Please leave me a review and let me know how you liked the chapter! I tested out a way of writing out a back and forth conversation between two people. A conversation that is supposed to just be a quick back and forth of words/information with minimal facial expressions. Like interrogation almost, that's why in the beginning it is structured the way it is. Let me know how you like it. Once again, please leave me a review and let me know how you like it, your guys' opinions are what keep me wanting to make more chapters, I like my story, but I also want to know if others are too!:D Let your voice be heard!
P.S. Kind of an iffy chapter I guess? Long, but doesn't feel as good as my other ones. Stayed super late after classes already, so just wanted to make sure I got a weekly chapter in. Figured I'd focus a bit more on the characters and Zaun a little bit, while also just wrapping up the Flashback Arc! We get back to the main story next CHAPTER:D
Both women, still silent during this ride, were now covered in blood across their arms and legs from the small gashes all over their limbs from the fragments of Caitlyn's Peacemaker imploding on impact with just one of Zaun's dark creations. Somehow, the Sheriff's hat remaining on her head, through everything that had happened. This was something the Pinkette noticed. It never fell off during anything that had happened. Caitlyn noticed her staring, and it was her that broke the silence between the two.
"It is built with a band on the inside that lightly clings to my head, and automatically adjusts its grip with the slightest sign of resistance. It only comes off if I lift it straight up off my head. Now you know, now you can stop staring and answer my question. It is my turn right? That's how this works? I answer one, you answer one?" The Pinkette just blinked in awe. She continued the conversation, albeit in a more unfriendly manner.
Pinkette: Wait, so..you snoop around my city, get yourself captured, I SAVE you-
Caitlyn cuts her off: "Thank you..by the way. I do not know what would have happened if you hadn't come crashing through the ceiling like that."
Pinkette: Don't..don't do that.
Caitlyn: What?
Pinkette: I'm fucking pissed,and you're trying to make me less pissed by being nice, so I'll feel bad if I shit talk you, which I'm going to do regardless. Doesn't make the effort any less annoying.
Caitlyn: So you rather I just not thank you for saving my life, and instead treat it as like you were supposed to save me, and I deserved to be saved?
Pinkette: What?! NO! More like, you were in the wrong place, at the right fucking time. Now it's MY turn for a question. *Mockingly* That's how this works right?
The Sheriff gave a smirk, "Very well."
Pinkette: Good. Well, my question should be fairly obvious and easy to answer. *deep breath* WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING DOWN THERE? YOU REALIZE YOU ALMOST GOT US BOTH KILLED?!
Caitlyn gave an expression of embarrassment, but did her best to maintain her cold demeanor.
Caitlyn: I told you I did all of this for you, I was searching for you. You didn't stay in one spot like I told you too, so I went looking for you. Pretty self explanatory really.
A vein could almost be visibly seen on the Pinkette's forehead, through all the sweat and grime on it, along with her now dirtied pink hair.
Pinkette: Fucking damn Pilties. All cocky and arrogant, part of me thinks I should have let Warwick take a chunk out of your face before pulling you to safety.
Caitlyn: Warwick? That's the creature's name?
Pinkette: That's your turn ya know. Yea, its name is fucking Warwick. Least that is what others have said they have heard from the beast itself.
Caitlyn: I don't care about the game anymore, answer all my questions, I will answer all of yours in return.
Pinkette: *scoff* Sure-
The two women's conversation was cut short by the container they were in taking a sharp turn, followed by an abrupt stop. The Pinkette stood up, with no sign of flinching or limping from her injuries, and stepped under the remains of the door, and off the carriage onto a platform. The Sheriff followed soon after, and took a good look around. She recognized her surroundings, they were in the Marketplace. There was a tram named the Rising Howl that also went here from the lower housing complexes of Zaun. Their tram was in the farther back, down a street that was just around the corner. The Marketplace, for lack of a better name since she couldn't quite remember the name of it at that moment, was a sort of "inbetween" of the two cultures of Piltover and Zaun. It had Zaun's restaurants, and personality, but Piltover's cuisine, and architecture,and class.
It was where the high class of Zaun resided, and where the high class of Piltover came to have fun in a more..unrestricted manner compared to what was available in the city above. For the high class of Piltover, it was about as far down into Zaun as they would go,the bare minimum. Ironically the first part that is even considered Zaun was here, despite being mutually shared with Piltover. It was where the city line was for them. Taking the Rising Howl further down put you into Zaun,and taking the elevator system, at the far opposite end of the plaza, put you into Piltover.
All in between was stores and housing. People set up shop, and stalls all along and around the plaza. Zaun high class came here to live, but stay proud to be in Zaun, and high class Piltovans came here to be proud to be in Piltover, but escape the more restricted laws and regulations of Piltover. It was sort of like international waters, there were no real established laws in this small area between, but there was common sense laws. Kill someone, and you're going to pay. Cut Pursuing someone made you free to attack, but get away with it, and no matter who knew about it you were safe. Excluding your target of course.
The Pinkette continued her walk, with the Sheriff close behind her. No woman felt the need to speak. Whether it be because the Pinkette did not want to continue their conversation, or Caitlyn was still on high alert, nerves fully hardened after seeing just one of Zaun's secrets, and barely living to remember. Either way, neither women spoke, just walked until they reached the Rising Howl. It was Caitlyn's turn to speak. "Wait, you're going back down?"
The Pinkette responded, "No shit, this tram doesn't go as far as we came from. No where near as far. Just to the housing areas, and other shops and stores of Zaun. Real Zaun, not this excuse of Zaun. An area where Pilties can come and go as they please, or where the "high class" of Zaun can meander about like they're important. Important like the Pilties strive so hard to make themselves. I live down there. I have connections down there. Whether I hate the damn place or not, I ain't too fond of the City of Progress up above either. I have no where else to go, least I can freely roam down there without too much hassle. Nobody that has a life to live would bother me anyway. Plus I had some business to handle, that I was actually in the middle of until, you know-"
The Pinkette shuffled her injured shoulder in the Sheriff's direction, getting another look of slight guilt out of the indigo haired woman. The Rising Howl had arrived, a tram that was much more fancy than the small cell like structured the two women arrived in. It was at least thrice as large, and had a glass covering around the whole thing, allowing those inside to view all of Zaun as they descended or rose. On its front were sliding glass doors that opened up after docking. The two women stepped inside, with the Pinkette giving a raised eyebrow to the other. "You're coming with? After what you went through? Sometimes it's better for Pilties to stay up high. They don't ruffle their clothing, or stain their clean linen that way."
Caitlyn had mounted her rifle back on her back, noticing how lighter it was only by a little without its front barrel. She closed her eyes,and just stood there silently. Patiently waiting for the descent. "Hey, did you hear me? Nobody down there wants you there. You're only going to cause more trouble for yourself if you keep acting like a high and mighty bitch-" Caitlyn cut her off. It was her turn to let loose for a bit.
"The shit I have gone through today is more than I have ever dealt with in my life. I have taken down gangs, cults, and coups in my city. A lot of them, if not all, created and consisted of most of you fucking disgusting Zaunies. I am free to go wherever I want, and I told you twice, now thrice, I have done all this in search of you. I am not going to just simply go back now and look like a coward to someone who thinks so lowly of my city. If anything, I am staying and proving that my city isn't just full of the high class cowards and milksops. Now do me a kind favor, and stop trying to start an argy-bargy with me over your damn paddy, and remember I am the Sheriff of Piltover. I have authority where I want authority, I suggest you just accept that Pinkette. I have information you want, and you know that. Information that is worth more than a bullet wound to the shoulder, at least to you it does. "
A very noticeable accent and use of slang being used in the Sheriff's rant. The kind of accent and slang only used when the Sheriff has lost all patience and is on the verge of a meltdown. No one can blame her, after being kidnapped by a cult, chased and hunted by a creature of unknown origin or design, and her precious family rifle being very short of just a paperweight at this point. A vein could very easily be seen on the Pinkette's forehead, "You little...BALLSY..ARROGANT..HHHNNGG" The woman was visibly and audibly trying to contain the rage that had boiled up from Caitlyn's sheer display of superiority. She was not doing a good job at it. With a held breath, the Pinkette turned, and let out a shriek of anger. She drew back during,and smashed her first into the side of the tram, shattering the glass completely on that side. Caitlyn simply stood there with her eyes closed, stance firm, with authority. The large woman sitting in the back of the tram now, with a cut up fist on one arm, and a hole in her shoulder on the other, rapidly tapping her foot, mumbling to herself. "Goddamn..STUPID….fucking should have let her die down there..BITCH."
When the Rising Howl arrived, the Pinkette shot up, and stormed off the vehicle. Caitlyn, with her eyes open now, followed behind. "You say whatever you have to say to me when we get to my place, then get the fuck out of my face or I SWEAR TO THE GRAY LADY, I'M GONNA WRAP MY GAUNTLET AROUND YOUR TIGHT LITTLE FRAME AND FASTBALL YOU BACK UP TO YOUR FUCKING HOME MYSELF!" The Pinkette turned and drove her first into the side of a dumpster, denting it a good amount to the Sheriff's mild surprise. After a few minutes of walking and a few turned corners, they arrived at what appeared to be a hastily built apartment complex built into the side of one the canyon walls. The building was rusted all around, made primarily of scrap metal in most places, other places just being naturally part of the earth. It seemed to be four stories tall, some rooms with glass windows, some with just a hole where a window should be. At the front of the building was a large man, wearing a breathing apparatus that hooked into chemtubing that led into his back and sides.
The man was not physically buff, with a visible beer gut, but easily a big boned individual. Caitlyn surmised he was a doorman of sorts for the building, although she couldn't understand why. The Pinkette was greeted by him almost immediately, "Ay, there you are, missy! You haven't been back in days. Was starting to think I could move into your place finally! Haha!"
Caitlyn studied this man as he talked, he seemed lively, friendly even. At least that was until he noticed the Sheriff. With a lunge past the taller woman, he grabbed Caitlyn by her arms, pinning them to her side and spun her around. He lifted her up against the front door of the building, and gave her an angry glare, one she has seen before. One she could only return with a look of apathy as she was so used to doing back in Piltover. "Missy, are you ok!? You got a wound and this woman has a gun of sorts on her back. Is she forcing you to show her your home!? WANT ME TO DROP HER INTO THE GRAY?!" The Pinkette stopped and turned to let one eye visually rest on the Sheriff, as if she was pondering the thought of just letting this man handle her. "She is a cocky, stupid, Piltie bitch who has caused me more stress than anyone in this fucking dump of a city.."
The grip on Caitlyn tightened as the man's breathing got heavier,and shakier. He was just waiting for the right command. Caitlyn stayed calm, and met the man's gaze with her own cold one. She studied him, studied his features, what ones were shone, studied which muscles were straining as he held her. This was Caitlyn. This was the Sheriff. A hunter, breaking down her prey, their weaknesses, their strengths. This man would soon end up learning this the hard way. The Pinkette continued, "But I've earned some answers, and we're in a sort of...agreement on a trade of info. You can let her go, Gimp." The man hesistated.
"Are..are you sure? You sure we shouldn't just.." the grip on Caitlyn's left arm tightened significantly, "..cripple her a little, make sure she can't do anything?" Caitlyn tensed her body. To anyone else, she tensed up as a normal reaction of being squeezed or hurt, when in reality she was like a rifle herself now. She had cocked herself, and was ready to fire any moment. She, too, awaited the pink haired woman's response. "Do what you want, just don't kill her, or cripple her too bad. Whatever consequences happen are fully on you though, Gimp."
The man's eyes widened, "Understood, I accept that condition, I'm gonna break her arm just ot make sure she can't properly use that rifle of he-" Gimp did not get to finish his statement before Caitlyn drew her leg back, and drove it into the man's throat. She was dropped immediately as Gimp brought his hands to his throat with violent coughing and attempts to breathe. On landing, Caitlyn lunged for the man, with her hands drawn back into fists, but with her middle knuckle extended, and struck fast as a cobra. Quick, precise strikes to the man's underarms, followed by precise, but powerful elbow strikes to the sides of his thighs. It all happened in only a few seconds, but the man crumple to the ground, limp. Yet he was still conscious. "*cough* What?! I can't move..*hack* bitch!". The Sheriff straightened her posture, dusting herself off, and turned to face the Pinkette, who now had a look of bewilderment on her face. "Shall we? After you.."
The Pinkette sighed, "I don't even care anymore, I'm tired, let's just get this over with so I can fucking chug an ale and sleep." With that, the two women walked inside, up a flight of stairs to the very top. The arrived at a door, that was surprisingly familiar. It was of Piltover design, and after walking through, the apartment itself was not as dirty and run down as the rest, but easily well kept. It had decent furniture, a big T.V., and a bed with clean sheets. Compared to the rest of the area she lived, the Pinkette lived in luxury. "What is this? Why do you have such nice stuff, and everyone else doesn't?" inquired the Sheriff.
The Pinkette walked into her kitchen, again clean and tidy, grabbed a Graggy Ice from her fridge,and plopped down on her bed. She opened it up and began chugging it. "Because it is. The work I do, people like, people rewarded me for it. I didn't want this shit. YOu think I wanted even the slightest bit of Piltover shit in my room?" Caitlyn inquired further, "What 'work' do you do exactly?" The Pinkette finished her beverage, crushing the can and tossing it into a bin in the far corner. "You should know, that should be the basis for why you found out about me, right? I beat the bloody fuck out of people. Bad people. People I consider bad, and people who do bad things to innocent people.."
Caitlyn responded, "That sounds pretty vigilante to me." The Pinkette scoffed, "Not like I have a choice lately. I need information, they were part of that information. They didn't talk nicely, I forced them too. Everyone has a price right? Same goes for pain and fear. Call their bluff and crush their arm to a bloody limp in front of them, or hold them over the ledge leading into the Gray, and they will talk. Which brings us..to you." The Pinkette sat up on her bed, legs crossed, leaned against her backstop. She gave a calm pat on the other side of the pat, and gave a smirk to the Sheriff.
"I will pass." The Pinkette chuckled, "Ah..no you won't. You have seen what I can do, and I have seen what you can do, especially up close. A level of trust needs to be established if we're going to trade information here. Both of us are deadly up close. Only difference is that I don't have my gauntlets,and you don't have your rifle. So, let's get a little bit..closer. Whadda say, sexy?"
The anger, and brash attitude the taller woman displayed before seemed to have dissipated and was replaced with a much more..flirty and direct approach. This made Caitlyn uncomfortable. "I said I will pass. I will stand next to you." The Pinkette spoke up, "If you do not sit your pretty little ass on this bed next to me, I ain't going to bother to hear what you have to say,and my answer will most likely be whatever you don't want to hear." Caitlyn gave a visibly annoyed facial expression, and lowered her head, eyes being covered by the rim of her hat. She stood there for a minute, and let out a deep sigh. She raised her hands to the rim of her hat, and lifted it straight off her head, and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed. She climbed onto the queen sized bed, and sat cross legged like the other woman, almost shoulder to shoulder with her. "See? There you go..enough room for both of us…" The Pinkette raised her arm in an attempt to place it around the Sheriff's waist.
The Sheriff responded quick, the Pinkette being too relaxed not noticing until it was already too late. When she fully focused on what just happened, her wrist was being held in a twist by one of the Sheriff's arms,and the other arm had a balled fist, with a knuckle pointing out, aimed at her throat. Just like what she did to Gimp, remembered the Pinkette. Caitlyn knew she had the woman restrained, but was pondering to why she wasn't flinching at the force she was putting on the woman's wrist. The Pinkette just simply laughed, "Ok, relax now. You are probably the hottest woman I have seen or had in my bed ever, can't blame a gal for trying." Caitlyn was a bit shocked to feel the Pinkette forcefully twist her wrist back out of her grasp like it was nothing, and casually pull it away. "Now, you said you had a proposal for me of sorts, and in return for listening to it, you give me the information I'm looking for. On Edmundo, and other matters."
The Sheriff met the now serious gaze of the Pinkette, "Deal. Shall I start, or you, Pinkette?" The woman responded, "Well this is all on you! You have a proposal and information to bribe me into considering said proposal. Do not think I'm entitled or supposed to give you shit since I'm fairly sure-" The Pinkette pointed to her shoulder, which had stopped bleeding because of clotting but still looking fairly grotesque, "-I have given enough." Caitlyn scoffed with a smirk, "Goodness you're a cry baby you know that?" The Pinkette laughed, "And you're a sexy arrogant Piltie. And the name's Vi, if the obvious tattoo mark on my face did not make that clear enough for ya." The Sheriff held out her hand with a gentle smile, "Very well..Vi. My name is Caitlyn. Let's get down to business." Vi shook her hand, both women giving a firm handshake. "Whadda got for me, Caitlyn?"
Nobody knows what was said between the two. What deal was made, what information was traded, or if any secrets were revealed or entrusted to one another. To this day, that remains a mystery. All that was known was that after a few hours, the Pinkette, now known as Vi, was seen walking out of the apartment building, with her partner, the Sheriff, known now to her as Cupcake, and heading for the City of Progress.