was still starring at them.
"Umm... Caitlyn?" Vi called, a little bit hesitantly.
"Yes. Alright" the brunette said, being snapped off her train of thought "I'm sorry. Is this everything we needed to know?" she then said, speaking to Viktor.
"That's all I know for the time being. I don't know if Heimendinger has found something else yet"
"If you do, please inform us" Caitlyn asked him "It's important to remain updated"
"I will" the man nodded his head slightly "Now, if you would be so kind, I would like to be left alone. I need to continue on with my research and start packing"
"No one saw us coming here" Caitlyn assured him.
"Better safe than sorry" he waved her off "This is not a game. We need to be extra careful"
"As you please... Let's get going Vi" Caitlyn motioned at Vi to follow her, and the enforcer was more than just glad to leave this underground hole, leaving the Machine Herald behind, who had already bended over his desk before they had left.
It felt good to see the sun again, Vi mused. It took her eyes a while to adjust but she didn't care. She had enough of that dark, dirty place for a life time. The two officers entered their car and vanished off the region as fast they could, making sure no one has seen them leaving that building. Or so that was what they thought.
Back at the safety of the walls of the CPDP, Caitlyn and Vi had closed themselves up and were preparing their next moves. Now that they knew partly what was going on, everything was overturned.
"Do you think that's why your father dissapeared?" Vi asked, laying on her chair, legs on desk "Because he knew something about the Black Rose?"
"It would explain a lot of things" Caitlyn responded, without looking at her enforcer. She had her back turned on the pinkette and couldn't see her worried expression. Her ocean blue eyes were stuck outside the window, glittering under the sun, while her mind was processing all the new data available "It would only make sense why he went in Ionia"
"That's what I thought" Vi mumbled "Do you think that... he's... y'know..." she wouldn't dare finish this sentence. She wasn't sure of how the sherrif would react to this possibility and couldn't risk her head for that.
"No, I don't think he's dead" Caitlyn said, suddenly spinning around to face Vi "Whoever is behind this, they need his knowledge to gain more control. And if my suspicions are correct, they are using me to make him cooperate with them without problems"
"They can try harm you, and they will be the first to know how is like being Vi feet under!" Vi growled, punching her desk and almost knocking it off.
"I appriciate the concern" Caitlyn grimaced "But I'd rather you didn't destroy the office furniture"
"Sorry Cupcake, you know I can't really help it" Vi grinned sheepishly "So, what are we doing now?"
"Continue looking for my father, that is" Caitlyn said "If we are to stop those bastards from taking over the city, we need to find him first"
"In that case, I can only agree" Vi grinned, abandoning her chair "We're going to find him, and find him alive, no matter what. That's a promise there, Cupcake"
None knew where Vi's determination derived from, but her genuine smile was enough to confirm that her purposes were pure. The smile that curled up from the corner of the sherrif's lips was pretty much inevitable.
"Thank you Vi" Caitlyn said, lowering her tone just barely above a whisper. The soft, gloved hand that touched Vi's arm was enough to send a shiver under the enforcer's spine. She never imagined Caitlyn touching her so unexpectedly, making her little gay heart flutter. Caitlyn's blue eyes met her's; how do we speak again? There were so many things she wanted to confess, so many things to say, but the words wouldn't reach Vi's lips.
"Come on. We got work to do" Caitlyn spoke, slicing through the thick silence that had fell in the room, patting Vi's arm. Vi followed her with her eyes before starting walking behind her like a lost puppy, still feeling fuzzy by the sherrif's piercing gaze.
Unlike what most people believed, Piltover's harbor wasn't as safe as everyone thought it was. The police was there, but that didn't stop the underworld to surface up and come and get a drink on one of the several bars were located there and have some fun at one of the brothels, all of the belonging to a ghost man, named Shaun Adams, and all established illegally. And we call him a ghost man, not because he was a goner, but because he always escaped apprehension. He knew how to play the game very well; just make business without drawing too much attention so as to bring that Sherrif bitch around his palace, or else he would really be a goner. The police never managed to catch him; he was everywhere and nowhere to be found. It was assumed that he was hiding very well, but he wasn't really hiding. He remained in the shadows, watching over everything happening in the harbor, even if they thought him to be miles away.
That evening, he had decided to emerge off the shadows and show up to one of his business to supervise it, under the police nose. Changing his appearance quite frequently, it was easy for him to slip through the growd without being noticed. Secret passages played their role as well. That time of the year he wore a moustache and his hair were cut short.
His main bar, which was called «Escape The Night», was pretty much thriving. Not a big surprise there, since it was perfectly located on platform C, where all the mafia loaded and unloaded their ships. It offered them the best opportunity to have a drink before sailing. Despite the fact that illegal activity had reduced greatly and most mafia members had been captured, his customers never reduced. People of all ages, status and gender gathered in «Escape The Night» to choke their pain and failures in alcohol. We could say that Shaun Adams was living off their pain in one way or another.
That evening when he had snuck in his bar, he stood alone enjoying his drink, watching over his clients. There's not a better feeling than seeing your work thriving, not even for him. And perhaps, if he was lucky enough, he would find someone to share his joy with.
Lady Luck was smiling towards him that evening, it seemed. On the other side of the bar stood one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, and he had met a quite a lot. Her beauty was exceptional, maybe even rare. The purple dress she wore was way too revealing, giving the best view of her legs. Oh, those legs... This was the best opportunity to have some fun tonight.
He approached her with as much discreetness as he could master and sat next to her on the bar. The woman acknowledged his presence, and he turned to give her a charming smile. She returned the gesture, much to his delight.
"The rest of the lady's drinks are my treat" Shaun said to the barman, before turning to the woman "How come a pretty woman like you is all alone tonight?" he in inquired, taking a sip of his drink.
"I felt like being alone tonight" she spoke with her upper city accent. Ah, a high society chick, one of the best prays he could get his hands on. Perfection.
"Oh c'mon, no one wants to be alone" Shaun argued.
"Maybe" she said, taking a ship of her own drink "But sometimes, all you need is to be left alone, drink your pain in alcohol, you know what I mean?"
A sophisticated one. This kind of women were the most intriguing ones "Trust me, I do" he said quietly, starring down at his drink. A sophisticated woman needed a sophisticated man, right?
"You seem to have seen a lot" the woman pointed out, seeing his expression.
"I've seen a lot of shit, indeed" he confirmed "In a place like a bar, it's inevitable you see every little weird situation"
"Do you hang out here a lot?" she asked
"Only when I need to supervise the place" he responded "But yes, I know the area well enough. Piltover's harbor is a very interesting place"
"I can definitely see that" the woman smiled at him before taking another sip "So, do you own this place?"
Shaun smiled to himself; bingo. "Ay. That, and several others all the way up the harbor"
"A businessman I see" she concluded, tilting her head on the side
"You could call me that" he smiled "But enough about me. What about you? What does a pretty and rich face want in the slums?"
"I wouldn't call it «slums»" she argued "For me at least, it's a place to stress myself out. The everyday life is just too pressuring"
"I'm glad you see it like that. And you're not the only one" he said and motioned at a man on the other side of the bar "He belongs in high society too. His wife was cheating on him and stole much of his fortune"
The woman turned to look where Saun had pointed to "How do you know all these?" she asked, obviously impressed.
"People here come to ease their pain" he explained "Besides, I care about my customers"
She hummed "Not a lot of businessmen do"
"I tend to differ" he said, leaning forward "You can call me Shaun, by the way. I didn't catch your name, miss...?"
"I'm Caitlyn" she smiled kindly at him.
"A beautiful name for a gorgeous woman" Shaun commented. He was about to make his next move when one of his security guards dressed in tuxedo approached him and whispered something in his ear.
"Don't you see I'm busy now?" Saun growled in annoyance
"I'm sorry boss, but it's a matter of urgency" the guard said apologetically.
"For fuck's sake..." Shaun cursed under his breath. Whenever he was at the best point, he would be interrupted. It was so damn frustrating!
"I'll be right back, sweetheart" he winked at Caitlyn "Being the boss has its responsibilities too"
The woman smiled, nodding at him in understanding. Now he had dealt with that, he needed to focus.
"What's the matter?" he asked the guard
"We found Gordon and Melek knocked out. Jimmy was also injured, said something about a freak with pink hair and some shit about metallic gauntlets..."
"The fucking enforcer!" Shaun cringed "How did she... Argh, doesn't matter now! Go get her and I will secure the bar"
"Yes boss" the guard said, and sprinted down the street, gun ready in his hands.
"Stupid fucking bitch" Shaun murmured as he returned back in the bar "Showing up at the worst of times to ruin everything!"
When he returned back to the bar, he tried his best to look cool. He approached his barman and leaned over the counter to whisper at his ear.
"We're in trouble" he said "Gordon and Melek are out. I need you to empty the bar quickly and quietly. This is going to be a massacre" his eyes slipped towards Caitlyn's direction, who was still drinking her alcohol alone "Make sure she doesn't suspect anything" he added and the barman nodded before he left to do as he was told. As for Shaun, he slipped behind the counter and bended down to reveal a secret hiding place where he stored some weapony. He grabbed a loaded machine gun and remained hidden behind the bar.
He kept his ears open to detect any sort of activity that showed the police was there. He could listen to his barman dismissing the customers one by one, and most of them complained. He wondered how that Caitlyn woman would react to this sudden change, but it was the last thing on his mind.
The sudden noise of glasses breaking down gave him the signal. That Zaunite bitch was there.
"A'right, who of you bastards is Shaun Adams?" He couldn't see her but he could imagine her standing like a fool, exposd "Speak up, or else you're at risk of getting arrested too. It's up to you, folks" she spoke again.
Shaun Adams stood up behind the bar, aiming his gun at the Piltover's enforcer "Seeing Shaun Adams requires a fee which you haven't paid I'm afraid, officer Vi" he grinned at her, his finger playing on her finger.
He was about to shot when the clicking of another gun made him freeze in his position.
"I dare you to pull the trigger " said the accented voice "And I assure you, you'll beg for mercy" Shaun snapped his head towards her, and the surprise was such that he was almost knocked off his feet when he caught Caitlyn pointing a gun at him.
"Put the gun down on the floor, and hands up so I can see them" she ordered, her voice falling cold. Shaun clenched his teeth as he bended down to get rid of the gun. He had been fooled, more so by a woman! He, one of the most experienced men in the underworld! How was that even fair!
"You little bitch" he growled "You're a police officer!"
"You lost into your own game" she said "Now, with the power I got as the Sherrif Of Piltover, Shaun Adams, you're under arrest"