CAITLYN I

Family. Duty. Honor.

Those were the words of Clan Kiramman that have been passed onto me by my mother and her mother before her. To the outside world, we were a wealthy and influential family of Hextech artificers known for our lavish lifestyle of hunting in the wilder lands outside of Piltover. But behind closed doors, my mother would always remind me that our house wasn't always the powerful one it is today. We didn't have the royal bloodline of Clan Medarda nor the cruelty of Clan Ferros. However, while other houses hoarded wealth and hounded glory, the Kirammans cultivated wisdom and knowledge.

It was our intellect that first enshrined us in the ranks of nobility and it was our cunning that allowed us to outmaneuver our political enemies over the years. Generation after generation, as old coffers were depleted and past victories were forgotten, my ancestors put the family above the individual, duty above dreams, and honor above the seduction of success until we rose to the top of the hierarchy and took a seat at the Council of Piltover. Now it was my turn. What was my contribution going to be to the legacy of this house? How was I going to use the mind I was blessed with?

"You want to be a what?!"

"An enforcer," I repeated as I put my hand up to stop her from cutting me off. "I don't want to be mingling with moneyed elites and play political games for the rest of my life, mom, I'm going to be miserable."

"No, you want to throw your life away chasing petty criminals instead," she said mockingly.

"I want to do some real good and make a difference," I corrected her. "Poverty and gang violence in the undercity is higher than ever. Crime lords rule the streets with guns and drugs and children are being used from cheap labor to soldiers. If we leave people like them alone, how long before they turn their attention to Piltover?"

"If you truly cared about those people, instead of going down there and getting yourself killed, you could do so much more as a member of the Council. Take Councilor Salo for example with his Undercity Redemption Fund."

I rolled my eyes, "The only thing that fund is good for is the tax deduction Councilor Salo gets from it. Oh sorry, I forgot, it also conveniently invests the capital in various hedge funds that are run by his company. All those charities are just for show, the nobles are more interested in Jayce's new inventions than facing the real problems that are festering right beneath them."

"And you think it is going to be any different as an enforcer? Look at what happened to your hero Grayson. Countless times she appealed to the Council for more resources for the undercity. With all her hard work, in all her years of service as the sheriff, the most she was ever able to do was keep a fragile peace between our two sides. In the end, what did that get her? Murdered by a drug addict on the very streets she fought so hard to save."

I shook my head in denial, "The report they released didn't make any sense, there has to be more to it than that. Maybe sh-"

"Enough!" Her command echoed throughout the mansion and not one person breathed a word or moved a muscle. "You are a woman grown now, Caitlyn. It's time to let these childish ideals go and fulfill your duty to this family. You will pick a career more befitting your station as a Kiramman…or you will leave that name behind."

We have not spoken to each other since. I packed my bags that very night and enlisted for the cadet academy. Although I lost my physical possessions that day, my life was richer than it ever was. For once I felt in control and knew that everything I achieved was not due to some manipulation by my mother but thanks to my own hard work. I earned people's respect because of my shot not because of my name. My mind was being put to use on things I was passionate about rather than pointless political drivel. Six months flew by and I graduated top of my class.

When I was recommended for Sheriff Marcus' personal squadron, I was honored. I thought I would get closer to stopping crime in the undercity and learning the truth surrounding Grayson's death but I soon learned that justice and honesty weren't virtues that were pursued. Cases were closed in favor of simple blanket explanations rather than the harder questions the evidence posed. The criminal masterminds hid behind classified documents that were wrapped up in bureaucratic red tape. Scapegoats were routinely offered like religious sacrifices to keep us happy and the sad part was that it worked.

It took a long time for me to admit to myself that my mother was right all along, the enforcers were no different from the nobles, they would rather sweep problems under the rug than solve them. Was this how it has always been? Did Grayson use to turn a blind eye as well? No, the Grayson I knew would have never stood for this and that's when I decided to take things into my own hands. According to the Kirammans, duty came before honor and as an officer, I could not sit idly by while lives were being trampled upon. I dug up all the cold cases that had any connection to the undercity and started my own investigation.

It quickly became apparent why these cases were closed so quickly, they were footprints. By department guidelines, any case that was closed must have all identifying information struck out. Whoever closed these cases wanted to hide the perpetrator and it was someone high in the chain of command. It was more clever than outright burning the files as that would surely have drawn more suspicion but they were not thorough enough. It started as a convoluted web but the more clues I put together, the more the stories started to converge on the truth and after months of work, I finally got my first lead: Yuri Orlov a.k.a. Chross.

Before his life of crime, he was the arms supplier for the enforcers, and with that kind of paper trail, I could track him down blindfolded. But just as I had my breakthrough, my own crimes had been discovered. Interference with ongoing investigations. Disobedience of the chain of command. Violation of the code of ethics. My research was confiscated, I was suspended from active field duty and to add insult to injury, I was assigned to guard my mother at the Progress Day festival. We exchanged a look from across the room and that was the extent of our interaction.

"You still avoiding her?" asked Jayce as he stepped up beside me.

"I'm working," I said as I looked back to the street outside.

"Oh, I can see that. I mean, there's so much crime to thwart outside your family's tent," he said sarcastically.

"I can only imagine the strings she pulled to have me posted here. She must really want to rub my failure in my face."

"The strings she pulled are the main reason why you aren't in jail right now."

I scoffed as I looked back at him, "You and her on the same side? We really have descended into anarchy. I remember when I used to be your favorite Kiramman." He tried to interject but I continued. "Oh wait, I forgot, I was disowned for not following her into a career 'more befitting my station.'"

"She just wants what's best for you."

"I don't need her charity."

"Cait…"

Before he could continue his sermon, a young woman in a blue petticoat and corset that matched her hair bumped into him. "Oh dear, I am so sorry," she said as she quickly bowed her head, nearly losing her unusually large feathered bonnet in the process. She raised the champagne glass in her hand and covered her mouth in embarrassment, "I'm afraid I've had one too many."

Jayce chuckled, "No harm, no foul."

"Wait a minute," said the young woman as she got closer, "I think I recognize you from somewhere."

"Well, you might have seen me around in a few different places," said Jayce as he put on his best smile and straightened his back in anticipation of the fanfare.

"That's right, you're the guy that invented the collapsible pocket wrench!"

"Ha!" The look on his face nearly made me burst out laughing and I quickly faked a cough to conceal my amusement. Serves him right for being so pompous.

"No…I'm Jayce Talis, the inventor of the Hexgates."

"Oh," she said as her enthusiasm drained away, "so you're not the inventor of the collapsible pocket wrench?"

"I also invented that but –"

"Then why did you say no?" Maybe being assigned here wasn't so bad after all, watching this girl run circles around Jayce was quickly turning into the highlight of my day. But the more I looked at her, the more I noticed that she was strange in more ways than one. Her dress wasn't fitted, she wore a sleeve on her right arm that didn't match the rest of her outfit, and looking down, she wasn't wearing heels either. In all my years spent with highborn ladies, I wouldn't catch one dead dressed like that. Her blue eyes snapped to me at that moment, "I-I'm sorry, is there something on my face, officer? You've been staring at me for a while now."

"Don't worry, that's just her resting face," said Jayce for which I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Is something wrong?" A dark-skinned young man with bleached dreads joined our conversation. He was dressed strangely too in a casual green jacket over an unbuttoned dress shirt and a loose red tie. Something felt off but I just couldn't put my finger on it. They weren't aristocrats yet they possessed an air of confidence that made it feel like they belonged here.

"It's the dress, isn't it?" asked the young woman as she turned to her partner with tears in her eyes. "Honey, you said that it didn't make me look fat!"

"Baby, no, you look beautiful," he said as he quickly tried to placate her.

"You look wonderful, miss. Truly," I said as I smiled at their exchange. Maybe I was looking too much into it. After all, Progress Day was a popular holiday and plenty of tourists from all around Runeterra came to visit. "You two look to be new in town. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?"

"The city of Basilich. Every year our port hears more and more of Piltover so we decided to come to have a look at the famed City of Progress," said the young man.

"Noxus, huh? I hear fashion is simpler there, the trend topside is always changing."

"Tell me about it." The young couple looked up as an announcement over the intercom announcing the departure of the blimp tour cut our conversation short. "That's our cue to get going, wouldn't want to miss the view from up top. It was nice meeting you, Jayce, and Officer…"

"Caitlyn."

"Caitlyn," repeated the young woman as if testing the sound of it on her lips. Her blue eyes glinted with mischievousness as she looked into mine. "I hope to see you again soon."

"Well, that was the weirdest conversation I've ever had," said Jayce as they walked out of earshot.

"They're from the undercity."

"How do you know?"

"Topside is a slang only used there. Also, Basilich went through a rebellion not too long ago, nobody from there would be taking any vacation right now." I kept my eyes tracked on them as I weighed my options and made my decision. "Keep my mother distracted, I'm going after them."

"Wait, wh–"

Before he had a chance to stop me, I was off. The crowd was thick but the two of them stuck out like sore thumbs so I was able to tail them from a safe distance. It may not have been a wise decision given that I was already in hot waters with the sheriff but my instincts were telling me that they were up to something. All this time, the dealings of the undercity have remained localized but what if that was about to change? A terror attack during the city's most popular holiday would certainly send a strong message. If I could work this out, Marcus will have to listen and even he will be forced to act.

I waited patiently for them to make their move but they never did. They went on their blimp tour, as they said they would, and then proceeded to explore the rest of the fair as any normal couple would, albeit with a little more chaos in their steps. By the end of the day, the only crime they had committed was cleaning out every game stall on the block of their stuffed animal prizes. I was starting to believe that they were just two people wanting to get away from the violence of the undercity for a day but just as I was about to call it off, the girl whispered something to the boy and suddenly, both broke out in a run in opposite directions.

"Damn!" They were onto me all along. I gave chase and made a split-second decision to go after the blue-haired girl since she was in a dress but she was way more agile than I expected. She weaved between waves of people like a mermaid in the sea and cleared any obstacle that was in her way. I used my knowledge of the layout of the festival to keep up but she was slowly pulling away. Right as we got to an intersection, I lost sight of her. I looked for her bonnet up top but saw a dozen that looked exactly like hers. It seemed her sense of fashion wasn't as far off as I thought.

I turned my attention downwards for clues and that's when I spotted the stuffed animal on the ground. A lucky break; her bag must have ripped while she was running away. I followed the trail and caught sight of the tail end of her blue braids as she made a quick turn into one of the alleys. She was no doubt hoping to lose me in there but little did she know that it led to a dead end. I followed behind her, fully intending to end this game of cat and mouse and start getting some answers, but instead of the girl, what greeted me was a stuffed monkey holding a grenade.

I thought I was the one chasing her but this whole time, she was the one that was leading me around. The bomb exploded and I braced myself for the pain but instead of blood, I found myself covered in hot pink paint. Laughter rang out from the rooftop and when I looked up, I saw the two of them back together. "Wait!" I called out as they started to leave. "I just want to talk."

"You've had all day to do that," said the bleach-haired boy with a smirk.

"Well…I…"

"You…were peeping on us like a creeper," the blue-haired girl finished.

My cheeks flared up. "That wasn't my – Listen, I just want to ask a few questions about the undercity. I can help your people if you cooperate."

The two of them paused and exchanged a brief look before the boy shrugged, "Alright, shoot."

I was so certain that I was going to get the same generic 'I'm not a rat' response that when he agreed, I was completely thrown off. I quickly pulled out my notepad and tried my best to organize my thoughts. "Okay, to start, who are the people behind the drugs and the gang violence?"

"Silco and Chross."

Chross. So my theory wasn't wrong but Silco was a completely new suspect that I had never even considered. "Silco? The industrialist? How is he involved?"

The girl scoffed, "You don't even know this and you say you can help us?"

"He pushes the Shimmer. Works with a biochemist named Singed." My mind fired on all cylinders as I processed the information. Questions that have once been shrouded in mystery started to become clear. I just needed a little more to complete the picture but right as I was about to ask the next question, the undercity boy got a ping on his pager. "We'll tell you all about it the next time you see us."

"Wa–" And just like that, they were gone. In that one short conversation, I had gained more than I could have possibly found on my own and I realized just how disconnected our two worlds were. I must have been one of the most knowledgeable people on the undercity in Piltover and I had barely even scratched the surface. You don't even know this and you say you can help us? She was completely right, I was in no position to help them but that just made me more motivated than ever to see this thing through. For the first time since my suspension, I saw hope for my dream again.

"You look…colorful," said Jayce as I walked into the dressing room backstage.

"Shut up." I would have much preferred skipping this ceremony entirely to work on my new theories but my mother would have surely reported my absence to give Marcus the final reason to release me from the force. However, showing up beside her covered in paint would have likely resulted in a similar end which is why I was in the dressing room digging around for a dress my size. I changed out of my dirty clothes into a simple dark purple A-line dress and bundled up my hair to make it look like the paint was some sort of highlight. The blotches on my face were washed off and I put on a thin layer of makeup as a finishing touch.

"Look at you. You walked in here looking like a construction worker and ten minutes later, you're a preening highborn lady."

"I guess old habits die hard."

"Jayce, are you almost rea–" My mother walked into the room and paused as she saw me. Her eyes did a once-over and I could already tell what she was going to say before she said it. "What are you wearing, Caitlyn?"

"Really, mother? After all this time, that's the first thing you say to me?"

A long moment of silence followed that and finally, Jayce couldn't take it anymore. "I'm going to step out for a second…" he said as he awkwardly stood up.

"I'm coming with you," I said as I stood up as well.

"Sit," she said sternly.

"Do you take me for one of the maids now?"

"I took you for one of Piltover's finest who was tasked with protecting me. Am I to assume that you are abandoning your post?" I had no counterargument so I sat back down and braced myself for the lecture that was no doubt about to follow. "Is that paint in your hair?"

"If it displeases you, Councilor, I will go wash it."

"Why do you insist on being so difficult?"

"Difficult? I wasn't the one that disowned my daughter for following her dreams of trying to make the world a better place."

"I just want what's best for you."

"Sure you do."

"You may not think so now but everything I've done, I did with your best interest in mind."

"You once tried to set me up with Jayce! That was so awkward we didn't talk for weeks."

"Okay, in my defense, it was a good match and I thought you were enamored with him given how close you two are. Plus, you aren't getting any younger, marriage is something that you'll have to start thinking about sooner rather than later."

"What if I don't…never mind. My happiness never seems to be enough, you just want what's best for yourself."

Her eyes widened and for a second, I thought I saw something akin to guilt and pain flash across her eyes but it was quickly covered with years of political experience. A knock was heard from the door and her assistant called out from the other side, "Councilor Kiramman, the address is about to start."

"We'll speak about this later."

"And my hair?"

"Do what you wish." The door closed and I put my head in my hands. How hypocritical of me to try and solve other people's problems when I couldn't even solve my own.

After spending some time collecting my emotions, I went and took my seat at the front row of the podium as my mother introduced Jayce to the stage. "An inspiration to Piltover's future and that of all humanity. Please join me in welcoming to the stage Jayce Talis!" The crowd cheered and uplifting music played but I couldn't bring myself to a celebratory mood. Instead, I focused on visualizing the evidence board I had in my room. They confiscated the physical copy but they couldn't wipe it from my mind. I spent so long looking at it that I had it memorized down to the last letter by now.

Jayce's voice faded away in the background and I thought back to the undercity duo I met today. I replayed the exchange again and again like a videotape in my head, looking for anything I might have missed the first time. They appeared to be very knowledgeable so did that mean that they were directly involved in the criminal underworld? If so, where did they fit in all of this? Did they work for Silco? For Chross? Or were they another party altogether? We'll tell you all about it the next time you see us. Not the next time we meet but the next time I see them.

I learned from our chase that the entire sequence was within their plan but how far did that plan go back and how far did it go forward? A chill ran down my spine as the realization dawned on me that their target had been Jayce first all along. They wanted something only he had. "…We vow to keep pressing forward, for we are the City of Progress. And our future is bri–" Suddenly, the mic was cut off, and instead of fireworks going off, the lights of the venue went out. Confusion spread through the showrunners and attendees while the sinking feeling in my stomach got worse and worse.

Light from the projector at the back pierced through the darkness and a video was broadcasted in front of all of us. "Is this thing on?" asked a girl's voice as she tapped the camera and made the image shake. A masked girl with long blue braids appeared before the lens and by her tone and figure, I instantly recognized her as the same girl from earlier. "Alright, hello ladies and gentlemen," she said in a singsong voice as shadowy figures in the background started dragging something into the frame. The audience gasped in horror as six tied-up enforcers were brought on camera. "We are tonight's entertainment!"

Baron von Nobody: Hey that's what I'm here for and I'll be the first one to admit as well that some scenes are cheesy but I'd like to think that it gives you a warm, fluffy feeling inside while reading them XD

DashBoy47: Glad you enjoyed it and hope you are looking forward to the rest of Arc II!

Voraces Lector: Ekko's plan should be pretty clear by the end of the next chapter. Essentially, he is trying to balance getting justice while also keeping the Firelights safe. In terms of ideology, I would say young Ekko had a mindset closer to Silco's regarding Zaun's independence but the Ekko now is more concerned with the earlier stated objectives.

7hanatos: Not really, I know that her lore is related to Zaun but I want to keep the story centered around the main cast (Ekko/Jinx, Caitlyn/Vi). The only other new champions that I intend on making an appearance are Heimerdinger, Singed, and a tiny bit of Zilean. Maybe Viktor as well but Jayce's side of the story isn't going to be explored much in this story given that it is told in perspectives.

Warlocktoungue: We get to find out what happened to Chross' ambush on Silco next chapter. Not much of a spoiler but the main villain of the remaining two Acts will be Silco, Singed, and Warick so I'll leave what happens to Chross to your imagination for now :P A little bit of a slow start to Act II but the next few chapters are going to be absolute bangers XD