AN: So yeah, I wasn't totally done here. I had the urge to write an extended epilogue piece here for Piltover, because I felt like there were some loose ends that needed tying. I've got plans for at least two more of these, and I hope people enjoy them.
This one's pretty downbeat, but they won't all be that way. Hope you enjoy.
In Ruins: Piltover
There was something off about Piltover. There always was, it felt like.
It had been over a year, now, since Malzahar had died. Well, that and all the other shit she didn't quite want to recall. Vi found herself sitting outside the police station, planted on the concrete steps with a blank expression. It was an activity she had found herself doing quite a lot of lately. The sudden tap on the shoulder nearly made her power her gauntlets on out of sheer habit, but the voice was familiar.
"Officer Vi? Are you still here?"
She turned and saw the Sheriff sitting on the stair above hers, a concerned look on his face. He was nice enough, good at his job, but Vi tended to keep her distance from the man. It wasn't jealousy, she'd been offered the position, but turned it down. High ranking officers crunched more numbers than they did bad guys. It was really just the title. "Sheriff of Piltover." It wasn't his.
"Your shift is over. You can go home, Vi."
His voice was full of caution, as if she was a fragile thing that might break if he used the wrong words. That certainly wasn't how people used to act around her. But things, she supposed, had changed. She stood and addressed the Sheriff without looking at him.
"Sure, yeah. Sorry. Night."
The enforcer walked off into the streets, traveling home on foot.
Nighttime in Piltover didn't feel the same. The lights were dim now, and the dirt and sand below seemed darker. A few years ago, you couldn't take a step without some blindingly neon machine burning your eyes with its emissions. It was darker now. Certainly, however, not quieter.
The sounds of power tools only became louder as Vi worked her way along the winding streets of the Industrial District, giving a half-hearted wave to the construction crews she passed along the way. Not all of the damage had been repaired. That kind of thing took time, especially when your city had suffered not only a Noxian invasion, but the sudden summoning of the most dangerous Void creature to have ever lived. Still, it was progress.
Eventually, she had reached the edge dividing the Industrial and Residential districts, and looked up at the towering apartment building before her. She almost had to double check that she had the right address. She'd owned this apartment for ages, but had spent almost all her nights at the Station. There were more than enough cots, and a shower. It worked out. But Caitlyn had insisted…
Shit. She repressed that particular name long enough to gently push open the door to the lobby. The foyer of the building was sparsely furnished, mostly metal chairs and rusted tables. The cheapest she could find. It wasn't as if she'd have guests to impress, most of her old friends were in prison. There was a stout elderly woman at the front desk, a small lamp illuminating the underside of her face.
"Oh my…" muttered the clerk, in an unnecessarily loud tone. "You're the Champion, aren't you, dear!"
Vi forced a smile, nodding. "Oh, yeah. Thanks."
The old woman began to search through the desk, hands fidgeting. "Anything I can get you? Would you like some coffee? Tea?"
Shaking her head, Vi brushed the offers off. "No, it's alright."
"Oh, no need to be so modest! You're the reason we're all still here, ain't you?"
Ugh. These were always the worst conversations. The clerk was trying to be nice, Vi knew that much. But she didn't like the hero worship. It felt...weird. She didn't need a pedestal. Didn't want one.
"Sorry, I've really got to get to my room." she mumbled, quickly walking to the stairs. The repetitive smacks of leather boots on creaky wood were the only sounds as she ascended to the fourth floor. The hallway felt foreign, and the stale air was stifling as Vi worked her way down the hall and towards room 407. At least, she hoped it was 407. It had been a while. The faded chalk markings on the door confirmed she was, in fact, at the right room, and she fished a dusty key from her pocket. The door unlocked with a clang, and Vi stepped into her apartment.
The room was exactly how she'd remembered it. Mostly empty. A table, a chair, a bed, and a small kitchen. Enough to survive, which was really all she cared about. Without even bothering to change clothes, the enforcer fell onto her bed. The springs moaned in protest as she collapsed, rolling over to face the wall. The whole setup was uncomfortable. Awkward.
But she was alive. Whether or not that felt like a good thing depended on the day.
About an hour of wall-gazing later, Vi was no closer to sleep. This wasn't working. She got up and walked out of the room, pushing the door aside with a bit more force than she intended. The door nearly shook itself off of its hinges as the Enforcer stomped back down the hall. She needed to meet with someone.
Jayce wasn't the kind of person who could recognize someone simply from their knock at his door. That said, it wasn't hard to tell it was Vi. Not many others left dents. The scientist opened the door, still in his labcoat and welding goggles.
"Is there a reason you're visiting the Academy at 3:00AM? Enrollment's postponed until we repair the classrooms that got eaten by a Void monster."
Vi rolled her eyes. She wasn't much in the mood for his wit tonight. "Where's Heimerdinger?"
Jayce sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "He's working on something in Bandle City. He's going to be off for a while."
Vi's shoulders sagged. "Damn. Now I've gotta talk to you."
The inventor smirked and stepped outside. "Fine, but we're walking while we do it. I've been in here all day, you make slightly better company than Hextech fumes."
It was pitch black outside now. Only flickering street lamps illuminated the deteriorated buildings around them as Jayce and Vi walked towards the center of the city.
"This place still looks like shit, doesn't it?" Vi mumbled, her eyes catching on a hollowed out building, a tattered Noxian banner still hanging limply from the outside.
Jayce nodded. "Not the words I'd use, but...I suppose. It's going to take time to get the machines this far into the city."
Vi bit her lip. Why not just move faster? Work harder? But she knew that was selfish, rude, and probably impossible. The area had been so devastated.
Next to her, the scientist continued matter-of-factly. "This is a few square miles of rubble. A Cho'gath summoning tends to do that. Not to mention a full scale military invasion, and Cait's explosion."
Jayce silently kicked himself as he watched Vi's expression sour. "I'm...sorry. I know you don't like to talk about it."
More silence as they continued walking, without even the dull hum of repairs and construction crews. They were too far in for that now.
Jayce eventually gave a long sigh and turned to face Vi. She stopped, not turning to face him as he spoke.
"You know what she did...saved people, right? One life for-"
Seething, Vi turned, her eyes burning with anger. "Don't. Just don't. I don't need numbers or statistics or whatever else you use to dull yourself to it. She's dead. She's never, EVER, coming back, and no amount of sweet talking bullshit is going to fix that!"
Finally at a tipping point, Jayce fired back. "No, it's not! But moping about it isn't going to do that either! You think she'd want you like this? We're worried about you, Vi."
"Who the hell is "we"?"
She watched in exasperation as Jayce continued to plod his way forward, turning the corner onto another block. She just started to notice the burning in her legs as she surged forward. As she caught up to him, she saw it for the first time.
Amidst the rubble and ruin was a small structure, a stone pillar surrounded by candles. A marble pedestal formed the base, and a familiar violet hat topped the pillar.
She stared at it for a moment, bewildered. Jayce's voice broke the silence.
"I wanted to wait until Heimerdinger was back to show you. But it sounded like you needed this tonight."
Vi blinked. "How did you manage to do all this?"
The inventor shrugged. "I drew up the plans. Candles are magic, don't burn out. That's Janna's work, I'm clueless on that sort of thing. Heimerdinger and Blitzcrank put the materials together, Ziggs cleared the rest of the rubble out, Ezreal got permits from the mayor...group effort."
Walking onto the platform, Vi stared into the distance, still looking as if she was in another world. "And you didn't ask for my help?" She was, momentarily, enraged.
Jayce sighed. "You threw yourself into your work. We wanted to tell you, but you weren't talking to anyone. Have you even noticed that?"
The realization crept its way up Vi's spine, and it stung. He was right.
"Caitlyn would have never wanted this. You avenged her, what's done is done. It hurts, Vi. But we all have to keep living. That's what she gave her life for." Jayce smiled. "Probably you in particular. She didn't get along with anyone quite as well as you."
With a sigh, Vi leaned her head back. "Dammit. You're right, and I hate that. What have I been doing, Jayce?"
"Mourning. It's natural. And you certainly don't have to stop. But you can't let it eat you up inside either. So…" He gestured at the shrine. "We wanted to show you that you're not the only one mourning. And maybe we can help."
Reaching into his coat pocket, Jayce retrieved a small device, about the size of a binder, and rested it next to the pillar.
"What's that?"
As he fit it into the structure, Jayce shrugged. "Just something I felt like working on today. I was thinking about her too. Stand back."
As both of the champions stood with their backs against the pedestal balcony, the small machine whirred to life, shooting a slow barrage of fireworks into the night sky. A few moments later, the first exploded, and then the rest, as a staccato pattern of purple lights exploded onto the horizon.
Smiling, Vi leaned against the balcony. It wouldn't be easy, moving past this. And she didn't particularly want to. But what Jayce had said was right, she wasn't alone, and she couldn't let it end her life. That was a gift from Caitlyn. And it wasn't one she was willing to give up.
There was still something off about Piltover. But, that night, it felt like it was starting to heal.
