"No."

Vi's pink eyes narrowed at the soft rebuke from her little sister. "Why not?"

"Because you've outgrown it. It would be like if I played dodge paintball against a kid now. You could break the poor old thing in one punch," Jinx explained.

Vi's frown remained, but she sighed. Let her play the mature one. "Fine. You want to try it next, cupcake?"

Caitlyn had been investigating around. There was an errant crow she'd tried to feed some crumbs. It had charged her and as the sisters laughed at the hapless captain before it flew higher up.

"Maybe later. I need to get you two food so you stop calling me pastries. Does the shooting game still work?"

Jinx shrugged. "Probably not, but I can fix it."

Vi walked over to Cait as Jinx started playing the boxing game. There were many games in this section that the gang had largely ignored–claw game, skeeball, bonk game, dating game, matching game, etc. Cait was focused on the claw game and was leaning around to see the condition of the cords.

"The prizes are still here," Cait noted.

"Looks good," Vi said, checking out the enforcer's stretching body.

Cait stood back and tried the start. She lit up as the machine did. "Only two tries per turn. You can go first."

Vi maneuvered the claw around, looking at the old toys and stuffed animals that had been trapped in there for so many years. Trust me, prison can be worse. "I'm not good at this, but thank you for helping Powder and me, cupcake."

Cait swallowed. She slowly touched Vi's ribs where she'd been shot so recently. "It was wrong what was done to you and her. I felt duty-bound. Besides, your sister can be persuasive, even when unarmed."

Vi circled once more and then settled on a target. She dropped the claw and looked at Cait. "Still, you went above and beyond for us. And… I'll have Powder recover from what Silco has made her into."

The claw hit but did not grip its target and returned up. Cait considered her words. "Over the past days I've spoken with a lot of people with a range of perspectives on her. And she seems to have already come a long way. You should offer help and hope she continues to progress, but you won't get the same eleven-year-old 'Powder' that was separated from you."

Vi slammed the button and the claw tried again. What do you know about us, cupcake? You're an only child. And you've hardly set foot in the undercity. She may have said 'Powder is dead' but so what? I was dead as far as they knew. Vander was dead. Some things don't stay dead.

"I owe it to her. It was my father's dying wish. I need Powder." The claw gripped the stuffed pig''s head. It shifted up with the claw but was pulled back by its cellmates.

"Vi," Cait said softly and touched her clenched fist. They looked into each other's eyes. "I understand that. But Jinx needs Vi."

"Vi!" her sister called from the platform.

Vi relaxed her fist, but huffed and turned. She didn't catch Cait leering as she walked back.

"I got third place on my first try!"

"P–X! What are you doing?! You're supposed to be wearing boxing gloves," Vi admonished her and gave her a mock bonk on the head. "Look at how hurt your knuckles are from hitting the metal plate."

"I tried them on, but they felt so slippery," she griped.

Vi had already picked them up. She caught Cait shaking her head, though whether it was at them or a failed crane attempt she didn't know. "That's why you need to tape up first. Here." Vi retrieved some tape and started wrapping. "Your hands are still pretty small."

"Nuh-uh. They're normal. I just don't have fat hands like you," she retorted.

Change tactics. "Did you pay attention to its patterns?"

Jinx blinked. "I thought it changes up and goes faster with time."

Vi nodded and was already starting on her other hand. "Yes, but it still follows a pattern. Evade just enough and get in as many blows as you can. Remember, power hurts but speed kills, X." She patted her on the back and jumped over the ledge.

Jinx started her new round and Cait made a fist pump. "Got it. Would you like it?"

Vi tilted her head. When was the last time she had been offered a gift? Not a trade nor an attempt to buy a favor, but just a present? "Thank you, cupcake. I didn't think you'd go for the pig too."

Cait shrugged. "You probably made it easier to get by having moved it already."

Scoffing, Vi eyed the dating game. "Curious to try this?"

Cait blushed a little. "How does it work?"

"It's really just a lucky draw. You and your partner select traits describing the other and then the play as them. A few obstacles emerge and if both make it until the end well, they get married."

Cait bit her lip. "Well, okay." She scanned the thirty-six traits. "I'll choose Brave, Stubborn, and Wrathful."

Vi glared at her. "Wrathful! Why you little–"

Cait laughed at the act and Vi followed suit. "Let's see. Generous, Just, and Compassionate."

Cait blushed deeper. "How enforcers should be."

"Should," Vi answered tersely. The machine whirled after the selections until the immense roll of paper stopped. "Challenge One: Time Flies. We have too much work and not enough time to see each other. What do we do? My character suggestions are: suck it up or blame you."

"Both sound unhealthy," Cait noted with a frown. "I can reschedule more for us or quit my job."

Vi chuckled. "Well designed game. Okay, I'll suck it up. Not too stressful."

"I'll reschedule. What happened?"

"Our relationship has progressed, but is strained. Challenge Two: The Heart Wants. One of us had an affair. It was… me."

Cait gasped and playful hit Vi's arms. "How could you?! And I've already sacrificed for us."

"Look, it was a moment of weakness. I shouldn't have been drinking. Anyway, I can, oof, see them on the side or publicly humiliate them for you."

Cait took a second. "This is a kid's game? My approaches are to suggest an open relationship or put it on pause until you apologize. If it's open, do we need another player?"

Vi grinned. "It would be weird to have my sister jump in. I think that hurting the other woman would be worse for you, so I'll go with having her as a kept woman."

Cait rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'll go with an open relationship. Come on, Avatar Caitlyn, you've probably been through the worst of it."

"We stayed together, but we aren't closer–how could we be? The other woman broke it off with me when she realized I wouldn't leave you. Final Challenge: In Sickness or Health. One of us has fissure lung. You. We can't afford the treatments and it is looking grim. What do we do?"

Cait looked taken aback. "The game says 'fissure lung.' Isn't that dark to put a real disease that affects many people here?"

Vi lightly touched Cait's shoulder. "The Undercity lives in darkness, cupcake. Making it part of entertainment is a method of cooping. I can steal medicine or always stay by your side."

Cait took a moment. "My options are to become a new medicine test subject or try to break up with you so you won't be there when I die."

Vi shook her head. "It'll be difficult for you, but I've got to steal."

Cait nodded. "If I'm just, I should understand in these circumstances. I'll become a test subject in case you fail and trust my caretaker."

This game is hitting hard right now. I thought it would be jokes about where to go to eat.

The game ran its probability calculations and produced the result. "I was successful in stealing, but I'm wanted now. You weren't mistreated as a test subject, but were given the placebo so good thing I stole. We got married."

Cait fist pumped again. "Yes!"

"But," Vi continued, holding up a finger. "Will it be a happy marriage? You can change one trait of yours to something else. Bonus points if your partner knows what they are. So, if we're not going to cheat, I'll change mine and guess for you."

Vi made hers and then Cait did.

"Okay, I changed Wrathful to Ambitious," Vi said.

Cait frowned. "I thought it would be Wrathful to Lustful."

"Now you're sounding like how X teases Ekko."

Cait stood her ground. "You! Had! A! Mistress!"

"Huh?!" they heard Jinx say.

Vi corpsed at that for a moment. "How many times do I have to apologize for that?"

"Once would be nice!" Cait shouted again theatrically for Jinx to hear. "Compassionate to Diligent."

"Yes! That was mine exactly. Let's give it a second. And… the results are 'they had trying times, but their foundation was rock solid and they widely considered a happy family.' Well, that's probably the best score this game's had in decades."

"YES!" Jinx shouted triumphantly.

Taking her 'partner's' hand, Vi led Cait back. She then feigned a defeated expression. "My high score!"

"Well, fifteen-year-old you's high score, but yes. The apprentice has surpassed her master!" Jinx raised her arms and cackled–mad with accomplishment.

"Shooting now?" Caitlyn asked.

"Oh, sure. Just a few minutes."

Cait and Vi talked some more while the younger sister worked on repairs. Both kept some guards up, but they learned a little more of each others' worlds.

"Ready! Now, this is meant for kids and scrubs like Mylo was," Jinx said and grinned off to the side for a bit. "So, to make it a challenge, I'll be shooting blindfolded. Caitlyn, you'll shoot from farther back. Vi, you get the kiddy line."

"Vi, you get the kiddy line," Vi repeated in a childish tone.

Jinx smiled again and loaded the soft rubber balls into the toy gun. She used the torn cloth to obscure her vision. "You can check if you want."

She heard them giggling for some reason. "No, we trust you," Cait said.

The Loose Cannon felt the counter with her right hand and then the start button. "You know the pattern by heart. You got this," she whispered.

Pressing start, Jinx lifted her gun for the first headshot, but felt arms grab hers and whirl her around. Her face showed panic for a fraction of a second then mischief as she realized one of them was using her as their weapon. Listening to sounds of protest, she released a barge of far less-than-lethal projectiles at her target.

"Wanna join me? Come and play

But I might shoot you, in your face"

Jinx stopped singing when she heard the toy click empty. She took off the blindfold and was stunned to see them both in front of her playing dead, Caitlyn more hammily.

Jinx looked over and saw that Ekko had been her handler.

"Blindfolding yourself, Jinx? Rather kinky, don't you think?"