CHAPTER 3:5

Jayce sighed as the line went dead.

"Caitlyn..." he whispered and clenched his fists. I should go to you right away but I can't. I've waited far too long for this moment and even though you sound like you're forgiving me for it, I know how much it will hurt you if Piltover forces me into exile. I'm sorry, I just can't.

"Jayce? Everything alright?"

Her voice woke him from his reverie. Jayce whipped around and faked a smile over his otherwise stiff expression. "Yeah, she was just wondering if I'd seen you around," he lied and put the earphone on the desk behind his back.

Vi crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. "And?" she wondered. "How did you reply?"

She sounds worried. "That I hadn't seen you in a while," he answered. "Was it the correct thing to say?"

"Yes." She exhaled in relief. "She would've freaked out if she knew I was here."

There was an unsaid "with you" in her sentence that both of them noticed but tried to ignore, and again it became awkwardly uncomfortable for the two. Jayce scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze from hers. He didn't want to encourage any further contact with Vi and wished intensely that Claire had something else to announce. Only, the AI stayed silent for once.

Could things get any more tricky? Jayce sighed again and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. I should leave now.

"So..." he started and swiftly moved past her towards the hallway. "Unfortunately enough, I have somewhere to go now."

"Oh, where are you heading?" she asked immediately.

Damn, the question I really didn't want to have to answer. "Well... on a boring energy convention," he answered enigmatically in an attempt to make her lose interest. "Nothing special, really, but I'll be gone for a while."

Jayce reached for a pair of shoes and his jacket and quickly dressed. There was still a lot of time left for the train to depart, but he didn't want to be tempted to turn back on his mission now. Caitlyn's voice had been as ever the perfectly composed voice of a police officer, but it had also contained signs of anxiousness and frustration. He really did want to give her a chance to explain her problem face to face, but then again he was reminded with what brute resolution she had denied his request for help. He had promised himself not to come crawling back to her like some puppy and it was an oath he intended to keep.

"No, but seriously. Where are you going?"

Jayce stiffened. "What's it to you?" he asked suspiciously. "You're not going to tell Caitlyn, right?" Not like she doesn't already know.

"Perhaps," said Vi and shrugged. "Depends on where you're off."

He hesitated before answering. Is it anything she can do or say that might hinder me? I guess not. "Zaun," he finally replied.

"I'm going there as well!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Did you also plan on taking the metal can in an hour?"

Jayce grimaced inwardly. This is definitely not my day. Damn, he thought bitterly and checked that he had his money. "Yes, but what are you going to do there?" he wondered. "And why?"

She didn't answer and Jayce chose not to pressure it out of her. It was, after all, her own choice to do what she wanted to do with her life. He wasn't more than a friend to her who could support her and advise her in making different decisions. There was nothing more to it.

Or so he hoped.

"Jayce," she suddenly said. "I'm leaving Piltover."

His eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

Vi nodded dejectedly and raised her gaze from the floor. Their eyes met and the truth was revealed in plain sight. He saw how scared she was and felt like someone had knocked the breath out of him. There was something nakedly sincere in her terrified expression, something so incredibly out of order and wrong that he felt a fear of his own rising ever so slowly. Her soft, blue eyes were bloodshot and she started speaking.

"I can't remain here," she replied quietly. "I told you about my... her. She has not chosen Piltover to stay in only because it's a beautiful city – she's here for me."

Jayce frowned and grabbed Vi by her shoulders. "What are you talking about? What's the problem with that? She might have a couple of screws loose but she's nonetheless your sister. You're family. How can you be so cold-hearted?"

"Do you think it's as simple as that?" she angrily snapped and shoved him away. "It's never that fucking easy in life. Or haven't you been taught enough by Caitlyn?"

"Hey-" started Jayce but she cut him off in an instant.

"If it was that fucking easy, I'd have accepted it long time ago," she replied angrily. "But it's not. So don't you come and say what I should do and not do. You are definitely not in any position to pity me."

He sighed heavily. I guess not. "I'm sorry, okay?" Jayce resignedly held up his hands and backed away. "I won't ask anything or interfere in your businesses ever again. It's our own choices and lives." He averted his gaze. "It's just that I want to help you," he quickly added.

"Why?" she demanded to know in a low voice. "Why should you care?"

"Because I am your friend!" he exclaimed and groaned in frustration. "Vi, this is what friends do for each other. I just want you to be happy."

"And why is that your responsibility?" Her voice was wavering slightly, almost like she was close to breaking up in tears, but her face was determined and there were no signs of an inner struggle. Jayce had never even seen her sad, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was disinclined to be hurt emotionally. It was just so... different from who he knew Vi to be. She had always been the funny and friendly – but extremely rough – person, never hesitating from cracking an inappropriate joke at the worst of times. He couldn't possibly imagine how depressed Caitlyn would've been without Vi – and maybe he himself as well.

Vi... "Because I care for you," he answered and swallowed. "You... you and Caitlyn are practically my only two friends. My best friends. I only have you... and Claire."

"Thanks, Jayce. It warms my non-existent heart. Not," the AI sardonically said.

He smiled. "No problem," he replied and carefully approached Vi. The pink-haired woman was staring holes into the ground, her fists clenched by her sides, and breathing loudly. Jayce put his hands on her shoulders again, but this time as gently as he could. "Hey," he said.

Vi ignored him and he tried again. "Hey, Vi, look at me."

She slowly raised her chin and their eyes locked. He gave her a reassuring smile and straightened. "Everything will be alright." Jayce let go of her and backed away. "I know you'll make this perfectly fine on your own, but please let me help you."

She furrowed her brows. "How?" she inquired. "I'm going to get drunk and beat up annoying people. You don't need to help me with that."

Jayce burst out laughing, which eliminated the sorrowful mood. "I wasn't talking about that, even though you might need someone to help you to and from the bars and the clubs." He paused before continuing. "I was anyways thinking the same. I have someone to... meet."

"Aha?" The corner of her lips started to inch upwards. "You? Have some dirty business to attend?"

He shook his head and smiled. "It's not like that," he replied and his smile faded away. "It's an old friend of mine. He has something that belongs to me."

"And you are going to make him pay for stealing it?" Vi grinned, every trace of her earlier sadness as gone as it had never been there. "Can you fight?" she asked and stifled a laughter.

"Exactly my thought."

Jayce rolled with his eyes. "You two," he said warningly but smiled, taking off the edge of his words. "I was enrolled into the military in Demacia once," he explained to Vi. "I am originally from there and learned a thing or two about fighting and weaponry."

"Fighting you say..."

He couldn't even see the quick movement of her arm, but suddenly her knuckles were brushing the vulnerable skin of his throat.

"Would this be someone else but me," Vi said gravely, "you would be dead by now. Hitting someone there with force will break your neck in the most swift way. You'd not even be able to squeal."

Wow... Jayce swallowed. "Where did you learn that?" he wondered and tried to calm his racing heart. His lungs were working hard as well. "Don't you do that ever again. I'm feeling like I'm going to faint in any moment now."

"I don't know..." She said and lowered her fist. "It's just a thing from the street I guess. Experience and stuff, you know."

Jayce grimaced. "Please. Never again," he pleaded. "The Demacian military is nothing compared to you. I'd rather stay there my whole life than to even have a week of exercising with you as my personal trainer."

"Don't worry," said Vi and suddenly grinned. "I'm not interested."

"Then we're two," he replied dryly and received a hard hit on his shoulder. "Ouch?"

She shrugged. "So you want me to help you to help me?" she asked. "Wait, did I get that right?"

"Yeah, quite accurate," he answered and nodded. "Since you are free and going there anyways, why not? It'll be easier with a friend."

"Hmm..."

Vi moved past him and reached for something in the corner. It was too late before he realized that she was picking up the heavy hammer and weighing it in her one hand. Jayce gave himself a mental slap. "Hey, be careful with that," he said.

"You are going to swing this bad boy?" Vi smiled. "I didn't know you could actually make weapons. How does it work?"

Jayce took it out of her hand and lowered it gently into a black case by the shoe rack. "Well," he said irritably, "it's not something I prefer to do but I know a couple of things or two. As you can surely regard, it's not exactly an ordinary hammer; it has an extremely powerful energy source and will hopefully work in its later stage."

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

He closed the case and hung it over his shoulder. "It's not complete yet. I've been thinking about making a transforming weapon, so I could use it both in melee and at range. Don't you think that would be innovative? I'd always have the upper hand in a fight."

"It sounds like you're going to some lecture and brag about it." She huffed. "You don't need range if you have enough power. You see me running away from trouble? No, I take it as it comes. You should as well."

"It's not like that," he quickly parried and opened the door. "But I guess you wouldn't understand. Do you even know how techmaturgy works?"

"Don't cocky on me, handsome," she replied moodily, making him laugh. "Not funny! Who do you think manages my gauntlets?"

"Some poor bastard you've scared into obedience?"

He avoided her hit and smiled widely. "Take it easy, it was only a joke."

Vi crossed her arms. "Whatever. It's me."

"Impressive," he admitted and raised his eyebrows. Jayce hadn't thought about who cared for Vi's gigantic metal-made fists that suited as her weapons. But it was quite obvious when he thought about it. "So what do you say? You going to help me to help you?" he wondered

No professional weapon techmaturgician would leave his or her work that unrefined and brute in its design. I would for an example, try to make them more versatile. Jayce turned his head towards his apartment to leave a few instructions for Claire while waiting to hear Vi's answer.

"I'll leave now, Claire," he called. "Don't forget to lock the doors and windows. Stay on your lowest performance but update the security system every morning and evening. Don't let anyone in and cut the phone lines."

"Stop being so worried; I'm not a kid," replied the AI sarcastically. "Is there something else my master would have me do?"

"Back to normal I see," he said with a sincere smile. "Glad to hear. You are really poor at being cuddly."

"Correct. Goodbye, Jayce. I wish you luck."

"Likewise."

He closed the door and waited until he heard the lock turn before facing Vi. She was walking back and forward with her gaze fixed into the ceiling. "You done with the thinking?" he asked teasingly.

"Pretty much, yeah," she replied and stopped in her tracks. "I'll help you."