TAKE WHAT YOU WANT AND GO
Title based on the song by Post Malone ft. Ozzy Osbourne.
Caitlyn Kiramman always had her trouble sleeping since... that day.
Not the first time she's been needing some medication on that, and still it wasn't enough. The bedroom as much as the House had been feeling as if on a maddening, silent perpetual limbo since the burial.
Rare were the days when she didn't dream about... that day.
That final confrontation. What's led to it. And the tragic result.
Caitlyn for one, would've thought to know better when Vi had said 'My sister is gone'. She even took Vi in as part of her special team to bring Jinx in for what she did to the Council. If Vi was lying to her, it was a pretty good lie. Unless the lie was to Vi herself, still trapped in denial of what Jinx had done.
Firing that rocket. Destroying the Council. Everyone in there, except Jayce, Mel and his friend.
Destroying... her.
And on the very first chase, Vi broke away from the team as they were busy with that battle going on, focusing on tracking Jinx down to the ruins of what looked like some temple.
The broken, vandalized columns were still fresh on her dreams as well as the damp scent she smelled when she got in. When she saw both Vi and Jinx fighting, lashing out all their pains on one another. Jinx her spite, Vi her grief. At least that blue-braided abomination did deserve all she was getting to her, despite Jinx having been able to outmatch Vi in some aspects of close combat, something Caitlyn knew Vi was well proficient.
Of course it had to be that accursed Shimmer, the second objective of her team, and what had been the bane of Zaun since Silco took over, near a decade ago.
However, as Vi managed a lucky blow on Jinx... that's when it turned sour. With Vi saying 'This has to end'.
Except, on the dreams, Caitlyn is besides the fighting pair. Not on the vantage point, the firing position she took that day.
Vi turns around to confront Jinx, before a sudden noise is then heard, and Vi has to dive in and activate the gauntlets' shielding system. It bounces off the first Hextech-powered ammunition round as Vi tries pushing off Jinx away, only for Jinx to then push Vi away... and point her pistol at her very sister.
Caitlyn, the observant, sees the shooter moving in. Wearing tactical uniform, the white beret, rifle reloaded and pointed. With no remorse, and no regret, readily pulling, rather squeezing, the trigger.
"MOTHER!", she wails on the dream on something that just too late. The round pierces through, blasting the very chest area, right on the center. Jinx is caught off-guard, the sudden pain as she collapses on the floor.
And the rest was consequence. Vi, in anguish, running to her sister's body, as right behind them lied the bloodied, second Hextech-powered round.
Vi's screaming, along with mother staring at her, is all it takes for the Sheriff of Piltover to wake her up, on full sweat amidst the lights out bedroom. Again.
Once again, that miserable memento of a victory turned to ashes in her mouth.
Even more given the fallout of it. One Caitlyn didn't need to remind over and over, but it was instead done for her, on those nightmares.
Vi did lie, after all. Little use in ruminating on that.
She took a deep breath, trying to recollect herself, have some water and maybe another pill before heading out to bed. She didn't need any sleep disrupting her functions, not as she kept on dealing with the amount of Jinx look-alikes that had popped like mushrooms, as of late. A terrible consequence of the attack on the Council, as it sparked all the wrong kinds of inspiration on the people of Zaun.
It was when she looked ahead of her when she saw it, right ahead of her, standing on an easel.
The very Kiramman family picture, canvas and frame, that lied on the lobby between the stairs, depicting a hunting trip both a very young Caitlyn, almost 5 years old, her now-late mother Cassandra and now still grieving father Tobias, alongside their trusted hounds whom passed away since.
And right on top of it all, a doodled, childish drawing of a toilet, in outrageous blue. A blue that recalled... her. With pink streaks indicating foul smell coming out of it. The pink that recalled... her.
Suddenly, a blast erupted from under Caitlyn's bed, jump scaring her, and a huge swath of pink and blue smoke came off both ends of her bed, rising up like smokes out of a magic show, covering her. Jump started into action, she readily came off her bed, rushing to her drawer, where her Hextech-powered rifle was, and picked it up. She then left the bedroom of the empty household, heading towards the bathroom.
The bathroom whose sanctity had been violated before, as well as her decency.
She approached the door arch to notice it had it's lights on, steam coming out of it, the familiar sound of water running. The shower was on, and Caitlyn's heart raced. The Sheriff took a deep breath and held it as she took cover position by the side of the door arch, counting up to two seconds before exposing herself, rifle in hand.
She heard the squeaking sound of the shower faucet being turned off, the hot water stream dying out, before the then nude figure whom used it had stepped out, picking up a towel on her way to the steamed up mirror.
The same thin, near-dead pale feminine frame. The same large, blue-ish braids, dripping out water. As the figure turned on her back, facing the mirror, Caitlyn could see the same cloud tattoos covering the right arm.
The Sheriff's heart raced beyond belief, accidentally letting out a breath totally uncalled for. Most feelings went awash through her in less than a second.
Shock. Anxiety. Fear. Dread. Disbelief. Emptiness. Denial.
All as the nude, feminine figure simply brushed her hand on the steamed up window and then looked at it for a second, before she raised up her right hand and drew two letters on the mirror. Two simple letters that somehow were more terrifying than that doodled toy-monkey emblem from before.
HER emblem.
The letters simply said: HI.
And then the nude one lowered her hand down.
It took several seconds for Caitlyn to even get her words out, although shock was now fleeting and was being replaced by something else.
Anger.
"What- But how- I had-", Caitlyn spoke, an evident loss at words.
"Oh, you pissed off at that?", the feminine frame returned, the raspy tone voice and disturbed demeanor evident. The FINAL evidence. "You ain't seen real pissed off, Cupcake..."
The Sheriff was still at a loss for words.
It shouldn't have been possible, she SAW it happen! All motionless, left there, she hardly needed to expose the body. The last thing needed was for her to become some martyr. She even left the bloodied powered round behind that day!
And yet, she was right there, before her. Out of the shower.
Caitlyn took the chance to glance at... THAT one's back. One where she could see a fresh targeting crosshairs' tattoo inked out.
Right where the round left off.
Something that made about every sense in the Sheriff go into the highest alert level ever conceived in Runeterra. Her hold on her Hextech-powered rifle was trembling.
"What are you doing here?", she asked.
"Showering proper?", Jinx asked, a second later, in an unfunny mocking accent that Caitlyn possessed. It was clear she was glancing at Caitlyn through the mirror. "Can I put on my clothes, now?", she asked then, now in a normal, disturbing civil voice. "Or maybe you'd rather do it like how I did'cha, that day?"
Yet ANOTHER evidence. None of the copycats ever knew about THAT detail.
Caitlyn could and SHOULD'VE just fired again, now, even if it'd make a fuzz. It'd solve the issue of the unexpected invasion.
But not of the unexpected return.
She slowly lowered her rifle.
"My room.", she said, in a commanding tone, as she then slowly walked away and back to the bedroom. She did return to see the floor around the bed all splattered with the blue and pink paint of the detonation, as she picked up the easel and moved it, the eyes still focused on the family drawing below the toilet doodle. Caitlyn's heart had stabilized as did her breathing, but her body temperature did rise up with the anger, now starting to ooze out as she sat on the bed, rifle still on hand, eyes focusing forward and the war face put on, waiting for her 'guest' to arrive.
It took a couple of seconds before bedroom's doors opened, and the very figure of nightmares, to the Sheriff and Piltover, walked in, visibly dried up. Still on that same clothing.
The same black gloves and uneven sleeves. The same ragged, striped pants. The same laceless shoes. And the same black top with a X on it's front.
All of that, walking in, slowly, towards her. Staring at her, piercing through the purple, Shimmer-fueled irises. No smiles.
About every battle reflex was ready in Caitlyn. One wrong move, that's all it'd take from Jinx.
Just. One. Wrong. Move.
"Y'know, before Vander, sis and I had only a bed to fight for, a real tiny one...", the Loose Cannon started.
"What is it, Jinx?", Caitlyn asked, bluntly. She only got a silent staring blue-braided girl in response. "What is it? Rematch? Payback? Vendetta? Is that it, huh!?"
Jinx let out a snicker. "Payback?", she asked. "Really? After a couple months? I thought you knew me..."
"Well, what is it, then?", Caitlyn asked, visibly angry at the situation, and Jinx's glance of silence as a response only stoked the anger flames. "I can't read minds, you know! What, blowing buildings up got all boring, now? You're gonna tell me you changed and now, out of a sudden, you're gonna become a seamstress?"
"No, I'm HERE to have YOU get your HAT outta your BUTT!", Jinx's angry tone increased, getting Caitlyn off-guard as well, her grip on the rifle becoming tighter, as Jinx pointed her right index finger at the Sheriff. "To make ya get back to your girlfriend obligations!"
"What?", Caitlyn asked, before she then picked it up herself together. Of course it had to be about THAT. She then shook her head. "Oh, of course you didn't get it: the moment you went down and died, she broke up.", she stated, bluntly.
"'Course she did, and I saw the damage, I did!", Jinx exclaimed, indeed backing up her statement of 'You ain't seen real pissed off'. She noticed Caitlyn keeping her inflexible stare at her. "You didn't even bother to check it by yourself, did'cha!?", she pointed to outside. "She's either getting blasted, or plastered! Even both! Breaking down in alleys, the puke all around, the hair's all different, her face's now awful! She's a become a shell, now!"
"And we both know who to thank for that, don't we?", Caitlyn asked a second later, as she kept on staring at the Loose Cannon's livid expression. "What, you're telling me you suddenly want her back on my arms?", she almost laughed, getting on her feet. "You, of all people in Runeterra!? And even if you did show up to her face, all of a sudden, it just doesn't work like that!"
Caitlyn then saw Jinx keeping stare, for a couple of, eyes clearly denoting intent. An intent that does bring realization. One that changed Caitlyn's expression.
"You are planning on showing your face to her...", the Sheriff nodded.
"And you better be there.", Jinx stated, in a menacing tone, keeping her stare in spite of the clear height difference in both. "And you get her outta that hole!"
"And what makes you think I'd even be inclined to, anyway?", Caitlyn asked, keeping her stance. "We moved on. Deal with it."
"She's becoming me!", Jinx growled, pointing out at the window again and then at herself, taking a step forward. "And rules are way clear on that - One! Jinx! Only!"
"Well, since when you've been about rules!?", Caitlyn asked, a second later, angry and commandeering as well. "And me and her apart, it's what you wanted all this time, isn't it!?"
Jinx kept on her stare at the Sheriff, the stone expression being as clear as it was back then. Something Jinx didn't need any degree to pick up on, realization coming clear as day to the blue-braided menace.
It only made her snicker at it, as she shook her head.
"No.", Jinx turned around, walking a bit away, feeling a bit dizzy on that. "No, no, no, no... Y-you still on that?", she turned around, at her limit of trying to contain her laughter at the absurdity of it, all as the Sheriff kept her cold stare, but one that was breaking with those snickers. "All this time? For real!? I take your fancy Hexie bullet and you're still on that!?", she asked again, holding her laughter and got only silence in return. "You think I didn't try rectifyin' my living, hence all this time out!?"
"It was my MOTHER on that Council, damn you!", Caitlyn suddenly shouted, making Jinx be a bit back again. "Don't act dense on me, you've been around here, surely you must've figured it out!", she gestured at around the room.
On hearing that, however, Jinx started feeling an urge.
The urge to chuckle, and then one to laugh, one she was trying to contain.
And was visibly failing.
"No!", the Loose Cannon pointed at Caitlyn, amidst laughs. "You thinking I killed her to get to ya!? Really!?"
And then Jinx collapsed into a cackle. An actual stream of laughter, one that made her dizzy.
And one that broke off the stonewall expression on the Sheriff, each laughter clearly disrespectful, getting to her. Poking her non-stop, stirring all the buried anger.
Until she couldn't take it anymore, and she pointed the Hextech Rifle at the Loose Cannon, roaring.
"HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT IT, YOU LITTLE-", she roared, getting the Loose Cannon off-guard, thunderously.
"OH YEAH, I DARE, 'CAUSE THAT'S HILARIOUS, CUPCAKE!", Jinx suddenly roared back, brushing aside the rifle and walking up to the Sheriff. "AND A WASTE OF A GOOD ROCKET! And you know that!", she said, between heavy breathing.
"Do I, now!?", Caitlyn asked, livid.
"Oh, yeah, you do now!", Jinx retorted, nodding madly. "Because I respect my bullets and bombs more than you people!", she raised an index finger at the Sheriff.
The doors suddenly opened, getting both off-guard as a new figure stepped in. One Caitlyn knew better, and it made her instinct trigger as high as they were down at the bathroom.
Her father.
"Caitlyn, what was that, are you-", Tobias started asking before he noticed the guest at the room, recognizing it from the wanted posters, all as Caitlyn rushed in, like she never had. "Wait, is that-"
His mouth was suddenly muffled by his very daughter as Caitlyn pushed him into the bedroom and dragged him towards the bed.
"Look at me! Look at me, dad!", Caitlyn ordered, on full alert mode, as Tobias stared at her eyes. "Not a word, not a sound, you stand there and act invisible, I'm serious!", she took a quick glance at Jinx, standing there, and then released her father's mouth and pointed him to the bed as she went to the door, shutting it, all as Tobias walked to the bed, noticing the mess as well as the painting with the doodled toilet, as well as the blue-braided girl, the one whom was staring at him creepily, unsettling him, as he sat down at the bed, shell-shocked.
Finally making him get what made Caitlyn be so triggered so much.
"So... you're the one.", Tobias said, in total dread as Caitlyn re-approached, rifle in hand. "In the flesh."
"How's it hanging, pops?", Jinx asked, a second later, calmed down.
"Hanging?", Tobias asked, incredulous, before anger started picking up on him. "You deserve worse than hanging! You killed-"
"Father!", Caitlyn ordered, stressed, getting his attention. "Quiet."
Jinx glanced at Caitlyn for a second before she nodded. "Yeah, you be quiet. It's girl talk.", she told Tobias before glancing back at Caitlyn, tension dominating the room, as alike a pressure pot.
"Let Fishbones out? I did.", she started then, the voice all lowered down, now. "Blew the stupid building? I did. But you thinking it was all about your mummy, as if I put'er in there myself?", she then shook her head slowly. "Get. Real. You even listened to it, what Silco said, 'fore you grabbed my gun. I know you did. Say it."
Caitlyn stared, as those terrible memories started coming back as well, stoked by the Loose Cannon.
Of the very moment that led up to this point.
'The topsiders offered me everything - independence, a seat at the table! All in return... for you.'
The Sheriff took her breath, closing her eyes for a second as she stared back at Jinx.
"They can all burn.", she said, slow and painfully, staring at her, shaking as well, with anger, and evident pain. "Still doesn't mean you EVER had to! You Trenchers had your independence a stones-throw away! And instead, you blew it, you LITERALLY blew it! You could've just given in, me and Vi would've worked it out!"
"Given in!", Jinx nodded, angrily. "Yeah, right! Like if you Pilts would ever keep your word!", she pointed at the vandalized picture. "Bet your hag did that once in a while too, didn't she? Filthy rich, indeed."
Those words made Tobias rise up from the bed, starting to walk up to the Loose Cannon.
"No, don't, don't you speak of my Cassandra like that!", he shouted.
"Father!", Caitlyn immediately pointed her rifle at Tobias, putting a stop to his advance, making him step back.
"Caitlyn!", Tobias exclaimed, shocked, trading glances between her daughter and the one whom cost him his dearly wife. "Really?"
"You'd rather me, old man?", Jinx asked, trying to remain civil, a second later, as she then nodded at the bed. Tobias, reluctantly, did step back to the bed, as Jinx and Caitlyn resumed staring at each other as the Sheriff put her rifle down.
"You talk to me of not keeping words, Jinx?", Caitlyn resumed. "You? How about you trying to goad Vi into killing me, on that party!?", she then did an impression of Jinx's voice. "Make her go away, please. Send her on her way in. And you can have Powder back."
The impression did not take well for Jinx, for the Loose Cannon took a step forward.
"Unlike you people, I WOULDA tried to bring her back, Cupcake.", she retorted, hurt. "Even if I failed, I still woulda tried!"
"So would've the Council.", Caitlyn returned, a couple of seconds late. "If you only gave us a chance."
"Bit too late for that...", Jinx said, a couple of seconds late as well.
"Exactly.", Caitlyn nodded, non-chalantly. "Bit too late. I'll pretend, just for tonight, this was nothing but a surreal nightmare.", she then nodded to the door, the clear message spoke through her eyes.
Out. Before I change my mind.
But Jinx didn't move, shaking her head in disgust. "You really gonna leave my sis hanging out, ain't ya?", she asked.
"Well, why don't you convince me, then?", Caitlyn asked, stepping forward. "Why should I care now, after all this time? Why do you want us back, after all you've done to set us apart?"
The question made Jinx step forward as well.
"Because you're about everything I despise on your people.", she stated, the venom and hatred oozing out in every word. "Your fancy clothes, your posture, the uptight nose... I can't even look you in the eyes and not hold myself from gouging'em out. Problem is, sis likes you, Cupcake, and could be herself around you. Much as it makes me puke, she was still herself close to ya. Just like it was with me and Silco. Turns out I misread ya, really thought you were a devil all this time. A sister-stealing devil. But you're just her Silco. Vi misread that too and took him from me before she realized what's what. I'm not gonna, not anymore, not after seeing her like that, now. She's not even fun, anymore.", the last statement came as a hurt one.
"Oh, that's what it's all about, then?", Caitlyn asked, nodding, a second later, triggered by that last statement. "She's not fun, anymore, to you!? Really thought there was something behind this sudden act of charity!"
"You callin' me selfish?", Jinx asked, also triggered by that. "You? Well, what made ya that invested in sis, to begin with!?", she waited for the Sheriff's answer, that did not come. "I'm waiting!", she raised her arms.
Caitlyn let her air out, shaking her head, in spite of all the memories, good and bad on Vi, coming through her. "It wasn't even supposed to be her, that's the truth.", she said. "Turns out she knocked out the one lead I had on Silco, back on Stilwater."
Jinx looked down for a minute, before staring back. "Bald head? Triple your size?", she asked. Caitlyn nodded. "He wouldn't tell ya shit, anyway...", she then glanced at Caitlyn for a moment. "She needs you."
"I am not playing this game, Jinx.", Caitlyn stated, firmly, a couple of seconds later. "This is something you don't play with. New times, now. Deal with it."
Jinx let her breath out, shaking her head turning around, in total disappointment. "Of course. Just like all you, Pilts. Have it all done for ya!", she exclaimed, walking to the door. "Don't you whine on the mess later, though! It'll be on ya!"
Jinx then opened the door and left the room.
A couple of seconds later, however, as Caitlyn was catching her breath and shaking her head, Tobias suddenly got off the bed and walked past Caitlyn on rushed steps to the door, on which she noticed.
"Dad!", the Sheriff called, distressed, but Tobias didn't listen, making her walk after him. "Dad, DAD!"
As Tobias opened the door and crossed it, he could still see Jinx on the corridor ahead. He walked some steps forward.
"What are you!?", he asked, loudly.
Jinx stopped on that question, as she turned around to face him. "I'm what you breed everyday.", she answered, bluntly. "You just never knew it."
The answer left Tobias dumbstruck.
"How's it hanging, pops...", she turned around, leaving both the Kirammans alone.
Alone, to their private little world.
Notes:
For those unaware, a sneak peek of Arcane Season 02 was shown at the Annecy conference, on which an ABSOLUTE downturn for Vi was exposed, as a result of mourning Powder/Jinx and being a total outcast to both Piltover AND Zaun. This downturn consists of Vi radically altering her appearance, getting into illegal fight rings, and engaging on self-destructive behavior such as alcoholism and obnoxious partying, all as totally inadequate mechanisms to cope with loss.
This fiction thus assumes Jinx did witness Vi's downfall and is anything but pleased by it, she's totally disgusted. Thus, after a break down on the matter and accidentally associating Caitlyn to Silco - a despised person but one which someone else uses as an anchor to avoid this destructive behavior - she decides to take matters into her own hands. Including bringing Cait and Vi back together, even if she's to become alone for that, but she fights her doubts on this one, because she knows loneliness is still preferable to seeing Vi in such a gut-wrenching state.