Chapter Three: Hurt and Exposed

Jinx had made her way to what once was The Last Drop with Fishbones, the Hextech weapon she had made from scratch (and blew up Piltover's tower with), held up upon her shoulder. The numbness that had struck her right after she acted purely on instinct to save her older sister's life at the cost of Silco's had slowly turned into sorrow. The man who had raised her, who had taken care of her for the last 7 years was now dead – by her own doing.

She couldn't shake it off. Images from that moment plus the day where she blew up the warehouse were playing hide and seek within her consciousness, her mind driving her crazy in despair. However, something had changed in Jinx. Somehow, she was able to witness all of these thoughts racing through her head and remain dangerously still, immobile like a hawk observing its prey.

When she arrived, she was shocked by the destruction of the main floor. With everything that had happened that night, she had already forgotten the state the establishment had deteriorated into post Vi's and Sevika's fight. It felt funny to her how her first instinct was to go back to the place she once called home.

But something told her she wasn't alone. Curious yet alert, Jinx scanned the place as she slowly walked in. The completely smashed records machine, the sliced pool table, scattered dented bar stools… As many of the things, people, and places of her past, this too had perished. It didn't take long until she noticed a trace of purple liquid mixed with blood stains formed a pattern. They led upstairs, right into Silco's office. She quickly knew who these belonged to, but didn't hesitate in entering the room straight ahead without even bringing her guard up.

She found the one she thought she would find, but far from how she had expected her to be. Sevika was asleep on the couch, her metal arm hanging and resting on the wooden floor. Jinx looked at her with no expression on her face, then walked right by her. Carelessly, she dropped Fishbones on top of Silco's desk. The sordid noise woke Sevika up immediately.

– What the…?

But when she saw Jinx standing right there, she felt something was off right away.

– Jinx –she paused–, where have you been?

Silence. That is the only response she got from her. Sevika realized the weapon was the Hextech device she had been building under Silco's orders. She continued to observe, her eyes going back and forth from Fishbones to Jinx, as the deeply damaged teenager slowly dragged herself towards Silco's chair.

Sevika sat up straight on the couch in her usual manly position.

– The weapon, did you use it?

Jinx sat in her former second-stepfather's armchair, and a few seconds in, she allowed herself to feel all the bottled pain, anger and sadness. Sevika was shocked by that emotional display, for Jinx would always try to look ruthless in front of her. "Something must have gone really wrong," she thought to herself.

Not knowing what to do, she got up with the intention of somehow soothing her. But the moment she approached, Jinx got up the chair in the blink of an eye, took one of the pens from the table and pinned her to the wall; her forearm pressing against her throat, threatening to pierce her carotid with the pen in hand. Sevika was petrified by the speed she moved at.

– What… What happened to you?

Underneath the layer of anger, the scared little girl still needed to cry. With tears in her eyes, Jinx looked right into Sevika's, but couldn't utter a word. Sevika understood that whatever had happened, had truly hit Jinx at a level she had never seen before.

– I'm not going to hurt you, Jinx. I just want to know what happened.

Jinx could tell she was telling the truth. At least she now knew she wasn't a liar.

She stopped pressing against her until she released her completely. Her emotions were already hard enough to handle, and deep inside, all she wanted was to find some peace. She took two steps away and turned around, now standing beside Fishbones. Sevika massaged her neck, alert and with her guard up just in case Jinx would snap again.

– Silco… is dead –she finally spit it out. Sevika's eyes went wide open–. And I… I killed him.

– You did what?! –Sevika exclaimed.

– I didn't want to… It was –Jinx paused, aware of what she was about to say– an accident.

Sevika couldn't believe her ears. It took her a few moments to recover and integrate that fact.

– But the good news is –Jinx continued in a lighter tone– that the weapon works.

That caught Sevika's attention. Jinx was dissociating again.

– Is that how you killed Silco? –she asked with bitterness.

Jinx scoffed–. No.

– But you have tested it.

– Yes.

– On what?

Jinx looked at her from above her shoulder.

– Piltover's Council.

The straw that broke the camel's back. Sevika brought her hand to her forehead, her pulse racing.

– How could you be so stupid?! –she yelled–. Do you have any idea of what you have done? They are going to send a full army to the Lanes, and Silco won't be here to negotiate Zaun's independence.

– Oh, he did negotiate it –Jinx replied with sarcasm–, but he was given an offer he had to revoke.

Sevika frowned.– You are sick. I am not going to stay to witness what your step-father's dream gets crushed by a war your reckless and selfish acts have caused.

– Second step-father.

Jinx's condescending tone threw Sevika off once more. She scoffed and walked away to the couch she had been lying down prior to Jinx's arrival.

– I have no idea what your intention is, but I won't be staying to find out.

She packed her things and made her way out, slamming the door behind her. And Jinx was left, once again, all alone.

[Play "Embrace" by Sappheiros]

The robust rounded stone was moved by the tall sentinel. The squat lifted their heads up so that he could see their faces. He recognized the four of them and moved aside, inviting them in with a grunt. The path had been challenging but Vi, Caitlyn, Heimerdinger and Taric had made it all in one piece together with the trolley filled with mechanical and electric parts. It felt so good to be back in that beautiful place.

The sun was already peaking, its rays playing in between the branches of the Great Giant – the magnificent tree at the core of the Firelight community. A few curious faces showed up to greet them, and for the happy reaction of the children, they already knew Heimerdinger.

Vi approached the kids while high-fiving them. They seemed excited to see her again. She had a way with children that gave away her benevolent essence, and Caitlyn couldn't help but smile.

– Hey, do any of you know where Ekko is? –the redhead asked.

– You have him behind you.

Ekko himself spoke suddenly. Vi turned around at once, and there he was, standing right in front of her with a few bruises and his usual sassy smile on, holding onto a crutch to prevent his foot from touching the ground.

– Ekko! –she leaped to hug him– Gosh, I'm so glad you're OK.

– Yeah, your sister almost made sure I wouldn't.

Ekko hugged her back wholeheartedly; he was also happy she was alive. Then, he made eye contact with Caitlyn who was only a few meters away. This time, he took a step forward and shook her hand.

– I am sorry for what happened at the bridge –she said in a serious, slightly shy tone.

– Oh, you mean the dude that shot me in cold blood? –he said with sarcasm– I told you not to show him the gem.

– I know, I'm sorry. But I'm glad you're OK.

– I see you're making better choices, now.

His eyebrow lifted the moment a smirk was drawn on his face, referring to the fact she was back with the "Undercity team". Caitlyn hid a smile. He quickly scanned her head to toes, and his smirk was replaced by a facial expression of evident disgust.

– You really gotta change clothes, though. We don't do 'corruptive blue' around here.

– Ekko, chill.

Vi cut through sharply in a protective manner. She knew she'd still had to set certain boundaries until a healthy relationship was established between Ekko and Caitlyn, for it was never about them but about whom they'd represent.

– So, what happened? –Ekko asked, arms crossed.

Heimerdinger looked at the children who were hovering with curiosity around the trolley. He cleared his throat, then whispered:

– I think this conversation needs a more private space.

Intrigued, Ekko nodded and asked someone he knew to take the trolley to the engineering lab. Then, he asked the four of them to follow him to a two-story building made of metal, located at the East side of the Great Giant. He scanned his hand on the panel and the big double door opened in front of them, leading them straight into a wide set of stairs: one going up, another one going down. At the underground level, a considerably big space opened up. And, to their surprise, they were not alone.

– Welcome to The Heart, the place were tactics are discussed to keep our people safe –Ekko announced.

Vi recognized some of the faces she had to fight when the Firelights appeared by surprise at her reunion with Jinx, and the goons did recognize her back. The sentinels exchanged a "what the hell are they doing here?" look with their leader, asking without words if he was sure of trusting them to that extent. Ekko nodded. Although reluctant, they nodded back, then carried along in silence.

The space was equipped with rudimentary, steampunk style location machinery and old-looking restored furniture. A robust, rectangular wooden table stood at the center, with some paper rolls folded in one corner. Across the room, two big largely used sofas – one dark green and one dark blue – sat on a circular orange rug. Ekko limped up to one of the couches and let himself fall while putting the crutch on the floor.

– Make yourselves at home.

Taric took the time to wave at every sentinel; some of them waved back, some others just wondered what the hell was going on. Vi sat down on the couch beside him while Caitlyn decided to lean onto the wooden table, her arms holding onto each other across her chest.

– We've got terrible news, my boy –Heimerdinger began to say, his hands locked at his back as he paced in circles around the rug area–. I'm afraid all negotiations between Zaun and Piltover are now over.

– Why? Didn't you get the gemstone to the Council?

– Jinx took it before you recovered the bag –Caitlyn explained.

– What? But how?!

– Unfortunately, that's not the worst part –Vi said, her fingers interlaced with her elbows resting on her knees.

Ekko looked at Vi and soon realized something truly messed up had happened. Vi took a deep breath in and gathered the strength to say it out loud.

– Jinx used the gemstone to power a weapon, a sort of cannon, and she fired it against Piltover's Council tower a few hours ago.

– She did what now?! –his eyeballs almost left the sockets.

– The Council happened to be gathered when the rocket hit –Heimerdinger added, keeping in mind the presence of one of the Councilor's daughter–. In spite of the great disaster it caused, there's still a chance the Council members have been able to survive the attack.

Ekko closed his eyes in disbelief, his hands passing through his face. Caitlyn clenched her hands around her arms, pretending not to be affected by his words. Vi looked at her from the corner of her eye; she could tell she was trying her best to not show vulnerability, but the tension of her body gave it away nonetheless. She was too honest for her own good, sometimes.

The sentinels who were around couldn't help but to overhear the conversation. They turned around and stared at the squat of champions with a queasy stomach. Ekko, who was equally stricken by the shocking turn of events, was still processing the new information.

After a few moments in silence, Ekko spoke:

– Where is Jinx now?

– We don't know –Vi confessed–. She fled.

– Caitlyn it is, right? –Ekko called, and Caitlyn locked eyes with him as a confirmation of her name–. You are an enforcer, you know how they think. What's the first move Piltover is gonna make after this?

Caitlyn was taken by surprise. She wasn't expecting that question at all. She hesitated for an instant, as she knew her answer would determine many things. She could feel the entire room looking at her, expectant. Then, she straightened her spine and cleared her throat, ready to do her best at giving a competent answer that wouldn't compromise the security of those who she cared about.

– You can rest assured Piltover is going to take measures against the Undercity. I'm not going to lie, they won't be merciful about it –the room had a general reaction–. They don't know Silco is dead so they will believe it was him. It will be considered as a delivered act of war. What they will do from here on, I am not sure –Caitlyn looked down–. Although, it will depend on who will be in charge, in case… no one survived the attack.

– If they ended up coming by force to the Undercity looking for Silco, would they attack every person they crossed? –Taric added with a concerned look on his face.

Caitlyn confirmed with a heavy heart.

– Even his death is antagonistic to peace… –Ekko lashed out in a loud whisper.

– Why don't we go see them and explain what happened, then? –Taric kept focusing on finding a viable solution.

– I don't guarantee they will hold a counterattack, but I also think it's the best shot we got –Heimerdinger seconded his idea.

– A 'maybe' isn't good enough for us –Ekko explained–. We need to protect our people and we don't have the resources to go into battle with Piltover.

– That must be our last option, indeed –Heimerdinger answered, his tiny fingers around his mustache, thinking.

– So, how do we prevent hundreds of very angry enforcers from flooding our streets?

– By catching Jinx –Vi uttered with deep sorrow.

A long silence fell over the room. No one was moving; no one was making a sound. Caitlyn stared at Vi, who kept her gaze stuck to the floor. Taric exchanged a look with Heimerdinger, who seemed to agree with that idea. However, everyone else was holding their breaths, waiting for the approval or revocation from their leader. Ekko was resting his head on one hand, lying on the couch's arm with his eyes closed. This position meant he was letting this option sink in, which meant he was actually considering it. And this made Ekko's soldiers become restless.

– We haven't been able to stop Jinx for years, what makes you think we could catch her now? –a female sentinel said in worry.

– We have to protect the community –a male sentinel spoke–. The enforcers won't distinguish between Silco's army and our people. With the new pieces Heimerdinger and Taric have brought, we can upgrade our weaponry. We will nest up and…

– No –Ekko interrupted–. For once, a defense strategy won't help us. If the enforcers flood the Lanes, we won't be able to hold a strike like that –he paused, looking at them–. Vi is right, we have to find Jinx and give her to Topsiders before they come.

Everyone seemed rattled about that statement, but didn't oppose it. Jinx had been a pain in the ass for years, and now they were forced into a hunting quest against time. They were far from happy about it; however, they also understood they didn't have a choice.

– What's your plan? –Caitlyn asked, ready to get started.

He paused and gave it thought.

– We will split in three teams: Abyss, Locke –he talked to the female and male sentinels that spoke earlier–, you will increase the defenses around the nest. Pass the news to the people. I want you to carry out daily trainings with the troops. Scout the streets for new recruits, but be discreet.

They nodded and brisked their way out. Ekko looked at Professor Heimerdinger next.

– Heimerdinger, you will lead the engineering team to get those upgrades up and running the fastest you can. I will help you out with the new designs we were working on the other night.

– Consider it done –he lifted his thumb energetically.

– Vince –Ekko now looked at a very buffed man who was leaning against the wall–, get a team of three. Ask every single one of your contacts. Find where Jinx is hiding and report back when you do. Do not engage, you hear me?

The man nodded and exchanged a look with his camarades, hence choosing the ones who'd be joining him. Ekko gave a signal for them to get moving. The three men proceeded to exit The Heart's strategy room.

– I will go back to Piltover –all eyes went on Caitlyn–. If I tell them who we are actually after, they won't deploy to kill innocent people. We would be joining forces into finding Jinx, and your people wouldn't be at risk anymore.

– And how will we know it worked? –Ekko inquired, a skeptical look on his face.

Caitlyn had an idea of Ekko's way of communicating things, so she didn't take it personally. However, he had a point. Even if she were able to guide Piltover's fury into something positive, like the active conjoint search of Jinx, how would she let them know they were safe?

– I will escort her and come back to pass the message –Vi stated all of a sudden.

– Wait, what? –Caitlyn said, confused.

– Oh, yeah? –Ekko lifted an eyebrow– And what if you get caught or even killed? This all would have been for nothing –the sass was remarkable. Vi frowned, finding his behavior obnoxious–. If you exit the grounds, I can't spare a team to protect you.

– I know, and it won't be necessary.

– Didn't you have enough? –Ekko raised his voice in disbelief, his frustration showing he genuinely cared for her–. Your ass literally just got kicked twice and you still want to go out there alone. You heard the Pilty: they are up in arms! And you know how they do: shoot first, ask questions later.

– What we lived at the bridge was an exception –Caitlyn tried to explain.

– That's precisely my point. Unforeseeable events do happen, and these days even more often than before.

Heimerdinger cleared his throat to subtly interrupt the heated discussion before it turned into an argument.

– Let's all calm down. Perhaps there is another route we haven't yet contemplated?

And just like that, Caitlyn had an eureka moment.

– There might indeed be another route! –she exclaimed, both Vi and Ekko looked at her–. Professor, you said you have a boat at the harbor, am I right?

Heimerdinger was caught by surprise–. Oh…! Well, yes, I do.

– Could we use it to cross the river?

– Too visible –Ekko opposed, cranky.

– Only during the day –Professor Heimeringer explained with a knowing smile.

– Then we will leave at dusk –Vi stated.

– Wait, at dusk? –the enforcer had envisioned a much different outcome from that brilliant idea–. But the sun just rose. We can't wait for that long!

– I mean, if you wanna tempt your luck, be my guest –Ekko lashed out while reaching out for the crutch to get up; thus, the heated discussion was over.

Caitlyn looked at the rest of the squat looking for support, but everyone seemed to agree with that final statement. She snorted, now having to deal with her emotions herself. Despite the sensible decision, she could only see how reaching Piltover was getting further and further away as the events unfolded.

– I'll have a room arranged for you so that you can have some rest –Ekko offered–. Feel free to roam around the market and grab some food, too.

He made a grimace while getting up from the couch, and slowly made his way out. He never mentioned his injuries from his last encounter with Jinx, and probably never will. Heimerdinger said goodbye and sped up to exit the room in order to get on with his newly assigned duties, letting them know where to find the engineer's lab in case he was needed.

Vi also got up from the couch and took a few steps towards a very focused Caitlyn, who was completely immersed in thought. It felt almost as if she was up to something.

– Are you hungry? –she asked in a soft tone.

– Not right now.

– Oh, I am! –Taric raised his hand enthusiastically–. We could go check out the market and see what they have.

Taric's idea matched Vi's preferences, although she couldn't shake off the feeling something was going on with Caitlyn. She didn't give an answer right away, not until Caitlyn lifted her head and said:

– You guys go ahead. I need some time alone. I will meet you there.

Vi held the gaze for a few long seconds; finally, she gave in.

– Okay.

The brawler became aware it was difficult for her to just leave, a sensation that did surprise her when Vi became aware of it. She simply couldn't deny it anymore: she was in love, and her way of showing it was through care and protection. Taric began leading the way with determination at a bouncy pace, taking Vi by the arm in the middle of her thought process and finally making their way out.

Caitlyn didn't move a muscle until she heard the big metallic door open and close. She was indeed having an inner battle within, and precisely because she was aware that Vi had noticed, she chose to contain the tide until the very last moment. A strong hit on the table echoed in the now empty space, her fist throbbing in pain immediately after. She regretted that action right away, but at the same time it felt good to release the sudden anger that was rising inside of her, like a volcano about to devour all the nearby villages without warning.

An urge to go find Jinx herself arised from the depths of her being, boiling in such rage she didn't even recognize as part of who she was. She chose to not mention this part in front of the squat in order to protect Vi, but, in fact, she knew very well what Piltover would do next: scouting every corner of Zaun until finding the person responsible for the attack, then bringing her to justice. And, according to Piltover's law, Caitlyn knew that the sentence for the crimes that Jinx had committed would be the death penalty. "Might as well pull the trigger myself" she thought.

She contemplated the idea for a moment, then tried to fight it away. She knew she was not a vengeful person… or was she? It was the first time she encountered a situation like this, and Jinx had woken up parts of her she wasn't even aware of. Everyone was so outraged about Jinx's acts, but no one had thought of what it was for Caitlyn to be caught by surprise in one of the most vulnerable moments such as having a shower, then being forced to get dressed in her uniform before getting ruthlessly sprayed with gas and then kidnapped.

Caitlyn took a deep breath in. Beyond the politics and casualties from both cities, this was personal. For Jinx, it had always been. Jinx didn't care how many innocent lives she striked in order to get the approval of her deceased step-father, to name an example. And she was willing to even kill Caitlyn in order to get Vi back. She frowned. These last thoughts tilted the scale, for she saw it clearly: Jinx had no sense of remorse for what she had done and was a danger for everyone on both sides of the river. There was no way she was going to sit around and waste an entire day.

No, she could not allow more death to occur. She suddenly remembered that the buffed man called Vince was on his way to find out where Jinx was. If only she could join him… Caitlyn paused and looked at the clothes she was wearing. "There's no way I can go around like this", she thought to herself. Caitlyn sighed with frustration, but not ready to give up just yet. Perhaps she would be able to find something to wear at the market.

– Ugh…!

And then she remembered Vi would be waiting for her. She would have to sneak out past her, and that caused physical pain to the enforcer. She didn't want to hurt her, but there was too much at stake. Caitlyn took a deep breath in and decided to take it step by step. She was going to figure it out on the go. There was no time to waste.

To be continued…

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment on how this story is making you feel so far, what you liked and why, or any constructive feedback that can help me improve my writing skills, character development, etc.

Much love, and until the next episode!