04: Progress Day Jackpot
Paws pounded the ground with a heaviness as Naruto made his way north and upwards from the Lanes all the way to Piltover and even as he neared the bridge he could see the famed City of Progress in all its glory.
'We will show them all…" Silco's voice rang out.
Naruto weaved through the crowd of merchants finishing packing up their wares, some startled as the large, mountain lion-sized fox sped past, appearing as little more than a blur to many.
The fox's nose twitched as he came to a skidding halt kicking up the gravel underneath his wake. 'Pilties and machinery?' the blonde thought for a moment. 'The artificers should've been packed away hours ago, unless it's an enforcer patrol.'
With the potential obstacle in his way he decided instead tearing through the bridge he looked up along the metallic suspension that held the bridge aloft.
'Too easy.' The fox thought as it hopped onto the suspension and began to run up to the peak of the unintended platform. Above the single tailed fox, a blimp hovered overhead with a poster of a man.
'Mr Progress himself,' the blonde thought as he lowly growled at the giant smug grin of Piltover's Golden Boy. The wind blew through Naruto's fur as he took perch on top of the bridge and before he inhaled deeply.
Within his mind's eye scents always had a colour or a tone to them. They could change over time, but Naruto could see the scent he wanted to follow. He sourced through the plumes of oranges, greens and greys. It wasn't until a bluish scent entered into range and the fox smiled for the first time.
"But Jinx's never changes, not even with time." Naruto said quietly as he got a hold of his partners scent and leapt off his landing on a passing loading vehicle.
Inside the vehicle the driver felt a small thud in the back but chalked it up to a pothole in the road.
"Note to self-get Jinx to build me a hoverboard or just jack one of the Firelights boards." Naruto muttered as he eyed the same enforcer patrol walking with backs towards him allowing him to sneak out of the moving truck with the grace of rouge.
Padded paws hit the clean streets of Piltover. 'Even after festival the streets are cleaned., Y'all got same day cleaning,' the blonde thought before slinking into the nearest alley that took him in the direction of Jinx.
As he stuck to the ground game Naruto thought back to instigating incident that led to this very moment in time.
Seven years ago, Mylo, Claggor, Vi, Powder and Naruto were a bunch of delinquents under Vander's protection and roof. The small crew, a chosen family of circumstance. All undone over the span of a night.
After the blonde was patched up by Vander, there was discussion of what to do with the boy and the name Benzo was thrown around more than once but then all realised that Powder wasn't having it and Naruto stuck by her side.
And like that their family got one size bigger and over the years, they played, they fought, scrapping with anyone who would come at them. There was always a lot of running, from older stronger gangs, from enforcers but this time they were on a real job.
North of their home, the upper to their under, the City of Progress, Piltover.
And in broad daylight in the shadows of a building somewhere in the heart of Piltover's science district. Four teenagers and a pre-teen had just scaled a building and were standing on the roof overlooking the entire cityscape.
"Powder, come and take a look you got to open your eyes." A pink hair girl said as she offered a hand to pull her younger sister up as she reached the top of the pipe and gave her a lift to her feet.
"Thanks Vi." Powder said as she looked up and was stunned by the view. 'Home could never…' she thought as she saw the airships flying overhead.
"It's nice to get above in at all." Vi responded as she took a breath of fresh air.
"It's a lot different than from what I remember." A blonde said as he stepped up next to Powder.
"It been what three years since Powder, busted you out." Claggor suggested.
"Bout the only good thing she's done, and it wasn't even a job." Mylo whined before Vi backhand him in the arm.
"Get a grip Mylo and Naru it's probably a mix of it was dark and you basically stuffed in a bag after being stuffed in a box."
The blonde looked for moment before nodding in understanding as his gaze to the cityscape before them. "They ain't gonna know what hit em'" the blonde said with a grin as the scent of something sweet tickled his nose.
A shadow was cast as the sky rumbled with a low flying blimp go overhead.
"One day I'm gonna ride in one of those things." Powder said with a hopeful grin.
"And one day I'm gonna shoot one em down." Mylo said as he aimed gun fingers and pretended to snipe the blimp.
Claggor with his goggles protecting his eyes from the suns glare looked around with a nervous chuckle. "Vi are you sure about this, if we get caught."
"We're not gonna get caught." Vi said dismissing her brother's concern.
They began to follow Vi as she began to move forward across the rooftops. "We will be in and out before anyone notices."
Naruto glanced back towards Powder who nervously followed along after the older teens.
Catching the gaze of the blue the blonde stuck out his tongue and pulled a face behind Mylo's back causing the 11 year old to giggle as the group came to a stop on a ledge overlooking a balcony.
"Alright everyone, follow me…. And just don't look down." Vi warned before taking a breath and sliding down the slanted roof before landing on the guttering that gave slightly under the girl's weight before she sprang onto the ledge below. Vi's feet quickly finding the metal rail guard as her feet quickly shuffled across before leaping across the roof top across the way.
As she landed in a crouch she looked back at her misfit family.
Mylo pushed ahead of Claggor after cracking his knuckles. This will be a piece a cake look written across his face.
As he slid down he made to the ledge pretty quickly but slowed to position himself better before leaping across the gap landing with relative ease but as he looked up he felt Claggor land next to him with a thud as he shoved a cupcake into his mouth with a smirk.
"Where did you? When did you?" Mylo asked only to get the big bro smirk from Claggor.
Naruto glanced at Powder who still looked unsure about the leap.
"Pshh Powder." Naruto whispered as he lightly bumped her shoulder as he stood next to her. "Take your time you got this." He encouraged before smirking at the girl "Here watch this and then you ok…" Naruto said with a smile as he backed off the ledge with his back to Vi and the others his eyes locked with Powders.
"Naruto wa-" Powder called as the blonde seeming fell off the roof but as she looked over the edge she saw the blonde skid down the side of the building just confidently as her sister.
The blonde then hopped over to the next ledge his feet landing on the bars as he with span around on the railing and his single tail became nine as each tail with a practised ease grabbed a cupcake before leaping across the pavement below landing with quieter than both Claggor and Mylo.
"Couldn't we have at least walked there?" Claggor asked as he stood.
"Got to stay out of sight for this one." Vi responded.
The bluenettes stood wide eyed as she looked down and saw the payment below her. With her family on the roof across looking up at her expectantly she nearly froze.
"Called it…" Mylo said as he turned to their fearless leader. "This is on you Vi."
Claggor sighed before moving. "I'll get her."
"No wait." Naruto said halting the bigger boy. "She's got this."
Vi stepped forward "Powder, look at me, what did I tell you."
"That," Powder paused for a moment to take a breath her eyes went toward her sister first before drifting to the only blonde in their group.. "That I'm ready."
The bluenettes took one more deep breath before taking the plunge down the side of the rooftop and after small scream she found herself tiptoeing along the railing.
'I got this,' Powder thought with a small smile as she spun around slowly and found her footing for the leap. One more deep breath before she leapt and landed on the roof with her crew.
But her balance was slightly off as her arms began to flail as she started to stumble backwards but one of the blonde's free tails stretched out and wrapped around the girl's waist pulling her towards him.
As she was safe and stable the tail retracted from around the girl's waist.
"Tha-" Powder was interrupted as the blonde placed a cupcake in her gob smearing some of the icing over her face.
"All good." The blonde said before looking towards the others.
Vi watched on with a curious eye her younger sister quickly forgot about nearly falling and the fact that Naruto didn't make a big deal out it.
Mylo just rolled his eyes and huffed at the look Vi and Naruto gave him before they continued along their route.
The blonde came to a halt still in his fox form as the scent of explosive residue, gunpowder and paint hit the blonde's nose as he looked toward the main tent for the Progress day fair.
"There you are," Naruto growled lowly.
On an opposing rooftop overlooking the fair below stood a braid Bluenette with a self-built walkie talkie and portable spyglass looking toward the perfect distraction.
"Really, ditching me for a trip topside, I'm hurt…" Naruto said as he landed on the rooftop a few paces behind the girl.
"I need show them th-"
"You're not damaged goods and no one who matters thinks that.." the blonde said before standing next to the girl as he morphed into his humanoid form. "Now then. Who we robbing?" the blonde asked as he looked down at the main tent with interest.
Following his gaze she smiled. "Oh no that's just… Well, you're about to see anyway. As she clicked a button on the walkie. And the main tent burst into flames.
Jinx looked back threw the spyglass and smirked before tossing the blonde the hardware. As he looked through it he saw around seven or eight of Piltovers finest storming toward the blaze. "Oh, that makes sense." Naruto quickly put together what the Bluenette was planning. He closed his eyes and tapped into his electromagnetic abilities. Reached out towards the burning tent.
"Jinx how many explosives did you rig?" he asked.
Enforcers rushed onto the scene before she Jinx could respond and one of the Piltie's got to a fire hydrant, while another ran to signal for aid. Leaving the remaining six enter fiery tent as they all thought they heard something.
"Alright its show time." Jinx muttered before looking toward her walkie talkie and pressed and held down another button. "Help in here please." She whined in a childlike voice.
The pair watched on as six enforcers who looked so much more normal compared to when they chased down Naruto and Pow-Jinx when they were younger. 'Nothing to be afraid of now.'
Inside the burning tent the enforcers covered their faces as they were not prepared or have their ventilation masks ready.
"Please help me." The enforcers heard once again beckoning them deeper into the flames.
"Help it's so hot…Please I'm trapped." The childlike voice sounded again only louder this time.
The enforcers moved deeper while more arrived with fire hydrants.
Back above in their overwatch position Naruto kept an eye on the newcomers. 'Those are the wrong extinguishers can't they smell oil in the air.' Naruto thought as he could tell Jinx used an oil-based accelerant for the initial fire that foam is pretty rubbish at handling. 'Clever girl,' the blonde idly thought.
"I'm a helpless little girl." Jinx said into the device.
Back inside the flaming tent the Enforcers paused as they began noticing pairs of specks of green surrounding them in the smoke.
The voice then became warp and wild. "And I set the building on fire… On accident." The voice changed once more. "Yeah, totally by accident."
"Get out!" the Enforcers heard Kiramann call out to them as they froze in fear of the explosives dangling before them.
"By the way it's not just dynamite I brought."
Back on the roof Jinx pressed a button only for nothing new to occur.
"Jinx?" Naruto asked as Jinx pressed the button again only for nothing to happen.
The bluenettes looked from her controller/communicator that she built. "Scrap junk piece of trash." Jinx bitched quietly as she realised the batteries just died.
"Need a hand?" Naruto asked simply with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up and make the distraction go boom." Jinx responded as she rolled her eyes.
"By your command…" Naruto said before reaching out to the tent as he raised an arm and simple motion he flicked his wrist to the side.
Back down on the ground Caitlyn uncovered a cartoonish monkey face tag painted on the side of the tent she managed to put out. She ran to the entrance where she could see her colleagues turning to leg it away but the green eyes surrounding flicker red a boom was heard, and shockwave was felt sending the young enforcer who discovered the fire was launched back across the street and in through a shop window with a scream.
The fair lot was now on fire and a nearby building collapsed from the force of the explosives.
Naruto and Jinx were on the roof watching their handiwork the flames reached up high and was visible from all over Piltover.
"Hahahaha," Jinx cackled as she watched the flames rise. "Teamwork make the dream work." She sang as she spun around in joy.
. "Well next time you think about that when you leave your partner behind." Naruto said as he smiled his eye never leaving the girl. 'We're really so broken that we find joy in chaos,' the blonde acknowledged.
"Fine next time I won't ditch you."
"Next time?" Naruto said with an arched brow.
"Fine," the girl whined before she began backing up a few steps. "Hey Naruto, you would never let me fall right?"
The blonde rolled his eyes. "You already know the answer."
"Well perhaps I need reminding." She said before Jinx the master criminal and Silco joint first enforcer stepped off the ledge backwards.
Naruto reacted instinctually as this was not the first time Jinx played this game. The blonde dove off the building and before she could fall past his reach the blonde adult had his tail whipped forward wrapping around Jinx's lithe waist before pulling her into his embrace before tucking them both forward to roll with the landing and as they came up Jinx was in the blondes arms the faces dangerously close to one another as their adrenaline began cool in their systems.
"10 points, for sticking the landing." Jinx said as she held up a piece of carboard with a crude 10 scribbled on it, she waved in the air before chucking it behind them.
"Ha." Naruto laughed before glancing around the destruction they had just caused. "Well then were too next?" the blonde asked.
"To the Science Academy."
"Interesting do you know something I don't?" Naruto said with a curious brow as he looked towards the nearest academy exit. 'They normally have presentations and shit for new tech, so maybe.'
"Just a feeling."
"Got it lets go then, and for a random ass outing not a bad choice Jinx."
"What can I say I know how to plan a date."
"Date?" he thought.
"Yes a date silly." Jinx giggled as they reached the arch and the blonde let her on to her own feet. "And you came for me as you always do… you really have never left my side." She said as she turned to him and placed a hand on his cheek.
Naruto felt his face warm at the contact as Jinx's hand light brushed against his whisker marks which were actually sensitive to touch. Static flickered against her palm, tickling her fingertips before settling down causing her to smirk at the reaction she caused.
Jinx broke away contact as if her palm had been burned. "Let's get a move on." She said before turning and heading into the awaiting treasury.
Naruto just nodded as his brain was trying to compute the sudden boldness of the girl.
'Ha paybacks a bitch, that will teach you getting me all red earlier.' Jinx thought in victory as she thought back to their cuddle in their shared home but did save the blondes reaction in mind for later.
As the pair made their way towards the academy they missed an Enforcer climb out of debris made of splinters of wood and shattered glass. Her wounds leaking from the scratches but in her concussed hazy mind she saw a blue haired girl with braids and a tall blonde man with a bushy tail carrying said bluenette and as he placed her onto her feet she readjusted her satchel before her vision swam once more and it all faded to black.
The workshop pulsed with chaotic energy as "Get Jinxed." blasted from the speakers, drowning out all other sounds. Jinx's manic voice filled the air as she sang along.
"Wanna join me? Come and play. But I might shoot you in your face. Bombs and bullets will do the trick. What we need here is a little bit of panic."
Naruto lounged on his bunk, headphones on, seemingly oblivious to the cacophony. His eyes darted between the stolen journal in his hands and the glowing Hextech orbs - their night's prize. 'Who leaves this shit just around?' he mused, a smirk playing on his lips.
Across the room, Jinx hunched over her desk, welding goggles obscuring her eyes as she tinkered with a new contraption. Her blue braids bounced as she bobbed her head to the music, lost in her own world of creation.
Naruto's keen senses picked up a familiar scent approaching. 'Oh, this should be good' he thought, his smirk widening.
Silco burst into the lair, his face a mask of fury. "Jinx!" he shouted, but his voice was lost in the music. Twice more he called, each time met with Jinx's oblivious tinkering.
Finally, Silco slammed his fist down, cutting the music and leaving a high-pitched whine in its wake.
"That's me!" Jinx chirped, her childlike grin at odds with the destruction she'd wrought.
Silco's tirade washed over her - dead enforcers, collapsed buildings, a block of destruction. Jinx's nonchalant shrug only fuelled his anger.
"Do you have any idea what you two have done?" Silco snarled, snatching a pen from Jinx's hand.
"Actually, we do," Jinx replied, her grin turning mischievous as she produced two glowing Hextech orbs.
Naruto joined them, revealing a third orb. "These pack some serious power," he added, his tone a mix of pride and caution.
Jinx's laughter filled the air as she triggered a burst of fireworks. "Happy Progress Day!" she exclaimed the workshop bathed in a variety of colours of bright hues.
As the sparks faded, Jinx embraced Silco before nestling against Naruto, placing his arm around her as if it was second nature.
Silco's anger melted away as he gazed at the Hextech orbs, his mind racing with possibilities for Zaun's future and his family's security. In that moment, only one response felt right.
"I'm proud of the pair of you."
Freedom came at a cost, a harsh truth etched into every Zaunite's soul. For Vi, that cost had been seven years of her life, locked away in Stillwater's dank cells. Now, standing at the precipice of Piltover's gleaming towers, she felt the weight of that freedom settling on her shoulders.
The blue-haired enforcer beside her shifted nervously, eyeing the express way to the Undercity. Vi's lips curled into a smirk. 'Freedom isn't given,' she mused, 'it's wrenched from the world's grip.'
Inhaling deeply, Vi savoured the crisp air, so different from Stillwater's stagnant atmosphere. Without a word, she stepped out of the queue, her feet carrying her to the cliff's edge.
"Hey, wait!" The enforcer's voice rang out, tinged with confusion and a hint of panic. "The expressway is over here. Where are you going?"
Vi rolled her shoulders, feeling the familiar tension of anticipation coiling in her muscles. "Too obvious," she growled. "His goons would spot us miles out." A feral grin spread across her face as she added, "Try and keep up, Cupcake."
With that, Vi launched herself off the cliff, her body a blur of motion as she leapt from building to building. The wind whipped through her hair, carrying away the last vestiges of Stillwater's oppressive grip. This was freedom - raw, dangerous, and utterly intoxicating.
Behind her, she heard the enforcer's startled cry fade into the distance. Vi chuckled, imagining the posh Piltie's face as she watched her new "partner" disappear into the depths of the city.
As Vi descended deeper into familiar territory, muscle memory took over. She slid down slanted bridges, kicked off rock faces, and swung from rusted pipes with fluid grace. Each movement brought her closer to the Lanes, to home.
Pausing on a vantage point overlooking the Lanes, Vi took a moment to absorb the changes and constants of her old stomping grounds. The acrid smell of chemical runoff mixed with the earthy scent of decay - a perfume that screamed "home" louder than any words could.
Dropping into an alleyway, Vi barely had time to land before a whistle caught her attention. Two thugs stepped out of the shadows, eyeing her with predatory interest. Vi's lips curled into a savage grin. 'Not even thirty seconds,' she thought. 'Oh, it's good to be home.'
"Nice jacket," she purred, her fists already clenching in anticipation.
Ten minutes later, a dishevelled Caitlyn stumbled into the alley, her pristine uniform now smudged with grime. Vi emerged from the shadows, tossing a bundle of clothes at the winded enforcer.
"Welcome to the Lanes," Vi drawled, her knuckles still tingling from the recent scuffle.
Caitlyn scowled, clutching the clothes. "You almost got me killed."
Vi's laugh echoed off the grimy walls. "My little sister could do that route when she was seven. All us Fissure folk can." Her eyes raked over Caitlyn's uniform. "And don't you want to blend in?"
As Vi turned away to give Caitlyn privacy to change, the enforcer found herself staring at the Zaunite's back, a mix of frustration and grudging admiration warring in her chest. 'What have I gotten myself into?' she wondered, even as her fingers began working at the clasps of her uniform.
The Lanes awaited, and with it, a descent into a world Caitlyn had only glimpsed from afar - a world where Vi's hard-won freedom would be put to the ultimate test.
The End
A.N.
Q&A-
Spacecore94- Yes I know what you meant... this won't be a harem if thats what you're looking for.
Shay Camp- I wonder indeed, but will it even happen maybe maybe not who knows apart from me...
Apex Calibre- IKR some chapters will be worse than others like actual people characters will have spells of times and good times at points expect trauma
Francisco Lupez- Well had translate this so if im wrong my bad... but 1st don't tell the author to do anything it aint your story... 2nd if you wanna read canon read the manga, literally fanfiction and 3rd if you don't like the presentation well then thats on you G
ite thats over with
Thanks for reading and tuning in.
Less action this time round but need time for transitions
Next chapter we will be getting to Sevika vs Vi one of my favourite brawls ngl.
Also how do feel about Ezreal since he is from Piltover could be apart of the Warcrime Caitlyn squad. lemme know if u want him added to the cast could be a potential rival for Naruto and is probz deffo more useful than that bxtch Maddie
Jinx getting payback kinda
She set em up and he pulled the pins (so to speak)
Deciding if i should add some council scenes yet but not too sure.
got some pre Silco influence Powder, Vi and Naruto and kinda enjoyed righting the cupcake details.
Also the kinda of way I see it
Ekko is suited for Powder
Naruto is suited for Jinx
Timeline wise Naruto and Jinx have been in each others lives for a decade at this point btw
Anyways thats it from me soooooooo
Stay Chilling Y'all