9:00 a.m.
Nine in the morning. The city of Piltover is just beginning to wake up, in complete silence for once in a long time. The Loose Cannon's disappearance has given the city a much needed rest without the sounds of maniacal laughter that would instill fear into their minds as they slept, turning their dreams into nightmares, or the sound of explosions that would rattle and shake buildings so violently they would wake up screaming. No, for once, they awoke to the sounds of alarms, birds chirping, and annoying little siblings and children. Like a normal family should. Over at the station, the Defender has just walked in, groggily and wiping his eyes. The Sheriff is there to greet him.
"Good morning, Defender."
"Morning Caitlyn
Caitlyn got a little annoyed, *AHEM*
Jayce's eyes shot open and he straightened his posture, "Morning, Sheriff!"
Caitlyn smiled, "That's more like it. Now, first things first, I have given Vi the option of coming into work today so she has the chance to visit Ahri in the ICU at the Piltover Hospital while WE *Caitlyn points at her and him* think of where to break the news to her."
Jayce's face was one of confusion, "Break the news? What's that me-" He quickly remembered the night before. He let out a loud groan and put both hands on his face.
"Don't you dare groan at me, Jayce. This is the mess you created-" The sheriff paused before changing her statement, "-actually, this is a mess that you INVOLVED yourself in. It is time to do damage control before the damage scales past our capabilities of containment"
Jayce squeezed the bridge of his nose, after a long night and little sleep, he wasn't ready to hear Caitlyn's form of beratement; big words, long sentences, confusing you to the point where you just agree and not say a word.
"If I recall, we shook hands last night, and you said you were involved in this along with me, Sheriff…" Jayce gave a smirk. Caitlyn turned away and shuffled one of her feet. "I do not seem to recall that, hmm…"
Jayce nervously laughed, "Come on, not gonna leave me to handle this by myself, right? It's on the cameras you know, we shook hands, don't back out out. I can't do this alone!" Caitlyn turned her head just enough to look at him with one eye.
"On the cameras? Are you sure?" Jayce's eyes widened. "No..NO, NO, CAITLYN , YOU DID NOT ERASE THE FOOTAGE" Caitlyn smiled, "I'm just the Sheriff, the techy stuff is your department..must have spilled coffee on the systems last night when you were so busy staying up with your Viktor documents.." She turned and headed to her office.
Jayce stared into space for a moment before walking to the lobby couch and plopping himself down. "That sneaky little witch..*sigh* Oh well, she is right, it's my mess, and I knew that when I made that decision." He thought about Ahri for a moment, how close she was , or she seemed, to not being able to recover from whatever went on when she connected with Jinx. He remembered that whole night..
*Flashback to Jayce's arrival at hospital*
Jayce rushed into the ER holding Ahri in his arms, trying not to step on her tails. As he came through the door, people in the waiting room saw who he was holding, and chatter could immediately be heard..
"Oh my god, is that the Nine Tailed fox?"
"Yea, it is! Holy crap, that's Ahri! Why is she here, whats wrong with her?
"That's the Defender carrying her! This had to have been that damn blue haired witch again.."
"You think Jinx did this?"
"What other explanation could there be for this?"
Drowning them out, Jayce rushed past the front desk, much to the nurse's displeasure and words against it, and down the hall to any doctor he could find. Soraka close behind him.
"Defender, stop. Running throughout the hospital without a sense of direction will not help!"
"Then the hell are we supposed to do, Soraka? PLEASE, SOMEONE, THIS WOMAN NEEDS IMMEDIATELY MEDICAL ATTENTION!" Jayce screamed throughout the hospital. Several doctors came rushing up to respond to the plea, and noticed who it was.
One doctor spoke up, "Defender? Is that the Star Child, and the Nine Tailed Fox herself, what is going on here?"
The flame on the last of Ahri's tails began to flicker. Jayce was losing patience, "I'll explain it later, but damn it, right now, my friend here has severe internal damage, and requires immediate attention!"
The doctor stuttered, and couldn't find any words. He just sighed and accepted his words. "I have no reason to distrust the Defender along with the Star Child, please, this way to ICU, we'll start some examinations on your friend.."
Soraka spoke up, "I must come too. There is more damage to this one then your human technology will be able to heal." The doctor did not question it, "Very well, come, come."
Jayce hurried with Ahri in his arms up to the ICU on the second floor. The others took the elevator, but Jayce wanted to hurry so he took the stairs, careful balancing Ahri in his arms as not to rock her around. Her breathing was shallow and she had not moved since collapsing in the cell. Jayce held her head close to his chest, "Don't worry beautiful, you'll be trading fastballs with Syndra on the Rift soon enough…"
*Jayce snapped back to reality*
Vi is there with her, huh?, thought Jayce. He got up, and found the first officer he could in the building. "Officer, state your name and rank." The officer complied immediately with a salute, "Officer Jayce, name is Officer Campbell. I'm just a desk officer." Jayce smiled, "I knew that already, making sure you knew that. Don't ever think of yourself as just a desk jockie, everyone here puts their life on the line when they step into this building in this city knowing about it's greatest terrorist threat."
The officer smiled, "Thank you sir!" Jayced saluted back, and continued to speak, "Now, I need a favor. I'll be going out. If the Sheriff asks, you , specifically, be sure to tell her that I have gone out to see Vi and Ahri at the hospital. My wish is for her to not to follow me, and to remain here to keep this place safe."
The officer nodded his head, and asked "Sir, if I may inquire. Why specifically me?" Jayce laughed and patted the officer on the back. "You aren't just a simply desk jockie now, are ya?" He gave him a wink, and turned away. He grabbed his coat off the rack in the lobby, and his keys in his pocket. He headed out the door.
Officer Campbell stood there for a moment, smiled, and turned back to his desk to continue his work. In the next minute, he turned to see and hear Jayce's ride start up and haul ass out of the parking lot. Always has to show off that damn engine, haha. The officer turned around back to his work, and was greeted by long luscious legs covered by a purple skirt with a white frill, sitting up on his desk, and a familiar cold feeling as he knew it was from the piercing glare of the Sheriff. He took a deep breath, and looked up to meet the glare, and immediately wished he hadn't.
"Where is the Defender going right now, Officer Campbell? He just arrived, and I turn away from ten minutes and he's screeching out of our parking lot like there's an attractive woman's kitten stuck in a tree somewhere." Caitlyn inquired. The officer stood up and saluted the Sheriff.
"Ma'am, I was instructed by Defender Jayce to inform you that he is on his way to visit Vi and Ahri at the Piltover Hospital and he wishes for you not to follow him, stating that he would like for you to stay here and watch over the building and keep it safe, ma'am!" The officer said in one breath, holding his salute as he stared into the gaze of the Sheriff.
Caitlyn took a deep breath, and went back to her office. The other officers could hear drawers openeing, some papers ruffling..and then silence…..
After a few seconds, drawers could be heard SLAMMING into the ground, and objects being flung around the room. "WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY?"
Caitlyn came charging out of her office, and checked the deposit boxes each officer is assigned on duty in the lobby. "That bastard..took my KEYS!" The officers in the lobby looked at each other in confusion. Caitlyn turned to Officer Campbell, "Officer, hand me your keys. I'm commandeering your vehicle for a personal assignment."
The officer fished out his keys, but first asked "Ma'am, you are the Sheriff, but this is my car, so I deserve to know, why must you take it?" Caitlyn calmed herself, and held out her hand to receive the keys. "Because the Defender might be going to get himself killed, and I am going to stop him, bring him back here safely, and then possibly kill him myself.." She said with a smile. The officer was now a little terrified, and dropped his keys into her hand.
"Thank you, I promise I shall bring it back undamaged. Which one is it?" The officer pointed at the dark green car in the northernmost corner of the lot. "I see. Everyone continue your work. If Jayce, Vi or myself are not back by 5 p.m., feel free to start rotating for break. Keep your radios on at all times, because remember-" Her statement was finished for her as every officer stood up and saluted "-we are the protection of Piltover, night and day, ma'am!" Caitlyn smiled and gave a little chuckle, "Who needs children when I have you clowns. Now, back to work!" With that, she went out the front door.
At the hospital, Jayce had already arrived and was seated next to Vi in Ahri's hospital room. Ahri had undergone immediate surgery to fix the several fractures she had sustained. On top of that, her throat had almost been crushed, her nose was broken, and a severe concussion. Soraka was next to the bed, and had been there all night, quietly chanting and doing what she does best, healing people. Vi had been awake all night, watching Ahri, making sure nothing went wrong. Not like she'd be able to do anything if it did, but she felt obligated.
10:30 a.m.
"Vi you should really get some sleep" Jayce said. Vi gave a chuckle.
"I've been blown up, beaten, and had a building dropped on me before. You think losing a bit of sleep is gonna hurt me? I used to be awake all night, chasing Jinx around this city. I wouldn't sleep, I'd just...chase. Like my body was on autopilot. I don't even remember most of the nights I was out, but I kept getting so much deja vu. I was as much of a robot as…"
Jayce tried to continue her thoughts, "Blitzcrank?" Vi replied, "No..Jinx." Jayce raised an eyebrow, "Jinx?" Vi looked at him, "Think about it. Every day, almost the same exact time, she gets up, gets ready, comes out, and just blows stuff up, laughs, taunts. Does that for hours..has been for two whole years. Nothing's changed. It's a routine for her." Jayce understood what she meant, "What if..she broke that routine?" It was Vi's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about, Dickbag?" Jayce laughed, "Glad to see you're feeling better at least. I mean, what if she broke that routine? Did something so..out of her nature, that you had to just sit and think for a moment, if the person you're looking at before you, is the same person you thought you've known for the last two years?.." Vi stared at the ground for a moment, and sighed.
"Whatever the case is, the crimes she's committed, she can become the Saint of Tomorrow for all I give a shit. She has to pay for what she's done to this city, these people.." Jayce interrupted , " These people, or you, Vi?" Vi quickly jerked her head up and glared at the Defender. "Excuse me?!" Jayce continued, "When you go out rampaging after her, you cause just as much damage, and put just as many people in harm's way as she does. You ignore everyone else, and just focus on Jinx. She has made her life personal for you, and you have done the same for her."
Vi got up and squatted in front of Jayce, Jayce stayed sitting, leaning his elbows on his knees with his back hunched over, stared eye to eye with the Enforcer. "The difference is, I haven't KILLED anyone. What the hell gives you the right to accuse me of not giving a damn about this city, when I put my life on the life every single day and night while you and Caitlyn sit at your desks or in the back line firing away potshots like blindfolded monkeys with their hands up their asses. I know damn well how capable you and she are when it comes to firing a gun. Neither of you try to hit her, you try to graze her legs, or her arms. Both of you bullshit your way during these fights, I'm not stupid. If either of you committed-" Jayced narrowed his eyes , and interrupted her again "-committed to what? Killing her?" Vi held a breath for a moment. Jayce stood up and slowly paced around.
"You're right. If we wanted too, we could've ended this from day one. Caitlyn could've put a bullet between her eyes, or i could've blown her up with my Mercury Gun. You're absolutely right, Vi. But I know for a fact, that you could have easily crushed her underneath your gauntlets, at least thrice. So you cannot bullshit us either. The reason she keeps evading and dodging us for so long, is that we're allowing her too. As much as we want to bring her in, we want to bring her in alive, and healthy, not in a body bag riddled with holes or in pieces. That's who we are, Vi. We don't want to kill her."
"But it's coming to that.." That caught Jayce off guard and he looked over at Vi, who was know sitting in the seat with her head down. "It's going to happen. One day. It's all coming to that fateful end. This can't keep going on forever. She could've killed all of us, everyone in this city by now if she wanted, same as us. We're playing an endless level in her sick game, until one of us pulls the trigger. Either she kills us, or we kill her. She's already killed four people in this city. She told us that night, that she was capable of doing it if she had too."
Jayce remembers that night. Eyewitnesses saw the whole thing. Vi and Caitlyn had gotten the one up on Jinx, Caitlyn had sniped Jinx in the hand, she dropped her rocket launcher, and Vi caught up with Jinx shortly after, ripping the minigun and grenade belt off of her and pinning her to the ground. Jinx squirreled her way out, kicking Vi in the head with a free leg, and ran down an alley way. She was about to get away but..four bystanders, civilians, innocents..stood in front of her. It was said that they were shaking..one of them almost crying..in fear probably. They were holding various objects, one a wrench, a baseball bat, a pipe, and the other a simple brick. They tried stopping her in that alleyway, and they died for it. Jinx still had Zap!. She fired on all four, laughing maniacally. They had found them convulsing,but during all the pain..they managed to hold hands..for hope that they'd make it out, that they'd be ok. .They died two hours after that, at the hospital. The shot from Zap! has caused two of them to seize out, and the other two just shut down completely. Some speculate Jinx didn't mean to kill them, if she wanted them dead, she would've just amped the charge on Zap! high enough to kill them then and there, not leave them suffering. It's funny..some out there actually think Jinx isn't a completely heartless monster…
Jayce got lost in his thoughts again. Looks like I screwed myself out of a happy mood Vi..oh well, I got this coming to me anyway.
"Vi, there's something I have to show you. It's related to Jinx, it's some kind of new weapon she's been working on." Vi perked up and looked at Jayce. "New weapon? How'd you find out about it?" Jayce stuttered a moment, "I-I read about in some of the eyewitness statements from when Jinx was looting stores earlier this month. I think I know where she's stashing it, but it's a hunch. Come on, I'll buy you breakfast, and some coffee to wake ya up, my treat."
Vi got up, yawned, and stretched. "Ight then, better be worth my time. Much rather stay here and watch over Ahri. As for breakfast, phew, get ready to spend your paycheck, I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." Jayce thought to himself, God, I'm gonna lose a lot more than my paycheck from this. Vi walked over to Ahri and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Despite teh bandanging, tourniquets, tubes and machines surrounding Ahri after her surgery, the forehead was really the only...appropriate spot left open. Ahri's tails , despite being drained and droopy, had curled around Ahri; almost like they were still trying to protect her. "I'll be back soon, sexy, don't worry" Vi gave a smirk.
Jayce couldn't help but giggle stupidly, Vi turned and was blushing a little, "Shut up Dickbag, she likes to be called sexy." Jayce replied, "Oh trust me, I know, how else do you think I keep winning lane against her, hahaha." Vi busted out laughing, "That's so damn low for you Defender! But I have to try that next time, I'll come barreling into lane and just shout, HEY SEXY!" Now Jayce was the one laughing out loud. They had forgotten Soraka was still in the room. They soon realized this after she had thrown her staff and cracked Jayce in the head with it, and glared at both of them to leave the room, for they were interrupting her concentration.