PLAZA MEETING

The horns continued to roar high from the precincts as boots in numbers stomped down on the brick roads in due haste, the scene of chaos across the Incognia Plaza. Enforcers getting those still on the street and escorting them back to their homes, commerces and stalls shut down, an airship looming overhead at the afternoon sky, windows and doors - entrance and balconies - across the ornate buildings being shut down, some enforcers taking some positions in some of the balconies and rooftops above as enforcers with shields lined up in some of the venues to blockade them.

The once colorful view of people going around now replaced with blue-and-gold uniforms, rifles and armor everywhere.

The sight of alarm and fear, one that indeed caught Vi's attention as she followed Gilhil and his enforcers, wearing the gauntlets, to meet with the beat squad, mustered up by the Incognium Runeterra's brass globe. It was something that Violet might've wished almost a decade before - for Piltover to know what it was like to be in constant fear. To know what it was like to be *bullied and threatened* by someone from the outside, just like how the enforcers once did to the trenchers below. To have no peace to live your life.

But now Vi didn't want any of that, anymore. Not now that she matured enough to see the cost of it and how much the others, whom didn't have anything to do with it, were now suffering for it. Maybe indeed that might've been one of the reasons her sister insisted Vi changed - Violet likely wouldn't have any qualm with that, thinking it was fair and square justice. But as Vi did declare to Jinx, she was foolish back then. Hot blooded.

And that was what had Violet do what would haunt Vi, forever, on that cannery. Just like this moment.

Vi, Gilhil and his fellow men reached the base of the globe, by then, meeting the rest of the beat squad, many of the faces she recognized from that briefing days before, all of them in full uniform and even toting rifles, adding to how serious was the situation, likely. However, Vi couldn't spot Caitlyn as easily, no doubt she must've been in the very back or not even present. If anything, it was better - that was no time to make a scene, not there and not at the moment.

"Gather up!", Gilhil barked up, getting the attention of the beat enforcers whom noticed their superior officer and now gathered around as Vi remained a bit behind. "Gentlemen, ladies, we're in it, now, the moment everyone prayed would never happen, but here it is.", he resumed shortly later, when everyone joined. "Most of the force is-"

"Why is she here, Sergeant!?", a loud, accented, familiar feminine voice interjected, cutting Gilhil out as Vi turned to the source, finally spotting Caitlyn whom pushed her way forward from the beat enforcer crowd. "Even more with all she did?"

Vi noticed Caitlyn was dressed far more prepared for a fight, with a vest over her uniform full of pouches, as well as the belt she also wore. The most noticeable to Vi, though, was that Caitlyn now used a beret, almost making the once sweet cop into what looked like a *soldier* and just as lethal. Something that almost had Vi back a step away, on how radical the change was since the topsider and trencher saw one another.

"Voice tones aside, you're *seeing* what's going on, Kiramman, you're not blind.", Gilhil stood his ground. "We need every pair of hands we got right here, not caged up in Central. And you stick with that, before you end up regretting it!"

"It's you who'll end up regretting, Sergeant, with what she *might* do.", Caitlyn spoke, staring then at Vi. "Or might *hesitate* in doing, if she comes across certain types!"

"Oh, hesitate?", Vi asked, clearly provoked, stepping forward.

"You heard me!", Caitlyn retorted.

"Well, you did about that a while ago, *Cupcake, but there was no criticism back then, was th-", Vi immediately blew back, livid.

"ENOUGH!", Gilhil roared, interjecting and standing between Vi and Caitlyn. "You both, you either kill the heat right now, or you *both* hitch the boat ride to the slammer together! And then you'll get all the time of the world to settle your little scores of yours! Enough, and that's an order!"

Vi and Caitlyn stared at one another with killer stares for a couple of seconds before both stepped backwards, the other beat enforcers looking at each other.

"Now...", Gilhil resumed, retaking his breath. "Most of our people are right by the Bridge of Progress, everyone just getting about ready for the fight. The folks whom were stranded at the bridge were all brought in and stashed along with everyone that lived immediately close to Mainspring. Fight might happen, or it might not, but regardless, we do our jobs, and that's to uphold the curfew."

"Curfew?", Vi asked, incredulous. "Is Ferros out of her mind? Those nutjobs get into homes, the people in them will have *nowhere* to run! We should've been taking them to a shelter or something!"

"That's plan B, fissure girl.", Gilhil said. "Warden-Marshall thinks they might not even get into the city, no need for alarm."

"Oh, she thinks? She's got a crystal ball with her, too?", Vi asked.

"Stow it, Vi!", Caitlyn retorted.

"You both stow it!", Gilhil immediately moved in. "As I said, civilian evacuation is plan B. In the meantime, we keep patrol, we keep people in their homes and avoid an unnecessary mess. Anything out of place, especially someone whom you know shouldn't be in the city, you radio in.", Gilhil then picked up a radio strap, very akin to the one Vi had those days before, and gave it to her. "This won't break.", he warned Vi. "Not a warning, it's a *fact*. This. Won't. Break. Won't repeat myself."

Vi took the radio strap, wearing it. "Supposed it comes to that, though.", she said. "The 'plan B'. Where do we take'em?", she took a glance at Caitlyn, staring back at her.

Gilhil turned around to face Caitlyn as well. "Your place, Kiramman.", he said. "Can it hold a bigger amount of people than usual? For at best a couple hours?"

Caitlyn stared for a couple of seconds at Gilhil before glancing back at Vi. "Might.", was all she said.

"Gonna need better than 'might' this time, this is serious.", Gilhil said. "Trench girl, designated route is now Reveck Avenue, in it's entirety. Rest of you, same routes. Remember, no one but uniforms on the street until otherwise. Dismissed."

As the all the enforcers started dispersing, Vi and Caitlyn stared at one another for another couple of seconds before Caitlyn turned around to leave, not looking behind much less breaking her stern expression. Vi took a breath, as she quickly reached Gilhil whom was leaving for his route.

"Better send someone to look out for her, Gilhil.", Vi started.

"Because she'll get into trouble the first chance she gets, just like *you* did, these days?", Gilhil asked, turning around to face the pink hair. "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it looks like. Get to your route.", he nodded aside.

"Dammit, you just saw her!", Vi argued.

"She does it, she pays for it like you did, bubblegum hair.", Gilhil replied. "And you won't get anything delegating it to someone else. You're clearly good at breaking things, but fixing them, *that's* a challenge you oughta take on, don't care how much you fail at it. My only hint, though? Don't matter how much it'll hurt, you cauterize the wound. For yesterday.", he then nodded aside again. "Now scram."

As Gilhil turned around in his own hurried pace to his route or whatever else he was going to do, Vi took a breath as she turned to her own supposed route, to keep everyone home. Something she indeed failed to do years before, and now she had to hope that things wouldn't get worse.

Except they always did, in the end...