Personal Responsibility

by HeartOfMan

Jinx makes a different choice following the death of her father. With a new goal in mind, she sets out to make things right. While this happens, Vi and Caitlyn become more involved in the conflict between Piltover and the Undercity, with Jayce and Viktor deciding how Hextech should be used after the mistakes both men have made. Nothing is certain, except nothing will be the same.

9. The Piltover Enforcer

Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter and it's one that I've really been excited to do! Right here is the first chapter with actual combat in it, the first of many, and I spent a lot of time trying to make it as entertaining as I could. Whether or not I succeeded is up to you, so please do say what you think.

Other than that, this chapter took both less and more time to write than I hoped it would, if that makes any sense. On the one hand this chapter was much longer than I intended, something I'll go into more detail about at the end, but it also took less time to write than I thought mainly because I was trying out a new sort of writing schedule. It seemed to work pretty well and it allowed me to balance out the other stuff I've been doing lately like preparing for uni, packing all my stuff for when my family and I move and preparing for the driving test I failed a dew days ago. Oh well.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy and see you at the end!

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There were a hundred or more things that Vi had missed while she was in prison, some more prominent than others, but they all crossed her mind at different points over the years. Vi had missed fresh food and sunlight, and the warmth of her sister's embrace. She had missed the feeling of the wind against her skin as she ran through the Lanes, along with the quiet moments she got to herself while her family was off doing other things. That last one was odd for her to acknowledge because it wasn't like she'd been lacking in time to herself, not with how long she had spent in solitary each day, but it just wasn't the same.

Stillwater Prison was cold and cramped, like a steel cage that grew smaller every hour of every day. The prisoners were angry and violent, only ever looking out for themselves, while the guards were callous and cruel, giving no quarter with their cell-inspections and their beatings. There was always tension in the air, a promise of conflict that Vi had grown to revel in after a while, because it was the only thing that could distract her from the pain of isolation.

Not isolation in the sense of physically being alone. Rather, it was the knowledge that for all the people around her, no one cared about her. In Stillwater, Vi wasn't a sister or a daughter or a friend - she was a prisoner, and an enemy.

That was the difference between being alone in the Lanes and alone in Stillwater. One meant being temporarily away from a family that loved her, and the other meant having no one at all. At least when she was out of solitary, there were other things to hold her attention, things like fighting and eating. All she could do alone was train and cry while being consumed by memories of the life she used to live.

One thing Vi hadn't missed, however, was the stagnant and hot air of the Undercity. It was heavy, almost pressing down upon people's skin, and that was if you were lucky. Depending on where you lived the air could quite literally be poison, with chemicals carried up from the fissures that the Undercity was built from. That was what caused Viktor's illness according to Caitlyn, something she told him a few days after they found him and Jayce unconscious in the Talis factory, with Viktor having lost his leg.

But now, after eight years locked away on a remote island prison, Vi couldn't help but smile every time she set foot in the Lanes. The air down here, as stale and still as it was, it wrapped around her like a warm blanket, granting her strength and security in a way very few things ever could. The air up Topside, in the streets of Piltover and in the Kiramman house, in Caitlyn's bed, it was as unfamiliar as it was fresh and free. No matter how long she spent in Piltover, Vi wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the wind constantly lapping at her, chilling her body and tussling her hair. Good and bad, the Undercity was her home, and the feeling that washed over each time the decrepit air filled her nose was like greeting an old friend.

The same couldn't be said for some people, however…

"I cannot possibly imagine how anyone gets used to this smell." Caitlyn Kiramman, the Sheriff of Piltover and Vi's partner, complained with a scowl. She was walking right beside Vi, dressed in her Enforcer gear with her arms held stiff at her side, pointedly keeping her eyes forward. They were walking in one of the upper levels of the Lanes, calmly making their way through the bustle of the crowds though most people made way for them. That didn't stop people from shooting them harsh looks and glares, but Vi had lived with that her whole life, down in the streets of the Undercity or in the walls of Stillwater, so she just smiled back and moved on. Caitlyn didn't seem nearly half as comfortable however, which explained why she was refusing to look anywhere but directly ahead of her. "It honestly feels like it's gotten worse." She admitted quietly as she briefly looked at her feet, and Vi let out a laugh.

"Shitty ventilation does that to a place." Vi said with a shrug, her Atlas Gauntlets hissing and whirring with the movement. She too was wearing her Enforcer gear, or what amounted to it. It was her usual outfit, her hooded blue undershirt and white tank top, along with her striped trousers and red leather jacket. The only differences were the massive Hextech gauntlets she wore and the Enforcer badge she had tucked onto her belt. Vi could guess those additions to her wardrobe were the reason she was getting so many dirty looks, even more so than the Enforcers she was walking with. Enforcers wandering the Undercity were nothing new, especially this past month, but the news that a woman from the Lanes had joined up with them? That Vander's daughter had supposedly jumped ship?

It wasn't like the Council had put out a fucking newsletter about her being hired or anything, but word had travelled fast after her first few patrols, especially once she'd gotten into a few scuffles. Her return had been something of a hot topic in the past few weeks, especially once the story of her imprisonment made the rounds, and though Vi hadn't talked to anyone directly she had heard the whispers. The things they were saying weren't charitable, to say the very least. Some were saying she took a deal to get out of prison, trading one set of chains for another, while others claimed that she'd turned traitor because of her conflict with Silco, fighting fire with fire and all that.

They tolerated her, though, much for the same reason people were now tolerating the Enforcers and the Firelights: they could tell something was coming.

Okay, maybe "tolerated" was the wrong word. People down here still hated the Enforcers, no matter how they tried to help, and they were either feeling betrayed or cautiously optimistic about Vi. The Firelights were the only people with a good name, and that was because they'd already had a reputation for going against Silco. Stepping into the light to act as protectors of the Lanes instead of guerrilla fighters striking at Silco had won no small amount of faith from the people, even if some weren't happy they were accepting aid from Piltover.

Regardless, everyone could see that change was coming, and they knew that unless something was done it might not be for the better.

Vi swore on the stars that they were trying their best. After Vi officially took on the role as Deputy Enforcer and Caitlyn had vetted a squad of uncorrupt and skilled Enforcers, she ventured into the Lanes to establish a presence amongst the people, and to deter any of the Chembarons should they try anything. The Firelights had helped them as well, acting as air support to their ground forces, and together they'd worked out a series of interchangeable patrol routes they could use. It had only taken a few days which may have not seemed like much, but by the fourth day reports of large scale gunfights and turf wars had started to come in. After that, thugs working for any and all of the Chembarons began to try and muscle in on the Lanes proper, and it had been up to them to keep them out.

Establishing a foothold in the Lanes had been Ekko's idea, since he'd been the one charged with planning their early movements. It made sense since he had the most experience fighting the Chembarons, yet Vi had still been sceptical when he put his plan forward. Every Chembaron had territory in the Undercity, swaths of land and industry they tended to, but the Lanes itself had always belonged to Silco. With him dead and his underlings none the wiser, at least for a few days after that, they had enough time to make a move and get the area out from under control of the gangs. See, the way Ekko saw it, for all that the Lanes was the seat of Silco's power, it wasn't actually a vital part of his operation.

It was full of businesses that Silco had his hands in, there was no doubting that, but the amount of money he made off of those ventures was nothing compared to the profit from his vast amount of factories and the like across the Undercity. It was an individual Chembaron's responsibility to create profits from industry in a particular area, and it was Silco's job to manage the Chembarons themselves, along with managing a decent part of the Lanes. Ekko had explained that, while the Chembarons would be looking to take the Lanes and cement themselves as the next kingpin, they'd also need to protect their own territory lest they get ousted by another Chembaron. According to him, the only reason the Chembarons wouldn't launch a full takeover of the place was because the money simply wasn't worth the casualties and lost land, along with the potential of bringing the Enforcers down on them all.

That caution, coupled with their constant presence, meant an uneasy peace had come across the Undercity as a whole, broken by quick bouts of violence instead of all out war.

Of course, that meant spending a lot of time out in the open, walking around and waiting for things to happen. Vi had no problems with that, but for someone like Caitlyn…

"You won't even notice it next time you're here, Sheriff, don't worry." Vi promised, smiling when she saw Caitlyn shake her head out the corner of her eye. "It's not that bad, right guys?" She asked, turning around to the group of people behind her, keeping step with Caitlyn even while walking backwards.

Six Enforcers stared back at her, dressed in blue and carrying pistols or rifles, along with the standard issue helmets. They looked like typical Enforcers you'd find in the Undercity except they weren't wearing those stupid masks anymore, leaving their faces exposed for everyone to see. That was the rule Vi had made first day on the job: no Enforcer could cover their face down in the Undercity, and the only time they could use their oxygen masks was when they genuinely needed to. She'd put that into practice as a matter of accountability, meaning that any abuse of authority could be tied to a specific Enforcer instead of writing it off, or punishing people who'd done nothing wrong. Most important to Vi, however, was that the people of the Undercity see the Enforcers as people.

If they wanted any of this to work, the Enforcers would need to become a symbol of hope and protection instead of fear and oppression - like the Firelights were starting to become. Vi didn't believe the Enforcers would ever be accepted down here, but if they could build bridges and prove they were here to help, then maybe they could gain even a modicum of trust. So far there hadn't been any incidents with the Enforcers in the Lanes since Vi had taken charge of operations, and she had been keeping a very close eye on anyone she brought on patrol with her, so she and Caitlyn were happy with how things were going at this point.

Those ideas were for a later date, though. Right now, Vi would settle for getting through the day's patrols without issue. This morning had gone without issue which was good, but that only put Vi on edge, especially since the first half of this patrol had gone well. Maybe she'd become a bit paranoid over the past few weeks, constantly looking over her shoulder for any sign of the Chembarons in the Lanes, and usually there were small pockets of it she'd stamp out before it could get anywhere. To have nothing at all…

Vi pushed away those thoughts because, no matter all the shit she'd suffered in her life, the world wasn't out to get her. To say that would be a lie, not with all the things she'd gained since she got out of prison. Instead, Vi watched as the Enforcers gathered with her and Caitlyn looked at each other, seeing who would speak up first. The ones who hadn't been on that many patrols with Vi looked honestly kind of nervous, like she'd punish them if she said the wrong thing, but the rest just considered her with neutral looks.

After a moment, someone finally spoke up. "It's okay. You've just gotta tough it out." The Enforcer closest to them spoke slowly, a tall man with tan skin and a short, dark beard. That was Lieutenant Callaway, one of the Enforcers who'd survived Caitlyn's purge of the department. To put a long story short, Enforcers who have proven cases of corruption or abuse of authority were kicked to the curb, and in some cases they even faced charges, and out of the remaining Enforcers Callaway had some of the most experience on the job, even though he was only around Jayce's age. "It's what I had to do." He explained, tilting his head back as if to say "what can you do?"

Callaway wasn't lying. Out of all the Enforcers he'd gone on the most patrols with Vi. In fact, he'd been on all of them. Where other Enforcers, both experienced and new, had been rotated out on pretty typical shifts he'd basically had his entire schedule moved so that he'd spend most of his days in the Lanes. Caitlyn's reasoning when she'd told Vi, and apparently what she'd said when she was trying to get Callaway on board as well, was that since he'd refused to go in the Undercity during his time as an Enforcer he couldn't have any previous issues down there. A clean slate, so to speak. Vi had asked her why he hadn't been to the Undercity and Caitlyn assured her that his reasons were just, but that she couldn't share them with her.

Vi hadn't been sure about him first but, like she was with most things, Caitlyn was right. Callaway had proven himself skilled and he had no trouble following orders, though he was a little jumpy down in the Lanes, so Vi was fine with having him with her on patrol. He was a quiet guy which suited her just fine, but he had a rapport with the other Enforcers that Vi lacked just yet. Maybe they'd warm up to her after she spent some more time on the job, but for right now she was still just the new girl on the block, one who'd come in right before a fair amount of their colleagues got fired.

It wasn't like she wanted to be friends with them or anything, but being on decent terms with the people she worked with sounded like a good idea no matter how she spun it.

"See", Vi said as she turned back around, looking at Caitlyn once more, "they agree with me. You're just being dramatic."

Caitlyn let out a dignified-sounding snort, shaking her head with a small smile and she looked just a little more at ease. "You do remember that I'm your boss, right?"

Vi tapped her fist against Caitlyn's shoulder, earning a sharp glare as, even when she was being as gentle as she could, steel knuckles were still steel knuckles. Honestly, when Vi had first gotten the Atlas Gauntlets back from Jayce she had been nervous about keeping them with her all the time. They were magic gauntlets that gave her super-strength, among other things, and she'd been worried that she might accidentally break something. But after her and Jayce's talk in his factory where they realised Hextech had a degree of awareness, responding to the intentions of the user in whatever way it could, Vi decided to test how that might affect her gauntlets as soon as she could.

After a good half hour of experimenting the night after they recruited Ekko, Vi had discovered she could hit a wall as hard as she could with the Atlas Gauntlets and, as long as focused her will on not damaging anything, the Hextech wouldn't even leave a trace. The opposite was true as well as, when Vi had been practicing on a steel test dummy she had thrown a punch with the explicit intent to destroy it, and the fucking thing had caved in on itself before being flung into the back wall, imbedding itself halfway in. Both times the steady hum of power that coursed through the arcane steel and into her body had shifted, growing dimmer or more intense whenever she chose to hold back or go all in.

According to Jayce, this wasn't necessarily an inherent trait of all Hextech, but rather the Atlas Gauntlets utilising its own technology to inhibit or boost its attacks. Apparently the Hextech it used to alter its own weight, making the gauntlets weigh practically nothing but still allowing them to lift boulders, is what allowed the gauntlets to regulate its own attacking force should Vi will it.

Vi wasn't sure how much of that was accurate, but she wasn't going to complain. As long as she wore these, she would never hurt anyone by mistake again.

"'Boss' is a strong word, Boss." Vi said with a smirk as she let her arm fall back to her side, before she heard quiet chuckles from a couple of the Enforcers behind her. "Maybe you just need to lighten up."

"Oh, I'll lighten up alright." Caitlyn retorted, the threat in her words dampened by the easy tone of her voice, "Maybe I'll lighten up our department and hire a new Deputy."

"Please." Vi drawled. "Get rid of me and you'll get lost on your first day down here. I'd bet a month's wage on it."

Caitlyn shook her head, reaching up and brushing a few stray locks of hair from her eyes. "Keep pushing me and I might just take you up on that bet."

Vi turned to her with a raised brow and Caitlyn met her gaze unflinchingly, before they both broke into laughter a moment later. They fell into comfortable silence after that, though Vi could feel the Enforcer's questioning stares boring into the back of her head. She and Caitlyn had been trying to keep their relationship a secret ever since they got together, and Vi thought they'd done an alright job so far. They tried to keep things toned down at work, acting more as colleagues with a good rapport than anything else, which also meant being somewhat distant from each other while at work.

It worked most days as Caitlyn's duties as Sheriff kept her Topside, whether that be by doing paperwork in her office or going on patrols herself, but she had opted to join her on the midday patrol for some reason. She just announced it right before Vi and her squad headed off, and Vi hadn't really been in a position to ask why. Having some back and forth was alright in her opinion, but she couldn't just come out and question her. Caitlyn was still her boss, after all.

She'd just have to ask her when they were alone. Considering it was the second patrol of the day and they were at its halfway point, she'd get the chance to ask soon enough.

Vi led Caitlyn and the rest of her crew down through the central streets of the Lanes, taking them past shops and bars and even Babette's place, something Vi noticed drew more than its fair share of looks from the Enforcers who hadn't been down in the Undercity before. In the end, Callaway told them to keep their mind on the job, and they continued on their way.

They spent the next fifteen or so minutes patrolling the streets in silence until they came to one of the more popular marketplaces in the Lanes, moving past the groups of people there and on the way, most of whom looked at them with caution and no small amount of distrust. They were accepting their presence at the very least, and Vi was grateful for that.

Eventually her group came upon Jericho's food stall, the same place that Vi had dragged Caitlyn too on their first day in the Undercity. "Be back in a bit." She said, turning to Caitlyn and Callaway in turn. Then she strode over to Jericho who was standing with his back turned to her, slamming his cleave down into his cutting board and bisecting a large fish, if that's what it even was. Vi wasn't sure what he served most days, all she knew was that it tasted fucking fantastic.

Vi plopped down onto one of the stalls and with an effort of will deactivated her Atlas Gauntlets, the Hextech gloves falling onto the steel flooring either side of her with a heavy thud. Jericho placed his cleaver down on the counter and turned to her, his large Vastayan body moving with near unnatural speed. His fish-like mouth opened in a wide smile, revealing sharp and mismatched fangs as his large and perpetually crazed eyes locked onto hers. "Hey Jericho. Eight of the usual, yeah?" Vi then reached into her jacket's inside pocket and pulled out a nondescript leather purse. She put out a small pile of coins and laid them out before her, enough for the cost of the food and then some, as thanks for letting Enforcers eat at his place.

Jericho caught on, letting out a low humph of thanks as he swiped the coins and sorted them away under the counter. Then he turned away and began preparing the food for them, and Vi looked back over her shoulder. Calloway and the five other Enforcers stood across the way, waiting by the wall of a building, the lights of the surrounding structures framing them in dark greens and purples. Caitlyn stood with them, involved in whatever conversation they were having though she had glanced back towards Vi, and they met each other's eyes with small smiles.

Stopping by Jericho's had become a routine for her as his shop was located in the central area of the Lanes, similar to The Last Drop. Her and the patrolling Enforcers needed to eat lunch after all, something which Vi had suggested they just do before they left, but Caitlyn had advocated for them to have lunch down in the Undercity. Something about being seen as people going out and getting food, which played into Vi's attempt to humanise the Enforcers for the people of the Undercity. Vi wasn't sure if it was working but they hadn't had any civilians causing them trouble so far, so they must be doing something right.

Whether it worked or not, Vi had been eating at Jericho's practically every day now, since he was the only place that would serve Enforcers and that was only because it was Vi asking. The upside was that she got to have Jericho's often, something she had sorely missed while in Stillwater. The downside was that she might be having Jericho's too often, and as silly as it sounded Vi had started to worry she might grow a little fat from all the grease. Caitlyn had assured her that her job as Deputy and all her training, whether that be alone or with Jayce and Ekko, would keep her fit, but Vi wasn't so sure.

She wasn't shallow, or at least she didn't think she was, but she'd worked her whole life to get as strong and fit as she was - she wasn't about to let it go to waste. So if she'd been doing just that little bit of extra cardio, then her friends had seen fit not to bring it up. It was probably for the best.

A few minutes later Jericho lined up eight bowls of tasty something or other, and Vi spun around in her seat and looked at her companions. "Foods ready." She called, absently grabbing a bowl and shovelling a handful into her mouth.

Whatever it was, it was damn delicious. Just as always.

Caitlyn and the Enforcers headed over after a moment, the crowds parting around them as people tried not to get in their way. Before Vi had become Deputy, even bumping into an Enforcer could earn a beating, depending on their mood. That would never happen on Vi's watch, but you couldn't change people's memories and avoiding Pilties in the Lanes was something of a survival mechanism, taught by their elders and by experience. Vi hoped things would get better with time; for everyone's sake.

One by one the Enforcers took their bowls, each thanking Jericho, and Callaway gave Vi a thankful nod most likely for paying. A few of the Enforcers began to set up at Jericho's stool, some standing around the counter and others even sitting down on stools, just like they did most days. Caitlyn arrived last and picked up her bowl, looking at her employees with a furrowed brow. "Give us some space. The Deputy and I have business to discuss." The Sheriff ordered in a level voice, and the Enforcers turned to her in confusion, some even pausing mid bite.

Vi nodded, unsure what she was talking about but not wanting to show up her girlfriend and her boss. "Alright guys, you heard the Sheriff. We won't be long." She said, gently nudging Callaway who had taken the seat next to her. He took the hint and stood, taking his bowl in one hand and guiding the other Enforcers away from Jericho's and back to where they'd been waiting. Caitlyn placed her bowl on the counter and sat down next to Vi, taking a deep breath before meeting her gaze.

"Hello…" Caitlyn trailed off, sounding almost shy, and that alone was enough to pique Vi's interest. Of all the words she'd use to describe her girlfriend, shy was not one of them.

"Hello…" Vi echoed with a wide smile, leaning her right arm on the counter as she turned to the left, facing Caitlyn fully. "Alright Cupcake, hit me. What's happening?"

Caitlyn let out a sound halfway between a huff and a laugh, visibly holding back a smile. Vi watched her fight to keep eye contact, looking almost as embarrassed as when she'd been down in Babette's, which said a lot. "There isn't any business, I just wanted to see you." She admitted in a low voice, her hand moving forward towards Vi's before she dragged it back, like she'd been acting on instinct before catching herself. With both of their subordinates just across the street, holding hands probably wasn't the best idea. Not if they wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

Vi leaned back at her words, food forgotten for the moment. "Really? We see each other all the time." She said, Caitlyn's face falling as Vi rushed to correct herself. "Not that I mind this, I don't, but we're working."

"I know, and we said we wouldn't get too close when we were on shift, but I guess…" Caitlyn explained, trailing off as she struggled with the words. "I guess it just hasn't been sitting right with me the past few weeks."

"What do you mean?" Vi asked, taking a bite of her lunch before it got cold. "If there's a problem with us or how we're going about things, shouldn't we be talking about that at home?" She asked, hoping Caitlyn would let this lie until later as dread built in her stomach.

Have I done something wrong? Vi thought, hoping and praying that she was wrong. I thought we were doing good, that we were making this work.

Vi couldn't remember smiling so much in her life, in the three weeks since she'd gotten with Caitlyn. Gods, that had been one of the worst nights of her life, breaking down in Caitlyn's spare bed because everything had been going wrong and she didn't know how to fix it. Then Caitlyn found her, having gotten out of bed just because she was worried about her, because she cared about her, and next thing she knew Vi had just fallen apart in her arms.

Caitlyn hadn't made it better, that hadn't been in the cards then, but she'd given Vi a chance. She'd given her something she thought she lost all those years ago, when sorrow and rage were all she had left in her heart: hope.

Hope that her life could get better, hope that she could pull herself from the pit she'd spent the last eight years wallowing in. Without it, Vi didn't know where she'd be. Knowing herself, she'd probably be chasing down any lead on Powder that she could, and most likely getting herself killed in the process.

Vi hated how much she needed Caitlyn, except she didn't hate it at all. She was falling in love with her, if she hadn't already, and that terrified her as much as it filled her with joy.

If Caitlyn didn't want to be with her anymore, Vi didn't know what she'd do…

"There's no problem, not with us at least." Caitlyn explained, casually reassuring her like Vi's heart hadn't been just about to break. It honestly felt like a weight had been lifted from her body, just as quickly as it had been placed there, and a relieved smile spread across her face. Vi lowered her head, hiding her expression as Caitlyn continued. "I was fine with acting like colleagues in public, even around our friends, but I couldn't help but feel like I was… cheating you, almost."

"What? Cheating me?" Vi asked in confusion. "What's that even mean?"

"Cheating you out of a healthy relationship." She clarified, looking away. Vi wanted to take her hands in her own and at any other time she would've, but they were in public and word getting out about their relationship could jeopardize their positions in the Enforcer's department. "I'm just worried you'll think I'm ashamed of you, and that you'll think I'm keeping you a secret because of who you are and not because of our situation."

"Then there's nothing to be worried about", Vi said as she tried for a comforting smile, "because I haven't been thinking that at all."

Caitlyn nodded and drew in a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing. "That's good, that's good." She placed her arms on her lap and interlocked her fingers, biting her lower lip like she always did when she was thinking things through. Vi thought it was adorable, but she wasn't brave enough to tell her that. "I care about you so much, Darling." Caitlyn said, the words falling out of her with such emotion that Vi was taken aback. "I try and show it as much as I can when we're at home", she carried on, not noticing Vi's surprise at how easily she called it their home, "but I don't want you to think that I'm using you for sex or anything like that."

"Of course I don't think that." Vi assured her, fighting the urge to lean forward and draw her into a hug or a kiss, whichever one she did first. "I know the situation we're in and I know it isn't forever, and I'm more than happy to get through it if it means being with you."

Her girlfriend considered that for a moment, twiddling her thumbs absently. "Are you sure you're okay with that?" She asked, pressing on before Vi could even answer. "Because it isn't easy for me, going to work and pretending like you don't mean the world to me, especially when I see how some people look at you just because of where you're from."

Vi shook her head, taking another bite of her lunch if only to keep up appearances in case her Enforcers were watching. "Look, I don't care what they think about me. I only care what you think about me, along with a couple others. If we have to wait until we get back to your place to act as close as we really are, then so what? We know we're together, that's enough for me." Vi proclaimed, silence falling over the two of them for a moment as Caitlyn considered her words.

"You must think I'm being stupid…" Caitlyn said finally, averting her gaze.

"Fuck no I don't think you're stupid!" Vi said, voice raising before she caught herself. She took a quick look towards the Enforcers waiting for them, checking to see if they'd heard her outburst, but they seemingly weren't paying them any mind. The usual hustle and bustle of the Lanes was providing cover for them, and Vi leaned towards Caitlyn with an intense look in her eyes. "You're checking to see if we're doing alright, why would I think that's stupid? Fuck, I've been worrying about the same thing as well." She let out in a low hiss, fighting to keep her emotions in check, but it was so difficult sometimes.

She was so passionate about the things she cared for, almost to the point of single mindedness. That was something that Vander had warned her about dozens of times before his death, but that drive had kept her strong in prison, and it was helping her now that she had so many new things going on. Helping Jayce, Ekko and the others, her work as Deputy, her relationship with Caitlyn and her search for Powder; the only reason Vi could manage it all was because of her determination.

But that same drive meant she had trouble tempering her emotions, especially anger, and it had led her to ruin once before. Vi would die before she let that happen again.

Taking a calming breath Vi ran a hand through her crimson hair, brushing the locks from her eyes with a sigh. "Look, I… I don't want you thinking there's anything wrong with you or us or anything like that, because there isn't." Vi whispered, tapping her fist on her thigh as she fought to find the right words. "If there was, we would have noticed it and we'd talk it out, right?" She asked, gazing up at Caitlyn.

"I think so", she answered, "but it's hard to know for sure when we haven't had any issues yet."

Vi nodded at that, accepting the response with a pleased smile. She took another bite of her lunch, Caitlyn quickly following suit before Vi spoke up once more. "What made you so worried in the first place?" She began, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Don't tell me if you don't want to, but if neither of us are having any issues, then… why?"

Caitlyn looked away for a moment, almost looking dour before she turned back to Vi. "I've never had a serious relationship before. I've tried to, back when I was younger and less experienced, if you could even call me that now." Her uncertain blue eyes wouldn't leave her lap, her fingers toying with the hems of her sleeves. "Every now and again I'd fall for some girl, and one thing would lead to another and we'd sleep together. I was always open about myself and what I wanted, and I thought they were too, but they'd always be gone by morning. Every time I felt like a fool and every time I convinced myself I'd just met the wrong person, and that if I just tried again I'd do better." She elaborated, and Vi nodded solemnly.

"I'm really sorry, Caitlyn. That's horrible." Vi said truthfully, because that was such a shitty thing to happen to anyone, let alone someone as kind as Caitlyn. Vi would have words for these people if she ever met them, that much was certain. Maybe something more than words, too.

Caitlyn shook her head with a soft smile. "You don't need to be sorry, none of it was your fault. Honestly, it only happened a few times, but I guess that was enough. You make the same mistake enough and eventually you just get sick of it, you know? Or at least I did, and I just decided that it wasn't worth the pain." She admitted, a hint of vulnerability in her words that Vi loved and hated all at once. Vi was happy Caitlyn trusted her enough to share all this, but there wasn't anyone in this world who enjoyed seeing the people they cared about in pain - no one that Vi wanted to be like, anyways.

"But you chose to be with me." Vi said as a matter of fact, keeping that small tinge of worry out of her voice.

"Of course I did. We went through this our first night together, didn't we?" Caitlyn reminded her, but it wasn't like Vi would ever forget that night, filled with warmth and light which would pave the way for all the others. Vi remembered it every time she fell asleep in Caitlyn's arms, with every warm meal they shared, and every time they just sat and talked. Talked about how their days had been, talked about their friends, talked about anything and everything all while reminding the other that they weren't going anywhere.

The corner of Vi's lip curled up in a subdued smirk as she let her head hang low, interlocking her fingers. "We did…" She said, mostly to herself before she nodded, clapping her hands together and meeting Caitlyn's eyes with a bright smile. "So, was this chat worth coming down here with us, skipping out on work and all that?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, an easy laugh escaping her lips. "It certainly was. I guess I was just feeling a bit insecure. Like I said this is my first serious relationship, and I want it to last."

"So do I." Vi agreed.

"Then you won't mind if we check in on each other every now and again? I mean, look around," Caitlyn said, gesturing to the cityscape around them, "we've talked while we're on shift and the world hasn't come crashing down around us. Maybe we can do this again, if we're careful. It's not like it's weird for us to talk, considering our positions. As long as it doesn't feel like we're living in hiding." She finished, before quickly adding one last detail. "And just for the record, I've had a slow day this morning and I've not got any work outstanding, so I'm not missing out on anything by being here."

Vi couldn't help but laugh, then, looking into Caitlyn's serious yet hopeful eyes before she fell into thoughtful silence. Everything had changed so quickly for her and yet so much of it had been for the better, and it was all because of Caitlyn. Everything good in her life right then was because of her, this brilliant, beautiful, perfect woman. How could someone be so wholly good, even with all their flaws? It just didn't seem possible, not to someone as damaged and jaded as Vi. "You're the most incredible person I've ever met." Vi intoned, the words passing through her lips on instinct alone, though she did nothing to stop them. They were the truth, and Vi had never been much of a liar.

Caitlyn's cheeks turned red under the neon city lights, her eyes widening before darting down and away. She then brought her arm up and planted her elbow on Jericho's counter, covering her eyes for a brief moment even as her lips curled up into an embarrassed smile. "You can't just say that, Violet." Caitlyn whispered, but despite her words she clearly wasn't upset. At most, she was probably surprised she'd say something like that at that moment. Words like those should be saved for private moments, or so Vi had been told, but she had never been one to wait for those. She'd always followed her heart, both to riches and ruin, but she wasn't about to stop anytime soon.

"Why not?" She asked with a teasing grin, leaning forward and snatching a piece of Caitlyn's lunch from her plate. Vi ate it with a quick bite, speaking as she chewed mostly because she knew it'd annoy her partner, and that was always fun. "Afraid someone's gonna hear us? Jericho can, but he ain't gonna blab." Vi promised, tilting her head to the guy in question, who at that moment was single mindedly chopping meat like it had insulted him. "Hey Jericho! You gonna say anything?" She called out to the Vastayan who only lifted his head, turning part way back to her and letting out a warbling laugh, before quickly getting back to his work. "He won't tell a soul, or at least that's what I think he's getting at." Vi admitted, before shaking her head and turning back to Caitlyn. "It'll be fine. Everyone else is too busy pretending we aren't here, so who cares?"

"Still, I…" Caitlyn began, before apparently thinking better of what she was about to say. "Thank you for the compliment." She acknowledged instead.

Vi's eyes narrowed at her response, the way she just brushed off her compliment like that, like she didn't believe her. She probably thinks I'm just trying to smooth talk her. She thought, before looking over to the Enforcers. They were still talking and eating, not paying them any mind at that moment. Then she took a quick glance around at their immediate surroundings, checking to see if any of the people around them were watching. Seeing that no one was, Vi closed her eyes and leaned forward, taking Caitlyn's hands in her own before kissing her.

In the span of a second, her girlfriend's body tensed before relaxing into her, before her hands tore free and pushed her away. Far from being upset, Vi opened her eyes with a smug grin, watching as Caitlyn fought between anger and happiness. "You believe me now, Cupcake?" Vi asked in a low voice, her words husky.

It seemed that Caitlyn had settled on anger as her expression quickly darkened. "Vi, we're outside, why would you-" She ground out before cutting herself off with a growl, turning to her right and scanning their surroundings like Vi had done a moment ago.

Why did she do that?

Because I'm falling in love with you. Vi thought, wishing that she was a braver woman because then she might've just said it. I'm falling in love with you, and I need you to know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Powder was the only thing she felt just as strongly about, but she wasn't something that happened to her. Powder was her sister, she couldn't remember a time when she wasn't, and she was in her heart even when they'd been apart for so long. Caitlyn had just shown up one day on the other side of her cell bars, bathed in low light like an angel from on high before setting her free.

They'd had some bad moments together, sure, but they were nothing compared to all the quiet, intimate, beautiful moments they'd shared. As long as Caitlyn knew that, as long as she could tell her, somehow…

"Someone could've seen." Caitlyn hissed, drawing Vi from her thoughts. Her cheeks had grown flush even as her eyes blazed, and she couldn't help but think it was a good look on her.

"But no one did, okay? It's all good." She assured her, giving her a wink just for good measure. The Sheriff could only stare incredulously at her before turning away with a huff.

"You are ridiculous." She admonished her, but Vi only chuckled.

"Yeah, but I'm also right." Vi countered, raising a hand and gesturing to the people and buildings around them. "Nothing's gone wrong, see-"

The deafening roar of an explosion rushed over them, and on instinct Vi threw herself to the side, tipping her stool over as she landed on her feet. She scanned the space around them quickly, looking to see if anyone had been hurt. Everyone had gone still, however, even those who had jumped or fallen in surprise. They were looking to the where the sound of the explosion had come from, the low rumble of the detonation rapidly fading, and she could now hear the rapid footfalls of the Enforcers as they rushed to them.

Vi let out a hiss because of course this would happen, today had been going too well for anything else. She then leaned down and slammed her hands into her Atlas Gauntlets as Caitlyn, just that little bit slower to react, came to her feet with a focused expression. Feeling that familiar hum of power coursing through her body, courtesy of the Hextech she now carried, Vi pounded her fists together and shouted at the top of her lungs. "Everybody get clear!" She screamed, watching with intense eyes as the people around her were spurred into action, some breaking off and running while others ducked in alleys and buildings.

Right then gunfire began to sound in the distance, single shots and rapid fire echoing through the caverns of the Lanes, and as far as Vi could see people were beginning to flee en masse. The Enforcers reached her a moment later, their eyes intense with rifles and pistols now in hand, though Vi couldn't miss the fear on some of their faces. Vi exhaled a breath she couldn't remember taking and forced herself to just react. If there was one thing Vi had learned in all her years of fighting and conflict, there was rarely time to sit around and think things through. When shit hit the fan like this, the only thing to do was to raise your fists and carve a path through whatever stood in your way.

It was with that mentality that Vi steeled her expression and walked through her squad, rolling her neck and shoulder as she called out. "Standard procedure here, guys!" She ordered, breaking out into a run towards the chaos. Caitlyn fell to her side barely a second later, keeping pace as the Enforcers fell to their rear. "Callaway, you and the squad form a defensive line. I want covering fire, maybe bring down some perps if you're able, but get every civilian that you can out of there. That's our number one priority, people!"

There was a short chorus of yeses and affirmatives as her squad took on her orders, Lieutenant Callaway calling out with them. "Got it, Deputy!" He yelled, before glancing back towards their group as they ran through the fleeing crowds. "We have no idea what's going on out there, so don't go rushing into anything! Follow the Deputy and Sheriff's lead!"

Caitlyn reached over her shoulder and to the leather holster strapped to her back, pulling out a folded rifle made of polished grey and gold steel. With a light flick it unfurled and its parts locked into place, the weapon beginning to hum as azure light erupted from a large port on the underside of the central frame, along with a small gem embedded into the grip. Three lenses then popped up and clicked into position, each lined atop the rifle frame at different points between the butt and the barrell. Vi could see a series of small runes ignite on the inside of each lens frame, coating the curved glass in a sheen of light blue. "Where do you want me?" The Sheriff of Piltover asked, shouting to be heard about the noise of the approaching conflict, and there wasn't a trace of the shy woman Vi had been talking to less than a minute before.

"Find a place up top and support us!" Vi answered with a cry, watching from the corner of her eye as Caitlyn nodded, tucking her Hextech rifle close to her chest. Then she pressed her hand to the back of her left wrist, flipping a switch on the leather and steel bracer she'd taken to wearing. Arcane sigils flared to life as an arrowhead made of solid light formed, emerging from a port at the end of the device. "Need any help?" She tried, just in case.

Caitlyn let out a snort as she wrapped her hands around the grip and foreshock of her rifle, pointing the barrel down at the ground as she looked up and began scanning rooftops, searching for potential vantage points. "Please." She barked in a brash tone, one that left no room for argument. "Happy hunting!" Caitlyn called before darting off to their left, pushing past and around citizens of the Lanes as they ran for their lives. She disappeared down an alleyway a moment later, and Vi pushed forward even as she fought to keep the worried expression from her face.

Stay safe. Vi thought before forcing the worry to the back of her mind. Caitlyn was more skilled than she'd ever be, and she'd be on a rooftop, so she was probably much safer than the rest of them down on the streets below.

"What're you gonna do, Deputy?" One of the Enforcers asked, and judging from the voice and the question itself this must've been their first time down here with her.

"Me? I'm gonna give 'em an 'Undercity Hello'!" Vi hollered, her heart racing as the familiar rush of adrenaline began to course through her system. A fierce smile broke out on her face and she clenched her fists, arcane steel and gears whirring as they shifted positions.

"What?" That same rookie asked, the words coming out quiet like he was directing them at someone else.

"She's going to punch people in the face." Callaway let out in a puff, trailing a four or so feet behind her. "Now shut up and fight."

Her squad fell silent as they covered the last few blocks towards the gunfight, and as they turned the corner into a large and open street Vi's eyes rapidly scanned the scene.

What was once a bustling high street filled with stores, restaurants and other businesses had now become a veritable warzone. Half a block down the way was a large and flaming transport truck, now on its side with nearly its entire storage container blown open by whatever the hell had been stored in there. From the light purple smoke drifting from the fiery wreckage, Vi could hazard a pretty good guess as to what the truck's contents had been. Barely ten meters or so behind it was an open loading dock, its shutter door rolled all the way up. Although Vi didn't have a good enough angle to see into the place, from the shouts and gunfire coming from within she knew there were people fighting in there.

Turning her gaze back to the street Vi spotted overturned market stools and broken shop windows being used as cover by gangbangers, all firing blindly at people behind cover a couple dozen or so meters down the street.

So this is how it's gonna be, huh?

As her Enforcers settled down behind cover and prepared to engage, Vi took a single confident step towards the fray. Then she took a second step, the hiss of her gauntlets growing louder like the growl of a hungry beast.

One of the goons firing from behind the broken truck stopped to reload, turning and shouting something to his buddies before catching sight of her. The scrawny, pale skinned man's eyes widened in recognition, then fear, and Vi broke into a sprint. His two mates with him behind the truck followed his gaze and saw her running full tilt towards them, and they spun around and aimed at her.

Before they could pull the trigger, before the first man who saw her could even think about reloading his weapon, Vi dove forward and slammed her right fist into the stone floor. The impact sent cracks a few meters long out in a spiral from where her gauntlet hit, right as the sheer force of the blow launched Vi high into the air. Feeling the wind against her face, Vi reached the top of her forward arc and got a quick glimpse of the battle going on past the truck, seeing those on the opposite side of the conflict glance at her in bewilderment, before gravity took hold once more and Vi fell upon her foes like a meteor.

The two smaller goons managed to dive out the way before she landed but the bigger one was just too slow, a veritable wall of meat with a mechanical arm and some sort of shotgun in his hands, and it was all he could do to raise his weapon and start blasting. His aim had been thrown off by Vi's rapid launch, however, and his shots went wide right as Vi swung her fist with a cry. Her Atlas Gauntlet struck the man's face and chest, empowered by gravity but dampened by her desire to not kill the guy, and he went down with a thud, the gun flying out of his grasp as he was knocked unconscious.

Vi's fist hit the ground first, arcane steel taking the majority of the fall as she rolled and bled out the remaining momentum, coming onto one knee out in the open. She then pushed back with her right leg and jumped to her feet, bullets whizzing overhead, before spinning around and darting back behind the overturned truck where the other two goons were just getting back up.

The one with the loaded gun climbed to his feet first and Vi dashed towards him, the goon hurrying to bring his weapon up in time. She darted to the right less than a second before he opened fire, his submachine gun letting loose a torrent of bullets that missed Vi by just a few feet and he scrambled to adjust his aim. Just as he was about to turn and riddle her with lead, Vi lashed out and wrapped her left gauntlet around his hands, snarling as she squeezed and crushed both his weapon and his wrists. The man let out a pained scream and fought to break free of her grip, but he could do nothing against the raw strength of her Hextech gauntlets and Vi dragged him off his feet with a shout, spinning him in a circle before slamming him into the back of the truck.

He fell down in a heap, knocked out cold which was probably for the best considering his injuries, and Vi turned to the third man with narrowed eyes and raised fists. He had one knee planted on the floor as he scrambled to load his weapon but seeing her absolutely demolish his friend caused him to abandon his gun and draw a long knife from his jacket, rushing her with a terrified scream. Vi met him halfway and let out a huff as she ducked low, easily dodging his clumsy downward slash before lunging up and driving her fist right into the guy's stomach. The Atlas Gauntlet let out a hiss as arcane blue light flared, vents opening up along the back of the metal wrist and releasing a gout of steam, and she launched the man up and into the second story wall of the building behind him. He impacted the dark brick with a low thud before falling back down, landing face first on the stone with a grunt before passing out.

Vi raised her fists once more and turned around, intent on facing the gunmen she'd leapt past mere moments before, but she found that four or so men behind her had already been taken out. With their cover facing forward and their attention focused on this rival gang or whoever they were, Vi's Enforcers had the perfect cover to rush up behind these goons and subdue them without firing a single shot. Vi couldn't help but feel a little bit shocked at the Enforcer's efficiency, but there were six of them against those four and Vi had taken out three by herself in an instant, though she did have her gauntlets to even things out. She'd spent her whole life thinking of the Enforcers as the incompetent and corrupt lapdogs of Piltover's elite, and that was probably going to be a hard habit to break.

Shaking off her brief bout of surprise, Vi broke off into a sprint back towards where she'd come from, passing by Callaway as he and another Enforcer settled behind an overturned stall. They were kneeling right next to an unconscious and restrained perp, readying their weapons to open fire right as Vi ran past. "Hold the line!" She called before breaking left, darting into the loading bay she'd spotted before she joined the fray. Now that they'd cleared the part of the street outside the building Vi figured she should go in there and stop anything else from blowing up, since it was pretty obvious that whatever was in the truck was probably in the bay as well.

Rushing to the open roller door, Vi skidded to a stop right by the corner of the entrance and pressed her back to the wall, waiting for a moment to see if anyone had noticed her arrival. Hearing the sound of gunfire both inside and outside, courtesy of the Enforcers who had now started shooting just ahead of her, Vi dove forward and rolled behind a large wooden crate just inside, quickly peering over the top and scanning the inside of the room.

She was greeted by a bland interior with dull grey walls, barrels and crates laying broken and scattered across the floor, along with a door in the back left corner. Dim strip lights hung from above, bathing the dreary interior in yellow light, illuminating the five figures currently fighting in the room. Two were by the middle of the left wall, a dark skinned woman pinning a lanky Vastayan to the stone as they fought over a large pistol. The other three were by the far right corner of the room, the larger of the three fending the other two off with a large bat.

Vi let out a shout as she leapt up and vaulted over the wooden crate, landing on her feet before reaching back and grabbing the box with her gauntlet. Steel fingers dug through the wood as their eyes fell on her and Vi clenched her fist, twisting her body and throwing the crate at the three in the corner. Watching from the corner of her eye as the three men dove out of the way, scrambling for cover as the box smashed against the wall behind them, Vi rushed the two fighting for the gun by the wall. Reacting quickly to Vi's approach, the dark skinned woman turned back to her opponent with a cry, letting go of the gun with one hand and delivering a brutal uppercut to the Vastayan, dazing him and allowing her to wrench the gun away.

She managed to push back just in time to avoid the left jab Vi threw her way, the Atlas Gauntlet missing both her and the Vastayan's face by barely an inch, and she rolled back and came to one knee. The woman was quick, she would give her that, managing to aim with her pistol faster than most people Vi had seen. Compared to Caitlyn, however, she was pathetically slow. Before she could even fire a shot Vi sprung forward, slamming the cold steel of her gauntlet into the woman's face and breaking her nose, sending a spray of blood and teeth flying into the air. She was launched a few meters across the room before slamming back first into some metal barrels, with both her and the barrels falling to the ground. The woman let out a groan and pressed her hands on the floor, trying to push herself up, but her body gave out and she collapsed once more, unconscious.

In that same moment the clawed, dark hand of the Vastayan took Vi by the shoulder, readying for an attack of some kind. Without even looking Vi raised her arm and drove her elbow back, aiming up high for his head. Judging by the choking sound that came from just over her shoulder, Vi managed to get the guy in the throat, and she took a step forward before lifting her leg and sending a back kick into the man's stomach, pushing him back against the wall with a wheeze. Vi then spun around and punched the guy directly in the chest, sending him through the wall. Taking a quick glance into the hole she made, Vi looked down and saw the Vastayan lying unconscious halfway down a set of stairs which probably led up to the door she'd seen when she came in.

Pulling back from the wall, Vi turned around and started walking to the back corner of the room, where the other three had been before she chucked a crate at them. The large man with the bat had pulled himself to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at her as she approached. Feeling a little cocky, Vi shot him a wink and a smile as the other two perps stood up. The man and woman had dived at angles away from the other guy and were now positioned on either side of Vi, but this didn't bother her one bit. She only nodded her head towards the bigger man, her hands hanging limp at her side as she looked over each of her enemies. "What, no guns?" She asked airily before letting out a snort. "You guys worried you'll blow something else up?"

The big man let out a snarl, shaking his bald head and sending beads of sweat towards the floor. "Piltie whore, you will pay for this!" He shouted in a deep, gravelly voice, his words coming out as more of a loud rumble than anything.

"Hey, I'm just cleaning up your mess." Vi retorted before raising her left hand, beckoning him forward with a gesture. "Come on."

The three rushed her with a cry and Vi returned it in kind, ducking low as the larger man swung his bat horizontally, letting it fly overhead. Instead, four feet of steel landed directly in the face of the woman to Vi's right just as she was about to try and stab her, sending her ass over teakettle into a metal shelf and knocking the knife clean out of her hand. As the taller man drew back his bat and prepared for another swing, Vi dropped down and swept the legs of the man to her left just before he tried to hit her with some sort of small club. He fell like a sack of fruit and Vi gave him a swift kick to the face as she stood, hoping to daze him for a moment.

As she turned she saw the taller man bringing his bat down overhead, hoping to brain her while she was dealing with the other guy. In response Vi brought her left hand up, catching the bat in the steel palm of the Atlas Gauntlet. Vi then gave a swift jab to the man's midriff with her free hand, lifting him a few inches off the ground before he dropped to his knees. Now that the wind was knocked out of him, Vi had no trouble in flipping the bat over in her hand and striking the man upside the jaw with it, laying him out completely.

Turning back to the other man, she stepped over his body but not before bending over and giving him a jab to the nose, just for good measure. Taking a breath and gathering herself, Vi rolled her neck and shoulder before jogging across the room towards the metal door in the corner. Considering this place was at the very least a Shimmer storage area, Vi felt no guilt when she punched a fist through the door and ripped it off its hinges. She tossed it aside before heading through, coming into the stairwell she'd thrown the Vastayan down into. Descending two steps at a time and hopping over the guy's unconscious body, Vi saw a steel door leading to the left with a purple glow shining through the threshold.

Vi then paused for a moment and listened carefully for sounds of fighting through the door, or anything that would indicate someone was in there but she couldn't hear a thing. With the sound of combat coming in from outside and the fact she was trying to hear past a thick metal door, Vi realised after a moment that it was a lost cause. Instead, Vi loosed a quick jab into the doors handle and busted the fucking thing open, sending it swinging into the wall with a loud slam.

She wasted no time and rushed inside with her fists raised, eyes flashing across her surroundings to get a lay of the land. She appeared to be in a lab of some kind, with tables dotted around the large, rectangular room that were each packed to the brim with chemicals and tools, all of which Vi was too stupid to name. Powder could probably list them off alphabetically, but her little sister was a genius so it probably wasn't a fair comparison. The stuff that really caught her eye however, the stuff that produced the purple light she saw from under the door, was the Shimmer.

Dozens upon dozens of litres of Shimmer, lying about the room in vials, jugs, barrels and a whole host of other containers. Vi wasn't the most observant person in the world, but even she could put two and two together. Whether they were a part of one of the Chembaron's crew or were independent criminals, they had been experimenting with Shimmer. Vi didn't care if it was to try and reverse engineer the substance or to enhance certain properties it possessed, but she'd stomp it out regardless.

It seemed she had a head start however, seeing how much of the Shimmer and the other lab materials were spilled across the floor. Broken equipment littered the place, spilling all sorts of chemicals and tools across the stone, and Vi figured it had something to do with all the bodies strewn about. There were five of them down here, some on the floor and others laid out on the tabletops. One was sitting with her back against the wall and her right arm above her head, as her hand had been run through with a knife and pinned to the wall.

Vi wasn't sure if they were alive or dead and she didn't have time to check, not as her eyes fell upon the figure leaning on a desk at the far end of the room. She was taller than Vi with pale skin that was covered in ink, along with shoulder length white hair that was kept in a neat ponytail. It was definitely made for function over form, as Vi knew the hairstyle was a common way to keep hair out of the eyes in a fight. She was also built like a brick fucking shithouse, her muscles almost bulging out of the dark clothes she wore.

The woman paused as her gaze fell upon Vi, the cigarette held between her fingers stopping just short of her mouth before she let out an angry huff. "Was wondering why everything went quiet up there." She groaned in a gravelly voice, dropping her smoke on the table behind her and folding her arms across her chest. "Fuck. It just had to be you…"

Vi nodded with a heavy breath, turning her head slightly and spitting on the floor. "You could at least sound happy to see me." She snarked, clenching and unclenching her raised fists.

The tattooed woman shook her head and pushed away from the desk, standing tall though she made no moves to attack. "You know, I've been hearing a lot about you these past few weeks. Tell me, what does Vi stand for, anyways?" She asked, emphasising the question and Vi's eye twitched against her will. "I'm thinking Vicious or Violent, but I might be wrong."

Vi felt that well of rage begin to bubble in her gut, but she drew in a breath and responded in a level voice. "Why don't we find out?" She challenged her in a tight voice, sliding her left foot forward and settling into a fighting stance.

The woman's eyes narrowed, her brow drawing into a harsh line. "Let's."

Vi expected the woman to rush her, to try and blindside her with a flurry of attacks so she wouldn't have a chance to retaliate, because even with the Atlas Gauntlets one good hit could put her on her ass. She even half expected her to draw a gun and try to end things that way. What she didn't expect, though, was for the woman to pick up a vial of Shimmer from the table behind her and chug the fucking thing.

Frozen mid-step, Vi watched in horror as the clearly crazy woman's entire body began to swell, growing taller and grotesquely muscular within seconds, and Vander's last moments came to the forefront of Vi's mind.

Take care of Powder.

Then the thing rushed her with a cry, the sound a terrifying mix of a scream and a laugh.

Vi could picture herself going through a drawn out brawl with the drugged up woman, fighting from the lab and up into the streets above. They'd exchange devastating blows, Hextech and Shimmer slugging it out to see which was superior before one of them dropped. Except she'd gone through that song and dance with Sevika already, who was probably twice the fighter this woman ever was even with the Shimmer. But her fight with Sevika had been personal, and Vi had been so angry.

This whole thing, though? This was just the job and Vi didn't have time to waste on her, not with everything going on in the streets just above their heads.

Vi opened her left fist and pressed her steel palm forward, the gem on the back of the Atlas Gauntlet erupting into blue light as she did, and the arcane shield she'd first conjured in The Last Drop appeared between her and the monster.

She was impossibly fast for her size but all that mass meant she couldn't brake for shit, and she slammed into her shield with a loud grunt. The magical construct absorbed the force from her run and Vi didn't move an inch, looking through the translucent blue light and seeing the anger and confusion in her eyes. Before the mutated woman could get her bearings, Vi sprinted forward and screamed, willing the shield to hold strong as she carried her opponent back to where she'd started.

Then with a thought and a cry, Vi released the shield right before the woman impacted, blue lightning crackling through the air as the energy pulsed outwards, launching the monster through the table she'd been leaning on and into the back wall with a slam. She had put her halfway through the stone, hanging in a small crater with cracks zigzagging away from her body, but Vi didn't stop running. Her feet carried her right up to the stunned creature with the palm of her left gauntlet slamming into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her before driving her right fist into her thigh.

Like a woman possessed, Vi pummelled her opponent further into the wall, slamming her Atlas Gauntlets into her until she lost count of how many punches she'd thrown. The mutated woman just hung there and took it, dazed and roaring in pain with each blow until she was bloody and bruised, with fuck knows how many broken bones. Dull purple blood flew from her, landing on Vi's face and clothes but she couldn't have cared less.

If she'd been so desperate to win that she'd drink experimental Shimmer then Vi wasn't going to hold back. This wasn't a sparring match, and when lives were on the line there was no such thing as fighting fair or cheating, and Vi was fighting to win.

Vi loosed two jabs into the woman's shoulders before hitting her across the jaw with a right hook, sending a spray of teeth that pinged off the left wall before falling to the floor. Her grunts had started to grow quiet, her eyes growing hazy and unfocused and Vi figured it was time to end this. She reached out and wrapped her hand around the woman's limp wrist, steel fingers crushing Shimmer enhanced bone with ease. Hearing the woman let out a hoarse and ragged scream Vi spun and pulled her out of the wall, flipping her up and over her shoulder.

The monstrous woman hit the floor with a deafening thud which kicked up a spray of dust, one that Vi ignored as she dropped to her knees atop the woman's torso and started punching. Vi swung with reckless abandon, breathing heavily with each hit and knocking the woman's head side to side until her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Only then did Vi stop and let her arms hang limp at her side, drawing in a deep breath as she felt the woman go still beneath her save for the rise and fall of her chest.

Steam escaped from the vents of her gauntlets as Vi leaned down, a nasty grin spreading across her face. "Today, Vi stands for Victorious." Vi told the unconscious woman, pausing to breathe as she rolled her neck and shoulder before climbing to her feet.

Then she turned around and came face to face with an Enforcer, standing in the lab's doorway with his pistol lowered and his mouth wide open. Vi could understand his awe, with her standing over the body of a hulking abomination while surrounded by five others, and that's not to mention the scene she'd left upstairs. Vi shook the blood off her fists and met his eyes, and she felt a pang of regret when he looked away. She was his ally and basically his boss, yet he seemed almost afraid.

"The Lieutenant send you?" She asked as she moved towards him, and his gaze met hers hesitantly.

"He told me to make sure you weren't dead…" He explained, his words trailing off as he looked over her shoulder and towards the bodies. Most of them had already been knocked out when she got here, but he didn't know that. "I guess that was pointless."

He stepped aside as Vi got near and she moved into the hallway, the Enforcer following close behind her. "How're things outside?"

"Intense, but we're getting things under control." He told her as they made their way up the stairs, stepping over the Vastayan Vi had left there unconscious. "The Firelights got here and are helping out."

"Took 'em long enough." Vi said under her breath as they stepped back into the loading bay, the sound of gunfire growing louder until it was almost deafening.

Vi took off into a run and came to the roller door, watching as the Enforcers pushed from cover to cover in a bid to gain ground. Five or six Firelights darted through the air above, diving down and beating gangbangers over the head with clubs and bats, with one or two throwing bombs which encased those they hit in some sort of orange crystals. Vi even spotted Ekko up there, flying in and out of skirmishes. Beyond the overturned truck Vi could also see the remaining criminals fighting from behind cover.

In the end though, Vi focused on the bunch of criminals that had climbed atop the back of the truck and were trying to shoot down the Firelights flying overhead.

Ducking low so she didn't catch a bullet, Vi ran over to the underside of the truck, covered in pipes and other mechanical shit she didn't understand. Hearing shouts of warning from above, most likely from the people atop the truck as they saw her coming, Vi pressed her hands to the broken machine and shoved. The Atlas Gauntlets hissed and whirred as whatever magic that granted them their strength took effect, and the truck was sent sliding across the stone and towards the buildings on the other side of the street. The criminals on the truck tumbled to the ground, the "rug" having been pulled out from under them as the truck hit the structure behind it and came to a stop.

Vi turned to the nearest goon, a scrawny girl with a gun that was clearly too large for her and pressed her boot on her chest, shooting her a withering look to try and get her to stay down. The girl looked up at her with a mixture of fear and rage, with rage winning out a moment later as she tried to aim her gun at Vi. With a huff she kicked the weapon away, sending it clattering to the side before knocking her out with a swift jab to the face.

Just then, the sound of spinning fans reached Vi's ears as a bunch of Firelights descended on the downed group of goons, swiftly incapacitating them with weapons and crystal grenades or whatever they were. Chief among them was Ekko, her friend and the leader of the Firelights, who swooped down to Vi's left and clocked a man who was halfway to his feet, dropping him once more. The shorter boy hopped off his hoverboard and strode to meet her, looking the same as he did when they reunited after eight years apart. The only difference was that he wasn't wearing the mask, he hadn't done for weeks now, along with the weird looking bat he carried.

It looked like the hand from a very large clock, one that had been painted a bright emerald, along with a long leather handle which had a large green ring for a pommel. Vi had asked him about it about ten days ago, when they ended up on patrol together one afternoon but all he would say was that it would make sense later.

Vi figured it made Ekko look cool as green the green suited him in her opinion, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Especially not when he tapped her shoulder as he walked past, shooting her his signature cocky smirk as he did. "Hurry up, Vi! Fight's nearly over!" Ekko called over his shoulder as he hopped on his hoverboard, zooming away after a moment.

"Little punk…" Vi muttered as she ran past the truck and towards the right of the street, a small smile breaking across her face. He had a point, though. Her little stunt with the truck had taken out a decent chunk of the remaining perps while also removing a good amount of cover for them. The Enforcers were already taking advantage of this, rushing forward from the ground and cover they'd just taken. They were firing as they went, settling behind toppled stands and the like that just moments ago sheltered the enemy.

Not to be outdone, Vi glanced around and spotted a pair of gunmen hiding behind what looked to be some sort of portable barricade. There were a few of them dotted across the street now that she thought about it, but that didn't matter beyond telling her this was a planned attack. It didn't change what she was going to do.

Vi rushed across the street in an arc, falling upon the gunmen who were too distracted firing at Enforcers to see her in time, vaulting over their cover and catching both their faces in her steel palms. The movement carried her and the goons down, Vi slamming their heads onto the stone floor before letting go and rolling with the momentum. She came to a stop on one knee and looked over her shoulder, seeing the two perps laying still with their guns having flown from their grasp.

All around her gunmen began to fall in droves, Firelights and Enforcers alike rushing past Vi as she pushed herself back to her feet. In under two minutes Vi and her forces had managed to hold back this attack with ease, and now with the Firelights' help they were damn near steamrolling them.

Of course, things could never be that simple.

As Vi had just won her little skirmish and was looking directly down the street, she was in the perfect positon to watch as two large vehicles turned the corner at the end of the road and tore across the way towards them. They were small contraptions, dark in colour with small cabins and a flatbed on the back. The cars weren't what caused her heart to lurch in her chest, though.

It was what was mounted to the cars that terrified her.

"Get behind me!" Vi roared, sprinting out in the middle of the street and holding her fists up in a guard. Her Atlas Gauntlets began to whir loudly, glowing with azure light as she conjured her shield right as the two turrets atop the cars opened fire. Vi heard warning shouts from behind her as bullets began to impact her barrier, her Enforcers rushing to take cover behind her. As that was happening Vi saw Ekko and his Firelights rushing overhead, drawing fire from the second turret.

Through the shield and past the blue lightning flickering across its surface, Vi could see the people manning the turrets. The blue colouring of the barrier meant she couldn't get a clear look at them, but it really didn't matter at that point. Instead, Vi closed her eyes and willed her shield to open up. What was once a spherical construct began to shift, the back parting as it changed and grew, forming into a solid wall that spread a good ten feet from Vi in either direction. The Atlas Gauntlets groaned with the effort, obviously not designed to create a shield this shape or size, but they held strong under Vi's will.

The Enforcers rushed to huddle behind her, most facing back and trusting her to cover them as they continued shooting. They were firing at the goons they'd left alone in their haste to get to cover, with those who could move taking the opportunity to try and escape. They ran around Vi's barrier and towards the two cars, hopping in the cabin or atop the flatbed in a last ditch effort to escape. That space ran out quickly however, and after a moment some just decided to run away entirely.

This lasted for a good ten or so seconds, with Vi counting each as they passed while she waited for her backup.

Then, with a sound like thunder that tore through the air, a bolt of blue light leapt down a rooftop to their left and struck the head of the gunner pinning Vi and her lot down. They were launched to the side and off the car, hitting the ground bodily and they didn't get back up. There hadn't been any blood but it wasn't like Vi had been expecting it, because apparently Hextech rifles came with a non-lethal setting.

Nice shot, Cupcake. Vi thought, eyes glancing towards the rooftops. She couldn't see Caitlyn up top but she knew she was there, like her own little guardian angel. The thought made Vi grin as another shot tore down at the gunmen, disabling the person manning the other turret who had been keeping the Firelights at bay. They hit the ground hard and Vi released her shield, the Enforcers rushing out from behind her as the Sheriff of Piltover took care of the immediate danger.

The drivers of the two cars were smart enough to see the turning tide, putting it in reverse one after the other and spinning their vehicles around. They took off once more down the street right as Vi broke into a sprint, giving chase as they swerved left and right to avoid the bullets flying towards them. That worked against the Enforcers and it kept the Firelights from getting too close, but Caitlyn hadn't lied when she said she was the best shot in Piltover back in bed three weeks ago, because a body dropped with every shot of her Hextech rifle, littering the street behind them.

They were moving quickly, though, approaching the turn at the end of the street that they'd come in from. For all that Caitlyn was a crack shot, she wouldn't be able to do anything if they were out of her sight entirely. They'd be gone by the time she could even start to reposition. Vi was in a similar boat because her gauntlets granted her incredible strength, but that was only useful if she could reach her target. Sure, she could throw something or launch herself like she had done earlier, but both would be risky against moving targets, especially if she threw something heavy and hit civilians instead. Her Enforcers had a bit of an advantage with their guns but they would be useless once the cars turned the corner. Then they'd be stuck with her, running down things much faster than them.

The only chance they had at stopping them were the Firelights. With their hoverboards they were more than capable of keeping up with the cars, but whether they could do anything with their bats and clubs was up in the air. To catch them they'd need to-

Thunder roared down in the Undercity as green lightning flashed at the end of the street, shooting upwards and hitting the roof of the Lanes right as it washed over the two cars. The two vehicles were launched up and out of view, careening into another street as sparks fell down upon them all, bathing the area in orange light. Emerald strands of electricity carried along the buildings all around them as Vi and her Enforcers came to a stop, each of them covering their ears to block out the sound of the blast. The motion was more than a little awkward with her massive gauntlets but they did the job.

Then, surrounded by Enforcers and unconscious bodies, the entirety of the Lanes went dark.

Vi would admit to feeling a little panicked in that moment, as the city that never slept fell to night in under a second, but the light that shone from her fists was enough for her to see her surroundings. The only other lights that Vi could see were the green trails of energy left behind by the Firelights' hoverboards as they came to the ground, realising the obvious danger of flying in the dark. Even the green lightning that caused this was gone, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Vi then heard shouts of panic from the people around her, not just the Enforcers but also citizens of the Lanes in the buildings around them.

This is very bad. Vi thought as she called for everybody to remain calm, knowing full well the damage that mass panic could cause, but her voice was lost in the noise.

Thankfully, mercifully, light returned to the Lanes once more after a few moments and Vi watched as her Enforcers spread out around her, doing their best to calm the people who were starting to come out from the cover of their homes and shops. The panic quelled as quickly as it came, though Vi could only see how one street of the entire city was handling it, but it was enough for now.

"Vi! What the hell was that?"

Vi heard a shrill voice call from somewhere behind her and she turned to look towards the side of the building Caitlyn was descending, her left arm held above her head as a line of bright blue light extended from it. That was the newest toy Jayce had given her, a little Hextech grappling hook so Caitlyn wouldn't have any trouble finding a good vantage point. Vi thought the thing looked a little silly but Caitlyn seemed to love it, both for the tactical advantage it gave her but also because, apparently, she really liked grappling hooks.

"No fucking clue!" She shouted in return, watching as Piltover's Sheriff reached the floor, tapping a button on her left bracer and causing the blue arcane rope to be reeled towards her. Caitlyn then folded and holstered her Hextech rifle, rapidly reaching Vi's side before they both took off towards the crash.

I knew things were going too well today. Vi groaned internally, rushing to deal with the aftermath of this whole clusterfuck.

Gods, sometimes she hated being right…

---

Whew, that was a long one but I'm also really proud of it. The only thing I can really say I'm not happy about is where I ended it. Obviously that's the best place I could end it but I have so much more to show with Vi before we move on, stuff I was hoping to show after we concluded this fight. The issue was this chapter was waaaaay too long to add it all in, mostly because I underestimated how long the stuff before the actual fight would be.

If you haven't noticed it by now, this fic is all about exploring the different characters chapter by chapter as they deal with the events that unfold, and to do that I've been trying to keep to a viewpoint per chapter. I write for one character then move to another next chapter, so on and so on. Of course I'm not that good of a writer and sometimes all the stuff I plan out for a single chapter will have to be spread into two, like what's happened with this chapter and the next. If there's two chapters in a row with the same character's perspective, that's not due to planning but because of my own incompetence.

All right then, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time, where we see what Vi thinks of this fight along with all the other stuff that's been going on. Have a good one!