A/N: hehe hey everyone! back again with a relatively quick update! I've been on a roll with this story and already in the process of working on the next chapter. I honestly don't know how I wrote this up so quickly because I've been putting in an absolutely insane amount of hours at work to the point where all my employees basically banned me from going in for the next two days so I can get some much needed time off. but miraculously in my very limited spare time I was able to bust this out. I forgot to give a shoutout to my wonderful beta last chapter LadyWintr, but you can thank her for relentlessly reminding me to work on my writing for several weeks (not really tho she was really nice about it ;P) but she as always rocks my socks off and helps me to be a better writer and I think I surprised her by how quickly I got this chapter written. As always, I love you all and appreciate every comment and kudos. I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think :) stay safe!

Progress Day. The biggest day of the year in Piltover.

God, she didn't know how so much time had passed since her life had been swiped out from under her. It was as if for the last seven years the days had gone by in a blurr, ever since that fateful day when she lost the little family she had made when she was sixteen. Luckily, she still had Ekko, who could understand the pain she dealt with on a daily basis. She knew they felt their pain in different ways, him losing his father figures and siblings, and her losing the purest love she had ever felt in her life and her friends.

The only other person she had shared with what happened that day was Jayce, but he didn't really understand. She hadn't been able to tell her parents or else she would never have been able to see the light of day again, but she couldn't hold in the emotional torment she was feeling all to herself. He had been sympathetic, of course, but after several months of her being stuck in a depressive episode he had tried to push her to be the person she had been before all of it. But that Caitlyn didn't exist anymore. A part of her had died that day, too.

So, she really only had Ekko, and they also didn't always see eye to eye. She was still a Piltie after all, but Caitlyn didn't really feel as though she belonged anywhere. Not in Piltover nor the Undercity. The only place she had ever felt as though she belonged was when she was with Violet, and ever since the brave girl had been ripped away from Caitlyn, she just felt stuck in time. Like the rest of the world around her was moving and evolving, but she was still that same sixteen year old girl surrounded by fire and death and destruction.

To make matters worse with Ekko, she was now an enforcer, and had been for the past two years after graduating from the enforcer's academy at the top of her class. It was the main barrier in their relationship. Cait sometimes acted as if she knew what the best course of action was due to her enforcer's training, and he sometimes threw in her face that a Topsider like her would never know what was best for the Lanes. She would never forget the day that she told him she was joining the academy.

-xxxxxxxxxx-

"I know I just didn't hear you correctly," Ekko seethed, banging his hands on the table between them, spare parts from his gadgets rattling against the wood from the force.

It hadn't taken long for Ekko to plant roots, literally, and create a place in the Undercity where people would be safe from Silco after he had taken over and flooded the Lanes with Shimmer. Ekko had built his own little fortress where orphans and victims of Silco could turn to and have a home. And he led his own group of vigilantes, the Firelights, to try to stop the outbreak of Shimmer and take down the man that was responsible for tearing their world apart and destroying the Undercity. She had helped him as much as she could when she was able to get away from her parents. Whether it was assisting him build more shelter for the influx of citizens that were seeking safety with the Firelights, spending time with the children, or helping bring supplies for all of them, she helped wherever she could. He'd had a hard time accepting help, reminding her so much of Vi in those moments, but he eventually caved and allowed her to.

He had become a fine young man, having to grow up too quickly after losing everything. They had been there for each other at their lowest points, and seeing the positive impact he made in so many people's lives made her proud. Sometimes she felt as though he didn't need her the way she needed him. Sometimes she felt helpless, like she wasn't doing enough, which had ultimately led her to make the decision she had just informed him of.

"I assure you, you did," Caitlyn calmly stated, not daring to look anywhere but into his burning gaze. She knew this was going to be his reaction, and she was fully prepared for it.

"We know there was an enforcer that helped Silco that night. How could you become one after what they did?"

"Ekko, that's precisely the reason why I have to," Caitlyn said, hoping that he would see the method behind her madness.

Becoming an enforcer was something she had always wanted to do ever since Grayson had taken Caitlyn under her wing, but once Caitlyn had lost the ones she loved and found out that there was an enforcer out there that had assisted in the violence of that night, the mere thought of becoming an enforcer left a bad taste in her mouth. She had half a mind of following in her mother's footsteps and becoming a counselor, but somehow that idea made her feel even worse. After careful deliberation, and feeling like she wasn't doing enough to get justice for Vi and her friends for far too long, she had decided to fall back onto her original plan but for different reasons altogether.

"We know there was someone who aided Silco, but we don't know who," she explained. "If I join, I'll get to see firsthand what goes on. I'll be able to sift out who it is that helped him, and we'll be able to finally make the changes we've been trying to make for the last four years."

He glared at her for a moment longer before her words seemed to sink in and his gaze softened. He slumped back in the seat behind his gadget table, exhaling a heavy sigh.

"How do you know it will work?" He asked in a much less hostile tone than before.

"Well, I don't. But we don't have a lot of choices, and I can't keep sitting back doing nothing."

"You know I'd let you join the Firelights," he said, a devious smirk slipping onto his face. "Even though you're a Piltie."

"You know how I feel about your hoverboards," she quipped back, feeling the tension easing from her shoulders where she seemed to carry all of her stress. "I'm much better with a rifle."

"I don't like the idea of you becoming an enforcer, but I can't deny the fact that it makes sense."

"I know you don't, but I didn't want to go through with it without telling you."

"Do you think you'll be able to do it? Find out who's behind all of this?" He asked. His placid tone was betrayed by the desperation behind his eyes. He was desperate for change, for the Lanes and his people to no longer have to suffer. Desperate to take down Silco and the systems that were in place that allowed people like him to gain power.

She knew what was on the line if they weren't successful. She knew that the longer it took for them to get the answers they've been seeking for years, the longer the Undercity would suffer, and the harder it would be to come back from it. And she had to do this for Vi, Mylo, Claggor, Vander, Benzo, Grayson… and Powder. There were no other options. After a moment of silence, she gave a resolute nod.

"I have to."

-xxxxxxxxxx-

She was snapped out of her thoughts when someone flicked the enforcer's hat on her head, instinctually grabbing the offending hand and twisting the wrist that she knew belonged to Jayce without even having to look. He was the only one here that would have the audacity to do so while she was working, and she knew he had been chatting to some folks in her parents' tent.

"Serves you right," Cait smirked as he grunted in pain, releasing his wrist a second after. Her smirk quickly turned into a scowl as she caught sight of her mother's disapproving stare a few feet away from the two friends.

"You still avoiding her?" Jayce asked, sensing the tension between mother and daughter as Cait turned back to her posting.

"I'm working."

"Oh, I can see that," he said in a teasing manner. "I mean, there's so much crime to thwart outside your family's tent."

"I can only imagine the strings she pulled to have me posted here," she huffed in frustration. She was better than this, and her mother intervening in her career was preventing her from achieving her real goal.

"It's your fault, really," he taunted light-heartedly. "For not following her into a career 'more befitting your station'"

"She'd do anything to keep me from seeing the real world."

"Well, at least you'll have front row seats to the speech."

"Speech?" She asked, turning around with a confused frown. She'd seen the speech every year since she had been a little girl and never felt the need to be in the front row to listen to Heimerdinger. But Jayce's tone indicated that something different was going to be happening this year.

"Mm-hmm," he grinned. "I'm giving the big address tonight."

"Hmm. We really have descended to anarchy," she ribbed with an eye roll. She was truly proud of all that he had accomplished over the years, and he deserved the recognition, but she also hoped it wouldn't inflate his ego any further than it had ever since he became the golden boy of Piltover.

"Have fun herding the drunkards."

He left her to her posting with a chuckle to go back to socializing with other citizens, giving her the time to focus on what had been on her mind all day. Ekko had a lead that there would be a large Shimmer shipment being imported into the city, and he along with a few Firelights were going to intervene. She'd fought tooth and nail to be posted elsewhere so she could be close by for assistance, but of course her mother had spoiled that for her.

It wasn't until a couple hours later that she was able to head over to where the ambush had occurred. And she wasn't exactly supposed to be there. She slipped on deck when other enforcers were preoccupied so she could get a look at the destruction left behind. She snapped pictures of what could be seen as evidence as she looked around and at the shipping manifest.

The large bullet shells on the ground and the holes on the ship caught her attention, knowing only one person who used a minigun. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at the thought of the blue-haired girl, not even wanting to think the name she now went by. She forced herself to focus on why she was here, and not on the past. She followed the movement of the bullets, recreating her ghost from the past's movements, until she spotted blood near the crystals she knew to be caused by the Firelights.

She lifted a broken piece of wood to find the trail leading further onto the ship, where there was an open hatch with familiar artwork spray painted on it, not that she needed any further proof of who caused most of the wreckage on the ship. Cait snapped a picture of it just in case and proceeded to jump down to the lower deck that the hatch led to, using her flashlight to help her see better in the darkness. The light shone on a large man with tattoos covering his body, hidden in a small storage compartment.

"You're from the Undercity," Caitlyn stated as she pushed the metal grate aside that he had been using to hide. She hopped down to join him, immediately noticing that he was injured.

"I didn't do anything," he said defensively. "She's crazy."

"Easy," she said as she grabbed a cloth out of one of her pockets to apply pressure to his wound.

"She shot me."

"Who shot you? Who were you working for?" She questioned, already knowing the answer, but hoping for a confession so she had proof to bring to the sheriff.

"I can't. He'll kill me," he groaned.

"Who?" She pushed, watching as his eyes shifted around doubtfully, as if he wanted to tell her. She knew she could get him to talk if she could guarantee protection from Silco, so she tried again. "I can protect you."

"Caitlyn Kiramman," a familiar voice spoke from behind her. "Why does that not surprise me? Interfering in an investigation again."

She turned around to see Sheriff Marcus and another enforcer. She internally groaned knowing he was going to stop the progress she was making. She didn't like the new sheriff. He didn't run things nearly as well as Sheriff Grayson had, and she had her suspicions of him, but no solid proof. Too many of these Shimmer busts led them nowhere, the investigations being closed too quickly to be a coincidence. The problem was only getting progressively worse and no action was being taken under his authority.

"You're supposed to be guarding your mother's tent."

"I was, Sheriff, but she doesn't need it," she explained, hoping he'd let her help considering she was the one who just found the only witness left to what had happened earlier. "And clearly, this takes priority."

"I realize you're used to getting your way, Kiramman, but we have a chain of command for a reason," he patronized. Did she mention that she didn't like him? Because she really didn't.

"I understand, but there's more going on here than just the smuggling," she argued as politely as she could. "If I could just question him I could–"

"I'll take it from here," the Sheriff interrupted gruffly. "Since you're looking for more work you can take the graveyard shift tonight at the fair."

"Yes, sir," she conceded with a sigh.

"Good," he said as he turned on his heel. He addressed the officer that had accompanied him. "I want this one on a boat to Stillwater Prison."

He left without another word, leaving her no choice but to follow orders. The enforcer that had been accompanying Marcus immediately took the man she had been questioning. She hadn't missed the flash of fear in the man's eyes when the Sheriff had made his appearance, making Caitlyn question further if he was one of the enforcer's on Silco's payroll. If so, it would make things infinitely harder for her, but one thing she knew for certain was that if her gut was right, she would stop at nothing to expose him for the havoc he had caused.

Caitlyn had hoped she would be able to go to the Undercity to speak with Ekko about what had happened earlier that day with the shipment, but she already had a feeling she knew exactly what had gone down, and she feared another discussion about if the girl they once knew was too far gone to be saved. Ekko had already given up on her, but she knew that if Vi were here she would be holding onto hope that the once sweet girl was still in there, so Cait held onto her hope as well. But she wasn't able to talk to Ekko to hear every detail that had happened that afternoon since she was on the graveyard shift with four other enforcers who loved to throw her upbringing in her face.

"That it, then? I thought the Talis boy was some kind of genius," the duty captain said as they began their shift fair, sitting on the stairs with a cigar and three other enforcers. Caitlyn seemed to be the only one actually on guard while the others chit chatted. "Last year didn't he launch a blimp halfway across the continent?"

"Airship, actually," Caitlyn piped up. "An airship has a rigid metal hull. It's not a blimp."

"It's a balloon, ain't it?" He snarked back.

"Sure as hell looks that way," the other female officer agreed, a cigar also dangling from her fingers.

"Pardon us if we aren't quite so refined as you, milady," the duty captain said condescendingly.

"What are you even doing here, Kiramman?" the woman questioned. "Don't you have a cocktail party to attend?"

The group burst out into laughter, and Cait grimaced before turning back to her post. As she looked back into the distance she noticed an orange glow coming from one of the buildings. A glow that she immediately recognized as flames.

"Fire," Caitlyn gasped quietly, her eyes widening in surprise. She spoke louder to get the others' attention away from poking fun at her to the danger ahead. "Fire!"

She ran towards the flames, hearing footsteps following behind her, surprised that they actually listened and sprung to action. She shouted out orders, seeming to be the only one to have a clear head to handle the situation. Caitlyn could feel the heat of the flames warming her skin, and knew that if they didn't act quickly this building would soon be completely engulfed in them.

Grabbing a fire extinguisher that had been on a nearby wall to the right of the building that was in flames, she set to work trying to put out the flames outside of the building, while three of the enforcers entered the building after hearing a voice coming from inside that sounded like a child. Two more enforcers joined her to assist with putting out the fire, but as the flames died down outside she caught sight of something that made her stomach twist with fear, causing her to drop the extinguisher in her hands.

The familiar drawing she had seen on the ship earlier, the same drawing she had seen many times before in her life. It had once brought fond memories, but now it was always linked to death. It felt as though the neon spray paint was taunting her, telling her that she was utterly helpless in what was about to come.

"Get out. Now!" Caitlyn shouted, but it was far too late.

Not even a second later the building exploded, bricks and debris shooting out at her and the two other enforcers. She was flown back from the impact, screaming out in pain as her body hit the hard ground, rolling across the concrete from the momentum of the blow.

Caitlyn grunted, trying to get her bearings. Her vision was blurry as she rolled onto her stomach to try to get up, but her body was in too weak of a state for her to get to her feet. She looked out into the distance and saw a lanky, blue-haired girl with a backpack climbing the stairs to another building. The last thing Caitlyn saw before her body succumbed to the physical trauma she had endured, was the nefarious grin of a girl she no longer recognized.

Her injuries from the accident hadn't been bad other than a few cuts and bruises, as well as some soreness and a mild concussion, but she was still put on medical leave from work. That didn't stop her from continuing her investigation from home. A large map of Piltover and Zaun lay on her floor, little pins and strings connecting anything that seemed to be in correlation to Silco's plans in the Undercity.

In her room that was now full to the brim with beautiful bouquets that she couldn't care less about, sent from people who wanted to make an impression with her mother rather than actually caring about her wellbeing, she sat in front of the map while twirling her pistol around her index finger hoping that if she stared long enough at the evidence she had acquired it would give her the answers she seemed to be missing. She was beyond irritated that Marcus had put a stop to her questioning of the man she found on that ship. Caitlyn couldn't help but feel as though whatever information he had would have brought her one step closer to finally putting an end to all of this.

"Hey," Jayce's voice said behind her after a few quick knocks against her bedroom door. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had a break in the case," she said in lieu of a response to his question, standing so she could bring him over to her project.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Jayce frowned, handing her yet another bouquet of flowers.

"While the trail is hot?" She asked in exasperation, tossing the flowers impatiently onto the floor near the rest. "Listen, you know how I've suspected there is a single mind behind the Undercity's violence?"

Caitlyn hadn't told Jayce everything. She'd told him about what happened the night Vi and her friends died and that she felt like someone was responsible for everything that went wrong in the Undercity, but nothing else other than that. She hadn't told him that she still frequently went to Zaun and now knew the Undercity like the back of her hand. She hadn't told him that she knew Silco was the root of all of this or that the reason she joined the enforcers in the first place was specifically so she could take him down, as well as figure out what enforcer had allowed Silco to get away with what he had that night. And she definitely hadn't told him that the girl that was responsible for stealing his Hextech Gemstone was the sister of her deceased girlfriend. So, she had to pretend that she didn't know as much as she actually did.

"The great conspiracy,"

"I think whoever attacked the square is our suspect," she continued to explain, ignoring his sarcasm. "The same symbols showed up at the botched smuggling operation at the Hexgates."

"The Hexgates?"

"Keep up," she huffed in frustration. She knelt down by her map as she continued with her explanation. It was half the truth, but she thought that if she verbalized some of her thoughts to someone she would be able to come up with something. "All this time, they've kept their dealings localized to the Undercity. Low priority. The attack on the square changes things. They've overstepped."

Caitlyn tossed the photo she had taken the previous day of the neon graffiti on the ship onto her map. She really wasn't trying to figure out the who behind it all, other than which enforcers were in Silco's pocket, but the reason why they were suddenly deciding to expand their operation into Piltover.

"If I can figure out who made this, it could lead me directly to whoever's behind it all. The answer is here, staring me in the face. I can feel it."

She took a couple steps back until she stood on her plush step stool, hoping a higher angle would give her insight on where she should be looking next.
"How do you intend to prove any of this?" Jayce asked after she finished her tangent.

"If I can just work this out, Marcus will have to listen."

"If there's one thing I've learned about the Council, they need more than just theories."

"Since when did you concern yourself with the Council's opinion?" Caitlyn teased.

"Since I… became a Councilor," he confessed.

She chuckled, but upon seeing the serious expression on his face she realized that it wasn't a joke. It wasn't her concussion playing tricks on her. Her best friend, with whom she had grown up poking fun at the Council, was now a member himself.

"You're serious. When? Why?" She questioned. "Have they discovered how to govern with grease and a spanner?"

"Ha ha. I was actually hoping you might consider joining my staff," he said instead of answering her question as he handed her a scroll. She took it out of his hand and quickly opened it to see what exactly he was propositioning.

"'House Talis Security,'" she read aloud, but as she read on she got increasingly more frustrated. Jayce had known her practically her whole life and knew that this type of job description wasn't anything she had ever wanted for herself. "That's a ceremonial position. I'd live behind a desk."

"You almost died, Cait," he sighed. " I just… I just want you to be safe."

"Thanks, but I already have a job," she said as she thrust the scroll back into his hands. She got off her step stool to continue to look over her work.

"No. You don't," he said. "After the attack your parents spoke to the Sheriff. This is the best I could do."

"I don't need charity, Councilor. Yours or my parents'," Caitlyn snapped. She could feel tears of anger starting to well in her eyes. This would put a halt to all the progress she had made. All the years of work she had put into the force to have the resources she needed to finish this, all gone because her parents didn't know how to treat her like an adult.

"Cait."

"Get out," she ordered, not wanting him anywhere near her right now.

As well as Jayce knew her, sometimes he was extremely dense. How could he think that offering her a position like that would actually make her happy? He knew that she had always wanted to see the world that her mother never allowed her to experience, which was why she had wanted to become an enforcer when she was younger. Even though the real world had caused her so much pain, it had also brought her love and friendship, and she never would have experienced that if she had stayed Topside schmoozing with all the elites of the city. Not for the first time she felt as though nobody truly knew her at all.

As she listened to her friend's retreating footsteps in the hallways of the Kiramman Estate, her eyes landed on a spot in the map that triggered an idea. Stillwater Hold. Where Marcus had ordered that enforcer to bring the man who worked for Silco. She didn't need the resources of the enforcers to get the answers she needed, just the uniform. She was a Kiramman afterall, and if her mother had taught her one thing, it was being able to talk her way into getting what she needed.

With that idea in mind, she changed quickly into her now retired enforcer's uniform, gathering her leatherbound notebook that held the evidence she had acquired, and found herself running through Piltover to hop on a boat that would bring her to Stillwater Prison. It was dark outside by the time the boat docked near the dreary building, a chill running down Caitlyn's spine at the sight. She knew the people here were considered criminals, but she questioned what kind of reform could happen in a building that instilled fear rather than the hope that they could lead better lives.

As she climbed up the steps and through the large double doors, she felt as though this moment would change the course of her life, she just didn't know how. She would either find the answers and proof she was seeking, or she would leave with nothing. If she left with nothing, Caitlyn really didn't know where she would go from there. She'd refused to take the job Jayce had offered her, and she had no intentions of changing her mind, but if she left there empty-handed she felt as though she would no longer have a purpose. The past seven years she had done everything she could in honor of Vi, and the thought of letting her lost love down made her sick to her stomach. Shaking herself out of those thoughts, she mustered up a confidence she wasn't entirely sure she actually possessed and approached the enforcer behind the front desk of the prison.

"I need to speak with one of the inmates," Caitlyn informed him, getting right down to business. The warden was at least three times her size, and could very easily kick her out of here and send her on her way, but she outwardly kept her cool even though her nerves were eating her alive.

"Oh, folks in here aren't usually very talkative," he replied in a gruff voice, but he didn't seem unfriendly.

"This one was hit by friendly fire. He's got reason to talk," she explained, hoping he would just lead her to the inmate without further argument. "Must have been sent in today?"

"Oh. Inmate 2135," he said as he looked at what she assumed was a list of inmates. "Yeah, I'm, uh, afraid that's not possible."

"Why not?"

"Uh, well, there's been… an incident," he answered vaguely.

"What kind of incident?" She questioned, scared that the person she needed to speak to wound up dead in a prison brawl.

"The… not so pretty kind."

"You don't understand," she pleaded, hoping the guard would be able to give her something useful. "I have to talk to him."

"Oh, you'll be able to," he chuckled, somehow finding humor in a very unfunny situation. "As soon as he can move his jaw again."

"Who assaulted him?"

"Inmate 516. Don't know much about them or why they're here, really. But clearly they had some unfinished business with 2135."

"Well, can I speak to them instead?" She asked. Maybe if she couldn't get answers from the tattooed man she had found on the ship, she'd at least be able to get something out of this mysterious inmate who clearly had a knack for violence.

"Help yourself, but don't expect much," he agreed to her request. "Elevator is down the hall. They're held on the 40th floor."

"Thank you," she said sincerely, gaining a little bit of hope that she may not have come to this wretched place for no reason.

As soon as she was out of his sight, she raced to the elevator and selected the floor he'd told her to go. She anxiously watched the floor levels tick by, clutching her notebook to her chest for some sort of comfort and protection. When the elevator dinged, indicating she had reached her desired destination, she heard the loud thumping that she could only assume were fists landing punches on a hard surface. Peering into the other empty cells in the hallway she noticed that they had absolutely nothing inside, so she could only assume whoever was throwing punches were hitting the wall. She grimaced at the thought of how painful it must be for their knuckles to be connecting with the concrete.

As Caitlyn descended down the halls of Stillwater to meet with the prisoner who caused her only lead to have their jaw wired shut, she didn't really know what to expect. She imagined a myriad of burly, lumbering men to be the ones pounding against the concrete wall, but the last thing she expected was to see the first and only person she has ever loved. It felt as though all the air was sucked out of her lungs, incapable of drawing a single breath as she caught sight of pink hair and an athletic build she now only ever saw in her dreams. Looking the same yet so different at the same time. Pink hair was grown out a little longer, obviously taller but still not quite reaching Cait's height, mechanical looking tattoos covering defined muscles on her arms and back, and the all too familiar wraps covering the bloodied fists that were hammering away at the wall.

Caitlyn had imagined what she would say if she ever had the opportunity to speak to her first love again a million times, but now given the chance, words completely failed her. How could she capture seven years of longing and love into the right words? It simply wasn't possible. The only thing she was able to say was the name that had kept her heart beating all these years, the name that gave her a purpose and the will to keep going when she had wanted to give up on everything.

"Violet?"

A/N: dun dun dunnnnn... how do y'all think Vi is going to react to lil sweet enforcer Cupcake popping up at Stillwater? Stay tuned for more in our next episode airing... I don't really know when but hopefully very soon heheh ;'D