"In our pursuit of greatness, we failed to do good"

Viktor remembered the words he said to Jayce that day. Words, or perhaps a revelation, that he had kept in mind since.

Skye's death had been his responsibility. He knew the dangers of the Hexcore, but in his hubris and arrogance he had thought the risks were worth it.

It had taken a long time to even try and forgive himself of that heinous mistake, a long time to come to terms that even if he was willing to sacrifice his own person, others would care about him.

It was a realization that came too late, for his friends were few and now one less.

But Jayce had stepped up since, Viktor's fellow inventor and partner realizing himself how truly desperate Viktor was to live.

Such a selfish request, Viktor considered. Yet he felt the world could understand. Rare were those that truly wished for death and did not an orphan from the Undercity deserve life as much as any scion of a noble house?

Caitlyn seemed to think so when she had said those very words on the Council floor as part of her First Address as the new Sheriff.

Viktor had always had a good opinion of Ms Kirman beforehand, her being Jayce's childhood friend (or perhaps the other way around, considering the age difference) and had always been his most stringent supporter during Jayce's meteoric rise in popularity.

She, more than anyone, more than Viktor himself, kept the man grounded.

For a man so easily given to grand dreams and big promises, Caitlyn was an important friend indeed.

It also helped that the Sheriff went out of her way to give Viktor what she believed was his due credit, praising his name alongside Jayce's whenever she spoke and reminding the council that Viktor, genius inventor Viktor, had grown up in the Fissures.

It was truly flattering, moreso because Viktor accepted the praise from her, a woman who had no ulterior motives and who believed so much in equality and equal opportunity.

Even the woman's partner was a Zaunite and if rumors were to be believed, she was a great figure among them.

Now a formidable bloc had formed consisting of Councillors Talis, Medarda and Kiramman with the open support of Sheriff Kiramman.

Essentially, the new ruling party of Piltover.

Viktor had always been wary of the council, ingrained fissure wisdom that, but this new triumvirate seemed to be determined to do good, starting with the recently independent nation of Zaun.

That was a concept Viktor still struggled to believe in some days. His childhood home, where he grew up and where he learned, always under the shadow of Piltover's great towers, was now its own nation.

Granted, it was a nation beset with problems. Chem-barons, violent gangs and shimmer runners along with a whole host of other issues made life as a Zaunite a struggle.

But his people endured and for all that misery, Zaun could offer many bright spots.

One was Professor (or was it ex-professor now?) Heimerdinger himself. To the utter surprise and shock of many, the old yordle had chosen to make a home in Zaun, living among the Firelights with his newest apprentice; the Firelights' very own leader, Ekko.

Viktor couldn't help but smile, glad that his teacher and mentor had found a place to put his prodigious skill into. For all that he had agreed with the banishment, the betrayal, it was done with a very heavy heart.

Heimerdinger saw no prejudice.

It was just that he also saw very little, mostly because the man lived too deep into his own mind.

But Viktor was still glad because, first of all, the professor found something he could commit himself to. Perhaps, in time, he would be known as a founder of two cities.

Second of all, he was hopeful because Ekko might be able to teach the old man what Viktor couldn't about Zaun. The Lanes and the Undercity, the Fissures and the Depths and all things that made Zaunites, Zaunites.

For all that though, some part of him envied this 'Ekko'. From all accounts the young man was a true-born trencher. Orphaned and left to fend for himself in the Fissures, his path in life had certainly been less fortunate than Viktor's own and undoubtedly the boy had made sacrifices to get where he was today. However, it seemed that through all that Ekko remained a trencher, a man that knew his roots.

It was understandable. He never had to sacrifice his identity. He never had to change his manner of speech, his clothes, his tastes and everything that made him unique.

Just to fit in.

Never mind that all those sacrifices were barely enough to pass as 'acceptable' in Piltover's incredibly segregated and elitist society.

But Viktor could not truly hold the resentment, especially against a boy he never met.

It was the society that he resented, the one that forced him to remove his past so that he could even have the opportunity for a future.

A knock on the lab door brought the scientist out of his suddenly morose thoughts and he was thankful for the distraction.

Seems it's not only Heimerdinger that can live in their own head.

A bad and often too common trait for all people who devoted themselves to the pursuit of science

"Yes?" He asked as he opened the door.

A hextech fist greeted him.

Viktor blinked, leaning back.

Vi, no surname, raised her gauntlets and tapped two huge fingers to her forehead and flicked them at him.

"Heya genius" she greeted, striding forward.

Viktor let her pass, not that he could stop the woman who was three times his muscle mass anyways. Besides, he kind of liked the rough and tumble brawler. A zaunite like him, without any of the frills of Piltover society.

She was upfront and honest, unafraid to express herself even against the great and mighty, as she had so proven many times. Viktor was glad to have been witness to many a council hearing where Vi spoke instead of the Sheriff, as well as the occasional dinner party held at the Kirmman estate where Brawn and Brain, Vi and Caitlyn, were almost inseparable and the former almost always caused a scene.

"Was I interrupting anything?"

Viktor shook his head "N-no, it's quite alright. I think I needed the distraction"

Vi nodded with a hum as she looked around the lab.

There were a few projects out on the tables, mostly Jayce's tinkerings, devices largely intended to be used by the Firelights in their righteous crusade against the many plagues of Zaun. Viktor too had his own projects, like the improved rebreather which would hopefully be more effective against the more acrid and dangerous gasses of the mines and fissures. There was also the servo arm he had been working on for a while, now nearing it's exit out of the testing phase.

He was excited about that one. Hopefully, it would be used well by the miners who made up a significant bulk of Zaun's workforce, saving them the labour and perhaps granting them time to spend how they wished.

Viktor's own father had been one such hard-working miner and though he barely remembered the man, Viktor felt confident in saying he would have been very happy with a servo arm.

The main project though remained the Hexcore, which was kept securely contained in a specially built container.

That Vi was about to pick up with her gauntlets.

"AH!" Viktor shouted, eyes flying wide open as she sprang from his seat and limped as fast as he could over "Please! Don't touch that!"

Vi froze, gauntleted hand hovering over the cage with pinched fingers.

Amazing control a part of Viktor's mind noted fine motor movements were never a true feature of the gauntlets so she must be well practiced in their use

A larger, saner, part of him sighed in relief, nearly slumping over the table the Hexcore was on as he reached for it and dragged it away from the woman.

"Take it that's a 'Blow up if handled wrong' kind of box?" Vi commented.

Viktor managed a small chuckle, mostly out of relief as he put the cage into a safe built into the wall "A bit of an understatement, but yes, very accurate" He coughed and cleared his throat and lungs as he sat back down "So, what brings you here? On a task for the Sheriff?"

The woman shook her head and leaned on a desk "Not quite, but it was her suggestion"

"Oh? Something I should pass onto Jayce then?"

Vi shook her head again "Concerns you, actually"

Viktor was taken aback "Me?"

What could the Sheriff want from him?

Unbidden, images of Skye and the blood-drinking hexcore flashed through his mind and suddenly his stomach felt heavy.

She couldn't?

Could she?

Viktor's mind raced at the sudden thought. Skye's death had been reported as an accident and her family had been properly informed of her gruesome demise. All true, all above board but Viktor still couldn't help the heart-stopping thought of Enforcers investigating him.

Another piece of fissure wisdom.

"Whoa whoa whoa" Vi snapped her fingers in front of him, now sans gauntlets.

Viktor flinched back, far too self-absorbed to have noticed the woman even move.

"You alright there? Need me to get a medic?" Vi asked as she inspected him.

Viktor shook his head and backed away slightly, holding his hands out in front of him "No, no. Just…" He cleared his throat again "...very distracted currently. My apologies, you said the Sheriff wanted me for something?"

The change in subject was less than subtle but thankfully Vi seemed to accept it, though did so with a dubious look towards him.

She's only concerned Viktor rationalised If she wanted to arrest you she need not bother with trying to convince you to come peacefully.

Besides, Vi was more punch first and ask later, according to Jayce anyway.

"Well, she suggested it" Vi said, trying to force a casual tone as she went back to leaning against a desk "Buuut...Hm, how do I say this?"

"By saying it?" he suggested.

Vi blinked, apparently caught off guard, then she snorted and laughed "Fair enough, I have been beating 'round the bush haven't I? Well genius, you any good with babysitting?"

Viktor's jaw slackened as his brain tried to process what he had just been asked "Uhm…"

It wasn't processing very well, as it turned out.

"I...am not...uhm...I suppose some?" He shrugged, completely unsure of his answer "I used to help Professor Heimerdinger in his lectures and covered a class once when he …"

Managed to derail the topic so badly that a sacrificial student had to be chosen and offered up to endure the tangent while Viktor actually taught the syllabus in the background.

"...wasn't feeling well"

"Ehhhh..." Vi pulled a face, about as convinced of his ability to 'babysit' as Viktor himself was "...fuck it, good enough"

Viktor coughed a chuckle.

"So, you know me right? Cait's partner and all-round menace to the Council?"

Viktor nodded with a small smile "Yes, I do enjoy when you take the floor"

She flashed him a smirk "And I love looking them in the eye and telling them they're shit. Anyway, you know I have a sister?"

Viktor nodded "Yes, though I only know that you have one. I am not personally familiar with any of your relations"

Vi cocked her head "Huh, you don't? Well…." She rubbed her chin as she muttered "...this may work out…"

Viktor raised a brow.

"See, she's...a bit of a genius"

The scientist nodded, face showing his amusement but believing her all the same.

"And she's been...tinkering on a bunch of stuff recently, things that might help out people, mostly the trenchers, people like us"

He smiled, straightening his posture a little at the recognition of his background.

"Intriguing" Viktor commented "Do you have specifics you are comfortable with sharing?"

Always ask politely when discussing sharing another's work, it was simply sound manners among inventors.

"The chem-lamp was neat, still have that in my room" Vi laughed "But I guess you're wanting something more substantial. Well, y'know how I was out of commission for a while?"

Viktor nodded, briefly eying the burn scar that ran down Vi's neck "Yes, you had been pursuing that terrorist and got caught in one of their bombs"

Vi shrugged, curious look on her face "Close enough I guess...Anyway, my sister came up with a way to help me move around while I was getting my feet back under me"

At that the woman made her way back to the doorway and retrieved something from outside, a wait-high rectangular crate that she lifted (with none hand) to lay down on an empty table.

Viktor made his way over as Vi started to pry open the lid to reveal an intriguing device within, what looked like a sort of 'cage' for one's abdomen and legs, remarkably similar to the abdominal support he himself used but with legs. There was a block where the lower back would be that had wires coming out and going into the structure of the device, seemingly binding the metal straps with a network of wires.

"A power-assisted walking device?" He deduced, incredibly intrigued.

Though he had overcome the need for such a thing, he was not exactly open about it and besides, many, many others could benefit greatly from something like this.

"Vi raised her brows at him, appearing surprised "Uh, yeah actually. You could tell just by looking at it?"

Viktor shrugged "Quite obvious if you know what to look for. Plus, you did mention the purpose of the device. Did it work?"

Vi's surprise transformed into a proud grin "Bet it did"

She retrieved a remote and pushed some buttons.

The 'legs' began to move.

Viktor's eyes widened.

Vi gave a short display of its abilities, starting with some walking, then moving onto jogging and then full on sprinting, finishing off by showing it's amazing ability to jump independently.

"This is...Amazing!" He exclaimed, hurrying to bend down and inspect it closer "The servo's must be remarkably fine-tuned and durable to perform such movements" He put a hand on the metal 'straps' "Tempered steel? Weighty, but likely easily available and it is resilient. Could use alternatives for more flexibility...And the power! So much must be needed" Moving around the back he found the latch to open up the power pack and began to take a look inside.

He gasped.

"This is...Remarkable" He said, impressed and terrified.

It was a scratch-built, ingenious chem-tech battery, harnessing the energy produced by two volatile chemicals held in separate glass vials arrayed perpendicular to each other. They were connected to a smaller vial beneath by very narrow tubes where the green and orange liquids dripped through and mixed into the smaller vial, producing a fierce but small chemical reaction. The resulting energy, Viktor presumed, was collected by the small wires inside the miniature vial.

To cut off the flow there were simple but ingenious miniature clamps around the tubes, hooked up to respond to signals from the remote.

Though the small vial wasn't producing a reaction right now, Viktor still had the urge to touch it.

He pulled his finger out, wincing at the heat "Ah!"

"Yeah, my sister makes...interesting inventions" Vi said cautiously.

"Dangerous too" Viktor added "This is Chemsol-A and Chemsol-C, usually used in the making of mining explosives, when you want to blow up and melt the rock rather than have it be shattered"

"Huh…" Vi didn't appear to be too concerned about that, oddly enough "Right, well, anyway...d'you think you can...like…"

"Tutor her?" He suggested and Vi put her hand out on a level and wiggled it.

"Eh, close enough. It's just that Caitlyn suggested you two might get along and...she kinda needs friends"

Viktor blinked "Ah. Well, I...I suppose I can?"

He remembered then a young boy, outcast because of his disability, finding company with his own mind and little else.

He nodded again, more assured "Yes...I can certainly try. Perhaps I can discuss with her any more of her projects like these?" He waved at the pair of metal legs "This is an amazing invention, if she had made this herself then she is truly gifted"

Vi's smile was proud and he was happy to see it, but even with his own lacking social skills he could tell there was something else troubling her.

"If you are uncertain..." He said, unable to help being a little disappointed.

Seeing his look Vi shook her head "No, no. It's not you….it's just...well...Ah fuck, you know what, you'll see when you meet"

Viktor furrowed his brows.

Surely, one young girl couldn't be so bad?


"Jinx, I need you to promise you'll behave" Vi asked.

"I promise!" Jinx said with a wide smile and exaggerated salute.

The elder sister sighed "Please Jinx, Viktor's…He's a good guy, but he's not the most physical person I know, I need you to go easy on him"

"I promise!" Jinx repeated with the same wide smile and the same salute.

Vi palmed her face, then she laughed and rubbed her sister's head "Fine…You'll get along, I think. Cait's right on this one"

Vi may have been concerned when the mention of her partner's name did not elicit at least a scowl or so much as twitch from Jinx's face, and she was, but she was also running late so she was left with little option BUT to trust Jinx.

Which was never a great situation to be in, despite how much she loved her sister.

It seemed Jinx knew it too, going by the hints of a grin on her lips and the hardly hidden mischief behind her purple eyes.

"Just…try not to get in too much trouble"

"I promise!" Jinx said as cheerily as the last time.

Somehow, it was even less assuring.

Vi sighed "Alright, I'll leave it to you. Keep this pass on you" she put a badge on Jinx's shirt "And no one should give you any shit, well, that's what Cait said anyway"

"Uh huh!" Jinx said, unnervingly peppy.

Someone is going to be regretting this Vi thought as she bid goodbye to her sister I just hope it ain't me.

Once her sister had been seen off, Jinx's expression turned from overly peppy to an annoyed grumbling.

"Sure Vi, I'll be happy to stay with a rando stranger while you go out on your fucking date" She grouched "Not like I wanted to hang out or anything, not like I'm your damn sister and should be more important than that skank!"

Jinx kicked the chair out from under the kitchen table and sat down with a huff, angrily glaring at the heaping plate on the table.

Jericho's Special: Fried Fish and Fries.

Usually, her absolute favorite meal.

But now she knew why that was suddenly on the table, a pity consolation gift in lieu of hanging out and having a fun breakfast with her sister.

Jinx grabbed a fork and stabbed into a perfectly fried filet, then stabbed that into a pile of fries and shoveled the whole forkload into her mouth.

It was perfect. Fresh, flaky fish coated in crispy batter along with crispy fries, all doused in strong and spicy vinegar.

Jinx grumbled as she chewed.

This fucking blows. I know I said I wont get rid of top-hat anymore, but this is making me rethink that.

You wont Claggor chimed in casually Vi trusts you and you don't want to lose that.

She stabbed another piece of fish and another heap of fries and stuffed them into her mouth in lieu of replying.

Because he was right, the asshole.

She finished the plate and a short while later found herself exiting Vi's house-

-Their house-

-and meandering around the neighborhood.

Jinx still felt odd about it all.

She knew this was normal, to just be…walking, on the street.

With everyone looking at her.

Casting side-eyed glances and whispering.

Her face twitched and soon enough she found herself climbing up a wall and standing on a roof, breathing in the clear air.

Normal had never really been her thing anyway.

She didn't know what Vi was playing at, her sister grew up the same as her.

Broken and having to put herself back together with tweezers and a blindfold, the only thing holding them together was their own spit.

Jinx sat down on the edge of the roof and sighed, purple eyes observing the coming and going of Vi's neighborhood.

Because Vi is just that good I guess.

The thought was right and wrong.

Vi was good. She was her sister after all, the sister who still loved her despite everything, who never let her go even when Jinx was on the edge and so willing to jump.

The sister who kept the Powder in her alive, even when she herself thought Powder was long gone.

Jinx hugged her knees and grumbled, turning away from melancholic recollection to current annoyance.

Because Vi was also the sister who just had to have an enforcer girlfriend no matter how stupid an idea that was.

No matter that they seemingly got along like a deep fryer and fish, or that Vi seemed truly happy.

She knew how it would end: with broken promises and a broken-hearted sister.

What to do about that though, Jinx didn't know.

Though it was a dirty thought, there was a certain appeal to letting things play out.

They were there for each other now, at least. If, when, things fell apart then she could be the one to put Vi back together.

Like how Vi was doing for her now, piece by piece, day by day.

But that felt…wrong. It would mean Vi having to go through a lot of hurt.

And deep down, Jinx didn't know if she was strong enough to put Vi back together.

Vi had always been the stronger one, no matter what.

Powder could be weak because Vi would always cover for her.

Even Jinx could never stand against Vi fair and square, so she made gadgets and tools. Though, even that wasn't enough sometimes, when Vi was really determined.

She took a rocket to the face to get you to move in Mylo or Claggor said, she didnt know which, too focused on her sister.

Vi had that effect, able to quiet the pair down in her head with her mere presence there.

The Vi that Powder knew always stayed alive in her head, even when Jinx thought that Vi was gone.

No, Jinx shook her head.

When Jinx thought the Vi in Powder's head was gone.

She's always been in there, one way or another.

Even back at that old factory, the place that started it all, the very moment Jinx thought she had thrown Powder away, Vi was there in her head.

Because she hadn't thrown Powder away. Not really.

Powder was always with her. She showed in the toys, in the curiosity, in the burning desire to learn how to make stuff and to be useful.

She showed in how much Jinx loved Vi because Jinx never knew Vi, not properly. She only knew the Vi in Powder's head and the Vi that came back with Caitlyn in tow was…different.

"Things changed. Ive changed" She remembered her words and how Vi held her so tight and told her it didn't matter.

It was then Jinx knew Vi. It was then Jinx wanted Vi, to be her sister, to be the piece that had always been missing and that was why Jinx could never put Powder back together so she had to be Jinx-

She groaned, near screaming through gritted teeth.

"I found you a friend. Well, Cait suggested it but I thought it was a good idea" Vi's voice suddenly came into her thoughts and like it had been happening recently Jinx calmed down, just a little, when she heard it.

"I don't need friends"

She focused on that memory, still fresh, only yesterday.

She remembered how Vi smiled softly at her and held her face with her warm palm "We all need friends Pow-Pow. Toys are great, yours are the best, but sometimes we want our conversation partners to uh, talk back"

Jinx remembered how she grumbled and how Vi laughed, pulling her into a hug that she enjoyed but she didn't want to show that she enjoyed it.

"Come on, no harm meeting the guy. Been to his lab, you'll get along fine. Even showed him some of your stuff and he was up in the clouds when he saw it"

Jinx let the memory fade, feeling her tumultuous emotions calm.

In the distance, further into Piltover, was the Academy. It gleamed brightly in the clear summer sun, a white tower symbolic of all the so-called "progress" Piltover deluded themselves into believing.

Jinx sighed and got up, dusting herself off.

She did promise to meet the guy, at the very least.


Viktor was, perhaps uncharacteristically, a little nervous.

Well, nervous may have been inaccurate. Rather, he was…uncertain.

Vi hadn't even given her sister's name, saying that introductions were better left for them to settle, which was a little strange but not too much to be overly concerned about.

What had him uncertain was whether he was really up to the task of, essentially, entertaining someone.

He had accepted readily enough, thinking that there was much they could discuss concerning her ideas and inventions, but then further pondering had brought about a fact that he had never really had to think about before: she could get bored.

Drawing from his, admittedly light, social experiences with people her age (Vi had provided that at least) he found that talking for any longer than five minutes about whatever project he was currently working on usually resulted in them suddenly finding other things to be getting along with.

It was an amusing skill, if one needed to motivate the already bored, but it was a fairly poor way to maintain long social interactions.

Viktor sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Maybe I am nervous. She's essentially another student, why am I overthinking this?

Because, his mind supplied, he genuinely wanted to make a good impression.

To what end?

Well, he wanted to make a friend.

Silly and strange as that sounded, it was true.

Research into the Hexcore had hit a hitch and pursuing it further would be fruitless, not until he had some fresh perspective and rest.

That was an important and too often overlooked part of being a person of science, not that it meant much coming from him, who rarely ever took breaks.

Granted, his life did depend on his progress so he felt justified.

But, perhaps for the first time, he had…time.

Actual time.

The changes the Hexcore made to his body, while far from benign and he understood it only in it's bare essentials, still granted him a measure of healthiness he did not have before.

Breathing and moving were easier than they had ever been and rest could sometimes be peaceful, unplagued by chest pains and midnight coughing fits.

All this to say, Viktor found himself in the unique situation of having free time, not a lot to do with it and a chance to actually try and improve the situation.

A long winded way to say: there were reasons Viktor was feeling more nervous that he might ought to be, meeting Vi's sister.

Viktor cleared his throat and grabbed his cane, giving it a small tap as he prepared to make an appearance of still needing to use it.

Well, let us face the music, as they say.

He limped his way out of his lab and into the Academy proper, his route taking him through the ornate halls where there were a few students going to and fro. Most gave him a smile or a polite nod, others were too busy to have noticed and the rare few subtly made no eye contact.

Life in the Academy had been one of trials and joy, Viktor found. Certainly starting out as a student from the Undercity had been a disadvantage from the get-go since he had no friends he went into the Academy with and no easy connections to make. He counted it a blessing that, while most were surprised by his attendance, not many reacted any more than that.

Not many didn't mean all however, though thankfully those childish bullies had long moved on.

But there was also the joy of learning, of being taught so many new and interesting subjects and being able to experiment and build to his heart's content.

Say what you will about the Academy, but it certainly let it's students experiment, even if many a lab had to be…refurbished after such activities.

He would know, he had been a cause for a number of such "refurbishments"

As he turned a corner and emerged into the Academy's courtyard, a dozen students passed by him in a rush and somewhere, something in the courtyard exploded.

Which wasnt an unusual thing, this was the Academy, after all.

"Did you see the girl at the entrance? The one with blue hair?"

"Yea, wonder how she takes care of it? It's so long!"

"That's what you pay attention to and not the fact that she had live weapons?!"

"Pfff, as if. The enforcers would never let anyone in with something that dangerous"

"She had a minigun! A literal minigun! Plus grenades!"

"Probably just a new invention. Didn't you make a rocket last week?"

"Well yeah but that was for testing alternative fuels…"

Viktor walked by without being noticed, though he certainly paid attention to their talk.

If she is anything like her sister…

The thought was only minor, but it spurred on an instinct that he had developed whenever Vi was around: find the best vantage point.

Usually it was to best view the ensuing chaos, but he could also stand to see above the milling crowds.

As such, he made his way up a raised platform in the courtyard, normally the place where any large announcements were to be made in front of a gathered assembly.

There he saw the Academy grounds, a large open space with grass and trees, a place where students could relax and mingle out in the open.

It was also where he saw a small crowd surrounding an interesting scene: A blue-haired girl was holding up a device of some sort, something he vaguely recognized as an invention by a certain Mr Cranwell, the student himself currently on the ground holding his arms up before him.

"What the hell was that?" The blue-haired girl asked as she held Mr Cranwell's device aloft, a kite-shield like object that Viktor knew was an attempt to make a portable, deployable personal defense shield.

A collapsible shield, with all the weakness that implied and that now seemed bare for the student body to see as it was half smoldering in the blue-haired girls' hand.

"My-my shield…" Mr Cranwell cried.

Viktor winced and decided to step in before it escalated.

The students parted ways for him, out of politeness, respect or merely learned instinct (he had taken to swatting the most obstinate or deaf students with his cane and they all soon learned to move quickly).

"What's going on?" He asked, keeping his tone light.

Mr Cranwell immediately got to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at the girl with the smoking shield "She-She's a menace sir! A vagabond! She shouldn't be here!"

He raised a brow, then a hand when the girl in question made to talk "I see she has a sheriff badge, that means she is in fact allowed to go wherever she pleases I believe"

"I-It could be fake! I mean, it most certainly is!"

"Hey fu-!"

Viktor coughed, coughed again then coughed some more and cleared his throat.

The other students around hesitantly checked to make sure he was okay, though that was mostly the newer ones. Older ones showed their concern by getting him a flask of water which he accepted with a very well-practiced smile and thanks.

"Ah, forgive me. As I was saying, I believe you are Officer Vi's sister, yes? The Sheriff's partner?" he said to the blue-haired girl.

Who tilted her head and gave him an odd look "Yeah, guess I am"

There was a small burst of whispering at that. Most students were well connected themselves, middle or upper class with the rare few disadvantaged attending, but all knew about the importance of knowing the right people.

Or knowing the friends and family of the right people and the Sheriff of Piltover was the right kind of person one wanted on their side.

Mr Cranwell was no stranger to that idea it seemed, with the way his eyes widened and how his entire posture changed.

Viktor never thought one could capture emotion to physically study, but Mr Cranwell's face was very much the picture of regret.

"Oh, oh I am so sorry!" The young man gushed "You have my deepest apologies, uh, sorry what was your name again?"

The girl in question narrowed her eyes and Mr Cranwell had the grace to wince and not meet them, then those curious purple orbs scanned the gathered crowd.

Viktor noticed how her hands tightened around the remnants of a shield, how those eyes narrowed and how her mouth started to shape into a grimace.

He cleared his throat again. "Well, I believe your sister and I intended to meet?" he said to her.

It seemed to have broken her out of her thoughts. "Uh, yeah. You're the guy?"

Viktor smiled and held out his hand "Viktor, a pleasure to meet you. Your sister did not mention your name, something about introductions better left for when we meet"

The girl rolled her eyes "Jinx" she said and low-fived his outstretched hand.

Viktor did not notice it. Most of the students around didn't either.

Huh, I suppose there was a reason for such secrecy His mind noted absently.

"THE JINX?!" A student shouted.

Jinx smirked "Yeah, that's me" She said casually, mischief twinkling in her purple eyes.

Viktor had always enjoyed Vi's ability to one up the more obstinate members of the council, always able to surprise and put them off guard.

It was a little less enjoyable when you were on the receiving end.


Hello! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

This is intended as a sort of standalone continuation of Powder and Bolts, with the focus being a Jinx & Viktor friendship. Will likely only be 2 chapters but hopefully it'll be a fun ride, these two are great characters and I love the fanart of them being drawn together and meeting each other.