"I never would have given you to them."
The words pierced through her heart the moment she heard them. Pale hands held desperately onto his face, holding so tightly that she could feel every ounce of his strength fading away. How did it end up like this?
"Not for anything."
Oh how wrong she was for not trusting him. Her savior, her father, the man that had been by her side the moment she was abandoned. He had never once forsaken her in all the years they spent together. Silco was many things, but a liar, a trickster, was not one of them.
"Don't cry…"
His request was hollow, pointless. Tears had already pricked the corners of her eyes and blurred her vision. She couldn't stop them. Just like she couldn't stop herself from pulling the trigger a few moments ago.
"...You're perfect."
His final expression, a gentle, loving smile, had been permanently etched into her memory like a chisel carving into marble. As trails of hot tears streaked through her eyeshadow and stained her cheeks she couldn't help but be thankful he had passed with love in his mismatched eyes. Love that would only ever be meant for her.
Her hands dropped, holding onto whatever piece of his clothing that could find purchase before her head dipped and her body crumpled onto her knees. The agony of her loss was crippling.
Silco had saved her in her dark world of chaos and confusion and this was how she repaid the man? The soft sobs she tried to hold in her throat bubbled and burst forth against all her strength. She'd never been so broken.
It only took a few moments of silent grief before incoherent whispers began spirling through her head. As if her body was no longer just hers to control. Burning tears halted and the pained arch of her brow leveled into a flat line. Ever since that man had injected her with that disgusting, vile purple liquid she'd never quite felt like herself. Dark murmurs of violence and rage remained ever present at the edges of her consciousness.
She pulled herself upwards, scraping her pistol into her palm while she stood. She trailed the gun over the bullet-ridden wood of his chair and walked out from the dark shadows and into the candlelight. The dinner party she had so eagerly prepared still needed her attention.
"Powder." Vi's voice was shaky at best. Entirely unfamiliar to the strong, confident personality that defined her big sister. So much has changed in these past years...
"It's okay." Vi tried while Jinx felt her body still, taking in deep, grounding breaths in order to gain back just an ounce of control that she'd had before everything went to hell. "We'll be okay."
Liar. Nothing was okay. Maybe for Vi this was all salvageable because the older woman hated the man that was shredded by her gatling gun. Maybe she thought that her little sister was finally free from whatever chains she imagined Silco had placed upon her.
The barrel of her gun tapped against the metal frame of her chair and she turned her entire body away from the pink haired girl at the end of the table to stare at the bright graffitied name that stained the seat.
Did Vi understand just how much Silco meant to her? Did she understand that he'd been by her side, helping her find peace and serenity the moment his arms wrapped around her all those years ago? No. Vi didn't understand. How could she? She spoke as if she'd be reunited with her sister but Powder was dead, drowned in the harbor where Silco had so gently lowered her into the murky depths.
She took her seat and in doing so assured herself that this was right. This felt right. She was Jinx and nothing would ever change that.
"I thought, maybe you could love me like you used to." Her voice cracked in her throat as she struggled not to release the despair she felt in her chest. "Even though I'm...different."
Maybe she was a fool. She'd thought that everything could return to the way it once was. Before that fateful night in the factory. Before Vi had destroyed every ounce of self-worth she had for herself with a single slap.
"But you changed too."
Her glowing pink eyes glanced towards the unconscious woman on the ground before her. The enforcer. She remembered when Vi held a hatred for all top-siders. She remembered when Vi convinced her that resources from above were ripe for the taking and every stolen possession was a trophy to be proudly displayed. She'd seen Caitlyn's home. It looked like her big sister had not only forgotten her hatred but outright contradicted her old beliefs, all for a pretty face.
The glow of the gemstone in the center of the table caught her gaze for a moment and she wondered about the weapon she had created. Fish-bones, the magnificent rocket launcher she'd worked so hard to build for her father lay in the shadows, waiting to be used. But she couldn't find the strength within herself to stand.
The dark, violent whispers of rage and hatred writhed within her skull, demanding she fire the missile into Piltover and create the chaos that was so desperately deserved. But she ignored them. Instead, she lifted her arm holding her pistol and aimed it directly at Vi's chair.
"Powder…wait. You don't-" The fear in her voice was clear but Jinx only smiled sadly with the knowledge that her sister had truly lost all confidence in her.
"Here's to the new us." She gave a hollow laugh before she pulled the trigger.
The bullet ripped through the thick ropes that held Vi down, missing any portion of skin or clothing on the woman's body. She watched as wide eyes realized that she had let her go. It only took a few moments for her sister to wiggle her way out from the confines of her chair and the moment she was free, she raced to Caitlyn.
She couldn't help the ache that pounded in her heart at the sight. Vi wasn't hers and after all she'd done, she never would be. How fair was it that the only person that could love her was now dead and the person meant to love her by birthright had found someone better?
"Cait! Cait!" Vi cradled her palm over the high cheekbone of the violet-haired woman and used her other palm to nudge her shoulder.
Jinx closed her eyes, wishing she could ignore the concern and worry she felt laced within her big sister's voice. How long had Vi actually been in prison? A few months? A year? She had no clue. The idea of Vi living with the top-siders all this time made her tense uncomfortably and question just how much more she needed to be for Vi to look at her the same way she looked at Caitlyn.
Pink eyes warily watched the two women gather themselves, arms wrapped around one another in support while they stood. They stared at her carefully and Jinx could feel the many gears in their heads turning, wondering just what they would do next. The irritating scratch of Mylo's teasing voice and Claggor's silent judgement sat on the outskirts of her peripheral senses.
"What do we do now?" Vi questioned with a voice so low that Jinx was certain she wasn't supposed to hear.
It was always like this. Vi never once trusted her with the truth, the responsibility or the harsh reality of life in the undercity. No. She had to figure it all out for herself. A sharp giggle spiraled out from between her lips. Then again, her dinner party hadn't exactly been the best way to prove she was anything other than insane.
"We have to bring her in. She has to stand trial for her crimes." Caitlyn's voice was more firm, more sure of herself and communicated exactly what needed to happen to appease the greedy, self-serving topsiders that knew nothing of the hell they had so deliberately created down below.
If only she had the strength left to fight...
When Silco's eyes lost their light, she too lost a flame that burned within her core. Was this how it was meant to be? For the longest time she thought she was a force of chaos and freedom. She did as she pleased and loved what she did, but without someone to scold her...without someone to love her despite her many flaws-
"What will they do with her?" Vi asked carefully.
If she really tried to listen to her older sister, maybe she could recognize the worry for her wellbeing within the question, but it was misplaced anyway. Vi was worried for Powder. Not her.
"I- I don't know. But it's the right thing to do."
A few moments of silence passed over the three women, not a single word uttered and yet it felt like their thoughts were swirling around them as if they were tangible and real. She sighed and held her wrists together while pushing her arms outwards. Like she realized earlier, she had no strength left to fight.
She never once looked up to see who had tied the thick rope around her wrists and she didn't pay any mind to the hands that traced over her clothes looking for weapons. The only thing she could think about was how the air felt so thick and heavy on her tongue. She'd only spent a few days on the topside and already her body knew how filthy her home truly was.
She had half a mind to mention the rocket launcher that had been carefully concealed within the rubble of the ruined factory to the girls escorting her away but decided against it. Who knew if the will to fight would ever come back, but if it did...She'd know exactly what to do.
"I won't let them hurt you Powder." Vi spoke softly with her palm pushing the small of her back forward. "I'll figure something out."
She didn't reply. The message wasn't for her anyways. Instead she focused on Mylo's laughter, cheering louder with each passing second, knowing that her inevitable demise was something to be celebrated. She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes tightly. Mylo, Claggor, Vander, Vi, all the ghosts in her head would finally get what they wanted.
The doors to the council chambers loomed over her head with an indescribable intimidation but they did little to threaten her. Bright pink eyes scanned the perfectly formed metal that varied in all sorts of dignified colors such as gold, silver, and obsidian. Her brow furrowed in irritation. They were much too symmetrical for her tastes. No blemishes, no flaws, exactly how she imagined the esteemed councillors thought of themselves.
"Hmmm." She hummed to herself and tilted her head as she imagined where she'd like to add a few dents into the brushed metal doors, perhaps even some fluorescent spray paint. She'd love to add some character! She paid little mind to the nervous glances of Caitlyn and Vi as they wondered what she could possibly be thinking about.
"Here goes." Vi sighed before reaching out to push the steel entrance open.
Jinx really couldn't help the drop of her jaw at the mere sight of the council chambers. The ceiling was so high that she could imagine setting off one of her many fireworks without issue. It was exactly like Silco said. The councilors thrived on excess, flaunted it just because they could.
"Councilors." Caitlyn announced as they stepped into the room. The enforcer's hand pushed her from behind to keep her moving. "We've brought Jinx."
"The Terrorist?!" A councilor with a bald head and pointy brown beard gasped at the statement. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the strangely proportioned frame of the man. Skinny in his limbs but fat in his gut. She idly wondered if there was a chance this councilor was a half yordle, half human. She shook her head, no that wasn't possible...or maybe it was...she giggled to herself.
Another man stood tall, surprised by the entrance of the three women and yet still held an air of confidence and control. "Silco delivered faster than expected-."
"Progress man." She murmured to herself as she squinted to get a good look. She'd known she had seen his face before. It was every bit as squarely framed as the many blimps portrayed.
"-But this is good timing. We've unanimously agreed to the deal of peace with Zaun."
"Peace?" Vi gasped along with Caitlyn. Jinx couldn't help but roll her eyes. Weren't they listening to Silco at the dinner party? Just another reason added to the list that proved the man never lied to her.
"You made a deal with Silco?" Vi continued and couldn't help the anger from coating her words.
"On the demand that he cease all shimmer production, return the gemstone, and deliver Jinx...Was that not why you came?"
"Silco is…" Caitlyn stepped forward and removed her palm from her back. "Silco is dead."
A chorus of gasps and a general tension of worry spread through the council chambers. She could practically feel it brushing against her pale skin. Oh the feeling was so wonderful. She reveled in the uncertainty.
"Who or what killed him?" The golden boy of progress wondered aloud and she couldn't help but be impressed by the phrasing. A smart cookie he was to assume that the killer might not have been a person, well, if you didn't count shimmer filled behemoths as people. Monsters filled this world they lived in but Silco had a particular knack for keeping them close by.
"Guilty!" She cheered as she raised her bound hands upwards in glee. It truly was something special to kill Silco. The anguish that came with the act still festered beneath her skin and if she thought about it too long she'd surely break down, but the achievement was something worth claiming. Just like she was the only person that Silco ever loved like a daughter, she would be the only one in the whole wide world to ever claim his life.
"With Silco dead there's no sense in proceeding with the deal of peace." A pale man with green eyes and cheekbones so high they made his face look like a triangle spoke up.
"We should still honor the decision we made. We need peace between the two cities." Another spoke up, his accent thick and his light brown hair shaggy and unkempt. Surely this man was not a councillor. He looked like he could be blown over by a light breeze. Talk about being on death's door.
"Honor a deal with a dead man?! A crime lord nonetheless?" The short, fat yordle/human raged in his chair as he slammed his palms on the table.
Ugh. This was getting boring. Too many shouting voices all with nothing to say. Nonsensical chattering of rats, far too worried about the profits or lack thereof that came with whatever decision they made. Politics. She snorted at the thought.
Her eyes drifted to the large pane of glass behind them all. Maybe the view of the city was something to behold on any given day but tonight the moon was bright red and so very captivating. For all their high and mighty arrogance, she bet none of them would have seen the missile coming. The explosion played out in her mind as she imagined her big smiling rocket shattering the glass.
"Boom." She whispered.
A palm rested on her shoulder and squeezed. No doubt it was Vi's hand trying to provide any sort of comfort to her, but there was no need. She was perfectly calm, if not just a teeny bit irritated at the arguments flooding the room.
"Enough." A commanding voice sternly exclaimed and the room quieted. "I believe this matter should be discussed at a later time. We have a more pressing issue standing before us."
When she finally caught a good look at the speaker, she had to squint her eyes from all the gold jewelry that littered her dark braided hair. The woman stood tall and proud at the center of the table, and certainly held the respect of everyone in the room as all eyes were on her. Jeez, why even have a council when the power was so clearly spread unevenly.
"You're referring to Jinx." Jayce commented and he received a short nod.
The whirling sound of machinery created a unique sound that caught her attention. She swiped her gaze to the owner of the noise and her eyes widened. It wasn't everyday you saw a man made of metal. The more mischievous side of her wished that she had a large magnet...just to see.
"Six enforcers killed in the attack on Progress Day. Eleven killed in the attack on our bridge a few days ago - Including our sheriff. A life sentence in Stillwater Prison is the obvious punishment."
"Stillwater? If you ask me this demands the death penalty." The elven-featured man replied.
"You can't." A horrified whisper limped through the air only ever reaching her ears and she realized that Vi was watching their decision with growing distress.
"My daughter nearly lost her life in both attacks and I don't sense an ounce of regret from this...Jinx. We are dealing with a particularly twisted individual. An execution would ensure no harm could ever be caused again."
She giggled at the older councilor's words. Hit it right on the head. What was regret other than a foolish game for weak people to keep themselves in line? She had many crimes under her belt, many of which the council couldn't possibly fathom, but not once had she regretted her actions. Nameless faces, nameless deaths. She learned early on that the ghosts of her sins would never haunt her if she never knew them to begin with.
The ones that stayed though...well that was another story.
"Yes I agree. The death penalty does seem appropriate given the deliberate and focused method of the attacks." A woman with a golden disc around her that ticked like a clock chimed in.
The scales of the argument were tilting. She could see the weight of her actions tipping closer and closer to a permanent end to her story. With each passing moment, the voices in her head cheered for the darker outcome. She wanted to believe it couldn't affect her, but her shaking, nervous twitches were giving her away.
The woman in the center coughed and once again all voices quieted and focused on her voice.
"We are not wolves."
Huh? She tilted her head in confusion and it seemed that everyone else in the room shared her feelings.
"Wolves," The woman continued, "Do not show mercy. They hunt. They destroy. But the City of Progress was not built from savagery and dominance. We must grant mercy where applicable."
"Councilor Medarda, did you have an alternate punishment in mind?"
"Indeed." The jeweled woman nodded, "Given that Silco has been killed, it will be quite difficult to broker a peace between Piltover and Zaun. I believe if we want to begin a healing process we must offer Jinx's fate for them to decide."
"The Firelights!" Vi shouted at her side and suddenly her future became a bit brighter.
"The undercity gang?" Jayce asked.
"Not a gang." Vi denied vehemently, "Good people. Hard working trenchers that care about Zaun and it's citizens. They've committed themselves to cleaning the streets of shimmer and helping all those that Silco had left behind. You can give Jinx to them. They'll see the gesture as a sign that Piltover will respect them."
"We know nothing of this organization."
"It's true mother." Caitlyn stepped forward, "I've personally met their leader and can attest to their character and good intentions."
Why was Caitlyn suddenly trying to help? Wasn't this the same woman that claimed she was too far gone? Pink eyes glanced from the enforcer to her older sister and back. Oh. She knew what this was about. She sighed as her gaze fell to the ground.
"Well we need more than a judgement of good character before we entrust this...terrorist to an unknown group within Zaun."
"Agreed." Councilor Medarda nodded before turning to stare directly into her eyes, "I think we would all like to meet their leader. Until then, Jinx will be held in a cell within our tower with constant surveillance. If the Firelights are determined to be a trusted group and have the methods and resources to control the undercity, it would be in our best interest to offer them Jinx in good faith."
Great. Nothing like feeling like a bargaining chip between two political entities. She rolled her eyes. You get a terrorist! And you get a terrorist! Everybody gets a terrorist! She could only imagine the fury and rage that Silco would release if he were here. He would have told them all to burn for playing such fickle games with her life...but that wasn't possible. He would never be by her side again.
"Councilors, are we agreed?"
She paid little mind to the light show of beams that rained from above. It was too hard to focus with silent, unshed tears aching in her eyes.
She missed him so much.
The ropes on her wrists were swiftly exchanged for something more secure. Heavy metal braces held her hands together and her ankles were connected by the same device. With her limbs contained in that particular way, her mobility had a limitation similar to a worm. The enforcers that carried her to her cell weren't very chatty either.
Piltover, the City of Boredom.
Curious eyes took in the cell which would be her new bedroom for the foreseeable future and boy was it a bedroom. A bed, folded blankets, a sink and toilet, this tiny little cage was more preferable to the majority of rooms available in the undercity.
Shadows of red light cascaded through the window nearby, illuminating a fraction of the cell in the moon's light. She wiggled until she was able to lean herself against the metal walls. Hallucinations taking the form of little, disorienting scribbles took shape on the edges of the cell where the moonlight hadn't been able to reach.
"Shut it." She growled at the screech of Mylo's laughter. Why wouldn't he ever shut up?
In another corner she could make out the sheen of Claggor's goggles as they floated in the air and cast critical judgement on her restrained body.
"What? You think I deserve this?"
Claggor didn't speak, he never did.
She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and taste iron on the tip of her tongue. Her fingers clenched restlessly, wishing she could spin herself into a violent rage to quench the insanity that surrounded her. Her whole body strained with a pressing need to move but her cuffed limbs were truly limiting.
A sharp cackle of a crazed woman snapped through her teeth and she couldn't help but smile as the laughter consumed her. Death, destruction, violence, and war had been so close. How grateful Piltover's citizens should be for her sacrifice. She'd accept a statue of herself in their town square, but it had to be bright blue. None of that boring silver and gold. More giggles escaped her at the thought.
"Crazy bitch." She heard one of her guards outside her cell murmur and she laughed harder.
"Crazy? Yes. Crazy!" She repeated the words as if they were all she had left to hold onto.
She was no longer a sister, no longer a daughter...what else did that leave her with other than crazy.
In her fit, she missed the sound of a key being inserted into the lock of her cell. The metal jiggled and yellow light swept in from the hallway into her prison. While one of her eyes squinted at the sudden light, her other eye stared at the woman entering the room.
"Cupcake?" She questioned.
Sharp, confident eyes stared her down as Vi's precious girlfriend towered over her. She must've cleaned up after the meeting with the council since the dirt and blood of their scrap had been all but erased from her angular face. Violet hair was perfectly brushed back into place.
"Do you find your predicament funny?" Caitlyn asked sternly.
"Funny? A little." She smirked back.
"I hope you realize this cell is temporary. I imagine your next one won't be quite so...accommodating."
"Well that's assuming the big strong firelights don't kill me." She replied with a shifting tone that sounded like she was singing a melody.
The enforcer continued to stare her down without saying a word. Critical eyes pierced through her and suddenly her wonderment and laughter wasn't quite so satisfying. In a sudden shift of emotions, her twinkling eyes and smile fell into a blank stare. This is why she hated Caitlyn. Her judgment mirrored the goggles floating in the shadows. Her eyes glanced towards Claggor and she stuck her tongue out at him in defiance.
"You see things don't you? Hear voices that aren't really there."
Her brow arched at the question. If she saw them, heard them, and felt them, didn't that make them real? Ghosts visible to her naked eye. It was one thing to imagine her deceased family, but it was another thing entirely to be haunted by them.
"They don't excuse your actions." Caitlyn continued, "What you did is unforgivable."
She rolled her eyes. Nothing like a little Piltover arrogance to bore her to sleep. How grateful she was for the wealthy princess of a councillor to come ease her into a night of restless dreams. She felt her breath getting shallow and she closed her eyes to focus on the tiredness of her muscles. So much had happened today. She was ready to drift off.
Everyone betrays us Jinx.
Pink eyes shot open, wide as can be and her light, shallow breaths froze in her throat.
"What did you say?" She questioned as her frightened eyes flashed towards the enforcer who still towered over her.
Confusion swirled within Caitlyn's visage at the question and Jinx felt her heartbeat suddenly pounding in her chest. Like a wild animal was trapped underneath her ribs, screaming to get out.
Vander. Her.
"No." The word slipped between her lips in horror. She could see something in the shadows just behind the enforcer. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." She repeated like a prayer, hoping that her mind was truly playing tricks on her. Begging for reality to stop twisting against her will.
Her lips trembled at the figure that lay slumped against the cool metal walls of her cell. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the body, riddled with bullet holes. Her scream lodged in her throat as stinging tears streamed down her face. One cerulean eye and one bright orange stared at her in anger.
You betrayed me too.
"I- I- I- didn't! I DIDN'T MEAN IT! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" Her voice ripped from her as she thrashed in her bindings.
The cold metal braces dug into her wrists and ankles as she struggled to breathe. Blood from her violent movements began dripping down her limbs as she rubbed her skin raw. She was blinded by her tears, her hearing felt disoriented and entirely absent in the moment. Not even the pain of her torn skin could shatter the nightmare that tortured her soul.
"Jinx!" The muffled sound of Caitlyn's voice echoed in her ears as if she were drowning underwater.
She struggled against the metal cuffs, falling face first into the rough stone ground beneath her. Limbs twisted and turned, trying her damndest to crawl her way towards the man she saw in the shadows. She wanted to curl up to him, beg for forgiveness and weep in his loving arms once more but slender arms had suddenly wrapped around her twitching body.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried.
She tried to escape, tried to reach him. Her chin was scratched and bloody as she attempted to grind it into the ground and pull herself forward. But the arms around her were unrelenting.
"Jinx!"
Something bashed her roughly in the back of her head. It was enough force to make her vision go blurry and the ghosts of her mind shimmered out of existence for the briefest of moments. The arms that held her turned her body upright and her unfocused eyes managed to catch Caitlyn's concerned ones. In her delirium and panic she tried one last time to escape the hold before realizing Caitlyn was the one holding her, hugging her tightly through her personal hell.
She went limp, relishing in the warmth and comfort. The hug was exactly what she wanted. Tight, strong, unbreakable in the face of resistance. The idea of Caitlyn holding her should have sent her into a more violent rage but instead she nuzzled into the arms that held her. The faint scent of perfume eased the tight tension in her body and she wondered why she didn't want the moment to end. Wasn't Caitlyn supporting her death? How odd that she would find comfort here...
"I'm sorr-'' She tried, but the words fell incomplete as she succumbed to the darkness, not knowing what the future would hold for her when she woke.