CAITLYN III

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course," said Powder nonchalantly as the chainsaw in her hands roared to life. I watched nervously as the large machine shook violently in her skinny arms. The engine coughed out black smoke like an eighty-year-old chain smoker and one particularly strong outburst nearly made her lose grip of it. "More or less." It was at this point that I questioned if I had wronged her in some way. Surely she didn't hold it against me for interrupting their sisterly reunion; I was dragged along by Vi without any say in the matter! "Alright, hold…still." The bluenette lowered the chainsaw and stifled a giggle as she saw the look on my face.

"You just laughed." I turned to Vi. "She just laughed."

"Powder…"

"Don't worry, sis, I'm not gonna chop off the hand of the first girl you bring home!" she said lightheartedly as she raised the chainsaw backup with only one hand, proving that her previous 'struggles' were just for show. I stopped to consider what she was implying but was quickly distracted as she tossed the still-on chainsaw away with no regard for safety. She sat down right in front of me and her azure eyes bore into mine as if trying to read my inner thoughts. There was a dangerous glint within those blue orbs and I was reminded that this was the same girl that broadcasted the torture of six enforcers to all of Piltover.

My heart raced, not knowing what she would do next, and suddenly, she put her finger on my chest. In a panic, I looked down and that's when I realized that I had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She flipped it up right into my face and the two sisters burst out laughing. "Great. I see the blood relations now." My unamused response cracked them up even more to the point where tears were coming out of Vi's eyes. She leaned against me for support and for some reason, I couldn't find it within me to stay mad anymore. They could have their win this time but I would get them back.

"Stop messing with Caitlyn and cut them loose, Blue," said Ekko.

"Fine~" A bolt cutter seemingly materialized out of thin air and before I could even blink, the handcuff fell off my wrist. She continued to watch me with curious eyes before lowering her voice to a whisper so that only I could hear, "You're not forced to stand so close to my sister now."

"Oh, right," I said self-consciously as I took a half step away from Vi, forgetting that my leg was still injured. I winced as I put pressure on it and Vi caught me just in time to save me from embarrassing myself.

"Don't be running away from your crutch," said Vi with a tantalizing smile that made me blush a little. "Do you guys have a doctor around here?"

"Wengo will have a look at both of you," said Ekko. "In the meantime, why don't you start with who did this to you?"

"We'll go…have a chat with them," said Powder with a not-so-innocent grin.

"It was Sevika. She was doing collections at Jericho's where we happened to be too," said Vi.

"Collections?" asked Powder. "I thought that ogre only went around knocking on people's doors at month-end."

"Silco must be getting low on resources," said Ekko as he pondered his options.

"We should strike now before he can consolidate his position!" said one of the Firelights.

The suggestion received loud approval from the rest of the Firelights but Ekko didn't look sold yet. Even Vi, who I thought would be one of the first to jump on board, still had her doubts. "What about the wolf?"

"We have the gemstone and the two smartest inventors in the city! We can build a weapon and we'll mount that beast's head on a spike alongside Silco's!"

"That's not going to solve anything." Everyone fell silent as all eyes turned to me. I could feel their distrust radiating from their gazes but I continued nonetheless, "If word gets to Piltover that you are building a Hextech weapon, they will shift their focus from Silco onto you."

"Better make sure that no such message makes it back then."

Rather than back down from the thinly veiled threat, I pressed even hard, "Silco is just a byproduct of the true problem here. If we are to mend the divide between our two sides then we need to set the record straight and come together. Even if you are successful in defeating him, another will eventually take his place and then –"

"The cycle of violence will never stop," finished Ekko as he stood up and looked at the faces surrounding him. "When I first found this place, I thought to myself that if a single seed could make it down here, so could we. But as time passed, I realized that I didn't just want to 'make it.' I wanted a better future and I was willing to fight for it. A future where our streets are safe and clean. A future where the children are free to play wherever they want. A future where we can hang up our masks and know that the fight was over. That was the promise I made each of you when you joined the Firelights and that has not changed."

…

"So, will you put your faith in me one more time that I will lead you to that future?"

I held my breath as the silence stretched on before Vi asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Is it really still possible for us to come together? We've been two cities in all but name."

"It worked for us, didn't it?" The words came out before I fully realized how they sounded and my face heated up at how careless I was for being caught up in the moment. But rather than make fun of me for it, Vi's eyes softened and she nodded with a small smile.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

"If this gets any sappier, I'm gonna get a toothache," said Powder as she covered her eyes with her long braids. "Wengo!"

At her command, someone slammed their staff on the ground and shouted out at the top of their lungs, "Firelights!" That war cry ignited everyone else to join in and the cheer was so loud that it shook the very floor we stood on. Hundreds of fireflies flew out to join in on the fun and I couldn't help but be in awe of their passion. Such display of emotions would be viewed as crass and unrefined in Piltover but in my eyes, the spark of life they had within them shone more brilliantly than any piece of jewelry. If only the Council could see this, they would know that these people's lives were worth just as much as the ones from topside.

"Will you help us?" asked Ekko as he turned to me. "We'll need your mother's support if this is to work."

"I will help you reach that future, Ekko, you have my word."

"You guys are all grown up now," said Vi as she walked up and gave him a big hug. "You have become an amazing leader. Benzo would be proud."

"Group hug!" shouted Powder as she wrapped her arms around both of them before looking at me. "You're supposed to join in when I say group hug."

"I'm not really a part of –"

"Oh shut up and just join us," said Vi as she pulled me in before I could say anything else. Looking back, it was a strange turn of events that got me into this situation but in the end, I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy it. I couldn't find a sense of belonging amongst the nobles nor within the ranks of the enforcers but for some reason, my time with these people, who couldn't be more different from me, made me feel more at home than ever. Perhaps it was the constant threat of life and death hanging over me that was making me feel this way or perhaps it was…something else.

After Powder and Vi broke away for some time to catch up, Ekko led me to the room I would be staying in inside the treehouse. It wasn't as luxurious as the one I had back home but there was a magical feeling to the wooden walls and clear night sky above. "As soon as your leg is better, we'll leave for Piltover," he said as he set a few household items down on the bed for me. "There aren't any maids and butlers but everyone around here is happy to help. All you need to do is ask."

As he moved to leave the room, I stopped him, "Wait. Do you have a plan for how you are going to convince the Council when you meet them? Their perception of you isn't particularly good and I doubt my life alone would change that."

"You think we should give the gemstone back," he stated as if he could read my mind.

"It would certainly make Council Bolbok a lot less troubled and may even convince Council Hoskel that you aren't all embittered terrorists who want to see the city burn."

"I don't need to convince all of them, just the majority." He held up his hand and counted down each seat. "With your help, we can get your mother and wonder boy on our side. Once we have Jayce's support, I believe Councilor Medarda will back us as well."

"You've clearly never met my mother before," I scoffed. "She's not going to get all emotional just because you returned me."

"Family. Duty. Honor. Those are House Kiramman's words, right? Family comes first."

"She already disowned me for pursuing a career as an enforcer," I said as I looked down. "I don't think she sees me as her daughter anymore."

He walked over and gave me an encouraging pat on the shoulder, "Family is family, no matter what is said and done. You've seen it yourself with the sisters, haven't you?"

"What happened that separated them?" I asked. I knew it had something to do with Marcus but I found it hard to believe that Vi was simply arrested. After all, not even Stillwater Prison was able to keep Vi from her sister and nobody had ever broken out of there before.

He thought about it for a moment before answering, "That's not my story to tell but I'm sure that when Vi's ready, she'll tell you. It's too big of a burden for anyone to carry alone."

"What makes you think she would share it with me?"

"Hang on for one second," he said with a smirk as he dashed out of the room and returned with a book. "Think you might need this as well." I read the cover and blushed: 'How to Tell if Someone Likes You: 9 Signs of Attraction.'

"We're just friends!"

"Right. Powder and I are 'just friends' too."

"Can we please get back on topic?" I said, trying to hide my embarrassment. My sexuality and attraction to a certain pink-haired girl wasn't a conversation I was keen on having with the leader of the Firelights. "You only named three members, who's the last one?"

"Councilor Heimerdinger."

"What's the catch there?"

"There's no catch," he said with a grin that had all the swagger of an undercity youth, "I'll just convince him."

"Well, at the very least, we're not short on confidence." In all honesty, I was quite impressed by how much he knew about the highest-ranking members of Piltover. Beyond having a sharp mind for inventions, he also had the instincts of a natural-born leader and I could see why he had the unwavering support of the Firelights. It wasn't by coincidence that their small group has thrived during years of gang wars in the undercity. The plan was solid as I thought through it but there was still one thing that was bothering me. "If this was your plan all along, why didn't you kidnap me from the start?"

"Taking you would have been an act of aggression," he said as he looked away but I could instantly tell that he was lying.

I furrowed my brows, "For that to be true, you would have had to know that I would come to the undercity by myself."

"Maybe I had a good read on you."

"Good enough to know exactly what I'm going to say next too?" I questioned him as I thought back to what he said before his speech. The cycle of violence will never stop. Those were the exact words I was going to use before he stole them right out of my mouth. "It's almost as if…you can see the future."

"It's not the future!" said Ekko as he raised his voice and denied it fiercely. The way he reacted showed that there was more to it than what was on the surface and he deflated as I waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry, I don't – I don't know what it is. All I know is that I saw a vision of you and Vi in the sanctuary. I thought it was just a dream but I've been having a lot of these strange dreams lately so I wanted to see whether they had any truth to them or not."

"Has any of your other dreams come true?"

"No, even your arrival this time wasn't the exact same."

"How did it happen in your vision?"

He chuckled humorlessly, "I kidnapped the two of you. That turned out to be a big mistake."

"Have you told the others about this?"

"I've told Powder a little but not all of it. I didn't want to give her false hope that Vi was still alive. Also…not all of it is happy stuff."

"Is that why you can't return the gemstone?"

"Yeah," he admitted as he pulled out the blue orb and stared into it. "I'm trying to avoid all the mistakes that I've made previously but I'm scared that some of these events are set in stone. After all, I left you alone and you still showed up with Vi."

"Does it feel like a mistake this time? Us being here."

He stared out the window and smiled. "No, it feels right this time."

"Then you must be making a difference." Following his gaze, I saw the two sisters laughing with each other on one of the tallest tree branches and smiled as well. "You talked about shouldering burdens alone, you should follow your own advice."

"I will."

After Ekko left, I took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes. It was an old-school cowgirl uniform that I didn't even know still existed outside of storybooks but the fit was nice and the leather jacket gave me an appreciation for the undercity style. It was getting late but there were still a million things going through my mind for me to fall asleep so I did what I always did, I began organizing it all into an evidence board. By the time I finished, almost the whole floor was covered but I was proud to see that most of the blanks from my previous one were filled in.

Suddenly, the door behind me creaked open and Vi sneakily stepped in before seeing me. "Oh shit, sorry, I didn't mean to creep in like that. I just thought you were already asleep and didn't want to wake you."

"What are you doing here so late?" I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Well, this is the only guest room so I guess we're sharing." Her eyes glanced down my body before smoothly transitioning to the evidence board. "You did all this yourself? And I thought Powder could get obsessed."

She made her way toward the bed and was about to flop down before I stopped her. "Whoa, what are you doing?!"

"Going to sleep?"

"Not all sweaty and dirty like that you're not."

She chuckled, "What are you, my mom?"

"They're new sheets, have some respect," I said as I tossed a towel at her and pointed to the bathroom.

After a moment, I heard the showerhead turn on and a yelp from inside the washroom, "Shit, it's cold!"

"Should have come back while the hot water was still running."

"I bet you just used it all up." The sound of running water filled the silence while I looked at the full-sized bed that we would be sharing tonight and mentally divided it. If my calculations were correct, it should be just big enough for the two of us to sleep comfortably on our sides while just small enough that we would almost be touching. I was beginning to question if this was some kind of set up by the two troublemakers when the water turned off and Vi stepped out of the shower. "Hey." My breath caught in my chest and my heart did a little dance as I laid my eyes on her.

My mind was lost in the black ink that spilled down her back to her arms and it made me want to trace that maze of machinery with my finger until I found the exit. Small water droplets fell from her hair onto her smooth shoulder and slid down underneath her new tank top almost like they were teasing me. The white cloth ended just above her waistline and as she stretched out lazily, it gave me a small peek of the well-grooved abdomen underneath. I could see the bruises she earned from the earlier fight with Sevika but there were others that I didn't know about. Each one was a mystery and given the chance, I would solve them all.

"You checking me out?" teased Vi.

"The pot calling the kettle black," I fired back. She was caught off guard by that and there was a moment of silence as we both sort of called each other out for being attracted to one another. I swallowed nervously, having not planned so far ahead, but surprisingly, it was Vi that backed off first.

"Let's – it's late, we should…"

"R-Right." The lights were turned off and as we laid back to back in bed, I couldn't help but feel that I had messed something up. Maybe I misinterpreted things and saw something that wasn't there. My heart ached for having been so thoroughly rejected by the first person I had felt that way about and I curled the blanket around me for some comfort. Suddenly, there was a shift in the bed followed by a more violent one.

I turned around and saw Vi whimpering in her sleep. Her limbs thrashed about as if something was pinning them down and her head moved constantly as if avoiding something. "No…stay away…" They were the same words she screamed when she was asleep on the boat and I realized that this was more than a simple nightmare. "Please…please don't…" My heart twisted from seeing her in so much anguish and I couldn't stay still anymore.

"Shh," I cooed softly, my fingers brushing her cheek softly. "It's just a bad dream. You're safe now." Her elbows and kicks tried to push me away but I endured the blows and kept whispering sweet nothings until she finally escaped from the nightmare's clutches. Her eyes snapped open and for a moment, they were still filled with the fear from her dream. "It's okay. You're okay." The terror gave way to vulnerability and I quickly wrapped my arms around her as she tried to suppress the tears that were bubbling up. "You don't always need to be so strong. There's nothing wrong with being afraid."

We stayed like that for some time as she sobbed quietly in my arms while I caressed the back of her head. "I thought it would be all better once I got back to my sister," she said quietly as she leaned into me. "It was early on in my stay in Stillwater. Geralt, my cellmate, had been tossed into solitary and I was alone in my cell. I thought I was safe since the doors were all locked but the guard had been paid off. It was in the middle of the night when he came in. He wanted to – he almost…" Her knuckles tightened around the blanket as rage filled her voice. "I fucked him up so bad his blood still stains the ground in that cell."

I shuddered at the horrifying tale and tightened the hug around her, "I'm so sorry."

"That guard, I killed him too. From then on, I hurt anyone who even looked at me wrong. The guards thought I was so messed up in the head they wanted to transfer me to a mental asylum," she said with a lifeless voice as she met my eyes. "This is what I am so whatever you think you see in me…I suggest you look for it somewhere else."

"You really are a criminal," I paused for a moment as I cupped her face, "you've already stolen my heart."

I leaned in and kissed her.

*A/N: I know, I know, it's cheesy .

Voraces Lector: Don't worry, I'm definitely planning to write that reaction in a separate chapter. As for the family reunion, that's coming too :)

Warlocktoungue: So, uh, I had this whole drama planned with Vi and Ava which slowly leads to her growing closer to Cait but then this chapter happened… I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself and the scene just came together on page DX I feel like I'm foreshadowing things that I don't give payoff on but I hope it was still an enjoyable read

Guest: Thanks for taking the time to drop a review, I really appreciate it!

Sm0keyPanda: That's a vibe right there XD Thanks for the comment and hope you enjoyed this week's chapter!

catxkdb: New chapters are released every week, consider making an account and dropping a follow if you want to receive updates when I update XD