CAMILLE
It had been too a while since Councillor Talis had left her office, as well as Ambessa. Perhaps too long. To the point she had left the office and found Ambessa at the wait outside, whom told the Councillor needed some time, apparently. Clearly some steam was let out in the interrogation room, something to be expected after such a wild turn in the previous status quo, especially from Mel Medarda's supposed confidant.
Despite the unexpected eventualities, it was going as planned, nevertheless - the earthquake no doubt would favor construction projects and the quarantine could be extended, providing the control the previous Council could only *dream* of, but never had the courage to do so. In fact, even the attempted 'rescue' of Medarda worked out favorably as well, with an once cast-out Councillor back in the fold, ready to vote as... Piltover... required.
The situation seemed to be playing to her favor for once, indeed. The Warden-Marshall wished she could savor it. Unfortunately, she still had her work ahead of her, and so did Jayce Talis. And heartbreaks couldn't be afforded any levity, in the running greater scheme of things.
Camille, after having to inquire on some enforcers for directions, managed to find his way towards Councillor Talis, sitting alone by the locker room of the Central Precinct, apparently in a distraught manner. She stepped in slowly, eyes fitting the sitting man whom wasn't deaf to notice her incoming presence.
"I'm to get to working towards how we'll handle the Daily Pilt right now, isn't it?", Jayce asked.
"To say 'no pressure intended' would be indeed pushing it, mister Talis.", Camille answered, hesitating to sit at such a... *masculine* a place as a male locker room's bench. "Unfortunately, time can be... frequently uncooperative. I was told there was a fallout in your reunion with miss Medarda."
"Nothing ever gets slipped past you, does it?", Jayce stared at Camille, heavy sarcasm in that statement, before he looked away.
A moment of silence filled the locker room, despite the commotion outside.
"I... I asked her.", Jayce opened up again. "I asked her if she really did went to check on Viktor when he was sick and...", he then let out a sigh and shook his head, in disbelief.
"You wished it was wrong.", Camille concluded, sitting down slowly. "The answer. But not because I said it. It was for yourself. Often, it's not the lies that cut, but rather the sharpness of the truth."
Jayce glanced at Camille's unnatural blue eyes for a moment, before driving them away. "What she answered, it was so... so callous.", he felt lost at words. "Am I really *that* gullible? Did I really let myself..."
"You are the judge of that, Councillor.", Camille said, plainly. "All I can say it's that sometimes scars are the most refined attire one can wear."
"Scars...", Jayce shook his head, feeling insulted, glacing back at Camille. "Easy for you, to spew out these apparently noble, wise one-liners at every turn. You apparently never had a relationship, have you? Never had your heart broken? Wonder if there is a heart in there, after all!"
"There was.", Camille stated bluntly, a second later. "And it *was broken, mind you. And then it was...", her eyes then drifted a bit away, the tone suggesting some underlying shame beneath it. "And then it was... made anew."
Jayce looked away as Camille glanced back at him.
"Much like the tools you smith.", Camille's words had Jayce stare back at her. "The name Ferros isn't a mere fancy name, mister Talis. It comes from 'ferrous', a material related to or containing iron. And like any ore, it requires the heat and the beating... and especially the breaking, before it ever becomes steel. I am over eighty-years old, and I assure you, the harsh memory of one's past does not soften with age. Instead, it hardens us. Fortifies us, if you'd like, for whatever comes ahead. Heartbroken as you are now, you will find your steel soon enough. It's not even motivation, it's a fact."
The Warden-Marshall then got on her feet. "On a personal note, though...", she said. "Sooner would be better. As I mentioned, time can be uncooperative."
"Maybe...", Jayce said, looking away and nodding, a second later. "Maybe this was just a misunderstanding, maybe... she'd understand what I'm trying to do, the cost of it...", he let out a sigh.
"You seek your thoughts on her validated.", Camille replied. "But if you want to test her affection for you, to truly test this relationship... just take a decision contrary to her own.", Camille then noticed Jayce stare back at her. "A decision for *yourself, on what you think and believe. How she'll react will be your answer."
"Is that the sound of experience?", Jayce asked.
Camille's darted again, shrugging. "In a way.", she said. "No relationship is without trial. For now, however...", she nodded at the exit to the lockers.
"I'll be there shortly...", Jayce said.
As Camille headed to walk away, however, an enforcer was at the entrance.
"Warden-Marshall.", the enforcer greeted. "Something occurred at the Bridge."
CAITLYN
"We should've brought those enforcer uniforms home..."
Caitlyn could notice Vi's slight groggy state, the by-product of that watered down sleeping tonic, as they were close to the Central Precinct. Though the sun wasn't up still, the first rays of blue, almost marine blue or azure, started to dim away the once starry skies over Piltover and some light started to emerge at the very colored top of the buildings of the City of Progress. In about an hour the street lamps below would be turned off and their eternal light would die away, giving room to the sovereign light of Runeterra's orbiting star. The airships above, those with enforcers, would land soon too for the shift change. Only the slightly chilling winds of the small hours remained, but would burn away too as the sun would pick up it's heat.
It were but hours since they had returned home, after all that night which ultimately ended up almost fruitless except they no longer slept behind bars, but Caitlyn and Vi knew they needed the rest for the new day, in which they'd have to report for duty as enforcers, to the very system they had stood against and now called all the shots.
Still, they could barely get any sleep, weren't for the tonic. Vi was also almost barred by the employees, under Tobias' orders, no doubt, from entering the Kiramman Estate, but Caitlyn was still stubborn to force them into letting the Trencher brawler in. Vi reluctantly took the tonic after attempting to fall asleep unsuccessfully, the adrenaline, the anger and frustration washing over her, on all those events. That and the fact she fell unconscious from that beatdown at the Central Precinct cells, which gave her the 'sleeping' already.
"They were stinky, anyway...", Vi replied, shaking her already numb head and letting out a yawn.
"You know you'll get one already over the dress code.", Caitlyn warned.
"Let'em, Cait.", Vi replied. "I won't get and look all poshy just for scissorlegs' sake."
"Not just that, for *anything, Vi!", Caitlyn censored, walking ahead to talk to her face to face, stopping the walk. "Despite Heimerdinger getting us out, you can bet from this point on Ferros will just want a single reason, the tiniest, to sling us both back in those cells, for good!"
"Well, tell me something I don't know.", Vi retorted.
"What you don't know, but you must right now, is how to check your temper!", Caitlyn blew back, poking at Vi's chest with the index. "I'm serious here, Vi. You can bet the staff will do it all - set us apart, find something degrading for you to do, get a lousy partner, someone to snitch on every slip we might make! And especially go all and every way they can to light your short fuse up. And they might not even need Camille ordering them..."
As Vi heard that and absorbed it, her eyes went down, taking a breath. "And I should just dance to her tune...", she mumbled between her teeth.
"With the likes of her, it's not even should, it's *will*.", Caitlyn replied. "It's not even a choice.", she then let her breath out and nodded to the direction they were headed and thus resumed the walking.
"What a sham...", Vi shook her head as both then reached the Central Precinct which they ironically left through the same, well-guarded front doors the previous night. They could see the same enforcers the pair made fools of, at least it looked like, right there greeting them.
"Well, well, look who's here.", one of the enforcers, clearly a woman, greeted. "Back to the crime scene, princess?"
"Not now, Tessa, please.", Caitlyn said as she and Vi walked to the door, but the enforcers walked in front of it.
"Yeah, that was some great job, by the way, trashmuncher.", another enforcer retorted, a male one this time. "Made clowns outta every last one of us, here! Bet you and that dirty slag had quite the laugh.", he pointed at Vi.
Vi glanced at the male officer. "You never been down there, have you?", she asked, and Caitlyn glanced nervous at her.
"I'm an enforcer, brat, not a waste disposal worker.", the enforcer retorted.
"Vi, no-", Caitlyn started.
"Yeah, well, a small hint for when you do.", Vi blew back, ignoring Caitlyn. "People lose teeth doing that."
"Whoa, wait, did I hear that right?", the male enforcer asked, walking a bit of the door and a degree downstairs. "You just *threatened* a law enforcement agent?"
"Vi!", Caitlyn grabbed her shoulder tight, staring at the enforcer. "Dingham, we're still in the-"
"No, no, no, no, she's gonna answer that, princess!", Dingham cut her off walking towards the two ladies.
"I didn't threaten anyone, it was a friendly advice.", Vi replied firmly, glancing at Dingham. "But go ahead, keep it up! Now *that* was a threat."
Caitlyn wasted no time pushing Vi behind and stepping ahead of her, trying to break off the incoming fight.
Dingham, instead, stopped and laughed. "Would you look at that...", he started. "Are you sure you are a woman, pink? Because you *do* have a pair. More than I can say for your girlfriend... Did you know the sole reason she's here in the first place is 'cause Grayson, the Sheriff before Marcus, was in her mommy's good graces?"
"Leave her out of this.", Caitlyn spoke ahead, firmly, a second later.
"Yes.", Dingham nodded, a second later. "Yes, you're right, better leave Grayson out... No need to besmirch her name with more filth, even more with it all over you.", he glanced at Vi, whom glanced deadly at him, and then back at Caitlyn. "Just a question though, Kiramman: Did you at least wash your mouth proper before you kissed your mom goodbye at the casket?"
Caitlyn's blood started to boil as a result, but before she could move, she felt her left shoulder pushed out as Vi stepped forward again.
"Her, I don't know.", Vi started, clearly as triggered as the enforcer was. "You, on the other hand..."
"Well, be my guest-", Dingham started, raising his arms.
"HEY!"
The roaring commanding shout cut everyone off and gave pause to the inevitable as they all turned to the source - another enforcer incoming, clearly older than the city itself and with a chevron mustache, wearing his uniform.
And he clearly wasn't impressed with the scene. Not the slightest.
Caitlyn pushed Vi back a few steps from Dingham.
"What the hell is going on in here?", the newcomer asked, walking in.
"We were trying to enter, Sergeant Gilhil.", Caitlyn answered, trying to keep herself civil and professional.
"Trying to enter?", Gilhil, the newcomer, asked back. "Unless the door is jammed, Kiramman, you either get in or you don't, the rookies had better excuses.", he then glanced at Dingham. "Too much free time in your hands again, Dingham? I can remedy that."
"Apologies, Sergeant.", Dingham replied. "Just a minor misunderstanding."
"Not from where I was standing, it sure wasn't!", Gilhil raised his voice. "You insult my intelligence or her mother again, I guarantee you *will* learn what a REAL misunderstanding is! Officer Kiramman is still an enforcer, so a shred of respect is still expected."
"Was she an enforcer when she and this one were down there, butchering our own!?", Dingham pointed at Vi.
"If you're talking about that Ironhand deal, Ding-dong, there's no evidence they did it. Yet.", Gilhil stared at both Vi and Caitlyn with a stern face and then back at Dingham. "To not mention those were all gone rogue at the time. You can choose to go down there and join them in their graves. but until then, you stand down, you stand to attention and you stand to respect with your fellow men! Understood?"
"Yes, Sergeant.", Dingham answered, a couple of seconds later, the tone suggesting the answer was a forced one.
"As you were.", Gilhil ordered coldly, as Dingham did retreat to his position and stood by while Gilhil himself walked towards the door, unbarred, and then did Caitlyn and Vi.
As they passed through the door at the same time Dingham sneered for a last time, Vi allowed Caitlyn step ahead as to follow the enforcer and the Sergeant through the lobby of the adorned, yet militaristic station and to one of the corridors leading to the main hall.
"Thanks for that, at least.", Vi let out at the lobby, feeling obliged to do so after the imminent catastrophe was averted.
"Don't bother Trencher, that wasn't for you.", Gilhil replied, coldly, stopping his march and turning to both Caitlyn and Vi, both stopping. "And if what I heard is right, and you're the fresh meat, I expect you to at least wipe your feet every time you get in here. That and I better not see that... undercover set, in the future.", he pointed at Vi's clothing.
"Well, if you'll let me, it wasn't by choice.", Vi replied. "The fresh meat part."
"A mistress of the obvious, clearly.", Gilhil nodding in sarcasm. "No training, no lecture, and apparently none ever told you on 'the asking for permission to speak freely' deal. And sadly no time for a crash course either...", he glanced at Caitlyn shaking his head in disappointment. "Briefing in ten minutes."
As the Sergeant resumed his walk towards the main hall, Caitlyn proceeded with Vi, especially in hasty transitions across the crowded halls of the precinct, on a series of clearly tedious routines - checking in the log book at the entry, equipping up in the locker room, where Caitlyn picked up a spare citation book and pen and handed it to Vi and then checking her workstation, which was a mess and no doubt riddled with notes and papers with expletives from every enforcer in the building, some photos of dead enforcers from the battle at the Firelights' haven and emptied drawers, no doubt from an Internal Affairs search ordered by Camille.
Finally, she and Vi reached within a briefing room where the eyes of the enforcers present, both male and female, were at disgust and attempting to contain themselves from doing something stupid, glancing both at Kiramman and Vi and whispering to each other. Both clear and present anathema. Vi could often wonder if that was the prime reason she related the most to Caitlyn, ever since she released the brawler out of Stilwater prison island.
Both Vi and Caitlyn walked and took their seats at the back of the room, eyes open and in wait for the briefing that didn't take long to commence.
"Ears up, all of you!", Gilhil stated, in a commanding voice, as he entered the room and took his place by the podium at the front row center. "Normally, it'd be good morning, but about everyone here *knows* what just happened.", he glanced at both Vi and Caitlyn. "Let's get the dragon in the room out of the way, I don't like it any more than you do and yes, were it on me, those two would be anywhere but here. But the problem is, it's not on me. So whatever it is you have on them, you keep it to yourselves in those places you don't mention about at parties, because we have bigger problems stinking out there."
Vi shrugged at that. If anything, Gilhil knew how to set people straight, even in a more abrasive manner than she did.
Except it were words, not knuckles, obviously.
"Everyone this side of Valoran knows what just happened to our dear friends across the river. And because of that, the almighty and wise Warden-Marshall imposed a full quarantine.", Gilhil mentioned the adjectives in a sarcastic tone. "And, obviously as expected, the bridge already had to fight two attempts from refugee masses to push their way through, that left our night shift thinned out on beats along the shore for reinforcement sake. So it fell on us, the day men, to pick up whatever floating turds the nighters couldn't get. Notepads."
Immediately, Caitlyn and the others picked up the pens and opened the notepad blocks. Vi decided to go with the flow, doing the same.
"All your beats remain the same today, but priority is enforcing the quarantine, ensuring anyone out of line and especially out of place is out of circulation.", Gilhil said, a second later. "Any beggar, vagrant, or looking like was out of a mine shift or a warzone, you detain and call us in for the pickup. We don't need anymore trouble or a disease spreading out this side."
The Sergeant then turned his head to the briefing door's room and whistled, as a pair of enforcers walked into the room, each pushing a small trolley with some small devices, attached to pocket holsters on bandoliers, on top of them. "For this exclusive situation, department's temporarily opened up a whole separate dispatch station just for you.", he said. "The radio devices are all already tuned in, you treat Dispatch's orders as if they *directly* came from me.", he glanced at Vi and Caitlyn again. "And you don't wanna mess with'em. Any questions?"
"I do.", Caitlyn raised her hand, and this generated groans from all the others in the room. "Will Vi be assigned to my route, since it's her day one?"
"Well, thanks for the reminder, Officer.", Gilhil answered, apparently forcing himself to be civil. "She'll get your route, alright, but you *won't* be with her for this. You've a lot of paperwork pending and waiting you since Progress Day."
"Well, who gets to be with her, then?", Caitlyn asked, glancing worried at Vi.
"Nobody.", Gilhil shrugged. "She can punch her way through, it's what's told, so she can do a beat just fine."
"Alone- sir, I must object.", Caitlyn quickly went on her feet, on full alert and aware of what Vi might end up stirring trouble just on her own in Piltover. "Vi should take the des-"
"Overruled, and it's final, sit it Kiramman!", Gilhil raised his tone, harshly. Caitlyn reluctantly sit down. "Any more questions?"
"Well, I never did a beat before.", Vi said, in a clear and subtle sarcastic way. "Not in your meaning that is."
"You *can* walk from one point to another, keeping things out of trouble, can't you, crackrat?", a nearby female enforcer asked, in a rude manner.
"Please leave the constructive criticisms to me, Officer Janis, thank you very much.", Gilhil said. "Questions closed. Dismissed, get out."
About every enforcer went on his or her feet and immediately went to pick a radio each and then walk out of the room.
"Just as I feared...", Caitlyn whispered, full of dread.
"Hey, I can make it, okay?", Vi whispered back, attempt to reassure. "Just tell me where it is."
"Paddywick Boulevard, not far from the-", Caitlyn started.
"I said 'Dismissed', lovebirds!", Gilhil shouted.
Vi and Caitlyn did immediately move out as well.