"Stupid Jace making me haul his stuff around." Caitlyn muttered to herself, shifting the box in her hands to keep a hold of it so she could unlock the door. She heard some whispers and movement but didn't think much of it as the apartment complex Jace lived in was populated with several families that had children.
It took some awkward shuffling, but Cailin managed to open the door without putting down the box, only to walk in on an active robbery. Or at least, Caitlyn assumed it was a robbery as it was just 3 kids that looked about her age along with one smaller child and they were all holding some of Jace's stuff.
"What are you doing?" Caitlyn bluntly asked, her guard raised. The pink haired girl looked to one of the boys. He cracked his knuckles and took a step towards Caitlyn. She took a step back in fear, but the pink hair girl quickly stepped in front of him, stopping his advance.
Caitlyn was grateful for a moment, but that gratitude quickly vanished when the girl turned her icy gaze on her. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I feel like I should be the one asking you that, seeing as you are the ones in an apartment that doesn't belong to you." Caitlyn retorted, putting down the box she had and crossing her arms. The other girl just scoffed at her attempt to look intimidating.
"I don't have to tell you shit." Caitlyn was surprised by the girl's vulgar language but decided to ignore it for the time being.
"Well, it might make me less inclined to call the enforcers if you told me who you are and what you are doing here." Caitlyn reasoned, making the girl look back to the boy who still seemed more inclined to fight instead of talk.
"Vi." The little girl spoke from her place in the doorway behind Caitlyn. The girl looked scared. Caitlyn realized she was in between the little girl and her friends. The pink haired girl, Vi apparently, seemed to notice the same thing.
"Powder, come over here." She waved to the little girl, Powder, while looking intently at Caitlyn as though she expected her to grab a little girl.
Powder scuttled across the room, giving Caitlyn a wide berth, and went to cling to Vi's side, a few tears falling from her eyes as she tucked her face into Vi's shirt. "it's okay Pow Pow, we'll handle it, alright?" the gentle voice Vi spoke with as she held the girl surprised Caitlyn. She really cared about this little girl. A sudden thought struck Caitlyn; who brings a little girl on a heist? The blue haired girl felt her heart crack at the implications.
"It really is alright." Caitlyn spoke, bringing the group's attention back to her. "If you just put the stuff back and tell me what you are doing here, I won't tell anyone." The boys looked confused, but Vi just eyed her intently, studying her face for lies.
"I'm Vi." She finally spoke after a few moments, introducing herself. "This is Mylo, Claggor, and my little sister Powder." The boys looked shocked and offended that Vi introduced them but didn't voice their outrage.
"I'm Caitlyn. It's lovely to meet you all." Vi scoffed at her again. "What are you doing in this apartment?" This time Vi looked embarrassed.
"Heard it was a good score." Vi muttered out quietly, confusing Caitlyn.
"You heard it was a good score?" Caitlyn reiterated. Vi didn't say anything, but the way she stubbornly refused to meet Caitlyn's eyes all of a sudden was answer enough. "Where did you hear something like that?"
Vi opened her mouth to respond, but one of the boys, Mylo Caitlyn thinks, cut in. "like we'll give up our informants to a topsider like you." He snarled at Caitlyn. She just raised her hands in a peacemaking gesture, ignoring the jab.
"Okay okay, so someone lied to you and said there was something valuable here." The group looked offended but didn't speak. "And now that you see there isn't, will you put back the stuff you grabbed? I'm pretty sure most of it is research equipment Jace scrounged parts for out of the dumpster." Vi hesitated a moment before nodding to the two boys who started taking stuff out of the bags they had and putting them back on the shelves in the apartment. She watched them for a few moments before noticing the little girl shifting uncomfortably.
"Are you alright, sweetie?" Powder grimaced at the term of endearment but looked at Caitlyn anyway.
"Are you really not going to call the enforcers?" she asked. Caitlyn noticed Vi watching her but chose to ignore it as she kneeled down to Powder's eye level.
"No, I won't call them. You all put back the things you stole. So, the way I see it, no harm, no foul." She smiled at Powder, but the little girl just eyed her suspiciously before nodding and walking back into one of the rooms and removing stuff from her pockets.
"That's everything." Vi came back over, looking at Caitlyn curiously.
"Alright, I can walk you out if you like? That way no one should stop you." Caitlyn motioned towards the door, but Vi still just glared at her.
"What, you aren't going to check our bag? Make us turn our pockets inside out?" she snapped, but Caitlyn held her neutral face.
"No. You said you put it all back. I believe you." Caitlyn replied patiently, but Vi still looked suspicious, so she tacked on, "Plus it might take Jace down a peg if you did get away with some of his junk." This got a smile and a huff of laughter from Vi. Caitlyn decided to take the win. "If you're ready." She gestured toward the door.
"Of course, your highness." Vi retorted, but it lacked the malice she formerly held. The girl almost sounded… playful. She also opened the door and did an overly dramatic bow, causing Caitlyn to laugh as she exited despite the strange looks she knew the others kids where giving her.
Originally, Caitlyn had just planned to just walk the group out of the building, but upon realizing they were from the undercity, she decided to accompany them to the bridge that separated the two cities. Vi had tried to convince her that they were fine on their own but gave up surprisingly fast when Caitlyn insisted that it was her duty to ensure they got out of piltover safely. She would have to stop at the bridge, but the extra time with the group was actually quite enjoyable for Caitlyn. They seemed reluctant to share many details about their lives, but they did tell her some stories of their adventures in the undercity. Some of the things they told Caitlyn were concerning to her, but seeing as they treated it like it was normal, she didn't comment.
All too soon, the group plus Caitlyn arrived at the bridge. "Well, I suppose this is as far as I go." Caitlyn joked but felt a small peg of sadness to leave the group. She had liked their company.
Vi grunted in response and signaled to the boys and her sister to start across the bridge without her. she waited until they were all out of earshot before turning back to Caitlyn. She eyed the girl for a few moments longer before speaking. "Look, cupcake, I appreciate you not turning us in. the tip we got about your friend's apartment was a bad one and we shouldn't have taken it." Caitlyn had the suspicion she was witnessing a rare event; Vi admitting she was wrong. "I guess I'm just trying to say; thank you."
Caitlyn smiled softly, not having expected a thank you, but happy to receive it. "You're welcome. Plus, it will be hilarious to rub in Jace's face that I saved his stuff." Vi huffed another laugh and looked around awkwardly.
"Still, I owe you one. If you ever need some dirty work done or something, just send a message to the last drop. I'll come." Despite the casual tone of the words, Caitlyn knew how much they meant. Vi had offered her an open-ended favor, something practically sacrilegious in the undercity. Vi was putting a lot of trust in her to offer something like that.
"Ooh, a big, strong brawler at my beckon call? Truly I'll be spoiled." Caitlyn joked, earning another smile and a small blush from Vi.
"Send a message if you need me. I'll see you around, cupcake." Vi turned to walk away and join her friends, when Caitlyn called out.
"Cupcake? Really? I have a name you know." Vi paused her steps before turning her head slightly, showing Caitlyn her shit-eating-grin, to call back.
"But you're so sweet. Like a cupcake." Caitlyn groaned at the statement but didn't protest as Vi finally walked the length of the bridge, disappearing into the fog on the other side. Caitlyn waited a few moments to make sure she was really gone when she turned to leave herself. She needed to do some research on the last drop.