WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

252. Arcane bs2

Where Truth Resides

Barakis

Summary:

"I'm not paranoid! I'm... we're from below. You know everyone is out to get us. Topsiders and the others from the undercity. They always have been. Every one of them!" Jinx shouts. She's trying to focus, but the whispers are getting louder and the shadows are creeping back in.

"I had to be stronger to survive. I had to be strong enough to do it on my own. You weren't there and I... had to be better. Better for Silco. Good enough to help him. He was the only one there and he didn't have anyone else. He needed me and I had to be good enough not to get in the way," Jinx tries to scream, but her throat croaks out the words instead. Vi's eyes soften.

"So let me be there for you now that he's gone. Let me help you chase the monsters away just one more time," Vi offers, holding her hand out. Jinx looks away. Chains are rattling around the room and she wants to scream at them to stop. She wants Vi to fight back.

She needs so badly for her to fight back.

-
Jinx always thought she was in control, but lately it has been harder to figure out what's real. When everything breaks, she discovers the truth is far different then she expected, and the family she longs for isn't lost forever after all.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Jinx has been through this song and dance so many times she could repeat the steps in her sleep. The first step is to cause trouble. Second step is for Vi and her "partner" to show up to stop it. Third is for Vi to make yet another heartfelt plea to reach her, get her sister back, Silco was evil, blah blah.

Foiling whatever chaos Jinx is currently doing is an optional step. Although one that succeeds more often than not these days. Not that she's been trying especially hard, of course.

Today's task is checking up on her barrels of Shimmer. Jinx isn't sure where the stuff comes from these days since both of Silco's factories have gone dark. Sevika swears she isn't involved and doesn't know, but she's getting some from somewhere as well.

Well, wherever it is, Jinx doesn't care so long as she gets her hands on some. She doesn't use it like others do. She hallucinates enough as it is and certainly doesn't trust the so called "bliss" it offers. No thanks. Plus, she's got it running through her veins already, thanks to whatever Silco did to save her. No, the Shimmer she steals is purely to use as a chemical mix in her bombs. Only the biggest and best explosions for her gadgets.

"Get back here!" Vi shouts at her. Jinx cackles as she runs along the metal walkway, tossing a chomper down. It bounces off Vi's gauntlet and grabs onto her jacket. There's a curse and then a yelp as the chomper explodes. Just glitter in that one. She's been experimenting with those lately for when she feels like causing trouble, but doesn't actually want the hassle of someone hunting her down. Plus, glitter is an absolute nightmare to get out. Way worse than paint.

"Gotta try harder than that!" Jinx sneers. This warehouse is one of Silco's. It went dark long enough for the enforcers to go away. Now Jinx uses it to squirrel away some Shimmer barrels whenever she can find some. Vi and Caitlyn will probably ruin what's left. Oh well, not that big of a loss. She can always find more or work with something else.

"Depending on just one avenue of attack is a good way to box yourself in Jinx," she says, imitating Silco's dad tone. How many times did she hear that one?

There's a crack of a rifle, and the window Jinx is running past explodes in a shower of glass.

"Nice miss hat lady!" she calls out.

"If I wanted to hit you that badly I would have!" Caitlyn's voice echoes from... somewhere. Where is she, anyway? Jinx glances around the warehouse but doesn't see her. Much as she hates to admit it, the woman is an excellent shot. Head to head? Jinx's Shimmer enhanced reflexes are faster. But with the advantage of surprise, Caitlyn wouldn't miss unless it was intentional. Probably did it for her precious girlfriend.

Ugh.

Jinx kicks through a door into an empty room. She ducks just as Vi reaches out to grab her.

"Wow! So close! You're getting better at this!" Jinx laughs, dipping and weaving as her sister tries to stop her. Tries and fails. Because no matter what Jinx does, no matter how much she goads, teases, or screws things up, Vi refuses to fight her. Hextech's finest Atlas Gauntlets and Vi won't even throw a single punch with them. Not intentionally. Not at her.

Jinx throws a punch hard enough to send Vi back a step. All she does is block.

"I'd never hurt you. Not again. I'll never put my hands on you like that again," Violet says from the corner. She's younger this time. Dirty and bruised. Clutching her right shoulder and staring at her with those sad, pleading eyes. The way she looked before Marcus sent her off to prison.

Great, now she's got real sister and fake sister to deal with.

"Trying to have a fight here if you don't mind," Jinx growls. Only one of them is real. Even she can realize that much. You can't punch or put a bullet in it if it isn't real. That's how she always knows the difference. Most times, anyway. There are more times than she likes to admit lately where she can't tell anything apart. But it's ok. She's strong enough to work through it. Silco made her strong enough.

"We can fix this. Just give her a chance," Violet pleads.

"Just... stop. We can work this out!" Vi begs, still blocking her punches and kicks. It's unnerving how similar they are. Both of them pleading with her in the same way, with the same voice and the same words.

Vi has that look now. The one she gets when she realizes Jinx is talking to someone she can't see. But she doesn't argue or say no one is there. Not anymore. Not like she has a few times before. But it doesn't matter. It never matters.

"She doesn't want me! She wants Powder back! I'll never be good enough. We're too different," Jinx snarls, sneaking in a punch to Vi's face. Grunting, she backs up again, but doesn't hit back.

"That's not true! We can learn to be sisters again. Nothing will change the fact that you're my family," Vi insists.

"You are still my sister. Our sister. No matter how things have changed. We won't give up on you. We never gave up on you. Not even in prison. Not even when they tried to beat it out of us," Violet insists. Her clothes are different now and she looks a year older than before. She's wearing a white tank top and there's a prison number branded on it. Her left eye is swollen shut and there are bruises on her arms.

Jinx flinches at the sight, shame burning through her. Vi didn't want to leave her then. She had no choice. She would have come back if not for Marcus.

"She left you on the bridge, didn't she? Heard those explosions and went right back to her girl. Even after you killed Marcus for her, she chose someone else. When it comes down to it, she'll always choose someone else. You aren't good enough for her anymore. You never were! Jinx never will be! Only Powder," Mylo sneers. Too close. He's always too close, like he's hovering just over her shoulder, breathing in her ear.

Jinx shakes her head to drive him off, but his words still echo in her mind. Vi never wanted to leave her. It wasn't her fault. She would have come back, but Marcus stopped her. Then she got out of prison and Silco lied. Lied and said Vi just wanted the gemstone, wanted to take her away from him. She did just want the gemstone. It was all a trick. A lie. Vi was an enforcer now. One of them. She had made her choice already.

She's getting distracted now, and that's enough for Vi to snatch her arm, but she wrenches herself out again before the gauntlet fingers can close and pin her down.

"Don't start with me. We go over this every single time," Jinx replies to both of her sisters. She ducks a grab and nearly gets Vi in the stomach, but she twists away.

"Didn't we make mistakes before? Like when Mylo was complaining about you after we hit Topside? But Vi came back and made it right. You talked it over and things turned out ok. It was just a misunderstanding. This is too. We can make it right, Jinx!" Violet pleads. Jinx had jumped back and lifted Pow-Pow, ready to fire. But now she freezes up.

What did name did she just use?

"Jinx please! Don't make me do this!" Vi begs, shoving her back.

She did. She just called her Jinx. Not Powder. Both of them did. They never call her that. Just Powder. Only Powder.

Shocked, all she can do is stand there for a moment. Vi has grabbed a crate in the corner and is lifting it up to throw it. Something to put between her and a hail of bullets. A distraction to throw so Jinx can't aim properly. It doesn't matter. A symbol on the side catches her attention. A fish drawn in blue paint with X's for eyes.

No, not that one. Any one but that one.

"No!" Jinx screams, dropping Pow-Pow to the floor. The machine gun nearly slams into her foot, but she barely notices.

Vi stops, surprise all over her face as Jinx races up to her, reaching desperately for the crate. But Vi has it over her head and it's too high. Too high. She has to reach it. She can't let it get damaged. Not that one, please. Smash anything but that one. Oh, why did she leave it here? It should have been better protected. She messed up again. She always messes up.

Someone is rambling the words, and it takes a second for Jinx to realize she's doing it. Pleading with Vi to put it down with one breath and berating her own stupidity with the next.

"Don't ruin it! Please! That's his! It's Silco's! It's all his stuff!" Jinx screams at her sister. Vi's face darkens.

"Silco?" Vi says incredulously. "You're telling me you kept his..." she snarls the name. Her gauntlets tighten on the box, snapping the wooden cover and causing it to groan audibly from the tension.

A pink haze covers her vision now. Tears. Shimmer tears pouring down her face as sobs pour from her throat. She can barely even talk at this point.

"Vi please! It's all I have left of him!" Jinx pleads. She doesn't care how desperate she sounds, she needs it back. It can't be destroyed. Not that. Vi's face is filled with a hatred so strong Jinx could drown in it.

"She'll destroy it. The last memories you have of dear old dad. She'll smash it just to have the satisfaction of finally ripping him out of your life. The last monster tormenting her, gone forever," Mylo cackles behind her. His voice booms everywhere, impossible to ignore.

"She won't," Violet says. Her voice a whisper in the shadows of the room. Soft and barely audible. Her voice is always so much quieter than all the others. Claggor's too. "She'll put it down. Because she loves you more than she hates him," she insists. But Vi doesn't love her. She loves Powder, not Jinx, and Silco only belongs to Jinx. She is a representation of everything Vi hates. Vi will never accept that.

For a long moment, Jinx knows beyond all doubt that Mylo is right. Vi will break it. Smash it to dust between her gauntlets. Rip out the last piece of Silco that she thinks is still dragging her sister down. Those metal monstrosities could do it so easily. She won't even have to use a quarter of the power in them. But Vi doesn't. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, loosens her grip, and then puts the crate down on the ground with surprising gentleness.

Jinx collapses next to it, ripping the cover off and staring inside. The wood on the outside has cracked, but inside, everything is untouched. Books, knick knacks, an unopened case of his favorite cigars, that fish paperweight he always had on the bookshelf. Absolutely hideous thing, but no matter how many times Jinx tried to sneak it out with the garbage, he always found it again and put it back. It's all random stuff. Things that most reminded her of him. Sevika let her clean out his office above The Last Drop. Let Jinx take anything she wanted without restriction before she cleaned it up to use for herself.

"I'm sorry," Vi murmurs. "I didn't realize... I wouldn't have grabbed it if I knew it meant that much to you," she apologizes. Jinx looks up at her, but Vi is looking away, staring at the ground. Frustration is etched all over her face.

But Vi still put it down.

"You hated him," Jinx states, confused. It's not a question. Vi thinks Silco was a monster who twisted her little sister into the person she was now. Who made her into the same monster he was. So why wouldn't she smash it? She was supposed to smash it. Mylo and the voices said she would. Every fiber of Jinx's body said she would. So why didn't she? It doesn't make sense. The pieces don't fit right.

"I did. I still do. I'll never like him or be okay with what he's done. But I still love you and I hate seeing you upset. Even if it is over someone like him," Vi answers softly. Her arms are at her sides, relaxed and refusing to fight.

She'll put it down. Because she loves you more than she hates him.

Mylo was wrong. The voices were wrong. Jinx was wrong. What else are they wrong about? No, too much. Don't think about that. Shut it away, lock it up.

In the corner, Mylo is sitting down on a locked chest. It's chained up and locked several times over. DO NOT OPEN is scrawled on it in oil crayons and luminescent paint. He's cackling in her ears. Everywhere and nowhere.

Now Vi lets her gauntlets drop to the floor and sits down. The crate is between them now, and she looks completely exhausted. Rubbing her knuckles, Vi looks up at her.

"I know you think he was good to you," Vi begins.

"He was! He took care of me. I know you weren't... couldn't be there. But Silco was. He was there when everyone else was gone and he cared about me. He was the only one left who did," Jinx insists. She grips the edges of the crate and waits for her sister to fire back an accusation. Instead, she relents.

"He did care about you. More than I realized at first. More than I would have thought possible," Vi admits. "But, Jinx...you can still hurt people you care about. Even if you don't realize it. Even when you think you're doing the right thing by them. I still love you so much. But leaving with Caitlyn on the bridge, working as an enforcer now, even... even calling you by a name you don't like anymore. All of that hurt you so much, didn't it? Silco may have loved you, but that doesn't mean he didn't hurt you too," Vi tells her.

Jinx wants to fight. She wants it so badly she feels like she'll snap in two. But her mind doesn't know how to argue against the truth in those words.

Mylo is picking away at the locks on the chest now. One of them falls to the floor and the chains rattle and clash all around her. All of her doubts demanding attention. He grins at her with dead eyes as his fingers work on the second lock. No. Shut them away. Too much, too many. Don't look at it.

Jinx turns away. She wants to stay angry, but Vi is refusing to feed it and she doesn't know how to handle a fight where the only one hitting things is her.

"Gone dad, dead dad. Thought I was perfect. He didn't need me to change. He thought I was perfect," she says the last part as an accusation. Throwing it at Vi like a knife, but once again, she didn't fight back. Just let it sink into her chest. Eyes wounded.

"Did he help? With the nightmares? The memories? Did he help when the monsters came back?" Vi asks softly. Not angry, not fighting, just worried and honestly concerned. Now it's Jinx who feels the knife in her chest. She grips the edge of the crate tighter.

"He... was there sometimes. Whenever he could be. When they first started. He always gave me time and space to deal with it. I learned to fight them off on my own. To be the one they feared instead," Jinx insists, repeating Silco's words. Vi's mouth tightens and she can hear whispers around her. Words she's trying not to say.

"Go on," Jinx hisses. "Say it. I can hear you whispering, so just say it already!" she snarls back.

"He created Shimmer and used it to make you better, stronger. I've seen Shimmer perform miracles and horrors. I've felt what it can do and watched it turn others into monsters," Vi explains, a hand drifting to her side. "All that power at his fingertips, but he couldn't find anyone to help you get better? He couldn't try medications that might send the monsters away? Or help you be less paranoid? Did he even try?" she says accusingly.

"I didn't need them to stop! I... I just needed to be stronger. I can deal with it on my own. Silco made me strong enough to deal with it on my own," Jinx shoots back. But all around the room, the chains are rattling in her mind and another lock falls to the ground in the corner as Mylo picks at it. He always was good with locks.

"Liar, liar," Mylo whispers from on top of the chest across the room, but his voice is right in her ear as well, and she shakes her head at the feel of his breath on her neck. Claggor is telling him to stop, but Mylo doesn't listen. Never listens.

"I'm not paranoid! I'm... we're from below. You know everyone is out to get us. Topsiders and the others from the undercity. They always have been. Every one of them!" Jinx shouts. She's trying to focus, but the whispers are getting louder and the shadows are creeping back in.

"I had to be stronger to survive. I had to be strong enough to do it on my own. You weren't there and I... had to be better. Better for Silco. Good enough to help him. He was the only one there and he didn't have anyone else. He needed me and I had to be good enough not to get in the way," Jinx tries to scream, but her throat croaks out the words instead. Vi's eyes soften.

"So let me be there for you now that he's gone. Let me help you chase the monsters away just one more time," Vi offers, holding her hand out. Jinx looks away. Chains are rattling around the room and she wants to scream at them to stop. She wants Vi to fight back.

She needs so badly for her to fight back.

"Please, Jinx? You don't have to be strong all on your own. Let me help," Vi begs.

"We always chased the monsters away before. We can do it again. If you let us," Violet murmurs. Just a voice now. Paper thin underneath the chains and Mylo picking the locks.

"It's a trick," Mylo sneers, dead eyes, white eyes staring empty at her as his hands continue to pick and pick and pick. "Always a trick. Didn't Silco tell you that? Dear old dad and his mantras. 'You can't trust anyone in this world, Jinx.' 'Only I can be there for you.' 'Be stronger. Strong enough to make them see you,' Vi will take you away somewhere. Bury you like they tried to bury her. Deep down in the dark with just me and the monsters for company. Even Violet and Claggor won't be able to reach you. She'll bury you and move on with that Piltie. Finally start the new life she's always wanted now that there are no distractions," he cackles. Jinx scowls as she stares at him.

But then her eyes drift down to the chest. Locks are scattered all around, but it is still covered in far more.

Didn't Mylo lie to her before?

No. Vi tried to trick her before. Said she would help, but brought along that enforcer to capture her. Said she'd come back on the bridge and then turned around and went back.

LIAR.

But leaving with Caitlyn on the bridge, working as an enforcer now, even... even calling you by a name you don't like anymore. All of that hurt you so much, didn't it?

Jinx wavers. Vi hurt her, but she also wants to fix the hurt. She wants to fix it so badly it makes Jinx want to scream sometimes. Vi never stops, never quits, never gives in. Silco just said she had to be stronger. Stronger than the hurt and the pain. Strong enough to hit back and not to let it consume her. He said he was sorry, but even at the end, he tried to convince her Vi didn't really come back for her.

Her eyes dart away from Mylo and over to Vi's outstretched hand. It has gotten awfully lonely lately. No one around but the voices and the monsters in the shadows. Sevika certainly hasn't helped her out now that Silco is gone. Claggor tries to help sometimes. Violet too. But Mylo and the others are always so much louder. She can hear Silco now too, but just sometimes. Only in places where he used to be all the time. Only he isn't like before. He's different. Jinx shuts her eyes and tries not to feel him in the shadows with all the monsters.

Why is Silco different? He's not nice like he used to be. Just demanding. More, more, more. Not good enough, never good enough. It's a lie. He's not real. She knows because she killed him and the real Silco wasn't like that.

He wasn't.

"Weaponize the gemstone Jinx. You need to work faster, Jinx. Have you figured it out yet? Kill the enforcers! Make them pay for the way they treat Zaun! No, no, not like at the tent! That was wrong! Wrong, wrong, WRONG. All wrong until you showed him the gemstone and then all was forgiven and you were useful again. How long would dear old dad have kept you around as a kid if you weren't useful? If he didn't see how easily you killed me and Claggor? What then?" Mylo sneers as he twists his lock pick.

The chest is rattling again as one chain falls to the ground.

You can still hurt people you care about. Even if you don't realize it. Even when you think you're doing the right thing by them.

Silco always thought he was doing the right thing. He always said that he was going to make her strong enough to survive anything. That she didn't need anyone but him.

Jinx curls in on herself. Too much. Too many thoughts. No. Keep the doubts locked away. Seal them up.

"Doubts only make you weak," Silco told her. The real one.

Her mind is cracking apart under the pressure and she's desperately trying to grab all the pieces to fit them back before it happens.

Someone is shaking her. Startled, Jinx looks up to see Vi standing there.

"...go...! You... go...! They... coming!" Vi is shouting, but the words are breaking up in her ears.

There's the roar of engines and blades around them. Vi looks like she hears them, too. So they must be real.

The only ones that make that sound are the Rippers, an undercity gang that's been trying to take over Silco's old turf lately. Much to Sevika's displeasure. Jinx killed their last leader for trying to hunt Vi down. Seems they haven't learned their lesson yet.

"It's the Rippers! You have to go. Take your stuff and just... we'll cover you, okay?" Vi insists, helping her to her feet. She's clumsily throwing the lid back on the crate and grabbing Pow-Pow. Vi puts the weapon strap over her head and shoulders and moves it so the gun is resting behind her. Lifting the crate, she shoves it at Jinx and makes sure she's holding it tight before letting go. Vi stares at her for a moment.

No. This is wrong. She has to stay and fight. Teach them a lesson so they'll finally learn. Jinx realizes she's mumbling the words out loud when Vi shakes her head and pushes her towards the opposite door.

"No. Just... get somewhere safe all right? I still love you. Okay? Nothing is going to change that," Vi says with a smile. Then she's crushing her in an awkward side hug. Holding her so tightly it makes her feel like a child again.

Vi always gave the best hugs.

"If you need me… if the monsters ever get so bad that you can't chase them away, then I'll be there. You hear me? Just come to me, or call and I'll be there to help, I promise," Vi murmurs in her ear. Then she's letting go and picking up her gauntlets again.

Jinx gets enough of the pieces back in place to realize she needs to go. This is no time to get caught in a firefight. Back off, plan out an attack, bomb them out later when she has more gadgets on her.

She bursts through the door and feels eyes on her. Whipping around, she sees her. Caitlyn. Hat Lady. Sheriff. The woman who took Vi away to Topside. She must have been listening the entire time. Why didn't she attack? It had to be a trap. This was all a trap, and Vi was the bait. It had to be.

There's a flicker and horns are curling around her head as she grins wickedly. She's got a giant needle in her hands and Jinx can see Shimmer splashing around in it. Her bones ache with the memory of how she was saved. Ruined. Strengthened. But then it's gone and Caitlyn is just standing there, watching. Rifle gripped in her hands.

Jinx tenses up, waiting for a fight.

Caitlyn turns and listens as the sound of Vi's fists colliding with something echo from the other side of the wall and through the door. All the frustration she's held back until now is being vented on the first unlucky Rippers to come into the room. Caitlyn glances back at Jinx and narrows her eyes before turning and entering the room. A rifle cracks and men scream in pain. The door swung open to hit the wall and as it closes Violet is standing there.

She looks older. Just like Vi when she came to the spire to answer the flare.

"I bet she'd give you a chance as well. If you let her," Violet whispers. It's so hard to hear her over everything else. Another rifle shot, another scream. Farther away this time.

"Why would she ever do something so stupid?" Jinx laughs. Violet tilts her head.

"Why? Because she loves Vi and hurting you... hurts her," Violet explains, as if the answer is perfectly obvious. "That's why she didn't attack you on the spire and why she didn't shoot you at dinner by the docks," she adds.

"She... she just missed," Jinx objects. That sounded pathetic, even to her. Now Violet smiles. A slow, knowing look. "Caitlyn wouldn't miss unless it was intentional. Probably did it for her precious girlfriend," she whispers back the same thoughts Jinx had earlier in her own voice.

Snarling, Jinx goes to snap at her, but Violet is already gone. Disappeared back into the shadows.

Frustrated, Jinx flees, trying not to drop anything as she makes her escape. Seal it up. Lock it away. Don't let the doubts escape. Not now. Not ever.

Jinx runs. Runs until she's back at her workshop in the Fans. Shoving Mylo off the couch, she collapses into it.

"I'm fine. Perfectly fine. I don't need them or anyone," Jinx mutters to herself. She closes her eyes and tries not to listen to the voices. But you can't shut out something that's in your head. So she pretends to be asleep instead and prays that they'll stop soon.

Chapter 2

Notes:

Please note that this chapter does contain occasional use of the word "crazy" and it does end on a darker note for Jinx. However, I promise that the overall story will end more positively for Jinx and her relationship with Vi. Thank you for reading so far and for coming back for this chapter as well!

Chapter Text

Rain is a weird thing in the undercity. Most of the place is wedged in the canyon, with streets built over top. Sealing them in and shutting out the sunlight. So when it rains up top, the water mixes with all the street muck and makes its way into the gutters, down the pipes, and into the sewers.

Well, it's supposed to, anyway. Many of the pipes are cracked and haven't been fixed or replaced in decades. So instead, the rainwater filters through those cracks and into the skies of the undercity. The result is less of a rainstorm and more like one really annoying leak everywhere. There are some places that get proper rain, just not this particular part of the undercity.

Jinx cackles as a river's worth of water suddenly pours down from the sky, dumping all over a dude dumb enough to not be under cover like most of the crowd. No reinforced umbrella either. Even she has enough sense to bring one out when it rains above ground. Never know when a leak might get you.

Sipping her drink, Jinx watches him complain and fuss for a while. A few others are laughing at him too as they walk past.

"Should have known better. Remember that time Mylo got dumped on? Vander set up a shower for him outside because of the smell," Claggor says. His form wavers as someone walks through him.

Jinx tenses up, but there's no bad stuff that comes along for the ride this time. The memory is just a memory and the smell of the rainwater and muck washes away thoughts of the bridge fire and explosions.

"I wanna go back to the Fans. Why can't we just stay there?" Mylo complains. He always complains. Complain, complain, COMPLAIN. Jinx turns to glare at him. His white eyes stare back, empty and unseeing. Doesn't stop the complaining, though.

"Because the Fans leak too and I have nothing to seal the roof up with yet. I already had to move my workshop so nothing would get damaged. Ugh, even when you're dead you don't shut up," Jinx grumbles before taking another sip. Chuck had her favorite flavor of soda today, and she was going to enjoy it.

Someone looks over at her as they walk by. Why is it always that same look when people can't see who she's talking to? When they realize she's talking to someone who isn't there? Jinx glares at them and they hurry along. She hates that look so much.

"Bet they're wondering who you're talking to. Ooo! Or maybe they recognize you and they're going on their way to report you topside. Hey enforcers! I found Jinx right over here!" Mylo laughs in her ears.

Jinx twitches and shakes her head reflexively, but of course no one else sees him or hears him. No one but her, because he's not real. Although, there are some days when she forgets that. Or moments when the voices are so loud that everything is real and she can't tell it all apart. Still, her eyes dart over to the figure she saw walking away.

"Enforcers don't come down here like that anymore," Jinx argues around her straw. But it doesn't sound very convincing, even to her ears. Marcus was gone thanks to her and now Silco was too. His dreams of an independent Zaun down the drain.

Mostly.

Somehow, the council survived. Jinx isn't sure how and doesn't particularly care. She proved her point well enough. Enough to have them running scared. In the meantime, they are "negotiating" the new terms of independence. Until then, enforcers can still come down here, but they don't.

Usually don't.

Rarely.

Occasionally.

What if they are going to rat her out? Tell on her? Lots of people know who she is even if they don't recognize her right away.

"Vi still comes down here. So does Hat Lady. Searching for you. Silco's dead. Daddy's protection is all gone and no one else wants you here. The second they get a good deal from Topside, they'll turn you in and get paid. Throw you down into the dark just like they did Vi. Down so deep, no one could hear her screaming for you," Mylo hisses. All around, she can hear the banging of cell doors and her sister's voice screaming for her from behind stone walls.

No, not for her. For Powder.

But she called me Jinx before,she remembers. Does that mean… maybe… maybe she is good enough for Vi? Good enough to still be her sister?

"And how long will that last? How long before she realizes once again that you were never worth the trouble?" Mylo asks. Jinx snarls and turns on him, but he's gone and the person walking behind her jumps back in surprise.

"What's your problem?" he demands, surprise turning to anger and a readiness to fight. The group with him grabs his arm and pulls him away.

"Don't mess with her, dude. Didn't you see her talking to herself? Chick is crazy. Just let it go," a woman urges. They drag him further down the sidewalk and away from her.

Jinx throws up a finger before going back to her drink. Nearly drops her umbrella, but it's worth it. Better be glad she didn't pull her pistol out. But that really would attract attention and not the kind she wants.

Tossing the cup away, she hurries down the sidewalk, taking a few alleys and side streets along the way. She isn't afraid of enforcers, she just wants to be careful. She's not paranoid. Not like Silco was always thinking someone was going to betray him. She's just... careful. That's it. Just being a little extra cautious so she can get on her way without being bothered. That's all.

Jinx keeps telling herself that even as the shadows grow teeth and start snapping at her boots.

This part of the undercity doesn't have as much built over the canyon. So it gets actual rain, forcing Jinx to hold her umbrella closer as she walks. There are even cracks above where the sky, the real overcast sky, peeks through. Looking up, she can see bridges crisscrossing overhead. Buildings are wedged into every crack here, stacked up nearly to the top level.

Some of the canyon's walls are cracked here. Large gaps big enough to wedge single homes in and seal off. Those are the most valuable places. Some even have a whole backyard with rocks a slightly different color than the rest of the street.

Who wouldn't want that?

It doesn't take long to find the right place. A wide gap is in the canyon wall here. Big enough to wedge in a two story building, but then the gap gets narrower towards the top. Enough to dump stuff on the roof, but not enough to stack anything else on top. Fancy digs for the undercity. This place nearly looks like an actual home. Might feel like it too if the back door didn't lead directly into an abandoned mineshaft. This place is more about practicality and a quick escape than comfort. But seeing it still brings back memories.

Walking up to the front door, Jinx bangs on it with her fist. There's nothing but the sound of a radio playing from inside.

Fine. Time to do the Special Knock.

Jinx taps out a rhythm on the door. A code to let the owner know who she's from and that she is Very Important. Then she waits a moment before slamming it with her fist again. There's a curse from inside.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" a muffled voice shouts. Footsteps stomp closer, the floor creaking as they stop to unlatch several locks. The metal door creaks open to reveal an incredibly grumpy Sevika. Well grumpier than usual anyway.

"Who are you and why are you using Silco's..." Sevika pauses as she realizes just who is standing there.

"Hello, auntie," Jinx says with a grin. Immediately the door starts to close, but she wedges her boot into the gap before it can slam in her face.

"Awww, don't be like that! I just need a place to crash until the rain stops! You'll barely even know I was here," Jinx says sweetly.

"It's supposed to rain all week," Sevika growls at her.

"And your point is?" Jinx says, raising an eyebrow. The look she gets clearly says that Sevika will shut this door on her boot and not feel bad about it.

"Ok! Ok! The Fans are leaking," Jinx explains before she can lose her foot.

"They always leak. It isn't exactly sealed up tight. That's the whole point. To blow gas from the fissures out of the canyons. Not that they've worked in years. Besides, didn't you build a roof?" Sevika reminds her.

"It's leaking," Jinx complains.

"Then FIX it," Sevika snaps out.

"In the rain?" Jinx says incredulously.

Sevika rolls her eyes heavensward and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"I swear Silco, if you weren't already dead, I'd put you in an early grave for this," Sevika mutters to herself.

"Just one night then? I won't even blow anything up," Jinx whines.

"Stay in Silco's office at The Last Drop. I won't be using it tonight or the next few days. Got stuff to take care of around town," Sevika counters.

"I... can't," Jinx says evasively. Sevika rocks back on her heels and waits.

She's crossing her arms now. The metal arm she currently has is a backup with a replacement shoulder socket that Jinx made a while ago. One that doesn't use Shimmer. No superpowers for her anymore. Try taking Vi in a fight now why doesn't she? The realization is hilarious and Jinx bites down to keep from laughing.

Not the time.

The last thing she wants is to give Sevika more ammunition to use against her, but the woman clearly will not budge without an explanation.

Sighing, Jinx stares at the ground, at her shoe wedged in the door. Anywhere but at Sevika.

"I can hear him now, too. Silco," Jinx mumbles. "But just in certain places. Like where he used to be all the time. Only he's not the same as before. He's meaner. More demanding," she confesses.

"And that doesn't happen at your workshop?" Sevika asks, eyebrow raised.

"He didn't come around there enough," Jinx admits. She's been waiting and waiting, but it doesn't happen there. Never happens. She still has the memories, but his voice isn't added to the others. Just other spots, like his office or down by the docks. There's a backup workshop she has prepared just in case it starts, though.

"The only reason enforcers aren't crawling around the undercity is because I swore before their shiny Topsider council that you weren't with me. That I wanted nothing to do with you and neither did anyone else here. Just talking with you now puts all of that at risk," Sevika warns her. Jinx scowls at that information. It isn't new, but she still hates hearing it all the same.

"She made a deal just like Vander did. Like Silco would have. She's just trying to keep people safe in her own way," Claggor says, peeking around the door from inside the shack.

"She'll give you up in a heartbeat. The second she thinks she can get something good from it, you'll be gone and then it'll be a free for all. Anyone who can grab you will fight for your head," Mylo hisses in her ear.

"Well, how fortunate for everyone else but me, then. At least he wouldn't have given me up to them," Jinx bites out. Sevika's lips curl with distaste.

From the corner of her vision, Jinx can see a clockwork beast crawling out from under the house. It has too many arms with knife-like claws that shine with blood. It opens its mouth and speaks with Sevika's voice.

"Killed him. Shot Silco dead and left him to rot. You killed him and then killed his dream. Even in death, you had to ruin his dreams for him. I hope his voice torments you forever," it croaks out. Jinx can't resist the urge to glance down at it, before flicking her gaze back up to Sevika to gauge her reaction.

"There's nothing there," Sevika says without missing a beat.

"I know that!" Jinx snaps back at her. But still something inside her loosens up at that confirmation. She looks again, and the beast is gone. Nothing but a blood trail left.

"Just for tonight and then I'll be out of your gears. Or would you rather the council hear about how you let me clean out Silco's office, or use his warehouses to hide my stuff, or how you still know where my workshop is, or..." Jinx begins. Fully ready to list all the ways they've been in contact since the attempted council bombing.

"All right!" Sevika throws her hands up in the air. She backs up and opens the door reluctantly. "But only for tonight. I want you gone tomorrow," she growls.

"But not until after breakfast, right?" Jinx says brightly. Sevika's face darkens and Jinx darts inside before the door can slam in her face.

The house is just like Jinx remembers. It still smells like some kind of candle or maybe incense. Not cigar smoke. Sevika never smoked inside her own home, but she always did in Silco's office. At least Jinx could avoid some of it up in the rafters.

Crayon marks are still on the walls, peeking out from behind the furniture Sevika put in front of them. There's even a busted chomper on a shelf collecting dust. Fang. One of the first ones she got to work properly. She salvaged it and gave it to Sevika years ago. Back when the voices were just a whisper and the dead just a flicker in the corner of her gaze.

A radio is on in the corner talking about sports. Sevika walks over and cranks the sound up for her out of habit. It helps with the voices sometimes. Drowns them out just enough for Jinx to ignore them. At least for a little while.

Still, Sevika gives her a warning look. Like she's just waiting for the trouble to start. She walks out of the room and starts banging around in the kitchen. Jinx waits a moment before sneaking over to the radio. She reaches out to turn the knob.

"Don't even think about it!" Sevika shouts.

"Oh come on! You can't even see me!" Jinx complains. Mylo roars with laughter from the couch. Naturally, she changes the radio anyway to a music station.

A few more minutes pass and Sevika returns carrying two cheap containers of noodles and some drinks. Sevika shoves a noodle container and drink at her before going to the radio and changing it back to sports. Apparently there's a high stakes poker tournament going on somewhere in the undercity.

"Oh, extra spicy. You even remembered what I like," Jinx says, batting her eyes sweetly. Sevika snorts and settles into eating her own food.

"Only because you whined like such a brat over anything else. Acted like I had tried to burn your tongue clean off the first time I gave you some. But every time after that, I always had to make it spicier for you just to keep you from sulking that yours wasn't the same as mine," Sevika recalls. She cracks the top off her drink and takes a sip.

Jinx picks up her own bottle and examines the label. There is an almost disturbing amount of alcohol in this.

"Vodka? Seriously?" Jinx says with a scowl. Of all the reactions her body could have to alcohol, falling asleep is the one she ended up with. Not giggle fits, not anger, not being extra talkative or a happy drunk. No. Just passing clean out. Where was the fun in that? At least sugar makes her hyper. That was always fun.

"It was worth a shot. Can't bug me if you're asleep," Sevika says with a smirk. "If you want something else, go find it yourself," she adds. Jinx tosses the vodka over to her and gets up to go to the kitchen.

"Beer, tequila, rum, flavored beer. This fancy cider must be from Silco's stash. Aha!" Jinx pushes aside some rum and grabs a bottle lurking in the back. She isn't sure what it is, but it claims to be fizzy and sweet. Good enough for her. The sugar might even get her wound up enough to really annoy Sevika. She snaps the bottlecap off and kicks it under the counter. Maybe Sevika will step on it when she isn't looking.

"Hey, I wanted a beer!" Claggor says in disappointment.

"She's even got the good stuff! Come on, just a taste," Mylo begs.

"Get your own if you want it that badly. I'm eating," Jinx mumbles around a mouthful of noodles. She walks back to the living room and collapses back into the chair. Sevika is busy scowling at the radio as someone gets eliminated from the tournament.

Mylo continues to complain in the corner as he draws shapes on the walls. Locks and chains. Jinx twitches and looks away. Ever since seeing Vi and Caitlyn last week, it keeps coming back. The locked chest. Chains on the walls. Mylo picking at it, at her, without letup.

Jinx stares at her food until she's done eating. On the worst days, she'll lose time and forget to eat entirely. That's when a container of food from Jericho's appears at her doorstep for her. Well, the doorstep leading to her workshop, anyway. She isn't sure who arranged it, and Jericho wouldn't explain. She has a sneaking suspicion it might be Vi, or even Caitlyn. They see each other there at Jericho's once in a while. A rare neutral ground for them because of the fishman's very strict no violence policy. He's the only one with the audacity to confiscate her pistol and the only one she respects enough to allow it.

Thoughts of Vi draw Jinx's eyes back to Mylo. The bottom portion of the wall is full of chains now. Not scribbled in crayon, but so well drawn they look like they could come to life at any moment.

Heh. How ironic.

Twitching, Jinx puts the food container on the table next to her and looks around the room. Anywhere but at him. The radio's noise is only half working and Jinx is hearing a rattle behind her. Like something heavy trying to open. The doubts aren't going away and she doesn't know how to make it stop. If she doesn't do something, it'll get worse until she breaks again. It always does.

"I have a question," Jinx blurts out before she can think better of it. Sevika doesn't like her. Doesn't like how unreliable she is to be more accurate about it. But she won't lie about Silco. She never does.

"No," Sevika says without looking away from the radio.

"Was Silco a good person?" Jinx asks, ignoring her. There's a sharp laugh from Sevika.

"None of us down here are good people. There's no such thing in Zaun," she retorts. Jinx stares at her until she sighs and gives in. She does it so she doesn't have to see Mylo write DO NOT OPEN all over the walls.

"Shimmer could be a miracle drug. Could make Zaun the centerpiece of the city. Instead, he dumped Shimmer into the streets until the gutters overflowed with it. Even knowing how it could mutate people and get them addicted. Then he used that addiction to his advantage, to buy loyalty or more people to experiment on. He used child labor in the same factories that made Shimmer and told himself he was doing them a favor because at least they had food and a place to sleep at night. He was willing to do whatever it took to get this place the respect it deserved, even if he had to crush the people in it under his heels," Sevika pauses and her eyes stare off into the distance for a moment.

"Almost made it too," she adds, giving Jinx a pointed look. Ignoring that, Jinx chews on her bottom lip and thinks harder. Vi is wrong. She has to be wrong. Silco was a bad person, but he was a good dad.

He had to be.

Because if he wasn't...

Jinx locks that thought away and chugs the rest of her drink. Tossing it, she tries to hit a trash can sitting outside the kitchen, but misses. Mylo is pulling chains out of the wall and wrapping them around the chest. Mockingly. Like he knows they'll do nothing.

Wasn't the chest sitting behind her?

Gritting her teeth, Jinx turns back to Sevika.

"Don't," Sevika warns.

"I didn't even say anything!" Jinx objects.

"I know that look, so don't ask. Don't even think in my direction. Especially if it's just gonna be some dumb question you already know the answer to," Sevika orders.

"Just one," Jinx pouts.

"No."

"I'll leave you alone if you do."

"HA!"

"Fine, I'll be less annoying than usual."

"Like that's ever happened."

"I'll fix that grinding feeling in your arm," Jinx offers. She knows she's hit the right spot when Sevika jerks her metal arm and looks up in surprise. "I can tell by the way the fingers are moving," she explains with a smug look. Scowling, Sevika looks away. Minutes tick past as the radio drones on.

Jinx knows she has her when Sevika goes to grab her drink and her metal fingers twitch, nearly making her drop the bottle. Hissing in frustration, she glares over at Jinx.

"Fine. One question," Sevika nearly growls the words out. "One. And you fix the arm first. Then you drink enough vodka to leave me alone for the night," she demands.

"I will drink just enough so that I'm slurring to the point where you don't have to listen to me," Jinx fires back.

"She can shut you out, but you can't shut us out. Never ever," Mylo sings from behind her. That sound is back. Rattle thump. Rattle thump. Over and over.

"Deal. Now get to work. This feeling is driving me crazy," Sevika complains.

"Wow, and here I thought that was my job," Jinx says with a grin. Sevika rolls her eyes up to the ceiling with an expression of extreme patience and suffering.

Hopping out of her seat, Jinx goes and finds the tools Sevika keeps under the sink in the kitchen and gets to work. It's an easy problem to diagnose. A gear that's a little too large and a metal piece sticking out too far, both catching on the other before releasing. Bang out the metal and switch out the gear with a better fitting replacement.

Flexing the fingers and arm, Sevika nods in approval.

"Huh, feels perfect. That's been bothering me for weeks now," she says, looking almost impressed. Jinx seals the arm back up and watches as Sevika rolls her shoulder and flexes it a bit more.

"One question," Jinx confirms, fidgeting. She can still hear the rattle of chains and the thump of something trying to open.

Jinx knows she shouldn't be tempted, shouldn't open the chest. But she has to know, so this compromise will have to do. She has to prove to herself that Vi is wrong or it'll just keep haunting her. Chains dragging everywhere, tying her down when she sleeps, and wrapping around her when she wakes up. She can't take another week of that every night or she'll break. This time she can't break. Silco won't be there to help put the pieces back. No one will.

"Only one. So make it good. I want to hear who makes it to the finals," Sevika says, already half distracted by the radio again.

"We could help," Violet says. Just a voice whispering from under the floor. Muffled and nearly drowned out by the radio and Mylo's antics. "We promised to help last time. Said we'd be there if it was too much. If you couldn't drive the monsters away on your own," she continues, reminding Jinx of what Vi said back at the warehouse. She ignores the comment, or tries to.

"And you won't lie?" Jinx presses more urgently this time. She doesn't need them. Not her real sister or the fake one. She's strong enough. Silco made her strong enough. Now Sevika rips her attention away from listening to the radio and narrows her eyes.

"That depends on what it is," Sevika says carefully. Jinx curses herself for slipping up. She should have just left it alone because now Sevika just looks suspicious.

"You said I get one question, so you have to be honest. We made a deal," Jinx insists.

"When has she ever honored a deal? Ever been loyal? She betrayed Vander, then made a deal with topside once Silco was dead. She lies just like the rest!" Mylo snarls from the corner. Back in her vision again. Unavoidable no matter where she shifts her gaze.

Jinx knows her fidgeting is getting worse, but she can't stop it and Sevika is staring at her and she knows. She knows something is wrong. Something is up. This is wrong. All wrong. Why didn't she leave it alone? She doesn't need to know.

"Know? Know what? You already know the truth. It's all right here," Mylo thumps the chest he's sitting on. When did it move?

"Maybe this is a bad idea. I think Violet is right. We need Vi," Claggor says meekly, but Mylo shoves him away through the wall. Wrapped in chains. Muffled, silenced. Violet is trying to say something, but she's too quiet.

Pulling at her hair, Jinx shuts her eyes. Can't they all just shut up? Can't they ever just let her think?

"Was Silco a good dad!" Jinx screams the words. Unable to hold them back any longer. "Was... was he good for me?" she whispers. The doubt keeps eating away at her. Always there, but worse since the last time she saw Vi. It has been building for months now and Jinx has to get it out. She has to excise it from her mind before she breaks under the weight of it.

For a moment, Sevika looks surprised. Then just as quickly, her face shutters. Closing off as she looks away. Jinx waits. She waits. She waits and waits and waits and waits and waits. But Sevika doesn't look at her and it feels like something is sitting on her chest now, sucking out all of her air. Why won't she answer? It should be a simple question.

"You promised," Jinx croaks out. "Just say yes. Just say yes and that'll be it. Play time's over, time for Jinx to go away now," she pleads. Sevika closes her eyes and stands up.

"Sorry kid. Deal's off," Sevika whispers, walking away. Jinx stares at her in shock. Even the voices go quiet. But only for a second. Then she's on her feet, smashing the bottle Sevika left on the counter and taking the broken, jagged neck in her hands. The voices are back and louder than before. Howling behind the walls to reach her. Her worry and doubt feeding their hunger.

Throwing Sevika against the wall, Jinx pushes the broken glass up under her chin.

"You promised," Jinx snarls at her. Shimmer is humming through her veins now. So much power at her fingertips. But Sevika doesn't look afraid or even intimidated. She just looks... sad.

"Ohhh, now the truth comes out! Dear old dad, what will it be?" Mylo cackles. Jinx twitches as the lights flicker. The shadows are creeping towards her. Hungry for her fear. No. She's stronger than they are. She can make them afraid. Just one answer and they'll go away again. Just a single yes. That's all she needs.

"That's not a question you want the answer to," Sevika counters. Jinx tightens her grip.

"Say yes. Just... that's all you have to do. Vi made me this way. My sister did this to me. All of this is her fault. Just say it. I need you to say it," Jinx demands, glass trembling in her hand.

There's a thudding from below and then a scream. The monsters are here. Right at her feet, trying to get in. Violet is trying to reach her, but they won't let her. Claggor's mouth is sealed shut and only Mylo is there, watching. Cracking the chest open as chains lay all around it. The crayon drawings on the walls are crawling. Too many teeth, too many teeth, too many teeth. Razor spines, ooze, acid, poison and claws and fangs.

Sevika still won't answer, so Jinx presses harder. Hard enough to bleed.

"You would have ended up crazy no matter who rescued you that day. Parents dead, Vander mutated, friends murdered because of you. Something would have broken you no matter what," Sevika finally spits the words out like knives. "Only Vi was a hot-headed brat who got pissed off at her little sister. Silco was a grown adult. He saw Vander's kid and through you, a way to get the revenge he had always been denied. He could mold you into another version of himself. If anyone ruined you, it's him," she says.

"Liar, liar," Mylo whispers in her ears. Jinx twitches and grips the glass bottle tighter.

"Liar. You're lying," Jinx hisses through her teeth.

"For what?" Sevika laughs. "Silco is dead and you're already a razor's edge away from losing it. Again. Or are you going to pretend like you haven't been hearing things since you got here? Seeing your dead friends in the corners of the room?'" she shoots back.

"Silco loved me. He was like a dad to me," Jinx insists, but there's a tremble in her arms that she can't stop. Crayon drawings are ripping themselves off the wall one limb at a time now. Trying to reach her but not able to. Not yet.

"So? Is that supposed to mean something? You can love someone and still hurt them. And Silco? He messed you up real good," Sevika sneers at her. Jinx flinches back.

"He protected me. He made me strong. I had to be strong, so..." Jinx starts.

"So you could be useful? So you could be just like him? Thinking everyone is out to get you? Believing that the only way to stay on top was to stay in control and strike first? Every act of kindness hiding a knife in the other hand, ready to attack? Silco was already paranoid because of his history with Vander. So when your illness started making you that way too, he took full advantage of it. You didn't need anyone but him, couldn't trust anyone but him. Just you and him against the world. He didn't cause it, but he sure enough fed it. Because he needed you to need him," Sevika snaps at her. Now Jinx is the one on the defensive. Backing up as Sevika presses forward.

"He helped... when it got bad. When the monsters came. He helped me deal with it," Jinx croaks out. Sevika slaps the glass bottle away and it shatters. Shards skittering into a hole in the floor that blinks back.

"Helped? Helped!" Sevika says angrily. "Oh, he helped all right. Told you to be strong. Held you when it got to be too much. Taught you to be bigger, meaner, tougher, more ruthless. He taught you fear. The same fear he carried around with him everywhere. He taught you to be the person others feared because he could never truly be that person himself the way he wanted. So he did it to you instead and called it love. Because it was the only love he knew how to show and he thought it was the right thing to do," she snarls out.

"But you know who also helped? I did," Sevika hisses, pressing her up against the wall. Jinx can feel something reaching for her, tugging at her pants. Trying to dig in its claws and it's too close, but she can't move and she can't stop listening.

"You ruined my arm. I had to watch it wither and rot away before they amputated it and gave me a replacement. Despite that, I STILL took care of you. Took you into my home and bought you crayons when you cried for them. Fed you when you got hungry. Learned how to make the foods you like. Got another bed for you and then let you sleep in mine anyway because you weren't used to being without your sister, and you couldn't sleep alone from all the nightmares," Sevika says, eyes digging into her.

"Who helped you through your first period? When you thought you were dying because Vander told you about the bleeding and the mood swings, but not about the cramps or how much they could hurt? Who told you if something was there when you started to hallucinate and didn't know if things were real? Who watched over you on the first job you went on and who comforted you when it went wrong and triggered a meltdown? I did," Sevika is looming over her and for the first time Jinx is withering under her stare.

"And what did I get in return? Nothing. Because dear old dad was the only one who mattered. Because that's what he put into your head," Sevika says accusingly. "So it didn't matter what anyone else did, or said, or showed. Only he could be trusted. So you trusted him. Loved him. Hung on his every word until you craved his approval, like you were starving for it. And what did he do? He looked the other way. Every time you messed up? Just take some time off. Every meltdown? You just need a break. You'll be better next time. Stronger next time. Anything else would have been a betrayal and the one thing Silco would never, ever do is betray someone he cared about again," she whispers, low and dangerous.

"Fix it Sevika. Clean it up, Sevika. Give her space, Sevika. She'll do better Sevika. Cleaning up after you, dragging you along, even as you got worse and worse," she says spitefully. "I raised you even after what you did to me. Then I watched your world get smaller and smaller and your torment get worse and worse until the only one you could see was him and I wasn't in it anymore. Dear old dad, nursing your wounds. Picking you up when you had a bad day. Keeping all the trinkets you drew on in his office like trophies. The only one who existed anymore was him, and the only one you could depend on was him. And me? I was just the thug who got in the way and kept you from having your fun," Sevika says.

Jinx wants to shut out the words, but they keep crawling under her skin and she can't get them out. She keeps straining to hear the sneer in Sevika's voice. The taunting tone she uses just to cause pain. But the only pain is Sevika's, and the only thing in her voice is hurt.

"Silco had the entire undercity at his fingertips and the Sheriff of topside in his pocket. Dancing to his tune. He did everything for you but the one thing he should have: get you some real help. He could have paid someone. Found someone. Taken you to an actual doctor, a therapist, anyone. I would have done it if he had let me. But he was scared. So afraid of losing you to someone else that he'd rather see you suffer at his side than be happy on your own," Sevika says, and her expression is almost, almost one of pity.

"He said I was perfect," Jinx whispers, her voice cracking on the words. She presses her hands over her ears as the walls and floor scream at her.

LIAR LIAR. EVERYONE'S A LIAR.

"And I'm sure he meant it with as much love as he knew how to show. But kid..." Sevika looks sad now. Not angry, not hateful. Just sad. "You of all people should know that love can ruin people just as easily as hate. You didn't kill those enforcers at the Progress Day tent out of hate, you did it to get back Silco's approval and love. Because you were upset at ruining his shipment of Shimmer on the airship and failing to keep the Firelights away. You set up those butterfly bombs on the bridge specifically to kill Marcus because he's the one who took your dear, beloved sister away. And whatever you have going on between Violet and her girl? That's not hate. That's love. Because you can't stand the idea of Violet loving anyone but you," she says. The words are like acid, burning with every drip into Jinx's ears.

Then she leans forward and lowers her voice to a murmur. The walls are shivering and monsters are breaking through the floor. Where's Violet? She's supposed to protect her. She's supposed to help keep the monsters away. Where did she go?

"The same way Silco tried to murder Violet after he learned she was out of prison. After he realized she wasn't dead after all. That's the reason why he tried to lie and say she was only back because of the gemstone. Because he couldn't bear the idea of you needing anyone else but him in your life. Everything you've done. Is just. Like. Silco," Sevika whispers to her.

"He may have loved you, kid. But the last thing he was is good for you," Sevika finishes. Jinx can't stand to hear anymore. Shoving the other woman away, she runs for the door, bursting through it.

She falls to the ground outside and scrambles to her knees. As she does so, she sees the chest. Locks and chains are scattered all around it. The words DO NOT OPEN have been erased, and the top is open as it sits on its side. But even at this angle, Jinx can clearly read the words inside.

VIOLET WAS RIGHT.

Drawn all around it in crayon is an explosion. Blue clouds with Fishbones firing a missile at Vi's pink head of hair.

"No. It's not true. It can't be true," Jinx whispers. She looks up, but the canyon walls above her have teeth and monsters are crawling down the beast's throat to make sure it swallows her. It isn't safe here. She has to run, she has to escape before they reach her. Looking back, she sees more trying to get out of the house, but there are too many and they keep getting caught on the door. Mylo is cackling in her ear.

"Once a Jinx always a jinx! First Powder and now you! Vi and Silco too! You always ruin everything! Now there's no one left and the monsters are going to gobble you up. Chew on your bones until no one remembers who you are. You'll be thrown into the dark forever just like they did to Violet," Mylo is standing over her. Gripping her hair as he yanks her head up.

Jinx whimpers and tries to crawl away. Someone is calling her, but she can't tell who it is. A trick. It must be a trick. Where is Violet? Why isn't she here to help? Silco taught her to fight off the monsters, but Violet always helped. She always showed up from the shadows to fight them back.

"They'll toss you into the dark and you'll deserve every second of torment. You know why?" Mylo asks.

"Stop. Please stop," Jinx begs him, tears leaking from her eyes. She's heard enough. There's no way she can handle the rest of the truth that's been lurking in the chest. She can't. She has to stop listening before he says it or she'll get lost in the monsters and the teeth and she'll never come back. They'll drag her so far away that even Violet won't be able to reach her anymore.

Mylo leans in closer.

"You have to believe that Silco did nothing wrong. That Vi abandoned you for the Piltie. That Caitlyn is a monster who stole her away and then experimented on you in that lab instead of Singed. You know why? Why, why, why?" he asks her.

Jinx scrapes together her mind enough to realize that he's dead. That his voice only exists to torment her now. To complain. He doesn't lie; he tortures. Regardless of whether his words are false or true. Too late, she realizes that his voice is in her head and she'll never get away from it.

"Because if Silco was wrong, then Vi was right. If Caitlyn isn't a monster, then enforcers are just ordinary people who are good and bad, like everyone else. It means she might really be a good person like your parents were. It means she didn't take Violet away from you after all. If that's all true, then well..." he chuckles and twists her head as she crawls so that his shining white, dead eyes are staring into hers.

"That means you killed your relationship with your sister over nothing, doesn't it? Over a lie that was never real to begin with. If everything is a lie, then that means she really would have taken you back, even as broken as you are now, as different as you are now. It means you ruined the one chance you had of being a family again. And you did it over something that was never even there!" Mylo grins. There's a hole in his shoulder with fire in it that grows bigger and bigger until it swallows him up and all she hears is his voice.

That's a lie. It has to be a lie, Jinx thinks desperately as she scrambles to her feet. She's running as fast as she can, but the buildings have eyes and all of them are watching. Telling the monsters where she is and how to find her. Everything is going dark and even the shadows are reaching for her again.

If the monsters ever get so bad that you can't chase them away, then I'll be there. You hear me? Just come to me, or call and I'll be there to help, I promise.

The monsters took Violet away from below the floor, but she must be out there somewhere. The flare? Where is the flare? She has to find it. Why doesn't she have it?

Please, Vi. I need you.

It's all that Jinx can manage to focus on as everything shatters around her.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Caitlyn ducks as Vi throws a punch at her. It whistles past her padded helmet and she takes a step back. Vi is a little shorter, much stockier, and far harder to throw off balance. However, Caitlyn is a bit taller and with longer arms. She has better reach.

Vi has to step forward to reach her, and Caitlyn snaps her arm out, punching her girlfriend right in the face.

Stumbling back, Vi blinks rapidly in surprise.

"Oh! Oh no, are you ok?" Caitlyn asks, dropping her hands. That's all the hesitation it takes. Vi lunges forward, grabbing her and rolling her over her back and slamming her straight onto the floor mat below them with a loud smack. It knocks the wind out of her for a moment as Vi pins her with a forearm across her clavicle. All Caitlyn can do is stare back.

"Cupcake. Babe. Sweetheart. Love of my life," Vi says slowly.

Oh no.

"First off, I'm wearing a padded helmet. The whole point of having head protection is to protect me from getting punched too hard. Second, what did I tell you about hesitating?" Vi asks raising an eyebrow. Caitlyn sighs and relaxes into the floor mat.

"Never hesitate in a fistfight or you'll just leave yourself open to attack," she mutters. "And yes, I know you've told me that a hundred times, but... it's still you. Not that you have any qualms about returning the favor," she adds pointedly. Grinning, Vi moves off her and takes a seat, cross-legged on the mat. She pulls off her gloves and flexes her hands before removing her helmet as well. Caitlyn sits up and leans in to examine Vi closer.

"You're sure I didn't break your nose or something?" she asks, unable to stop worrying.

"Cupcake I'm fine. I love you, but even if we only had gloves on, your punches still don't hit that hard. Not yet anyway. Which is why we are doing this to begin with," Vi reminds her. It's a perfectly fair point.

"I know, I know. I'll try to do better next time," Caitlyn apologizes.

"You are doing well. Much better than when we started out. Besides, even if you can't get off strong punches yet, being able to dodge is still invaluable when fighting in close quarters. There's no telling when someone might have a hidden weapon you weren't expecting," Vi says with a faint grimace.

"Thinking of Sevika?" Caitlyn guesses.

"Trying not to is more like it," Vi corrects her. Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she relaxes and rolls her shoulders. "I think that's enough for now. Do this again in two days?" she asks.

"I'll be ready and next time I'll get off a real punch without hesitating," Caitlyn vows, earning a welcome smile from Vi. "For now, you've got a bar to get to," she reminds her. Vi blushes slightly.

"It's just some drinks and listening to the latest boxing match on the radio with friends," she muttered, cheeks pink. Over the past few months, Vi has gotten to know some of the undercity enforcers better. To be specific, she's been actively working to get to know them better. It started out as a way to make them feel more welcome and more comfortable talking about problems they may have. Lately, however, Vi has become genuinely good friends with some, and it's not unusual for them to gather at a local bar for drinks and sports programs.

Caitlyn knows that such a gathering isn't really meant for her. As Sheriff, Caitlyn doesn't have that kind of luxury or she feels she doesn't, anyway. Particularly with those on the force who are originally from Zaun. The gap between them is still far too great. Vi has a special status as her partner, and despite her authority, she's far enough outside the traditional chain of command that others have grown to feel more comfortable approaching her. Whether it's about their problems or Topsider enforcers who are causing problems. In return, Caitlyn takes the feedback Vi gives her and acts on it. It's done wonders for morale and for purging corruption from their ranks.

Mostly, though, Caitlyn is just glad to see that Vi is making new friends. It has been so nice to see her confidence grow and her unease fade away.

"Let them know I said hello and that any complaints made against me, or Topsiders in general, will be officially off the record," Caitlyn teases. Vi laughs at that comment.

"Oh, they'll love that one. You can have the showers first. I'm going to do some stretches," Vi says, waving her off.

"I'd be happy to. You always run out all the hot water," Caitlyn complains. Vi gives her a wounded look and clutches her chest dramatically.

"Me? I would never!" Vi says with perfect innocence. Laughing, Caitlyn gets up and strips off her boxing gear. Getting to her feet, she heads to the locker room and puts the gear away, dropping it in the laundry bin to be thoroughly cleansed. The only ones here at the moment are the two of them and a skeleton crew of employees getting ready to close for the day.

Hurrying through her shower, Caitlyn grabs a towel to wrap around herself and returns to their shared locker to grab fresh clothes. Dumping her clothes in a personal laundry bag, she notices that once again Vi has simply tossed her jacket in the locker instead of hanging it up. Typical. Caitlyn has long since given up on her ever doing so. Instead, they've reached a happy compromise of Vi at least throwing her jacket over a chair when she comes over the house.

At the moment, Caitlyn's normal clothes are folded under Vi's jacket. Lifting it up, she pulls her things out and hears something hit the floor. Looking down, she sees it.

A small velvet box.

Caitlyn's heart skips a beat.

Hesitantly, she reaches down and picks it up. The box fit so neatly into her palm. Even without opening it, there can be no mistaking what it is. What it must be. Vi doesn't carry stuff like this around and yet...

Hasn't Vi been acting strangely lately? She's always reaching into her jacket pocket and staring off into space in thought. Caitlyn has caught Vi staring at her more than once lately and differently than the love struck or flirtatious look she usually has. Then she acts guilty when Caitlyn notices and tries to play it off. While they work together every day, they still have a special date night as well as a regular family dinner at Caitlyn's mansion once a week. Yet Vi has been suggesting lately that they plan something more special for the two of them.

She's going to propose,Caitlyn realizes, her eyes filling with tears. The urge to open the box is overwhelming. Enough so that she cracks it open, just enough to see the shimmer of a ring inside before she slams it shut. After that, it takes every bit of her self-control to grab Vi's jacket and put the velvet box back into one pocket. Hopefully, the same one it fell out of.

Vi is going to propose to her. Caitlyn's heart swells with love and affection. So many things make sense now. Little details about why Vi has been acting weird the past few weeks. Sometimes it looks like she's working up the courage to say something, only to falter and deflect. Now Caitlyn understands why.

Hurrying, Caitlyn gets dressed and tries to make sure everything looks ok in the locker before shutting it. When she walks back out, Vi is standing by the window, deep in thought. She's rubbing her hands together. No. She's rubbing her ring finger. Does she even realize she's doing it?

Caitlyn makes sure the door slams and Vi startles. She glances down at her hands and then hurries to shove them in her pockets. Trying to act casual.

"All done?" Vi asks, trying to play it off.

Unable to contain herself, Caitlyn walks over and throws her arms around Vi. The last thing she wants is for Vi to realize she knows what's up, but her heart is so full of joy she can't contain it all.

"Thank you for doing this for me. For helping me learn. Not just with better self defense, but with everything. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life," Caitlyn says, holding her tight. At one time, Vi would have laughed it off, made a joke about it, or teased her. Deflecting the attention because she's self-conscious or too overwhelmed to process it. Now Vi just hugs her back and nuzzles into her neck.

"Anything for you, cupcake. I know you can usually take care of yourself just fine, but knowing that you have some better self-defense skills under your belt really makes me feel a lot better," Vi admits.

"Well, thankfully I have the best teacher," Caitlyn praises her. Letting go, she steps back and sees that Vi's cheeks are pink.

"I'm going to head back home. I'll see you tomorrow ok? No coming into work or breakfast hung over either," Caitlyn warns. Her dad even made a special meal for Vi that morning when she showed up on the doorstep of the house looking miserable.

"That was one time and only because I hadn't had alcohol in years! I always watch how much I drink now," Vi objects with a huff. Caitlyn kisses her cheek and pushes her towards the locker room.

"Be careful anyway. No fist fights," she adds. Vi's smirk promises nothing.

As she leaves, Caitlyn has an extra bounce in her step.

Lately, Caitlyn has taken to making a detour before going home. Usually she'll walk down by the water and watch the sunset for a bit before heading home. Sometimes it just helps clear her head. Other times, it feels more personal. She can't help but look up at the ruins of the old council building and gaze across the river at where it all happened. She could have lost her mother that day. Even though Cassandra survived, Caitlyn can see that remaining on the council wears on her more and more as time passes. At night, she can hear her parents discussing mother's retirement.

Closing her eyes, Caitlyn thinks about the last time they saw Jinx. For a moment, Vi had reached some part of her. They had actually stopped fighting and just sat and talked. Then the Rippers showed up. It seems like there is always an interruption or a distraction just when Vi might breakthrough to her.

There's also a part of Caitlyn that constantly doubts herself. As Sheriff, she wants to apprehend Jinx every time they see her. Chase her down and put her in handcuffs. As a person and Vi's girlfriend, she's come to realize just how paranoid Jinx is. Any attempt to capture her will set her off and make her spiral deeper into her own mental illness. If they want to have any chance of Jinx getting help and actually wanting that help, then Vi needs to do it her way.

The light is fading fast now. It's still pretty early, but at this time of year it doesn't take long to get dark. Caitlyn is about to turn and start heading home when a flicker of light catches her eye.

Across the river, a blue light is on by the docks. Near to Silco's old warehouses. The sight sends a shiver up her spine. That wasn't there before. She would have seen it. So who put it there?

You're off duty. Vi is hanging out with her friends. It's just a light. You don't need to worry about it,Caitlyn tries to tell herself. But all she can see is Jinx's flare lighting up the sky and Vi racing off towards it like a moth to a flame.

Maybe she should check it out. Just in case. Just to be sure it really is nothing important.

"Boss? What are you doing here?"

The voice distracts her, and Caitlyn looks over to see Ember approaching. She's wearing a dark green jacket and her hood is up over her short black hair. She's an undercity enforcer and on the special task force that helps track and gather information about Jinx. Only Caitlyn and Vi know the truth about who Jinx is, but having a few more trustworthy eyes to report on information or rumors from the undercity has been a tremendous help. She's also become a good friend of Vi's and helped her adjust to working on the force, living in topside, and making new friends with other undercity enforcers.

"Just watching the sunset before I head home. What about you? I thought you usually met up at the bar with Vi and the others," Caitlyn points out. But she can't help but glance over across the river at that blue light. Something about it is pulling at her attention.

"Heading there now. Just got tied up for a moment helping my roommate with something," Ember explains. Then she pauses and tilts her head. She follows Caitlyn's gaze.

"Did something happen?" Ember asks curiously.

"No, I just.. have you seen that blue light over there before?" Caitlyn asks her.

"Can't say that I have and I cross the bridge every day for work, so I'd remember. Sometimes smugglers set up colored lights as signals, but that location is way too obvious for that, so it must be something else. Why? You think something is up?" Ember says, her expression turning more serious. Caitlyn can't pretend that it isn't bothering her. Ember is too perceptive and they've worked on too many cases these past months for her to be fooled now.

"I... was just going to look. Make sure it's nothing to be concerned about," Caitlyn confesses. Ember gives her a knowing smile.

"Then you won't mind if I join you!" Ember says with a smirk.

"I don't want to stop you from enjoying your night. I'll just hold you up. Really, it's probably just me worrying over nothing," Caitlyn argues.

"Even more reason for me to go then, since it'll be so quick and all," Ember presses. "I'm sorry, boss, but Vi scares me more than you. If something happened to her lady, she'd go on a warpath and we all know it. And if I was the last person who saw you and I walked away without helping? I'd never live to see the end. You can bury me in paperwork, but friends or not, Vi would bury me six feet under," she says with a grin. Caitlyn flushes and covers her face with her hands.

"Violet, I swear the next time I see you..." she grumbles, making Ember laugh.

"Let's go. The sooner we check this out, the sooner I can get my beer and let Vi know her girlfriend is safe and sound in that pretty mansion of yours," Ember said, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Sighing heavily, Caitlyn heads back towards the bridge. Hopefully, this won't take long.

It takes about half an hour to get across the bridge and find the right spot. Caitlyn gets increasingly tense as they approach. There are too many terrible memories here. Particularly from her kidnapping. Having Ember here to keep an eye out makes her feel safer. Vi would have a fit if she learned Caitlyn came back to this spot alone and rightfully so. She would react the same way if the reverse happened.

A hand lands on her shoulder, and Caitlyn nearly jumps out of her skin. Ember pulls her hand back and raises an eyebrow. Blushing, she quickly apologizes.

"This is where I was brought after being kidnapped. There are a lot of bad memories here," Caitlyn explains. "I know I tried to brush it off before, but I'm really glad you came. You've been a big help. Both to me in tracking Jinx and to Vi as well. I'm glad she has some new friends," she adds gratefully. Ember's gaze softens.

"Vi has you, and we've all seen the way you two lovebirds stare at each other at times. Like no one else exists in the world. Disgustingly cute. We haven't done all that much in comparison, but I'm always happy to watch your back," Ember says warmly. But Caitlyn shakes her head.

"Can I tell you something? Not as your boss, just... as a person?" Caitlyn requests.

"Of course," Ember assures her.

"You and the others have done so much for her then you realize. I'm not from below. No matter how much I love Vi, there are parts of her life that I'll never fully understand, that I'll never truly be able to share in. Having my friends accept Vi means a lot to her, but it isn't the same as having people who can relate to what she's been through. All of you know what growing up in the undercity is like and how much of a struggle it is to transition to a life topside. You understand the inside jokes and references. You know what it's like to deal with a topsider who makes ignorant comments all day, hurtful ones that they don't even realize are hurting you. Like the ones I know I've made before. And I know because Vi has corrected me on it," Caitlyn says. Ember flinches at that and looks away, eyes guilty.

"I appreciate all of you for how much you've helped her. That's all I wanted to say," she adds, clearing her throat. "So now that I've made both of us uncomfortable, let's check that light and get out of here. It's far too unsettling and quiet," she continues. That brings another smile to Ember's face, and this time she takes the lead as they head towards the blue light.

As they draw closer to the light, Caitlyn realizes it was dragged out here. It has been thrown up and over a tall lamp on the pier that looks like it hasn't worked in ages. A long cord is haphazardly connecting it to power somewhere else, and the light is gently swaying back and forth. There are boxes on the short pier and someone's boots are sticking out from behind them.

"Is someone crying?" Ember whispers. Caitlyn listens, and she hears it too. Not just crying, but full on choking sobs in between incoherent words.

Caitlyn's heart stops. It isn't until Ember stops and comes back to her side that she realizes she's not moving. The blue light, Silco's warehouse. It has to be her.

"Jinx?" Caitlyn calls out. Ember's head snaps over to her, eyes wide. There's a brief silence before the sobbing resumes. The boots sticking out pull back behind the boxes.

"Did it wrong. Did it all wrong. Vi said she'd come, but I did it wrong," Jinx whimpers.

"Stay right here and say nothing. No matter what happens, let me handle this," Caitlyn says. Ember immediately looks ready to object.

"That's an order enforcer. Now is not the time. Not with Jinx," she snaps out. Ember grimaces but nods reluctantly and takes a few steps back.

Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn inches her way around the boxes and sees Jinx sitting there under the blue light. Tears are streaking down her face and her eyes are glassy and panicked.

She's in the middle of a breakdown, Caitlyn realizes.

Jinx finally looks up, and her eyes widen. She lets out a choked scream and scrambled back against the post her light is hanging from.

"Please... please don't kill me. Don't kill me, don't kill me," Jinx's eyes swim with more tears and she curls in on herself as if she expects Caitlyn to attack her at any moment.

Crouching down, Caitlyn stays where she is. Emotion is welling up in her throat at how pitiful Jinx looks right now. She wanted justice. She wanted revenge.

But not like this.

"Too late. Called Vi too late. Called her wrong and now she won't come. She won't come and the monsters are here. They'll eat and chew my bones. Violet was right, and I didn't listen. I didn't listen, I didn't listen," Jinx says, pounding the sides of her head with her fists.

"I won't hurt you. I promise," Caitlyn murmurs. Jinx looks up again, eyes wide.

"You're a monster. The biggest monster. The one even the others fear. You took Vi and chewed her up and now you'll eat me too. That's why she isn't here. I called her wrong, and the monsters got her. I tried to run, but they took me too far into the dark. Too far down," Jinx's voice dissolves into incoherent words again. But what she has said gives Caitlyn an idea.

She remembers the discussion she and Vi had on her bed the day before they met with the council. And just a few days ago, she listened as Vi promised that if Jinx needed her, she would be there. If the monsters ever got so bad she couldn't keep them away, then Vi would come back for her.

"Do you remember when you were children? When Vi would play with you and you'd make up monsters together?" Caitlyn asks. Jinx doesn't lift her head, but she does fall silent. "Only Vi would make them a bit too scary sometimes, and it would frighten you?" she continues. Jinx twitches and slowly she looks back up at her.

"Are you a good monster? Did Vi send you?" Jinx asks, the barest hint of hope creeping back into her voice.

Yes, this can work,Caitlyn thinks desperately. As painful and heartbreaking as this is to watch, it could also be the chance they've been waiting for. The one Vi has been fighting for. Jinx might finally let them help, might finally want them to help.

She can't afford to be the one who ruins it and she can't allow anything to interfere. She has to act as if this might be the only chance they'll ever have.

"I am. Only Vi made me a bit too big and scary for you again, didn't she?" Caitlyn asks gently. Jinx nods tearfully and her body uncurls and leans forward.

"Is it okay if I come closer? If I'm still too scary, then I'll back up again. All right? I want to help, but not if it scares you more," Caitlyn asks her. Slowly, Jinx nods. Her body tenses up as Caitlyn scoots forward into the circle of light. Jinx's eyes widen and she gasps, pressing backwards a little. What must she be seeing right now? What lies are her eyes telling her?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look so frightening," Caitlyn apologizes. Jinx chews on her bottom lip and reaches for something behind her. It takes all of her willpower to stay still and not move. To trust that Jinx won't attack in her current state. She pulls out a handheld flare.

"Vi told me to call her if I couldn't fight the monsters off on my own. Silco said I was strong enough, but he lied. He lied, and I need Vi to be strong for me. She said to just light the flare and she would come. But I broke it, I broke it in two and now she won't come. I thought... I thought maybe if I use a blue light instead she would see it. But I did it wrong. I did it all wrong," Jinx whimpers. She's crying again, sobbing as she holds the flare out to her.

With painstaking slowness, Caitlyn tries not to startle her as she reaches out to take it. Turning it in her hands, she looks it over.

There's nothing wrong with it.

Closing her eyes, Caitlyn feels tears building. The flare is perfectly fine. She can see how it works and where the flare powder is supposed to go. But Jinx can't see it. Even now she's staring at her left hand as if there's still something sitting there. All her mind can show her is a flare broken in half and ruined because of her.

"I'm sorry," Jinx says, looking up at her with eyes that beg forgiveness. "I'm so sorry I broke it. I ruined it. I always ruin everything," she chokes out. Pink tears are streaking down her cheeks.

Caitlyn has dreamed of this day. The day she'd finally see justice, revenge, peace. The day she would finally get to do something about the pain Jinx caused. But now that it has finally come?

"What if Vi doesn't want me anymore?" Jinx sobs.

There's nothing Caitlyn wants more than to take Jinx in her arms and tell her that everything is going to be ok.

We did this to her. Topsiders. Enforcers. A whole broken system that left Silco in power and didn't give the undercity the resources to help people like Jinx get better. To trust that someone could even help at all instead of taking advantage of them,Caitlyn thinks, tears falling from her eyes.

"I can get Vi for you," Caitlyn says the words without even thinking about it. Jinx looks up, but her face is so full of despair and sadness.

"I'll stay here with you and make sure the bad monsters don't get too close. But I can send someone, a friend to... to go deep into the darkness and bring Violet here. She can't see the light you put up, but we can. So we'll find her for you instead," Caitlyn promises her. Now hope bursts into Jinx's eyes and she crawls forward, still hesitating fearfully at the sight of her.

"You really mean that? You can find her? Even as lost as I am?" Jinx asks. The way she looks around makes Caitlyn think that "lost" is literal to her rather than figurative. She likely doesn't even realize where she is anymore. It's a wonder she even made it here with that light.

"I can, I promise. And I'll stay here with you the whole time until Vi gets here," Caitlyn assures her. Now Jinx looks at her and wavers uncertainly before reaching out to grab her free hand.

"Okay. Please don't leave me," Jinx begs, clutching her hand tighter.

"I won't," Caitlyn murmurs, clutching her hand in return.

"Ember, come here. Slowly," she orders. There are footsteps, and Jinx is tensing up again, but Ember stops before getting too close.

"It's all right. This is the friend who is going to go find Violet. She'll find her and bring her right back here. Then'll we'll take you somewhere safe. A place where the monsters can't touch you anymore. Does that sound good?" Caitlyn says, turning to stare at Ember as she speaks. There are tears welling up in the woman's eyes. They've spoken about Jinx, about finding her, about stopping her, about the fact that she's sick. But whatever Ember was expecting, it clearly wasn't this.

"Go. Find Vi and bring her straight back here. Don't stop for anything. If any topsiders try to stop you, then flash your badge and use my name if it gets you through. And whatever you do, use the utmost discretion. Word of this can't get out or..." Caitlyn pauses and glances over at Jinx. "Or the monsters might get wind of it. The bad ones. We need to keep this a secret until we can get her somewhere safe. To people who can help her with this," she adds and Ember nods in understanding. Jinx needs a psychiatric hospital, and Caitlyn already has one well in mind.

For months, she's been researching and visiting them to see which ones could give Jinx the best care. She won't pretend like it wasn't largely for selfish reasons, but she did also re-institute the practice of having trained mental health professionals handle emergency calls involving the mentally ill instead of enforcers. Sheriff Grayson supported it while she was alive, but Marcus let it lapse entirely. The practice has made such a difference that Caitlyn often finds herself furious at Marcus all over again.

Focus. Jinx needs help and while Caitlyn has a place in mind, they still have to get here there.

"Please hurry. Jinx... Jinx needs her big sister," Caitlyn explains, letting the biggest secret of all slip out. It's now or never. If she can't trust Ember with this, then there was no point in having her help for so long in the first place.

For a moment, Ember just stares at her. Then her eyes dart over to Jinx and Caitlyn can see the pieces falling into place. Months of discussions and meetings and planning. Dozens of little conversations and moments of how Vi acted every time Jinx's name came up. The whole reason she's a special enforcer now to begin with.

Quickly, though, surprise hardens into resolve.

"I'll bring her back. As quickly as I can. No monsters will stop us," Ember promises with a smile.

Caitlyn watches her hurry away, running back towards the bridge. Now all they can do is wait.

Jinx keeps sneaking glances at her, chewing on her bottom lip and occasionally whispering to herself. It seems like she's working up the courage to say something.

"Can you come closer?" Jinx finally says.

"Of course," Caitlyn agrees, scooting closer. She takes a seat next to Jinx.

"Will you keep me safe? Until Violet comes?" Jinx asks, pressing closer to her. Caitlyn takes a shuddering breath and tries not to cry.

"Of course," Caitlyn promises, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'll stay as long as it takes."

Chapter 4

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Vi takes a sip of her beer and grins as the match is called. Everyone but Bella groans and sinks into their seats. She made the same bet Vi did and smirks now as the radio cuts to sponsorship announcements and commercials.

"How do you do that so often! I swear you must be cheating," Wyatt complained.

"Nah, I just know how people actually box. Unlike all of you wannabes," Vi crows triumphantly." All right scrubs, pay up," she says, gesturing to a server for more breadsticks and fried onions.

"How are you still hungry? It's no wonder you and Caitlyn are dating. You need a rich Piltie just to feed your stomach. I swear I'm going to go broke paying your bill," Wyatt grumbles into his beer.

"Don't whine. You knew what you were getting into when you made the bet. You do this every time," Roland counters unsympathetically.

"Yeah, and one day I'll be right and then we'll see who has the last laugh!" Wyatt insists.

"I should have listened to my sister," Constance mutters under her breath. She and Bella are identical twins and despite their constant bickering, they never go anywhere without the other. Even Caitlyn knows better than to split them up.

"Tried to tell you, but no, you had it this time for sure," Bella says, twirling her long black braid around one finger. As soon as the server puts the food down, she reaches over and grabs some of Vi's fried onion pieces. Constance whines until Bella gives her one, exactly one, for losing the bet.

"What can I say? I'm a growing girl," Vi says as two more trays of food are put in front of her. Caitlyn would fuss at her for not eating anything resembling a proper meal, but she's not here at the moment.

"Do you think Ember's okay? She's late sometimes, but never this late," Wyatt comments, craning his head over towards the door. Vi is about to comment when Ember herself bursts through the door.

"There she is! She looks upset," Roland notices. He's already going to stand up as she hurries around the tables to them.

"We have to go. Right now," Ember says urgently. Roland is already on his feet and Vi is coiling up for a fight. "No one died. Everyone is safe. I'll tell you more outside, but we have to leave," she tells them insistently.

No one questions it. They just grab their stuff and get ready to leave. Constance snatches a few of Vi's breadsticks to take with her, and Bella takes one last, long sip of her wine. Roland chugs the last of his martini.

"I got this," Wyatt says. Whipping out his wallet, he throws a few bills on the table. As much as he complains, he's always the first to foot the bill or help someone out if they need money to get by. Roland adds some of his own to the pile. It looks like more than enough, but Ember looks like she's in a hurry, so no one argues.

Ember hurries them out the door and into the alleyway next to the bar. Now she turns to Vi.

"Everyone is fine. No one is hurt. Keep that in mind. Okay?" Ember says, looking Vi straight in the eyes.

"What happened?" Vi asks slowly. She really doesn't like where this is going.

"Caitlyn and I found Jinx across the river by the old warehouses," Ember says, dropping the bombshell right into the middle of them.

The old warehouses. That's where Jinx took all of us. That's where Silco died and where she fired off that missile,Vi remembers. Her heart pounds in her chest.

"What? Is the boss all right?" Wyatt demands. Bella smacks him on the back of the head.

"She literally just told you no one is hurt," Constance says backing up her sister.

"Everyone is safe. I promise," Ember says, not taking her eyes off Vi. If Caitlyn is safe, then that just leaves one question.

"Is Jinx okay?" Vi asks. She hates how small her voice sounds because now everyone else is staring at her. They've never been told the whole truth, but Vi knows she isn't a subtle person. Caitlyn included everyone here on the special task force because of their skills with analyzing and tracking down information. Even if they haven't made the exact connection, it would be impossible not to realize that Vi and Jinx have some kind of history they don't know the exact details of.

Ember steps forward and puts her hands on her shoulders. Vi doesn't care at this point if they know. She might have before, but she's learned better. Caitlyn has shown her better. She can trust her friends. All of them.

"Physically she's just fine and Caitlyn is keeping her safe," Ember begins gently. She has the air of someone preparing to deliver terrible news, but Vi's brain can't handle the idea of the words Caitlyn, Jinx and safe being in the same universe, much less the same sentence. What happened?

"But she's sick, Vi. She's very sick and very scared right now. She needs her big sister, and she needs youright now. Caitlyn says she knows a psychiatric hospital she can go to, but we have to get her there first. Jinx needs you," Ember explains. Everyone else is quiet as they listen.

Vi's brain nearly whites out completely. Jinx is in trouble. Her sister has been sick for years, years that she spent largely in prison. But something must have gone incredibly wrong if she's allowing Caitlyn to be the one keeping her safe right now.

A pained whine is coming from somewhere, and it takes a long moment before Vi realizes it's coming from her. She's clutching her stomach as it twists into knots. Jinx needs her. Her baby sister needs her.

"Where? Show me where," Vi chokes out desperately.

"Come on, I'll take you," Ember says.

"We'll come too. If nothing else, you'll need help getting her past the bridge guards and stopping anyone else from getting too close and asking questions," Roland says without hesitation.

"You guys... you don't have to... you signed up for tracking her down. Not apprehending her. This is.. this is on Caitlyn and I," Vi weakly argues.

"As enforcers? No, it isn't our job," Bella admits. "This is way above my pay grade, in fact. But if there is one thing I understand, it's being willing to do anything for your sister," she confesses, looking away awkwardly.

"Awww," Constance says, hugging her sister tightly.

"Besides, what kind of person would I be if I abandoned you now? I'm pretty sure most of us figured out after a few weeks working together that Jinx meant something to you personally. But you can give us the details on that some other time. For now, it sounds like Jinx needs her sister," Bella concludes, and everyone gives a firm nod of agreement.

Vi can't respond. Too much emotion is lodged in her throat and worry for Jinx is the strongest of all.

"Let's go. I'll take you right to her," Ember says, and she runs off down the sidewalk, Vi hot on her heels.

Please be okay. Both of you, please be safe,Vi begs as they race towards the bridge.

The way there is a blur. Nothing else matters but finding her sister and her girlfriend. If anything has happened to them in the meantime...

No, don't think like that. Ember wouldn't have left them alone if there was any possibility of trouble,Vi tells herself. Along the way, she sees a blue light hanging near the water and guilt burns in her chest. Jinx tried to call her, and she didn't see it.

That must be how Caitlyn found her,Vi realizes as they race across the bridge now. What if she hadn't seen it? What if Jinx had called out, and no one was there to notice? Does she have other friends? Would anyone from below have gone looking? Would anyone else even notice she was gone?

Tears burn in Vi's eyes as she runs. Jinx has to be ok. She doesn't care about what she's done, she can't lose her sister.

It feels like forever before they hit the docks. The blue light comes closer and closer. Vi can hear a soft voice talking and slows down. She heads down the pier and stops as Caitlyn and Jinx come into view. Both of them sitting under a circle of blue light. Caitlyn is holding her tightly, and Jinx is looking around, confused and afraid.

"It's all right. I'm right here with you. I didn't go anywhere. You just fell asleep," Caitlyn murmurs to her as she rubs Jinx's shoulder. Vi can't help but marvel at how gentle she's being.

"I didn't mean to. Did you keep the monsters away?" Jinx asks, looking up at her.

"I sure did. Just like I promised," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx shivers and presses closer to her, burying herself in Caitlyn's shoulder. To Vi's surprise, Caitlyn not only allows it but pulls her closer.

"What if Vi doesn't come? What if the monsters got her?" Jinx whimpers. Caitlyn continues to rub her arm, murmuring encouragement and reassurance. Vi's chest constricts at the sight. Fear and overwhelming love fight for space in her heart. After all the chaos and pain Jinx has caused, the near death of the council, and the kidnapping from her bathroom, Caitlyn is still holding and comforting her now without hesitation.

What did she ever do to deserve such an amazing woman in her life?

"Jinx?" Vi asks.

Caitlyn looks up, and her smile is immediate.

"Hey, look who it is," she says, gently touching Jinx's arm to get her attention. Slowly, Jinx uncurls from her side and stares up at Vi. For a moment, Vi worries she won't recognize her. That she's so lost in her own mind that even her own sister is distorted now. But then Jinx's eyes widen and her eyes fill with tears.

"Vi?" Jinx asks, voice wavering with uncertainty. The last time Caitlyn felt this relieved was when she realized her mother was safe and Jinx's missile attack didn't wipe the council out after all. Behind Vi is Ember, Wyatt, Roland, Bella, and Constance. All of them came. Caitlyn trusted them to help gather information about Jinx. Might as well go all the way now.

"See? I told you we could find her for you. Now she's here and we can get you somewhere safe. We'll all keep the monsters away," Caitlyn promises. Stepping into the light, Vi crouches down in front of her sister. Jinx tenses up, guilt washing over her face again.

"I broke the flare you gave me, so I set up this light instead, but you couldn't see it. I messed up again," Jinx whimpers. She hands the flare out and Caitlyn can see when Vi realizes the same thing she did. That it's not broken, and it never was. Vi takes it in hand and it's easy to see her fighting to hold herself together. Setting it aside, Vi kneels in front of Jinx and gently takes her head in her hands.

"No, no, you didn't mess up anything. Caitlyn found you. She saw your light and sent someone to get me. You still tried your best and did just fine," Vi reassures her. It hurts to see how scared Vi looks right now. The last time Caitlyn saw her this terrified was at the "family dinner" Jinx threw for them all at the docks. At the very building looming behind them, in fact. Vi looks so close to breaking apart right now, but she can't because Jinx needs her.

And Vi needs me. I have to stay strong for her or she won't make it through this,Caitlyn realizes. Her relief hardens into resolve. She has to be strong for both of them.

"The monsters... I heard them take you away before you could help. Then Mylo... he sent them after me. I tried to run away, but the buildings could see me. They could see me no matter where I went, so... so I came here. Where the dead buildings couldn't talk to them, but they had already taken me so far into the dark that... that I thought no one would find me. I got lost trying to get out," Jinx says, tears streaming down her cheeks. Vi's hands start shaking as she listens.

The idea of Jinx wandering around alone for hours, confused, terrified, and increasingly lost, hits Caitlyn like a punch to the chest. It's impossible to hold back the tears at that mental image.

She's barely an adult. She doesn't deserve this,Caitlyn thinks as she holds Jinx. For all that she's done wrong, it is impossible to look at Jinx and not feel the weight of topside's own incompetence and deliberate cruelty weighing down on her shoulders. It's true that for a while now Jinx hasn't wanted help, but thanks to the council's lack of support, she likely wouldn't have been able to get access to it anyway if it was just her and Vi living alone in the undercity. And alone the way she is now? No one would have helped her. Even Vi would have died if Caitlyn hadn't been willing to trade her gun. And if she had nothing of value? That would have been it, and no one would have cared.

"Silco just said I had to be stronger and that would be enough, but he was wrong. He was wrong, and I listened to him," Jinx whimpers. "You tried to warn me about him and I thought it was a lie, but it was all the voices who were lying. Now the monsters are going to get us both because I didn't listen. Because I didn't trust you. Now, we're going to die and it'll be my fault again, just like Mylo and Claggor and Vander. They took us too far into the dark and we'll never find our way out again before they get us," she chokes out. Vi's face fills with pain and despair at those words.

"Oh Jinx, it isn't too late. Not yet. We... we can get you somewhere safe. To a place where the monsters can't get you. To people who can help you get rid of them," Vi swears to her. "But you'll have to be brave, ok? Just like you were on the bridge when we went to find mom and dad. Can you do that for me?" she asks, but Jinx is already shaking her head.

"I... I don't know if I can. The monsters have come before, but not like this. Never like this. They were never this bad before and now its too late. You tried to tell me about Silco. That he loved me, but he was bad for me. But I didn't listen to you and now it's too late," Jinx says, eyes darting around everywhere in panic. Caitlyn's heart aches for her. By her own admission, she's never gotten this bad before and having it happen now is clearly terrifying her.

This is hardly the time to get angry at Silco, but she can't help it. He had so many chances to do something. To do more for Jinx. He was her entire world for years because he made it that way. If he had pushed her to get help or just taken her to someone, then she would have listened to him, believed him. It never should have gotten to this point. It would be so easy to just blame this all on Jinx. To say that it was her fault for not wanting or accepting their help until now, despite all of their attempts. But there are so many points along the way where people and support systems that should have been there, failed.

"I'm scared," Jinx whispers, looking back up at her sister. "Violet, I'm so scared," she wails, breaking down into sobs. Vi looks like someone has ripped her heart straight out of her chest. Now she reaches forward and throws her arms around Jinx as her sister grabs her in return, crying in her arms.

"That's fine. You hear me? It's okay to be scared, to be afraid. I am too, but no monsters are going to get you now that I'm here. We'll find our way out of the dark together," Vi says, barely able to get the words out through her own tears. Jinx is incoherent again, crying too much to speak, and impossible to understand when she tries. So Vi just picks her up, letting Jinx wrap her legs around her and lifting her up like a child. One hand supporting her and the other gently rubbing her back.

Caitlyn touches Vi gently. Vi's eyes are wide.

She's holding on by a thread, Caitlyn realizes, seeing her panicked expression. That leaves things up to her.

"You've got this, all right? We'll get her some help. I know a psychiatric center we can go to. They specialize in treating people like Jinx. She'll be safe there and in expert hands. All you have to do is keep her calm until we arrive. Can you do that?" Caitlyn murmurs with as much confidence as she can muster. Vi nods silently and grips Jinx tighter.

Caitlyn hurries over to the others.

"What do you need us to do, boss?" Roland asks her. No questions. No "is that really Jinx?" Just how they can help. Caitlyn wants to hug them all. Instead, she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"We have to get her help. So we're going to head over to Silver River Psychiatric Hospital. Likely you've heard the name before. If we get a call about someone mentally ill, they are the ones who take the lead on it and care for them now instead of enforcers," she explains. Everyone nods.

"Right now, what I need most is for you all to keep the road clear around us. Once we start walking, we're not stopping until we get there. Not unless... unless Jinx needs us to," Caitlyn explains. She sees the flicker of recognition in their eyes, but no one seems surprised. Ember must have explained the situation already. If not, then all of them are taking it in stride.

"Wyatt and I will take care of any enforcers on duty who may come up along the way," Roland promises. He leans around her and Caitlyn turns to see Vi walking over to them, carrying Jinx.

"We're ready. Let's hurry," Vi pleads with them.

"Don't worry. We'll keep the monsters away for her," Ember promises. Vi's eyes swim with tears, both of pain and gratitude.

"Thanks you guys. I know what she's done, but she's still, she's still my..." Vi stops, her words choking off.

"That's what friends are for, right? Besides, we're off duty. The boss can handle all the paperwork in the morning," Wyatt says with a grin.

"We'll keep you safe, Jinx. Just hold on tight to me, all right?" Vi tells her. Jinx nods and holds her sister tighter as they head off into the night.

Crossing the bridge is the hardest part. Jinx is so terrified they have to stop and let Vi soothe her again. Vi asks her sister to close eyes and sing a song. "The same one mom sang to us at night. The one you sang when we went to search for them after the enforcers attacked on the bridge," is what Vi tells her. Caitlyn can't help the guilt that lies heavy in her stomach at those words, but the others look grim with understanding.

Caitlyn wonders how many of them lost family members that day as well. She's looked into it, read accounts of it from both sides. Some of those with the protest brought their mining gauntlets. Not the fancy hextech powered gauntlets they have now, just basic ones with sheets of metal over their fists and chest to protect them as they mined in the undercity. They wanted to display them as a sign of the poor conditions they worked in.

Fissure gas was highly acidic and could burn the flesh right off a person's arms in concentrated amounts. That gas was why it was so rare to find plant life thriving in the undercity and why the mining gauntlets and other protection were used. The gas didn't explode; it burned. If a miner hit a gas pocket and wasn't wearing any kind of protection, it would scar them for life. Assuming they survived at all and it didn't burn out their lungs completely, condemning them to a quick, but extremely painful death.

It turned Caitlyn's stomach to see the basic equipment the undercity had to deal with for years. It sickened her further to realize that they had only gotten better safety standards once Piltover needed more minerals and metal to build more hextech with. Not after the violence on the bridge, but after the hextech revolution started.

Amidst the conflicting reports, an accurate picture of events had finally emerged. The miners had brought and worn their gauntlets to show off and protest the pitiful safety equipment they had to deal with. They had enough of the poor safety measures, long hours, pitiful compensation, lackluster healthcare, and more. If topside wouldn't help them, then they would force everyone to notice the problem. So they occupied the bridges and refused to move. Hours turned into days, and then into a week, with neither side willing to budge.

"How much do you know? About the last bridge protest?"

Caitlyn pulls herself from her thoughts as Ember asks the question. Both of them are bringing up the rear. According to Jinx, it's because Caitlyn is so scary that no monsters will dare sneak up on them this way. She isn't sure how she feels about that information, but she can unpack it later.

"I know there is a tremendous difference in how it's talked about. Even among enforcers. Perhaps especially among enforcers," Caitlyn admits.

"Really? I didn't join until two years after that, but I certainly know how the undercity views it," Ember says, her voice carefully guarded. Caitlyn turns to her with a sad smile.

"I looked into it, researched it so I could look at what went wrong and how I could avoid the same mistakes. Personally, I find it very telling that topsider enforcers will always refer to it as a riot without fail. While those from the undercity will only ever call it a protest," she points out. Ember nods at that.

"So you have noticed that. What do you did you find?" Ember asks.

"From what I gather a group of protestors," Caitlyn begins, careful with her choice of words, "were told they were sitting too close to the barriers and had to move back. While they were getting up to do so, an enforcer decided they weren't going fast enough and started grabbing someone insisting they be arrested for 'failing to comply with officer orders.' The group pushed back, saying that was unfair and they barely even had time to stand up, much less follow directions. One man was wearing mining gauntlets and stepped between the group and the enforcer to defuse the situation." She pauses and shakes her head.

"The enforcer claims he was 'threatened and attacked with a deadly weapon.' Witness accounts say they pushed him back, and he immediately went for his gun," Caitlyn recalls. Ember is still watching her intensely, and she knows why. At some point, Caitlyn could face a similar situation. Probably will be. How is she going to deal with it?

"As enforcers, it is our job to maintain the peace," Caitlyn admits. "However, it's also our job to defuse tension before it can escalate into violence and to stay calm, even in highly dangerous or violent situations. That is what we're trained for. Supposedly," she says, throwing a pointed glance over at Ember who gives her a grim but knowing smile in return.

"Any failure to do that is on us. Not on the people we're supposed to be protecting. It never should have escalated like that. They should have had plenty of time to move back and the council should have been more willing to send someone out to talk about their demands. No one should have had to lose their family that day," she finishes. That her mother was on that same council and has been for decades now isn't lost on her. But that's something she's still unpacking. Maybe she always will be.

Ember nods in satisfaction and together they look ahead to where Vi and Jinx are walking. What must it have been like for them? Two kids wandering the fire and smoke looking for their parents only to find them dead?

Jinx is still singing, and Vi's voice has joined her now. Encouraging her. Jinx has a hand over her eyes while the other holds on tightly to her sister. That moment never should have happened, and they shouldn't have to relive it now.

"They deserve better. All of you do. I can't promise I'll do everything right, but I want to make things right. That starts by actually listening to the people our actions are affecting and acting on what they say. Even when what they say hurts. Especially when it hurts," Caitlyn adds. Ember smiles at that.

"Vi always says that you are one of the good ones," Ember murmurs. "I didn't believe it at first. Figured she was just love-struck by the pretty Piltie lady," she admits. "But then, I told her about a topsider on the force who was harassing me. Kept making suggestive comments even though I made it clear I wasn't interested in her or anyone. Vi said she would bring it up with you. I rolled my eyes and said sure. Go ahead. Not like that ever makes a difference," she remembers.

Ember turns and gives her a smile.

"But there you were the next morning waiting for me. I spoke, you listened, and wrote down every little detail. Thanked me for the information and left. A day after that, she was gone. Desk cleaned out," Ember says, looking over at her.

"Then another. Then another. Soon it looked like half the force was going to be gutted, but you didn't let that stop you from cleaning up the corruption in our ranks. People who had always caused issues before suddenly started shaping up, worried they'd be next. People who had been afraid to say anything started being more comfortable going to Vi. Then we started getting pay raises, promotions, more undercity enforcers started being hired, along with topsiders of lower standing who wouldn't have been considered before. Even Stillwater has improved and you've got a new job program going there," Ember says, her voice filled with respect.

"That's all to say that what you're doing for Jinx right now... it means a lot to see this happening. Sure, I don't know what will happen afterwards, but trying to get her some real help instead of just slapping cuffs on her after what she's done? I noticed. We all noticed. I thought maybe you were doing things initially just because of favoritism. Because Vi asked you. And, yeah, I'm sure that's a large part of it," Ember admits. "But you really do care... don't you?" she asks her.

Caitlyn chews on her lip and watches Jinx in silence for a while. She's trembling and her voice is wavering as she sings.

"We created this problem. Topsiders. The council. Enforcers. We created the situation that allowed her to get this bad and that kept her from being helped sooner. From trusting anyone to help sooner. From having easy access to mental healthcare, or any healthcare. Enforcer corruption kept Silco in power and let him grow stronger with no one else realizing it. We created the tension and lack of safety measures that led to the bridge protests and the violence that erupted because enforcers were allowed to view people from the undercity as beneath them. As disposable. It shouldn't be on your shoulders to fix it," Caitlyn responds.

"But it will be, if only in part. It always is," Ember finishes. It's not a question. Caitlyn can't argue with that and she doesn't try. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Ember scuffs her boots on the ground and kicks a rock away. They walk a bit more in silence for a bit before she speaks up again.

"Just remember that you brought us in to help find Jinx for a reason. Don't be afraid to ask us for help if you get stuck on where to go from here. That's the whole reason we started working together on this," Ember reminds her.

"Thank you, Ember. I... think I needed that reminder more than I realized," Caitlyn says gratefully.

There's so much happening right now. Jinx is finally letting them help, but that also means she'll need to face what she's done and honestly? Caitlyn never thought they would actually make it to this point before one of them ended up in a coffin. Determining the right punishment is going to fall on her shoulders and on how she handles the situation. That is one thing Vi won't be able to do for her. She can offer her input but the final decisions will be partly on Caitlyn and how she approaches the council. But that doesn't mean she has to decide entirely alone, either.

It's a slow walk, with Jinx singing hesitantly the entire way, but they make it. True to their word, Roland and Wyatt hurry ahead to get the enforcers on duty to stay back. They watch curiously and nod at Caitlyn in recognition. Thankfully, while Jinx is a well-known terrorist, she's not someone people recognize at first sight. She really doesn't stand out all that much from other undercity citizens. Plus, with the Sheriff herself taking care of it, there isn't much reason for them to worry.

Another 45 minutes pass before the lights of the psychiatric center appear on the road in front of them. A neat, sprawling facility, lit up like a warm, inviting haven. Vi's body sags slightly as they get closer. Her arms are visibly trembling and she has to be long past the point of feeling worn out. But her face sets with even more determination than before. Connected to it is a larger seven story hospital that is far more crowded.

Caitlyn hurries ahead and opens the door for Vi to walk in. The entryway is a brightly lit room with soft green walls and artwork of trees and forests on the walls. A woman is sitting behind a desk looking bored as she flips through the newspaper. Glancing up, she looks straight at Jinx and immediately snaps into business mode. She calls out for someone and Caitlyn can hear people in the back moving around.

"We're here, Jinx. We made it," Vi murmurs to her sister. Jinx lifts her head and looks around as Vi puts her down. She clutches Vi's arm and stands there, looking at the room. A door in the opposite wall opens up and an older woman in a white coat walks out along with a younger woman in medical scrubs. She has a warm smile. Caitlyn recognizes Rosalyn, one of the lead doctors here. They spoke extensively before when she came here as Sheriff to tour the facility.

"Nice to see you again. How can I help you today?" Rosalyn asks, but her eyes immediately zero in on Jinx. Rather than wait for Caitlyn to answer, she immediately goes over to Vi and crouches down so she's below Jinx's eye level. Smaller and less threatening.

"Hello there. What's your name, young lady?" Rosalyn says softly. Jinx sniffles and wipes at her eyes.

"Jinx," she mumbles.

"That's a very nice name! Did something happen? You look very upset," Rosalyn asks her.

"The monsters were after me." Jinx replies. "Vi said we could come here, and I'd be safe. That... that you could make them go away," she whispers. Rosalyn's smile is gentle and full of understanding.

"We sure can! We slay all kinds of monsters here. Big ones, small ones, even ones you've never heard of. We can help you keep them away if you'll let us," she continues, and Jinx looks up at Vi questioningly.

"It's okay. You're safe now with them," Vi reassures her.

"I want my sister with me," Jinx insists.

"Then we'll bring her along to help you settled in. Sara is going to take you in the back, and I'm going to ask Vi a few questions about the monsters. We'll be right behind you, okay?" Rosalyn tells her. Jinx hesitates before looking up at the ceiling.

"Okay. The lights help keep the monsters away. They only like the dark," she says, letting Sara take her hand.

"Then we'll keep it nice and bright for you," Sara says warmly as she leads Jinx away. Jinx looks back at Vi for reassurance.

"I'll be right behind you. I promise. So be nice to them for me until then, all right? They just want to help," Vi tells her. Jinx nods and follows Sara into the back.

As soon as the door closes, the dam bursts and Vi lets out a sob, her shoulders trembling.

"Come here, my dear. Take a seat with me," Rosalyn says, guiding her to a chair. Vi collapses into the seat, doubling over as she cries. Caitlyn takes the seat next to her, stroking her back.

"I'm sorry. She's my little sister. I just want so badly for her to get some help and... and she finally let us do something and..." Vi can't finish her thought. She's crying too hard.

"It's very scary to see someone you love like this, isn't it?" Rosalyn states. "Is this her first time getting help?" she asks softly. Vi nods.

"We've been separated for years. I live topside now, but we're originally from Zaun. She's still down there. Stuck down there. The... the man who raised her for the past few years never took her to anybody. He tried to get her to handle it herself," Vi explains. Rosalyn frowns slightly at that. Taking a notepad and pen out, she starts taking notes.

"Is this her first episode?" Rosalyn asks. When Vi hesitates, she clarifies, saying, "Has she heard voices before, seen things?"

"Yes. Nearly every time I see her, but I've never seen an episode this bad. The way she spoke made it seem like it has never gotten this bad for her before. I think that's what pushed her to reach out and let us help. We were inseparable as kids, but we haven't had the greatest relationship lately," Vi says, sniffling.

"Do you know what triggered it?" Rosalyn says, taking more notes. Vi shakes her head. Taking a few more notes, Rosalyn taps the pen against her lips and watches Vi closely. Vi is too emotional to notice, but Caitlyn can see what Rosalyn does.

Vi's legs are bouncing, and her hands keep clenching and unclenching. She's on the verge of hyperventilating and her pupils are dilated. Every sound makes her twitch and jerk her head around. The stress of the night is triggering an attack of Vi's own, but she's been too focused on helping Jinx to notice. If Caitlyn has picked up on it though, then she knows a trained professional has as well.

"Do you see a therapist yourself?" Rosalyn asks suddenly. Vi blinks and then blinks again. Caitlyn can see the momentary confusion in her eyes before she shakes her head and stumbles over her words.

"I... um... yes! Therapist. I see Nezha Rhosan across town for... for PTSD," Vi gets out.

"Ah, wonderful woman. You're in expert hands with her care," Rosalyn says in approval.

"Have either of you ever been to a place like this before?" she continues, still watching Vi intensely.

"No. Couldn't afford it when we lived below. After our separation, the man who raised her during her teenage years never allowed it and since then we... we haven't..." Vi just stops and shakes her head.

"Normal procedure is to let you back long enough to get her admitted and then you'd have to come back during visiting time tomorrow. Similar to a regular hospital. However, your sister clearly wants to have you there with her. So let's go back and see how she's doing," Rosalyn offers.

"Is there any way I could stay with her longer? I just... I really want to be there for her. She needs me," Vi pleads. Rosalyn hesitates. Caitlyn thinks she knows where this is going, but she doesn't interfere.

"For now, I think being at her side while we get her admitted will really help both of you. Once she's taken care of, let's see what we can do about arrangements for you to stay with her, all right? One thing at a time," Rosalyn says gently. Vi accepts that with a nod and wipes her hands on her pants as she stands up. Caitlyn stands up with them and rubs Vi's back supportively.

"I'll be fine right here. Go take care of Jinx. She needs you with her," Caitlyn urges her. Vi nods and hugs her tightly.

"Thank you for finding her. Thank you so much. If you hadn't noticed that light... I don't even want to think about what might have happened or who might have hurt her," Vi whispers, her voice thick with emotion. Caitlyn gives her a kiss, soft, reassuring, safe and for a moment Vi just melts into her.

"Go take care of your sister. I'm not going anywhere. I promise," Caitlyn vows. Vi wipes away a few more tears and nods before following Rosalyn into the back. It isn't until Ember touches her arm that Caitlyn realizes she's still standing there staring.

"Come on. Let's take a seat. I'm sure there's paperwork and insurance and all sorts of other stuff that needs taken care of. We can do that and let Vi focus on her sister," Ember says gently. That snaps Caitlyn out of her stupor.

Right. There is more she can do instead of just waiting around worrying. She let Ember lead her back to the front desk.

"All right. Let's get started."

Notes:

Some of you might have noticed that the chapter count for this story has changed. It was initially supposed to be a shorter story with about 3 chapters. Then it went up. Now... I'm not sure how long it will be? I know exactly how I want it to end but the time it takes to get there keeps shifting around. Plus I tend to be very wordy. I'm aiming for around 10 chapters, maybe a bit higher.

So pro: more chapters! Con: more heartache! Or maybe that's a pro as well. I don't judge. Thank you so much for reading and leaving so many comments!

Chapter 5

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Despite her worries, Caitlyn can answer more of the medical questionnaire than she's expecting. It makes her realize just how much of her life Vi has been willing to share over the past few months.

Still, she tries to answer only the parts the staff tells her are the most immediately vital for Jinx's care, while leaving the rest for Vi to handle herself. She takes care of the insurance and gives the Kirammen name and credit information for current and future payment or until she can arrange something else. Vi doesn't need to worry about any of that, nor does Caitlyn want that weighing on her mind at a time like this. Her entire focus should be on Jinx and her mental health.

Four hours pass before the door opens again. Rosalyn emerges with a warm smile. Caitlyn jumps to her feet, startling Roland and Wyatt, who were sleeping in the chairs across from her. All of them have stayed to wait and see what happens or if Vi needs them.

Caitlyn hurries over to her while the others stretch and wake up to listen.

"Everything is fine. Jinx is resting right now. I came to bring you back so you can check on her and Violet. As well as ask a few more questions," Rosalyn states. She turns to the others. Everyone is awake or at least pretending to be so they can see what's going on.

"I'm sorry for the long wait. It shouldn't be too much longer. As soon as I'm done with the Sheriff here, everything should be all set," Rosalyn tells them.

"Ain't got nowhere else to be," Roland mumbles, rubbing his eyes. Technically, all of them had to work tomorrow, but that was a minor detail at this moment. Ember, however, was fidgeting like she knew there was some place she had to be. But it was clear she didn't want to leave just yet.

"I promise not to take too long," Caitlyn says with a smile. She follows Rosalyn to the back and through hallways until they reach a quiet room. Rosalyn stops her at the entrance and lets her peek inside. Music is playing on a radio in the corner. A fast energetic beat.

"Not exactly the soothing melody you were expecting? Jinx asked for it and we saw no reason to deny her. It seems to have helped," Rosalyn explains in a quiet voice. A bed is in the center of the room and Jinx is fast asleep on it with an IV line hooked up to her arm. Vi is in a chair next to her, gripping her hand tightly.

"Just some fluids to help. She ate some food earlier, but she's a little dehydrated, so this is just to be safe," Rosalyn adds. She motions for Caitlyn to follow her and they step down the hallway away from the room.

"Obviously, my priority is to keep Jinx safe, make her feel safe, and get her the help she clearly needs. Help that, according to her own words and Violet's explanation of their history, has been sorely lacking for years now," Rosalyn begins. "However, it is not every day that the Sheriff herself and the Special Enforcer are the ones carrying someone in. I would appreciate anything you can tell me," she says pointedly. Caitlyn glances around, but what few people are around all continue on their way to helping other patients.

"That is Jinx. The same Jinx who has been committing terrorist acts across the city these past few months and who attempted to bomb the council," Caitlyn explains. Rosalyn closes her eyes and hums thoughtfully. She's handled criminals before, so she's well acquainted with how the legal process works and what will need to be done.

"We do not release patients prematurely. Not even to the council. But there are other ways of pressuring us to release someone too soon. Is that something we need to be concerned with?" Rosalyn asks. To her credit, she's far more concerned about Jinx's care being interrupted than what she's done.

"Not from me and not if I can make a convincing enough argument. Personally, I'd like her to stay here as long as possible. I do not want her sent to prison and I will not support that. But she also has committed many crimes and we'll have to decide on a trial and punishment for her," Caitlyn admits.

Caitlyn pauses and plays with her hands anxiously as she considers the legal possibilities. This isn't the first time they have brought in a criminal with severe mental health issues, but most of those crimes were low-level enough that they just resulted in community service. Those that were more severe ended with a deal before they could go to trial. She knows how this could go in theory, but she's only been Sheriff for about 6 months. She's never actually had to do this before.

"Can she even stand trial? Obviously not in her current state, but..." she stops and waits for an answer.

"It's too soon for me to make that determination," Rosalyn says so quickly it might as well be automatic.

"Don't lie to me and I won't lie to you, doctor. I've done my research. You've been doing this for decades now. You must have some idea," Caitlyn shoots back. "I won't pretend that I don't have a personal interest in this. But I put Jinx's care first, and I'd like to continue doing so. Please give me something to work with," she adds. Rosalyn gives her a terse smile.

"Fair enough, Sheriff. My honest opinion is that Jinx has not only had a severe psychotic episode, but she's also been in the care of a man who loved her, but never gave her the mental health care she needed. It's also undetermined when her symptoms first started. From what I gather so far, it might be far longer than Violet thinks. Perhaps even longer than Jinx herself realizes. Vi explained their shared childhood trauma and while that could be a cause, it could also be a catalyst. Jinx could have been sick even as a younger child, but with mild symptoms that went unnoticed or got passed off as something else. She was just clingy, overly fearful, had an active imagination. Many similar expressions that could have hid a deeper issue. Then those problems grew worse after losing her second family," Rosalyn says, pausing as another worker goes by.

"In such a case, you have a child with undiagnosed mental illness, who developed exacerbated symptoms because of severe trauma, and was emotionally manipulated for years while in an extremely vulnerable mental and physical state by someone we now realize is one of the most notorious criminals in recent history. Not to mention how she was raised and what they taught her during that time," Rosalyn stops and shakes her head.

"That we have admitted her to this facility at all means she'll need a thorough mental health evaluation to determine her fitness for trial. And from where I'm standing currently, Sheriff? I don't see that happening. Even if it's determined that her recent actions were done with her full faculties, that still leaves the distinct possibility that the same man who refused to get her help also influenced her motives. Could someone really use motive as an argument against her, when those motives may have been directly influenced by the same man who exacerbated her paranoia and isolated her from any help? And who did it during some of her most formative years as a human being while she was dealing with undiagnosed mental illness?" Rosalyn states.

"That's an awfully steep uphill battle," Caitlyn agrees. Sighing, she rubs her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or more stressed out now," she confesses. Rosalyn smiles at her, but there's little warmth in it now.

"I won't tell you how to do your job since you have so kindly not tried to interfere with mine," Rosalyn begins, "But I will offer this advice as a medical professional who has been involved with criminal situations before," she says, holding up a finger. "Jinx seems like a bright young woman and one with extraordinary gifts. However, it is unlikely she'll be able to be legally responsible for any major decisions for the foreseeable future. Which means such decisions will fall to Violet, her only living relative. Nor is she likely to be in any state to stand trial for months at minimum, if ever. I'd worry less about a potential trial, and more about making concessions instead. Both for how her criminal actions should be punished, and for where she will stay and under whose supervision. Immediately, if possible. If you truly want what is best for her as you claim, then the faster you take charge of this, the easier it will be to stand firm when others try to take advantage of her," she warns.

Caitlyn can't help but notice that there was no "if" people tried to take advantage of Jinx, but "when." She clearly remembers hearing Jayce and Victor talk about her bombs and how terrifying, but fascinating, they are to examine as well. Jinx took a gemstone, technology that took the best minds in Piltover years to come up with, and weaponized it in a shockingly fast amount of time with no prior knowledge except for some old handwritten notes.

What else might she be capable of?

"I have to get a room set up," Rosalyn says, shaking Caitlyn from her thoughts. "Take your time, Sheriff. You seem like you have a good heart. There's far too few people living topside with one of those," she adds, patting her arm.

Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn turns around and walks back to where Jinx is. This time, she knocks and Vi looks up, frowning slightly, before a smile burst across her face.

"Oh, am I glad to see you, cupcake," Vi beams. Caitlyn walks over and rubs her shoulders affectionately before leaning down to give her a kiss.

"The others are still outside in case you need anything. How is she?" Caitlyn asks quietly.

"She's okay," Vi explains. "They've sedated her a bit and have a few other medications to help with her anxiety and hallucinations. They'll be trying some other anti psychotic meds in the coming days, but the doctor warned me it can take time to work and they can affect each person differently. So it may take a few tries before they find something that works for her long-term," she continues.

"That's good to hear. How does she feel?" Caitlyn asks.

"Safe. She feels safe here," Vi responds, her voice wavering. She rubs her face wearily. "It feels so strange even being able to say that. But Jinx is so much calmer now. I think feeling safe really drove home how exhausted she is. She was barely keeping her eyes open before, so it's likely she'll be asleep for the rest of the night. But she's safe. I just hope it stays that way," she murmurs affectionately.

"The doctor seemed really positive, but I'm not sure if that's because she thinks Jinx's prognosis is good or if she's just trying to be reassuring to a worried family member. I'm really hoping for the first one," she adds with a worried look back towards the door. Caitlyn watches her and can tell that there is still something wrong. But she's never been one to push Vi into opening up. She'll do it when she's ready.

"Rosalyn offered to admit me as well. Voluntarily," Vi says uncomfortably. "She said that an episode like this can trigger the same thing in other family members or caregivers, and she's concerned about how my PTSD could be affected. It would only be for a day or so," she explains.

"What did you say?" Caitlyn asks. Vi is quiet for a moment as she wrings her hands together.

"I was worried about... about how that might look if it came time for me to defend her. Someone has to make decisions for her and I'm the only family member. Legally in Piltover, it falls to me. I don't... I don't want anything I've done to be held against her," Vi says, staring at her hands. "But I can't leave her either. Not like this. I don't want her to wake up and no one she recognizes is there with her," she adds, clearly stressing out over this. Caitlyn leans down and wraps her arms around her girlfriend.

"Well, there is at least one solution I can think of," Caitlyn offers. She feels Vi turn slightly to listen.

"Jinx is still a known terrorist, and even here, she's legally required to have at least two guards at all times. For lesser crimes, the psychiatric hospital would provide one. However, with Jinx being so... notorious and all, I'm sure I could convince them to let you and one other stay here to watch over her. As Special Enforcer, you are legally in charge of all crimes related to Jinx. If anything, it might be stranger if you didn't stay. Ember has other responsibilities, but I'm sure she could come back tomorrow. Constance or Bella could fill in with you for tonight," Caitlyn explains. Vi stares at her for a moment before joy bursts across her face. Immediately Vi goes to say something, but Caitlyn silences her with another kiss. Slower and sweeter this time.

"No waking up Jinx, please," she warns her. So instead, Vi settles for standing up and pulling her into a crushing hug. "And if you should have to attend a therapy session or two in order to better assist Jinx while in the line of duty, then I'm sure I can fit that into the budget as well," Caitlyn offers.

"I'd be lost without you, cupcake. You're a genius," Vi murmurs, happiness bubbling over in her voice.

"Come on. Let's tell the others what's going on so we can get started on this. I don't want to leave any room for someone else to interfere," Caitlyn says, remembering the warning Rosalyn gave her. Vi nods and hesitates before turning back to the bed and giving Jinx a kiss on the forehead.

"Be safe little sis. I'll be right back," Vi murmurs to her.

"How long do they think she'll need to be here?" Ember asks. Both Caitlyn and Vi are back in the waiting room and sitting with everyone else.

"Doctor Rosalyn isn't sure. This is her first episode and Jinx hasn't, by her own admission, gotten any help before now. Plus, she's a known criminal, so that complicates matters. But she told me they won't release her to prison, and they are used to keeping patients long term when the situation calls for it. So Jinx will be safe for now, and others will be safe from her," Vi says, repeating the doctor's information. She flashes Caitlyn a tired smile at that.

"Plenty of time to figure out where exactly we go from here, I guess," she says wearily. That reminds Caitlyn that they haven't discussed what doctor Rosalyn told her.

"Let me handle that part," Caitlyn insists. "You focus on her mental health. This is a care facility first, so they won't release her to anyone, not even me, until they can be sure Jinx is feeling better. The council could override that, but I would still have to be the one to fulfill that request. So I promise you'll be the first to know about any developments," she vows.

"Although Rosalyn brought up some other points about her care and prosecution that we need to discuss. If you'd rather do it privately, I understand," she adds. Vi thinks for a moment and shakes her head.

"No. We've all come this far, and I think it's only fair that everyone has some idea of what's going on," Vi decides. With that approval, Caitlyn settles in and explains what Rosalyn told her about Jinx. Vi's expression darkens as she listens, but she doesn't interrupt or ask questions until the end.

"So... a mental health evaluation could find that she's not capable of going to trial. Is that good or bad?" Vi asks looking around at everyone.

"Depends on the situation," Roland answers. "Normally, the capacity to tell right from wrong would be a factor. But if its determined that Silco was intentionally or unintentionally emotionally manipulative, while she was dealing with severe mental health issues and PTSD, then it makes things more complicated. Added to the possibility that her relationship to Silco may have been a primary motivation for her actions. A relationship that, again, he was in control of and directed. Put all of that together and it would be awfully hard for a judge to find that she's fully or even partially responsible in that case," he states. Vi looks over at Caitlyn for conformation and she nods in agreement.

"So... what would happen to her in that case? What are the legal options, then?" Vi asks. Caitlyn notices Vi picking at her arm wraps the way she always does when she's anxious about something. Reaching over, she takes Vi's hand and squeezes it once to reassure her.

"It would require Jinx to get treatment until this facility can determine she is no longer a threat. That could mean indefinite residence at a facility like this, or being put under house arrest with a caregiver and permanent guards. Considering her crimes, most notably the attempted council bombing, some level of community service would likely be required as well. Possibly doing hextech research or as an assistant, considering how quickly she weaponised the gemstone using only partial notes. If it came to that, I'm sure I could work something out with Jayce," Caitlyn explains. Vi makes a face at that.

"Can't say I care for the idea of her work being used by the city like that, but it is better than jail, at least. And I trust you to handle things if it came to that," Vi mutters reluctantly. "But getting there is still a possibility. Not a certainty," she adds, and Caitlyn nods in agreement.

"Aside from the mental health evaluation, a lot of what happens will depend on whether Jinx is still an ongoing threat. If she isn't willing to cooperate, that will mean more restrictions for much longer. If she's cooperative or willingly helps us, then that gives me a lot more to work with and more opportunity to convince the council that your care or mine could be enough," Caitlyn explains.

"And for that, we'll have to wait until she wakes up and starts getting better," Vi sighs and runs her free hand through her hair. She fidgets a moment before looking up at Caitlyn. "We need to tell the council the truth. That Jinx is my sister and we need to do it as soon as possible," she states. Caitlyn immediately tenses up.

"I'm not sure that..." she begins, but Vi cuts her off.

"No, Caitlyn," Vi firmly interrupts. "I said it before. I want nothing I do to interfere with Jinx getting the help she needs. We've already kept this a secret long enough. Even if they already suspect something, being honest about it could prevent more trouble down the road, even if it causes some issues now. They deserve to know the truth. Besides, I've been through this before. Perhaps a less legal version of it, but still I remember the recordings and transcripts. A lot of what Jinx says is going to be recorded. She's going to say we're related at some point and too many people already know. Your mother already knows," she says and Caitlyn knows she's right. Still, she can't help but look away, frustrated.

Caitlyn still remembers the surprise she felt when Vi explained that her mother knew the truth. It happened after one of their weekly family dinners, about two months after the council attack. Caitlyn had seen Vi and her mother talking quietly in a private study, but hadn't thought much of it until the next day when Vi told her what happened. Part of her had strongly disagreed with that decision, but it wasn't hers to make, so instead, she bit back her objections and supported Vi's choice as best she could. It was time to do that now as well.

"Cupcake..." Vi says gently, "I know you just want to protect me, but we have to do this right or we may not be able to do it at all," she murmurs to her. Caitlyn squeezes her hand tightly before lifting it and kissing the back of it.

"You're right. I know you're right. I just... I do want to protect you. Just like you protect me. But if we want Jinx to get the best care possible, then we need to do it the right way or it'll come back to bite us," Caitlyn admits. Vi shifts closer and puts an arm around her.

"I trust you. If you decide the moment is right to tell the council, then you have my full permission. If not, then we can tell them together tomorrow when I, hopefully, can go meet with them myself," Vi says, holding her tight.

Caitlyn feels the exhaustion of the night weighing down on her. Physically and mentally. But she can't stop yet. There's still more to do. So she rests for a moment, before taking a breath and straightening up with renewed purpose and focus.

"In the meantime, we'll also need to keep Jinx under guard," Caitlyn reminds them. "I'd prefer it if security was limited just to those of us here. I doubt Jinx will be entirely comfortable with enforcers around, but at the very least, she might remember some of what happened tonight and who was there and be a bit less uncomfortable with you," she explains.

"I really have to get back to my roommate tonight," Ember says apologetically. Caitlyn remembers Ember saying that her roommate is disabled and works as a radio announcer for one of the undercity stations. Local news and events. That must be why she's been getting increasingly fidgety over how late it is. Suddenly, Caitlyn feels guilty for keeping her here.

"I'd love to stay until Jinx wakes up, but my roomie has been wanting me around more to help since one of her leg braces broke. We're going out tomorrow to pick up the new ones from the doctor and purchase some more canes. After that, my schedule should be more open. I should be free tomorrow afternoon though," she offers.

"Why don't we make it tomorrow night to be safe? And if she wants you for something, then just let me know and I'll find someone else," Caitlyn responds and Ember nods in relief.

"I can stay tonight." Bella mumbles suddenly. Everyone stares at her.

"Alone?" Wyatt asks. Bella flushes and crosses her arms.

"It's just one night. Not like I'll die without my sister," she grumbles. Wyatt narrows his eyes and then reaches over to press a hand against her forehead.

"Nope, not sick... OW I'M SORRY!" he squeals when Bella twists his arm around.

"Don't make me repeat myself," she scowls at him.

"I'll take tomorrow morning. Jinx might feel better if she doesn't wake up to some strange man looming over her. Unless it's Roland, that is. He just looks like a teddy bear," Constance says brightly. Roland coughs discreetly and looks away.

"I don't loom," Wyatt mutters, shaking his hand out.

"Still a fair point," Roland comments.

"Bella and Vi will stay here tonight, then. Constance will relieve her in the morning and Wyatt, you'll take over for the afternoon until either Ember or Roland can come in. I'll be able to get a better schedule worked up by tomorrow night so everyone has a better idea of what hours will be needed," Caitlyn determines. "I'll be visiting at least a few of the council members tonight. But If Jinx is doing well enough, perhaps Vi can come with me to update them again later tomorrow. If not, then I'll still be able to let you know what's going on when I come back," she adds, feeling Vi relax a bit at that plan.

"So... you'll be all right handling things without me? Are you sure you don't need me there?" Vi asks hesitantly.

"I'll be fine, but I'm not the one you're trying to convince right now," Caitlyn says gently. Vi looks guilty for a moment.

"I guess I am just trying to convince myself here, aren't it? You've done so much for Jinx tonight that I feel guilty about leaving you to deal with all the fallout without me. But I can't leave her side, either," Vi tells her. They've been dating long enough for Caitlyn to see the self doubt creeping back into her eyes and she immediately moves to head it off.

"I'll take care of things with the council and come back first thing I can tomorrow. I love you and I support you. Remember when we talked after the council attack? About this? About us? You were very clear then that you and Jinx are a package deal. I knew that from the start and I'm not going anywhere now. I promise," Caitlyn reminds her, but Vi is still wavering.

"Even in a best-case scenario, Jinx might need to live with me for years. For the rest of her life, even. She might always want to, even if she gets better and they allow her back into society," Vi pressed her. Caitlyn chews on her lip for a moment before deciding. Might as well fess up now. It couldn't make things any worse.

"Us. She might always need to stay with us," Caitlyn emphasizes. Vi raises an eyebrow. "Babe, sweetheart, my heart and soul. I love you so much, but you are not a subtle person and you've been acting weird for weeks now," she says apologetically. Vi stares for a moment before her eyes go wide. Then she closes them with a groan.

"You know about the ring."

"You've been carrying it around everywhere like you'll die without it. Plus, you didn't hang your jacket up at the gym. It isn't my fault it fell out."

"But I... nevermind that's fair."

Now Constance gasps and clasps her hand together.

"Oh! Are we having a wedding?" she says excitedly.

"Who exactly is we?" Bella scowls at her sister.

Wyatt whistles enthusiastically, and Ember gives them a thumbs up. Roland nods approvingly. Vi's face burns with a blush.

"We haven't talked about that yet. Moving into the mansion with your parents or having our own place. I haven't even properly proposed," Vi points out. "I mean... not that I'm opposed to being taken care of in a nice fancy house with homemade food for every meal and bedrooms bigger than like... every place I've ever stayed in put together. I'm just saying I'm fine either way. There are rooms your parents probably don't even know exist anymore. I could have an entire private gym just for myself," she adds with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Caitlyn laughs and hugs her tightly.

"Maybe it's foolish, but I'm going to hope for the best. I have to. In which case, Jinx will need a place to stay once she's ready to leave this place. Whether that's in a few weeks or a few months or a few years. I want to be ready for her," Vi says urgently.

"Then we'll see what Jinx needs from us first and go from there. Perhaps that means I convince my parents, well my mother really, that Jinx will be safe under house arrest at our mansion. Or maybe we find our own place together. Either way, Jinx will have both of us, whether she wants it or not," she offers. Vi sighs into her neck and nods gratefully.

"Okay... I'll stay and take care of her... and myself," Vi decides.

"I'll come back during both visiting times tomorrow. Whatever happens, you'll know and be involved in it," Caitlyn promises her. "And whenever you are ready to propose, you already know I'll say yes," she murmurs in her ear. She can feel Vi's hands grip her tighter.

"I don't know how I'd make it through this without you," Vi whispers.

"Funny. I was just thinking the same thing myself," Caitlyn replies.

"I'm going to get on this right away and call my mother and a few other council members to discuss what's happening. I don't want to leave any room for someone to interfere with Jinx's care or try to remove her from here while she's being treated. They should be able to put together a preliminary order for her to stay here indefinitely until a formal vote can be made. Provided she doesn't put anyone at risk or try to escape," she explains. Vi looks anxious at that but doesn't object.

"Wyatt, I'll need you with me. Roland, I need you to take a carriage to the Kiramman residence and let my mother know there's an emergency meeting," Caitlyn emphasizes.

"She'll be there before you know it, ma'am," Roland promises.

"Everybody understand what to do?" Caitlyn asks looking around. Everyone nods quickly.

"All right then, let's get going."

Notes:

Just a heads up that I will probably be changing the title of this story around the same time I post the next chapter. I'm still trying to decide between two that I have in mind, but I think either one will fit the overall theme of the story better. Thanks for reading and for commenting!

Chapter 6

Notes:

CW: past family death of a side character/allusion to death by suicide. Not stated directly. It takes place during a conversation that Caitlyn has with another character after she follows them out to the balcony.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

As always, Mel looks impeccably dressed and bright eyed. As if she rolls back out of bed for meetings like this every night after going to sleep.

Maybe she does, Caitlyn considers. Jayce is sipping some coffee and trying to act like he's awake for this. Councilor Shoola was supposed to be here as well, but Salo sits in her place, happily eating some small cakes Mel set out for everyone. Shoola's sympathies towards the undercity would make her an excellent ally to have on their side. But something in the back of Caitlyn's mind told her to ask Salo instead.

If Vi were here, she would tease her and say Caitlyn's "Sheriff senses are tingling," and she wouldn't be wrong. Something in Caitlyn's subconscious is pulling at her attention. Maybe it's an interaction they had before, or a report she read but can't quite remember. Either way, something is telling her that Salo needs to be there. Plus, of all the councilors Shoola is the one least likely to take offense. Still, Caitlyn will pay her a personal visit the second she gets a chance.

Cassandra Kiramman is here as well, naturally. Looking perfectly dressed and ready for business. Yet, Caitlyn could see the slight tremor in her hands right after she sat down and she noticed the way Mel greeted her more gently and softly than the others and set out some of her favorite tea with honey and a light sandwich.

She's getting old,Caitlyn realizes. This isn't the first time she's been acutely aware of her mother's age, but it still hurts the same way each time it happens. Cassandra insisted she had plenty of fight left in her, but a life of politics aged people prematurely and she had been at this a long time. It was catching up with her. This might be the last major issue she handles before she retires. Part of Caitlyn feels guilty for pulling her into this and for being so relieved that her mother is here to support her.

They've all gathered in Mel's quarters at a rather large dining table. Her place is most central to everyone's location, and being here makes for good political maneuvering. Mel is the one in charge of the council now, thanks to her mysterious rescue during Jinx's attempted missile attack. Arranging for the meeting to take place here is a subtle reminder of that. Caitlyn knows by the look Mel gave her upon arriving that she's aware of this as well. But like the politician she is, she's content to wait and see how things develop.

There's also Wyatt "standing guard" behind her. Caitlyn hated the fact that he was standing there while everyone else sat, but she also knew he would be far more uncomfortable sitting with them at the table. He doesn't mind working with her, but this many topsiders in once place? And councilors at that? He'd rather stay out of it and quietly listen in until she needs him. Cassandra will probably rope him into a conversation at some point.

"So Sheriff Kiramman, everyone is here. Judging from the look on your face, you have some important news for us," Mel says once everyone settled in. Caitlyn launches right into it.

"Tonight, several hours ago, Jinx was located by myself and an enforcer from the special task team. Together with Vi and others from the task force, I and arranged for Jinx to be taken in for psychiatric care and protective custody," she begins. Her mother gasps and Mel's eyebrows shoot up. Now Jayce is wide awake and Salo pauses with a cake halfway to his mouth.

"I take it no one got hurt in the process if you're here telling us now," Mel points out. Caitlyn nods in confirmation.

"How did you find her? Did she put up a fight?" Jayce asks. Here it is. The moment of truth, as they say.

"Jinx willingly allowed us to help her. She was attempting to get Vi's attention, but I saw her signal first," Caitlyn explains. Jayce's eyebrows shoot up.

"Caitlyn," Cassandra says gently. Warningly.

"They deserve to hear the truth, mother," Caitlyn responds to her unvoiced concerns. "Vi already gave me permission," she adds.

"And the reason she was signaling Violet specifically, is because..." Mel begins, trailing off and motioning for Caitlyn to finish. Although knowing her, it's likely she's already aware of what Caitlyn will say.

"Because Violet is her older sister," Caitlyn admits. There's a flicker of anger in Jayce's eyes before he buries it, looking away and gritting his teeth. Salo is clearly surprised, but Mel takes it in stride. "Jinx was scared. So she reached out to Vi to come and help. That's how we got her to the psychiatric center safely and without needing to restrain her," she continues.

"She went willingly?" Jayce asks. He looks upset, but he doesn't sound like he's angry. So Caitlyn just nods in confirmation. "Tell us everything that happened," he orders.

With that, Caitlyn begins her explanation. She leaves nothing out. Instead, she is brutally honest in her description of Jinx's mental state and traumatized reactions to the hallucinations she experienced. Salo's expression was unreadable, but Jayce looks increasingly disturbed as Caitlyn goes on. Mel, as always, is the perfect image of concern and attentiveness while Cassandra listens quietly with her brow furrowed in thought.

"When I first realized that something was going on between Violet and Jinx, I wasn't sure what to make of it," Jayce says slowly once she's done talking. "We've gone on more raids together since the council attack, and whenever Jinx's name came up... it was obvious there was some history there. It wasn't hard to make some assumptions after that. But Mel, in her infinite wisdom, said that family or not, Vi's behaviour would speak for itself," he pauses and looks at her lovingly.

"She was right. I had my doubts for a while, but Violet has never allowed her history with Jinx to put others at risk. While there have been some rather interesting situations where Jinx 'mysteriously' escaped, Violet has done nothing to show that she would risk someone else's life for her sister," Jayce says, then he and rubs his knuckles.

"If I seem upset, then it's because I'm angry with myself, not with you," he confesses. "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't trust me with this sooner," he apologizes, looking down at his hands. "I didn't realize we had drifted so far apart from each other," he whispers.

"It's difficult, balancing responsibility with the needs of people you love and care about. I understand that better now. More than I did when Vi and I first approached the council," Caitlyn tells him. "But she is still important to me and, therefore, what happens to Jinx is important to me as well. She needs help and I intend to get it for her, but I'm still the Sheriff. I know what my duty to this city is, and I won't neglect that, even for Vi. Just like Vi has proven that she won't willingly put others at risk, even for her sister," she says forcefully. Everyone else seems in agreement with that.

"Then that leave us with one extremely important question," Jayce says, leaning forward. "Is Jinx currently a threat?" he demands.

"In her present state? I'd have to say no," Caitlyn says honestly. "But I can't say how or if that will change as Jinx gets treatment. The facility I've had her taken to has been successfully working with enforcers for months now as part of my program to better help mentally ill criminals. I've toured their facility before and I trust their healthcare measures and security," she adds.

"So they have experience in handling criminal cases like this already. Albeit with less high-profile individuals," Mel says with a note of approval.

"They do. Violet and another enforcer from my special task for are both staying there as additional security. I'll be making up a rotating schedule of eight-hour shifts with two officers each from my task force. That way someone who understands the potential threat and Jinx's mental state can be there at all times," Caitlyn explains. She's careful to keep her hands tightly folded so they don't fidget, hoping no one will notice how nervous she is.

"So what happens now? I've been on the receiving end of a council trial, but I haven't really led one. Well... not unless you count Heimerdinger," Jayce says with a flash of guilt in his eyes. Mel looks over at him and places her hand over his.

"Mrs Kiramman. You've been on the council the longest and you have the most experience. What insight can you offer us?" Mel asks. Cassandra looks surprised, and then pleased to be asked.

"First, the facility will need to perform a detailed mental health evaluation before we could even consider a trial. Can the girl determine right and wrong? If she can then how much of that was influenced by Silco, the man she was raised under, and how much did he take advantage of her mental state?" Cassandra explains.

"Well, we already know he got away with his crimes for years right under our noses and after bribing countless officials. Even the previous Sheriff. That's a different form of manipulation, but still. I've seen the reports and heard the arguments. She weaponized a technology she'd never seen in... what? A week? After it took years for Jayce to do the same? Let's not pretend like we won't consider using her for our benefit the second the possibility presents itself," Salo points out. Something about that sets off a flag in Caitlyn's mind, but the reason slips away before she can grab it.

"So we have to see if she's even fit for trial first?" Jayce asks, looking at Mel for confirmation. She nods.

"Has the facility said anything about that?" Mel presses. Caitlyn can't help hesitating slightly, but she called them here for a reason. Vi has done her part, now it's up to Caitlyn to do hers. So she repeats what Doctor Rosalyn told her about Jinx's condition and the possibility of her being convicted. Again, Jayce is the first to speak once she finishes explaining.

"After the council bombing, all I could think about was apprehending her and making sure she saw justice for what she tried to do. But after hearing all of this?" Jayce says, shaking his head. "If what you said holds true, then I can't in good conscience justify sending her to trial or prison. Individually, we may not have caused this, but collectively we have enabled it. Silco's rise to power, the bribes, the lack of adequate healthcare in the undercity, the situation that resulted in the bridge riots, losing her family, all of it," he admits.

"That doesn't mean she should get away free. She could still be a threat, correct?" Jayce asks. Caitlyn has to nod in agreement on that one. There's no denying that possibility and Vi wouldn't want her to, even for Jinx. As much as she loves her sister, Vi won't put others at risk over her if she doesn't have to.

"Then that is what we go with first. A full mental health evaluation, along with a detailed threat assessment. What would be the legal options in either case?" Jayce says looking around the table. To Caitlyn's surprise, Salo is the one who answers.

"In either case, she'll have an indefinite stay at the facility until she is no longer deemed a threat to others in society. Such a stay can happen for years, longer even than a prison sentence, depending on the severity of the threat level," Salo says abruptly. Caitlyn tries to figure out what's going on in his head, but she can't read his expression.

"Should they determine she is not dangerous to others, then Jinx will continue to receive care until they can be sure she is not a threat to herself. More evaluations will see if Jinx can manage her illness on her own or have it safely managed by a caretaker. After that is house arrest for as long as the council deems it necessary and a fitted tracking device if or when she is integrated back into society," Salo explains knowledgably. Caitlyn is incredibly curious about how he knows all of this. Salos interests run towards business pursuits and Piltover high society, yet he seems very informed about how this works. Surprisingly so. She wants to ask him, but the solemn look on her mother's face warns her away from saying anything openly.

"Not as firm a punishment as I might like, but considering our preliminary knowledge, it is one that seems fair," Jayce admits.

"We need to wait for confirmation from the doctor in charge," Mel reminded them. "Beyond that, I propose Caitlyn give us regular updates as Jinx's threat level and culpability are determined. The council will take financial responsibility for her care and she will remain in the current psychiatric facility under constant, rotating guard for the foreseeable future. Once her threat level and willingness to cooperate with us are assessed, we can determine where to go from there," she states. The others raise their hands in agreement out of habit before realizing what they are doing. Cassandra is the first to recover with a slightly embarrassed cough as she sips her tea.

"Normally, I would expect this to be signed and officially written up in the morning," Caitlyn begins. "But since over half the council members needed are here, I propose we hold a provisionary vote and authorize an initial course of action. Silco made plenty of enemies, and many of them might still be after Jinx. That includes politicians topside who may have taken bribes from him. I want to be sure that she is secure. Both so that she can't escape or hurt anyone and so that no one else will try to slip in to take her away," she tells them.

The alarms in her mind are ringing louder now. Politicians, topside, bribes. The most she can pull from her brain is that it's something Salo might be aware of, but not a problem directly involving him. She'll have to keep pulling at it to get the thought loose.

"I agree. Even if Jinx does not remain an active threat after recovering from this episode, there will be people who consider her such. If only because of potential knowledge she might have about Silco and who he associated with while he was alive," Mel agreed.

"I'll draft a letter for us to vote on now. We can have a formal vote tomorrow, but for now, this will be binding under the condition that Jinx doesn't escape or do anything threatening in the meantime," Jayce says, getting up from the table. Salo pushes away from the table as well.

"Excuse me, but I could use a moment to collect my thoughts. Do you mind if I borrow your balcony?" Salo asks.

"Not at all. The view is lovely this time of night," Mel offers, gesturing across the room. Salo thanks her and heads off.

"Why don't you go see if he needs something dear," Cassandra says mildly. It sounds that way at least, but Caitlyn knows an order when she hears one.

"There's a wine cooler nearby. Try a glass of the Noxian red. It's his favorite," Mel adds. Now Caitlyn just feels like she's being double teamed. Especially considering the fact that Noxian goods are officially under ban.

"Okay, okay no need to lay it on so thick, I'm going," Caitlyn says standing up. Mel flashes her a smile and thanks her before turning back to gossip with Cassandra.

As she walks through the spacious quarters, she sees Jayce setting up a typewriter in the study room. Heading to the balcony, she finds a small hextech powered cooler and some wine glasses. She finds a bottle of Noxian red and pours a glass.

"Wine for your thoughts?" Caitlyn asks, approaching Salo as he looks out over the city. The smell of rain is in the air. It's supposed to rain all week, in fact. It's a wonder, and a blessing, that Jinx didn't get caught in a downpour before they could find her. Salo seems surprised to see her until his eyes were drawn to the wineglass.

"Ah, here I thought my sullen mood had gone unnoticed. Your mother's eyes always were far too sharp for my good," Salo comments. He accepts the glass gratefully and takes a sip.

"Thought? Or hoped?" Caitlyn asks him.

"Hoped I suppose," Salo murmurs. "Did you call me here tonight because of my family history or for some other reason?" he says, watching her from the corner of his gaze.

"A gut feeling, honestly. Something I know is there, but can't quite remember at the moment," Caitlyn admits.

"Well, let me see if I can tease out the memory, then. I'm sure you are well acquainted with the yearly rifleman competition. Representatives from all the top houses competing against you to see who can take second place?" Salo teases her. Caitlyn's face immediately starts burning red from embarrassment.

"I'm not..." she tries to argue.

"Oh, don't be modest. You've won every year since you started entering. The only time you didn't was because the judges suggested you 'take a year off' or some trite nonsense," Salo reminds her. All she can do is stand nod quietly as her blush intensifies.

"Three years ago, there was a woman there. Long blonde hair tied into a single braid with a purple, shimmering ribbon in it. The only person who could really pressure you. She matched you bullet for bullet, mark for mark, as the targets got pushed further and further back. Oh, how the crowd loved the drama of it all," Salo recalls with a smile.

"She was incredible. I'd never had anyone push me that hard before and I haven't encountered anyone like that since then, either. My mother invited her to stay for the celebratory dinner, but she had to leave and I never saw her again. But I never forgot that moment. I always wished we had longer to talk with each other," Caitlyn remembers fondly. Salo takes a sip of his wine and his expression turns sad.

"She spoke so highly of you on the way home. So utterly charmed by your poise and determination to win. She wondered if maybe you could have been friends. It's good to know someone still remembers her that way," Salo says quietly. Caitlyn's smile slips. "She was my dearest sister," he murmurs.

Was. Not is.

"I'm so sorry," Caitlyn tells him. She doesn't know what happened, but she doesn't need to. The pain in his eyes is telling enough. Salo sips his wine and glances over at her again.

"You are the first person in a long time to say that to me and actually mean it. Besides your mother, that is," he remarks. "The top clans have never been very good about helping people who deviate from the norm. Those who cannot live up to our astronomical expectations don't get help, they get punished for not meeting impossible standards. She was no different. She tried so hard, so very hard," he says softly, "But she had her own demons to battle. Different ones from your Jinx, but there all the same. And our family did what it always did. What topsiders always do. They buried it, buried her, made excuses, forced her to put on a mask and pretend everything was ok and the perfect family had not a single crack in it," he says, his lips twisting bitterly on the words.

"By the time I realized just how badly she was doing and tried to help, regardless of what the family thought, it was too late. I found her in her room after she was late for breakfast..." Salo stops and doesn't finish the thought, but his hand trembles noticeably.

"Not long after that, I left. Haven't spoken to my family since then unless strictly necessary. The absolute contempt they showed for her and for her struggles was more than I could stomach. Even in death, they won't allow her a moment's rest," Salo spat out.

"Lisanthus. That was her name," Caitlyn recalls. Salo nods, he looks pleased that she remembers.

"After the flower. Your mother still sends me a bouquet of them every year on the anniversary. Sometimes I wonder if your family is the only one besides me who bothers to remember her at all," he whispers. For a moment, both of them are silent. The faint voices of Mel and Cassandra the only noise along with the tapping of the typewriter keys a room over from them.

"My heart may be mostly cold and dead, but there's still life enough in it to appreciate how rare and wonderful a person like you is in this world," Salo tells her. Caitlyn blinks in surprise and then blushes again at the unexpected praise. "What you are doing for that girl is..." he pauses and smiles. Soft and genuine, but there's a touch of sadness there as well.

"Word will get out as it always does and when that happens, the top houses will have words to say about it. To you, to your mother, to the council. Just as they did over your relationship with Violet, but worse. So much worse," Salo warns her.

Caitlyn remembers, and she remembers when her mother suddenly decided the parties they used to attend, the ones they had to be seen at no matter what else was going on, were no longer that important. She remembers the looks Vi noticed and the veiled comments she didn't. As well as the way Cassandra stopped inviting old friends over, making more time for Violet instead.

She recalls one night in particular when she came home to one of her mother's oldest friends practically being chased out of the house. The woman argued that she had watched Caitlyn grow up, attended all her shooting competitions, she was practically family and Cassandra would choose someone like that over her?

"That 'river scum' is more a part of this family than you'll ever be! And anyone who disparages her or my daughter for choosing her is not welcome here or on my property!" Cassandra shouted back, spiting the word out as if it was poisoning her just to repeat it.

River scum.

That's what rich topsiders called undercity dwellers who went to Stillwater Prison.

Caitlyn didn't need to ask who they were talking about. Not when she went inside to see Vi sitting there on the couch, eyes wide like a spooked deer and staring at Cassandra in shock over what just happened.

"When that time comes," Salo tells her, "Just call me if you need help to fend off the wolves. I have done little in my time on the council that's worth mentioning, but I can do this much, at least. And if you need help with anything else regarding the girl's care, then please tell me," he says firmly. Caitlyn would have just given him an appreciative thank you and quietly bowed out to let him think, but his tone was persistent.

"It would help if you could keep yours ears open for me," Caitlyn responds honestly. "Now that both Silco and Marcus are dead, it's hard to tell just how far some of his deals and bribes went. He was a paranoid man and entrusted little to others. At least with information. Even his closest employee claims she doesn't know and I have no reason so far not to believe her. Smuggling in fine wine I can overlook, but Shimmer and the risks it brings is another," she says with a nod towards his wine glass. Salo smiles knowingly at her before turning pensive again.

"I've seen paranoid individuals before. Paranoid by life and by experience. They never put all their eggs in one basket, so to speak. Too much risk," Salo says thoughtfully.

"Exactly. Silco surely had other deals going on, and I don't want to assume that they ended with him. We don't even know if the drug originated with him or if someone else made it and he took over distribution," Caitlyn admits.

"And if a person looks the other way once, they will be tempted to do so again. Assuming they aren't involved in something worse than me looking the other way on illegal wine shipments," Salo hums and sips his wine. "You've given me something to think about. I'll do some digging and get back to you on that," he promises. Caitlyn thanks him and quietly leaves him to his thoughts. Jayce is still tapping away, but he looks like he's got half a page filled so far.

This might actually work,Caitlyn thinks as she stops for a moment to watch her mother talking with Mel. Councilor Medarda and Councilor Shoola are some of the only real friends she has left now. All of the others have been slowly excised from her life or suddenly started having "prior engagements." But still Cassandra holds her head high when she goes out. Sometimes with Vi at her side to help with errands.

Caitlyn never would have imagined her mother becoming as supportive of Violet as she was now, but perhaps that's because she never really gave her enough credit. Even now Cassandra is here, supporting Caitlyn as she tries to help the same person who nearly killed them all.

Rubbing her eyes, Caitlyn walks back towards the table. Wyatt has taken a seat, probably at her mother's insistence, and is eating some of the tiny cakes Mel put out. It takes a minute before Caitlyn realizes Cassandra is telling a story about her. Again. Wyatt flashes her an apologetic look, but she can tell he's trying not to laugh.

Sighing, Caitlyn takes a seat next to her mother and tolerates the mild embarrassment with a smile. She feels grateful to still have her family with her, and relieved that now perhaps Vi will have a chance at repairing hers as well. Tonight, she's done everything she can.

The rest will be on Jinx.

Notes:

Thank you for reading and for leaving so many wonderful comments everyone! And thank you to all who quietly read, have left kudos, and keep coming back for more chapters! The title of this story has been officially changed as well! So keep that in mind. Next chapter will be up in a few days so make sure to stock up on tissues now. Y'all are going to need them.

Chapter 7

Notes:

This chapter is a bit longer then some of the others at a little over 8,200 words. So get cozy, grab a blanket and some tissues and prepare for some cathartic heartache because Jinx is back!

Content warning for... well everything about Jinx. Specifically repressed memories (more that they exist than the actual contents), unreliable memory, emotional trauma, psychosis induced fear, more parental Silco, and tons of sister feels.

Chapter Text

When Jinx wakes up, she's in bed in a softly lit room. There's a window against the far wall and rain is coming down outside. Thunder rumbles in the distance with lightning flashing in the night. She can't tell if it's late or early. Her clothes are the same, minus the suspenders and her belt. Across from the bed, the wall is painted. There's a forest with flowers and birds singing in the trees. A simple desk sits against the wall with a clean stuffed rabbit on top. There's a bookshelf, but nothing on it yet.

Lifting her head further, Jinx can see what looks like a closet and door that might lead to a bathroom. Her boots are sitting by the closet, but the pink shoelaces are gone. The room is sparse, but still better than most of the places she's been sleeping at since Silco died, and the bed is better than the couch at her workshop. Although, to be fair, that isn't really saying much.

It's... not terrible.

Jinx knows where she is. Sort of. Everything that happened is still there in her mind and her head is clear enough now to realize that Vi and Caitlyn took her somewhere safe. A place just for people like her. When she was in trouble, they helped. Both of them.

"Welcome back Jay."

Jinx blinks and sees Violet standing there, staring at the painting on the wall. She looks over her shoulder with a smile.

"Get it? Like a blue jay? We saw one years ago as kids flying around up top. It kept trying to make off with some trinkets Mylo stole," Violet remembers as she points to something.. Jinx follows her finger and sees a blue bird in one of the tree branches.

"We went to the library after that to look up what it was. There was only one book there on birds and it had a ton of pages ripped out. Took us nearly an hour before we found it. The book said they don't live around here naturally, so we made up stories about where it came from," Jinx recalls fondly.

"For the next two weeks, that was all you could talk about. You were convinced it escaped from some terrible Piltie who kept it in a cage too small and never fed it properly. You drew one every chance you got, for weeks," Violet says with a laugh. "Your hair and the cloud tattoos on your arm made me think of it," she admits.

Violet falls silent, and for a moment Jinx just closes her eyes and listens to the rain. There's no Mylo complaining in the corner, not Claggor whining about something. No whispers or other voices. Just the rain.

It's just so... quiet.

"Did they fix me?" Jinx asks hopefully. Violet is standing by the window now looking out, but on hearing that question, she turns back with a sad smile.

"It's gonna take a lot more than one night for that, Jay. Took a long time for you to get this bad and it'll take just as long to fix it. Maybe longer," Violet says gently. Sitting up, Jinx curls up on the bed and wraps her arms around her knees.

"But I feel... different. I can think better and everything is quieter," Jinx mumbles into her legs. Violet sits down on the bed next to her.

"The people here gave you something to help. They'll be happy to know it worked, but it may just be temporary," Violet warns her.

"So I might get worse again?" Jinx asks, panic building in her chest as she looks up at her. Violet puts an arm around her soothingly.

"It's like when you make your bombs," Violet explains. "Sometimes you would get an explosion right away, but you wouldn't know how. Or you would think you had it figured out, but the second time it would fail because of some factor you didn't realize was there. Well, your brain is like that. They have to find the right chemicals to mix in to make things work just right. And that can take a while sometimes. But you never gave up on making your gadgets work and they won't give up on you," she reassures her.

Jinx closes her eyes and thinks about that. She thinks and follows that thought forward and back until she can see how it fits together. At one point, she gets distracted remembering a grenade she wanted to build, but never finished. Then she realizes she's gotten distracted and can put herself back on track. She's never been able to do that before, could never even notice that she had gotten distracted. It's so much easier to think now.

"I don't want the monsters to come back," Jinx whispers.

"Then you have to let them help you. Even when it's really hard. The monsters, the voices, there's always a chance something could bring them back. But the people here? They'll help you learn how to not get lost in the dark again. To see it coming and get help again before the monsters drag you away and make you forget you can be happy without them," Violet tells her.

"Will you stay?" Jinx says hopefully, but Violet shakes her head sadly.

"Sorry, but that's not how this works. You know that already. The better you get, the quieter it'll be up here," Violet taps the side of Jinx's head.

"Why can't it stay like this?" Jinx demands, anger creeping into her voice. "Why can't it just be you and not the others?" she insists. "You aren't like Mylo, always saying whatever he knows will hurt. Even Claggor is mean sometimes. The others always hurt, they hurt, and they want me to hurt. So they lied and made me think it was the truth," she spits out. She presses her hands against her eyes. "Why can't you stay? You love and support me, you always have, you're different," she mumbles stubbornly.

"You know why, little bird," Violet says, and the gentleness in her voice makes tears well up in Jinx's eyes. She lays back down and puts her head down in her sister's lap.

"Come on, you need to say it," Violet murmurs as she plays with Jinx's hair. Jinx shivers and curls closer to her. She wants to fight it, but Violet has always been right.

So instead, Jinx thinks of Silco. Of his love and affection and the way he supported and encouraged her, no matter what happened or how badly she messed up. But he also encouraged her to hate, inspire fear, to torment and cause pain. To live up to the ideal he always wanted, but never felt he could reach. To be the monster others feared and respected. Especially topsiders. To excise her doubts and trust only in him, because he needed someone who wouldn't turn their back on him again and he saw his own hurt in her pain towards Vi.

Silco needed a person who needed him as much as he needed them. He loved Jinx so much he couldn't bear the idea of her loving anyone else, and that love ruined her. It ruined him in the end as well. Killed him because he couldn't allow her to choose anyone else. Not even her own sister. He did it because it was the only love he knew, and he thought he was doing the right thing.

"Loving someone doesn't make them good for you," Jinx whispers the truth into the room. It still hurts like a bullet to the chest. Silco loved her. Really, truly loved her like his own daughter. But he also hurt her and didn't realize he was doing it. He couldn't.

Closing her eyes, Jinx lets herself enjoy the feeling of Violet playing with her hair.

"And I'm not good for you because I'm not real," Violet says. "Because it'll never just be me alone here with you. If I'm here, then the others will be one step away and they bring the darkness and the twisted thoughts. They'll turn everything you hear and see into a lie, and you won't even be able to realize it's happening. Not until it's over and they leave again," Violet tells her. Jinx whimpers and curls closer.

"The truth hurts, I know," Violet murmurs. "But there's more to it than that... isn't there?" she urges.

Jinx chews on her bottom lip and thinks of Sevika. It's impossible not to remember how angry and cold she had been at first. Then weeks went by, followed by months, and Sevika's voice got softer and her calloused hands gentler. Her eyes grew warmer and her rough grip transformed into soft, hesitant hugs. But as time went on, the voices that used to whisper occasionally grew into nonstop chatter. The rare flicker at the edges of her vision became dead friends, whispering poison in her ears.

Anxiety over being alone turned to suspicion at everyone around her, with Silco stepping into make it better. He reassured her, soothed her, and fed her growing paranoia every step of the way. Topsiders couldn't be trusted, only used. Zaunites? They had to be controlled, or they'd betray you just like Vander betrayed him. Everyone was out to get them, everyone except for him. She could always trust him.

I would have done it if he had let me,Sevika said the last time Jinx saw her. She would have taken Jinx somewhere like this and gotten her some help. Sevika wanted to help, but Silco refused to allow it. Instead, he put it in Jinx's head that the only person she needed was him.

So Sevika got pushed out. All the warmth it took her months to show slowly grew colder again as she watched the girl she'd grown to love get worse and worse. Jinx never even realized it, because she was too sick to realize it, and Silco told her he was the only one who mattered. Just them against the world. The revelation makes emotion well up in Jinx's throat and her vision turns to a pink haze from the tears.

"You know the rest of the truth, Jinx. What is it?" Violet urges her.

Jinx closes her eyes and feels the sting of Vi's fist on her cheek. Feels the pressure of her grip on her face. All these years, she could see Vi staring down at her with hatred in her eyes before walking away in disgust.

"Is that how it really went?" Violet murmurs to her. Jinx shivers and presses into Violet's lap.

No. That's not what happened. That's just what she remembers because that's what the voices told her she remembered. But they aren't here right now and she can see it more clearly this time.

Vi didn't stare at her that way. She looked at her, looked at the tears in her little sister's eyes, and let go. Let go and stared at her own hand in shock and in horror at what she had just done. The anger that builds in her eyes isn't for Powder anymore, but for herself. Because it was her job to keep everyone safe and she failed. When Vi walks off this time, it isn't rage, but fear that drives her away.

The same fear that keeps Vi from attacking Jinx now. Jinx has seen Vi's gauntlets in action, watched them punch men straight through concrete and bend steel like it was wet paper, but not once has Vi ever raised them against her. No matter what Jinx does to her, Vi never fights back. She just defends herself. Sometimes not even that much.

How many times has Jinx hit her sister at this point? There's one time when Jinx pinned Vi down and pummeled her until she sprained a finger, and blood was gushing from Vi's nose. The gauntlets were still on Vi's hands and she could have easily thrown her off, but it might have hurt Jinx. So she never did.

Vi just laid there and took every single punch, while Jinx screamed at her to fight back. She took it until Jinx couldn't stand it anymore and fled in tears. Leaving Caitlyn to come and care for Vi and pick up the pieces. Vi would rather let her walk away than risk hurting her like that again.

A sob escapes Jinx's throat.

"Say it. You know you have to," Violet tells her, and Jinx can't run from the truth any longer than she already has.

"Loving someone doesn't make them good for me, and people who are good for me will still hurt me," Jinx chokes out.

Vi was good for her, but she was also a kid who messed up and has spent every day since trying to make up for it. Jinx could have been good for Sevika too, but she hurt her without even realizing she did it.

"There you go, blue bird. I knew you would get there," Violet murmurs, stroking her hair. "Things will get worse again, but they'll get better, too. Until one day you won't even remember the last time you heard the voices or saw Mylo and Claggor. The real Vi will be there. Caitlyn too. One day nothing will break, and it'll be more perfect than you can imagine," she says with a smile in her voice.

Jinx cries, sobbing until her chest hurts and her eyes burn. She cries until the only thing under her head is a pillow and the only sound in the room is the rain. Distantly she realizes there's been a voice coming from somewhere, but she's so used to them she blocked it out, thinking it wasn't real. But it is real and someone is unlocking the door and coming in.

"Jinx?"

She looks up to see Vi standing there, wide eyed and desperate. Then she's racing across the room and kneeling by the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't come in sooner. Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Vi asks, placing a hand on her cheek.

"You're real. You're really here," Jinx says through her tears. Vi burst in like she was ready to fight anyone who stood in her way. Anyone who dared to come between them.

"I am. I'm real and I'm right here with you," Vi reassures her, her hand gently stroking her face.

"But why? You went through so much for me and I never listened. You tried so hard and I thought you didn't understand, but it was me who couldn't see," Jinx chokes out.

"Oh blue bird, I'd suffer through anything for you. All I want is for you to get better. To want to get better and for us to be a family again. Even if that family looks different from how it used to be," Vi reassures her.

"Why did you call me blue bird?" Jinx sniffles. Vi seems surprised at the question.

"Your hair and tattoos reminded me of that Blue Jay we saw as kids. We spent the afternoon finding out what it was and looking up information on it. We made up so many stories about where it could have come from and mom and dad listened to each one no matter how ridiculous it sounded," Vi says fondly. Then her smile slips. "If you don't like it..." she begins, but Jinx is already shaking her head.

"Say it again. Please," Jinx begs her. She wants her to say it. The real Violet. Vi's eyes soften.

"My sweet little blue bird," Vi murmurs affectionately, making Jinx's eyes overflow with tears all over again. Not Powder. Not Pow-Pow. But a different name, because she's a different person now, and Vi is trying her best to respect that even though it hurts her.

There's still a whisper in Jinx's mind telling her to doubt and question whether Vi really means that. But before, it was a compulsion that Jinx never realized was there, that she couldn't see because she was convinced that she was in control. Because the voices convinced her she was in control even as they whispered lies in her ears.

How many times did Jinx swear up and down that she wasn't paranoid? She was just being careful? Now she can see the truth and she can see the dark thoughts there waiting for her. Only this time, she knows she doesn't have to listen. She doesn't have to, but part of her still wants to.

And that terrifies her.

"What if I'm never the same again? What if I get better, but I still don't want to be Powder anymore?" Jinx whispers, gripping the bed sheets tighter. Would Vi still love her then?

"Well, why did you become Jinx?" Vi asks gently.

"Because..." Jinx hesitates, thinking hard about it. Thinking hard in a way she couldn't do before.

"Because Powder always messed things up when she tried to help. She made everything worse. But with Jinx, I could be better, I could figure out how to make my gadgets work right, and make new ones that were better than before. When things went bad, I could be smarter. Smart enough to fix it and make things better again," she mumbles. Vi is staring at her in shock.

"That's why you chose the name Jinx?" Vi asks in surprise.

"Why else would I pick it?" Jinx says, confused.

"It... it wasn't because of me?" Vi presses. Jinx furrows her brow.

"Why would I pick it because of you?" Jinx wonders, wrinkling her nose. That doesn't make sense. Is she missing something again like before? Like when she forgot how Sevika cared about her? Or is this just the truth, and Vi is the one who has been thinking lies all this time? Jinx hates that she doesn't know.

"Don't worry about it then. What about Silco?" Vi says instead. Jinx thinks, but this time it's harder.

"I chose that first for myself. But then... picking that made Silco realize Powder was hurting me. So he said I shouldn't call myself that anymore if it hurt and neither should anyone else. He said I could be anyone I wanted to be and... and then I wanted to be better because he was so nice. I wanted to be useful and not disappoint him," Jinx says, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Is that good or bad?" she asks softly. Opening her eyes, Jinx searches Vi's face for the answer. "I don't know and I'm trying to think, but it isn't clear now like it was before. It's all still jumbled up in my head and I don't know which one is real," she whimpers, getting upset. Why doesn't she know? It was right there a second ago.

Vi hurries to soothe her.

"I think the people here can help you figure out how to still be Jinx, but a better version, if that's what you want. A safer one. And they can help you deal with how being called Powder hurts you so much," Vi proposes.

"I'd like that," Jinx murmurs. She'd like to still be Jinx, but she'd like Powder to hurt less, too.

"We brought you here so you could get better. So you can learn how to keep the monsters away. That's all I want is for you to get better and stop wanting to hurt other people. It's all I wanted on the spire, on the bridge, at the docks," Vi tells her. Pleads with her. "Will you let us help you do that? Please?" she begs desperately.

All Vi wants to for her to get help. That's it, that's really it, and it's all she ever wanted from the very beginning. Jinx thinks of how she turned on Vi up on the spire, convinced that she had brought Caitlyn there as a trap. She remembers the way Silco swore the Firelights were the enemy. Even Ekko. Especially Ekko. She thinks of Vi on the bridge, staring at her in horror as she sees the dead enforcers in front of her. Monsters. Just like Caitlyn.

But the monsters weren't real, and the buildings didn't really have eyes. The voices just made me think they were, and I was already too far in the dark to realize it. To realize I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't anymore,Jinx realizes with a tremble of fear.

Jinx remembers the warehouse a few days ago. How Caitlyn just stood there watching her. How the monster she was appeared and then vanished again before her eyes. At the time she thought it was just a trick, that it was all an elaborate trap and Caitlyn was just trying to fool her into thinking she was safe so she could grab her. But she didn't do that. Caitlyn turned and left so she could help Vi instead, and she didn't interrupt while they talked. Even though she could have.

On the docks, Jinx was all alone. Scared and lost so far in the dark, she nearly lost all hope of getting out again. It was the perfect time to take advantage of her, to hurt her, kill her, trap her, lock her up so Caitlyn could have Vi all to herself without Jinx interfering. But she didn't. Caitlyn didn't hurt or yell, even though Jinx could barely even recognize her. Even though all she could see at the time was the monster she thought Caitlyn was.

Instead, she stayed and helped. Caitlyn tried to make her feel safe and sent someone to find Vi the way she needed. Caitlyn guided them here so the doctors could send the monsters away and bring Jinx back out of the dark.

Jinx's shoulders hunch at the memory of Caitlyn's arms around her. She curls in on herself, remembering how warm and safe she felt. Does that mean Caitlyn isn't a monster? That she never was? Was that moment real? Does she want it to be real?

"I want them to help. I want them to make me better, so the monsters never come to drag me back down again," Jinx tells her. Vi looks so relieved she has to rub the tears away from her eyes as they well up. Both of them are crying now.

"I thought Caitlyn was hurting you. The voices said she was hurting you, lying to you, and trying to take you away from me so she could kill you. Silco said the enforcers were monsters too, and that I had to fight them instead of being afraid of them. He said that if he didn't control the monsters, they'd hunt me down again and again and never stop. Hunt and kill us all like rats trapped underground. They'd hunt me and hurt me. He told me they were the enemy. I thought I was in control, that I could tell what was real and what wasn't, but I couldn't. I never could because the voices never let me," Jinx realizes.

"Was that wrong? Was I hurting you the entire time? Because he told me the only way for me to not be scared was to fight back? He said we would make the city better by showing them all how strong we were," Jinx asks, searching Vi's expression. She begs, pleads with her sister to tell her the answer.

Vi says nothing, but the look on her face as she turns her eyes away speaks volumes. Jinx whimpers and chokes out a sob. That has to be wrong. It can't be the truth. There's a hole in her heart where Silco was and it still aches for him so badly she wants to claw at her chest to make it stop. She loved him. She was his daughter. His little princess. He wouldn't lie to her.

But he did.

He didn't think it was a lie. Maybe Vi leaving you was a lie, but not everything was. He thought he was right, and he was keeping you safe. Silco thought he was making you strong enough to face anything this city could throw at you. Strong enough not to be scared every time you felt the dark coming back for you. He wanted you to be better than him, so nothing would drag you down like he got dragged down into the river. He wanted to make you strong so you would never hurt like Powder did. So no one would ever hurt you again like Powder got hurt. Does loving you in the wrong way make him bad?Jinx's mind asks her. She doesn't know. She doesn't know, and the fact that she can't figure it out scares her even more. Her reality couldn't be that warped, could it? Has it always been?

Jinx stares at her sister, but the look on Vi's face is pain. The same pain she saw in Sevika's eyes before everything broke. Maybe Silco was right or wrong or good or terrible. It doesn't matter right now. All that matters here at this moment is the hurt in Vi's expression. That pain is real, and she's the one who put it there.

"I hurt you," Jinx cries, the realization nearly swallowing her whole. Darkness claws at her soul again as despair overwhelms her. The weight of all she's done to her sister feels like it's crushing her and the noise in her head is coming back. She's trying to remember, but she can't separate anything in her head anymore.

Caitlyn was supposed to be a monster who took Vi away, but she protected Jinx and brought Vi when she needed her. Caitlyn is supposed to hunt Jinx down so she can kill her and have Vi all to herself, but she didn't interfere when Vi was talking to her and she hadn't stopped her before when Vi let her go.

Vi was only an enforcer now because Caitlyn lied to her, corrupted her. Only VI has said before that she did it because it meant she could help Jinx. Vi left because Marcus took her away, then Caitlyn took her away. Enforcers took away her family and ruined the undercity's chance to be better. But it was enforcers who brought her here and Caitlyn who made Jinx feel safe when she was too vulnerable to fight back. This place feels safe and Caitlyn is the one who brought her here.

It can't all be true, but Jinx can't tell which one is wrong. Why can't she tell anymore?

"Everything was so clear a moment ago and now it's getting worse again," Jinx whimpers, panic clawing at her throat. "This is what you tried to tell me about. You were trying to get me to see that the voices weren't helping and Silco wasn't helping by not making them go away. Because they twist everything I see until I'm confused and can't tell what's true and what isn't. Only I can't see it when it happens, but you can. You tried to help and I hurt you so much. How can you even stand to look at me anymore?" Jinx wails, breaking down in tears.

"Oh, blue bird. I'm here. I'm right here and we're going to work through this together, okay?" Vi promises, but she's crying too and Jinx hates herself for being the one who caused it.

"Bella?" Vi calls out.

"A doctor is on the way and I'm getting down as much of this as I can as well," a voice from the doorway responds.

"You hear that? Remember the people who helped you before? One of them is coming back to help," Vi tells her. "They won't let you get lost in the dark again, okay? If anything bad happens, they can help you find your way back out. Just like they did when you first came here. All right?" she reassures her.

Jinx nods and reaches up to hold Vi's hand there against her cheek. That makes her feel better. This place makes her feel safe, because the people here understand her. They don't think she's crazy or scary because she's different from everyone else. Everyone here is different somehow.

Vi's thumb strokes her cheek gently.

"We just want to help you, but part of that means we might have to record what you say or write it down like Bella just said. So we know why you did things or hurt people. Then, when you're feeling better and your head is clearer, maybe we can go over it together," Vi offers. Mylo hovers over her shoulder. White eyes staring at Jinx.

"Liar. They'll take every word to the enforcers and use it to lock you up. Drop you back down in the dark forever with us. Oh wait! She is an enforcer now, isn't she! That just makes it so much easier, doesn't it?" Mylo cackles. Jinx shivers and closes her eyes.

"Go away Mylo," she whimpers into the bedsheets.

"Sorry I can't hear you!" he laughs.

"Jinx? Is Mylo here again?" Vi asks. She can only nod. "Remember what the therapist said earlier?" she urges.

"That... that the voices and monsters can lie to me or just say things that hurt. They can make me think someone wants to hurt me when they are really trying to help. They lie and hurt and I can't trust them. And if I get really confused, then I can ask for help. There's nothing wrong with asking for help," Jinx remembers, mumbling the last part.

Mylo is scowling now, eyes narrowed. She may be scared, but that doesn't mean she has to listen to him.

"Focus on me," Vi says, and Jinx opens her eyes to stare at her. Mylo snarls angrily from behind Vi, demanding her attention, but Jinx doesn't look at him. She refuses to look at him, so he screams and yells and throws things, but she won't look.

"See? I'm right here with you. Being scared is ok, we're going to show you a different way to fight back the monsters. So you won't have to get so scared anymore," Vi promises. she looks scared again, like she was before by the water. Caitlyn sent someone to get Vi and when she arrived, she looked scared. Scared for Jinx.

Mylo is snarling and throwing things around the room, but Jinx won't look at him. Only his words hurt and he doesn't care if he lies or speaks the truth just as long as it hurts and twists everything she knows. She can't listen to him.

"Silco hated seeing me get so afraid every time too," Jinx says quietly. "That's why he taught me to fight back," she recalls. Vi looks over her shoulder at someone, probably the other enforcer standing by the door. But she doesn't say anything. Jinx keeps her eyes focused on her sister. Nowhere else.

"Can you tell me more about that?" Vi gently prods. Usually, hearing about Silco makes her upset, but she just looks interested now. "Telling us about Silco, about how he treated you… it…" she hesitates for a moment. "It could help me keep you safe," she admits, looking uncomfortable. It hurts her to say that. To admit what they both already know about enforcers and the council. Jinx knows that and Vi said it as well, so that means it must be real. Not just something put into her head. Jinx appreciates that Vi doesn't lie about it.

"If I tell you what I know about Silco… it might be easier to convince topside to let me stay with you? To stay here and get help?" Jinx asks slowly. Vi nods.

Jinx is sick, but she's not stupid. Vi wants to help her, but she's still with the enforcers, the council. To help criminals, they need a worse criminal or they need the truth. It's the same tactic they used when Silco's men got caught and Marcus couldn't get them out fast enough. They claim to be righteous and just, but they'll cut a deal with anyone if the terms are good enough. Only Vi is her sister. She genuinely wants to help, but she can't do it all alone. Violet said Caitlyn would help, but she's still the new Sheriff and she can't help either if she has nothing to work with.

"You just have to be honest and not hurt people. Not want to hurt people anymore. That's what they want, and the people here can help you with that," Vi emphasizes. So Jinx thinks hard. It's not as difficult as it was a moment ago, but not quite as easy as it was when Violet was here, either.

"The monsters were always there, but the voices only came after Mylo and Claggor and Vander died," Jinx admits. Vi frowns slightly at that.

"Always? Even before Silco? Before I left?" Vi asks her. Jinx nods.

"They've always been there and I'd see them sometimes. See people change and then turn back again. Only they never bothered me when other people were around. They didn't try to hurt, they just wanted to scare me," Jinx remembers.

"That's why you hated being alone so much. Why the monsters we made up together at night would frighten you sometimes. That's why you always wanted to be with me," Vi whispers, staring at her like she's been punched in the gut.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. The dark makes me forget and see things wrong, and I don't always know its happening. You tried to tell me that but I couldn't see it," Jinx apologizes.

"No, no blue bird it isn't your fault. I'm glad you were able to tell me now. That's what matters," Vi murmurs.

"Sevika tried to help make it better. The way you and the people here want to help," Jinx remembers. She's able to remember. Is it because the dark isn't as close anymore? Why didn't she remember that it's gotten bad like this once before?

"She... she did?" Vi asks, her eyes widening in surprise. Jinx nods in confirmation.

"Mmm hmm. I got worse after... after you left. The monsters came all the time and it made me so afraid. I just kept getting worse, no matter what she did. So Sevika started taking me with her because I hated being alone. She took me with her to drop off some Shimmer one day. Called it my first job. It was supposed to be easy. It always was. Just drop it off, get paid and leave. But this time, another gang ambushed us. She had a new arm, but she didn't really know how to use it yet. Not to fight. So one of the gang got her from behind and knocked her down. He was going to kill her so... so I raced to grab the gun Sevika dropped and.. and..." Jinx's voice halts and she looks away.

"Claggor always said I was a good shot," she whispers. Vi's expression softens, and she leans in to kiss her forehead.

"It's ok. Jinx," Vi murmurs, her words and comfort giving Jinx the strength to keep going. She feels brave enough to look around the room, but Mylo is gone.

"I don't really remember what happened next. Everything got so loud. Sevika would always tell me what was real and what wasn't. She said I had a meltdown worse than any she'd ever seen. She grabbed me and ran away. Left the Shimmer there and took me home. She tried to help, tried to make it better and for a little bit, it did. She could always make it better again when the monsters scared me. But then when I went to sleep I'd see it happening again, see him dying again. Sevika took me to Silco and said I needed help. Real help. She... she wanted to take me someplace. A place like this," Jinx whispers.

The memory seems so strong now, even with the little pieces of it missing. This is what Sevika was talking about before, when she got upset because she tried to help, too. Jinx knows she's lost time before, lost hours and days, but she didn't think she could lose entire memories. Or maybe as the darkness crept over her mind, it hid things from her just like it hid everything else.

"Sevika was scared for me. Like you got scared when you found me with Caitlyn. She wanted to help, but Silco was afraid as well. He was scared they would take me away. Away from him for good. So he said no, he wouldn't let her help. They started screaming, screaming so loud it made me worse. Silco said it was her fault. Sevika said she should have ignored him and taken me somewhere before it got this bad. He finally grabbed a gun and pointed it at her, saying he'd never let anyone take me away from him. Not even her," Jinx suddenly remembers like she's right there in the room again. How did she forget this?

"Silco was going to kill her. I know he was. So I grabbed his arm and begged him not to hurt her. He couldn't hurt Sevika because I loved her. I needed her. Then he put the gun down and hugged me tight, apologizing for scaring me like that when I was already so afraid. He... he told Sevika to leave, that I would stay with him from now on and he never wanted to hear about this again," Jinx recalls.

"He said he got upset because he hates seeing me terrified like that every time the monsters come. He promised he would make me stronger, make me someone others were afraid of. Silco promised to show me how to kill the monsters, just like I killed that man. And once he did, I'd never have to fear anything like that again," Jinx whispers, letting her hand drop from Vi's.

The truth is there, waiting for her. The one Vi needs in order to help. It's so bright and clear that it makes her wish she couldn't see it. But she can think better again now and see what everyone meant. Vi, Violet, Sevika, all of them saying the same thing. Now she can truly see what they meant when they said Silco loved her, but he wasn't good for her. And it forces the truth up from the dredges of her memory and into her mouth. Bitter and foul.

If Jinx says this, there's no going back. Everything she thought she knew about Silco will break for good this time and nothing will put the picture of who she thought he was back together. But if she holds it in, that will just make it easier to hold the rest in as well. Holding it in will make it easier to lie for him because she already wants to. She wants so badly to lie and protect what little remains of the person she thought he was.

Staying silent means Jinx could preserve what little pieces of Silco's legacy are left. Speaking up means she could have a future with Vi, but it will shatter the last of what Jinx thought she knew about her dad. She can't have both.

It's like Violet said. Jinx can't keep her here and get better, too. Jinx can't be a family again with Vi if she isn't willing to admit the truth to herself and to them about Silco. Vi wants to help, but she can't do it if she doesn't have the truth. If the enforcers don't have the truth.

"Trust her," Violet's gentle voice whispers to Jinx from under the bed. "You already know Vi was right about Silco, and so was Sevika. So believe Vi when she says they can help you through the pain and the fear. Believe that she won't let anyone hurt you or put you away if you help the council and the enforcers the way they want. No matter how bad it gets after this, trust that Vi will help you get better," Violet urges her.

So Jinx thinks. Harder than she's thought all night long, and she makes her choice. Because now she can remember the truth and she has to say it or the dark might come back. If it does, it will make her doubt Vi again. Doubt everyone and see traps everywhere just so it can feed on her suffering and confusion.

"After Silco took me from Sevika that night… he said that he needed me, that I was just like him, that everyone would betray me but him. Just like Sevika tried to betray him by getting people to take me away. That no one could be trusted but him. He said it over and over all the time after that, until I forgot Sevika helped at all. I forgot until she told me, until she told me Silco wasn't good for me the way I thought he was. Everything broke after that and the monsters came back to get me like before. Like when I killed that man. Because you were right and she was right and I couldn't see it. Because he let me get worse until I couldn't see anything but him," Jinx confesses, her voice cracking.

"I would have done anything for him if it meant he wouldn't leave me, because he told me there was no one else but him. I would have killed anyone he wanted if it meant I could be useful and make him proud of me like that again," Jinx chokes out.

Jinx tries to look away, but it isn't fast enough to avoid seeing the expression on Vi's face. Like she just sprang a trap. Only the trap is for Silco, not her, and she's running away free while he gets left behind. Jinx's body screams in horror at her betrayal as Vi looks back at Bella.

"I got everything. I'll write up a full report right away," Bella says, and that only adds to the guilt chewing away at Jinx's soul.

Mylo is back again.

"You chose them? The enforcers?" he says in disbelief. Vi is an enforcer now, though. Vi joined the people she once hated most because she thought it was the only way to help Jinx. The only way to help keep her safe and keep her out of a prison like the one Marcus threw Vi into. An enforcer went to find Vi, and they kept her safe when Vi carried her across the bridge.

"You chose her? The Sheriff who took your sister away?" Mylo demands. Only Caitlyn didn't take Vi away. She never did, and Vi has spent months trying to get her to realize that the only one pushing them apart is Jinx herself. Vi has always been willing to take her back.

"She'll throw you in prison the first chance she gets!" Mylo screams. But Caitlyn already had the chance to take Jinx away. She's had multiple chances, in fact. Back across the bridge, Caitlyn could have taken her before Vi could find out where she was and she didn't. Jinx was scared and vulnerable. She couldn't have fought back even if she wanted to. Caitlyn didn't take advantage of that. She made her feel warm and safe and had someone find Vi for her. Jinx wants... no, she needs to know if that feeling was real.

"You would choose them? The council lies every chance they get! All they want is information about Silco! The second you aren't useful for that, they'll throw you away like they always do with those of us from the undercity!" Mylo snarls. But they didn't throw Vi back into prison, and neither did Caitlyn. She let Vi try to help, even when Jinx wouldn't listen. Even when she kept trying to burn topside to the ground for what they did. Because it was what Silco wanted, or at least what she thought he wanted.

"You would choose them? Take their deal and lick their boots so they'll let you leave someday? The second they finally give you your freedom back, you'll be out on the streets again with nothing and no future. You'll be alone and abandoned the second they have what they need!" Mylo roars at her. No. She won't be alone. Maybe Jinx doesn't know what's going to happen or where things will end up if she does what the council wants, but it doesn't matter because she'll have Vi again and they'll be together. A new family that looks different from how it did before. Just like Vi said.

"You had a family already! You had Silco!" Mylo rages. "He loved you, cared for you. Took you in and this is how you repay him? It wasn't enough you killed him before he could shoot your precious Violet. Now you have to destroy his legacy as well? The only thing he had left? Traitor! He was happy to die if it meant you were safe, but you did the worst thing you could! The one thing he knew you'd never do! Not you, of all people!You betrayed him!" Mylo's voice screams in her ears.

Vi was right. She is paranoid because being sick makes her that way. Only Silco hated to see it making her afraid, so he turned that fear and terror into hatred and violence instead. Jinx desperately needs help. Maybe she can't shut out the voices, maybe she can't stop the monsters and the paranoid thoughts from trying to creep back in, but there is one thing Jinx realizes. She doesn't have to listen to them anymore.

"TRAITOR!" the walls shriek at her until a sob rips from her throat. Jinx will not bend to them again. No matter what they say. No matter how terrified they make her.

BETRAYER appears on the wall, shot full of bullet holes and dripping blood-red letters. Silco's blood painting the wall. Jinx sobs and squeezes her eyes shut, but she can't shut out the ache in her heart for him. She was the only person he had.

Jinx reaches out for her sister and Vi pulls her in, letting her crawl off the bed and into her lap. She presses in, crying uncontrollably into Vi's shoulder as the voices scream at her.

"A doctor is here now and they'll help you, okay? All of us are going to help you through this. I'm not giving up on you. I know it'll get bad again, but it will get better too. We're going to get you better no matter how long it takes," Vi's voice cracks on the words as she rubs Jinx's back.

That's what Violet said when she was here. That things are going to get worse again, but then they'll get better too. Until one day in a future Jinx can't envision yet, nothing will break at all. That's what Violet said, and that's what Jinx desperately clings to as the walls wail and howl over her disloyalty to Silco, demanding to know how she could do this to him.

Jinx presses herself into Vi's neck as Mylo shrieks in her ears that she's a traitor, betraying the one person who believed with all his heart that she would never leave him. Silco would have let his dream of a free Zaun burn to ashes for her and this was how she repaid him? By tainting even the memory of his death?

One day, nothing will break, Violet said.

Jinx wants so desperately to know what that day will feel like.

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

Caitlyn stepped out of the council chamber and let out a shaky breath. It was official. Jinx would stay at the Silver River Psychiatric Hospital until further notice as she received treatment, mental health evaluations, and an ongoing threat assessment. The Special Task Force would be the ones primarily in charge of guarding Jinx because of their prior experience with tracking her down.

The council approved it unanimously, with Hoskel insisting any information about Silco be made immediately available to them. Mel interceded by reminding them that the Sheriff was officially in charge of the investigation and, unlike Marcus, Caitlyn had already been diligent about providing updates and following the law exactly.

They should trust Caitlyn's discretion and work to ensure no information got out before they were ready to put out an official statement. Caitlyn brought out that she would return later today with Vi to give another update on how Jinx made it through the night. With that, Mel considered the matter settled and reminded them all that no information from today's session should go past this room and those directly involved in Jinx's care.

Now Caitlyn just needs to let Vi know and get an update on how Jinx is now.

Caitlyn makes it halfway down the hallway before she hears the door to the council room open behind her.

"Ah, just a moment, please!" A voice calls out.

Turning around, Caitlyn sees Hoskel coming out of the council room. He hurries down the hallway and stops before her.

"Great work in there, my dear. While I may have my disagreements on things, you truly are a credit to the Sheriff's office. Excellent presentation and well done on bringing this Jinx to justice," Hoskel praised effusively. Perhaps a bit too effusively.

"Thank you, councilor. Is there something else you needed to ask me?" Caitlyn presses. This is a little unusual and undoubtedly because he needs something.

"I merely wanted to offer my help. Beyond simply nodding and listening to dull reports in the council room, that is. Jayce and Viktor recently invented a new type of portable recording devices as I'm sure you know. Hextech powered, so they last far longer than the old ones, which are creaky things really at this point. Salo and I purchased a few for our business deals and let me tell you, the recording quality is amazing! I could hear the rattle in my own lungs last time I tried it! Had a bit of a cold at the time," Hoskel says, clearing his throat.

"Anyway, I know there were some inquiries made about getting them for the enforcers, but the price was a bit too high. The enforcer budget is going to remain a little tight until the mid year analysis gives you an increase. Bet now you wish you'd left a little something over for one instead of spending it all on pay raises for those Zaunites on the force," Hoskel says with a grin. He elbows her on the side jokingly and it's all Caitlyn can do not to grit her teeth.

Her girlfriend, and almost fiancée, was a Zaunite. So were all the enforcers who helped ensure that Jinx made it to safety last night. In fact, a third of the force was from below.

Caitlyn also resists the urge to point out that spending money on new toys instead of pay raises is what Marcus did when he was alive. Knowing Hoskel, the hint would go straight over his head. Besides, while the current recorders were getting old, they didn't have any problems and would easily last another few months or even years if necessary until the council increased the budget or approved to have them all replaced.

"I thought I would lend you one of our to use in the meantime," Hoskel offers. "Jinx is a rather high-profile criminal and we can't afford to make any mistakes here. The girl has cost this city a fortune in damages," he points out.

Nevermind the enforcers she's killed and the people she's put in the hospital,Caitlyn thinks sourly at him. Of course he'd be more worried about the money than the people and certainly not at all about Jinx herself.

"Your concern is appreciated," Caitlyn says with the best fake smile she can manage. She's become quite good at them over the years.

"Excellent! I'll check to see which of us has one available and then have it sent over this afternoon for you. Trust me Sheriff, once you've seen one in action you'll never want to use anything else!" Hoskel crows giving her a slap on the back. With a deep laugh, he heads back to the council room.

To be fair, Caitlyn has seen them in action and would desperately love to have one to use. Longer battery life, better recording quality, playback features, extended storage. She just doesn't want it from him.

It isn't until Hoskel has disappeared back into the room that Caitlyn realizes the same warning bells she felt around Salo are back and ringing loud and clear. Just like that, part of the picture snaps into place. Salo and Hoskel aren't friends, but they are business partners and friendly adversaries. Anything Hoskel is doing, Salo should know about.

And if not, he'd still be able to get access to information on Hoskel without raising any eyebrows,Caitlyn realizes. That minor revelation sets off a rush of mental relief. That's why she felt so strange around him last night and why her "Sheriff Senses" have been nudging her toward Salo ever since then.

If there was really so much concern about Jinx, then Jayce should have approached her himself with the offer. If not, then Salo should have done so, particularly after their previous conversation. Instead, it was Hoskel, claiming that he wanted to "help." There's no reason for her to refuse the offer, but there's also no reason for her to accept. Something about this whole situation feels wrong.

Chewing on her lip, Caitlyn looks around and spots an enforcer nearby. One who has been trying and failing not to show their irritation at Hoskel's presence and words. Caitlyn walks up to them.

"Name?" she orders.

"Oneal ma'am," he replies immediately. She remembers the name. He's from the upper levels of the undercity. Promoted because of his excellent work during the chaos after the attempted council bombing.

"Oneal, I need you to do me a favor. I stopped by a flower shop on my way here and ordered a bouquet of lisanthus flowers. They said they would need a little time to get them ready. What I need you to do is go there, ask for them in my name, and have them delivered personally to Councilor Salo. Be as discreet as possible and approach him privately if the opportunity presents itself, understood?" Caitlyn warns him.

"I also need you to deliver a message. Tell him I appreciate the use of a hextech recorder, and I'd like him to thank Hoskel for his offer. Also, be sure to mention that I appreciate his warning about the wolves. I'll be careful to keep an eye out the next time I go out hunting," Caitlyn tells him.

He repeats it back to her until she's sure he won't forget. Then she sends him off and orders for a replacement to come fill his spot.

The only question remaining is what exactly is going on with Hoskel? And what does it have to do with Jinx?

This morning, Jinx woke up, took a shower that had actual hot water, ate a nicer breakfast than she's had in years with Vi, and then met with Doctor Rosalyn. The good doctor had a schedule in hand, outlining events for the day.

First up was a private therapy session. Apparently, she'd be having them twice a day.

Jinx wasn't sure what to expect, but the room Rosalyn took her into was just an ordinary room with a window overlooking the fancy inner courtyard. It reminded her a bit of Silco's office, just without the cigar smell. Rosalyn warned that because of her criminal history, a lot of what she said and did would be recorded or actively monitored. That was why Vi looked so relieved last night (or was it early this morning?) after Jinx admitted what she had about Silco. Anything she said against him might help get her a better deal with the council.

No big surprise there. Jinx may be sick, but she wasn't dumb. There were plenty of times when Silco had to get someone out of jail or when they met with an "accident" in Stillwater after saying something they shouldn't have to enforcers who weren't a part of Marcus' inner circle. Enforcers who might actually try to do their jobs properly if given half a chance. Jinx mostly knew how that part worked.

Although Jinx had expected therapy to be a lot more talking about her feelings and dredging up the past. That wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't entirely right, either. Rosalyn started off by going over what she said last night. The enforcer with Vi overnight had written it all down and drafted up a report.

Lovely.

To Jinx's surprise, there was no heartfelt plea, no sad eyes full of pity, no deep psychoanalysis of how deeply broken she was as a person. Rosalyn just went through it, asked her to confirm that what she said was true or expand on a thought here and there. Then she put the report aside, smiled at her, and asked if she wanted to talk about anything in particular.

For a moment, Jinx just stared at her. It took a while to realize the doctor was being completely serious. She would not make Jinx talk or go through a step-by-step history of all her pain and suffering if she didn't want to.

Finally, Jinx asked what Rosalyn was in here for. She meant it as a joke, but that's when Rosalyn gave her the biggest shock of all by grinning and saying that she had been in a place like this herself years ago for a similar reason. Auditory and visual hallucinations. They had diagnosed her with schizophrenia as a young woman a little older than Jinx. Although, Rosalyn admitted, medical science had come a long way since she was in.

Jinx had stared at her for nearly a full minute before her mind became too full of questions to keep them inside any longer. Sure, she saw people like her all the time on the streets of Zaun, but Silco always said she was different. So she'd never actually sat and talked with someone like herself. Someone who understood the voices and the monsters.

Rosalyn had been happy to share her story. Her experiences. She quietly confessed that she started learning about being a doctor because she was fascinated by how her own mind worked, and less because she actually wanted to help others. Although that had changed in due time. She confessed that it had been more difficult for her compared with the other students, but she was glad she did it. It made Jinx feel warm inside. Like she was sharing a big secret with someone.

For the next two hours, they just... talked. At first, Rosalyn did most of the talking while Jinx asked a million questions. Then Rosalyn grabbed some magazines off the shelf and they went over some research into schizophrenia and some of her favorite interviews with people who had it.

Then, slowly, Jinx opened up. About the voices, how the dark that she couldn't see before twisted everything she saw and made it worse, how the monsters had always been there. That caught the doctor's attention. Jinx described them and then drew some for her in crayon. Jagged, pulsing figures. Just flickers at first, scratch marks that appeared over other people.

Then they started getting worse. Creatures from her imagination and her time playing with Vi. Only back then, Vi didn't know they were real to her, and that she was scaring off the monsters that peeled themselves off the walls and ceilings of their little house.

Talking about it felt good. Jinx thought she was all cried out, all empty of tears. She certainly hoped she was after the past day. But then, after Jinx corrected herself yet again by saying that the voices weren't there, Rosalyn touched her shoulder and said that it was ok to call them real in here if she wanted to. Because they were real to her and the pain they had caused her, Violet and others was real, too.

No one had ever said that before.

It cracked something inside Jinx and in seconds, the feelings she had barely patched up from last night started gushing out all over again. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, but not in pain. No, the feeling welling up in her chest was pure, unfiltered rage.

Rage for all the times she suffered, repeating to herself that it wasn't real as the walls screamed and crayon drawings tried to drag themselves off the paint to reach her. Fury because Sevika had grown to love a child she never wanted, only to have Silco take Jinx away from her after refusing to let Sevika get her some real help. Anger at topside for killing her parents and leaving Vi to raise her, even though she was still just a kid herself and couldn't possibly know how to do it right.

If they had half the health services rich Pilties did, then maybe someone would have seen her earlier. Noticed the voices and the monsters. Seen how her mind was growing dark and twisting everything around her.

Sevika said it the last time Jinx saw her. Vi was a kid. A kid who messed up because she shouldn't have been raising a child in the first place. But Silco was an adult. He should have known better. It was his responsibility to know better. Instead, Silco said she just needed to be stronger, just had to fight back, "Excise your doubts, Jinx." "Be what they fear, Jinx." Kill the monsters, any monster who got in her way. Don't be afraid, make others cower in terror. That's how she needed to fight the monsters off. That's how she would stay strong.

LIES.

Jinx stood up and raged around the room, rambling and yelling about everything she was furious at. Anger over years of being sick when she didn't have to be welled up inside her. She screamed and shouted and waited for Vi and the other enforcer with her to come in and subdue her. To tell her she was being too loud, too aggressive, too much. She waited for Rosalyn to say she was a threat and call security.

Instead, Rosalyn closed her notepad, turned off the recording, and asked if she wanted to go outside so she could really get out her anger.

And that's how Jinx found herself outside. Screaming into the sky as loud as she could.

Vi winced as Jinx let loose another unholy wail of pure hatred and rage. She hasn't had time to even consider reviewing the recording from Jinx's therapy session, so she isn't entirely sure what happened. All she knows is that her sister came out spitting fire and full of anger. So Rosalyn directed them all outside to a corner of the inner courtyard where Jinx could scream her lungs out.

"Does this usually help?" Constance asks, her expression filled with doubt. Vi is wondering the same thing. Security switched over from Bella to Constance while Jinx was in therapy. Although Vi doubts her sister even noticed with how pissed off she was.

"Oh yes," Rosalyn confirms with a patient smile. "It would surprise you how much better people feel afterwards. We have a room where patients are allowed to just break things as well, but that's a high level reward for an extended period of good behavior. Can't risk someone trying to hurt themselves or anyone else. We also have a paint room. We put sheets up on the walls and let someone just throw water balloons filled with paint until they get all their frustrations out. Newcomers like Jinx, though, just get to scream," she explains.

"Her voice has got to be getting sore," Constance notes. Jinx has been going at it for nearly 20 minutes straight.

"Mmm, I had a guy who screamed for two hours once. Couldn't talk for nearly a week afterwards, but it really helped with his latent anger issues," Rosalyn says with a nod. "The first step to healing is feeling," she recites. "Sound silly, I know, but you can't help fix something if you refuse to admit it's there. Just being given the space to let yourself feel without being judged for it can do wonders. Regardless of whether those feelings are good or bad," she adds.

She pauses as Jinx lets loose another howl of anger.

"Jinx, though, seems to have a lot of rather justifiable anger and pain buried inside her. Poor girl has been through a lot. Far more than any child should have. Both of you have, it seems," Rosalyn notes.

Vi shuffles her feet uncomfortably. She agreed to a session of her own late tonight, but she can't help getting cold feet at bit at the idea of talking to anyone other than her usual therapist. Officially, it's to discuss Jinx's care and guide Vi on what she'll need in the future. Unofficially, it's going to cover those topics and make sure that Vi isn't at risk of having an episode of her own for different reasons.

Yawning, Vi rubs her eyes and tries to act like she's awake. Once Jinx got settled down again last night, she had tried to catch some shuteye herself. But no matter what she did, she couldn't get any rest. Now she's cranky and trying not to be irritable at everyone around her. It would be easy to dismiss those both as stress, but Vi is also so wound up she can't help rolling her shoulder, like she has to be on guard for a fight everytime someone gets too close.

All symptoms of PTSD.

You'll be fine. No one is coming after you. Everything is safe here. Jinx is safe and so are you,Vi tells herself. She repeats it several times in her head until the wave of anxiety passes and some of the tension in her shoulders loosens up.

"Morning, you two."

Vi snaps into action, fists coming up in front of her automatically as she whips around to see who it is. Caitlyn stands there with a drink carrier and a small box from a café. Her eyebrows rise and Vi's face flushes red. Lowering her hands, she shoves them in her pockets. Her wariness crumbles under embarrassment.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought I was loud enough coming up from behind, but Jinx must have drowned me out," Caitlyn apologizes, her gaze soft and understanding. Vi fights back the shame and takes a few deep, calming breaths. Caitlyn won't judge or think any less of her about this. She never has. In fact, she's the one who pushed Vi to get help.

"I couldn't get much sleep last night," Vi confesses. "That, plus everything else, is making me really irritable and on edge," she admits.

"Well, maybe this will help. Two hot chocolates and an espresso for Constance, along with some cherry danishes," Caitlyn offers, waving the box at her.

"I was wondering why you smelled like pastries," Vi says, eagerly grabbing a hot chocolate and a treat. Constance happily takes the espresso along with a danish of her own and immediately digs in. Not that she ever needs the extra buzz.

"Could Jinx have one?" Caitlyn asks Rosalyn.

"You got them both fresh?" Rosalyn asks. Caitlyn nods affirmatively. "Then I see no problem with it. She doesn't seem to have any dietary restrictions, but I'd be careful of anything you don't get fresh or see being made. Her presence here is a secret for now, but safe precautions now could help later if that changes," she warns them.

The idea of someone finding out Jinx is here and deliberately trying to hurt her sends a chill up Vi's spine. Caitlyn is also frowning at that, but it isn't a displeased frown. Rather, it's the look she gets when she's realized something and is thinking hard about it.

"Cait?" Vi prods. Caitlyn hums in response but doesn't answer. Too deep into Sheriff Mode at the moment to notice anything other than what her mind was focused on. Finally, she shakes her head.

"Just... realizing something," Caitlyn says vaguely. "How is she doing today?" she asks.

"Rather lucid at the moment, although I can't say how long that will last. Lunch will be her first round of daily medication, but it'll likely be at least a few days until we see if there are consistent positive results from it. Assuming it works for her at all with no overly negative side effects. Each person's mind works a little differently and, as a result, so does the medication. But in time, we'll get Jinx to where every day is like this for her," Rosalyn says positively.

Jinx screams again, this time scaring a bird from its perch.

"Minus the anger, of course," Rosalyn adds quickly.

"Then I think we should use this opportunity to inform Jinx about what the current plan is for her and her future. As much as she can process right now. She's a smart young woman and I don't want her to feel like we're hiding the truth from her. Especially not when she already deals with paranoia," Caitlyn states.

"I told her some of it last night," Vi cuts in, "But she was also having a pretty bad episode at the time so it wouldn't hurt to reiterate what we'd like to happen and what the council's expectations are," she explains.

"That's an excellent idea. Setting expectations early on is a part of most therapy as well. I think it would help Jinx and perhaps build some trust between you and her in particular as well, Sheriff," Rosalyn responds, looking at Caitlyn.

Caitlyn nods and frowns slightly. The look calculating look is back again in her eyes. Vi quietly finishes her pastry as Caitlyn stares at Jinx with thoughtful intensity.

"Something up, cupcake?" Vi asks, prodding her gently.

"Just something that's been bothering me since last night," Caitlyn responds vaguely, her gaze not wavering for a second.

Thank you for that astounding clarification,Vi thinks with a sigh. To be fair, she should know better by now. Caitlyn always gets like this when she's sniffing out trouble.

"Could I have a moment with Jinx first? Assuming she'll talk to me," Caitlyn asks suddenly. Rosalyn motions for her to go ahead. Vi watches as Caitlyn walks over, making sure her approach is loud. Jinx turns around with a scowl, but it disappears for a moment as Caitlyn walks up next to her. Jinx crosses her arms defensively, but then her nose twitches and she looks confused suddenly.

Next to Vi, Rosalyn hums thoughtfully as she watches Jinx's behavior. Caitlyn crouches down, so she's slightly below Jinx's eye level. Vi can't quite make out what's being said, but they talk for a while until Jinx's eyes drop to what Caitlyn is holding. Reluctantly, Jinx nods and takes the hot chocolate and the pastry, but she's still looking at Caitlyn warily. Slowly, Jinx sits down and Caitlyn does the same, asking something as she does. Jinx nods again and Caitlyn touches a small device on her hip.

Isn't that a pocket recorder?Vi realizes. Jinx fidgets the entire time she eats, eyes darting up to Caitlyn with the same confused look from before they drop to her lap again.

Caitlyn is asking her something now, looking over at Vi for a moment as she speaks. Jinx glances over as well and looks upset. Leaning forward, Caitlyn says something else. Vi can't make out the words, but her tone is reassuring. Then she leans back again and sits quietly. For a while, Jinx just sips her hot chocolate and eats her danish. Once the food is gone, she glances over at Caitlyn in between sips. Finally, Jinx looks back over at Vi with an intense squint.

"What in the world are they talking about?" Vi mutters to herself.

"Probably how annoying you are on a scale of one to ten," Constance offers helpfully. Vi scowls at her, but she just grins back unrepentantly.

"Hey, Vi, come over here!" Caitlyn waves at her. Vi walks over.

"You okay with being recorded?" Caitlyn asks, squinting as she looks up. The rain has cleared up enough that the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds. Vi laughs.

"Kinda have to be if I'm going to be hanging around here all the time," Vi admits. She takes a seat, making sure there's an equal distance on either side between her girlfriend and her sister. Jinx is doing well right now, but Vi doesn't want to do anything that might make it worse. It clearly doesn't help because Jinx immediately glares at her.

"You don't need to act all jumpy, like I'm going to yell if you aren't careful enough. I'm not paranoid," Jinx spits out. Then she winces and looks away. "I mean, I am just... not at this moment.. I don't think," she mumbles under her breath. The look in her eyes isn't anger anymore though, but guilt.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I know you don't really have the best history with Cait. I'm glad you're willing to do this, but I don't expect you to like her overnight. If ever," Vi explains. Jinx's gaze darts back up to Caitlyn and the confused look from before creeps back in before she looks back down at her lap.

"She said you have to leave," Jinx mumbles unhappily.

"Just for a little while," Caitlyn emphasizes.

"Leaving is still leaving," Jinx scowls at her. Vi remembers last night's conversation. Jinx wasn't just clingy or nervous as a child. She was sick even then, and no one realized it. That's why she always hated being alone. These days, the hallucinations could happen no matter what. But the anxiety that came from being alone is coming back.

"I do, blue bird," Vi apologizes. "I want to help you like I said, but part of that means I have to update the council sometimes on how you're doing," she admits. That does nothing to temper her own guilt, though.

"Gotta let the Pilties know if I'm getting any homicidal urges so they can decide whether to check the box that says prison or send in more security," Jinx grumbles.

At least she's feeling more lucid,Vi thinks with a grimace. The problem isn't getting her to this point, though, it's keeping her here.

"That's not entirely wrong, but that's not entirely correct either," Caitlyn admits truthfully. Jinx gives her a wary look and fidgets until her expression fades back into confusion and fear.

"Are they gonna take Vi away from me if I hurt someone again?" Jinx asks, a slight tremble in her voice.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me," Vi insists. Jinx glances over at her, but the way she looks back at Caitlyn says that she knows who is really in charge here.

"I won't lie. The council will enforce more restrictions if you become violent again. How strict depends on what you do. But our goal, that is myself and Violet's, is to keep you in here so Rosalyn and the other therapists can help you. Doing that will be much easier with your cooperation. There's... a lot we have to cover. About you and about how much Silco influenced you and your decisions to hurt other people. Ideally, you'll be in here and feel safe being in here for the foreseeable future. And Vi will be here with you regularly," Caitlyn says honestly. Jinx chews on the end of one pigtail and thinks about that.

"So... months? Years?" she asks.

"Most likely. Although some of that will depend on your behavior. How well you respond to your therapy, does the medication help, and do you take it willingly? Stuff like that. Also, whether you cooperate with our investigations and interviews regarding Silco's actions," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx fidgets again at that information.

Vi wants to bring up the fact that she likely won't be going to trial, or at the very least they'd like to keep her out of one, but it doesn't feel like the right time yet. Jinx looks like she's already struggling to process the information she currently has.

"Silco had people who got caught sometimes. Most of them were smart enough not to talk. He could reach people in prison. Arrange accidents. But people who kept quiet? He could get them out a lot sooner. Even erase their criminal record," Jinx recalls. She looks sad for a moment before it changes to anger and then back to sadness.

"Now he's dead. No one would have come for me if you didn't... if you hadn't seen.." her voice cracks and she looks up at Caitlyn, eyes wide and wondering. The confusion from before is back. Jinx may tolerate Caitlyn's presence for now, but there's still a lot of history and feelings they'll both need to work through.

Vi moves closer and puts an arm around Jinx to comfort her.

"What's going to happen to me?" Jinx whispers, pressing closer into Vi's side. "If I help, I mean?" she asks, looking away. Something about this is upsetting her, making her twitch like when she hears voices again.

"Best-case scenario is the one Vi and I are currently pushing the council on. In that case, your treatment goes well, you stick to your medication, and the council feels you aren't a threat anymore. Meaning you won't kill or otherwise try to hurt people anymore. Then, once you finish treatment here, I would try to get you released into Vi's care under house arrest and from there back into society again. You would live with Vi and be a normal person like everyone else," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx's head snaps up.

"I could stay with Violet? For good? Forever?" Jinx says breathlessly. Her eyes shift between them as if waiting to catch one of them in a lie. She looks like they handed over a gift so wonderful it can't possibly be real.

"Like I said before. I want us to be a family again. If you want it too," Vi offers. Jinx trembles against her.

"But what if..." Jinx stops and stares up like someone is standing beside her. Her head tilts like she's listening to something.

She's seeing someone again,Vi realizes, her heart dropping.

This morning, before going to therapy with Doctor Rosalyn, Jinx had stubbornly insisted that she was feeling better. If someone appeared again like Mylo, Claggor, or Violet, then Jinx would tell Vi and maintain that she knew they weren't really there. But now that clarity is gone, and Jinx is listening to someone like they've been there the whole time.

Jinx can slip in and out of her hallucinations so quickly that she doesn't even realize something has changed. Only last night it happened slowly enough that she could see it coming. She could feel it happening and knew she'd start losing touch with reality again. It terrified her so much that even the memory of it makes Vi tense.

Seeing Jinx like this hurts, but Vi doesn't look away. Not when Jinx starts mumbling to herself, nor when she begins talks to whoever she can see. Vi refuses to look away from what her sister is dealing with and from the person she is. She can't if she wants to support Jinx, get her the help she needs, and offer her a stable home in the future.

It's taken time, but over the months, Vi has pieced together who her sister sees and how they act. Mylo is always complaining and antagonistic. He's the one who shows up most frequently. Violet is always kind and supportive, pushing Jinx to trust Vi and listen to her. She'll never lie to Jinx, even if it hurts her to listen to what she says.

Claggor's personality is the one that shifts the most. Most often he's just like the real Claggor, but sometimes he'll show up with Mylo, spreading the same hate and vitriol he does. He can also show up with Violet and act worried like she gets.

Last of all are "the voices." A general term for the other vague, bodiless voices that Jinx hears. Those aren't anyone in particular and often appear with Mylo. But they can show up on their own as well, always saying whatever they can to upset or scare her.

The hallucination Jinx is seeing right now is likely Violet, because she looks calm and attentive. Not angry or disturbed like usual, or afraid like they made her last night. It's a slight comfort that not all of Jinx's hallucinations scare her. Very slight.

Jinx snorts and picks at her chipped fingernails, but she keeps her head tilted to one side. Clearly still listening.

In the past, Jinx would always argue as Violet tried to get her to listen to Vi, or even Caitlyn. Something has changed since Vi spoke to her in that old warehouse, or maybe it's just the result of Jinx realizing the influence Silco had over her and accepting that she's sick. Jinx said that something "broke" after she spoke to Sevika. Specifically, after Sevika told her that Silco wasn't good for her.

It hurts to see her like this, and it hurts even more to realize that Vi can understand why Silco acted the way he did. If Jinx wants to get better, then she's going to have more moments like last night. Moments where she can tell she's getting worse again and is terrified that she won't be able to stop it, that no one will be able to bring her back this time. But when Jinx is like this? She's not scared. She doesn't even realize something changed.

It was easier for Silco to see Jinx like she is now, not even realizing something about her world is suddenly different, then to see her nearly incoherent because the hallucinations scared her so much.

Vi knows their childhood with Vander wasn't exactly peaceful. They led a rough life and violence was often a part of it, but not like this. Not anything like how it has become for Jinx.

How different might things have been if they had stuck together? Jinx's mental illness didn't make her violent. It made her afraid, and with Silco's influence over her finally broken, that fear was returning.

Silco saw the destruction Jinx caused with the gemstone, the way she jumped in and killed a man to defend Sevika, and instead of being horrified and trying to get her out of that life like Vi would have done, he taught her more violence, death, and anger. Because it was easier to see Jinx like that than it was to see her terrified.

That still doesn't make it the right decision.

"Yeah, I remember what Vi said. Thank you. But... she's different. You're just saying that about her," Jinx mumbles, glancing up at Caitlyn hesitantly. There's a curious glint in her eyes that wasn't there before.

Sevika saw the same thing Silco did. Unlike him, she apparently tried to help, according to what Jinx said last night. What would have happened if she had succeeded? If Silco had let her? Would Sevika have tried to get Jinx out of this life? Away from the violence and death, the way Vi would have tried to if she hadn't been taken away?

Once again, Vi wishes so desperately that she had been there. That she had stayed, even if it meant risking Silco's wrath together. Jinx deserved a better life and Vi hates that this is the first chance she's had to give it to her. Vander warned her about leading a life of violence, of what would happen if she tried to punch away all her problems. It was a lesson she finally understood far too late. It's one she's still trying to learn.

Vi looks over at Caitlyn, but as usual, she's the picture of patience. Content to wait until Jinx is ready, the same way she always does when something is bothering Vi. Jinx looks back at them.

"Of course they'll say that, but they don't mean it. Vi might, but she doesn't. She has no reason to," Jinx mutters with a twitch of her head and another glance at Caitlyn. "Yeah and Silco's dead, so what's your point?" she asks, glaring at the space next to her.

"I'm not saying that!" she objects, recoiling. Whatever Violet is saying, it must be insistent because Jinx scowls and hunches her shoulders. She keeps twitching and finally bats something away with a hiss.

"Fine! Just stop poking me! Geez. Violet... Violet says that if Silco could love me when I was sick, then you can too. Only you'll help me get better, the way he never did. The way Sevika wanted to before he took me from her. And you won't stop loving me even if I get worse again," Jinx says, her voice cracking at the end. She wipes angrily at her eyes.

"Violet also said that... that even if Caitlyn hates me, she still loves you more. So if she wants to help, then I should trust you even if I don't... if I don't..." Jinx trails off, confused again, as she stares down at her hands. She probably doesn't know how she feels about Caitlyn right now. Not after what happened. But there will be plenty of time to figure that out.

"Nothing is going to make me give up or stop loving you," Vi reassures her, holding her tight. "I know having Caitlyn around is confusing, but you can believe that she won't hurt me. Not like you thought she would before. How about we just let that be good enough for now?" she proposes. Jinx chews on a fingernail and looks up beside her again before looking back at Vi.

"I think I can do that," Jinx agrees, snuggling in closer to Vi's side. Vi has missed this so much, just being able to hold her again feels like a dream.

"You really want me to stay with you? Even... even if I'm always like this?" Jinx whispers into Vi's arm. Her eyes are clearer and pain mixed with fear is crawling back across her face. The pain of realizing that what she sees isn't real and the fear that comes from knowing she slipped back "into the dark" as she calls it without noticing.

"I love you. I always have, and I'm going to fight for you to stay here and get help. Then I'm going to fight for the council to let me take you home. Caitlyn is going to help me fight as well so you can stay with me, with us," Vi says hesitantly.

Jinx looks up at Caitlyn, who nods in confirmation. Jinx is thinking about it, but that's a lot to take in right now, and Vi isn't sure she can handle the possibility of Caitlyn always being in her life at the moment. Not when her feelings are already so confused.

"But to do that, Vi is going to have to leave occasionally," Caitlyn says gently and Vi is grateful she's redirecting the conversation. Jinx is looking incredibly overwhelmed by the idea of Caitlyn being there in her life. Of wanting to be there in her life after what she's done.

"You promise to bring her back to me?" Jinx asks, a sharper edge creeping back into her voice.

"How about this," Caitlyn says. She reaches back for her rifle and, with a few quick movements, exposes the hextech gemstone. She pulls it out and stares at it for a moment before looking at Jinx again.

"You know how valuable these gemstones are and you know hextech can't work without them," she states. Jinx's eyes flick between the gemstone and the now useless rifle. "So let's make a deal. I'll give you this gemstone, and you'll hold on to it for me until Vi is safely back here at your side. I'll let the others know and hold on to the recording of this conversation in case someone tries to give you trouble. How does that sound?" Caitlyn offers.

"Cupcake? Are you sure about this?" Vi blurts out. She looks at Jinx, but her eyes are fixated on the gemstone.

"Trust me, Vi. You know I've always got a plan," Caitlyn says, staring at her. Vi blinks and notices the way Jinx's eyes are staring. Then she thinks about what Caitlyn just said.

"I've always got a plan" is what Caitlyn says when there's something else going on and she needs Vi to trust her. It's code. One of many they use almost daily at this point when on a job together.

Something about Rosalyn's comment earlier bothered Cait as well. Something is up and she's going to use Jinx to spring the trap,Vi realizes. That has to be it. That also might be what she was talking with Jinx about privately before Vi came over. Asking her for help or seeing if Jinx would trust her enough to go along with this. After all, Jinx may be sick, but she's still a very smart young woman.

The look Jinx is giving her says that she's putting the pieces together as well.

"Your rifle won't work without it," Jinx repeats carefully.

"No, it won't," Caitlyn confirms.

"You'll be vulnerable until you get it back. They don't just leave these sitting around," Jinx points out.

"Right again," Caitlyn states with a nod. Jinx stares at her hand and then slowly, carefully takes the gemstone from her.

"And I give this back when Vi returns?" Jinx confirms with her.

"Correct. That way, you'll know you can trust me, at least with keeping Vi safe. You don't give it to anyone else but me, or Violet when she comes back to you," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx stares at the gemstone, rolling it around her palm before closing her fist.

"Okay, but I have one condition," Jinx says firmly.

"All right, that seems fair,' Caitlyn says reasonably. But it isn't Caitlyn that Jinx looks at next, but Vi. She hesitates, tilts her head as if listening to someone again, before her eyes focus up on Vi.

"You promise you won't get upset?" Jinx asks her.

"I... I don't know," Vi admits. "But I promise to listen to you and try my best to do whatever it is you need," she states. That seems good enough for Jinx because she nods seriously.

For a few seconds, she just stares at the gemstone and plays with it for a bit. Then she looks back up, her expression hesitant, like she's waiting to get yelled at or rejected.

"I want you to go find Sevika," Jinx declares.

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

Vi takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Next to her, Caitlyn takes off her hat and wipes the sweat off her brow. They've just finished updating some of the council members on Jinx's condition. Namely Jayce, Mel, Shoola, and Salo. The others had a private meeting to attend.

Together they went over the report Bella typed up about last night's episode. Mel paid particular attention to some of the more relevant parts about Silco that Caitlyn had made notations on. All of them agreed that pending further developments, Jinx was not a candidate for jail or trial and should remain in the psychiatric hospital for further treatment. Mel wanted to meet with Jinx when her condition stabilized a bit, but otherwise, things went very well.

However, there was no ignoring what Jinx said about Silco, and even Sevika. Vi saw the guilt in the council members' eyes as Caitlyn read relevant parts of the report out loud. Silco's rise to power and the way he remained there for years were both due to decisions topsiders made, or failed to make. As well as the ongoing corruption of Marcus, the previous Sheriff. That was coming back to haunt them now, and it was clear they finally felt impelled to do something.

Any further decisions would have to wait on a detailed mental evaluation, threat assessment, and Jinx's willingness to cooperate with further questions about Silco. It was the best outcome they could hope for at the moment, but still a meeting that really stressed Vi out. Which is why she was sitting outside the new council building, taking a few minutes to calm down before she tackled her next emotional hurdle.

Going back underground to see Sevika.

"You sure about this?" Caitlyn asks, her eyes watching Vi carefully.

"Not really, cupcake," Vi reluctantly admits as they sit together on a bench. "But it's what Jinx asked for, so..." she shrugs and continues her breathing exercises. In and out. Slowly. Let the anxiety pass by instead of holding onto it.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Caitlyn asks, clearly worried about her.

Yes.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll even let her hit first," Vi jokes. Caitlyn's lips tighten. "Sorry. Bad time," she apologizes.

"Maybe I should come with you, just in case," Caitlyn says hesitantly.

"I'd feel better if you went to check on Jinx," Vi tells her. I know Wyatt will be there now and Ember too, if she didn't get held up. But you are someone she knows, even if her feelings about you are... complicated," she says.

"She was definitely uncomfortable with me this morning," Caitlyn admits. She plays with her hat for a moment. "At first she just seemed wary until I got closer, then she seemed confused about something. I'm sure it's a lot to take in," she adds softly.

"Speaking of, what was that all about earlier? With the hints and the recording?" Vi wonders. Caitlyn's eyes dart around, but aside from an old man reading a newspaper a fair distance away, no one else is around.

"So we know Sico bribed Marcus, and various airship captains topside, so that he could get his men out of prison and transport Shimmer more easily, right?" Caitlyn begins. Vi nods in agreement and leans back against the bench. They've covered this extensively already.

"And we assume he had others on his payroll as well. People we don't know about who may be much higher up the social hierarchy. Politicians along with business executives," Caitlyn continues.

"Only we can't find any proof of that," Vi remembers. "Just rumors, stray coins, and loose receipts that turn into dead ends. We know these people exist and are still profiting from Silco's business dealings, even with him dead. We just can't find the evidence for it," Vi trails off and Caitlyn nods enthusiastically.

"Why? Because Silco didn't leave a trail. He was exceedingly paranoid about being betrayed again. Which is part of why he encouraged it when Jinx started getting worse. He saw himself in her. He covered his tracks, always met with people in places where he could maintain control, or at least the illusion of it, and he trusted no one with information that might be used against him. Sevika was loyal, but by her own admission, that was only because of his willingness to act against topside. She believed in his dream of an independent Zaun and thought he could gain enough influence to make it happen," Caitlyn whispers to her.

Ironically, that might still happen, just without him. It was still tentative, but if the current, extremely tense peace continued to hold out, then the council did plan to vote again and acknowledge the undercity as an independent nation.

That was undoubtedly the reason Sevika, and the rest of Silco's people along with her, had been lying low these past months. Sevika had gotten out of the Shimmer business entirely and switched to less than legal, but not entirely illegal, business pursuits instead while things cooled off above. If she was patient, then she would still end up getting what she wanted, what Silco wanted, in time. An undercity finally free of topsider control.

"So Silco trusted her, but only to back him up and enforce what he wanted. She never knew where Shimmer originated or how he got it. As much as I hate her, I know Sevika was never really a liar. Never saw the need for it. Told Vander once that lying just made it easier to get caught in the end over something stupid. That doesn't mean she's told us everything, but we can be reasonably certain that Silco never divulged his darkest secrets to her. If he did, she wouldn't deny it. She'd just refuse to say anything," Vi points out. Caitlyn brightens at that.

"Exactly! Which is why the investigation has gone cold for months now. If Silco didn't even trust his most loyal and capable associate with the secrets of his business deals, then who's left? We know he had more deals to distribute Shimmer and more bribes flowing topside. But to who? We don't know. There was always a go between and those people have vanished, leaving the people they worked for in the clear. At least I thought," Caitlyn says, practically vibrating with energy now.

"I have a feeling you've found a new lead," Vi says, trying not to laugh at her excitement.

"Possibly. I don't want to get my hopes up just yet, but there is one more person we've never thought to ask. And we never did, because we never had the chance to. Someone Silco trusted more than anyone else. A person he loved so much he would have given up his dream of an independent Zaun just for them," Caitlyn says urgently. Vi's smile fades as it all clicks in her mind.

"Jinx," she says breathlessly. Caitlyn's eyes are shining with excitement now.

"Jinx was the one person Silco trusted with everything, with every part of himself. If anyone knows where he hid his secrets..." Caitlyn begins.

"It would be her," Vi finishes for her.

"And if she doesn't, then the people who took his bribes will still think she does when word about her eventually gets out. Whether that's publicly or just behind closed doors. That could give us the opportunity we need to open this case up again," Caitlyn explains. Lifting her hat, she puts it back on and adjusts it. "This morning, after I met with the council, Hoskel stopped me in the hallway. Offered me one of the new hextech recording devices to use with Jinx," Caitlyn explains.

"Wait, Hoskel? If it was Jayce or Mel, I could understand, but him?" Vi says suspiciously.

"My thoughts exactly. So far I don't have any reason to refuse the offer, but I don't have a strict legal need to accept it either. I've been thinking about having Wyatt examine it, but I might see if Jinx can look at it instead," she muses.

"Are you sure that's a smart idea?" Vi asks. She wants to help her sister, but she has her limits and this seems like trouble.

"Wyatt is good with machines, but Jinx has worked with hextech and is clearly skilled enough to build a working device from a single gemstone and old study notes. If there is something different about it, she might be more likely to notice it right away. I don't want to waste any time on this and I can't guarantee something else won't come up in the meantime. Besides, she won't be unmonitored long enough to build anything dangerous with it and she won't be able to hold on to any pieces. It might help Jinx if she's itching to build something and it could help us figure out what's going on with the recorder sooner," Caitlyn explains.

"That's... not a bad idea," Vi agrees. "It could also help her feel that we're willing to trust her. Reward her good behaviour and all that," she adds thoughtfully.

"But I doubt things will end there, so I'm prepared for more trouble. I need everyone to be on their guard. No one brings anything in or out unless you or I clear it and the others hear it from us in person. We can't take any risks. Hoskel may not be the... best politician on the council, but it wouldn't be wise to assume he's a complete fool either," Caitlyn continues tactfully. Vi can think of a lot more colorful terms to call him, but she keeps her mouth shut.

"You think he's involved in something?" Vi muses. Caitlyn snorts.

"I already know he's involved in smuggling illegal goods along with Salo, but Salo is a smart politician and he knows the difference between importing fancy steaks from Demacia or ginko nuts from Ionnia, and selling government secrets for profit. He wouldn't be involved in anything truly dangerous, nor would he look the other way if he knew. But Hoskel? He's a businessman first, and he's never really lost his ruthless edge. If the price was right, I think he'd try it and if he was smart enough not to, then I think they could pay him enough to look the other way," Caitlyn explains.

"And that could be just as dangerous, depending on what it is. Hoskel looks the other way and hopes nothing bad comes out of it, while Silco makes deals with other nations in the hopes they'll recognize Zaun even if topside doesn't," Vi considers. Caitlyn nods in agreement.

"I won't take a chance on this being a minor issue. Not until I know for sure. Does Jinx know anything or where Silco kept his dirtiest secrets? Maybe not, but if other people think she does? Then I need to keep her safe until we know either way," Caitlyn says firmly. Vi's lips twitch up into a smile at her determination.

"What?" Caitlyn asks, seeing her look.

"Sorry, it's just... nice hearing you say that. About keeping Jinx safe, I mean," Vi admits. "I know this is still a complicated issue, but seeing you do all of this for her really means a lot to me," she says gratefully. Caitlyn opens her mouth to object, but Vi cuts her off.

"And don't say that it's the right thing to do. We've both seen how little that motivates other people. Topsiders or otherwise. You're a good person, cupcake. Even when you don't have to be. Even with a person who, some might argue doesn't deserve it. I'm glad Jinx has you in her corner. Whether it's for legal or personal reasons," Vi emphasizes. She hesitates and looks down at her hands.

"Silco was wrong when he said that I would abandon Jinx after realizing she wasn't the same person anymore. But he was right when he said I wouldn't last a day with her. If there's one thing I've learned from him and from helping her last night, it's that just loving my sister isn't good enough. Silco's example already proved that loud and clear. If I want to help Jinx get better and have some kind of normal life, then I have to do better, be better. And I don't know that I could do that for her on my own. Not with my trauma to deal with, and certainly without you there with me," Vi says, looking back up. Caitlyn blushes as Vi takes her hand and kisses the back of it.

"I don't know why you put up with me, but I'm very glad you do," Vi tells her. Caitlyn's blush intensifies. She fumbles and stumbles over her words a few times before clearing her throat and murmuring a quiet thank you.

"See? You're getting better at taking compliments," Vi teases.

"Oh, like you are one to talk!" Caitlyn says, shoving her. Vi laughs and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"I think I've been putting this off long enough. Gonna do some reconnaissance around the undercity first to get a feel for things, but I should be back well before sundown. Yes, I'll be careful and, no, I won't start any fights," Vi promised her.

"Try not to finish any of them, either. I'm going to swing by the station and check on things, then head straight back to Silver River. Maybe stop at that pastry shop again for lunch. Sweets probably won't make Jinx hate me any less, but maybe the sugar will put her in a better mood while I'm around," Caitlyn said optimistically. She leans over and gives Vi a kiss on the cheek.

"Be safe. That's an order," Caitlyn told her.

"Me? I'm always safe," Vi grinned.

Sevika squints her eyes as she flips through the consent forms and contracts from last night's fighting matches to make sure everything matches up. Satisfied that everything is in order, she clips them together and puts them aside for safekeeping.

The fighting pit in the renovated basement of The Last Drop isn't exactly legal, but neither is any business in the undercity. Sevika may technically be out of the Shimmer business, but she's still being watched closely because of her association with Silco. So while the fighting pit isn't legal, it's also not illegal enough to have Caitlyn bothering her about it, provided each fighter signs consent forms beforehand.

There are also waivers for if they choose not to get a medical examination afterwards. The medical exam is mostly to cover Sevika's own liability, not to offer any actual treatment, but that still doesn't stop new fighters and returning ones from lining up twice a week. Most are hoping to get a decent pay day off the bets, while others just want to blow off steam.

This week, Sevika was supposed to go around and check on the other businesses, but Jinx disappearing has put that on hold. Some were old ones Silco had, and some were new ones that she's opened since his death. Gambling houses mostly, along with a few high end clubs and bars. Chems aren't the only way to control this city, and Zaun is too close to achieving independence for her to mess up now because Caitlyn finally made sure Sevika had the right business license or something.

There's a knock at the door. Probably another "no one has seen Jinx" update.

"Come in," Sevika says, not bothering to look up as she grabs another stack of forms. There's no real reason for her to stay here. If one of her people spots Jinx, then they'll know where to find her. The undercity is crawling with eyes, all asking and offering a quiet reward to any of the usual sources who come across a legitimate tip about where Jinx has gone. Still, it wouldn't hurt to stay here and catch up on some paperwork.

Just in case.

Sevika glances up after a moment of silence and sees a familiar red jacket and a cocky smile.

"Ugh, what gods did I piss off this time that I got cursed with you?" Sevika grumbles as Vi grins back at her.

"Only the best ones," Vi chirps as she collapses into the seat across from the desk.

"Where's the actual brains of your operation this time?" Sevika asks looking around. While Vi isn't an unusual sight in the undercity these days, the only time they actually have reason to speak to each other is when official enforcer business comes up, and official enforcer business means Caitlyn.

"Stayed topside. This is a personal visit. I had some information it seems you're looking for," Vi says. That phrasing makes Sevika pause and narrow her eyes suspiciously. Looking up, she waves off the bouncer still looming by the door. He nods and closes the doors on his way out.

"If this is a joke," Sevika begins impatiently. Searching for Jinx has stretched her emotions far too thin. She doesn't have the patience for Vi on a good day, much less right now. However, Vi shakes her head.

"I swear it isn't," Vi promises. "Jinx is safe. She's alive, safe, and unharmed. Physically, at least," she says. The tension that's been building in Sevika's chest finally snaps and disappears, leaving an abyss of guilt lodged in her chest instead.

Sevika watched Jinx break. Saw her disappear into her own mind and crawl through the dirt trying to get away from monsters only she could see. When she ran out to grab her, hold her, do anything possible to bring her back, Jinx looked at her and screamed. In horror, in pain, she wasn't sure, but she can still hear that awful sound in her ears.

Sevika can still hear Jinx sobbing and begging for forgiveness through her tears. Crying that she was sorry before she saw something else and screamed again. It surprised Sevika so much she let go, and that's all the opportunity Jinx needed. In a flash, she was scrambling to her feet and running away down the street. By the time Sevika could run after her, Jinx was long gone. Vanishing into the alleyways and dark corners of the undercity.

Since then, Sevika's had people out everywhere looking for her. Looking for any hint that Jinx is safe. Disappearing for days at a time is nothing unusual for her, but these circumstances are. Jinx hasn't gotten this bad in years. Or if she has, then she's handled it alone. The thought of that just makes the guilt in Sevika's chest yawn even deeper.

Sevika has pushed her before, sneered at her, taunted her and Jinx has done the same thing right back. Her sweet attitude turning darker and meaner. Her humor becoming more twisted and her paranoia growing under Silco's influence until bitterness was the only thing left between them. Bitterness for how bad things had gotten and spite for Silco getting to enjoy something she no longer could.

Then there was the speck of hope that maybe Silco would finally see how bad Jinx was and be forced to do something. Discipline her, set some boundaries, be an actual parent and stop stunting her emotional growth by letting Jinx run around like a spoiled princess and never disciplining her or setting actual rules. Anything. But he never did. As much as Sevika wanted to break up their toxic relationship, she didn't want it to be like this.

Jinx is safe. She's actually safe.

There's a rattling sound, and it takes a long moment for Sevika to realize it's her arm. The metal shaking against the desk as she trembles. Grabbing her wrist, Sevika took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What happened?" Sevika demands. The look Vi gives suggests she should ask that question herself, but she doesn't argue.

"As kids, I gave Jinx a flare so she could call me when I was in trouble. Only this time she was too deep into her episode already to get it to work. So she set up a blue light on the docks instead, just outside the building where Silco died. Caitlyn saw it from across the river and went to investigate. That's when she found her sitting there alone and afraid. Jinx was... is still pretty terrified over what happened. Scared enough to let Caitlyn stay with her while another enforcer went to get me. Scared enough that she willingly let us take her to a psychiatric hospital for professional help," Vi explains. "She can't exactly leave freely now, being a wanted criminal and all, but she feels safe there and she's willing to stay. She wants to get better," she continues. The relief in her voice is palpable.

"Well, it's about time someone got her there. Silco sure didn't," Sevika mutters. This is really making her want a cigar and her hand itches to grab the box in the top drawer. "So what's going to happen to her now? I assume you didn't come here just to update me. What do you need? Testimony? Another witness for her trial?" she spits out. Vi frowns, as if she was expecting more of a response from her than that.

"Hopefully, Jinx won't have to go to trial at all. Unless she becomes violent and combative again, or a more long term mental health evaluation determines otherwise, she won't have to go to trial. So far, she mostly understands her options along with the benefits and consequences. And considering what she's already told us about Silco, it's highly unlikely that a court would find her solely responsible for what's she's done, anyway. Besides her illness, Silco has influenced her emotional development and decisions too much," Vi says, her lips twisting bitterly each time she says his name.

"No disagreements on that last one," Sevika mutters. Jinx is safe, and she's finally getting the help she's always needed. Relief settles into her chest, even as guilt gnaws away at its edges.

Jinx is safe.

"Our hope, that is Caitlyn and I, is that Jinx stays in the hospital until they can get her stabilized and on a regular treatment plan. Assuming we can curb some of her violent tendencies, or refocus them at least, then it's house arrest after that. From there... maybe she could have a normal life. That's our goal at least," Vi says softly. She rubs her hands together as she talks. Sevika knows that will take time, but it's a much better future than the premature death that awaited her living down here in Zaun.

"A real future away from here. Away from what Silco did. We should all be so lucky," Sevika says with a sigh. "Thanks for letting me know she's safe. There are too many people down here who could have hurt her if you hadn't found her first," she adds gratefully. Vi nods and waits in silence. When it's clear that Sevika won't say anything else, she scowls.

"So that's it? That's all you have to say?" Vi demands.

"What? You expecting reward money for the tip?" Sevika sneers at her. Vi's face burns with anger.

"No, I expected you to... to... I don't know what I expected, but I know you care!" Vi nearly shouts. Sevika stares back and says nothing, so Vi growls and leans forward in the chair. "Don't sit there and act like you don't. Not when you can barely keep your hand from shaking because of how relieved you are that she isn't dead. Not when you've been turning the undercity inside out looking for her. Don't lie," she demands.

"Jinx told me about what happened. She told me about you, about how you tried to help once," Vi begins.

"Yes," Sevika interrupts, "Once, years ago and we can both see just how well that turned out, can't we?" she says, waving her hand around at the office.

"You tried to get her professional help," Vi presses. The anger in her expression is fading, replaced with a gratitude that makes the guilt in Sevika's heart grow even more.

"Key word being 'tried,' kid. Silco put a stop to that," Sevika emphasizes.

"But you tried," Vi says, her voice nearly pleading now. "When no one else cared, when everyone else was dead, and I was in prison, you... youdid something. Maybe it didn't work, maybe Silco put a stop to it, but you still tried. You're the only person who ever did. Jinx told me that herself. You were the only person who actually tried to be a real..." Vi begins and Sevika's head snaps up.

"Don't," Sevika whispers. "Don't you dare say that word to me," she warns her. But Vi never knew when to quit, and she still doesn't.

"I don't know everything that happened between you, but Jinx has said enough. Enough for me to know that you cared once, and that you were there for her when no one else was. When I couldn't be. You cared enough to try, and maybe it didn't work, but you still made the attempt. Silco had her for years and he saw the same things you did, and he still couldn't do the same for her," Vi's voice cracks on the words. Sevika swallows hard, emotion lodged in her throat as she realizes Vi's eyes are filling with tears.

"You loved her enough to try, and Silco only loved her enough to let her get worse. All so he wouldn't have to be afraid of losing her. So he could make up for the betrayal that ruined his life," Vi stops and her hands grip her knees. Then she bows. Of all the things she could do, she bows.

"If you hadn't been there for her... if you hadn't even tried or watched over her afterwards... if Silco was the only one she had all those years... I don't know how much of her would even be left for us to... for us to..." Vi stops and shakes her head before bowing even lower.

"Jinx said that you were the one who... who started all of this. You told her the truth, that Silco wasn't good for her. If not for you, we might never have gotten her back at all," Vi says, her voice cracking apart. She's not giving herself nearly enough credit. No matter how much Silco influenced Jinx, her big sister was always on her mind. Literally and figuratively. Vi would have reached her eventually They certainly didn't need her. No one did.

Sevika has to look away as guilt threatens to drown her completely. She nearly killed Vi before and certainly didn't hesitate to try again when Vi showed up here looking for a fight. All so she wouldn't interfere with Silco's plans. Yet here Vi is again, turning up like a bad coin. Not only still alive, but practically groveling before her with gratitude. It's too much.

"What do you want from me?" Sevika says, forcing the words out of her throat. "Don't pretend like this is all just out of the goodness of your heart," she adds. Vi looks up, brushing at her eyes.

"It isn't. Sure, I would have gotten around to it eventually, but I didn't come down here on my own. Jinx asked me to come visit you," Vi confesses. Sevika's heart stutters and skips a beat.

"She... wanted me to apologize. For what she did and for not being able to remember what happened between you until you said it. 'Until everything broke' to quote her words. Jinx wanted me to tell you she's sorry, and she knows she can't make up for it, but she's sorry all the same for how she treated you and for not realizing how much you tried to help. Her words, not mine," Vi emphasizes.

"None of what happened is her fault," Sevika whispers, her metal hand tightening into a fist. Vi shrugs.

"And one day maybe she'll be healthy enough mentally to realize that, but for now? She's scared, and she's stuck. Bouncing between believing that she's the one who ruined your relationship, hating Silco for making her blind to how isolated she became, and then back to being scared over how much her psychosis has made her forget," Vi continues each word stabbing into what little conscience Sevika has left.

"Jinx won't say it, but I can hear it in her voice. Every time she mentions you, every time she talks about what you did for her, or how Silco... how he took her away from you," Vi pauses and Sevika can see that her eyes are full of questions. "I don't know everything. I don't even know if you two still like each other, but I can tell that she wants to see you again," she says carefully. Now Sevika's anger flares.

"Stop right there," Sevika warns her. "You delivered your news and told me she's safe. That's far enough," she warns. Vi doesn't listen. She never does. Instead, she leans forward, eyes hard and determined.

"So what? You won't even consider it?" Vi demands. Sevika looks away, trying to harden a heart that's screaming at her to go to Jinx. To go see her again and make sure she's really as safe as Vi claims she is.

"Jinx is too full of self-loathing right now to admit it, but sheneedsto see you again. She wants to see you again. Desperately so, even if it's only to apologize. How can you just ignore that?" Vi shouts, her anger returning once again.

"How?" Sevika whispers. "How?" she says louder, turning back to Vi.

"You said yourself that you wouldn't be here now if she hadn't asked you to come. You might have gotten around to it, eventually, but that seems like an awfully long 'eventually' from where I'm at. So don't sit there and pretend for a second like you want me going anywhere near her again. Like you don't still want to punch my lights out every time you see me," Sevika replies, her own anger boiling as she see's the look on Vi's face. That stupid self righteous look.

"If that's what Jinx wanted..." Vi tries to argue, but it's weak. Pathetic.

"Don't. Don't you dare sit there and lie to my face," Sevika fires back. "Do you actually want to do what Jinx asks? What she needs? Because if all you plan on doing is letting me see her one last time before kicking me right back out of her life, then the last thing you'll be doing for that girl is helping," she warns. Vi still looks obstinate, stubborn, so Sevika presses down on her more.

"That's not helping, and that's not the love she needs from you. What that is, is making a token effort so you can pretend you did something, while soothing your own guilty conscience over not being there before. How would Jinx have felt if Silco let her see you one last time before telling you to get lost? Warning you that if you ever tried to see her again, he'd kill you? Would she be happy with you just disappearing again like that? Knowing you're out there but never being able to see you again? Would you really just roll over and let that slide?" Sevika demands. Now she can tell Vi gets it by the way her expression turns guilty and ashamed.

"Are you going to give me shared custody when Jinx gets out with a tracking bracelet on her leg? Will you let her come down to the undercity to spend the weekend with me? Let me drop her back off at that fancy mansion?" Sevika snarls at her. "Are you going to invite me over to family dinners or send me a wedding invitation? I was in her life once. Once," she emphasizes.

"So don't..." Sevika pauses and takes a breath, "Don't act like you get it and don't pretend that I'm anything other than the thug Silco and Vander both left behind. I've lost enough already. So don't look at me like things could go back to being how they once were for me and Jinx. Don't you dare sit there and give me hope I could be there in her life again or that you would let me do anything more than see her once, before warning me never to come back." Her voice breaks and she hates how weak it makes her feel.

Pushing away from the desk, Sevika stands up and goes to the window instead where she stands, choking back the tears burning in her eyes. There's a deep silence from behind her.

"Sevika," Vi begins, her voice soft and apologetic this time.

"Please Vi," Sevika begs her. She closes her eyes as hot tears roll down her cheeks. "Silco already took her away from me once. Don't make me go through losing her a second time," she pleads. This time, the silence is longer. Finally, there's a squeak as Vi stands up from the chair.

"You're right. There are a lot of things I don't want," Vi says quietly. "I don't want to be here having this conversation and I especially don't want to entertain the idea of you coming back into her life again. Not with Jinx finally free of Silco for good. Free of him and able to learn and heal from what he did to her and what he put in her head for so many years," she confesses.

"But Jinx is my sister and I love her. I love her so much it feels like I can't hold it all in sometimes," Vi continues. "I am scared. I'm so afraid of what letting you in might do to her. How it could influence her. But I'm not Silco," she says fiercely. "So if Jinx wants... no. If she needs you to be there in her life again like you were before and like you tried to be before..." she stops with a longer pause this time.

"If that's what Jinx needs, then I'll deal with it. I'll learn to deal with it if I have to. As long as you don't put Jinx's recovery and mental health at further risk, I won't stop you from seeing her. From being in her life again or from being the person you wanted to be for her before Silco took her away," Vi states. Sevika tenses up and looks back over her shoulder, but Vi's eyes were firm. She actually means that.

Reaching into her pocket, Vi pulls out a card. She flips it over a few times before placing it down on the desk.

"I refuse to be like Silco," Vi states. "And that means I can't run away scared when someone I don't like comes back into Jinx's life. It means I have to be better than I was before. When I was a kid, I made the biggest mistake of my life because I was young and I had no business trying to raise a kid while I was still one myself. But now I'm an adult and Jinx needs me to be an adult for her. So I can't afford to mess up like that again. I have a responsibility to know better now. I want Jinx to get better and have a real shot at a normal life. So if you can let her do that and not put her recovery at risk?" she takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

"Then it won't be me who keeps you out of her life. Not this time," Vi tells her. "Visiting hours are on the card, but Jinx doesn't think you'll come. She's convinced that she has messed up too much, broken things one too many times to get back the love you had for her. Don't let her grow up thinking that's true. She deserves better," she murmurs.

"Thank you for being there for her when I couldn't. Even if it didn't work out, I'm glad you at least cared enough to try," Vi says gratefully. Then she turns and walks out, quietly closing the door behind her.

Roughly 20 minutes later, one of Sevika's employees knocks and peeks their head in.

"You called ma'am?" she asks.

Sevika flips the card in her hands over again, staring at the letters. Silver River Psychiatric Hospital and Care Center. Visiting times are twice a day.

"Put everything back on the schedule and tighten it up as much as possible to cut back on how long it takes. I've got someone I need to meet topside," Sevika orders.

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Jinx tosses the gemstone in the air and catches it again. Thinking back to earlier today, she remembers what Caitlyn said.

"This might sound strange, but I have a favor to ask," Caitlyn said as she crouched in front of her. "There's good reason to believe there are still people topside associated with Silco. People who are still profiting off what he did even after his death. I want to catch them, but I can't do it alone," she stated.

"So what? You dragging me off to interrogation already?" Jinx grumbled at her. She smelled like pastries. Just like the pie she and Vi had back when mom...

Stop it, Jinx tells herself, cutting off that line of thought before it can go anywhere. Some thoughts are still too dangerous and she's present enough right now to know better.

Caitlyn smiled in response.

"Not yet. I don't think you're ready for that and I'd like you to focus on getting better first with as few distractions as possible. No, I have something else in mind. The people I'm after believe you have information about them and about their illegal activities. Whether you actually do is another matter. And that's how I plan to trap them. So how about it?" Caitlyn asked, holding a coffee cup and a pastry out to her. The cup smelled like chocolate.

"How would you like to help me arrest some topsiders?" Caitlyn said with a sparkle in her eyes.

Catching some arrogant topsiders by using their own worry and paranoia? It was a dirty, incredibly underhanded trick. Just the thing Jinx approved of.

She wasn't sure if Caitlyn would actually go through with it, but the idea of a topsider in handcuffs made for a nice mental image, at least. Claggor and Violet even acted it out for her. With Claggor being the one arrested, of course. The best part was that none of the other people here looked at her funny when she burst into giggles over Violet trying to put on a topsider accent.

There's something about them Jinx is supposed to remember, but it's not coming to her right now. At one point, Violet just kissed her forehead and said not to worry about it. Just remember that she doesn't have to listen to them and if it gets too bad, then ask a worker for help. If she can do that, then everything will be ok. Jinx remembered that just fine. Mylo lies and so do the voices. She can't trust them.

There are new enforcers here now. Well, new-ish. She remembers them from before. Wyatt was the guy walked ahead of them and helped keep other enforcers away. Ember was with Caitlyn when she arrived. She's the one who went to go get Vi.

Sneaking a glance, Jinx sees Ember relaxed in a chair, doing a crossword puzzle. Her accent is slight, but clearly from below, while Wyatt's undercity accent is painfully obvious. Does that mean the twins from earlier were Zaunites, too? Did everyone from that night come from below except for Caitlyn? Jinx isn't sure how to feel about that, but it makes her curious. She knows why Vi became an enforcer, but why would anyone else from the undercity join up?

"As I said already, we'll take the recorder and once the Sheriff or Special Enforcer comes, I'll clear it with them," Wyatt's voice says from around the corner.

Jinx perks up. Wyatt has been arguing with some stuck-up Piltie from the council office for the past 30 minutes, and so far neither of them will budge. She watches as Wyatt comes into the lounge area holding a fancy hextech device, with a rich-looking man on his heels. His shoes alone look pricy enough to buy a barrel of Shimmer. It's a wonder the man can see past his own glasses with that sneer on his face.

Jinx is in an area all to herself for this free time period. Rosalyn arranged it before Caitlyn left, which makes Jinx even more certain that this is a setup.

"The council made it clear that all recordings must be handed over immediately," the man argues. Wyatt beams at him.

"Wonderful! As soon as the Sheriff or Special Enforcer arrives, I'll clear it with them. No need to worry, Mr Franklin," Wyatt says brightly. He's putting extra emphasis on his fissure accent now, and it's clearly irritating the other man. Ember smirks from behind her crossword but doesn't get up.

"That's Advisor or Councilor's Assistant if you please," Franklin responds with a frown.

"As I said, Mr Franklin, we've got this under control," Wyatt says, a smile firmly set on his face.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear enough. Per the Council's orders, I cannot leave without that recording and every second I delay puts their schedule for today further and further behind. This is an obstruction of justice and that girl..." Franklin pauses and looks over at her. Jinx stares back. She tosses the gemstone into the air. She catches it again. The man's eyes nearly pop out of his head.

"You had better not tell me that is what I think it is!" Franklin sputters out. Wyatt glances over at her.

"Ok," he says jovially and then falls silent. Franklin's face burns red. Ember is openly struggling not to laugh now. Both of them are clearly enjoying this.

"Possession of a gemstone is a capital offense. Even more so in the hands of someone like her! This grossly violates the law!" Franklin shouted.

"I think I'll be the one to determine that."

Everyone turns around as Caitlyn walks into the room. Every inch of her is poised and calm. Top hat in place and her rifle on her back. She's carrying a coffee in one hand and box in the other. She hands the box off to Ember, who opens it and takes a donut out before holding it out in Jinx's direction. Jinx grabs the box and happily takes out a donut, staring at Franklin as she takes a big, slow bite. The man bristles further at their casual attitude.

Caitlyn nods at Wyatt, and he walks over and puts the hextech device down on the table next to Jinx. Before straightening up, Wyatt looks at her and winks. Curious, Jinx glances at it and then back up, but Franklin has his eyes focused on Caitlyn.

This must be what Caitlyn meant. She needs help, but couldn't say with what exactly. Maybe it has to do with this fancy hextech recorder.

Time to make some chaos,Jinx thinks, cracking her knuckles.

"Were you aware that Jinx, one of the most notorious criminals in the city, possessed a gemstone?" Franklin demands. Caitlyn raises an eyebrow and looks over at her. Jinx smiles innocently. She's very good at doing that.

"Hmm, so it appears," Caitlyn says mildly, turning back to him.

"And are you aware of the damage she's done with that weapon of hers? One that uses the same gemstone as the one she has now?" Franklin presses.

"Considering the council nearly died to that weapon, yes, Mr Franklin, I am perfectly aware of what she is capable of and what hextech can do," Caitlyn says. Franklin swallows and clears his throat.

"Of course, I meant no disrespect. I merely meant to emphasize that it is not wise to allow her to have another one. Who knows what she might do with it?" Franklin says, trying to recover.

Something about that is catching in Jinx's brain. Something in the tone of Caitlyn's voice bothers her, but she can't quite put her finger on what it is. Jinx tries to remember who is on the council, but all she sees are monsters looming the dark. The worst monsters of all. Worse than the one she thought Caitlyn was.

Pushing that thought away, Jinx tries to focus.

"A single gemstone will do her no good without something to use it on," Caitlyn points out. "And the hospital is extremely careful with what they allow through the doors. I gave that gemstone to Jinx myself. She's been remarkably cooperative so far. So I thought it prudent to extend a measure of trust to her as well," she adds, waving to the surrounding room.

Jinx peeks at the device. It looks like a fancier version of the recording box that was Rosalyn's therapy room earlier. Glancing back up at Franklin, she makes sure he isn't looking before picking at the device. She runs her fingernail across the seams. Then she gets to one side and frowns. It's slightly higher on one side. Jinx doubts anyone else would notice, but as a person who works with machines day in and day out? The difference is extremely clear. Either it was slightly off when it was made, or someone did something to it and didn't put it back properly.

Only one way to find out.

"Trust? I have had my doubts about your decisions lately Sheriff, but this takes the cake! As if it wasn't bad enough that your so-called officers have been obstructing me this entire time, now this as well?" Franklin tells her.

"Is there something wrong with my officers?" Caitlyn asks with a tilt of her head.

"I simply think this is a situation for topsiders to handle. Topsiders who understand the importance of following proper channels of communication and not subverting them. Ones who realize that it is the council who keeps us all protected from people like her. You would think that Zaunites of all people would understand that there are consequences for disrespecting proper authority," Franklin sneers. Jinx nearly has the side panel pried off when he turns to look at her again.

"Excuse me? That just sounds like you want us to know our place," Wyatt argues, distracting him. Jinx hurries to get the panel off, turning the device to hide what she's doing.

"If that is what you heard, then that is your problem, not mine," Franklin says, lifting his chin. Ember rolls her eyes.

"Well, that's interesting because I heard the same thing," Caitlyn interjects. "I also heard that you expect them to disregard the law simply because a topsider unfamiliar with it wanted them too," she adds pointedly. Franklin flushes red with anger but he doesn't give up.

"Normally you would be correct. However, these are clearly unusual circumstances! The council clearly stated that all recording devices were to be handed over for processing as soon as information relevant to the case was discovered," Franklin argues. Caitlyn tilts her head.

"Did they? Because what I heard was Hoskel insisting on that himself. Not the council saying it or making it a proper or temporary measure. Not that anyone outside of the council room should know about that. As soon as I'm aware of any pertinent information related to Silco, I'll update the council," Caitlyn says primly. Now Franklin hesitates and Jinx smirks as she peers into the machine and traces all the runes and connections with her eyes.

Earlier today, Caitlyn said that the fancy pants council doesn't want people around the city to know about her yet. They want to keep the fact that big bad Jinx is chilling out right next to them a secret. No one is supposed to know but the council and the enforcers who were there that night. Plus, Caitlyn added that any information Jinx says goes straight to her, Vi and the enforcers with her that night, and then the council. No one else.

So if Franklin admits he knows Jinx said something about Silco, that means there's a leak somewhere. If someone here did it, then he should know exactly who was there with Jinx last night, considering it was only Vi and Bella. Catching him in that lie would be painfully easy.

Otherwise, if he presses the issue, he's admitting that someone on the council is feeding him information they shouldn't be telling anyone.

Either way, Caitlyn has him.

"I... supposed that's all I can expect for now," Franklin reluctantly admits as he backs down. "But if you are going to keep the tapes, then I must at least insist on removing the old recording device so it doesn't get used in place of this one. This recorder offers a much better quality of than the old ones and the crystal discs are far less likely to become corrupted, as the old tapes are at their age. These hextech powered boxes are incredibly sturdy and able to hold up under a lot of unexpected abuse. The old ones skip if someone so much as jostles the table wrong. Surely you understand we can't afford to miss any potential information," Franklin told her.

"A reasonable request. The old ones do have issues. I'll examine the hextech recorder with a mechanic at the office to make sure it's in good working order and we'll see how it goes," Caitlyn offered. Franklin fidgets, sweat forming on his brow.

"Please! Allow us, um, I'd hate for something to get damaged. The inner workings have some rather delicate parts," Franklin insists.

"I thought it was their durability that made them better than the previous ones?" Caitlyn asks, raising an eyebrow.

Jinx tilts her head, and her eyes follow a wire to a small covered case inside the recorder. The case has electricity warning labels and hextech runes all over it. Enough to keep anyone from touching it.

Too bad all the runes are wrong.

Nice try, but you should have done some actual research on how this glowy stuff works. These aren't made properly and even if they were, they'd all just cancel each other out instead of actually doing anything,Jinx thinks with a quick glance up to make sure she's still in the clear.

While Jinx isn't entirely sure how all this works, she can see enough to tell that this device writes audio to a finely mirrored crystal using extremely tiny etchings. It seems functionally similar to music records, but the crystal disc itself would be far more durable. Perfect for long-term record keeping since they have a nearly indefinite shelf life under good conditions. Jinx wonders how they get the sound off it. A special needle? A laser? It doesn't matter at the moment, but she'd like to know for curiosity's sake.

The primary housing for the recording center is clearly visible over against the other panel, near an opening that allows for it to be removed. The gemstone provides all the power needed, and it has limiters in place to stop any overflow. This wire isn't for power routing, and while it is the right size for ensuring quality audio transfer, it's not connected to the primary recording center either.

Someone's trying to get a secondary recording done right under Caitlyn's nose,Jinx realizes. That's the only thing it could be.

"Hey! What are you doing there!" Franklin shouts at her. Hurrying, Jinx squeezes her hand in and just barely manages to grab the small housing. It's not even a few finger lengths wide and not very tall. It pops off easily, and she yanks it out as Franklin storms over to her. He snatches her wrist as she pulls the casing out.

"Well, would you look at that?" Jinx observes, staring at a second recording case in her hands. A smaller crystal disc is attached to it via tiny clamps. Clearly not intended for removal except by a specialized tool. This disc itself is thicker than she expected.

Franklin freezes up.

Caitlyn walks over and stares at it curiously before her eyes slide over to Franklin, who looks like the blood has drained from his face.

"I... I was completely unaware that.." he sputters. Caitlyn leans in closer. Jinx's nose twitches as she smells that scent on Caitlyn again. Pastry and flour. Sweetened fruits and sugar. Like the flour dusting the counter as a kid. Watching as her...

Jinx shakes her head and buries the memories deeper. Caitlyn smiles with a slow, predatory look.

"Get your hands off her," Caitlyn snarls at Franklin. The man snatches his hand back from Jinx's wrist as if he's been burned. Jinx blinks and the monster is back, jagged lines superimposed over Caitlyn. Poised not to attack her, but to protect.

Stop. Don't do this to yourself,Jinx thinks shaking her head. As if that will really do anything. It's not real. The monster isn't real and Caitlyn is just doing her job. Nothing more. She doesn't care about her. She couldn't.

Caitlyn holds her hand out and Jinx quietly hands over the recording case to her. Lifting it up to the light, Caitlyn examines it.

"Hmm, doesn't look like it has been used. The idea was likely to have a dual recording made with no one here knowing about it. That way, when the device gets recalled, a pre-approved proxy can remove the secondary disc and deliver it. So the intended recipient can listen in on everything that was recorded. For all their benefits, there's a known problem with these devices that Jayce is still trying to work out," Caitlyn begins.

"The vibrations caused by the etching laser and the crystal being written on loosen things up after multiple hours of constant use. So they have to be checked after a certain number of hours to ensure nothing has shifted. Here, we'll be using it for hours at a time, multiple times a day, with a very high-profile criminal. We'll need to exchange the devices daily to ensure proper maintenance and an uninterrupted work schedule," she pauses and gives him a thin smile.

"So whoever sent you would have a prime opportunity tomorrow to take out the hidden disc and see if Jinx had revealed any information that was of use to them. Then they could plan further action against her from there. I would have expected you or someone else from your sponsor to arrive tomorrow to take this one off my hands and exchange it for a new one. Purely out of concern for making sure proper procedures are followed, of course. That one would have a hidden compartment as well. A rather smart idea in the hands of a rather incompetent messenger," Caitlyn says coldly.

"This came from Councilor Hoskel via Councilor Salo's office. I promise Salo will be informed right away of this breach!" Franklin insists. His brow is shimmering with sweat now.

"Oh, there's no need for that Council Advisor, Franklin. I met with Salo personally before coming here. He and Hoskel use these for their business dealings, you see. Late last night, I met with a few council members to discuss Jinx's... apprehension and future care," Caitlyn explains.

"Later, after I left, Salo had all his recorders taken in for emergency maintenance in case I ended up needing to request the use of one. Just a simple checkup, you see. They returned this morning while I was meeting with the council, but an unfortunate accident in transit dropped all four of them onto the road. Salo checked them over and confirmed that while the discs were fine, the etching lasers and disc exchange had warped beyond use in each one. Making it impossible to remove the discs without taking the device apart completely. So Salo wrote up a rather thorough complaint, and he set them aside in storage to be replaced," she pauses and taps a button on the recorder. Blue light flickers and a clear disc pops out without a fuss.

Silence falls over the room.

Caitlyn takes the primary disc out, examines it, and puts it back in. Jinx's eyes dart between the two of them.

"According to his logs, Hoskel's office checked a recorder out after the council session occurred, but before Salo could examine them for damage. I also confirmed with my own two eyes that one recorder was missing and checked out. Yet this one seems strangely unharmed despite all the others being damaged. We checked the driver's report, and it too explained that each one had visible warping on the front outer panel preventing discs from being inserted or removed," Caitlyn muses. She steps closer and Jinx crows inwardly with delight as Franklin shrinks before her steely gaze.

"Interesting how that happened," Caitlyn murmurs. "What was the idea? To take one of Salo's out each day and slowly replace them all with your modified ones? With a paper trail showing that they came straight from him and no one else? That's not a bad plan," she admits.

"I was thinking of having it taken apart by Wyatt, but then I figured why not give Jinx a chance? Let her stretch those engineering muscles so they don't go to waste. I'd have discovered your ploy either way, but thanks to an unfortunate road accident, we came across it just in time to make sure you can't scurry back to your hole to plan more mischief. Just imagine the drama of me discovering this later and having to drag you out of the council building in front of everyone," she adds coolly. Franklin takes out a handkerchief and wipes his brow.

"I'm... I'm sure I wouldn't know how this could have happened," he persists. Caitlyn smirks and takes out her handcuffs.

"Carrying around an illegally modified hextech device? Attempting to bypass enforcer regulations? Disrespecting multiple officers? Attempt to frame a council member? Giving the Sheriff intentionally misleading information? I could go on, but I'm sure my enforcers will come up with more. If there's one thing Zaunites understand, it's the consequences of disrespecting proper authority," Caitlyn tells him with a smile.

Ember snorts with laughter as Caitlyn slaps handcuffs on him.

"This... this is all a mistake, I assure you! I was just doing as I was told!" Franklin protests.

"Really? Then we'll have you out of these cuffs and back to your office in no time! I'll even write up a detailed apology letter myself for the inconvenience," Caitlyn says unsympathetically as she grabs him and drags him out. Jinx watches in rapt fascination. This is actually happening.

"Don't worry Mr Franklin! We'll even hold on to this recorder for you as evidence!" Wyatt calls out as Ember stands up to help Caitlyn drag the man off.

It doesn't take long for Caitlyn to return, looking rather satisfied with herself as Ember follows along behind her.

"Did he really think he would get away with that?" Wyatt scoffs.

"If it was a few months ago, before we knew Vi as well as we do now? He absolutely would have walked right over me and then left without a fuss. I certainly didn't stand up to topsiders back then, even when I knew they were wrong," Ember admits. Wyatt grimaces and doesn't argue.

"Vi showed me I don't have to let topsiders have their way just because of their status. And Caitlyn showed that she'll actually back us up when we're trying to follow the law. Marcus just fired or punished any of us who spoke back to topsiders. Regardless of whether they were actually wrong or not," Ember states with an appreciative look at Caitlyn.

Caitlyn blushes slightly and clears her throat.

"Well, I can't argue about that, either, honestly," Wyatt confesses. "It might seem clumsy now, but at a different time, I probably would have just swallowed my words and done what he asked the same as you. A lot of the Zaunite enforcers still would, honestly. If it was another pair of enforcers here, he probably would have walked in and out without being questioned," he admitted.

"You actually going to arrest him, boss?" he asks curiously. Jinx is wondering the same thing.

"Absolutely," Caitlyn confirms.

"Simply attempting to palm off a bugged device on an officer is more than enough to keep him locked up for a while. This is a major breach of confidentiality and security. He's not going anywhere. Franklin was also aware of information about Jinx that he shouldn't know. Letting him go could be an enormous security risk and until I'm sure of what's going on, he's going to remain in the illustrious care of the enforcer holding cells. I have a solid idea of who sent him, but that still doesn't explain why or what they are after. We need that. Until then, Salo is doing some investigating on his end. That should leave me free to question our new guest. I want our target focused on me and worried about what I might know or when I might come after them," Caitlyn explains.

"And that will hopefully leave them distracted enough for Salo to get some information for you. His inquiries will be a lot less suspicious than the Sheriff showing up and asking around," Ember notes. Caitlyn nods in confirmation.

"I'll never get bored seeing you arrest topsiders, Sheriff," Wyatt says with a grin.

"All thanks to you Jinx," Caitlyn says with a grateful nod. The praise makes her insides squirm and itch. Jinx is still shocked by what happened. She never thought she'd see the day when a topsider got hauled off in handcuffs. Much less because of her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you all the details, but I thank you for being willing to work with me. You should feel safe here and I'm going to do whatever I can to ensure you do," Caitlyn promises. She walks over and crouches down in front of her.

Jinx fidgets uncomfortably. Caitlyn's too close and she can smell that scent on her again. It's bringing back memories that mix with the feelings already twisting up her insides.

"Here. I said I'd give it back," Jinx mumbles, handing over the gemstone. Her satisfaction from a moment ago is buckling under the confusion creeping back into her mind. Caitlyn stares at it for a moment before folding Jinx's hand back over it.

"No. I said before that you should hold on to it until you see Vi again and I meant it. This gemstone is a promise showing how serious I am, showing that I don't want to take Vi away from you. I want to be in her life, but that doesn't mean I want to ruin your relationship with her. So keep this with you and give it back to your sister when you see her," Caitlyn says, pushing Jinx's fist back to her.

Jinx stares at it and feels her insides twist even more. She looks up at Caitlyn and blinks. For a moment, she looks different. She's older and her hair is a different shade of blue. There's a cheap apron wrapped around her waist, with flour and sugar dusted across it. A special meal is being prepared and Powder is helping to cook. Jinx blinks again and it's gone again. A headache pulses slightly in her head.

"Whatever happens, I promise I'll keep you safe," Caitlyn assures her. Jinx tenses up, trying desperately not to flinch. Of all the words she could say, why did it have to be those?

It makes Jinx itch like before when Caitlyn said she couldn't do this without her. Like a minute ago when Caitlyn sounded proud of her. Jinx itches inside like when Silco first promised to keep her safe after taking her away from Sevika.

Only it didn't stay that way. It got worse. Strong and deeper until Jinx was hungry for his approval. Desperate to make him happy and not seem weak in his eyes. It got worse and worse until she would do anything to make him happy. And now it's happening with Caitlyn.

With Vi, the feeling has faded over the years, but now that they are together again, it's coming back just as strong. Only Jinx knows now that she can trust her big sister. Even if Vi knew about this, she would never use that to hurt her or make Jinx do something she doesn't like. But Caitlyn? That's a different story.

Staring down at her fist, Jinx opens it and rolls the gemstone around in her palm. Caitlyn trusted her and stopped someone who might have tried to hurt her. Jinx weaponized a gemstone and nearly killed the council with it. The same people Caitlyn serves under, the ones who made her Sheriff, and she still trusted her to hold on to one again. It doesn't matter that there's nothing Jinx could do with it in here. Caitlyn still trusted her. She wanted to trust Jinx, and she wants Jinx to trust her back.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Caitlyn was supposed to be an arrogant topsider, cold and staring down her nose at any Zaunite she saw. Instead, she has people from the undercity working for her and she supports them. She was supposed to be a manipulative siren, drawing Vi away from Jinx. Luring her into a trap just so they couldn't be a family again. Yet all Caitlyn has done so far is try to reassure her that Vi isn't leaving, that she'll be there to help, that Vi will come back even if she has to leave for a while.

Caitlyn was never supposed to be nice to her and now that she is, her kindness is making Jinx itch again. The itch to make someone happy, to make them proud of her, to be useful to them no matter the cost. Jinx knows she has to stop it this time while it's still just a small twinge in her chest. One she can still ignore. She can't let anyone know about it or they'll just use it against her. Use it to control her.

Jinx can't start trusting or caring about Caitlyn or she'll start getting worse again and be right back where she was with Silco. The same situation with a different person.

Only Silco didn't realize the effect he had on her. For all his faults, it would have hurt him to know that in Jinx's mind, his every kindness fed an uncontrollable and painfully overwhelming compulsion that was driving her mad. He hurt her so much, but he never did it intentionally. He only ever did it, thinking that he was making her hurt less. Jinx had to be useful to him.

To someone.

To anyone.

If Jinx wasn't useful, she'd get left behind again and nothing would be left but Powder.

But Caitlyn is still an enforcer and the council still needs her help. Jinx has to keep her distance because once she falls, she won't be able to stop.

Jinx shivers as Caitlyn smiles at her kindly before standing back up, letting her catch the scent of sugar and fruit.

This would be so much easier if Caitlyn didn't smell just like mom did.

Vi sees an enforcer wagon sitting outside Silver River as she approaches. The vehicle only has windows in the front, so she can't peek in and see who got arrested.

Did something happen to Jinx?Vi wonders, picking up the pace. As she approaches, Caitlyn emerges from the front doors. She spots Vi and gives her a warm smile.

"Jinx is fine," Caitlyn calls out to her. Relieved, Vi walks up and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"So what happened? Did someone try to hurt her?" Vi asks. There's still an undercurrent of worry buzzing through her, but if Caitlyn says Jinx is ok, then everything must already be taken care of.

"Remember how I told you earlier that Hoskel offered to drop off a hextech recording device?" Caitlyn reminds her. Vi nods and Caitlyn takes something out of her pocket. It's a wire attached to a small cover. On the underside of the cover is a recording disc clamped down.

"Last I checked, you're supposed to remove those with the press of a button. Not after digging through the nearest tool box for a mini screwdriver," Vi comments. Raising an eyebrow, she looks back up at Caitlyn.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that wasn't supposed to be in there," Vi states.

"You would be correct. Hextech recorders do last longer and the audio quality is leagues better. But they also need to have quick maintenance checks done on them more often. With how heavily we'll be recording Jinx, that means switching them out daily," Caitlyn explains.

"Wow, that seems like a lot. The old recorders only get maintenance checks once a month," Vi comments. Both of them stand there in silence for a moment before the lightbulb in Vi's brain stutters to life and her eyes widen in understanding.

"Oh. Oh! That's why you got one of the new ones! Because they'll need to be exchanged faster due to how heavily they'll be used. Even if you take out the primary disc, that would still leave the hidden one for them to remove and listen to later," Vi realizes.

Caitlyn explains everything that happened inside.

"What would have happened if you had discovered this later? Or if you hadn't been there at all?" Vi asks her.

"I would still have figured out the same chain of events, but it would likely be a lot harder to do something about it. Things may be changing among my staff, but for the rest of Piltover? No one would believe the word of a Zaunite enforcer over that the Council Advisor. He's a man who works directly with the offices of Councilor Hoskel and Councilor Salo daily," Caitlyn says regretfully.

"And we're just nobodies with no last names from the undercity," Vi complains. "So if you hadn't been there yourself, he might have gotten away with it? Even with Wyatt and Ember there to testify about what they saw, they might have been blamed instead?" she demands angrily.

"I'm sorry," Caitlyn responds, looking deeply apologetic. Vi growls and runs a hand through her hair.

"It's not your fault, cupcake. At least you're trying to change things," Vi reassured her. "I just hate how easily he might have gotten away with it under different circumstances. All because so many topsiders assume they can just walk all over us," she stops and sighs heavily. "Because they have walked all over us and no one has done anything to stop it before," she reluctantly admits.

"Even Wyatt and Ember might have just stood aside and let Franklin order them around if not for your influence," Caitlyn points out.

"Me?" Vi says in surprise.

"Everyone familiar with the enforcers knows that the Special Task force is made up of Zaunites, except for myself. Hoskel's plan went on the assumption that, like others from the undercity, they wouldn't question the supposed authority of a topsider ordering them around. And a few months ago? They would have been correct. Wyatt, Ember, Roland, Bella, and Constance? None of them would have objected, even though they knew he was being pushy. They would have just swallowed it because, under Marcus, doing anything else might have gotten them fired or reprimanded. They make a nice pay check now, but none of them can afford to lose their jobs, or the health insurance that comes with it. Their families and friends depend on it," Caitlyn tells her.

"But now you're here and you've helped me see how unfairly the enforcers treat others and how unjust it is within our own ranks as well. If there's one thing you never tolerate, it's topsiders pushing you around. Particularly when they try to take advantage of you. Seeing you fight back like that, and seeing me back you up when you're in the right, has given others the confidence to stand their ground as well," Caitlyn says. The warmth and affection in her voice makes Vi blush.

"So punching people is a good influence sometimes?" Vi asks hopefully.

"Don't push it," Caitlyn laughs. She takes off her top hat and stares at it for a moment. "To be honest, it might have slipped past me as well, if not for some advice Rosalyn gave me when we brought Jinx in," she confesses.

"She said that if I really wanted what's best for Jinx, then I needed to take charge of her care right away. Because people would try to take advantage of her," Caitlyn recalls. "Until then, I'd been thinking that it would thrill the council and everyone else to see Jinx finally apprehended. The infamous criminal brought to justice and all of that," she says with a wave of her hand.

Vi tilts her head in acceptance. She loves her sister, but she knows how people who don't know Jinx view her.

"But hearing that made me stop and think. Certainly, Jinx's skills with building and engineering are something people would love to take advantage of. But as I left to go gather some of the council members, it made me think deeper about her situation. Would there be people who saw Jinx's capture, not as a benefit to the city, but as a personal threat? If so, why? From there, it was an easy leap to Silco and the secrets that died with him. Secrets that Jinx might know, or might know how to find," Caitlyn explains.

"If I hadn't already been on that train of thought and already started taking action by meeting with some of the council the night before, then Hoskel's offer probably wouldn't have made me think twice. Not until it was too late, anyway. There's simply too much that's already on my mind," Caitlyn says, sounding distressed. Vi steps closer and touches her arm gently.

"Hey, don't think like that, cupcake. Focus on the present, just like you always tell me. You have a lot on your mind right now, all of us do. But you've also got me here, and believe me, I'm not gonna let anyone try to hurt my little sister," Vi says firmly. Caitlyn nods, but she still looks upset. Reaching up, Vi wraps her arms around her girlfriend. Long arms wrap around her waist in return and Vi feels Caitlyn sigh into her shoulder.

"And you can swallow that apology before you say it. Yes, I've got a lot to deal with, but that doesn't discount your stress either. We'll help each other shoulder the burden, just like you always tell me," Vi reminds her.

"Nice to know you are actually listening occasionally," Caitlyn murmurs. "I'm just getting hit with imposter syndrome really hard right now. Am I really as smart as people say I am? Can I really solve this? What if I don't see what's coming next? On and on," she confesses.

"Then let's be proactive about this and think over what we know already and consider what we could do next to be ready," Vi offers. Caitlyn nods and pulls away. Sighing, she puts her top hat back on and straightens up.

"Right. First off, we consider the options Hoskel used and didn't use. He didn't take this public or spread news about where she's being kept. That could be for several reasons. One being that he only learned about it this morning and Mel made it clear information about Jinx shouldn't go beyond the council, the Special Task Force, and Jinx's immediate caregivers here at the hospital. He can get away with telling things to a high-ranking official like Franklin, but if it goes too far, he will draw scrutiny," Caitlyn points out.

"So a public leak could still be an option," Vi considers. "If Hoskel had dealings with Silco, then he needs to know if Jinx is aware of it. Which is why he tried to sneak in the recorder. Since that failed and we now have one of his lackey's, he could use a press leak to pressure the council into moving her to a more secure area where he'd have easier access to her," Vi realizes.

"That could also backfire rather easily," Caitlyn warns. "I seriously doubt that Hoskel alone had backroom deals with Silco, and believe me when I say that rich topsiders love gossip and rumors more than anything. Think of the undercity. If there's information to be had, everyone knows who to go to, right? Jericho and Babette," she points out.

'It's the same here. If there are shady business deals, then we all have a good idea of who might be involved. Fortunately for them, I can't act on rumor alone. But with each other? If Jinx's capture becomes public in the wrong way, that could put pressure on Hoskel from others who were also involved in similar deals. More attention means more chances for things to go wrong just as often as they could go right. Being discreet and having fewer eyes means less chances for things to go wrong again," she pauses and her eyes go wide. Vi immediately knows what she's thinking.

"Can we use that? Have the council put out a public statement in just the right way so that people know, or jump to the conclusion that we're working with Jinx to get information about Silco?" Vi asks, her mind going down the same road as Caitlyn's.

Caitlyn's eyes narrow and she rubs her chin thoughtfully.

"Mel is a pro at that. Although it might actually be better to just say it outright. Doing so would put minds at ease while severely pressuring those who are trying not to get caught. But it would also mean telling Mel what I suspect before we have actual evidence to back it up," Caitlyn warns.

"Do it," Vi says without hesitation. "I don't like how manipulative Mel can be, but from what I've seen, she's never knowingly put the city at risk, and she's supported you already with Jinx. And this could absolutely put the city and the council authority at risk if we don't act to keep Jinx safe. Salo should know about this as well, since he's already involved. But only them. We can't risk telling anyone else. No one," she emphasizes. Caitlyn looks grim, but nods in agreement anyway.

"Mel might have some other ideas we could use as well. I'll speak to her and see about putting together a statement. She won't need council approval for that," Caitlyn muses.

"I mean, she basically is the council now, isn't she? It may look the same from the outside, but I've been there enough times to know that she's the proper authority now. Even if the others don't like it, what exactly are they supposed to do to stop her?" Vi points out. Caitlyn makes a face at that.

"Hmm, as much as I'd like to argue the point, you are right. How about this? We have a public statement made and at the same time we leave an opening ourselves for Hoskel to act again?" Caitlyn proposes.

"Why would we leave him an opening?" Vi asks curiously.

"'When a man is desperate enough, even a trap looks like an opportunity.'" Caitlyn quoted. "Those are my mother's words. We have Franklin and we caught him in the act of sabotage. The only people directly tied to him are Hoskel and Salo. Hoskel won't take the risk of me possibly going after Salo when he could confirm I do so with another underhanded play that frames someone else for what's going on. Franklin in custody and being questioned should be more than enough to make Hoskel nervous about what I might find out. Then Mel puts out a statement implying that Jinx is cooperating with us," she explains.

"Hoskel will already be looking for another opportunity to go after Jinx, especially now that Franklin has failed. If the statement comes out at the right time, it could not only throw him off balance, but make him desperate to act immediately before she can talk. That's when he see's a rather innocent opening that we seem to have missed," Caitlyn says with a sparkle in her eyes.

"That sounds like you have an idea," Vi notes with great interest.

"Remember earlier, when I asked Rosalyn if Jinx could have the food and drink I brought from the café? She said it was fine, but that I should be careful in the future. As far as we know, Jinx doesn't have any dietary restrictions, but special meals for prisoners happen all the time for a variety of reasons. Everything from religious restrictions to allergies. But also for times like this, because people will try to slip things into their meals. It happened with a few of Silco's men in Stillwater who spoke up about him," Caitlyn states.

"So we say Jinx has special dietary needs and have a separate food shipment brought in for her. Only she won't actually be eating any of it," Vi considers thoughtfully. "Jinx should be safe, and if anyone tries to slip anything in, they'll get caught whether we find something before the food arrives or after," she realizes. Then she frowns and adds, "Do you really think someone would try to poison her?"

"Unlikely, unless they do it as a last resort. But trying to discredit whatever she says? That would be a likely first choice, considering she already deals with hallucinations and paranoia. She's already on record as calling enforcers and topsiders monsters. Not figuratively, either. That's literally what she sees when she hallucinates. Switch out some food with something a bit more hallucinogenic and it could easily cause another episode. Shimmer is also an option, since we know even the safer variants can cause visual hallucinations as well. Someone could use that to argue that she's already got so much of the drug in her system that everything she says is suspect," Caitlyn notes.

Vi remembers the potion Caitlyn got for her in the undercity. Just a drop of it was enough to make her hallucinate enough to see her sister and mom standing there.

"But Shimmer doesn't seem to effect her like that anymore," Vi remembers. "We've seen a Ripper sneak up and drop an entire syringe into her once, and all it did was heal her and make her faster. Not turn her into a mutant like..." she pauses and thinks of Vander and of the homeless people in the tent city. Nothing left for them but Shimmer induced bliss.

Caitlyn strokes her arm, giving her a worried look. Vi shakes herself out of the memories.

"We know that, but I've never put that in any reports. So the chances of anyone else knowing are extremely slim. Plus, while people can live with Shimmer mutations for years, if Shimmer is going to have a negative or destructive effect on a person's body, then it seems to happen fairly quickly. If not immediately, then after a few weeks of repeated use. We've never seen it happen months later," Caitlyn reminds her.

"Fair enough," Vi concedes. She thinks about it for a moment before nodding in consent.

"I'd like Jinx to know that a statement about her is incoming. The rest... I don't like the idea of hiding it, but if you think it's for the best, I'll go along with it," Vi says. She knows the reluctance in her voice is coming through.

"I'm fine with her knowing. But use discretion. I don't want to risk Jinx letting word of it spread even inadvertently. I'll be back a bit later today so I can give her some more details about the statement itself tonight," Caitlyn insists.

"I'll be careful. I'm going to head back inside. You need anything?" Vi asks as she turns to go.

"Oh! How did things go with Sevika? Do you think she'll come visit?" Caitlyn presses. Vi grimaces at the question.

"There were some hard truths, and no punches pulled. Figuratively speaking," Vi says quickly when she see's Caitlyn's brow furrowing with concern.

"Sevika knows just what to say to hurt you, that's for sure. As for whether she'll come... I don't know. I can't say I'm thrilled by the idea, but..." Vi hesitates and stares down at her hands. "But she was part of Jinx's life after I got locked up. They have a history together that I can't ignore. One that could actually help Jinx get better, judging from what little she's said about their history already," she confesses.

"So if Sevika shows up, then I'll swallow my pride and give it a shot. If she doesn't put Jinx at risk, then... we'll go from there, I guess. I won't promise Jinx that she'll show up, though. She wouldn't believe me, and I can't say when Sevika will actually come. I don't want to give Jinx false hope and then leave her hanging for days," she admits with immense reluctance.

Smiling, Caitlyn leans in and gives her a kiss.

"You're a good person, Vi, with a good heart. Doing this for Jinx will really mean a lot to her. Even if it's hard or it doesn't work out in the end, giving her this chance is still the right thing to do," Caitlyn murmurs to her.

"I'll keep telling myself that while I glare from the corner after Sevika shows up randomly one day," Vi grumbles. Caitlyn laughs and hugs her tight.

"Get in there and take care of your sister. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. Here's the schedule I worked up for guard duty. Make sure everyone gets a copy," Caitlyn orders, handing some folded sheets over to her.

"Aye, aye, boss," Vi says with a mock salute. Caitlyn adjusts her hat and straightens up. Looking every bit the Sheriff of Piltover once again.

"Don't worry. Whatever's going on we'll figure it out together," Caitlyn swears.

"I won't let anyone hurt her."

Chapter 11

Notes:

Nearly 13,000 words this time because I was being self indulgent and had a lot to cover. Enjoy! I also recommend checking out my one shot, Welcome to the Family, to go along with this chapter if you haven't read it yet already.

Chapter Text

"Good..." Caitlyn begins only to be interrupted by Jinx snatching the newspaper out of her hands, "... morning," she finishes with a frown. Jinx doesn't even acknowledge it. She's too busy skimming the pages and headlines. Looking up, Jinx squints at her.

"Vi said you were going to meet with your fancy politician friend yesterday," Jinx says suspiciously.

"I did," Caitlyn patiently responds.

"Then you came back and said they would put out a statement about me this morning. So where exactly are my headlines? The awful mugshot? The big article showing how my awesome reign of terror came to a dramatic end?" Jinx demands with a stern glower.

"No, I said Mel would have a statement about yousometimetoday," Caitlyn clarifies. "And what do you mean, a mugshot? I haven't even formally arrested you," she points out with a frown.

"So there's a chance they'll have to use a cool action shot of me instead?" Jinx says hopefully, her face brightening considerably.

"Aren't you looking forward to this a bit too much?" Caitlyn asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Just answer the question, Cait," Jinx insists, her face returning to a suspicious stare.

At least I've graduated from 'hat lady' or 'Sheriff' to my actual name. That's some progress at least?Caitlyn considers hopefully.

"I don't know what photo they'll use and even if the statement comes out today, newspapers won't pick it up until tomorrow. Ask Rosalyn to let you listen to the radio during your afternoon free time. That's the earliest you'll be able to find out," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx scowls and glares off to the side.

"Some help you were," Jinx mutters. There's a pause. "Oh, you 'heard wrong', did you? Lotta good, that does me now," she complains. Then she blinks as if realizing something.

"Where's Vi? Why isn't she here yet?" Jinx demands warily.

After some discussion, Caitlyn and Vi both agreed the best thing for Jinx would be to enforce, and stick to, some personal boundaries right away. At first, Jinx threw a tantrum until she realized her sister wouldn't budge. Then she whined for a bit with no response from Vi. Finally, she calmed down, and that's when Vi negotiated with her.

The deal was, Vi would stay until it was officially bed time and all the patients had to go to their rooms. She would tuck Jinx into bed and stay with her for another hour until lights out. Then Vi would come back first thing the next morning and stay with her for the day.

"She wanted to get you some gifts. Magazines, books, building sets, models, stuff you could do together or on your own when she's not around," Caitlyn says patiently. Jinx brightens at the mention of a gift.

"Fine. But she better not take too much longer," Jinx insists, with a glower returning. Her mood can shift so quickly. Still, this whole thing feels... normal in a way. Normal for Jinx, at least. Caitlyn wonders if this is how Jinx usually is with people she knows or feels more comfortable with. Whether that's a good thing remains undecided.

This is the life you'll be marrying into with Vi,Caitlyn considers as Jinx crosses her arms and stares back at her with a very intense pout.Better get used to it,she thinks with a sigh.

"Blueberry and cranberry muffin?" Caitlyn offers instead. The café down the street is far too close and far too delicious for her own good. If she didn't have such an active lifestyle already, she'd be more worried about it. Jinx eyes stray down to the bag and her brow knits together as she considers that. Slowly, she looks up with a squint.

"Don't think you can bribe me to get what you want every time," Jinx grumbles as she violently snatches it from Caitlyn's hand. But she sounds more like a petulant teenager than an angry adult and is about as convincing as one, too. Caitlyn watches as Jinx slips off to sit by the window, sulk, and eat her muffin.

Feeling a pair of eyes, Caitlyn turns around to see Vi walking towards her, arms weighed down with heavy bags.

"Seems like I just missed the fun between you two," Vi comments. Caitlyn rubs her forehead with a sigh.

"I think I just glimpsed what the next 10 years of my life will be like after we get married and Jinx moves in with us," Caitlyn groans wearily.

"Only ten?" Vi asks with a grin. Grunting, she puts the bags down on the ground and wipes her hands off.

"I'm being optimistic that she'll grow out of some of this, eventually. Don't ruin my morning," Caitlyn warns. Vi gives her a kiss on the cheek and Jinx makes overly dramatic gagging noises from the window seat like she's dying.

"Good morning to you too, blue jay!" Vi calls out to her. Jinx glares and pointedly takes a bite of her muffin before looking away.

"What's with her?" Vi asks curiously.

"She was expecting Mel's statement to come out this morning and is very displeased to learn that her 15 minutes of fame have been delayed," Caitlyn explains.

"Ahhh. Well, last night she seemed excited when I told her. I think the idea of every topsider in the city talking about a 'lowly Zaunite' is mostly what it is. Hopefully," Vi states, looking slightly worried.

"She has been a little twitchy, though. I think the urge to blow something up or just tinker around is starting to be a bit much for her to hold in. So I stopped to get her some stuff that will hopefully help channel that urge into something less... explosive," she adds, bending over to dig through the bags.

"How much did you get?" Caitlyn asks, realizing just how much there is. There are large bags and smaller bags inside the larger ones.

"Don't ask," Vi says, her voice muffled. "One of these is just buildable models. Most complex ones I could find. Figured she would enjoy the challenge," she says, standing back up with a box between her hands. It's a model tower of the hexgate building and it looks extremely complicated. Just a glimpse of the sample directions on the back gives her a headache.

"Plus some jigsaw puzzles, coloring books and crayons, puzzle books, some engineering and psychology magazines, and finally a few buckets of plastic toy bricks," Vi says proudly. "I wasn't going to get the last one but the store owner saw how much I was grabbing and recommended it. He said a topsider family has been making them for a few years now and they really took off. They get tons of adults coming to grab the latest limited edition sets," she explains.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen Jayce with a few of those. I think Mel has it set up to just automatically order new ones that release for him," Caitlyn recalls.

"The books and crayons at least she'll be able to keep in her room. Maybe it'll help make her feel more like it's her space. Not just some room she got stuck in," Vi says. Caitlyn can tell she's feeling anxious. Jinx is finally back in her life and it hurts to see just how desperate Vi is for her to stay there.

Vi wipes her hands down again, but it isn't enough to hide the trembling. Glancing over, Caitlyn sees Jinx has noticed as well and is staring at her sister with concern.

"Hey Jinx! Come see what Vi got you!" Caitlyn calls over to her. Jinx immediately pops up from the window seat and then hesitates before striding over casually like it's all her idea. Still, Jinx stops beside Vi and looks up at her before glancing back down at the hands Vi has promptly shoved into her jacket.

Caitlyn can tell that Jinx isn't fooled for a second.

"I got you a bunch of stuff! Some you can keep in your room, and others I figured the staff could hold on to until free time. Then you could pick what you wanted to do. I wasn't sure what you like exactly, so I just grabbed stuff I thought you might enjoy, " Vi says quickly.

"Wow, did you buy out an entire store?" Jinx notes as she looks over all the bags. Then one bag catches her eye, and she immediately snatches at it with genuine enthusiasm.

"The clockwork mansion jigsaw puzzle set? The hexgate tower model? Recent issues of Engineering Empire?" Jinx practically squeals. "I've been dying to get those! Sevika always grabbed some copies for me when she went topside, but she could only ever get ones that were years old," she says, grabbing one magazine and holding it to her chest. Jinx looks up at her sister with genuine awe. Vi puffs up a bit and beams with pride.

"Believe me, there's a lot more. Let me move all of this stuff to your room and we'll see about sorting through it all," Vi offers. Jinx nods, but she's already paging through an issue of Engineering Empire. Laughing, Vi grabs half the bags and waddles off with them.

Once Vi has disappeared around the corner, Jinx visibly forces her attention away from the magazine in her hands and glares at Caitlyn.

"What's wrong with my sister?" Jinx demands with a scowl.

"Vi..." Caitlyn pauses and thinks of the best way to phrase it. "Vi has her own monsters to deal with. She has PTSD. Do you know what that is?" she asks. Jinx lowers her eyes and nods.

"Sevika had that. Certain smells or sounds would set her off and it was like... like she was back in the past when she lost her arm. When it started getting bad and they couldn't save it. She had nightmares for a long time afterwards," Jinx says, looking guilty.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Caitlyn apologizes. Jinx looks back up at her and then away again. Her nose twitches, and she sniffs a few times before her eyes dart off to the side. That apology seems to stress her out.

"Am I making Vi worse?" Jinx asks softly, staring down at her hands. Caitlyn crouches down in front of her.

"This is a very stressful situation for her," Caitlyn admits. She has plenty of doubts about how developed Jinx's emotional skills are with responding to information. However, she also knows from experience that Jinx's ability to understand emotional situations isn't nearly as bad as people assume. She can be incredibly perceptive even if she doesn't always know the best way to respond. Jinx won't appreciate being lied to.

"Vi is scared right now. She finally has you back, and she doesn't want to lose you again. But there is a way that you can help her," Caitlyn insists, and Jinx's eyes widen.

"Vi really wants you to be part of her life. Not just for a little bit, but forever. She wants you to get better and be able to live with us. So the best thing you can do is focus on getting well. Take care of yourself and take your therapy seriously," Caitlyn tells her. Jinx fidgets and makes a face.

"I guess that means dealing with you since you'll... be married?" Jinx asks hesitantly. Even if Vi hasn't told her directly, this is the second time they've mentioned Jinx living with them, rather than just Vi alone. She's smart enough to figure it out.

"We don't have a date set or anything, but yes," Caitlyn admits. "I don't expect you to like me, Jinx. But I love your sister and I want her to be happy. But no matter how much I try, Vi will never truly be happy without you. She needs you there. I'm not expecting a miracle, but a truce between us would be nice," she says honestly. Jinx stares back, but she doesn't respond. The confused look from before is creeping back into her eyes again, and she seems stressed out about something.

Deciding not to push it, Caitlyn stands up and dusts herself off. She can hear Vi's boots coming back down the hallway.

"That's why I think Vi could use some quality time with you. Just you and her," Caitlyn says, taking a step back. Jinx's eyes widen, and she looks over as Vi reappears.

"You're not taking her with you?" Jinx asks, clearly surprised and deeply confused.

"What? You aren't leaving already?" Vi asks. There's a light frown on her face as she walks up to them.

"I've got some other duties I need to check on. Besides, it's not like we don't get to see each other all the time. You two stay here and have fun. If anything comes up, I'll let you know," Caitlyn urges.

"Mel's statement won't be out until later. So anyone who is after you, Jinx, they likely won't respond until tomorrow. And I'll take care of that. It's my job to keep you safe," Caitlyn emphasizes. "Besides, you and Vi have been apart long enough. You deserve some time together. Just the two of you," she adds. Both of them need this and Caitlyn was secure enough as a person and in her relationship to step back and let them have it without hovering around.

"I... right. I really would like that honestly," Vi admitted, her expression brightening at the thought of a day just for her and Jinx.

"All right, you heard her! Just you and me today with no interruptions. Let's go!" Jinx says, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.

"I'll see you later, then?" Vi says as Jinx tugs on her hand.

Caitlyn smiles and blows her a kiss. Jinx throws her a look filled with disgust.

"Hey, hey, hey! You said no killing people and getting better. I'll even be generous and promise not to be a complete hellion to Caitlyn, for Vi's sake. But I draw the line at you two making kissy faces at each other," Jinx scowls as she smacks her sister's arm.

"Ow! Lay off!" Vi complains before Jinx yanks her around the corner.

The first food shipment for Jinx should arrive this morning. Caitlyn doesn't expect anything to happen already, but still she needs to go meet with the man who will test it and make sure other arrangements are in place.

Time to getstarted, Caitlyn thinks, wishing she had more coffee.

"She left? What do you mean she left? Caitlyn isn't supposed to leave!" Claggor states as he paces around the room. If Mylo is the complainer, then Claggor is the worrier. It's afternoon now, and Jinx has just had lunch and her meds. So far, they've mostly just made her tired and less paranoid.

"Caitlyn wasn't supposed to just... just walk off! She... she's supposed to take Vi away every chance she gets and keep you apart!" Claggor whines.

Fine. Make that slightly less paranoid, but at least she can see it happening for the moment. It's a strange feeling, being able to see her paranoid thoughts happening clearly even as Violet pushes back at them. Still, she wouldn't choose to go back to how things were before. The moments of clarity feel amazing and she wants to stay there. The problem is that while the medicine is giving her more control, it's also making her feel even more tired now than yesterday. Rosalyn said to let her know if that happened and they could discuss trying something else.

Yawning, Jinx rolls over on the couch and tries to ignore him as he paces. She's trying to stay awake long enough to see if they broadcast the statement about her over the radio. Vi is in the chair across from her, staring intensely at a math puzzle in one book she brought in earlier. Something about putting numbers in grids and columns without repeating any. Jinx can't be bothered to remember the name, but she finished the first puzzle so quickly that Vi was determined to do one as well. That tactic didn't seem to work for Vi so far, judging by how intense her scowl had gotten.

Ember is back for the afternoon and occasionally flips between news stations to make sure they don't miss any announcements. The idea of every Piltie talking about her is too good for Jinx to resist. Plus, Caitlyn said this might help find whoever was after her. She didn't say too much, but she said enough for Jinx to read between the lines. Plus, she's set enough traps to recognize one being set for someone else.

"Calm down, Claggor. Caitlyn is just trying to help. She wants Jinx to trust her. Actions speak louder than words and all that," Violet says. She's hovering over Vi's shoulder, watching her do the puzzle. Or attempting to, anyway.

"She's never gonna finish this. It's been like ten minutes already on the same square," Violet grins.

"Violet says you've been at that for ten minutes and you're an idiot," Jinx says, throwing an arm over her eyes. Claggor and Violet appearing are giving her a headache. She never even realized the hallucinations were causing her tension headaches until coming here and starting therapy sessions with Rosalyn. She barely even noticed the headaches at all before. They had always been there like everything else.

"Hey! I'm doing just fine!" Vi fiercely insists. Jinx cracks an eye open and looks over at her sister. Vi aggressively marks down a number as if to prove it. Then she stares at the page, squints her eyes a bit, and erases it with a muttered curse. Jinx can't help but smirk as Violet roars with laughter.

"Now we have a breaking announcement! We take you to the New Council Building, where Councilor Medarda will make an announcement in just a few minutes," the radio announcer called out. Jinx's eyes snapped open, and she pops up from her seat.

Wait, Councilor? Did Cait say she was a councilorbefore? Jinx can't remember,. She probably had, although it should have been obvious either way.

Twitching, Jinx tries to focus on the voice and not the name. Not the monster Silco told her about. A councilor who fights with secrets rather than weapons. She has captivating eyes that roam everywhere, seeing through everything and everyone. You can't look away from them and they can see all your secrets.

Shivering, Jinx twitches her head and takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. She's not here. Everything is fine.

"You all right?" Vi asks, touching her arm.

"Silco said the councilors were all monsters, not people. Each one different, but all of them dangerous," Jinx mumbles. Eyes, too many eyes. Everywhere and in every corner watching.

"He said she had eyes everywhere and saw everything. She fights with secrets and blackmail, not violence. Her hands are pulling the strings, manipulating everyone else," Jinx continues, twitching her head. Hands everywhere, moving in and out of the dark, fingers pulling on the strings attached to them.

"It's not real. It can't be real, but I can't see anything else when I hear those names. Her name. It feels... it feels like I'm being watched," Jinx admits, a stab of shame going through her. It's not real. None of the monsters are, but she can't control how she feels.

"Here, come sit with me," Vi offers. Jinx gets up and goes to sit in her sister's lap. Being touched, being held, always helps make her feel better. Vi's arms wrap around her, holding her nice and tight. Safe and protected. The feeling of being watched fades until it's just her big sister there.

"That better?" Vi asks softly. Jinx nods and snuggles deeper into her arms. People can say anything, but being touched is real. It helps her figure out what's really there and what isn't. Most times, anyway.

There's an announcement that Councilor Medarda is arriving. This was it. Ember and Vi both perk up as well.

"Two days ago, at around 19:30, the terrorist known as Jinx was found and willingly agreed to be taken into protective custody. Currently, she is at a secure location, under guard, and is accepting treatment," Councilor Medarda begins. She sounds... ordinary. Fancy, but normal. Jinx wonders what she really looks like. It's easier to concentrate with Vi holding her, and Jinx feels herself calming down again.

"They aren't going to say what she's being treated for?" Ember asks, looking over at them.

The statement is droning on about justice and citizens being able to rest easy. The dead and injured are not forgotten, blah blah blah. Typical politician speak. That helps push the monster away until the room is just a room again and all Jinx is doing is sitting with her sister, listening to the radio.

"People will gossip, but saying it outright is too dangerous. Caitlyn has issued new orders to enforcers to keep an eye out for any potential violence as well. Statistically, mentally ill citizens in Piltover and Zaun are more likely to be assaulted, then hurt others, but people rarely understand that. We don't want to risk any violence spilling over to innocent people because some jerk heard on the news that Jinx hallucinates. The city is full of people and veterans who deal with similar problems," Vi explains, and Jinx can feel her shift in the chair.

People like her, Jinx thinks. The smell of chemicals and burning rubber always set Sevika off. Made her think she was back in the explosion that cost her arm. Maybe Vi and her have never been all that different.

Jinx thinks about that and shuts off the rest of the memory before she recalls too much.

"I sent a message down to Sevika as well. She said she'll have her people check up on some regulars and they'll have neighborhoods they can trust look out for their own as well. Sevika won't want enforcer help if anything happens, but this way, at least she'll have a heads up," Vi adds.

"Whatever happens, I promise I'll keep you safe."That's what Caitlyn said to her yesterday. Jinx's shoulders itch with the memory of Caitlyn's arm around her.

"Enforcers don't keep people safe. They hurt. They lie and beat people and kill innocent Zaunites," Claggor mumbles. Jinx looks around and sees Mylo hovering in the corner silently. She should have known. Claggor never gets like this on his own. Only when Mylo is around.

"Yeah, they do," Violet admits, "Which is why Caitlyn is trying to make it better. Even people in the undercity say the enforcers have improved since she took over. The bad ones got pushed out, more people from the undercity got hired. Sure, they aren't perfect. But she's trying to make it better. She wants to make sure stuff like the bridge protests never happens again," she insists.

"Caitlyn is keeping you safe, Jinx. And she's trying to do the same for others. For people like you who don't have a sister like Vi to fight for them. She won't always get it right, but she really believes what she says," Violet says, her voice pleading.

"Liar. It's a trap. They'll take what they want from you and bury you like they buried those enforcers you killed. You'll never be more than the dirt underneath their boots," Mylo sneers.

Taking a deep breath, Jinx lets it out and ignores him. Her fear of the councilors pushed out everything else, but now that fear is receding and allowing the other hallucinations back in again. Couldn't they have waited a few more minutes? The statement is still going, and she doesn't want to miss anything important.

"While this is an important day for Piltover, it is also a somber reminder of our gross neglect of our Zaunite neighbors. Neglect towards our fellow family and friends. For years, the Council has poured resources into improving life topside, while neglecting, if not outright abandoning those below. Resulting in horrible living conditions and a city ruled by those who pour drugs like Shimmer into the streets. Drugs that could revolutionize the healthcare we have denied them instead cause horrible mutations and painful deaths. Individually, the council may not have caused this, but our ignorance, apathy, and prejudice has enabled this and the hatred people have towards Piltover," Councilor Medarda continues. Ember gives an impressed whistle.

"Well, color me surprised. I figured I'd be dead and ashes by the time they admitted to that," Ember admits.

"Jinx should not be a sign of our victory, but a reminder of our commitment to do better. So that no one has to suffer such a violent attack as those enforcers and innocent citizens did, and so that no one below has to grow up in the conditions caused by our neglect. Months ago, the Council voted unanimously to recognize Zaun's independence. Today we publicly acknowledge that vote and our commitment to it," Councilor Medarda states. Ember gasps and her head snaps over to them. No. To Vi specifically.

"Whoa! Don't look at me. I didn't know about this part!" Vi insists.

"Zaun deserves a government better than the one it has had so far. In the coming months, we will work to set up an interim government before handing over control to them. All the people of Zaun will have citizenship with Piltover as well. The academy of Piltover will also adjust its entry criteria and so that those without last names are no longer excluded and sponsorship from one of the high houses is no longer required. Paving the way for more people to benefit from the education and job opportunities this illustrious institution provides. A job scouting program will be established, so that Zaunites can not only apply and graduate from the academy but also take that knowledge with them back home to improve their own city, not just ours," Councilor Medarda continues.

"Silco spoke about the academy sometimes," Jinx says softly. A shiver goes through her at the memory and she can feel Ember and Vi's eyes on her. She was excited to listen to the broadcast, but now all she can think about is him.

"After I saw Sevika's metal arm, I spent years trying to make my own. When I finally got one to work, he said he had never seen anything like it. When I made one that used Shimmer after getting help from one of Silco's alchemist's, he told me I was smarter than anyone who has ever graduated from their fancy school. He said Zaunites deserved to be there just as much as anyone else. He..." she stops as her voice cracks on the words. "He said he was sorry he'd never be able to get me there. But we would still show them. Him and I. The topsiders. We'd make them notice us in a different way," she whispers, tears springing to her eyes.

Vi squeezes her, and Jinx leans into her sister's embrace. Welcoming her comfort and reassurance.

"In conclusion, we would also like to announce that as part of Jinx's arrest, she has agreed to help the Council further investigate Silco, the founder of Zaun, and well known Chem Baron. While he may be no more, many of his connections still linger throughout Piltover. We are committed to following every one of them to the end so that no one may escape justice. We will find those who continue to profit off the death and pain of others and see their crimes brought to light. No matter how high in Piltover society they may be," Councilor Medarda finishes. The radio clicks back over to the radio announcer, but Jinx tunes them out.

Founder of Zaun.What Silco would have given to hear those words on the lips of a topsider.

"How are you doing?" Vi asks. Jinx turns around so she can press herself into Vi's shoulder.

"I miss him," Jinx mumbles into the folds of Vi's shirt. Guilt is creeping back into her chest again. Guilt for betraying him even if means she can get better. Even if it means she'll survive the way he always taught her to. He was still her dad.

"I know, blue bird," Vi says, stroking her hair. "But you've got a long road ahead of you still. So maybe... maybe one day in the future we'll be able to get you there to that academy. Caitlyn and I. The way Silco always knew you deserved," she murmurs. Jinx's eyes burn at the gentleness in her voice. Vi may hate him, despise him for what he's done, but she also knows how much he meant to Jinx and how complicated her feelings are, even from moment to moment. Vi is trying her best.

Maybe one day Jinx will show Piltover what Zaunites could do. Not with violence and death, but with her gadgets and knowledge. Maybe not everything Silco told her was so bad after all.

After the radio broadcast, Vi suggested Jinx lay down for a bit and take a nap. Now that she's had a couple hours of rest, she feels better physically, but emotionally, she feels incredibly raw. Her thoughts are still sluggish, but she's better able to think about and process the Council's statement now.

Every news station and newspaper is going to be fighting for headlines now. Jinx knows that her capture is huge and part of her is miffed to not be the center of attention. However, she knows that by delivering several major news stories at once; it increases the chances of her capture fading from the public eye quickly. Leaving citizens focused on something else, while those topsiders involved with Silco have Councilor Medarda's final warning still ringing loud and clear in their ears.

While the rest of the city jumps from one piece of major news to the next, they'll try to bury her capture and quietly silence her. Just what Caitlyn is hoping for and it's a tactic Jinx knows will be irresistible.

Just like those voice box grenades she set up in the progress day tent. Why would a kid be inside that late at night? And in a tent that didn't even have active hextech on display to play with? How did they slip past the guards and why wasn't someone closer to the area aware of a missing child? All good questions, but none of them mattered. Just the scared voice coming out of the flames did.

The same applies here. Today's statement will have any topsider connected to Silco desperate to act before the rest of the council can figure out what Jinx knows.

It's both wicked and brilliant.

"I'd almost think you were starting to like her," Violet says with a smirk. Jinx lowers her copy of Engineering Empire and sees her leaning over the back of the couch to look down at her. Jinx sticks her tongue out at her fake sister and tries to go back to reading.

Vi has her own therapy session to deal with right now, but once she's done, she agreed to work on one of the jigsaw puzzles together. Jinx already got one picked out and was ready to go.

"That's not a crime, you know," Violet points out.

"She's a Piltie. It might as well be," Jinx grumbles. Not to mention the other baggage that comes along with that. She can't like Caitlyn. It's not allowed.

"But she's a nice Piltie. She even brings you donuts," Violet says, wiggling her eyebrows.

The donuts are delicious. No wonder Vi stayed topside with food like that available anytime you wanted it.

"Wait, stop distracting me!" Jinx complains, grabbing a couch pillow and swatting at Violet, who laughs. It goes straight through her, of course, and she just reappears at the end of the couch.

"It's just Violet being an annoying fake sister again," Jinx says when Ember looks up curiously. A smile pulls at her lips before she nods and goes back to her crossword. She likes that the enforcers watching her don't give her that look anymore. That "oh no, she's crazy" look. They just make sure what she sees isn't upsetting her and then go back to whatever they are doing.

"Come on, admit it. Caitlyn isn't the person you thought she was," Violet pushes her. Scowling, Jinx puts her hands behind her head and looks away stubbornly.

"What happened with you and her was real. Caitlyn really kept you safe, and she makes you feel safe now too. Like mom always did. I know you're worried about what might happen next. Where things will go if you let yourself get attached, but that's what Rosalyn is for. She can help you deal with those feelings. Learn how to help without it controlling you," Violet whispers. Jinx wraps her arms around the couch pillow and doesn't answer.

"Caitlyn isn't like that. Even Silco didn't intend to do that to you and he would have been hurt if he knew. Caitlyn won't use your feelings against you and she could protect you from anyone else who might," Violet says gently.

"Why? Why would she do that?" Jinx mumbles quietly, so she won't be overheard.

Violet cocks her head curiously.

"Because she has already. Caitlyn found you scared and alone. Terrified of monsters that weren't real. Did she use your feelings against you then? Or did she protect you from yourself and anyone else who might have tried to take advantage of you? You can trust that Caitlyn won't take advantage of you with this because she didn't do it before when she had the chance," Violet says logically. Too logically. Jinx hates how much sense that makes.

Is her fear of being taken advantage of a reasonable worry? Or is her fear about being controlled by someone a psychosis induced paranoia? She isn't sure. But she could find out if she told someone.

Jinx chews on her bottom lip as she thinks about it. She's been so worried about her feelings being used against her, it hasn't occurred to her that someone might see it as a reason to help her instead. Just like when she was too deep in the dark to find her way out. Caitlyn didn't take advantage of that, and neither did Vi. They brought her here so she could learn to find her way back out again.

Jinx wanted to know if what happened that night was real and if Caitlyn was really the goody two shoes she claimed to be. Turns out she was. She really was that nice, that honest, that kind. She was nothing like what Pilties were supposed to be and nothing like the monster Jinx's mind tries to make her believe is there. Caitlyn was nice, and she made her feel safe like mom used to. Like she could finally rest and not worry about being in danger.

So now what?

Jinx honestly didn't think she'd get this far, and now that she has she's at a total loss about where to go from here.

Maybe Caitlyn wasn't the monster her mind thought, but she was still an arrogant, prejudiced Piltie. Only that wasn't true either. Well, she was still an enforcer, and she had to be ruthless in her job, at least. And she was. But only to protect others and stop those who hurt people. Even if those criminals were other topsiders. She even made sure that today's statement wouldn't put other people like Jinx at risk and had done what she could to mitigate any potential violence.

Everything was supposed to be planned out. Sure, Jinx could tolerate Caitlyn's presence if it meant being a family with Vi again. But that was going to be the full extent of it. Jinx would barely tolerate her for Vi's sake, and they could continue hating each other as life went on. A beautifully chaotic future. Or they would dial it down to an intense dislike at least. But Caitlyn didn't hate her. She didn't even particularly dislike her anymore.

"That night changed Caitlyn, too," Violet whispers in her ears. Jinx twitches at her words, but she can't deny that it's true. Caitlyn looks at her differently now. It isn't the steely determination to bring her to justice that was there before. That has been there for months now. It's softened. Her eyes are kinder, gentler than before. The anger that burned in them was replaced with worry and concern. Not for Vi, but for Jinx.

Just like Sevika. Just like how her gruff expressions and terse comments softened.

All right, I get the picture already,Jinx thinks, getting agitated.

"Caitlyn and Vi want to be a family, but that doesn't mean you'll get left behind. That just means you'll be part of it with them. They don't want to leave you behind. They refuse to leave you behind," Violet is just a voice again, hovering behind her. Jinx sits up and picks at her socks. Vi got her new ones. These are blue with pink flowers.

"They want you to live with them once you get out. Both of them together. Like Vi said, you can be a family again even if it looks different from before," Violet continues, her words digging under Jinx's skin. Violet is showing her the way forward, the way to go from here, but she doesn't want to see it.

"So... what? I go to her fancy mansion and stay there? Stay topside and move on with my life? Let them pull some strings so I can get into that fancy Piltie academy even though they'd never even let me on the grounds otherwise? Especially now that I'm a convicted criminal? Be a normal person and eat off plates worth more than anything I've ever owned?" Jinx questions, muttering the words.

"Would that be so bad?" Violet presses. Jinx can't answer that and she hates not having a response. Because if Mylo knows how to hurt, then Violet knows how to push. Push her towards things that are good for her, even if Jinx can't realize it right away. Violet pushes her towards the truth and her words are like nails hammering in.

"Would it be so bad if Caitlyn was your big sister, too?" Violet whispers in her ears.

Jinx growls and stands up. She needs space. She needs to move and pace and...

"Hello you two!" Caitlyn calls out brightly as she walks towards them.

Speak her name and she appears,Jinx thinks sourly. But she's not angry, she's agitated, and stressed out, and afraid.

Really, really afraid. Just like when the monsters come for her.

"I thought I'd come by to check on things," Caitlyn says nodding to her. She starts looking away and then pauses, staring at her. Jinx fidgets and looks away, but she can't hide the stress.

"She'll control you," Mylo hisses from behind Caitlyn and Jinx twitches her head as the monster resurfaces around Caitlyn. "If you let her in, she'll squeeze every drop of information out of you and leave you an empty husk. And just like with Silco, there will be no way for you to stop her," he tilts his head, dead white eyes staring at her.

"Trust her, and it'll be the last thing you ever do. Caitlyn will have you hanging on her every word, desperate for her approval, just like you are for Vi's again. And you'll be powerless to stop it. She'll hurt you and enjoy every minute. It'll be the perfect revenge for what you've done to her," Mylo spits out. Jinx wraps her arms around herself. She knows he's just trying to hurt, but she can't stop listening.

What if he's right this time? What if Caitlyn hates her after all? What if...

"Jinx, you can't listen! You're falling into the dark again! He's trying to trick you. He wants to make you paranoid. Remember what you've learned! You can't trust them! They lie and hurt and make you afraid!" Violet yells at her, but she sounds far away. The monsters are already pulling Jinx down and she's slipped back without realizing it.

A whimper escapes her lips, and Jinx realizes she's trembling. Loud scratching is coming from the floor. A monster is just below, trying to reach her.

"The monsters aren't real," Jinx tells herself, muttering the words. "The monsters aren't real, the monsters aren't real," she repeats, pulling at her pigtails. They can scare her, but they can't hurt. They aren't real.

They aren't real. They aren't real. They aren't real. They aren't real. They aren't real. They aren't real. They aren't real.

There's a touch. A gentle caress. Jinx blinks once. Twice. She focuses and realizes Caitlyn is there in front of her. Worried and concerned. Jinx feels Caitlyn stroke her cheek gently.

"Hey, what's wrong? What do you see?" Caitlyn murmurs. Jinx whimpers again and closes her eyes. But she can hear them scratching at the floor. Claws and teeth gouging into it.

Rosalyn said that stress or intense emotion could make her have an episode again, and there's been so much going on lately. Caitlyn needing her help, Vi going to see Sevika, Caitlyn again letting her have a day just to spend with her sister and making her feel safe. She's been so kind and understanding and it has made Jinx more confused and more stressed out each time they talk to each other.

Jinx tries to speak, tries to say something, but the fear is back. An overwhelming terror that chokes out everything else.

"I'm right here with you Jinx," Caitlyn tells her. "The monsters can scare you, but they can't hurt you," she reminds her. Jinx nods, but she's still so afraid it makes her shake.

"They.. they said I can't trust you," Jinx finally says. The effort of saying just that much exhausts her. "They said you'll hurt me if I let you help. I know I can't listen to them, that they lie and hurt but..." she can't say anymore, she is too scared and there's too much noise.

"Now she'll hate you for sure," Mylo snarls, hovering over Caitlyn's shoulder. "Everything she's done to help you and this is how you respond? Didn't they say you could trust them? That they would help? And yet here you are listening to us, anyway. Pathetic. How many times do you expect them to forgive you? And how many episodes are they going to help you with? Do you honestly think anyone is going to want to deal with this for the rest of their lives? With you for years on end? Why would they ever let you into their home!" he shouts at her.

Jinx lets out a sob and presses her hands over her eyes. He's lying. But hasn't she seen how exhausted Vi is lately? How stressed out she looks? Didn't Caitlyn say earlier that taking care of Jinx is making Vi's own monsters come back? Doesn't Caitlyn have dark shadows under her eyes from how hard she's working to keep Jinx safe and find out who might try to hurt her?

"And what do you think will happen after this is over? Once all the baddies are locked up? You think we'll just pack it up and go home? Stay down in the dark all by ourselves? No! You'll never get rid of us, and as long as you're with Vi and Caitlyn, they'll have to deal with us as well. Over and over with each episode until they hate you! Until they can't stand the sight of you anymore!" Mylo screams.

"It's ok if you don't trust me," Caitlyn says. Her gentle voice cutting through all the noise. Jinx opens her eyes and sees blue ones staring back. Mylo is lying. He's just trying to hurt her and it's working. Caitlyn isn't angry. She's concerned and worried. She wants to help and she won't give up no matter how long it takes or even if this happens again and again.

"You've had plenty of reasons not to trust me. I'm a topsider and the Sheriff. There's nothing wrong with being scared of me, with worrying that I might hurt you. That's perfectly normal," Caitlyn says with a soft smile. Tears well up in Jinx's eyes at her reassurance. "But there are other people here who can help. People you can trust and depend on, remember?" she continues.

That's right. Vi is here. Rosalyn too. The staff here deals with people like her every day and they never get tired of it. Vi won't tire of her, either. It's a lie. A trick. The voices are trying to scare her until she can't think straight or make good decisions.

I can't let them win,Jinx realizes. Even if there is some truth that Caitlyn could hurt her, Jinx can tell her worry has spiraled into paranoia again. Pushing her into the dark place where she doubts everything until it hurts her and others she loves. But she doesn't have to deal with it alone or be strong by herself, like Silco said. She has help now. If only she has the strength to ask for it.

"Let her help you," Violet murmurs around her. "You have to choose. Just like the night when you decided to help Vi and the other enforcers. Hasn't that turned out well so far? Caitlyn will take care of you, just like on the bridge, and just like with Franklin. You don't have to trust her now if you aren't ready, but you have to take that first step. You have to decide to get help on your own and for your own sake. Not to make anyone else happy. Caitlyn can help you do that. She'll get people you can trust, even if you can't trust her yet," Violet insists.

Lifting a trembling hand, Jinx places it over the one Caitlyn has pressed against her cheek. Caitlyn is watching her closely, her eyes increasingly worried.

"Cait, I... I think I need help," Jinx sniffles tearfully.

Vi sighs and closes her eyes as Caitlyn rubs her back.

"Jinx is ok now," Caitlyn tells her for what must be the fifth time. Vi nods, but everything Jinx said is still ringing in her ears. Now that Jinx was calm again, Rosalyn took her in for an unscheduled therapy session.

Vi had just finished a session of her own when Ember came running up, breathlessly explaining that Jinx was in the middle of another episode and needed her right away.

Immediately, she raced back and found Jinx standing there, crying in Caitlyn's arms. After finding Rosalyn and getting Jinx to sit down, everything came gushing out. The stress Jinx was feeling, memories of Silco, her distrust of Caitlyn and why growing attached to her was so frightening. Then came the admission that clearly bothered Jinx the most.

"She smells just like mom did," Vi murmurs, repeating what Jinx told them through her tears.

A few months ago, Vi attended her first family dinner with the Kirammen's. Being invited there, having a meal together, and finally, the smell of a fruit pie that Tobias made all triggered an episode of her own. She barely made it to the bathroom before she broke down in tears, overwhelmed by their love and the memories the food brought back.

"Mom worked at a food kitchen," Vi says quietly. "They'd get leftovers, expired, or nearly expired food that restaurants, stores, or transporters couldn't use and resell it for dirt cheap. Tons of people we knew went there. Some for groceries, some just for a meal. The only one they'd get all day. She barely made anything, but every night the staff got to take some food home with them. For a family as poor as ours that was worth everything," she recalls.

"Dad was a miner. Barely made more than mom did, but together we had what we needed. School was whatever cheap books mom could rent from the library or haggle over until they were cheap enough to afford. That's how Jinx and I learned to read and write. She'd use food cans and what little coins she made to teach us our numbers and currency. We couldn't afford to go anywhere, so instead, every shopping trip was an adventure. Mom would use the opportunity to teach us about things we would have learned if they could have afforded the school fees." Vi remembers with a smile.

"One day, dad's company hit a huge mineral seam so everyone got a bonus. He wanted to spend some of it on new shoes and clothes for us and the rest for a feast. So for the first time, mom took us topside. We found an outdoor market with cheaper food. Well cheaper by topsider standards. We'd never seen anything like it. It was all I could do not to run off and look at everything," Vi says with a laugh.

"We got a small chicken, some actual fresh vegetables for a stew, and ingredients for a fruit pie. Mom almost never brought desserts home. Those were always the first things to go at the food kitchen, and we'd certainly never had one that wasn't already going stale. Jinx and I helping her make it and the smell of it baking is still the strongest memory I have of her now," Vi admits, her lips quivering.

"Mom and dad both died a week later in the bridge protests," Vi whispers. "Management wanted his company to work double shifts to make up for half of another group dying to a blast of fissure gas. No added protection for them, and no improved safety standards, so they didn't suffer the same fate. Just more work. Dad went to protest, mom went to provide some food and water for those on the bridge. She wasn't even supposed to stay. Dad wasn't comfortable with her there, not with things getting increasingly tense and us kids still at home," she says, closing her eyes.

"Mom told us she was just going to drop some supplies off and then she'd be right back. I waited until nightfall and then we went topside to go looking for her," Vi recalls. "Even now, smelling baked fruit immediately reminds me of that dinner we had. It's still the last good memory I have of her. It must be that way for Jinx too," she admits. Lifting her head, she looks up at Caitlyn.

"You remind me of mom, too. Particularly her kindness and stubbornness. I thought you were her for a moment after you gave me that Shimmer potion when we first met," Vi confesses with an awkward laugh. Caitlyn smiles and puts an arm around her.

"Dad always said that if you don't end up like your parents, there's a good chance you'll end up marrying someone like them. I always thought he was kidding but... you remind me a lot of him. Far too kind, a big heart, always willing to give people a chance, unreasonably obsessed with boxing," Caitlyn teases. Vi smiles and rests her head on Caitlyn's shoulder.

"Who else would the poor man talk with about the latest radio matches? I'm doing you and Cassandra a favor honestly," Vi smirks. Caitlyn runs her fingers through Vi's hair.

"What a family we're all going to make," Caitlyn murmurs.

"That's what Jinx needs, though. A family. She deserves that. She's suffered enough," Vi says, closing her eyes.

"She needs that. I ..." Caitlyn pauses and Vi opens her eyes and tilts her head up to look at her curiously. "I didn't realize she felt that way about me. Sure, I've been trying, but even after seeing Jinx accept her illness, I just kind of assumed she'd only ever tolerate me being around for your sake. Just like she said earlier today," she admits, looking upset. "But what happened between us when I first found Jinx has been on her mind ever since. She can't stop thinking about it," she whispers. Vi puts a hand on her knee and squeezes it reassuringly.

"I bet it has been a long time since anyone made Jinx feel safe like that. Like she could depend on them to protect her and be strong for her. In a way, Jinx has always been looking over her shoulder. She had to. Whether it was because of her paranoia or the life she led while I was in prison. Silco loved her, but his way of helping only made her feel like she could never relax. Never show weakness. Having someone look out for her, protect her when she couldn't do so herself... it's no wonder she's struggling with how to process that," Vi realizes. Caitlyn nods and sighs heavily.

"Getting attached to me scares her because she doesn't know yet if I'll continue to help or make her worse. But it doesn't bother her to feel that way about you because she trusts you," Caitlyn explains, and Vi can't help but grimace a bit.

"And the café you've been going to recently makes you smell like mom did when she made that pie the week before she died. It makes Jinx want to trust you, but the last example she has of trusting someone implicitly aside from me is Silco. We're going to have to address that. I'm glad Jinx trusts me again, but feeling that kind of uncontrollable compulsion to do whatever I want isn't good for her, either. It's dangerous and I don't just want that feeling to continue with you. It isn't healthy," Vi states. Hearing Jinx talk like that about her was disturbing.

"You're exactly right, and helping her find the right balance is my job. I could use some help, though."

Vi startles and sees Rosalyn standing there in the doorway. Smiling, the doctor steps out and closes it behind her.

"Jinx is doing much better, but she's exhausted physically and emotionally. She needs a moment to collect herself, and then she'll be right out. While she's doing that, I wanted to talk about her. Specifically, what she's dealing with and how both of you can help," Rosalyn explains. Vi goes to stand up, but the doctor waves her back down to the bench.

"The desire to please the people we care about or those in our peer group is perfectly normal. But as kids get older, it is the responsibility of a parent or guardian to teach us the right balance. For example, the skills a teenager learns to combat peer pressure will help them as they get older and face similar situations as adults," Rosalyn tells them.

"The problem is, while Jinx has the emotional maturity necessary to recognize that her compulsive desire to please others is abnormal, no one ever taught her the skills necessary to deal with it. According to her, Silco didn't know what she was dealing with because she never let him see it was hurting her," Rosalyn states.

"She felt compelled to do whatever she believed would make him happy and letting him know would have upset him. Even when it meant hurting herself, Jinx couldn't help but do whatever she thought would make him proud," Vi realizes, feeling sick to her stomach. Does Jinx feel that way about her now?

"That leaves Jinx in the position she is in now. Recognizing to an extent that this compulsion could be dangerous with some people, but not having the skills to do anything about it. It is simply too strong and too traumatizing to resist," Rosalyn explains sympathetically.

"How do we help? We can help, can't we?" Vi asks desperately.

"You can. Jinx needs professional help to manage the anxiety and stress this causes her, but that will only go so far without you and Caitlyn working to reinforce what she's learning and praise good decisions. From now on, both of you have to be very aware of what you say to her. Jinx is going to need a lot of praise and reassurance and how you deliver that could help undo bad habits or reinforce them," Rosalyn warns.

"Like today, for example. Jinx desperately needs to hear that you are proud of her for what she did. Both of you. It was a hard decision and you need to reinforce that she did her best. However, you need to avoid praising her specifically for listening to you. While that may have been helpful for her as a child, now that will only reinforce the idea that making you happy should be her priority, regardless of the consequences. Far too much of Jinx's self-worth is already wrapped up in how useful she is to other people. Her time with Silco only ingrained that in her, even if it was unintentional, and that's what she needs to get away from. What she wants to heal from," Rosalyn states. Vi thinks that over as Caitlyn speaks up.

"We're happy that Jinx recognized she needed help and acted on it. Rather than being happy because she did what we told her to. Is that what you mean?" Caitlyn asks and Rosalyn nods in confirmation. Vi quietly listens and reflects on the past few days.

"We've been telling Jinx a lot lately that we are happy she's getting the help she needs. That just staying here and getting better is what we want from her," Vi confesses. "If I had known the effect it might have on her, I would have phrased it differently," she admits, feeling guilty.

"I said something similar myself just this morning. Jinx was worried about how you were doing under all this stress. Now I wish I hadn't said it," Caitlyn adds, looking equally upset.

"Try not to get too down on yourselves. There's only so much you can do and telling her that wasn't necessarily wrong. Just like Jinx, you'll have to find the right balance. Leaving her completely directionless about what you want won't help either. Instead, use that as a basis for teaching her and reinforcing what she'll be learning in therapy. Seeing her learn to make moral decisions for her own sake is part of getting better and you love seeing her do that," Rosalyn responds.

"As with the rest of her care, it will take time to unlearn bad habits. Not to mention healing from some of her emotional trauma. But with gentle, positive reinforcement, you can help her get there. Step by step. In addition, I think all of you would benefit from family counseling. All three of you together once a week to go over how Jinx is doing and ways you can help her. But we can discuss that another time. It has been a long day for Jinx, and I know she needs to see you," Rosalyn reassures them.

"What about... um," Caitlyn hesitates, her face turning a light pink.

"About how you remind Jinx of her mother?" Rosalyn says more pointedly. "Rest assured, Jinx is not looking for a replacement. It's more that your actions recently have made her feel safe in a way she hasn't felt since your mother was alive," she explains with a nod at Vi. "That feeling, plus your unexpected kindness has made it impossible for her not to start getting attached to you. However, getting attached also means her desperate need for you to approve of her intensifies as well. And the only recent experience she has with that kind of attachment is Silco. Jinx recognizes that while he genuinely loved her, that didn't stop many of his decisions from hurting her in the end. So while Caitlyn may be kind and caring," she says, pausing with a gesture to Caitlyn.

"That doesn't mean Jinx won't get hurt again. If she lets herself get attached to me and I ended up manipulating her, it would already be too late. There's nothing she could do to stop herself from trying to make me happy. She'll do it even if it's killing her inside, because she just doesn't have the skills she needs to refuse. She's never learned," Caitlyn picks up, her expression devastated.

Rosalyn nods.

"Jinx worries that, at best, she'll be right back where she was. Desperately working for your approval, no matter what it costs her. Only Jinx wasn't happy like that under Silco. His attention and affection were never enough to fill the void, and it just left her constantly anxious and worried that any mistake, any show of weakness, would make her lose his approval. That's an incredibly stressful situation to be in for so long," Rosalyn says, sympathetically.

"At worst, Jinx fears she'll get attached to you and then, in the future, be forced to choose between listening to you and Vi. Leaving her without someone she cares about no matter who she picks," Rosalyn continues.

"Either way, she loses. Just like when Silco died," Caitlyn murmurs softly.

Vi thinks back to the way she and Silco argued, screamed really at Jinx. Both of them trying to get her to listen. At the time, Vi didn't understand that the memories she cherished of the past were extremely triggering to Jinx. She thought she was helping, but in reality, every name brought up only made Jinx's trauma worse.

Vi has learned since then not to bring up the past, not to push Jinx, but to back off. It's a lesson she desperately wishes she had learned sooner. In the end, Jinx chose Vi, but the aftermath of killing Silco herself still broke her. Vi never wants her little sister to experience something like that ever again.

"But Jinx still told someone, as terrified as she was. She still made that decision to let us know how she feels and what she's been struggling with. I can't emphasize enough how huge of a choice that was for her to make on her own. Particularly this early in her recovery and with no one else prompting her to do it," Rosalyn tells them. "Be sure to let her know you recognize that," she adds pointedly.

"What should we do?" Vi urges. "Should we try to get Jinx to trust Caitlyn? Or back off? I don't want to make her worse again," she says, desperate for some guidance.

"Unfortunately, there is no appropriate answer here. If you push Jinx to trust Caitlyn, then she will continue to get attached and she will feel compelled to earn your approval. That's going to hurt her and it will take months before Jinx can see our efforts and therapy having an actual effect in her day-to-day life. However, if you try to distance yourself and get her to understand that not trusting you is okay, that could feed her paranoia," Rosalyn admits.

"Even when we get her on medication, that will only take her more extreme psychosis induced delusions away. Her distrustful thoughts won't automatically vanish. Jinx may no longer believe monsters are in the walls trying to scare her, but she could still believe enforcers are manipulating her or someone is trying to kill her and she can't trust anyone. Which, under the circumstances, isn't entirely wrong," she points out.

Vi thinks quietly about that and looks over at Caitlyn to see what her opinion is. But she merely shakes her head.

"It's not my place to say, Vi. This is your decision to make and I'll go with it whatever you choose," Caitlyn says, reaching out to hold her hand.

"Then... I want Jinx to have the option to decide for herself. If she's able to. We'll give her the choice and let her have time to think about it," Vi declares.

"A wise decision. Just be aware that whatever choice she makes, you have to be ready to support it," Rosalyn warns them. Giving them both a nod, she turns and heads back into the room.

A moment later, Rosalyn comes back out with her hand on Jinx's shoulder. Vi and Caitlyn immediately stand up, but Jinx is staring down at her boots.

"There you go. Remember, if anything else happens, just let us know. You did very well today and I'm going to let the kitchen know to prepare an extra treat. So whenever you want it, just ask and they'll give you some ice cream," Rosalyn says warmly. "For now, I'll let you all have a moment to talk," she adds, giving Jinx a gentle push towards them.

Immediately, Vi sweeps Jinx up into her arms. Holding her so tight it's a wonder she doesn't crush her. She feels Jinx sniffle into her shoulder and return the hug, gripping her red jacket tightly.

"I'm sorry," Jinx apologizes. Pulling away, Vi takes her little sister's face in her hands. Biting her tongue, she remembers what Rosalyn said and takes a moment to calm herself and think clearly about what to say.

"Caitlyn trusted me," Jinx murmurs. "She trusted me and kept me safe, and I couldn't trust her back. She even gave me a special day to spend with you. But I got scared and... and I couldn't tell if I was worried like normal people or... or if I was sick again," she says tearfully. Caitlyn is standing there, arms wrapped around herself like she's holding herself back from getting closer.

"You have nothing to apologize to me for. Nothing at all," Vi says firmly. "When you realized your mind might be hurting you again, you reached out to Caitlyn anyway because you knew she would get Rosalyn and I for you. Instead of trying to handle it yourself, you reached people you could trust, and you waited for us to arrive before talking about what was bothering you. How could I ever be disappointed in you for that?" she asks. Jinx's eyes fill with tears.

"You aren't mad at me?" Jinx chokes out.

"Not at all, blue jay. I'm proud of you! Because I know how difficult it was for you to make that kind of decision, especially while you were so scared and confused. But you still did it. You realized you needed help and reached out to get it in the best way you knew how. That was such a brave decision, and I'm so incredibly proud of you for doing that on your own," Vi tells her. Pulling Jinx in tight again, she holds her as Jinx cries quietly into her shoulder.

"Did I do good? Did I do the right thing?" Jinx asks desperately.

"I love you and you did very good blue bird. I'm very proud. Do you know why?" Vi asks. She needs to be sure Jinx is understanding this. That she isn't taking the wrong ideas away from this conversation.

"Because... when I got confused about what the right thing to do was... I made the choice to get help for myself. No one had to tell me or ask me to do it. Rosalyn... she said that I have to want to get better in order for this to work. I have to want it for myself and no one else, or I might not stick with it. I'll just stop when things change again and get worse," Jinx sniffs. "I don't want to get worse again," she whispers.

Vi can't help but relax a bit on hearing that. Jinx really is getting it and she shouldn't have doubted her. It is just like Rosalyn said, Jinx has the emotional maturity to understand what's going on, but not the coping skills to deal with it. What a terrible situation for her to be in.

"That's exactly right, and that's why I'm proud of you. Because it was scary, confusing and really hard, but you still made that choice. I couldn't possibly be mad at you for doing that," Vi reassures her. Jinx pulls away slightly and rubs at her eyes.

"But... Caitlyn trusted me. She let me keep the gemstone and she trusted me to help arrest that topsider. She gave us time to spend together, and she needs my help to find out who might still be connected to Silco," Jinx mumbles, her eyes darting away again, guilty.

Now Caitlyn steps up to her, placing a hand on Jinx's back as she leans down slightly to talk to her.

"Do you remember yesterday? When Wyatt and Ember were talking about Franklin after he got arrested?" Caitlyn asks her. Jinx just shrugs silently.

"They said that at one point they would never have spoken back to a topsider. They would just take the abuse and stay quiet. That continued even after I became Sheriff and took over. Do you remember why?" Caitlyn asks gently. Jinx shuffles her feet a bit.

"Because they were afraid you would be like Marcus. That you would fire or punish them if they spoke back," she says quietly, lifting her head. Vi knows where this is going, and she's relieved to see that Jinx is listening.

"And when did they start trusting me, and believing I was different from Marcus? Was it when I told them they could? Or after I proved multiple times that I'd support them?" Caitlyn urges. Jinx chews on her bottom lip and thinks about that. She glances at Vi and then looks back at Caitlyn again.

"It was after you proved it. After they saw you doing it for Vi over and over again. That's when they started giving you a chance," Jinx answers, her attention fully focused on Caitlyn now.

"They didn't trust me at first because of what someone else did to them. Was that my fault?" Caitlyn asks. Jinx shakes her head.

"Was it Wyatt's fault he couldn't trust me right away? Ember's?" Caitlyn continues. Vi can tell that Jinx understands the point and sees her getting emotional again.

"No... because their experience with Marcus was all they had to judge you on. It wasn't anyone's fault," Jinx sniffles.

"Exactly. It wasn't anyone's fault, but Marcus. They still followed my orders and did what I asked. But did I get rid of them because they didn't trust me beyond that? Did I fire them because they took too long to realize I wasn't the same as the person who hurt them before?" Caitlyn says gently. Jinx's eyes are filling up with tears again and she shakes her head silently.

"I'm not mad at you for not trusting me, Jinx. Not after what you've been through. I'm proud that you chose to work with enforcers and the council. And I'm proud of you for choosing to reach out and get help when you realized you were getting sicker again. I'm glad you trusted other people to help you, but that doesn't mean you have to trust me. Not yet, and no one should force you to either," Caitlyn tells her.

Tears stream down Jinx's cheeks again at those words.

"It's... okay if I don't trust you?" Jinx asks hesitantly.

"What we want," Vi says carefully, "Is for you to be able to make that decision for yourself. Think about it for a while, think about what you want and then you can let us know. If you decided you can't trust Cait yet, then we'll support you. If you want to give her a chance, then we'll accept that as well."

"I don't know if I can," Jinx admits, her hands tightening on Vi's jacket.

"Then we'll talk about that,afteryou've had time to think it over. If you don't feel comfortable or safe making that decision, then I'll take care of it. All right?" Vi tells her. Jinx immediately looks relieved, and she nods in satisfaction.

"Rosalyn and the other therapists are here to help you with this," Vi reminds her. "To help you learn the right balance and teach you how to deal with this better. It's our job to help reinforce what they tell you," she adds. Caitlyn nods in agreement.

"So if I do something that makes you uncomfortable or makes it harder for you to deal with your feelings, let me know and I'll stop. Or we can talk about it and find a way that helps you feel better. All right?" Caitlyn offers.

"I think that would help," Jinx mumbles. She looks back up at each of them.

"You really aren't upset with me? I didn't mess up? Even though we couldn't have a special day together?" Jinx asks again, needing more reassurance.

"No one is upset," Vi confirms. "Making that decision the way you did was amazing, and we're both proud of you. Even when you do mess up, we'll figure it out together. No one is going to abandon you for making a mistake. Not again. Never again," she swears.

"Sometimes, when Vi and I plan a date, something comes up or interferes. Maybe we get an emergency call or one of us had a bad day. When that happens, we just try again. You can try something similar. It'll be the weekend soon, so why don't you try planning something special for then, instead?" Caitlyn offers. A spark of hope comes back into Jinx's eyes at that offer, but then it fades a bit and she looks away.

"You weren't supposed to be a nice person and then you were. You weren't supposed to be nice to me, but you are. You're nice and kind and... you make me feel safe like mom did. Like I don't have to be scared of getting hurt all the time," Jinx chokes out.

When Caitlyn moves closer and puts an arm around her shoulders, Jinx doesn't pull away. She leans in closer and Vi's heart swells at the sight and feeling of them all together like this. Her new family. Jinx's new family.

"You were supposed to be a monster," Jinx whispers softly.

"I know," Caitlyn replies. "So were you."

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Yawning, Caitlyn idly wonders when the last time she got some proper sleep was. Last night she managed about four hours, but even that was broken up by worrying about Jinx. It doesn't really feel like enough, but it'll have to do. The idea of going to the café again made her too self-conscious, so instead she settled for an extra cup at home before leaving for work. It's not helping nearly as much as she would like. So she's having one more here courtesy of the kitchen staff taking pity on her.

"Anything yet?" Vi asks from her spot near the kitchen doorway. Caitlyn shakes her head and takes another sip of espresso as she watches the food tester do his work. Sorry, that was "food alchemist" wasn't it? She wasn't sure why he insisted on the fancy title, but she didn't particularly care, so long as he did his job well. Plus, he came highly recommended by Jericho.

After Vi got back from seeing Sevika, Caitlyn dropped Franklin off at the station, went to see Mel and Salo, then went back to the station to arrange special meals for Jinx and question Franklin. At first, he stuck to his "just following orders" statement and refused to say anything else. Then the night crawled by and morning arrived with not a word from Hoskel's office or Salo's. At noon, Mel's statement had gone out to the press and Salo discreetly informed Caitlyn that Hoskel seemed unusually stressed out about something. He even excused himself from non-essential council activities for the afternoon.

Yesterday morning, the first food shipment for Jinx arrived and tested with no issues. Not that she really expected anything different. However, today was the second shipment, and enough time had passed that Hoskel would have had time to learn about it and do something.

Sighing, Caitlyn stopped hovering anxiously and went to lean against the wall next to Vi.

"You don't think it's still too soon for him to try something?" Vi asked her. Caitlyn shakes her head.

"The special diet requests all have to be approved by the council's office before I can actually get one scheduled. It doesn't matter who, and it's not a personal signature. Someone at the office just looks at it, stamps a council member's name on it, and hands it back to show that someone looked at it. I doubt most of them have ever seen one in person. Jinx's request got a few signatures since she's a high-profile case. Salo's, Shoola's, and Jayce," Caitlyn explains quietly. Vi raises an eyebrow curiously.

"What's the reasoning behind that? I assume it was your decision, I mean," Vi points out.

"Yes, and no. Some of it was mostly to keep up appearances. Shoola is the most honest and kind hearted on the council. Her office is usually the one to approve these requests, so it makes sense to have her name included and Salo has an investment in the food company that fulfills these requests. Leaving their names off could raise attention during an investigation. The only one I really prompted is Jayce because he is still the official public face of the counsel," Caitlyn points out.

"And Hoskel?" Vi asks.

"He thinks it's a waste of time and never signs off," Caitlyn responds with a pointed look.

"How very convenient for him," Vi snorts. Caitlyn smiles and finishes her espresso.

"Shoola won't draw any scrutiny for this. But Salo's office was already connected to the tampered recording device. If someone interferes with Jinx's food and Salo's name is on that request? Then I'll have to open an investigation into him. Even if I know he's being framed, it'll be on him to prove his innocence, not me. We have the tampered recorder, the driver's incident report, and an office write up showing all of Salo's got damaged in transit, but that's not enough to let him off. It also isn't enough to confiscate Hoskel's and examine them. Assuming he hasn't already removed the secondary recording discs to cover his tracks," Caitlyn explains.

"And by the time you had evidence to clear Salo, Hoskel could have come up with another way to silence Jinx. Temporarily or permanently. Even if he just stalls things that leaves your attention split between a lot of different things. He could argue that you aren't fit for the case or just hope something slips through the cracks," Vi states. Caitlyn nods in agreement.

"Only Salo is on our side and is already meticulously combing through every request coming through his office, and is tracking every discrepancy he finds. If Hoskel tries that, Salo will be ready to retaliate," Caitlyn explains.

"Ok, I can follow that line of thinking and see why Hoskel would go for that without hesitation," Vi says slowly. "But why Jayce? Aside from him being the council's poster boy?" she asks.

"Because Jayce met with Silco privately and without letting anyone on the council know. He didn't ask for Silco himself, but for Jinx, and he didn't bother to haggle or make any other requests. We know that Silco never would have handed Jinx over, but from an outside perspective? That could suddenly look a lot more suspicious with what's happening now," Caitlyn points out. Vi squints thoughtfully.

"I hadn't considered that. Even if Hoskel suspects it's a trap, both opportunities will simply be too good to resist," Vi muses. "The problem for him is that both Salo and Jayce know you're after someone who is trying to silence Jinx. I mean Jayce knows, right?" she asks.

"Mel said she would tell him everything when I met with her the day before yesterday," Caitlyn responds. "Mel also lent me some mechanical butterflies during our meeting. After Jinx's attack on the bridge, Jayce got the idea to make them less conspicuous and to change them for spy work. Jinx had them set to track any nearby weapons after they deployed. That's the only reason I barely survived the initial blast. Because I didn't have my rifle on me anymore. These new ones can not only follow a tracking device, but their wings can pick up vibrations for basic sound capture and they have the rudimentary ability to stay out of sight when they sense movement," she continues.

"Their abilities and recording storage are rather limited. So don't expect any miracles," Caitlyn warns. "But I've deployed enough of them widely enough that no matter what happens, we'll get something. Plus, Salo placed a few of his most trusted employees in some strategic positions. He's even given some of Hoskel's employees some... rather competitive job offers in exchange for information," Caitlyn states. Vi's eyebrows shoot up.

"Hoskel has a reputation for being a bit of a cheapskate with his yearly raise evaluation," Caitlyn says smoothly. Vi laughs.

"So that's what you meant about Salo towing the line, but knowing where to stop. Bribing them outright would get him in trouble. But a job offer with a higher salary? That's just good business," Vi says and Caitlyn shrugs.

"While I don't exactly like it, I can't fight everything I come across," Caitlyn admits. Like Sevika's fighting ring and gambling houses. So long as Shimmer isn't involved and everyone knows what they are getting into, she can let it go. There are bigger problems to deal with in the city. Like someone trying to silence Jinx to hide far worse corruption.

Over at the table, the food alchemist pauses and frowns slightly as he tastes a slice of cake. It looks rather ordinary to her, but he hums and pinches a piece off. Grabbing a vial, he drops the piece of cake in and tips a little powder into it. After about 10 seconds, it slowly foams and turns a rather familiar shade of pink. Caitlyn straightens up and immediately strides over to the table where he's working. What was his name again?

"Ayden," the man says as if reading her mind.

"Right, Ayden. Did you find something?" she asks urgently.

"Indeed. Taste this. It will take a moment to kick in, but I assure you it won't have any lingering ill effects," Ayden warns. Caitlyn takes a piece of the cake and eats it. It has a distinct sugary taste with a touch of alcohol in it.

Ayden goes back to his work, testing the rest of the cake and the small package of sweet tea that's included. Caitlyn watches him for about five minutes and is about to ask what she should be expecting. Then she shifts her stance and the entire room spins.

"Whoa there, cupcake!" Vi says, catching her from behind. Caitlyn tries to stand up but everything feels pleasantly fuzzy and bright. Ayden's figure wavers and turns into her father chopping up vegetables in their kitchen for dinner. She can even smell soup simmering. She shakes her head and Ayden reappears as the smell fades.

"It's laced with Shimmer," Caitlyn confirms, closing her eyes. She already assumed it was when she first saw that pink color in his testing vial, so she wasn't surprised or upset. Mostly it feels strange, and she doesn't like the feeling of not being in control. Ayden gives her a small cup to drink and Caitlyn downs it all at once. It only takes a second for the pleasant Shimmer fuzz to go away.

"The most popular and easily accessible variant of Shimmer tastes like sugar mixed with a touch of alcohol. Blended into this, it would be very easy to go unnoticed since they listed this on the delivery slip as excess day old rum cake from a local bakery," Ayden explains.

"Most taste testers would simply make sure it isn't actively dangerous and pass it on, with a note about whether they should include it in future shipments. Prison food and special meals are often a mix of whatever leftovers are received from business and stores around the city. Only they lose some, if not all, of their freshness by the time they actually stop sitting around decaying and reach the kitchens in Stillwater. Although word has it that the new Sheriff has improved on the food since she took office," Ayden says with a thin smile at Caitlyn.

That was one of the first things she'd checked on and improved, along with new guidelines for treatment of the prisoners and more than a few additional guards to make sure the new Warden enforced those rules.

"With Jinx being topside and her care overseen by the Sheriff, those usual delays have mysteriously evaporated. Leaving a rather nice assortment to choose from. They blended the Shimmer into the rum cake in such a way that someone would likely eat it entirely before the Shimmer takes full effect. Producing some rather strong and lingering hallucinations. Normally peaceful ones, but it is well known that those who deal with mental illness or psychosis can have rather violent Shimmer reactions. Usually towards themselves," Ayden notes.

That's exactly what I was afraid of,Caitlyn considers as Vi steadies her.

"You good?" Vi asks with concern. She keeps her hand on Caitlyn's lower back even as she stands up straight once again.

"Yes, thanks to... whatever that was, you had me drink. Would the amount put into that cake have been enough to hurt someone?" Caitlyn asks.

"Absolutely not," Ayden says with a smile.

"No?" Vi exclaims, looking surprised.

"The blend is almost accurate, but not quite. It has a delayed reaction as it should, but if it was mixed properly, that simple solution I gave you to clear it from your system would have taken another few minutes to have an effect. Whoever did this wanted it to be convincing to their client, while not actually doing its intended job in the end," Ayden explains.

"Thank you, Adyen. And thank you for your services. Is there anything else you can tell me? Why would someone agree to this but not see it through?" Caitlyn asks him. Ayden carefully puts all of his powders and vials away in a leather bag and thinks about that.

"Well, that takes a bit of explanation, so stick with me a moment. Shimmer blending is an art, you see. The compounds do not mix well or easily with organic or chemical substances. It's a very precise science and one the average person would have little knowledge of when straight Shimmer already has an appealing enough taste that most might not initially notice it," Ayden points out.

"Spiking someone's food or drink with Shimmer is easy. Doing so to produce a delayed reaction, though, is far more difficult than you might imagine. Shimmer is incredibly potent and difficult to work with directly. It takes barrels of the stuff to experiment properly with and since Silco's death, there is no reliable way of getting it. Shimmer simply appears in places and no one knows from where. As a result, the price of Shimmer has skyrocketed," Ayden explains.

"So achieving something like this would take an extraordinary amount of coin, given to someone who already spent years working with Shimmer, who will work with topsiders, and who isn't particularly worried about someone coming after them with ill intent," Vi considers.

"My guess is that this is someone who worked directly with Silco during the early days, when Shimmer first spread underground. Either at his request, or so they could get access to the supplies needed to do their work. Someone who still works in Zaun and who didn't fulfill their part of the deal, because the buyer didn't play by underground rules," Ayden explains. Caitlyn looks over at Vi questioningly.

"It means you get what you pay for and whoever wanted this done didn't pay enough," Vi states, translating the shorthand for her.

"Pretty much. There's only one person below that I know would fit that criteria," Ayden says, leaving a slip of paper behind on the counter. Caitlyn peeks inside and sees one name written. Looking up, she smiles.

"We appreciate your work," Caitlyn says smoothly. He nods respectfully to her and leaves. Once he's gone, Caitlyn sighs.

"I have to tell Mel and Jayce about this. It's likely she'll want to meet with Jinx immediately to ask her some questions. I was hoping to give her more time for this, but I don't think we can wait. Jinx may be immune to Shimmer's negative effects now, but the intent was still to cause her harm. I'm concerned about how this could escalate," Caitlyn confesses.

"So am I. Ugh, I wish we could give her more time to adjust to all of this, but someone tried to hurt her. My little sister. We have to find out what Jinx might know and we can't afford to keep waiting," Vi reluctantly agrees. "Do you need me to do something?" she adds.

Caitlyn's mind is humming with an idea. One based on bits and pieces of information Jinx has already given them and details from yesterday's recordings and reports. Specifically how Jinx reacted, and didn't react, during the radio broadcast.

"Uh oh, you've got that Sheriff Mode look again," Vi realizes as she waits for a response.

Caitlyn straightens up and adjusts her hat.

"Go to the nearest newspaper office and get me some press photos of the council. Twin City Times is probably the closest. Not the biggest, but one of the best. They don't have to be very good images. Just clear headshots with no names or other identifying information," Caitlyn says abruptly.

"I need to... excuse me?" Vi asks, looking very confused. Caitlyn leans over and gives her a kiss.

"Don't worry about the details. I have a plan." Caitlyn responds with a confident smile.

Jinx stares at the photo. She's sitting cross-legged on a plush chair and Vi is sitting on one she pulled in front of her. Currently, Vi is holding up a photo of a dark-skinned woman with an incredibly interesting neck mechanism. Are those all gears? Her fingers are itching to get her hands on it and see how it works.

Focus.

Lifting her eyes, Jinx stares at Caitlyn, who is standing behind Vi. A recorder is on the table nearby, quietly spinning as it records the conversation. All right, this has gotten weird enough. She has to say something.

"Look, I know we had that sweet, heart to heart sob story moment last night and you're trying to avoid anything that could trigger me. But If all you're going to have me do is stare at photos of rich Pilties, I might have to take back the no bribes comment I made yesterday. Because frankly, I could use some donuts if I'm going to have to suffer through any more of this," Jinx tells her.

"Humor me," Caitlyn asks.

"Haha, I'm so amused," Jinx deadpans and Caitlyn rolls her eyes.

"Just let me know if you recognize anyone we show you," she asks with more actual information this time.

Jinx's eyes slide down to look at her sister. Vi seems just as confused, but dutifully keeps holding the photo up. She looks totally clueless about why all of this was happening, but Caitlyn gave the order so she's following through on it. Her big, tough sister following around a rich topsider like an eager puppy. Sure, Jinx can see now why Vi fell for Caitlyn, but that doesn't mean she's going to give them any less grief for it.

"You're so whipped. Nice to see who is really in charge of your relationship, so I know who to ask when I really want to buy something," Jinx sneers. Vi's cheeks turn bright red, and Caitlyn coughs to hide the smile that spreads across her face. Vi clears her throat before tapping the photo pointedly.

"Focus, please," Vi demands, switching to another photo. Some rich older lady now. Short hair with a couple of white streaks in it. Something about her serious expression makes Jinx feel like she should know who it is.

"I see the rich old lady and I don't recognize her," Jinx says with a pointed yawn. Vi's eyes flick over to Caitlyn who merely nods for her to continue.

They go through a few more before Vi pulls up one. Rather unremarkable man with dark hair and a beard, but she recognizes that smile and smarmy look.

"That one, " Jinx says instantly. "He met with Silco a few times at an old smugglers' dock in the canyons. It was just wide enough for small airships to slip in and out of, if you had the right flight fins attached to guide them through the winds. But after a few too many crashes, they shut it down. So they dug through to some abandoned mining tunnels instead, shored them back up properly, and started using those for smuggling," she explains.

"The man was initially interested in buying the docks from Silco, but cancelled the deal after he saw what shape they were in and how the walls had shifted. Instead, Silco struck a different deal. He would pay a fee, a bribe, to airship captains under the man's employ and they would let him shift Shimmer around the undercity at a much faster pace than he could do on his own. Silco always had me scout an area first, rig prime sniping spots for explosives, make sure there were no other traps. That kind of thing. Then I'd stick around afterwards to make sure nothing went bad. That's how I overheard the conversations," Jinx says with a wave of her hand.

Stepping forward, Caitlyn takes the photos and shuffles them all together.

"I need to ask you to do one more thing, but it might be upsetting. If it gets to be too much, just let us know and we'll stop. All right?" Caitlyn offers. Jinx fidgets uncomfortably and then nods.

"I'm going to show you a photo of one council member. Councilor Hoskel. I just need you to tell me if this man is the same one you saw with Silco," Caitlyn asks her. Hoskel. The name triggers a memory of the ravenous monster Silco said he was. Jinx feels warm suddenly and licks her lips.

Caitlyn hands Vi a photo. Upon seeing it, Vi frowns and looks up at her questioningly.

"Go on," Caitlyn orders. Vi gives her an inscrutable look and turns it around. Jinx knows what's coming, but still she whimpers and flinches back.

A large canine head and eyes covered by a blindfold made of silver and gold thread. Tall ears lined with earring studs of the finest gems. Huge iron fangs and a nose that sniffs out money. Jinx can't see the rest, but she can imagine it. Its hands are layered with golden jewelry and it snatches up anyone who gets too close with steel claws. Its jaws bleed Zaunites not of blood, but of wealth. It bleeds undercity citizens of what few hole punched coins they have. A broken currency that is worth less than half of what the properly minted ones used topside are. It sits on an ivory thrown atop mountains of gold and still it hungers, always sniffing around at anyone who gets too close and never satisfied with what it already has.

This is no scribble like the rest. No cartoon drawings and jagged lines. This is whole and complete and terrifying.

"Easy there, blue bird. You're safe, it's just a photo. No one else is here."

Vi's voice cuts through the panic and Jinx takes a deep breath. She remembers what Rosalyn has been teaching her. Just give it a moment and wait to see if the feeling passes. Vi's hand was on her arm, grounding her thoughts. Just a photo. It isn't here.

"Caitlyn and I are right there. No one is going to hurt you," Vi murmurs. She moves closer, squeezing in next to her on the chair and wrapping her arms around Jinx until she calms down again.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Jinx apologizes.

"You did just fine. We can stop," Caitlyn reassures her. Jinx shakes her head.

"No. I'll be okay," Jinx insists.

"Jinx," Vi begins.

"Please," she interrupts. "Just... let me do this. It won't make a difference if we do it now or later and you can't afford to keep waiting for me to be well enough to help. Can you?" she demands. Vi holds her tighter at those words and Caitlyn looks away silently.

"Okay, but take your time all right?" Vi urges her. Jinx nods and just leans against her for a while.

Once she's feeling better, Jinx asks for some paper. When it arrives, she moves to the table and gets to work. These aren't the jagged lines or crayon drawings she usually does. These are more like the neat lines of the engineering schematics she makes. Precise and meticulous as she draws. The outline is done in pencil and then she carefully fills in the color using her crayons.

When Jinx is done, she hands the drawing over. Both Vi and Caitlyn look disturbed by it, but not surprised.

"That photo you showed me of Councilor Hoskel... it was the same one I saw before, wasn't it?" Jinx says quietly. Caitlyn nods.

"It was. I'm sorry for doing that to you and I understand if you're mad at me for it," Caitlyn apologizes. Honestly, Jinx isn't sure if she's angry or not. Mostly, she just feels worn out.

"I had a hunch something was up when Vi told me about how you responded to Mel's statement yesterday. Then what I saw just now confirmed it. All the photos you saw earlier were council members, but you didn't react until you actually knew that," Caitlyn pauses and stares at the drawing in her hands. "The council..." she begins carefully. "You don't actually see any of them as people, do you? You can't," she asks gently.

Jinx stares at her hands and shakes her head.

"If I don't know who they are, like when you first showed me the photos, then I can see the person they actually are. But if I know who it is? Then all that's there is a monster. Each one looks different, for different reasons," Jinx hesitates and glances at the recorder, still silently churning on the other side of the low table.

"All of them look different based on what Silco told me about them," Jinx admits. She looks at the drawing. Vi is holding onto it now.

"He said Councilor Hoskel was like a wolf. A cunning predator with a head for money. Never satisfied with what he already has and always bleeding the underground for more while giving nothing back. Silco said they were all monsters. I've..." Jinx stops and hunches her shoulders. She can feel Fishbones rumbling in her hands again. A pink haze covers her vision as she takes aim at the old council building. At the people who ordered the enforcers around, at the politicians who thrived while Zaun scrapped by, at the ones Silco always hated so much. At the ones everyone in Zaun hated.

"I've never actually known what any of them look like," Jinx confesses. "Because they were never people like us and we weren't people to them. Just problems to bury underground and forget about," she whispers.

Looking up, Jinx waits for Caitlyn to ask about that day. The day she fired the missile and tried to murder the council. Every last one of them. She waits, but Caitlyn doesn't ask.

"May I keep this?" Caitlyn says instead. Jinx nods, unsure if she's relieved or disappointed that Caitlyn doesn't ask the question hanging between them like a grenade, just waiting for someone to pull the pin. Vi returns to her side and puts an arm around her.

"I'm proud of you, blue jay. You're doing so well. Do you want to take a break?" Vi asks. Jinx is about to say no, but then she remembers last night. Doing whatever Vi asks isn't what she wants. What she wants is for Jinx to take care of herself and learn to make decisions on her own. Caitlyn wants that for her too.

"Yeah, I'd like some soda and a snack," Jinx admits. The stress is making her hungry. Vi hugs her.

"I'll be right back with something," Vi promises. It only takes a few minutes before she returns. Blue raspberry soda, her favorite flavor, and strawberry shortcake. It looks like fancy topsider food, but the light sugary taste is delicious.

Once Jinx is finished, they continue. The break and a snack make her feel better. She handled it and didn't fall apart. Nothing broke. It makes her feel stronger and more confident.

"You didn't recognize anyone else so we won't make you go through all of them," Caitlyn assures her. "Lets just focus on Councilor Hoskel. You recognized his photo before. Vi, can you confirm for the record that this photo shown is the same one from earlier?" she asks.

Vi verbally confirms it for the recording.

"Were there any other deals they made?" Caitlyn asks, now looking extremely interested.

"Sure, they started discussing the use of Shimmer as a performance-enhancing drug. Hoskel said he knew some people who would be interested in buying Shimmer to experiment with for that reason and he could put them in touch with Silco. I didn't get invited to those meetings though, just Singed," Jinx explains.

"Singed?" Vi asks.

"He's the one who first made Shimmer, and he saved my life after..." Jinx pauses.

After you gave up on the bridge and tried to blow yourself up because you thought you had no one left worth living or?she thinks. Ok, definitely not saying it like that.

Jinx remembers the pain and the hallucinations. Caitlyn and Vi blended with Singed as he worked to save her. That wasn't real. Well, the pain was real, but it wasn't Caitlyn who stuck those needles in her and Vi wasn't there watching her scream either. It was a lie. Jinx wishes she had realized that sooner.

"After a bomb went off during my fight with Ekko on the bridge," she says, forcing her brain back on track. A deep silence falls over them. Vi's eyes drift up to meet her own. Pink Shimmer eyes.

"And you never mentioned this before because...?" Vi begins. Jinx shrugs.

"Didn't ask, and it wasn't important. Besides, Singed vanished after Silco's death. Probably still doing his creepy experiments somewhere, but his old lab was cleaned out. Literally. Place sparkled so much you could eat off the floors. He didn't want to leave any clues for people to follow," Jinx tells them. Caitlyn chews on her thumbnail in thought for a moment.

"Yesterday I arranged for special meals to be brought in for you," Caitlyn says suddenly. "The goal was never for you to actually eat any of it, but to set a trap. One that successfully went off this morning. Someone put Shimmer into a cake they believed was meant for you. Blended it in to delay the reaction and hide the taste. Could Singed achieve something like that?" she asks curiously.

"Could he? Sure. Would he? No. I don't think Singed actually cares about anything other than his weird science. But he was loyal to Silco. He wouldn't go along with any plan to hurt someone Silco cared about or who was loyal to him while he was alive. Not without his permission, anyway. Anything else... depends on whether it helps his experiments," Jinx says with a shrug. Then her brain catches up to the rest of what Caitlyn said.

"Does this mean no cake?" Jinx asks, feeling disappointed.

"We'll make sure you get a different one for dinner," Vi promises her.

"The person who tested your food gave me the name Sandman. Does that name sound familiar?" Caitlyn continues, getting them back on track. Jinx nods.

"He was Silco's back-up plan for when things went wrong. Silco gave him Shimmer and Sandman experimented with it to make better poison blends. Someone talked in prison to the enforcers, took a bribe for information, or they just spoke to the wrong person, whatever. Sandman didn't take care of them directly, but he created the dugs and chemicals that did. He doesn't particularly care who hires him, so long as they are smart enough to pay using underground rules," Jinx replies.

"Underground..." Caitlyn pauses and frowns. "That came up earlier as well. What exactly does that entail? I'm sure you've mentioned it before, but I can't remember what exactly it is," she says, looking at Vi.

"There are two ways to buy things. If you want to buy an object, you start ridiculously high and haggle down to a more reasonable price. But underground rules are for when you need a service done. Anything from fixing a wall because someone got thrown through it, to hiring a hit man for your competition. In that case, the rules are different. You start at a set price and negotiate up. The higher you pay above the set agreement, the better service you get," Vi explains.

"So being willing to pay more means the difference between your competition dying..." Caitlyn begins.

"Or just having a terrible night and immediately knowing who ordered the hit on them and getting revenge," Vi finishes for her.

"Wait," Jinx says, realizing what they mean. "So Hoskel tried to spike my food and couldn't even pay properly to have it done right?" she huffs angrily.

"We're still collecting evidence. We don't know for sure who ordered it," Caitlyn clarifies. Jinx snorts and blows her hair out of her eyes. Probably just said that for the recording, so someone doesn't jump on her for it later. Jinx grumbles under her breath about topsiders laws and fancy enforcer talk.

"Besides, that's a good thing. It means we might get information from whoever did this," Caitlyn points out carefully. Jinx pouts stubbornly and she sighs. "Chances are the person who ordered this was just ignorant of how things work underground," she adds, trying to soothe Jinx's ruffled attitude.

"Well, getting anything from Sandman is only going to get you so far," Jinx warns.

"Why?" Vi asks warily.

"Because he has face blindness and problems with his short-term memory. He can't recognize people by their looks and won't remember any conversations past a few days. He can remember how to blend chemicals just fine, and he can keep track of what he needs for each job. But his memory can't retain details about people anymore," Jinx explains. "That's how he got the name. People joked that if you needed information, you had to get to him before the Sandman did. Before he went to sleep, or he'd forget about it," she tells them.

"That makes for a rather effective shield, I must admit. You can buy his services while being confident he won't be able to identify you. You said he keeps notes, correct? Extensive ones? Would there be any way to convince him to give over what he might have on Hoskel? I don't have the same jurisdiction in the undercity that I do up here. Not with full independence of Zaun in the works. Getting the approval to obtain that evidence could take quite a while under the circumstances and considering who I'd be wanting it against. If he isn't someone who already has an extensive, recorded criminal history, it won't be easy getting the permission I need and no guarantee Sandman would honor it anyway," Caitlyn considers.

"Sandman keeps extremely detailed records. Every name and job that comes through, in fact. That way, he can confirm the items he's made for a job with the person the job is for, since he won't remember it himself. Problem is, he keeps them all encoded with a chemical based system. He'll give them up, but he'll need something in return first," Jinx warns.

"Do you know how that works?" Caitlyn asks her.

"Shimmer based ink blends. It turns invisible when the ink dries and the only way to reveal it again is to use the right chemical counter agent. Get it wrong and the whole thing is ruined. Catches fire, dissolves, turns to acid, whatever. That solution he doesn't write down anywhere just to be safe. Or if he did, then no one knows where it's at," Jinx explains.

"Wait, how does he tell them all apart?" Vi asks with a frown.

"He said they all taste different," Jinx shrugs. There's more to it, but she won't say anything while the recording is going. The Pilties have already proved they'll try to listen in, and this is something she doesn't want anyone else overhearing.

"Well, you've given us a great deal of information so far. Anything you know of that he might want?" Caitlyn asks. Oh, Jinx knows exactly what he'll accept.

"We worked together once, after I made Sevika's first arm. She wanted one that would inject Shimmer into her. A safer blend that wouldn't make her permanently mutated. Singed provided the doses, Sandman tweaked it slightly and helped show me how the injectors should work and where they should go into her body for the best effect," Jinx explains.

"Afterwards he gave me a large box full of of old records and tapes. They were damaged in the same accident that cost him his memory. Earthquake destabilized a building and started a fire. He ran back in to grab the box and the ceiling caved in, hitting him in the head and cracking his skull. Some recordings were crushed, the fire and smoke damaged others. He couldn't remember why he went back in or even what's on them. It was a private obsession of his, wanting to know what was so important he'd risk his life to go back. He gave them to me, said he was tired of being hung up on them. If I could figure out how to get the recordings off, he'd do me a favor in return. Anything I wanted, even made up a contract about it. If not, then at least he'd stop having to remember it all over again once in a while," she continues.

"You know how to fix it now?" Vi guesses hopefully.

"Yeah, if I did, then you could use that to get the evidence you need," Jinx says carefully, her eyes drifting up to meet Caitlyn's.

"I'm sensing a 'but' in this conversation," Caitlyn says, raising an eyebrow.

"I could do it," Jinx admits, "But I wouldn't know whether I could do it in hours or days until I had what I needed. Which is two working hextech recording boxes and a workshop that could make use of them. Either my own, or one topside that's equipped to work with hextech and gemstones. Plus, someone would have to find Sandman's stuff back where I stuffed it in my workshop underground," she says carefully.

"I can do it, but you'd have to let me access hextech again," Jinx warns them. Caitlyn stares at her, then looks away, quiet and thoughtful. For a while, she just stands there in silence before looking over at Vi.

"Jinx's mental health is my call, but stuff like this is yours," Vi tells her. "This has to do with the city and legal matters. I'll support whatever you decide, even if I don't quite agree," she confirms. How disgustingly sweet. Jinx rolls her eyes and tries not to gag.

"Your request will be considered. This session is now over," Caitlyn says stiffly. She leans over and shuts off the recording and pops out the tape for extra measure.

"If I let you do this," Caitlyn says carefully, "It could impact my ability to protect you from harm. There will be a lot of outside factors that won't be under my control or the control of people whose job it is to keep you safe like there is here. I need to know that you understand and accept the potential risks," she warns, looking worried.

No question about why Jinx needs the hextech, no demands about what exactly she would build using them, not even a list of rules she'd have to follow. Just a warning about how she might not be safe. It's just like Jinx thought yesterday and just like Violet pointed out. Caitlyn is getting attached to her as well.

"Hoskel could use the chance to come after me and you might not be able to control how that happens," Jinx considers. This time Caitlyn doesn't argue over the name, she just nods in agreement.

"To be fair, you hurting anyone foolish enough to attack you is also a concern I have to consider. Both personally and as Sheriff," Caitlyn states. "Putting you in a situation where you could be hurt or hurt someone else reflects on myself and Vi. It could also influence your care and future restrictions," she warns. Jinx knows that, but hearing it still makes her fidget uncomfortably.

"I could hurt someone here. Don't need bombs for that anymore," Jinx reminds them. With her Shimmer enhanced body, it would be child's play. Physically, she's much faster and stronger than the average person now. Besides, they should be worried about themselves too. Hoskel could go after them as well.

"The people here aren't trying to kill you because of what you might know about Silco," Caitlyn points out, crossing her arms. She doesn't have an argument for that one.

"Fair enough," Jinx mutters. Now Vi is looking anxious again, shifting in her seat and picking at her arm wraps. Suddenly, she looks a lot less convinced about all of this. The sight of her sister getting worse takes the wind out of Jinx's growing excitement over being able to work again.

Self defense is one thing, but if I used that as an excuse to hurt someone, they could say that Caitlyn was wrong for keeping me here. That I can't be trusted, and Vi's care isn't good enough for me. That I shouldn't be allowed to see her or stay with them in the future. It means I might not see Rosalyn or have my therapy sessions like before,Jinx realizes, her attitude sobering.

Her actions have consequences now. That's not a new idea. She isn't that emotionally stunted. But Silco never really disciplined her, not even when Jinx knew she deserved it. Not even when she wanted him to.

Silco always let it go. Wrote it off. He never got upset. Not unless she hurt enforcers and then only because of the attention it would bring back to the undercity. No discipline, but not enough guidance, either. He'd give her space to deal with her monsters, but never any advice for how to do better.

Jinx got one of their own men shot and put in prison on Progress Day and his only words were to "take some time" after one of the Firelight's that day reminded her of Vi. She wanted him to get upset at her for ruining his Shimmer delivery. At least tell her to be more careful with how she used her guns or be happy that no one on their side died. But he never wanted to do anything he thought would hurt her.

At first, being told she messed up hurt. It hurt and sent her spiraling into the dark every time. So Silco stopped doing it. Any mistake, any slip up, he just shrugged it off. It was fine, Sevika would clean it up. Then Jinx got older, wiser, smarter. She grew up enough to realize she was still making mistakes, but now she had no guidance on how to fix them, or learn from them when they happened. Sevika would take care of it. Sevika would fix it for her. Only Sevika wouldn't talk to her anymore, and Jinx had forgotten what they used to have. But the frustration was still there.

There are times Jinx wished Silco would have gotten more upset, told her she messed up, and then sat her down to explain how she could do better even though it made her hurt. But he didn't. Because that would have hurt her too.

We really weren't very good for each other, were we?Jinx considers, picking at a loose thread on her boot.

"I want to stay with you," Jinx blurts out. Abruptly, she realizes both of them have been patiently waiting for her to speak this entire time. Giving her the space she needs to think.

"I want to go home with you," she says, with an edge of desperation in her voice. Saying the words makes her realize how true that is. Violet planted the idea in her head yesterday and it's been growing there ever since. A new family, a new home, and a new life. A way to show topsiders that Zaunites were just as smart and just as important as everyone else, but without the murder and kidnapping. Jinx wants that. She knows what she wants now.

Jinx looks up at them, both of them.

"My actions have consequences. I know that. I'm not that dumb," Jinx mutters. "But I can protect myself without hurting someone. Did it plenty of times before underground," she insists. Looking up, she sees Violet standing there in the corner watching her with steady, unblinking eyes. Pushing her to continue. Twitching, Jinx looks away, knowing she has to say the rest.

"I wouldn't hurt someone for attacking me. I can control that if I have to, and I have to control it now," Jinx insists. Her eyes flick back up to meet Vi's, shy and hesitant. "But I don't know if I could control myself if someone tried to hurt you. Either of you," she whispers softly.

Already Jinx can tell she's gotten too attached to Caitlyn. Just the idea of someone hurting her makes her fingers twitch to hold a bomb, a grenade, Pow-Pow, Fishbones, anything. Rip and tear and burst them apart in a beautiful explosion.

How different that was a few months ago when Jinx was the one making her hurt. Kidnapping her from the safety of her own bedroom. Guilt digs into Jinx at that memory. Caitlyn's eyes soften and Vi gets up and moves to kneel in front of her.

"Then trust that if something like that happens, we'll take care of it. Believe that it's our job to handle it and let us decide what happens. It's our responsibility to take care of things like that, and to protect you. Even if that means we have to protect you from yourself," Vi says gently. Jinx chews on a pigtail and thinks about it. That's right. Vi's an enforcer now. It's supposed to be her job to keep people safe.

"If I want you to trust me with hextech again... then I have to trust you to handle things if something goes wrong, and we get attacked. Because that's your responsibility as enforcers and as my... my..." Jinx stumbles on the word and her eyes dart up to Caitlyn.

"That's right," Caitlyn confirms. "I'm willing to try this and see if I can convince some councilors I trust to allow you access to a workshop. You don't have to trust me personally, but you will have to let me do my job if things go wrong and agree not to interfere. It's your choice. We can always find another way," she says. Caitlyn is trying to be gentle, but that only makes her more agitated.

"There is no other way," Jinx objects, her fingers twitching nervously as she plays with her pigtail. Caitlyn frowns, but this is important and they can't interrupt.

"There is no other way because I know how Silco kept his records. Every deal he made with topsiders. The ones I went to and the ones I didn't. Everything he recorded and every communication he had with Hoskel about Shimmer. Where it went, how much he purchased, the warehouses it was stored in, and who Hoskel was acting as a middle party for. I can find all of it for you," Jinx states, dropping the bomb out into the open between them. Caitlyn's eyes widen and Vi sucks in a breath.

"But it's scattered throughout Zaun in caches linked to a code system Silco taught me. Only me. And he encrypted each cache of records with Shimmer blend ink. With Silco dead now... the only one who can unlock it is Sandman," Jinx tells them. "So even if I got it for you, it would be useless without him. We need his help and if you try to force him to do it without offering something first, he could end up ruining them. With Shimmer ink, you only get one chance to undo it. A single mistake and he could damage everything," she warns them.

Vi curses, and Caitlyn closes her eyes, looking frustrated.

"And I would rather not take the risk of trying to ask for something else and it not working out. Not when this way might be guaranteed and another request could be something we may not be able to deliver," Caitlyn says, gritting her teeth.

"Silco was paranoid. Different from me, but paranoid all the same," Jinx mumbles, fidgeting in her chair.

Vi stands up, curling and uncurling her fists. She looks determined and ready for a fight. Caitlyn adjusts her hat and opens her eyes.

"Well then," Caitlyn says smoothly, "We'd better get started. Vi, you will collect Sandman's things from the location Jinx gives you and then go to his address to confirm the deal. See if you can meet with Sevika first. If Sandman worked for Silco, then she should know more about him," she pauses and looks over at Jinx, who nods in confirmation. Thinking about Sevika makes the guilt in her chest worse. She misses her.

"He may not recognize you by sight, but everyone knows your name and that you are a Special Enforcer. Jinx's capture will be all over the city now and is constantly on the radio and over the newspapers. So he'll know you aren't lying, at least, even if Sevika can't or doesn't help," Caitlyn adds.

"I'm going to go visit Jayce and Mel and arrange for a workshop to be prepared. Hopefully," she mutters under her breath.

Looking at Jinx, her severe expression softens again.

"Thank you for agreeing to help us like this. The chance to catch someone as high up as Hoskel really means a lot. I promise we'll do whatever we can to protect you," Caitlyn vows. Vi leans in to give her a powerful hug.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll even swing by Jericho's and let the old fishman known you're all right," Vi murmurs. She ruffles Jinx's hair and gives her a kiss on the head. Caitlyn touches her shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze before grabbing the recorder and packing it up.

It's not until both of them have left that Jinx finally moves. She stares at where the recorder was and then at the spot where Caitlyn was standing.

"Be careful, big sis," Jinx whispers softly into the empty room, as Roland comes back to take over guard duty.

Chapter 13

Notes:

Over 12,500 words this time! I keep thinking I'll keep it to a lower number but alas

Chapter Text

Jayce has known Caitlyn long enough to tell that she's impatient. Her body is taut with urgency and she keeps glancing over at the large gear driven clock. Yet when he tells her they need an hour to discuss the issue she's raised, Caitlyn doesn't object. There are no angry words and no frustrated arguments about how quickly they need to act. Instead, she merely nods and leaves the private meeting room so that they can talk it over. He admires her level of self-control. He wishes he had the same.

"You realize," Salo begins from his seat across the table, "That this request for permission is a formality, yes? As Sheriff, the safety of the city and the investigation of those within it fall under her purview. Even when the suspect is another councilor. Especially so, in fact. As such, if Caitlyn feels that Jinx having access to hextech would aid in this investigation, then she doesn't need our consent to do it. Nor is your workshop the only one in Piltover equipped to work on this technology anymore," he explains. He pauses and takes a sip of his wine.

"Technically speaking, of course," Salo adds blithely. Jayce glances over at Mel and Shoola to confirm this. Both of them nod.

"Caitlyn is asking this as a courtesy. Not as a requirement," Mel confirms. "Individually, no council member can stop her. In order for her to be overruled, more would have to vote against her action than those who support it. Regardless of whether that's two people or the entire chamber," she explains.

"Caitlyn has been directly affected by Jinx's behavior just as we have," Shoola reminds them. "More so, in fact, seeing as she was kidnapped and has come face-to-face with the young woman multiple times over the past months. Caitlyn has also lost coworkers to her bombs. If she feels we can trust Jinx to do this, then I will defer to her judgment. Vi's as well. Neither of them have ever let sentiment interfere with keeping the city safe," she states.

"Salo?" Jayce asks and the man shrugs.

"The authority of the Sheriff is second only to that of the combined council. Even then, a Sheriff can refuse or challenge any course of action they feel is counterproductive or even dangerous. We gave her that authority. Seems like a bad time to question our own judgment now," Salo replies, eyebrow raised.

Jayce recalls his own order to lock down the bridge. Marcus didn't seem convinced, but he didn't argue. Guilt pulls at his heart again, and the memory of Marcus' empty eyes staring off into nothing makes his stomach churn.

"Mel?" Jayce says, turning to her. She's been doing a lot of research lately, pulling information from archives and old newspapers late into the night and on into the early morning. Now she has another stack in front of her, more research before Caitlyn interrupted.

"What was it you said before? That individually we may not have caused this, but collectively we have enabled it?" Mel asks, looking thoughtful. "I feared for my life that day Jinx fired her missile and I feared for the future of this city as well. Jinx murdered four or five officers on Progress Day. With at least another eleven killed the bridge. But what about our crimes?" she asks. Jayce recognizes that tone. The one she uses when she's going in for the kill, politically speaking.

Grabbing the papers in front of her, Mel slides two newspapers over in front of him. The first thing Jayce notices is the date. The same day for both of them, about six months ago. Next is the headlines. One headline praises the glory of the hextech revolution and how it has brought record profits and improvements to citizens' lives. Underneath is a photo of Progress Day. Balloons are floating in the air and the mood is celebratory.

The other newspaper is made of much cheaper paper and the pages are severely discolored.Health Council Publishes Shocking Report On The 24th Anniversary of The Lanes Hospital Closure.The headline reads. Below is a graph showing a sharp increase in diagnoses of severe mental illness among undercity children, starting from a year after the fans broke down. Fans meant to pull toxic fissure gas up out of the canyons and vent it elsewhere so citizens wouldn't breathe traces of it in and get sick. Work on restoring them began about two months after Jinx's missile attack.

Jayce silently does the math. Jinx must be around 18 years old, which means the hospital would have closed a few years before she was born. The last of the fans broke down two years after that.

"Jinx is Vi's sister," Mel reminds them. "And a simple inquiry about our Special Enforcer revealed she grew up in The Pits. The lowest, darkest levels of the canyons near a tent city for the homeless. Guess where the largest concentrations of fissure gas particles always end up?" she says, letting the question hang in the air. Closing his eyes, Jayce understands her point as guilt crushes him.

"The lowest levels of the undercity," Shoola says quietly. "It always drifts back down," she murmurs quietly.

"Exactly," Mel says, looking at all of them with anger in her eyes. "That's not to say that this caused her issues. Family history, the emotional trauma she's endured, as well as other factors, could all be responsible. We could fight all day over the why and when and how," she states.

"But I will not ignore the possibility this information presents. Nor will I shy away from the realization that even if the decay of the Fans had nothing to do with Jinx, it still resulted in other children getting sick. Ones we don't know about. We condemn Jinx for her crimes and rightfully demand justice for the lives she's taken. But who will demand justice for those we've left to die in the undercity? For those we've left without basic infrastructure? Without so much as a hospital to help them when the measures we put in place to keep them safe have failed?" she demands of them, her voice rising.

"I came to this city to avoid more death, not to cause it," Mel spits out. "But I chose this position all the same. I accepted it when it was offered to me and I stayed. Then I accepted more power after Jinx's attack. Did I cause these problems? No, I didn't. I was barely a teen myself and not even in the city yet when most of this was going on. But by accepting this position, I accepted responsibility for these actions. I made that decision," she says, more evenly this time.

"Now that responsibility has come back to haunt me. To haunt all of us. I will not turn away from the guilt it makes me feel. Nor will I shy away from accepting the thousands of lives I am responsible for. I cannot help those already lost, but I can help someone who is trying to find a new way in a world that has done nothing but take away everything they care about," Mel says passionately.

Mel has changed over the past few months. Before, she was content to guide things from the shadows, teaching Jayce how to play the game and fight on a battlefield made of favors and secret deals rather than weapons and blood.

Lately, however, Mel has been a lot more passionate and more determined. Having her mother show up rattled her severely, more than she let on. Then Jinx's attack shook her even more. She's not content to sit back and watch things play out among others she's manipulated anymore. She's going to make them happen even if she has to do so herself.

Jayce is just glad that she's on their side and that she genuinely cares about the city. Piltover could do far worse than someone like her, but it would be awfully hard to find someone better, or someone more fiercely committed to keeping the city safe.

"You realize we're on your side already, don't you?" Salo asks calmly as he sips his wine. Mel looks embarrassed for a moment before regaining her composure.

"The point remains. Mel is right," Jayce says supportively. "Who started these problems is irrelevant. We accepted the responsibility of governing this city and that means we also accepted the problems others left behind for us to clean up. None of us can feign ignorance of that fact. Just as Caitlyn has not tried to escape responsibility for cleaning up the enforcers. An organization that went from keeping the peace to oppressing those from below. She has nothing to do with their tarnished legacy, but that has not stopped her from being proactive and trying to improve them now," he continues. Jayce was proud of her, proud of what she's done and her determination to do better than those who came before her.

"The council has enabled the suffering and deaths of thousands in the undercity. I personally am responsible for countless, permanent injuries resulting from clashes over the bridge lockdown I ordered," Jayce states. "We cannot ignore the lives Jinx has taken, but neither can we ignore that her actions and decisions were compounded by an individual we ignorantly left in power, by a corrupt Sheriff we supported, and by our neglect and failure to care for the undercity properly," he points out. No one argues.

"Caitlyn feels Jinx deserves a chance. A chance to prove by her actions that she not only understands what she did, but that she's committed to getting better and doing better from now on. As was stated already, Caitlyn has been affected by Jinx's actions as well. So if she thinks Jinx is willing and able to change, then I'll support her in that decision," Jayce declares.

"She already had my vote," Salo admits, "But as long as Jinx doesn't end up thrown in jail or forgotten about somewhere, then I'll continue to lend my support. The girl desperately needs help. The kind that we have clearly denied her for most of her life," he says, looking away.

Earlier, Jayce asked Mel what Salo's interest in this was, but all she'd say was that it was "personal" for him. Jayce doesn't understand enough about the high houses to know of Salo's private affairs, but he knows they don't look kindly on anyone who is different or who doesn't fit into their perfect mold. He also knows numbers, and it was easy to find out that Salo's personal estate makes quiet, and surprisingly generous, yearly donations to various mental health clinics and charities across both cities.

Perhaps Zaunites aren't the only people who have been neglected,Jayce considers.

"I agree with Salo on this. Not something I say usually, I must admit," Shoola says with a thin smile. Salo grins at her and lifts his cup of wine in a mock toast.

"I believe I've made it abundantly clear where I stand already," Mel says with a discreet cough. "However, I also feel it is important to state that, while we need a balanced approach, there must still be action on Jinx's part. The girl is frightfully intelligent. I'm willing to make further deals for her treatment and release, but only on the condition that she proves she will not be an ongoing threat to the city," she states firmly.

"For the curious among us, I have a question," Salo interrupts, "You say you will make further deals on the condition Jinx proves not to be a further threat. Is that connected to her willingness to provide information about Silco? Or do you view that as a separate issue from it?" he asks.

That's not a bad question,Jayce considers.

"Separate," Mel says immediately. "Criminals take deals all the time because they'd rather spend 15 years in prison instead of 30 or 40. Such deals are offered, not because the individual is no longer a threat, but because we deem the information they have worth it," she replies.

"So if the information Jinx has is of little value, but she proves she's not a threat, that won't lessen any deal you're willing to make?" Salo asks.

"Of course not. We've already established that Jinx is a very troubled young woman. In large part because of our neglect. However, that doesn't mean we can let an individual capable of producing weapons of mass destruction wander the streets unsupervised either," Mel responds.

"Ah yes, balance and all that," Salo waves his hand dismissively. "On the other hand, if Jinx had information that was deemed 'worth it' would that increase the terms of any deal you were willing to negotiate? Drastically, so even?" he asks smoothly. Mel narrows her eyes and Jayce is immediately suspicious.

"What are you getting at Salo?" Jayce asks more pointedly.

"Hoskel is the one under suspicion, correct? According to Caitlyn, he met with Silco. After the first deal fell apart, he made a new one to allow Shimmer to be shipped around the city for the right bribes. That's already enough to get him in serious trouble, but then he acted as a middle party between the now deceased Chem Baron and someone else. The discussion they had was about experimenting with Shimmer for use as a performance-enhancing drug. We've already seen what it can do thanks to Jayce's raid on the Shimmer factories. It took hextech weapons and technology to take out the guards the factory had on standby. Standard enforcers were nearly helpless against them. What could a nation with more resources do, if given enough supply and enough time?" Salo asks them.

"It could do far worse," Mel warily admits.

"So Hoskel, who owns the biggest fleet of airships in the city, presumably made a deal to ship barrels of Shimmer to a third party for them to experiment with. Earning him money from them and money from Silco's bribes. Quite a lot of extra coin not being reported on," Salo admits. Then he leans forward and all Jayce can think of is the rat someone trapped in his workshop once and removed.

"Silco, in turn, always had the goal of having Zaun recognized as an independent nation. He already considered it such well before we voted on it. Which would make the last deal Hoskel made a collusion between two nations with unknown and potentially hostile intentions," Salo states. Jayce frowns and he sees Mel do the same as she considers that.

"But I wonder... who exactly has Hoskel developed closer business ties with? A nation that is technically under severe export and import restrictions even now? A nation that even I do only limited trading with and that I'm always careful to make thorough reports about? One that had an unscheduled visit just a few months ago and that would have a decidedly intense interest in new weapons?" Salo pushes. He stares at them evenly and takes a slow sip of his wine. Noxian wine.

Oh god.

Jayce's head snaps over to Mel and he see's the blood drain from her face, leaving it ashen. He clearly, and unfortunately, remembers Mel's mother. That towering, intimidating presence. The warnings and discussions they had about weaponizing hextech, how others would use it against them if they didn't protect themselves first. Jayce recalls how determined Mel was not to go down that path and how disappointed she looked, raising her hand to allow it after Jinx's attack. He remembers how sad she still looks some nights as she stares out over the city.

"You've let the problems of your undercity fester too long." Those were Ambessa's exact words, according to what Mel told him. Even she recognized the council was the problem and he had ignored her, thinking she just didn't understand Piltover. How wrong he was.

Blood returns to Mel's face as her expression twists into one of outrage.

"Get Caitlyn back in here right now and lock this city down. Hoskel doesn't go anywhere until we have some answers," Mel snarls out.

Vi waits patiently until Sevika looks up and realizes who it is. Naturally, her face twists into a scowl.

"I swear, if you use that stupid 'enforcer business' excuse on my bouncers one more time," Sevika growls at her.

"It really is enforcer business! Promise!" Vi says, putting on the most innocent look she can manage. Clearly unconvinced, Sevika motions for her to sit down. Slumping into the chair, Vi quickly explains the situation before she gets tossed out.

"Someone is after Jinx," Vi says pointedly. Sevika twitches visibly and leans back in her chair. "We believe they have ties to Silco and are trying to silence Jinx before she can expose them. We've already gotten verbal confirmation from her, but we need hard evidence that there was a deal if we want things to stick. Unfortunately, that evidence is part of Silco's private records. Jinx says she can find where he hid them, but even if she does, he encoded it all with Shimmer ink," Vi explains.

"Sure sounds like him," Sevika mutters.

"We have a name, Sandman. Jinx says he used to work for Silco and that he could decode the records," Vi continues.

"For a price, sure," Sevika confirms.

"Jinx has an idea. Said she made a deal with him years ago to find out what was on some old recordings he had in exchange for owing her a favor. If I can get those to her, and if Caitlyn can arrange for Jinx to have access to a workshop topside, then she can pull the sound off them and come through on her end of the bargain," Vi tells her.

"Sounds like a lot of ifs there, kid," Sevika says cautiously.

"It is, but it's what we have to go with right now. We don't have time to wait for this. Not as much as we'd like, anyway," Vi says urgently. Sevika hums and considers it.

"Going through Silco's records? That's a big request, Vi. Sandman ain't loyal to much, but he was loyal to Silco and that's one of the few things that's stuck around in his memory. If it was anyone other than Jinx who needed this, I doubt anything would get him to help you. But anyone who knew Silco knew how much he loved that girl like she was his own daughter. I don't like what he did to her, but I won't deny that part," Sevika admits. Vi silently nods in agreement.

"Sandman's memory doesn't hold on to much long term, but if it happens enough times, then some things stick. He remembers his loyalty to Silco and he'll remember that Jinx was special to the old man. Especially with her being in the news lately. Might be the only thing he remembers about her, but it'll be there all the same," Sevika admits with a wave of her hand.

"The question is, what do you want from me? Even I can't strong-arm him into giving up that kind of information, nor would I be dumb enough to try it. Not if you want Silco's records properly decoded instead of just ruined. You'll only get one chance and believe me, Silco didn't make backups," Sevika warns her.

"Well, I could use some help finding Jinx's place. She gave me the location to her workshop down here, but her instructions to get there were a bit... rough. Plus, I need to make sure Sandman will actually accept and honor the deal," Vi admits. "A little muscle wouldn't hurt either. Jinx said there were a couple of boxes to carry," she adds with a wink. Sevika snorts, but she doesn't say no.

Sevika is the unofficial leader of Zaun now, despite her initial reluctance to assume the role. She's always been more of a follower than a leader, but Vi has to admit she's been doing a pretty good job so far. Shimmer usage is going down according to Ekko and supply constraints, along with high prices, are moving more people to get away from using it. Ekko and Sevika still don't like each other, but just like with Vi, they have a reluctant truce. Unless something forces them to interact, they mostly just stay out of each other's way.

"Fine. I was planning to go out anyway, to head topside and go see Jinx. Another hour and we probably would have missed each other," Sevika admits.

"Jinx would love the surprise. I didn't want to give her false hope that you might show up, but I haven't said you won't either," Vi tells her.

"She still got it in her head that what happened with us is her fault?" Sevika asks in a softer tone. Vi simply nods. "Guess I'll have to put some sense into her when I get topside, then. We can go after we visit Sandman," she adds gruffly. Tossing a pen across the table, she starts cleaning up.

"Let me grab two more people and we'll get going. But if you start being a pest again, I'm throwing you back down into The Pits," Sevika warns her.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else," Vi says agreeably.

Jinx's place isn't particularly far, but it is a winding path through streets and back alleys to get there. When they finally arrive, Vi has to do a double take. It's an obscure metal door set into a vast wall covered in graffiti. Even as someone who grew up down here, Vi wouldn't think to give it a second glance. This is an empty part of town with no reason to come by. It's honestly spooky.

A note and free meal coupons for Jericho's are wedged into the door.

"Are you the one who had food delivered for her?" Vi asks suddenly. They would run into Jinx occasionally at Jericho's food stall. It was the only place where Jinx wouldn't dare attack them. Caitlyn asked about her once and the fishman said she was already being taken care of.

"She would forget to eat sometimes, even with Silco. Once she starts tinkering with something, she'll hyper focus on it and forget everything else. If there isn't prepared food there ready to grab, then Jinx will just... forget about it until she's nearly ready to pass out. Didn't take much to pay for Jericho to have someone deliver meals once a day," Sevika says with a shrug. She's trying to act cool, but Vi knows their history now.

"Nice to know someone was still looking after her," Vi says as Sevika takes out some keys and goes to unlock the door. There's a grunt of acknowledgement, but nothing else as she works on several locks. Finally, the last one click and she yanks the door open with a loud screech.

"After you, Special Enforcer," Sevika sneers at her.

Rolling her eyes, Vi walks in, cautiously looking around for any traps or trip wires. There are still a few, but they don't look like they work anymore. Still, Vi carefully steps over and around them as they head through the corridor and down a metal walkway. They come to another door, this one with a combination lock on it. Sevika spins it a few times, waits, then does so again with a fresh set of numbers. Then she opens it and nods for her to go ahead. Stepping through, Vi glances up and tries not to shudder at the chomper grenades quietly strapped to the walls next to the door. A bag from Jericho's is wedged in the corner with some empty containers in it.

"Welcome to the Fans," Sevika says, walking down towards the workshop set up in the center of the room. Vi tries, and fails, not to look down as she follows along. Scorch marks are all along the walls below, with different sections buckled in.

Must be from her bombs. Good place to test them out and no one around to complain or hear about the noise, Vi considers. Sevika keeps walking to the other end towards a couch that's sitting underneath some purple and blue lights. There's a spot where one seems to be missing and Vi's heart tightens in her chest. That must be the one Jinx took and tried to call her with. The light Caitlyn saw down by the water.

Taking a deep breath, Vi reminds herself that Jinx is safe now. Safe and in expert hands. Besides, they have work to do.

"Found them!" Sevika calls out. Her men walk over to help her as Vi pauses by the desk. Schematics, blueprints, models, tools, and more are scattered about. Spotting a book, Vi moves some papers and sees a notebook. Jayce's name was written throughout it. Nearly on every page.

"Wow, a bit arrogant there aren't you, pretty boy?" Vi mutters as she flips through it. A few black feathers are stuck in it as bookmarks. Might as well take it. A larger book is underneath it. This one looks like Jinx wrote it. Vi takes it as well.

As an enforcer, Vi knows she needs to tell someone about this place. Everything needs to be combed through and logged appropriately. Personally, however, she's reluctant to let anyone in to tear apart her sister's sanctuary. Maybe the only one she had left. Something catches her eye, and she looks up to see a familiar weapon above her. Fishbones. Staring at it, Vi realizes the left eye looks just like Silco's.

"You gonna tell the Sheriff?" Sevika's voice makes her jump and turn around. "That's your job, isn't it?" she presses. Looking away, Vi stares at the workshop. This whole place is so undeniably Jinx that the thought of anyone else picking at it makes her fists clench.

"I should," Vi admits, but she adds nothing more than that.

Realistically, Vi knows she'll tell Caitlyn not long after she gets back topside, even if she hates every second. Keeping secrets like this is a fast way to end a good relationship and burn bridges she's worked hard to build. That's the last thing Vi wants. There's simply too much information here to keep secret. Insight into Jinx's mental state that could help with her care or influence the council, potential communications from Silco, and most of all, a look at her engineering capabilities.

"I can have that delivered topside to Caitlyn along with Pow-Pow," Sevika says with a nod towards Fishbones. "Discreetly," she adds pointedly.

Suddenly, Vi realizes Sevika has known all of this was here the entire time. Of course she has, but she never turned Jinx over or ratted her out. She stood there in front of the council days after the bombing and swore they weren't in contact with each other anymore, that Jinx wasn't with her and had worked against Silco's orders by setting the Progress Day tent on fire, by bombing the bridge, and by attacking the council. Which wasn't wrong, but it was hardly the entire truth, either. She had separated Jinx's actions from Silco and painted her as someone that even those around her considered unreliable. She kept Jinx away from topside by feigning ignorance of where she was and separated her actions from the rest of Zaun's, opening the way for them to continue to gain independence while keeping Jinx safe. However, she also let Jinx wander free to cause more chaos and more bombings. Vi doesn't know whether she's furious or impressed.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Vi asks her. Sevika gives her a look.

"Who exactly do you think Jinx came crawling back to after Silco died? Who do you think took care of his body? Who else but the person always left cleaning up his mess and hers every other time?" Sevika demands. "She was heartbroken, angry, and convinced beyond all reason that topside needed to burn and Caitlyn along with it for taking you away from her. Nothing you or I said could have reached her. Not at that point. You really think dragging her before the council in handcuffs would have helped?" she presses.

No,Vi thinks to herself. That's the last thing that would have helped Jinx at that time.

"Jinx was out of her mind and itching for violence. Desperate to make Piltover suffer for what they did. To her, to Silco, to the undercity, it didn't matter. You could have dragged her in and she would have cursed you all out until her face was as blue as her hair and not regretted a single word of it," Sevika states, and Vi knows she's right.

"Let's say by some miracle you declared her criminally insane despite that. Incapable of telling right from wrong. They wouldn't have put Jinx into some fancy topsider care center with nice bedsheets and windows to look at the sky through. No, they'd lock her up in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Only in prison people know why you're in there and when you're getting out, usually," Sevika says with a compromising nod towards her. Vi just shrugs it off. It certainly wasn't her experience, but Sevika is trying to make a point here, so she won't nitpick over the details.

"If Jinx got declared criminally insane? They would have tossed her in until a nebulous 'someone' said she was better. And if she got a doctor who saw every choice, every word, every bad day as a sign that she wasn't ready yet? Well sucks to be her then doesn't it?" Sevika sneers. "But what's happened to those facilities around the city since they made Caitlyn Sheriff?" she continues.

"They've been shut down," Vi answers. "Every single one. Calls dealing with the mentally ill are handed over to psychiatric care centers right away and enforcers just stand by until they arrive and take over. The records and care of every single patient have been reviewed, and the council voted to impose limits on how long we can hold them. New doctors and more of them were assigned and a new department formed to keep track and get regular updates on their care. We've overhauled treatment guidelines to ensure its actual treatment and not just punishment by a different name," Vi recalls. She twitches at the memory of the Warden's "talks," in Stillwater.

"Over half of the patients being held have been released since Caitlyn's reforms took effect. Another 40% are scheduled for release and integrative care within the next three years. We transferred the rest to new long-term care homes," Vi continues.

"And why exactly did Caitlyn become the Sheriff? Why else, I mean? Because her bleeding heart for justice and the oppressed sure wasn't all of it," Sevika asks pointedly. Vi looks away.

"She did it for me," Vi whispers. "To help give me the chance I needed to go after Jinx, to help without her just being thrown in jail or in a maximum security hospital and forgotten about. She did it to keep the city from falling into war and Zaun from being crushed under topsider boots. Again," she mumbles. "To make sure that what happened to me wouldn't happen to anyone else," she adds softly.

"I'm no saint and I'm not gonna pretend I am. I'm from Zaun and I've lived a hard life. I made my choice, and I'd do it all over again, no matter what it cost," Sevika admits. "Sure, maybe Caitlyn would have done all of that anyway, but I didn't know her like I do now and that wasn't a chance I was willing to take. Jinx wasn't going to reach out until she realized how sick she actually was and that's not something anyone else could help her with. She had to make that decision on her own. Now that she has, there's a real chance Jinx will get better, get out of a broken system, and have something like a normal life for the very first time," Sevika says, lifting her chin.

"Was it the right decision? No. Cost millions in property damage at the very least and plenty of serious injuries to topsiders who probably didn't deserve it. Got a few Zaunites killed too when they were dumb enough to go after you. But I'd do it all over again, and not simply because Zaun will finally be free of topsiders," Sevika admits with a shrug.

"I chose Jinx over them and all the pain and suffering I knew she would cause as well. Just like Silco would have chosen her over Zaun. Sure, I couldn't protect her forever, but I also wouldn't be the one who handed her over just to be locked away in a hole somewhere and forgotten about," Sevika replies.

Vi doesn't answer. She's not sure how to feel about that information. In fact, it emphasizes the gulf between them. As much as Vi loves Jinx, she's never put her over the safety of someone else. She won't.

Instead of fighting, though, Vi offers a compromise instead of a fist. Caitlyn's been doing a good job of teaching her how to do that lately.

"The council won't just forget all the people Jinx has killed, but if she proves she's capable of not hurting anyone else and works with them on this case? And maybe some others? That will go a long way towards getting them to believe that she deserves to be released to my care. To our care," Vi says, correcting herself.

"Don't worry, I remember what you said before. Whatever choices I made before, I won't put Jinx at further risk now. She deserves a better life," Sevika assures her. Her fingers twitch like she wants to grab a smoke, but she just crosses her arms and continues.

"Silco wanted Zaun to be free from Piltover, and until your councilor friend asked for Jinx, he didn't care how high the cost was. It didn't matter if our people were still oppressed, so long as it wasn't topsiders who were doing it. But me? I want Zaun to be recognized. To have our people, our culture, our city viewed the same way other nations do Piltover. I want us to have that same influence, power, and respect. Jinx deserves a better future than just ending up another dead trencher. She deserves to have her name up there just as much as any topsider engineer does," Sevika says passionately. Then she looks away gruffly, and Vi can tell she's embarrassed and is closing herself off again the way she always does.

"Well on that, at least, we can both agree," Vi responds, turning back to look at the area. At Jinx's space.

Later on, Vi will tell Caitlyn about this place and make proper arrangements to have it investigated. She knows that and Sevika knows that as well, but for now, both of them just stand there quietly. Both of them thinking of Jinx and the brighter future she might finally have.

"There's a part of me that still really wants to punch you, to be honest," Vi whispers. Sevika roars with laughter.

"Now that's more like it, kid. Come on, I ain't got all day. You've got until sunset before I toss you on an elevator and kick you right back out of my city," she says with a grin.

Vi enters the shop and is surprised by how it smells. Sweet with an underlying hint of alcohol. Smells just like Shimmer. The man at the counter glances up at her, his brown eyes scanning her for a moment before he goes back to writing. Leaning over a bit, Vi watches him write in dark pink letters. The words at the top are already half faded from sight.

Dropping her box on the counter, Vi waits as the man continues writing. Sevika shoulders her way into the small shop to come stand beside her as her men wait outside. He isn't stopping his work, so Vi looks around the room.

There's a poster on the wall. A pyramid with cut out photos of people's faces on them. Sevika's is at the top next to a crossed out image of Silco and a line connecting them. Off to the side is Jinx, drawn there in crayon with the words "DF: blue hair, pigtails, boss's daughter" under it in neat letters. There are a few notations next to the others as well. Vi squints to read what Sevika's says.

Worked for the old boss, now the new boss of Zaun. Not your boss, but don't piss her off all the same,Vi reads to herself. That about summed it up.DF: dark skin, metal arm with hidden sword. Only one like it in the city,she continues reading. Next to Silco are more notes.DF: accent. Speaks with authority. Left eye is orange and has a disfiguring scar over that side,she reads over.

"What's DF stand for?" Vi asks, her curiosity getting the better of her. Sevika sighs and gives her a frustrated look.

"Distinguishing features. Helps me figure out who I should look for," the man replies. He glances up and Sevika and then immediately looks at her arm. "Sevika and you must be the Special Enforcer people never stop talking about. Red hair, red jacket, arm wraps. Moves like a boxer," he adds, straightening up.

"Good to see you too, Sandman," Sevika says gruffly.

"You write notes like that on every client?" Vi asks. Sandman quirks an eyebrow and looks over at Sevika, who nods.

"Sure do, names and distinguishing features. Photos are only for the special clients. Those I'm worried might come back to cause me trouble," Sandman states.

"With them or with someone else?" Vi asks curiously.

"Both. Lot easier to get someone off my back when I can just show them a photo. May not mean much of anything to me, but it sure does to everyone else," Sandman says. The ink has dried and most of the page appears blank now. Grabbing another pen, he writes some notes at the top, along with a code.

"So what brings the new ruler of Zaun and the Special Enforcer to my humble office? If it was just you, Sevika, I'd assume you want someone killed," Sandman states. Vi's eyebrows shoot up. "Or temporarily incapacitated," he adds, as if he's just a normal pawn shop and they are just looking for a new trinket.

"I'm out of that now," Sevika responds. She glances over at Vi. "Mostly," she admits with a smirk. Rolling her eyes, Vi leans forward onto the counter.

"You are so fortunate I'm here on other business," Vi mutters under her breath. Sevika's smirk just grows deeper.

"Then you must be here about Jinx. That's the only other reason you two would be together in my shop. Plus, the news about her has been everywhere. Can't get away from it," Sandman states, giving them both a knowing look. Vi sucks in a breath, but Sevika is the one who speaks.

"We are. Confirming and collecting on a favor," Sevika explains, gesturing to Vi and the box on the counter. There are so many questions in her mind right now, but if she wants Sevika's help, then they do this her way. Turning it around, Vi moves it so the code on the side is visible.

"Hmm, J-pf: KL53249," Sandman mutters, reading it off. Turning around, he walks over to a curtain and moves it aside, heading into the area behind it. Vi can see metal storage cabinets and shelves with locked boxes. A minute later, Sandman returns holding a paper in his hands.

"Not encoded this one. Personal favor for the boss's daughter," Sandman mutters. He glances over at the poster again.

"Jinx. Don't remember much, but I remember how important she was to Silco. Working with the council now, it seems," he states. This time, the look he gives Vi is far more appraising.

"We need some records decoded. Records that will hopefully lead to the extremely public arrest and trial of a client we believe came to you," Sevika explains.

"Ahh, a favor for a favor, then. Must be someone awfully important if you aren't attempting to just strong-arm me into doing what you want," Sandman says. Sevika clears her throat.

"That is certainly an option," Vi admits. "However, we need this done correctly, and you're the only person who can do that. If we just forced you to work for us, there would be no assurance that you wouldn't ruin the hard evidence we need to put our suspect away," she states.

"A reasonable expectation and rather true. I don't do favors for free and I wouldn't stay in business if I let anyone who felt like it wander in to threaten me into submission. Even the new leader of Zaun," Sandman says with a smile. Sevika shrugs it off.

"Wouldn't be in charge very long if I didn't understand the rules. Wouldn't be as respected as I was under Silco either," Sevika points out. "Just honor the deal and everything between us will be good," she tells him.

"Well, you've both been very upfront with me about what you want, so I feel it is only fair to do the same," Sandman says agreeably. Bending over, he reaches under the counter and takes out a binder. He flips through until he finds a page written in a mix of shorthand and what seems like a personal code. Vi can't understand any of it.

"Ah, here we go! A man came in roughly two days ago looking to have someone incapacitated. He specifically mentioned they suffer from hallucinations and wondered if I could use that to my advantage. I said yes, he paid, and I told him to give me to the end of the day to prepare it. Normally I don't ask questions, but the man was clearly a topsider and a very wealthy one. Yes, he used underground coins, not solid ones, and he didn't negotiate an additional fee on top the way a Zaunite would have without hesitation. He attempted to hide it, but it was a very poor attempt indeed. Even if he had succeeded, I could tell by the way he spoke that he wasn't from Zaun," Sandman explains.

"I've got this place wired to The Pits and back. Recorded the conversation, took a shot of his face, and asked my assistant to identify him. Turns out he's a councilor. Did some digging into why he'd want someone silenced. Rumors among the bridge enforcers were that someone who looks surprisingly similar to Jinx was taken somewhere by the Sheriff and Special Enforcer recently. A woman who was in temporary holding overnight and then released said that a councilor's assistant got arrested as well for attempting to interfere with an investigation. And he conveniently works for the same councilor that just came to my little store. Now my memory is poor, but it ain't so bad that I can't remember the boss's daughter and her issues. Nor is it so bad that I can't recall the fact that Silco was more than willing to make a deal with topsiders if it gave him blackmail to hang over their heads later. Deals that might still land them in a lot of trouble if they came to light," Sandman says, twirling his pen around in his hands.

"If there's one thing I won't tolerate, its people thinking they can take advantage of my... personal issues to get what they want. And this topsider clearly did. I don't know where Jinx is, but this topsider apparently does and believed he could reach her," Sandman says with a glint in his eyes. Vi knows this is information, as well as a warning to both of them not to try doing the same thing.

"You work fast," Vi says, genuinely impressed. A lot of what he gathered is just coincidence, which helps put Vi's mind at ease. It's also consolation that where Jinx is being held still isn't something anyone could discover.

"My entire line of business is putting two and two together," Sandman replies with a shrug. "If I ever dared to touch a hair on that girl's head, Silco would rise back up from whatever grave you dumped him in and turn me into one of those Shimmer guards he had lurking at his factories," he adds with a nod towards Sevika."I'm smarter than that, and I've got enough loyalty to him left in my hole ridden memory not to try it. Even if the new leader of Zaun wasn't connected to Jinx as well," he points out.

"So you gave him what he asked for, but not something that would work the way he wanted," Sevika guesses.

"Precisely. Whoever the dear councilor used it on would get an obvious buzz, but nothing harmful the way he was hoping for. And if he was foolish enough to use it on Jinx... well, surely someone would come looking for the person responsible, especially considering what a high-profile criminal she is. If not, then I still get paid," Sandman says with a thin smile.

"How generous of you," Vi says dryly. It's such a good thing she doesn't have her Atlas gauntlets with her right now. "I can't help but notice that you never actually said this councilor's name or gave away any other 'Distinguishing Features,'" she adds, crossing her arms pointedly.

"I can't give away everything for free, can it?" Sandman asks, looking hurt. "Usually I'd ask for more in exchange for this kind of hassle and insurance besides. Far more. However, a deal is a deal even if we made it years ago. I'll honor the one I made with Jinx," he agrees.

"The favor we'll need afterwards will be more than enough to put our suspect away and keep him off your back. Is that sufficient insurance for you?" Vi asks. She's posturing now and the side eye she gets from Sevika says she knows it as well. She can't guarantee that. Not in the slightest.

"I don't know. Is it? You never know if someone else might come along after you looking for the same information and I have to keep myself in business," Sandman says casually. Vi reaches into her jacket, making sure the rattling of coins is obvious. She places a single gold coin on the counter. A solid one. She casually spins it around.

"Perhaps we can negotiate an additional fee on top then," Vi says smoothly. Sandman's eyes are watching the coin and they flick back up to her as a smile crawls across his face.

"It's nice to see someone who understands how things work down here," Sandman says agreeably.

The trip up and back across both cities is incredibly tense. With her goal accomplished, Vi wasn't sure what else to say. She's known Sevika for years. Both from before when she ran with Vander, and afterwards, when Vi nursed a grudge over her betrayal. Or what she saw as a betrayal, at least.

Part of her still simmers with anger over what Sevika did, but the more time she spends out of prison, the more it cools off. Violence may be satisfying temporarily, but in the long term it sure haven't solved any of her problems. Neither have her previous fist fights with Sevika.

So they walk quietly across the top of the undercity, across the bridge, and over into Piltover proper. Sevika dismissed her men at the elevator, and now Vi can feel her getting more and more restless. She stops for when the psychiatric hospital comes into view, but then her footsteps start up again. Sevika feels like a coiled wire about to snap as they head inside and get checked in.

Past the security doors, down a hallway, and then into the section where Jinx is. Her contact with other patients is still limited and heavily monitored for now, but there are a few others at the other end of the large room listening in on a radio drama. Caitlyn is standing there at the nurses' station chatting with one of the staff. Vi drops her boxes near the nurses' station and gives Caitlyn a warm smile as she looks up and notices Sevika standing there. Vi takes Sevika's boxes from her arms, but she's not paying attention anymore. Her eyes are locked straight onto Jinx.

Jinx is sitting there in a chair next to Constance, quietly listening to a radio drama. She's wearing dark blue scrubs for now, so her usual clothes must be in the wash. Vi included a clothing catalogue in with her other gifts and Jinx circled the ones she wanted. Cassandra said she would take care of that herself and have them delivered to the mansion, so Caitlyn should bring them in tomorrow.

One of the other patients is the first to notice them and he taps Jinx's boot to get her attention.

"Hey, your sister is back," he tells her. Jinx glances over and freezes. Then Constance notices them and straightens up. She looks between Jinx and Vi before murmuring something to Jinx, who chews on her bottom lip. Slowly, Jinx uncurls from her chair and stands up, slowly walking over like a moth drawn to a light. A few other people glance over curiously, but most go back to listening to the radio.

Jinx approaches until she's right in front of Sevika and then she stops, looking confused and lost. Slowly, Vi backs up until she's standing next to Caitlyn. Jinx doesn't even notice. Caitlyn wraps an arm around her waist and together they watch.

"You came," Jinx whispers. "I thought... why would you come? You hated me," she states. Then she looks down. "You're supposed to hate me," she quietly corrects herself. It reminds Vi of what she's heard Jinx say before. That Caitlyn was supposed to be a monster, a corrupt enforcer, an arrogant topsider. Only that wasn't the truth, and realizing it has been difficult for Jinx to adjust to.

Sevika takes a step forward and crouches down. Jinx glances over at her and then away again.

"When we last saw each other, you asked me to tell you the truth about Silco. What you wanted was for me to say was that Vi was the one who made you this way. But I didn't. Did I?" Sevika says. Silently, Jinx shakes her head.

Vi's ears perk up at that information. But she bites her tongue. That encounter may not have been the sole trigger for Jinx's episode, but it was a contributing factor, at least. However, now is not the time to get curious and start asking questions. Now is the time for her to shut up and let them have their moment.

"Instead, I said that it was his fault. Do you remember why?" Sevika presses. Jinx squirms uncomfortably, and Vi can see by her expression that she remembers. She just doesn't want to say it. "Vi was a pissy little brat who got pissed off at her sister and made a serious mistake," Sevika continues.

Rude. Not wrong, but still rude,Vi considers. She's still carrying around plenty of her own guilt for how she acted that way. No matter what Jinx does, Vi has vowed never to touch her like that again.

Caitlyn's hand is on her waist, gently running her fingers up and down her side. It distracts her, pulling Vi out of her dark thoughts before she can spiral too far down. Sighing, she relaxes into Caitlyn's side.

"Stay with me Vi. You can do this," Caitlyn murmurs in her ear. Vi's heart swells with love. Cait can always tell when something is wrong, even if Vi hasn't said anything yet.

"But Silco was an adult," Sevika continues, and this time Jinx fidgets again and speaks up.

"Silco should have known better," Jinx mumbles. She pauses and looks up at Sevika. "It was his responsibility to know better, to do better," she corrects herself. Now Sevika goes in for the kill.

"How old were you when Silco took you from me?" Sevika urges. Jinx blinks, tears welling up in her eyes. Vi sniffs and rubs her nose. She gets the point, and she can tell by Jinx's emotional reaction that she does as well.

"I was a kid," Jinx chokes out.

"And how old was I?" Sevika asks, putting her metal hand on Jinx's arm for the first time.

"You were an adult," Jinx responds, a tear slipping down her face.

"Come on, kid, I know you're strong enough to say it. You're the strongest person I know," Sevika urges her. A sob burst from Jinx's throat at those words.

"I didn't ruin what we had together... be-because I was a kid, and I didn't know any better. I couldn't. I was too young and too sick. But you were an adult and.. and..." Jinx stops, unable to say anymore. Sevika reaches out and gently touches one of her pigtails.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you, Jinx," Sevika apologizes. "You were never the person I was angry with. Not you. I was loyal to Silco, because I thought he had a real shot at changing things. But I was frustrated with him as well. Because he had the relationship with you I wanted and instead of helping you, he let you get worse. He had a chance to make you into someone better, and instead he made you angrier, more violent, more hateful, and paranoid, not just of topsiders, but of everyone," she pauses and looks right over at Vi.

"He did that to all the undercity and believe me, we didn't need any extra help," Sevika states before looking away again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't better to you, better for you. Can you forgive me?" Sevika asks.

"Of course, I just… I want…" Jinx stops and rubs at her eyes, her expression strained. Vi can tell she's struggling again, struggling to process this kindness and figure out where to go next. Without help, there's a good chance she'll just hold it in until she spirals into another episode in a few days. It's Vi's job to help keep that from happening.

"Now is where you step in," Caitlyn murmurs, giving her a gentle push. Vi walks back over and puts her hands on Jinx's shoulders. Sevika twitches and stands back up. Vi can tell she's trying not to close up again.

"I know this is a lot for you right now," Vi says gently, rubbing her sister's arm. "But Caitlyn and I are here to help you with it. The doctors too. The first step in that, is to tell us what you want. It's okay to want things just for yourself and not other people. We want you to learn how to make decisions for yourself," she reminds her.

"It's ok to let Sevika know what you want from her," Vi says, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. Jinx nods and Vi watches as she thinks hard about that, her face scrunching up in thought. Finally, she looks back up at Sevika.

"I want you to stay," Jinx finally answers. "Not here. I know that you have to go back to Zaun and you have your own responsibilities there," she clarifies, but there's a new light burning in her eyes now.

"Just promise you won't leave now that Silco's gone and Vi is back in my life. I want you to come visit and tell me how things are going at The Last Drop. Or come and find out how my therapy is going and hear about how I'm getting better. I want you to be there when I get out and when I do something good," Jinx says desperately. Vi can hear a rattling sound again, and Sevika's face is twisting up with pain.

"I want to get better and learn to control myself better. To not want to hurt people so I can go to that stupid Piltie academy and show them all that Zaunites are just as good as they are. But in a different way and with gadgets that can do more than hurt and kill. I want you to be there to celebrate and to see the stuff I've made," Jinx rushes on breathlessly.

Jinx pulls away, and Vi lets her go as she steps towards Sevika and slowly, hesitantly, reaches out to hug her. Arms wrapping around Sevika tightly.

Vi's heart swells inside her chest. She knows how desperately Jinx needs affection and love. She knows how touch starved her sister has become since Silco died and how terrible a feeling that can be. There have been small moments these past months where Vi could reach some small part of her sister. Gentle touches and brief hugs that are never quite enough. But this is the first time Jinx has been the one to reach out first and let someone know she wants or needs their attention. Words can't express how proud she is to see this.

"I want to be your daughter again," Jinx chokes out. Sevika lets out a shuddering breath and slowly, her arms wrap themselves around Jinx in return.

"You always have been, kid. Nothing in this world or any other is going to change that. Not Silco taking you from me, and not you living topside like you deserve. I'd be proud to have you as my daughter, if you don't mind having an old busted up fool like me for a mom," Sevika tells her. Jinx tightens her grip.

"I didn't remember before, because I was too sick to think about anyone but Silco. But now I can remember and I feel bad that I forgot. I've missed you, I've missed you so much," Jinx tells her.

"That's not your fault, kid. That's not anyone's fault but Silco's and the people here can help you work through that. You deserve to be in a fancy place like this. So you be good for them and take care of yourself. You listen to your sister and Caitlyn and get better. Good enough to leave this place. Understand?" Sevika tells her. Jinx nods.

"And you'll come visit?" Jinx asks.

"I will all the time. I promise."

For the past three hours, Jinx has been dragging her all over the building nonstop. Showing her everything with ever-growing enthusiasm. Once the crying stopped and some of the emotion died down, Vi saw some of the old Jinx resurface in her interactions with Sevika. The one she's come to know since getting out of prison. She isn't sure how to feel about that other than to take it as a reminder that Jinx has a long way to go.

It reminds Vi of what Rosalyn said. Namely, that medication and taking away Jinx's psychosis induced paranoia won't magically stop her from suspecting others. Jinx has had good reason to be wary of people and of enforcers in particular. Not to mention the rough life she's led and their childhood trauma. Medication and getting the hallucinations under control will help, but there's a lot more that has to be dealt with. Tonight has been a firm reminder of that.

Finally, Sevika said that she needed to get going and promised, several times, to come back again next week. That's where they are now, on a bench outside the hospital.

Vi sits down next to Sevika. The woman gives her a powerful side eye, but says nothing.

"Never thought I'd be happy to see her like that again. Like, well... Jinx. Only with fewer hallucinations," Vi comments. Sevika gives a sharp laugh.

"Better get used to that energy because boy, does she have a lot of it. That's how she normally is on her good days. Minus some of the murder. When Jinx finally remembers that she can channel all that energy into paint bombs and other pranks and still get some of that same rush? You'll never know a moment of peace again. Believe me, I've been there," Sevika says with an expression that's almost a smile. Vi shudders at the thought. She's already spent more hours than she cares to remember with other enforcers snickering at her for trailing glitter all over the office. Not to mention the cleaning bills for her jacket when Jinx whips out the paint.

Tonight, Vi saw that same wild energy return. The same glint in Jinx's eyes when she wanted to cause some chaos, blow something up, see some explosions. It would be easy to blame Sevika's presence, but that only encouraged what was already there. The truth is, that feeling has been growing steadily for days.

Sure, Vi wants Jinx to feel more at home here and the gifts will help, but she also wanted to channel some of Jinx's more violent urges into something less lethal. It doesn't seem to be working the way she had hoped. Maybe it was always a foolish wish.

Medication and therapy will help, but Jinx still has other trauma she needs to deal with and she still needed to survive all those years. Regardless of whose fault it is, or the reasons for doing it, that aggression kept Jinx safe. Just like violence and aggression kept Vi alive in prison. It kept her from losing her sanity when she got thrown into isolation.

Getting the hallucinations and psychosis under control may stop Jinx's initial reaction to everything from being violent or suspicious, but it won't take that response away entirely. Jinx made that claim herself, that she can control herself around others, but not if someone tried to hurt one of them.

Vi has serious doubts about how true the first part is, but it's obvious to see that her violent urges aren't gone. They've just been redirected. In this case, from wanting to hurt Caitlyn, to wanting to hurt anyone who might harm her. Jinx will need months, years of work to learn how to control it. Vi knows that from personal experience with anger management therapy.

Jinx already killed the last leader of the Rippers gang and a few others from other gangs because they put a hit out on Vi. If Hoskel turns his attention to Vi or Caitlyn to stop them, there's a very real chance it will set Jinx off. It's a sobering thought.

"Does she ever slow down?" Vi asks.

"Yeah, when she's asleep or hyper focused on a gadget she's building," Sevika snorts. Her fingers twitch and she rubs at her mouth.

"You look like you need a smoke," Vi notes.

"Careful there, that almost sounded like sympathy," Sevika shoots back. Vi shrugs.

"Jinx really needed this. Whatever bad blood I have with you doesn't matter nearly as much as she does," Vi confesses.

"I've been trying to quit," Sevika admits. "Jinx never cared for the smell anyway and neither do I," she adds, her look warning Vi away from commenting on that. Vi takes the hint and moves on.

"Thanks for the help today. I'd like to say it won't become a habit, but between Jinx and our suspect, I don't think I'll have much choice," Vi confesses.

"You two really going after a councilor?" Sevika asks curiously. Vi nods, and Sevika gives an impressed whistle. "Not sure if that's brave or stupid," she adds, then goes quiet.

"It's Hoskel, isn't it?" she says after a moment of silence. Vi must look shocked because she barks out a laugh. "He's the only one dumb enough to make a deal with Silco and believe he could get away with it, while being just smart enough to actually hide what he's doing for so long," she explains.

"And before you ask, no, I didn't know about the deal, but I'm not surprised by it either," Sevika adds pointedly. Vi was about to ask that, too.

"To be fair, he came after Jinx first. Caitlyn responded," Vi tells her.

"She's a dangerous woman and actually good at her job on top of it. Everything enforcers were supposed to be," Sevika says the last part with a sneer.

"Maybe things in Zaun could have been different if we had someone like her earlier, but now... those scars run too deep," Vi confesses. She can feel Sevika watching her.

"Why did you leave Vander? I know you were angry with the enforcers and topside, but so was I. So was everyone," Vi asks her. Sevika puts her hands behind her head.

"Vander had good intentions, but what we had wasn't true peace. It was a temporary ceasefire. And for us adults? The ones he kept telling to be patient and to hold the line? It was like standing in the middle of an open field waiting for both sides to shoot at each other again. It didn't matter if we weren't the target, we would still get hit in the end," Sevika states. Vi grimaces at that mental image and at the stress it brings.

"He changed after the Bridge protests and I can understand why. Lots of people died that day and you two lost your parents because he drove everyone to action. For good reason too, but that doesn't bring back the dead. The protests died down, and the enforcers stayed out, but we still didn't have any power, respect, or authority, even in our own city. Miners still didn't have better safety measures, and the Fans were still broken. Vander was battling his guilt while the rest of us we were just keeping our heads down, hoping we didn't get a bullet in our gut once the guns started firing again. Even attacking would have been better. Regardless of the risks. Instead, we just waited for them to kill us first and we couldn't even defend ourselves when they did. That's how it felt, anyway," Sevika continues.

Vi just listens. As a kid she was too full of anger and hate, but now that she's older she can see it better from both sides. She doesn't blame Vander for wanting to keep the peace even if it wasn't perfect, but she can finally see why Sevika couldn't stand to live under it, either.

"It wasn't peace. It was walking on eggshells, waiting for one to crack. Knowing that everything would break down the second it did," Vi murmurs. Sevika hums in agreement.

"Reminds me of prison. After a while I tried keeping my head down, staying in line, being a good little prisoner. The Warden just found other reasons to beat me or throw me in solitary. Nothing made a difference. They just found other reasons to hate me," she recalls.

"That's when you started sending Silco's men to the medical ward again if he couldn't get them out fast enough," Sevika says. Vi smirks.

"Well, that was something I had the power to change," Vi grins at her. A bell rings out across the city, marking the time. With a grunt, Sevika stands up.

"If you really want to help Jinx get out of that place, then you've got to do better. Be better. Set the example for her. You've had a hard life, sure, but so has everyone else. It's not fair, it's reality. You're not a kid anymore," Sevika says. She turns and stares down at Vi.

"It's your responsibility to do better for her now," Sevika warns her.

Vi tries not to hunch her shoulders, she tries to act tough, but she can't. The animosity between them is still there, but there's also years of memories. Sevika always hanging out in The Last Drop, always taking care of things for Vander, always rolling her eyes or putting up with their antics as kids. For years, Vi let those memories turn to poison and hate, but if Sevika was going to be around again, then she has to learn to control her anger better. For Jinx's sake, at least.

"What if I mess up?" Vi whispers.

"You will," Sevika says bluntly. The words make Vi flinch.

"Being a good parent isn't something that comes naturally. People aren't born with it or without it. You have to learn. Silco didn't ruin Powder because he was a poor father, but because he wasn't committed enough to learning how to be a better one," Sevika tells her. Lifting her gaze, she stares at something behind Vi.

Footsteps come from behind her, that loud scuffing walk Caitlyn does when she wants to make sure Vi will hear her coming.

"Having a nice heart to heart, you two?" Caitlyn asks.

"No," both of them immediately snap out. Caitlyn grins.

"Mmm hmm. Of course not. Thanks for coming, and thank you for your help. If we need you again with this case, and we probably will, I'll let you know. We'll probably be out the next few days because of the investigation, but aside from that, feel free to visit Jinx anytime," Caitlyn offers. Sevika looks doubtful.

"My priority as Sheriff and as a person is keeping her safe and helping her get better. So far you haven't given me any reason to feel you'll interfere with that," Caitlyn assures her. Sevika squints.

"So no taking Jinx to underground fighting matches when she eventually gets out?" Sevika asks. The way she says it is so stone-faced and serious that it takes a few seconds for Vi to realize it's a joke. One meant specifically to dig under Caitlyn's skin since those matches are, for now, very much against city regulations despite Cait being willing to look the other way. Vi snorts with a laugh at the same time Caitlyn picks up on it and crosses her arms.

"Goodbye Sevika," Caitlyn says pointedly. Her face dropping into a scowl.

"Don't worry your pretty little hat Sheriff. This won't be the last you see of me," Sevika says with a smirk.

Sevika may not like either of them, but after months of being forced to interact because of city business, her dislike of them has developed into an extremely grudging respect. Vi reluctantly admits the feeling is mutual. Sevika is doing a decent job running Zaun, and she was probably the only semi decent influence Jinx had after Vi got thrown in prison.

Caitlyn waits until Sevika is down the road to swat Vi on the back of the head.

"Ow!" Vi complains.

"Nice way to back me up there,fiancée," Caitlyn says irritably.

"It was funny!" Vi defends. "Besides, once Zaun is independent, those fighting rings might not be illegal there anymore," she says hopefully. Caitlyn glowers at her.

"Not that I'd go," Vi hurries to point out.

"Uh huh," Caitlyn says, clearly unconvinced. Yawning, she rubs her eyes and gestures back to the building.

"I came out to see how you were doing and drag you back in. Partly for Jinx and partly because I'm exhausted and her energy is burning me out," Caitlyn says tiredly. "I'm glad to see her so excited, but I really need to crash," she mumbles. Standing up, Vi walks around the bench and puts an arm around her. Caitlyn signs and leans on her contentedly.

"I'll call Benson and have him bring the carriage by to take you back home," Vi assures her, referring to the Kirammen's driver.

"Also, everything went well on my end. Sandman agreed to the deal and confirmed that a councilor came to him, but wouldn't say who until we come through on our end of the bargain," Vi adds. "For now, why don't you give me the short version of your news?" she asks. Caitlyn hums and thinks for a moment.

"Checked in on the spy butterflies while Jayce and the others talked things over. We have evidence that a councilor went to Sandman and tried to poison Jinx's food, but no explicit names. We got a few grainy photos we might work with, though. Went back and Jayce said yes. Jinx heads over to the workshop tomorrow. She'll have breakfast and therapy, then we'll go. She'll be able to stay for about eight hours max, depending on how much she can handle. Lunch break in between. Then back here for dinner, therapy, and free time so she can wind down before bed. Jayce will meet with her at the workshop. Mel and my mother want a private 'meeting' once she's had a day or so to work," Caitlyn says, her eyes closed.

"Only you could come up with a schedule while still half asleep," Vi teases. Caitlyn cracks an eye open.

"Shut up," she mumbles. Vi kisses her forehead affectionately.

"You're so cute when you get cranky. Come on, you can wait indoors and I'd better get inside as well before Jinx explodes with energy," Vi says.

Today has been a long day, but for the first time since coming here, Jinx is happy again and acting like her usual self. Minus some of the more dangerous habits she's developed. Seeing her with Sevika made Vi realize how happy and optimistic Jinx can be about what comes next. Vi wants every single day to be like that for her.

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Jinx obediently holds her hands out as Caitlyn grabs a pair of handcuffs and puts them on her wrists. These are hextech and made for maximum security. They have glowing runes, with thick metal and leather arm cuffs that squeeze together and can't be removed by the person wearing them.

Theoretically anyway.

Slipping a finger against the underside of the cuff, Caitlyn makes sure they aren't squeezing too tight before giving them a tug to ensure they've locked in place. Far different from the last few times when she nearly cut off Jinx's circulation by snapping them on. Of course, she was still a terrorist at large then.

"You realize I've already gotten out of these things like three times already, right?" Jinx points out. Caitlyn gives her an exasperated look.

"Can you at least try to not point that out in front of my other enforcers? Or anyone else? Work with me here. At least pretend to be handcuffed securely. It'll make people feel better," Caitlyn says with a scowl. Vi facepalms as Bella looks between them all with obvious doubt.

"I hope you two are sure about this," Bella mutters under her breath.

"Yes, Sheriff, I'll be good," Jinx says sweetly, her face full of mock innocence. Caitlyn rolls her eyes and guides her out towards the hospital entrance.

Today is going to be amazing,Jinx considers, buzzing with energy. Yesterday was the first dose of a different medication and the second was this morning with breakfast. Unlike the last one, this isn't making her tired or sluggish. Instead, she feels wired and ready to go. Full of energy and able to think clearly. It's too early to be sure of anything yet, but the hallucinations seem less frequent and less powerful when they show up. Rosalyn is optimistic about this one and Jinx feels great. She feels like her usual self. Minus the voices whispering in her ears all the time.

Is that good? It sure feels good.

Jinx squints against the sunlight as they walk outside. Being outside again feels incredible. Sure, she can go into the central area of the hospital, which is basically its own small park, but it isn't the same. This feels more like real freedom, like a taste of the future.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Vi comments with a smile.

"I feel amazing! I think the new meds are working, because I feel like my old self again! God, I wish I could blow something up. I bet I could make something really special right now," Jinx says, admiring a skyscraper in the distance. "Pilties sure love their fancy architecture and glass windows. It makes for such beautiful explosions. Way better than all the tough stone underground," she notes.

Sure, working on the puzzles and models Vi got her helps take some of the edge off, but it isn't enough. Not nearly enough. She needs to build, create, invent. A little chaos and fire would be even better, but she's trying to get away from that. So just working on something will have to do. Man, she can't wait to be in a workshop again!

How long has it been since she really cut loose? She's been spiraling into the dark for a while now. Well before they took her in. Gradually falling deeper and deeper without realizing it. What could she accomplish now that she can actually think properly again? No, not just again. Better than before. Everythingshimmers.

"Shimmers, get it?" Jinx snorts with laughter at her own joke. She looks at Vi, but she isn't smiling anymore. She looks worried. "What? It wasn't that bad of a joke. Lighten up, sis!" she insists, elbowing her in the side.

"Just... watch your head getting in," Vi says quietly as she looks away. Jinx shrugs and dips her head as Vi helps her into the car. Bella gets in on the other side. Vi closes the door and Jinx can hear Caitlyn ask something. Vi mumbles back, but she can't make out what it is. A shadow passes overhead and Jinx leans over enough to see an airship go by.

Leaning forward, she speaks to the driver since he and Bella are the only ones in the car at the moment.

"Hey Brad," she says, catching his attention.

"It's Benson," he corrects.

"Right, so Brad, did you know that I always wanted to design one of those? An airship? The current ones are so poorly done. Give me a gemstone and I could make them more fuel efficient and with a larger carrying capacity. Just see if I couldn't," Jinx insists, smacking the seat.

"I have the utmost faith in your engineering abilities, ma'am," Brad tells her. The doors open and Caitlyn gets in the front seat while Vi slips in next to her on the other side.

"See! Someone here has faith in me!" Jinx says, looking at her confused sister.

"Don't ask," Bella warns Vi.

Whipping around, she talks to Brad again. "I'm going to the new council building today. I think it's the new council building. Maybe it isn't. Was it the academy instead? Doesn't matter. I'm gonna help with an investigation! Be useful and contribute properly to society and all that good propaganda stuff. Do you think the council is gonna hate letting me out? I sure hope so. I'd love to make them squirm a bit if we're going to be new pals and all. We have a lot of history there. They killed my family, I tried to kill them. Why should I be the only one uncomfortable, right, Brad?" she states, giggling.

"Quite right, my lady," Brad says agreeably.

"It's Benson," Caitlyn corrects her.

"That's what I said!" Jinx insists with a pout. Bella merely sighs and looks as if she's resigned herself to her fate.

"I'm not sure you should be so..." Vi begins.

"Oh, they'll be fine! I'm sure they deal with worse every day. 'Profits on gold speculation are down, Miss Councilor! What do you plan to do about it! How am I going to buy a new summer home at this rate?'" Jinx says, putting on her best topsider accent. She cackles at the idea before getting herself under control again. "I'll be like a breath of toxic undercity air compared to that. It'll be perfectly awkward. I'm looking forward to it," she adds with a sage nod.

"This is gonna be great! I get to help put a topsider away behind bars, while they keep a close eye on me. Win-win! Best part is I get to do some engineering again! It'll be the start of a beautiful, incredibly awkward relationship," Jinx sighs happily. "Just no explosions this time. Not real ones anyway. I'd really like to, but I can't explode things anymore or they might not let me stay with Vi and Cait, and I can't put that at risk. Not over bombs anyway. I wish I had paint or some graffiti. Do you think they'd get upset if I painted all over one of their fancy buildings?" she asks, leaning forward to the driver's seat again.

"Unquestionably, my lady. Thankfully, paint can be cleaned off. Other explosions are... significantly harder to undo," Brad points out.

"That's a very fair point. Explosions are cool and all, but then it's over and all the energy just disappears and I just want to blow something else up," Jinx muses. Then she brightens again. This is nice, the day is nice, and the conversation is nice. Everythingsparkles.

"See! You understand me Brad. I'd get you a nice glitter bomb. You deserve it for listening so patiently," she says, giving him an awkward pat on the shoulder. It's very hard to do with her hands cuffed together.

"That would be an honor," Brad says, as he pulls the car out onto the road.

Turns out they aren't going to the new council building after all. Instead, this is some fancy academy place specifically for engineering, science and what not. Jinx can't take two steps without stopping to gape at something. The fancy architecture, the engineering schematics on the walls, and the cross section models on display. One of them takes up an entire room, showing how the hextech gate generators work. Seeing a mini version of it, albeit one that rises to the vaulted ceiling, is honestly rather awe-inspiring. Someone built that. Well, not one person, but someone imagined that and made it a reality. Planned it all out, sketched it up, then had it built.

Jinx is also feeling a touch less giddy than earlier. Less like she's floating in the clouds and more like she's hovering a foot or two off the ground. She's also really thirsty. Rosalyn said that dry mouth and weight gain could be side effects. Maybe they'll give her more snacks if she claims the meds are making her hungrier. Jinx reminds herself to ask about it later. Either way, she feels more like her old self and less like she'll start crying randomly or cower in fear because a monster might appear. It's so nice. Has she thought that already? It doesn't matter, everything is NICE.

"I'm gonna build stuff like that one day," Jinx says, staring up at the model. "Better stuff, once I get out. I'll show everyone what Zaun is capable of, and it'll be better than any bomb or explosion I've ever made," she mumbles. She always heard about this place. Read about it and listened to Silco complain about how she deserved to be here, but seeing it is another thing entirely. This is where she wants to be someday. Years from now, when she's living with Vi and doing better. When she can handle being outside among normal people. Working here will make for an excellent test run.

On her other side, Bella gives a slight sigh. It takes another moment, but Jinx's brain finally catches up and reminds her she's supposed to be on good behavior and probably shouldn't be talking about explosions and bombs where just anyone could hear it.

Whoops.

Truthfully, there's still part of Jinx that wants to see topside burn and dance in the flames. Flames like the ones the enforcers caused on the bridge the night of the protests when her parents died. Silco wanted them all to burn, too. He taught her to consume everything in violence and she reveled in it. The thirst is still there, quietly burning in her heart. Why should she sit there and take their abuse when she's stronger than them? When she could smear them across the pavement with a single bomb?

However, another part is steadily growing, one that wants to see the frustration and hate on their rich faces when they have to acknowledge that a dirty trencher is better and smarter than them. A better engineer and a better builder. Maybe she doesn't have to kill them and burn the city to ashes to get what she wants. Maybe standing there in lights and making them remember every day that she's stronger than the way they tried to erase her and her people can be justice, too. Just a different kind.

All her life, she's lived under their boots. Suffered their disgust and prejudice. But making them look up to her? Jinx really wants to see that happen. Just like Wyatt and Ember refused to back down when that stupid Piltie, Franklin, got too big for his position and tried to intimidate them. They didn't look down or step aside just because he was a fancy topsider who wanted his way. They stood firm and made him move instead.

Vi frowns at a security guard in the hallway nearby who has been standing there a bit too long, watching them. Vi is standing next to her, patiently letting Jinx stare in awe at the building model. Caitlyn is across the area talking to two men. One she recognizes from the photos they showed her the other day. So he must be a councilor, but Jinx isn't sure which one yet, so all she sees is a person, but she knows that will change the second they get introduced.

"Move along," Vi orders suddenly, her tone firm and commanding, resonating throughout the spacious room. The man bristles, and Vi lifts her chin, staring him down. The man looks away.

"Yes, ma'am," he mumbles, moving on down the hallway.

"Nicely done, Special Enforcer. Guy was giving me the creeps," Bella compliments her.

A hunger flares to life in Jinx's chest. She wants that kind of power. She wants to see topsiders move for her because they have no choice but to respect her. Making people afraid is easy. Even the toughest Zaunite will quake in their boots if you press them hard enough in the right spot. But respect? Vi told her that one day, this city would respect them. That's a lot harder to come by.

Silco always taught her about power. He loved to say that power wasn't something that came to those who were born strongest, or fastest, or smartest. It was something you had to take. Especially if you were a Zaunite. No one respected you without power, and power wasn't something people just handed over. You had to take it from them, demand it. He did it with Shimmer and blood. Vi did it with hextech fists and enforcer authority. Going from a prisoner they abused to an officer they're forced to obey. Jinx thrived off the violence Silco taught her to show, but if she wants to stay with Vi, with Cait, then she'll have to curb that bloodlust and find a different way to show her power. A new way to make them all respect her, just like Vi said they would as kids.

She still really wants to blow something up, though.

Keep it in check. Be good, only make a few light-hearted threats. See what you can do about Sandman's request. Focus, you got this,Jinx reminds herself. That makes her feel better. She can do this.

Caitlyn is walking over to them now. Reluctantly, Jinx tears her eyes away from the building model.

"This is Jayce and Viktor. They have graciously loaned us the use of their workshop. I've transferred all the materials there and you can start whenever you're ready," Caitlyn explains. Jinx slowly looks the first man up and down. Jayce is all Piltie, from his prissy hair all the way to his perfectly shined shoes.

She's not impressed. She knows that name. The leader of the hextech revolution. The council's poster boy. Twitching, Jinx sees the shadows crawl across him as the monster emerges. He's a giant made of metal and gears that's always moving forward, but never notices the destruction each footstep causes. Unlike the others, he's not scary. He's ignorant. Oblivious to the damage he causes and causing more with each attempt to fix it. That's the worst kind of topsider.

The other man has a glove over one hand. He has a cane, but the way he stands makes her wonder if it's more for appearances than necessity. Something else about Viktor strikes her as different. He's here topside, but he's like Vi. He doesn't quite fit in like the others.

"You from below?" Jinx asks, tilting her head curiously.

"I am," Viktor says with a smile. "Naturally, we've heard much about you. I've even had the, uh, pleasure of examining your work regularly. Most inspired. How did you learn?" he asks her. Jinx immediately brightens.

"Self taught. I've been tinkering with gadgets since I was a kid. Took whatever pieces I could get my hands on from the trash. Most of them didn't work, but," Jinx says and then pauses. Her minds screams a warning to her right before she says that Vi always told her she'd get her bombs to work one day. Probably not the best idea if the end goal is to convince them that Vi and Cait can handle taking care of her.

See? She recognized that all on her own. Look at that self improvement!

"But you just have to keep at it. Nothing ever works right the first time or something, something," Jinx says, swerving hard into something safer. Hopefully safer.

"Eh, I've had it happen a few times, but always by mistake. It usually blows up the second time around," Viktor says with an amused shrug.

"Hey, at least a big enough explosion saves time on taking things apart again," Jinx snorts with laughter. Viktor smiles.

"True enough. It's often the fastest way to diagnose a problem too," he responds, making Jinx grin. He's friendly, he gets her jokes, and he's not an arrogant topsider. Jinx likes him already.

However, the twitching of his fingers and body reveals his nervousness. Viktor isn't nearly as calm or light-hearted about having her nearby as he's trying to pretend. Some people act like they aren't nervous by pretending to be tougher and stronger than they are, like Jayce is doing now. Viktor pretends by hiding it, by being friendly with her and treating her as if she's just like everyone else. Jinx appreciates that. She appreciates not being treated like she's a grenade about to blow.

Jayce, however, seems displeased by their exchange. Gears are grinding in her ears and his eyes are red and narrowed. Jinx turns to him with a sneer.

"Oh, lighten up, pretty boy. The trenchers are having fun," Jinx tells him, her smile turning nastier. Being on her best behavior just means not threatening to kill people or blow things up, right? Right!

"I just want to make sure this is all done safely," Jayce tells her. "I'm not completely sold on this idea, but I trust Caitlyn's judgement about you and about this investigation. For now," he warns. His threat is obvious. She's still on very thin ice.

"Last I checked, I wasn't the one going around threatening people this time. Councilor," Jinx says, lifting her cuffed hands for Jayce to see.

"Which is why we're all here," Vi smoothly interrupts. "So that we can catch the person behind this and keep the city safe, which includes you. And we're very glad you're here to help us figure out what's going on," she says, putting her hands on Jinx's shoulders.

Jinx swells with pride and importance at her sister's praise. They do need her, don't they? The fancy topsiders and the high and mighty council can't do anything about one of their own without her help. Without the evidence she knows how to find, their hands are tied. Unless they want to resort to less than legal measures.

"See? At least someone cares about my well being," Jinx purrs. "So don't worry! I'll make sure the job gets done properly. About time someone did," she adds with a malicious grin.

"There are legal procedures to follow here," Jayce points out. "We're just making sure this is done the right way," he says with forced calm.

"Oh, really?" Jinx asks. "Funny how those 'proper procedures' never quite seem to trickle down far enough to reach those of us in the trenches," she hisses back, real anger burning in her chest now. She can feel Vi's hands tighten on her shoulders. The Council may be giving her some leeway, but they haven't forgotten what she's done, and she hasn't forgotten her dead parents or Vi locked away and forgotten about because of Marcus.

Did Jayce flinch at that? Jinx thinks he did. Maybe he didn't. She can't tell when he looks like this. He takes a breath, and it hisses out slowly. Steam and rolling gears. Jinx tenses up and braces herself for another verbal attack. Some justification for why topsiders are always right. An accusation about how dangerous Zaunites are.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Zaunites haven't been treated fairly, and that is our fault and our responsibility to address," Jayce apologizes.

What?

Jinx blinks and stares at him.

"I can't change the injustice that's been done to you. Both of you. Nor do I expect you to believe me when I say that we want to do better in the future, since only our actions can prove that. You don't want to work with me and personally, I'm not exactly thrilled about this idea either," Jayce admits.

Really? She couldn't tell what with his sunny personality and all.

"You still have a lot of lives on your hands to answer for," Jayce reminds her with a lingering stare. "But right now, we both have something the other person wants. We want the information you have about Silco's deals with Piltover officials and politicians. While Caitlyn would like to have you released into Vi's care. Correct?" he asks her. Jinx fidgets, her stomach twisting into knots.

"I already said I'd help. I won't do anything to get her or Vi in trouble. You don't have to hold that over my head," Jinx snaps out. Now Caitlyn steps in and touches her arm gently.

"He was just trying to ask a question. He didn't mean it as a threat," Caitlyn says, gently stroking her arm. Jinx shivers and leans into her touch. The voices are gone for now, but the echo is still there and Jinx's mind is fully capable of filling in the blanks of what they used to say.

They aren't going anywhere. Caitlyn and Vi won't leave me. No one is going to take them away,Jinx reminds herself. She twitches and looks away as a hunger builds inside her. She has to control it now. Her actions have consequences. And she needs to trust that Caitlyn will do her job and take care of things.

"I didn't," Jayce confirms, but his eyes are on Caitlyn now. Watching her with fresh interest. "I just meant that your help with this case and your continued help in the future will make it a lot easier to believe that you won't be an ongoing danger. And if you are committed to that, then it will make us feel safer giving you fewer restrictions," he explains.

"That's just good business. Even the underground follows similar rules," Viktor puts in, giving her a knowing nod. His comment reminds Jinx of how things work below. How they always have.

No one trusts enforcers down there, but Zaun doesn't have their own police force, so smaller gangs often step in instead. Pay your dues, keep out of certain areas, frequent their establishments from time to time, and they'll make sure no one from the larger Chem Barons bothers you in return. Even Silco did that much, although he threw in a hit of Shimmer as well, to the most loyal. Now Sevika does it instead, but with food and basic care instead of drugs.

Just business. She has a debt to the city in their eyes because of the people she's killed. They can't and won't forget it, but they will allow her to work it off. It makes her think of Silco's tactics as well. Putting people in his factories or other businesses when they got into debt and couldn't pay him back. Those whose minds still worked well enough to run the machines, anyway. Some had taken too much Shimmer to be useful. Those just got dumped in the tent city down in The Pits.

Jinx thinks back to the airship she saw overhead this morning. The Council knows she understands hextech and if she can, then it'll only be a matter of time before more in Zaun imitate her or others they see in Piltover. Maybe that's what they want. To put her to work, improving their fancy toys. Making weapons for them instead of against them.

That Jinx can understand, and it makes her relax a bit. She's familiar with that kind of thinking. She can work with that. But it doesn't stop the thought already planted there in her mind. One that grew first for Vi after she reappeared and was now budding for Caitlyn as well.

I'll kill anyone who tries to take them from me.

Everything Jinx needs is here in the workshop, perfectly arranged and ready for her to work. Caitlyn has already removed her handcuffs and now the real fun is about to start. Bella will guard the door outside today. Ember is scheduled to come with them tomorrow.

Sitting next to a table is Sandman's stuff, along with a smaller box that has her personal hextech notes written in a tattered sketchbook. Jayce's journal is sitting next to it. Grabbing Jayce's notebook, Jinx casually chucks it across the room. She cackles as he races to catch it. Gears screaming.

"Please be careful with those!" he demands, fumbling it a few times before snatching it up.

"Those are old now, anyway. Mine are way better. Besides, you haven't had them for months. I think you'll survive a corner getting bent," Jinx comments as she digs through the box. First her notes, then her goggles. Just like the ones Claggor used to wear. He always believed in her.

"I made it, pal. I bet you'd be proud of me. The real you I mean," Jinx says to herself. She slips them onto her head and rubs her hands together. Notes, goggles, a few music records to help get her in a thinking mood, sketching pencils, and finally her sketch pads.

Two hextech recorders and a more standard one are all lined up on the table. Hooking a foot around a stool, Jinx drags it over and sits down. Vi walks over and puts a hand on her back.

"Need anything before you get started?" she asks.

"I could use some water and snacks. The new meds are giving me dry mouth and I'm a lot hungrier than usual," Jinx asks. Vi smiles and gives her a kiss on the head.

"I'll see what I can scrounge up in this fancy place. Be right back, blue jay," Vi promises.

Ha! It worked! Is it a lie if it's technically true, but not for the reason you claimed? Not important. Water and food are on the way.

Caitlyn has taken up a position in a seat near the door and stands up to let Vi out. The door is supposed to remain locked the entire time Jinx is in here.

"For security reasons," Jayce said in a pompous voice.

Viktor has walked over and is standing next to her at a respectful distance. Close enough to see what she's doing, but not close enough to hover. Unlike Jayce, who she can feel looming over her shoulder now that Vi is gone. Seriously, how does he get anything done being that tall? It's no wonder he doesn't see all the little people beneath him.

"When did you first make your own notes?" Viktor asks, distracting her.

"Right after I first figured out how to make the gemstone work properly. Pretty boy's notes are all over the place since he just wrote everything down as he discovered it. And he signed every page. A bit arrogant, isn't it?" Jinx asks, craning her head back to look at him. Jayce gives a frustrated sigh and motions for her to get to the point. Viktor smiles as if she just told a particularly good joke.

"Fine, fine, I'm getting there. Slow your gears. Gemstones are simple. Getting them to understand what you want is not. So I needed a better dictionary and rundown of all the magic words and what they do. Anything outside of that is simple in comparison," Jinx says.

"Could you show me?" Viktor asks politely.

Politely! No one is ever polite below ground. You take what you want or someone takes it from you.

"Sure, have at it," Jinx says, pushing the journal over to him. Not like they don't know all this stuff already. Jayce leans over to look as well, but jumps back when Jinx hisses at him.

"I told him! Not you Council Man," she says, waving him back. Jayce sighs wearily but steps back. Finally. That awful cologne of his was choking her. Even her hallucinations can't cover that up. Viktor flips open the book and curiously examines the pages.

"I tried a journal first, but it wasn't big enough for what I needed," Jinx explains, spinning around on her stool.

"I dedicated each page to a depiction of one rune and a sketch of what it does or what power it influences. Along with notes at the bottom of which ones it works best with and which ones it clashes with," Jinx points out. Viktor's eyes drift down to the bottom of the page where a neater script has a simple pros and cons list, along with symbols showing the severity of the interaction.

"This is a very... unique, but detailed system. Not the most academic, but far easier to understand at a glance without needing to stop what you're doing," Viktor states, sounding impressed.

"You wrote this same rune for fire twice," Jayce notes. Jinx scowls at him. Half for peeking and half because he's nitpicking her work.

"It isn't the same. It's slightly longer on one side," Jinx shoots back. Leaning over, she opens one drawer. Ooo, someone stored snacks in here!

"And that makes a significant difference in your work?" Viktor asks curiously.

"Duh, or I wouldn't have done it!" Jinx says, distracted. Ew, licorice. Must be Jayce's. A signed name on the back confirms it. Seriously, does he sign his name on everything?

"Fire and heat are the same thing, though, aren't they?" Jayce asks. Jinx turns back and squints up at him.

"Are you that dumb, or do you think I'm that dumb?" Jinx asks suspiciously. Jayce opens his mouth, but she waves her hand to stop him.

"Forget it, not important. Some runes open the gateway to the heebie jeebie realm, others tell the magic stuff what to do once it goes through the gate and the gemstone powers the door so it doesn't close! Right?" Jinx says with a quick rundown. There's a lollipop in the drawer. She grabs it and pulls the wrapper off and puts it in her mouth.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than..." Jayce begins.

"Right!" Jinx interrupts, slamming the drawer closed.

"So the magic thinks that rune word is different, therefore, it is. Doesn't matter what you think or what I think. The glowy stuff says 'this isn't the same magic word as before!' So it isn't. One sets things on fire, one melts it. Same with the water and ice runes. Each one has differences. Plus, you can use one of the ice runes to make ice that will burn you like frostbite while the other leaves a scar like a fire burn. Ask me how I know," she tells them. Then she remembers that the faded scar is on her inner thigh from dropping the device on her lap after it burned her hand.

"On second thought, don't ask that. Forget I mentioned it," Jinx says quickly. "The point is the magic reads the runes, says 'I got this!' and then does what the runes tell it to. So you get fire which burns, or just plain heat which... heats things up," she says with a vague wave of her hand.

"Precisely. An excellent summation," Viktor compliments her. "That difference has allowed us to make safer personal heating devices, boilers, and more. While your methods may be unorthodox, no one could say you don't have a good grasp on how it works," he adds. Jinx preens and shoots Jayce a look. He just crosses his arms, seeming far less convinced.

"You said the magic reads the runes?" Jayce asks, sounding doubtful. It's hard to read an expression on that metal face, but he sure sounds suspicious.

"Duh! How else is it supposed to know what to do?" Jinx asks. Sitting here is getting boring. Grabbing a pencil, she wiggles it back and forth. When can she actually start working?

"But that would imply the energy is alive somehow," Jayce points out.

"Yeah, and?" Jinx asks, letting her eyes drift around the room. It's not terrible, but it needs some more personal touches. Some real Jinx flair.

"And that idea doesn't bother you?" Jayce demands, sounding dumbfounded.

"Why should it? Is that supposed to be more or less creepy than the fact that I can turn a coffee cup into a ceramic bomb just by hooking up a gemstone and carving the rune words for "open gate, heat up, and explode" on the side?" Jinx questions while giving him a funny look. Waving her hand, she shoos him off and turns around to get started.

"Get back to me when the heebie jeebie realm of magic whatsit actually starts whispering back and someone other than me hears it. Then it's creepy!" Jinx says, grinning to herself. She cackles with laughter at the idea and puts her googles down over her eyes.

"I mean... it's not like we haven't discussed the theory already," Viktor points out.

"This is going to be such a long day," Jayce groans from behind her.

Vi is now understanding what Sevika meant when she said that Jinx will hyper focus on her work to the point where she'll forget everything else. Calling her name several times didn't work. Neither did tapping her on the shoulder. It isn't until Vi reaches over the desk and shuts off the blaring music station that Jinx's head finally pops up from her work.

"Hey! What gives! That was my thinking music!" Jinx complains.

"Break time. You've been at this for hours," Vi tells her. There's also the fact that she's downed at least two very tall cups of water since she started. Caitlyn suggested just using one of the souvenir cups from the gift shop across the building that could be refilled. Jinx doesn't seem to notice when it's empty, but each time Vi refilled it and brought it back, she immediately grabbed it, took a sip, and continued with her work.

"But I'm..." Jinx pauses and makes a face. "Fine, but just a small one," she grumbles. Jayce is siting closest to her, alternating between watching her work and talking quietly with Viktor about Jinx's notebook.

Spinning her stool around, Jinx kicks Jayce's shin. Hard.

"Ow! What was that for?" Jayce demands, rubbing his leg

"Bathroom?" Jinx says simply. Scowling, he points to a marked door in the room's corner. "I'll be right back. Don't touch my work while I'm gone!" she shouts, giving him a look. Jayce watches her go and then turns to glower at Vi. Quickly, she holds her hands up.

"Hey! This is all new to me as well!" Vi insists. Jayce grunts and continues rubbing his leg.

"She is a truly fascinating engineer," Viktor comments. He's engrossed in examining cast offs from Jinx's work and is making small notes of his own. "I certainly wouldn't mind having her come by again. Seeing her work is truly inspiring. Unconventional, but inspiring," he adds, not taking his eyes off what he's doing.

"You're only saying that because she doesn't hate you," Jayce grumbles.

"You could try being nicer. Show her more of that sunny Councilor disposition the public loves," Viktor teases him. Jayce snorts.

"Yeah, somehow I don't think that would work with her. Besides, our purpose is to monitor and evaluate Jinx's technical abilities. Not become best friends," Jayce reminds him. Viktor simply shrugs and accepts the point.

"How is she doing? Sure, I watched her tinker as a kid, but this..." Vi pauses and looks over Jinx's spot at the workstation. "This is way out of my league," she confesses. Metal panels have runes etched into them and she's written and scratched out dozens of combinations, along with a rough schematic that is slowly getting more detailed.

Jayce glances over, but Jinx hasn't come back out yet.

"Honestly? It's terrifying to see just how much she understands. The way hextech works is a carefully guarded secret exactly for this reason. If someone can decode the runes and figure out how they work, it opens up an entire world of possibilities. Some that we're still just starting to understand. Yet it has only taken months for Jinx to come up with ideas and theories about the arcane that it took Viktor and I years to figure out. And she does it all so... so naturally," Jayce marvels.

"So either it's not that difficult to figure out..." Vi begins.

"Or I've been severely underestimating how talented your sister really is. Both possibilities scare me honestly," Jayce admits, looking disturbed. He picks up a piece of metal that has runes burned into it. "I wasn't sold on this idea personally, but in the end, I trust Caitlyn's judgement and Mel made a good argument. Although Mel is more concerned about personal responsibility at the moment, it won't take long before she realizes what Jinx can do," he says, looking concerned.

"What do you think she'll want from her?" Vi asks warily. Jayce sighs and tosses the metal back onto the counter.

"Ideally, making things that could help to improve other people's lives is what both of us would prefer. A school and education exchange with Zaun so they can be more independent in the future will help smooth things over politically and personally. They need engineers, builders, inventors who will work on, repair, and improve infrastructure that we've failed to maintain. Refocusing Jinx's abilities into an area like that is what both of us want," Jayce explains.

"And what's the alternative?" Vi presses.

"The alternative is that Piltover has a lot of nations and potential enemies looking to weaponize hextech on a much larger scale if we won't do it ourselves. We'd be fools not to make use of someone who has already proven themselves capable of weaponizing a gemstone. If nothing else, Mel would try to use Jinx to help protect the city if she absolutely had to. She wouldn't like it, but she will protect this city," Jayce says firmly.

"Thanks, I hate it," Vi grimaces. The last thing she wanted was for Jinx to get caught up in more fighting.

"Mel's first response is always to find peace. For better or worse. She won't go down any other road unless there are no alternatives, but she will do it. Jinx's attack…. it changed a lot and not just for Piltover. Other nations noticed it as well," Jayce points out.

Vi thinks of Silco and how their first reaction was to negotiate with him rather than fight. In the end, they had offered him exactly what he wanted, but at the one price he wasn't willing to pay. If he hadn't died that day, he would have gone to war without hesitation rather than give up his daughter.

Mel is from Noxus. We don't know war the way she does,Vi reminds herself. It took a crash course in Noxian history and war campaigns before she really appreciated that fact. Studying that history taught her things Vi wishes she could forget. Mel doesn't want to go down that road, but if she has to choose between letting that kind of violence happen to Piltover or building weapons to defend it? She'll fight.

"Whatever happens, I have to be part of it, along with Cait. Jinx isn't negotiating anything without one of us there," Vi warns him. She doesn't despise the Council like she used to, but that doesn't mean she trusts them not to take advantage of her sister if the opportunity arises.

"That works for me. Besides, I'd rather focus on one crisis at a time right now," Jayce compromises. That's good enough for Vi. She's about to go see what's taking Jinx so long when the bathroom door bangs open. Jinx emerges holding two containers of chemicals in her hands.

"Sorry I took so long, but man, even your tiny bathrooms are big enough for me to sleep in. Plus, there's a storage closet in there and since we're being all buddy buddy and pretending like I don't hate your guts, I should probably admit that I could build a serious bomb with this stuff. Not to mention someone left a toolbox with nails in there. Not the best combo for you, but a pretty nice one for me," Jinx says casually.

Vi groans and puts her hands over her face. Jinx is gonna end up in prison by the end of the day. She just knows it.

"But I'm not! I'm going to be a good upstanding citizen and all that jazz," Jinx insists, as she runs back over. Dumping the containers on the counter, she rubs her hands together.

"All right, before you panic and throw the cuffs back on me, just hear me out!" Jinx says, holding her hands out to ward off any complaints. Caitlyn went out to grab some sandwiches for lunch, but right now Jayce looks ready to call her right back to haul Jinx out of here.

"So after I figured out how your fancy toilets work and washed my hands and all that good hygienic stuff, I started poking around, found the supply closet, and was hit with inspiration! That's why I took forever. Had to look at the chemical makeup to see if it would work and it will!" Jinx says excitedly.

"What will?" Viktor interrupts. Jayce looks like he's on the verge of a meltdown, and Vi feels awfully close to one herself.

"I need to make a bomb!" Jinx says proudly.

Vi wants to disappear into the floor.

"A tiny one. Just enough to make a pop and some smoke. Not even a bomb, more like a loud firecracker," she insists.

"How will that help with what you are trying to do?" Viktor presses, as if it's a perfectly normal question. The man is clearly trying to stay calm, even if the nervous tapping of his fingers gives him away. Vi desperately appreciates it.

"What are you trying to do?" Vi asks, hoping that an explanation will help smooth over the tension filling the room right now.

"Ok, so the idea is to reverse engineer the hextech recording devices. Right now they power the box and help focus the sound so a person's voice or whatever else is going on in the room records more clearly than the old tech could," Jinx begins.

"They can record in excellent quality, but we've had trouble using filters to block out background noise that could make someone harder to hear. As a result, the new tech is good, but also very sensitive and will pick up even the tiniest sounds," Viktor explains. Then he motions for Jinx to continue.

"Exactly! What I need is for the recorders to figure out how to block or fix sound distortions on their own. This would help the magic figure out what noises should be focused on and what sound is from background noise or unwanted interruptions!" Jinx says excitedly.

"And how does a bomb help that?" Jayce demands.

"That's how I'm going to teach the recorders! I set off a bomb, a tiny one, while something else is going on. Vi talking, the radio playing, whatever. Then I keep fiddling with the runes to help teach the spooky magic realm how to filter the sound distortion. You said these are extra sensitive, right? So instead of a word getting lost because of a sudden sound, the noise gets softened, and the voice amplified as it's being recorded," Jinx explains.

"Rather than us having to use sound filters or screens, the hextech will learn how to deal with sound distortions on its own. Then we apply that principle to Sandman's recordings. It distinguishes between background noise and distortions due to fire damage or warping and fixes the original recording as it writes the information to a new disc!" Jinx declares. She twirls around and plops down on the stool looking extremely proud of herself.

The room is completely silent.

"Hey! I'm... back?"

Vi looks over and waves Caitlyn over. She glances at all of them and walks up beside Vi. She's holding take out bags from the academy café in her hands.

"What are we doing?" Caitlyn whispers.

"Jinx is explaining why exactly she needs to be allowed to make a bomb. But just a small one," Vi answers, giving her a strained look. Caitlyn's eyes soften with sympathy.

"Ah, of course. Why didn't I think of that," Caitlyn responds handing her a bag. She passes the rest out as Jinx sits there looking smug, Jayce stands there looking incredibly disturbed, and Viktor has his eyes closed thoughtfully.

"Oh! Potato chips!" Jinx says happily as she peeks into the food bag. She munches away happily as Jayce takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"We have theorized that magic is alive," Viktor says. He straightens up in his chair and takes a sandwich out. "We've considered the idea that magic, the arcane, is not simply a power, but a force that can shift and change. Possibly even learn and adapt in some ways to what we need from it. You and I have gone back and forth on whether runes control magic or simply communicate our desires to it in a language it understands. This would be a good chance to test aspects of that theory in a controlled environment. Jinx will not be unsupervised and it could not only aid solving this investigation, but help our personal research as well," he says reasonably. His calm demeanor, even forced, seems to rub off on Jayce, who relaxes a bit.

"Why does it need to be a bomb?" Jayce demands.

"The noise needs to be caused by a natural reaction, a natural chemical reaction, in this case. Call it a hunch, but I'm not sure an artificial source will get the reaction I need. Not right away. I'm gonna start with something 'natural' and work my way up from there," Jinx says, making air quotes with her fingers. She smacks Jayce's arm and laughs. "Baby steps, Council Man! Wow, it's like you've never done experiments before," she adds, popping another potato chip into her mouth.

Jayce rolls his eyes up to the ceiling.

"This is giving me a serious headache," he complains.

"You know what else gives you headaches? Hallucinations! If I can work with it, then so can you. At least yours don't occasionally come with dead friends tagging along for the ride," Jinx states unsympathetically. Jayce grimaces, a flash of guilt in his eyes, but Jinx doesn't notice it. Instead, she swings around to Caitlyn.

"Thanks for the sandwich, by the way. I always forget to eat once I get really into my work," Jinx adds more appreciatively. Caitlyn seems surprised.

"Oh! Uh... you're welcome," she responds hesitantly. "It's nice to see you in such a good mood today," she adds warmly. Jinx's entire being lights up.

"I think the new meds are working! I feel so alive! Everything is so clear!" Jinx says, practically vibrating with energy. Then her expression darkens. "Weaponize the gemstone. I need that a weapon. Topside won't stop until they get it back," she says in a mock, deep voice.

"Silco went on and on. You know what really would have helped? Decent medication!" Jinx says, slamming her fist down on the table and making everyone jump. "I can do the same work in like half the time now! He always told me their help would just slow me down. The psychiatrists and stuff, I mean. He said they would make me dumb until I couldn't think properly. And... well, the first round of medication they tried did," she admitted. Vi remembers how tired and sluggish Jinx was. She hated seeing her that slow.

"But no one ever told me you could just try new ones! Or that sometimes you have to try a lot of new ones until your brain chemicals and the medication chemicals line up properly," Jinx continues, waving her hands around to demonstrate. "Silco made it seem like that one choice was all I had. I've always just had to work around it before, plan out extra days, budget in more time in case something set me off or triggered an episode. Like the first time I tried to use the gemstone, and it made me think of..." she pauses and looks up at Vi. Jinx then lowers her gaze, looking uncomfortable.

"Never mind," she mumbles. Something about that upset her. Probably a memory of the factory explosion. Vi moves closer to her and puts an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for how I acted that day, blue bird. I've said it before, but I still mean it," Vi murmurs. Jinx nuzzles into her side, sighing lightly.

"Well... I hurt you too since then," Jinx reminds her. "I'm just glad you're here now. This is nice... isn't it? Me helping?" she asks, looking up at her and then Caitlyn hopefully.

"Well, how do you feel?" Vi says instead. She has to remember Rosalyn's advice. They need to help guide Jinx so that she's not simply doing whatever makes them happy. Part of that is getting her to be more vocal about how she feels and what she wants. Jinx perks up again.

"I love being able to work! To build and craft and make things! Could I have a workshop again? If I do well and help with this investigation, I mean? Being in a place like this again helps with... what I mentioned before," Jinx says with a pause. Jayce looks over at Vi with a look that clearly says he'll be asking about this later.

"If it helps, then I'm sure we can arrange something," Vi says, remembering what Jayce said earlier. "Or have some days where you come and help, maybe. We'll see how things go with this first," she states, being careful not to promise something she can't deliver. That hope seems to be more than enough for Jinx, though, because her good mood returns and she grabs a sandwich from the bag.

"So does this mean I get to build my bomb?" Jinx asks with an eager wiggle. Jayce pinches the bridge of his nose and finally throws his hands up.

"The smallest one possible and either Viktor or I will hover over your shoulder the entire time," Jayce warns her. "This is purely to help with the investigation. So don't go expecting this to become a normal thing," he adds.

"Does that mean you'll let me come back to work with you more often if I do well on this?" Jinx presses. The look Jayce gives her could melt steel. "Geez, what's with the stare? You'd think I tried to blow you up or something!" she cackles before swinging back around to face the table. Jayce slowly looks over at Vi and Caitlyn with a stony look.

"Is she like this non-stop?" Jayce demands.

"I'm afraid she might be," Vi responds with an apologetic look. It takes another moment before the full weight of those words drops back down onto her.

Jinx actually might be like this every single day when she's feeling better consistently,Vi realizes. As great as it is to see Jinx feeling better, that thought is slightly terrifying.

"Better you two than me," Jayce mutters. He goes back to his seat at the table and starts eating. Jinx has cranked the radio back up and is already buried in her work again.

The next few hours pass in a blur. Caitlyn endures the waiting better than Vi, but watching her sister work helps pass the time. It's fascinating to see firsthand what she does and what she's capable of. Vi can only get a rough idea here and there of what Jinx is doing.

First she makes an explosive mixture about as big as a thumbnail, both to fit Jayce's order and to spite him, Vi is sure. It produces a suitably audible BANG and Jinx does it a few more times with different chemical powders before moving on. From there, it graduates up to different devices and noises. Doors slamming, books falling, even the radio gets thrown into the mix until the recorders can separate lyrics from instruments and a dj from background music. Things are flowing so smoothly that Jinx declares everything is ready for the last test and she grabs one tape from Sandman's box.

That's when things apparently hit a wall.

"Things were going so well, but we suspected we'd run into an issue when it came time to try the final testing," Viktor muses. There's a mess of wires and boxes all hooked up to one another on the table. Jinx is leaning forward, resting her head on crossed arms as she glares at the complicated tangle.

"We can get it to separate distinct noises from each other, but perhaps cleaning up the damage is simply too much?" Jayce considers. "These records have smoke damage and have decayed from age. We need to fix the warped sound and clean it up the sound at the same time. Similar to the previous tests, but on a larger scale. Maybe it's simply too complicated a request. Or maybe there's a rune we're missing. Something similar, but not the same," Jayce ponders.

"No!" Jinx insists, popping up from her sulking. "Hextech is more than just an elemental force. It's magic, mystical, arcane, spiritual weirdness. It can learn and it's been learning this whole time how to differentiate between unfamiliar noises, so why can't it work now!" she demands, slamming her fists back down on the table.

"The theory is hextech can be influenced by the wielders' intent, or by the creators' intent when it's being designed. Maybe there is some breakdown between what we intend and what the hextech can understand?" Viktor points out.

"I intend to smash it against the wall if it doesn't work," Jinx grumbles under her breath.

"Why don't we take a quick break and stretch? Forcing ourselves through the problem won't work," Jayce tells them. Jinx scowls and reluctantly turns away, staring up at the ceiling as she spins a pigtail around. Viktor goes over to a whiteboard and starts writing ideas down, while Jayce cleans up all the various bits and pieces of metal and tech that Jinx has scattered across the desk.

Currently, Vi is on guard duty by the door. She stretches and looks over at a clock above the workstation. It's nearly time for them to leave. Caitlyn wanders back over to her and rubs the back of Vi's neck affectionately. Vi relaxes at her touch.

"I know it's almost time to go, but I'd really like to give Jinx a bit more time if we can," Vi admits.

"Another hour should be fine, but after that we'll have to leave and come back tomorrow," Caitlyn agrees.

"Fair enough," Vi agrees, letting her eyes drift shut. The massage feels so good. "It's nice... seeing her like this. Exhausting, but nice," she adds with a murmur. Shifting in her seat, she opens her eyes and looks up at Caitlyn.

"We have to focus on the investigation first and making sure Jinx isn't in any danger. But after that? I'd like to see about setting up something like this for her regularly. A place where she can work every day. I think the routine would help with her therapy and give her a stronger outlet for some of her more dangerous urges," Vi tells her.

"I've been thinking of something similar. I think the Council would also feel better having her under guard close by where they can check up on her, rather than just hearing everything second or third hand from me," Caitlyn responds.

"Jayce brought it up earlier as well," Vi admits. She summarizes their conversation for her.

"So ideally, Jinx won't ever be working on weapons again. But they would make use of her knowledge if they felt it was the best way to defend the city. Nothing too surprising there, honestly," Caitlyn admits. Then she perks up. "Maybe a compromise? Jinx isn't the only threat the city has. We're finding new weapons and devices all the time. Having someone dedicated to studying them and taking them apart to find out how they work could be a big help. Right now, that always just falls to Viktor," she adds thoughtfully.

"Like that bomb and weapons disposal squad Grayson proposed years ago? She never got it approved and once she died, the idea just kind of sat around collecting dust. I've heard you speak about it before," Vi recalls. It's not a terrible idea. It might even be a great one.

"So less making weapons and more fighting crime?" Vi asks slowly. The image of her and Jinx fighting criminals together pops into her head. Immediately, she bursts that bubble before she can get too attached to it. "I'm not sure she's... stable enough for that, or that she ever will be," she reluctantly admits.

"Of course," Caitlyn says, her expression softening. "But the point I'm making is that we have other options. Jinx wants to go to the academy and be an engineer. As Sheriff, she still had a debt to repay to the city and I have to figure out how she'll do that. But personally, I'd like to balance that with what Jinx wants as well," she confesses.

"For now, I'd settle for her not destroying Jayce's workshop in a fit of rage," Vi says with a nod towards Jinx. She's started glaring at the table again. Sighing, Caitlyn walks over to her and puts a hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"I know this is giving you trouble, but I'm sure you'll get it! I get stuck all the time myself. Sometimes the best you can do is give yourself a night to sleep on it," Caitlyn says encouragingly.

"Yeah, I guess. But I'm so close!" Jinx says, frustrated.

"Maybe looking over your notes again will help," Caitlyn suggests. Vi knows that Caitlyn does that all the time when she gets stuck. She reviews everything she has in case she missed something before letting it go for the day.

"May I?" Caitlyn asks, gesturing to Jinx's notebook.

"Sure, whatever," Jinx mumbles. Jayce perks up and opens his mouth.

"Absolutely not."

"I didn't even say anything yet!"

"You were going to ask if you could touch my stuff and the answer is no."

"But it's fine for you to use my workshop all day?"

"You already agreed to that. I didn't agree for you to put your ink-stained hands all over my hard earned work. Didn't anyone ever teach you consent?"

"That's not how...UGH!"

Vi tries not to grimace. If Jinx walks out of here without more restrictions being put on her, it'll be a small miracle. Or maybe a big one, depending on how much more she aggravates Jayce.

"Oh!" Caitlyn says abruptly. Swinging around, Jinx locks her eyes onto her.

"Oh? What oh? Oh what?" Jinx demands.

"Sorry, I just..." Caitlyn pauses and then shakes her head. "Well, I saw this rune you wrote. Unknown. The notes you added say it should be used for variance, instability, or when a situation requires something that can't be precisely measured," she says, gesturing to the page.

"Yeah, some devices require alternating currents or power fluctuations. Or it needs to adjust on the fly according to what the user needs. Like with the output of mining lasers or Atlas Gauntlets lifting or punching things," Jinx explains slowly. Her eyes are locked on to Caitlyn to see where she's going with this. Viktor has turned around and Jayce is listening in as well.

"That's just it! Viktor said earlier that maybe there was a breakdown in communication. With the earlier tests, all of you knew exactly what you wanted the hextech to do and had it firmly in mind each time. Which sounds you specifically wanted to enhance, mute, or block out, I mean. But we don't know what's on Sandman's recordings. It could be anything from music to personal logs to private research. You don't know what sounds to change or filter, just that the sound needs to be pulled off and the distortion cleaned up. Maybe the issue is that... whatever this is, can't understand your intent because it isn't clear enough," Caitlyn says. Everyone stares at her.

"That's... just an idea. I mean, I'm certainly no expert on... oof!" Caitlyn grunts as Jinx springs up from her chair and throws her arms around her.

"Big sis, you're a genius! That's exactly it!" Jinx squeals with delight as she hugs Caitlyn tightly. "The hextech knows what we want, sort of, but we don't know what's on the tapes or what might need to be filtered out, if anything. So everything is breaking down when we go to power it up. We get funky lights and spooky floating symbols, but nothing else. So we refocus it by using the rune word for unknown. Variance. Shifting. That will give it the information it needs and clarify our intentions. It's brilliant!" she says happily.

For a moment, Caitlyn is frozen in place. So surprised by Jinx's reaction that she can't move. Then, slowly, she responds, putting one hand around Jinx's shoulders and the other on the back of her head.

"You didn't doubt me for a second. You said my notes might have the answer, and you were right! This has got to work!" Jinx says happily.

Vi knows her sister, and she knows how Jinx always snuggles in a little more, holds on a little tighter, stays there a bit longer whenever she's hugged. But Caitlyn doesn't and Vi can see her hand tremble slightly as Jinx presses closer to her. Wanting more of the familial connection and love that she's been lacking since Silco died, since Sevika was taken from her, and since their parents died.

Viktor is politely pretending not to notice and is grabbing items from around the room. Jayce, however, is openly watching them, and Vi knows he can see the way Caitlyn's heart is melting and spilling out everywhere, just like she can. Finally, Jinx lets go, pulling away with a huge smile. She drops back onto her stool and swings back to the table.

"Grab the laser Vikki! We've got runes to burn!" Jinx whoops. Viktor laughs.

"Already on it," he says, grabbing the glove that directs the mining laser. Jinx can write the runes onto metal pieces they've been using, but she can't use the laser to cut them out. For understandable reasons.

Vi walks over and gently pulls Caitlyn away as Jayce moves in to help. Jinx is a whirlwind of activity and excitement. Furiously writing runes onto a metal panel before handing it over to Viktor to cut out. Jayce is unscrewing the old ones from the recorders and putting the new ones on as Viktor finishes.

"She... she called me big sis," Caitlyn says, her voice wavering. Both of them are safely out of the way now. Vi wraps an arm around her waist as Caitlyn stares at Jinx's back, one hand pressed against her chest.

"After her last episode, I thought... I swore she would..." Caitlyn stops, her words drifting off.

"She trusts you," Vi murmurs. "And what you said that night, letting Jinx know that keeping her distance was okay, probably just made it harder for her not to get attached. Honestly, I don't know that anything you said or did that night would have made a difference. Jinx just can't help herself yet, cupcake," she gently reminds her.

Vi has seen it already. Not just that night, but since then as well. She remembers Jinx's admission that she might not be able to control herself if someone hurt either of them. Then there was the disappointment on her face when Caitlyn said she had to leave last night. It was there for just a second before Jinx hid it again.

"All right!" Jinx calls out. "Last test, for real this time!" she declares.

"The tape is in and all the boxes are wired together," Viktor says as he checks the connections again. Each hextech recorder had their old rune circles removed and new metal panels with different runes inscribed on them have been added. The older style tape deck has runes lasered into the sides now as well.

Jinx breathes out slowly and cranks a dial next to her. The hextech recorders both light up with a blue energy that slowly fills in and shines through each rune. Blue light travels down each cable to the old tape deck. On their last few attempts, this is where the light show fizzled out. This time, each rune on the device glows before a creaking, distorted sounds plays through its built-in speakers. Warped words and noises filter through the speakers.

"The needles are recording!" Viktor says excitedly as he looks at each hextech device.

"This might actually work," Jayce marvels. They let it play for a few minutes before Jinx reaches over and shuts off Sandman's tape.

Cracking her knuckles, Jinx takes the crystal discs out of each hextech recorder and walks them over to a special playback device at the other end of the table.

"Both of them in, and set up to play through different speakers. Come on, baby, work for me," Jinx asks as she hits play. There's a slight hum as it powers up and then...

"This is observation number 216. Previous experiment number 215 was a moderate success, but failed in the final stages," a crystal clear voice emerges from one speaker as the sound of materials and glass clinking together comes out of the other along with the more muted sound of a door closing in the background.

"It works!" Jinx crows, throwing her hands up in the air. "This calls for celebration!" she shouts happily. She gives Viktor a triumphant high five and then whips around to Jayce, who visibly hesitates. Jinx, with extreme distaste, pats him on the arm as if she's touching something disgusting.

"Nice job, wonder boy. I guess," Jinx says reluctantly. This time Jayce just rolls his eyes. Laughing, Vi races over and hugs her sister tightly.

"I'm so proud of you! We knew you could do it," Vi says encouragingly. Jinx swells with pride. "Why don't you take another hour and then we'll leave for the day. But no longer. All right?" Vi tells her. Jinx nods eagerly.

"But I can come back tomorrow and keep working, can't I?" Jinx says hopefully. Her gaze swings back over to Jayce and this time she looks genuinely worried. Jayce straightens up, his expression falling back into his more serious Councilor expression.

"Despite some... rough spots, you did well today. You followed directions and only worked with the tools we allowed you. In addition, you stayed focused on the task at hand, namely aiding in the investigation, and gave it your full attention. You even helped us make a new breakthrough," Jayce considers. Vi can feel Jinx buzzing in her arms with nervous energy.

"The real question is... can you continue working with Viktor and I? If you're going to be using our workshop then you won't be able to do so unmonitored. When one of us can't be here, you'll be severely limited in what you're allowed to do. In addition, enforcers of Caitlyn's choosing will watch you closely. Can you deal with that?" Jayce asks.

"Viktor ain't the problem and you..." Jinx pauses and gives him another long look before wrinkling her nose. "I guess we are even now," she admits reluctantly.

"Even?" Jayce asks, looking confused.

"The Council sent in the enforcers who killed my parents, even if they didn't mean to. And I meant to kill you, but didn't succeed. So it all works out!" Jinx says brightly. Vi sighs heavily. From behind her she hears Caitlyn groan.

"Ahh, and we were doing so well," Viktor murmurs from the other end of the table.

"Can I ask why? I know the undercity has a lot of anger towards the Council, but I'd like to know your personal reasons for the attack," Jayce asks her. Vi tenses up and she knows Jinx can feel it.

"Everyone has a monster inside that comes out sometimes, but with the Council it's different," Jinx says softly. "All I see is the monster. Because that's all you see when you look at us. Monsters to be trapped underground and controlled, or a problem to deal with," she mumbles.

"That's how other people in Zaun feel, too. Everyone knows it, but Silco said it. That you saw us as monsters, so we should look at you the same way. Not as people, because you don't see us as people. He said we'd never be seen as equals until we could rule over ourselves," Jinx says, fidgeting in her seat. Jayce looks up at Vi, but she can't meet his gaze.

"Vi?" Jayce presses and she knows she can't refuse to answer.

"That attitude was around well before Silco took over. That's how most people in Zaun feel. Ignored and forgotten about. The problems of the undercity started festering long before you took the job," Vi responds reluctantly. Jayce grimaces.

"You aren't the first person to say that, unfortunately. Something similar, anyway," Jayce murmurs.

"I don't mean that figuratively, though," Jinx says suddenly. Vi stiffens again.

"Jinx, you don't have to..." she begins.

"No, I want to," Jinx interrupts. "I enjoy working here and I want to keep coming back. So I should be honest or try to, at least. Besides, everything I say is being monitored. If they don't know already, they will soon enough," she reminds her.

"You're right," Vi admits, forcing herself to relax. "If I want you to make your own decisions, then I need to support you when you do. I'm sorry for interrupting," she apologizes. Jinx accepts her apology by snuggling deeper into her embrace for a moment before pulling away. Reaching across the table, Jinx grabs some paper and a spare pencil and starts drawing.

"Just wait," Vi explains as Jayce stands there looking confused.

When Jinx finishes, she hands the drawing over. It's a giant humanoid hextech machine with gears and cables running along its arm. Rubble lies all around it and its foot is raised to step down on another house as tiny people flee from it. Others seem to be waving to get its attention.

"That's what you look like to me. Minus the people," Jinx says as Jayce stares at it.

"This?" he says in surprise before looking back up at her. Vi can see the moment he realizes Jinx is being literal.

"You see this when you look at me? Right now?" Jayce asks, mystified. Silently, Jinx nods.

"I mean, you aren't quite skyscraper sized, but it is close," Jinx says, squinting up at him. Viktor snorts at her joke.

"What does the rest of it mean?" Jayce continues. "I assume there's some symbolism here, anyway," he adds. Jinx's eyes dart away and she turns to fidget with the hextech recorders.

"You crush people and destroy their homes, their lives, with each footstep, each decision. Not intentionally, but because you're just too high up to hear us telling you to stop. We're too small and too far down for you to see how each choice you make affects us," Jinx whispers. "Zaunites, I mean," she emphasizes, in case he didn't get it. Jayce drops his gaze to the drawing in his hands. His expression clouded.

"You see this every time you look at me? A monster?" Jayce asks softly. "That's all you've ever been able to see when you look at the Council?" he presses.

"Each person looks different for different reasons, but... yeah. Pretty much. I saw you. The real you earlier, but that was before we were introduced. Once I knew who you were," Jinx trails off and shrugs before falling silent.

"When you mentioned earlier that hallucinating gives you headaches I thought you meant in general," Jayce says softly. "But you meant right now. Today. Every time you look at me, it hurts," he realizes, watching her reaction closely.

Jinx glances over at him and Vi can see it. She can tell by Jayce's face that he sees it now, too. The way Jinx's eyes squint slightly and the way her lips tighten. Not in thought, but in pain. Except she's been dealing with this for so long that she's just learned how to manage. The same as with her triggers and psychosis. Making it go away wasn't an option and managing it wasn't a possibility before. So she simply learned to cope and work around it.

Viktor walks over and stands next to Jayce, examining the image.

"Ah, quite the symbolism indeed," Viktor murmurs. "It seems we weren't the only ones working alongside our monsters today," he says, looking at Jayce pointedly. Viktor says nothing else, but Vi recognizes the silent communication borne from years of close friendship and proximity.

"Well," Jayce finally begins. "If you can deal with working alongside your monsters, then I suppose I can as well. I won't say I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, but I expect you to be here all the same and on good behavior. The best you can manage anyway," he says, holding his hand out to her. Jinx stares at it for a moment before taking it.

"This doesn't mean I like you," Jinx says firmly.

"Oh, believe me, the feeling is very mutual."

Vi stands with her hands in her pockets, watching as Jinx excitedly chatters away with Viktor. Caitlyn is next to her as well, looking incredibly lost by their conversation. All of them are back outside waiting for Benson to get back so they can return to Silver River and get Jinx settled in for the night.

Viktor asked Jinx what she'd like to do with her engineering if given the chance, and that was all it took. Now Jinx is going on and on about her ideas. Airships, better fans for Zaun, elevators that need less maintenance, and more. Even ways to improve people like with Sevika's metal arm.T

Thankfully, nearly all of her ideas seem to be about improving things or people rather than blowing them up. That seems to have struck a cord with Viktor because Vi saw his face light up and now both of them are excitedly nerding out over the possibilities.

"It's nice to see Viktor happy again," Jayce notes from beside Vi. "We've both been... struggling lately. We've lost track of why we started this research and where we wanted to take it. He was nervous at first. Whenever Jinx leaves behind a bomb or a new weapon, Viktor is always the one who takes over the job of defusing it or dismantling them for research. He knows better than any of us what she's capable of. But now? I think Jinx has helped remind him that engineering isn't just something we do, it's supposed to be fun, tool. We lost that as well along the way. Seeing how excited she is just at the thought of working, no matter what it's on, has really helped him a lot today," he says with a smile. Both of them stand there in comfortable silence for a bit. Vi knows the question is coming, but she doesn't force it.

"What did Jinx mean earlier?" Jayce asks quietly.

There it is.

"The other day, Jinx claimed she could control herself around others if she had to. Keep her violent urges in check," Vi replies.

"You believe her?" Jayce presses.

"If you'd asked before today, I would have said no. But honestly, I think she did well overall, even if it doesn't seem that way to anyone else. Jinx only really lashed out with genuine anger when she felt provoked. Unfortunately, we can't always know what will do that. The medication can't take away all of her paranoia. She's grown up with it, lived with it, stayed alive because of it. It just takes away the worst of her delusions," Vi explains to him.

"So I'd say Jinx believes it, but I wouldn't want to push it too far. She isn't ready to be around others unsupervised. I wouldn't trust her with that for quite a while yet," Vi responds. This is Council business now, not simply personal talk about her sister. They need to know. Jaye nods thoughtfully.

"I appreciate the honest answer. Is there more?" Jayce asks. Vi watches Jinx for a moment as she continues to talk excitedly with Viktor.

"Jinx also confessed that she probably wouldn't be able to control herself if someone targeted me or Caitlyn," Vi says honestly, and then adds, "She's trying, Jayce. Yeah, it's rough, but she does honestly want to get better. But if something happened to us? That's when I'd be worried the most about her. That's always been the primary driving force for her actions. Making Silco happy, being useful, and wanting him to be proud of her. None of that has gone away. It's just shifted over to us." Jayce hums thoughtfully and rubs his chin.

"If someone went after you and Jinx had the opportunity, she might try to kill them. Just like Caitlyn described before, when some of the gang leaders in Zaun started dying off after they put a hit out on you," Jayce considers. Looking up, he watches Caitlyn for a bit.

"What exactly happened between you? Last I knew, Jinx hated Caitlyn. Enough to kidnap and constantly terrorize her every time they met. And Caitlyn's opinion of her wasn't much higher," he says, turning to her. Vi twitches.

"I'd... that's," Vi struggles to come up with an answer. It feels wrong to share what Jinx said. That's getting too far into very personal history and it feels like she would be crossing a line.

"Isn't it in the daily reports Caitlyn has been sending you?" she says evasively.

"The report commented that Jinx has severe attachment issues stemming from personal trauma and that worsened during her time with Silco," Jayce comments.

"Well, there's your answer. Like I said before. Jinx's problems haven't gone away, they've just shifted focus," Vi says simply. The look Jayce gives her clearly says that he knows more is going on than that.

"You really won't say anything else?" Jayce asks her.

"Not unless you order me too, sir," Vi emphasizes, lifting her chin. They aren't friends, but they are on friendly terms now. Mostly. So Vi needs him to understand that if he wants that information, she'll only give it up if he demands it as her boss. Not her acquaintance and not as Caitlyn's friend. Jayce hums and turns back to watch Caitlyn. Benson has arrived, and Caitlyn is slowly attempting to extract Jinx from the conversation so they can leave. It isn't working.

"I suppose that's good enough, then. So long as it doesn't put anyone at risk," Jayce says, letting the matter drop.

"You already know the most important part. I swear," Vi assures him.

"Then we'll just have to hope that nothing bad happens to you two, won't we?"

Chapter 15

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

For the next two days, things go surprisingly well. Jinx and Jayce were still bickering like children, but she seems to get along well with Viktor. Seeing Jinx stick to the rules set out for her also seems to smooth over some of Jayce's suspicion towards her as well. Not all of it, but some.

Over half of Sandman's tapes are done, but the process still takes time. Jinx says that today and tomorrow should be enough to finish them all. Hoskel was spotted a few times, but is otherwise choosing to lie low. The quiet makes Caitlyn suspicious. Nothing else has happened yet, and it's making her nervous. She wishes there was a way to hurry this process up. It feels like something could change at any moment and the last thing she wants is for him to get away with this.

At least Jinx is continuing to do well. At first Caitlyn wondered if it was just the medication that was making Jinx so hyper. Rosalyn adjusted the dosage a bit, but Jinx is still largely the same. Although, according to Jinx herself, she feels less "floaty" now. Apparently, this is just how Jinx is when she's happy and properly medicated.

The abundant energy and enthusiasm is still as exhausting as ever by the end of the day, but Caitlyn wouldn't change anything about it. She enjoys seeing how much happier Jinx and Vi both are.

Yesterday, Vi stayed to guard Jinx, and they spent the entire day together while the hextech recorders slowly did their work in the background. They brainstormed wild ideas and inventions. Caitlyn has never seen Vi so happy before and Jinx clearly needed the time with her sister.

Being here is clearly helping to stabilize Jinx. Even Jayce can see it and has approved of having her continue to work here as an assistant once Sandman's tapes are done. However, that doesn't mean everything is going smoothly. Day three is here and they've hit their first big speed bump.

"Are you sure you're okay with me doing this?" Vi asks. Caitlyn flips down the top of her newspaper and watches as Vi restlessly stands next to her sister. Jinx just shrugs and keeps staring down at the table.

On arriving here, a breathless messenger ran up to Vi, delivering a message from Ekko that he needed her help and she was to come below as soon as possible.

"The message didn't say what, just that I needed to come as soon as I could. Ekko doesn't ask that of me very often," Vi explains apologetically. She doesn't want to leave and Jinx clearly doesn't want her to go either. But Vi is right. Ekko doesn't request her casually, so she needs to go see what's up.

"I don't want you to go. Not really," Jinx eventually mumbles. "But I trust you. I know you'll come back to me this time. You may be his friend, but you're my sister. So no matter what, you'll come right back. Right?" she asks, finally looking up. Vi hugs her tightly.

Caitlyn can tell Jinx needs extra reassurance right now, but she can also see some of her possessive responses resurfacing as well. That obsession led to Marcus' death and Caitlyn's kidnapping. A few of them. Still, Jinx not spiraling into a tantrum right away is an excellent sign and a good indication that the new medication, therapy, and being able to work here are all having a positive effect on her.

"Of course, blue bird. The second I'm done, I'll come right back to you. No one could keep me away," Vi promises. Jinx still doesn't look entirely convinced, so Caitlyn stands up and goes over to them.

"I'll be here with you as well. I'll stay the whole time until Vi comes back," Caitlyn promises. Jinx narrows her eyes and considers that.

"Even if something more important comes up?" Jinx says warily.

"Right now, you are what's most important to us," Caitlyn responds without thinking. A second later, her brain kicks in and she realizes she should have phrased that much better. Saying it like that might only make Jinx's possessive tendencies worse. The way Jinx's eyes light up makes Caitlyn's doubt even stronger.

I wish Rosalyn was here. She may have covered this with Jinx, but she sure hasn't with me and Vi yet,Caitlyn considers. Still, she can't do everything perfectly. All she can do is try her best.

"Fine, but only if Caitlyn stays until you get back," Jinx reluctantly agrees. Jayce and Viktor are standing near the door, whispering. Now Jayce looks up with a frown. They have their own plans today as well.

"I don't enjoy having to leave like this," Jayce grumbles. "This business meeting was supposed to be a few days from now, but they insisted it had to be moved up a few days. Hopefully, it won't take very long. We're just trying to secure new research sponsorships, but some of them love to drag things out over every copper," he complains.

"We can handle this," Caitlyn reassures him. "And you warned us that you and Viktor might have to leave at some point. Jinx even agreed to the conditions you set. I'll be in here. Ember will guard the door, and once Jinx starts working, she won't even notice you left," she points out. Jinx smirks at that statement.

"Viktor, maybe, but not you," Jinx chimes in. Jayce rolls his eyes, but that makes him relax a bit.

"Fine. Hopefully, this won't last very long. I wasn't expecting them to be ready for another couple of days. Viktor, you ready?" Jayce asks. Viktor nods and turns to Jinx.

"There's plenty of work and experimental ideas there set aside or you can work on something of your own. But no dangerous experimentation until one of us gets back. The rest we'll leave to Caitlyn's judgement," Viktor directs her. Jinx nods with a touch of excitement again.

"I promise, no bombs today. Not even tiny ones," Jinx says with a mock salute to Jayce.

"I'm holding you to that," Jayce warns. Vi fidgets and picks at her arm wraps.

"I'll be right back, okay? Anything you want me to say to Ekko on your behalf?" Vi asks still looking hesitant. A wicked grin crawls across Jinx's face at that question.

"Anything that doesn't involve threats of violence or bodily harm?" Vi corrects herself.

"Spoil sport," Jinx mutters. Caitlyn knows Ekko was a childhood friend of Vi's and he presumably was Jinx's as well. But time has changed both of them and under Silco's influence, she's killed a lot of the Firelights without hesitation. Even now, Caitlyn doubts Jinx would shed any tears if more of them ended up hurt.

Sighing, Jinx twists back and forth on her stool. After a moment of thinking, she looks up at her sister.

"Fine, let the boy savior know we're on even terms now. The Firelights and me," Jinx says reluctantly. "No more bombs, or bullets, and no more dead friends. I said I'd be good, and I meant it, but it doesn't mean I forgot what he did," she grumbles. The curious look on Vi's face suggests she's not aware of that piece of history.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I could..." Vi begins and Jinx practically shoves her towards the door.

"Ugh! Go! Out! Caitlyn is here and knowing how pissed off Ekko will be that you took so long to tell him is all the satisfaction I need," Jinx assures her. "I swear you worry just as much as Silco did sometimes. Stay hydrated, Jinx. Did you eat lunch? Don't slouch like that while you work. That radio is going to make you deaf at that volume. On and on, good lord," she mutters. Vi still pulls her into another hug and ruffles her hair, making Jinx squirm and complain.

"Fine, I'm gone. Be good for Caitlyn, okay?" Vi tells her.

"Me? I'm an angel," Jinx declares, with the best innocent look she can manage. That look used to fool Caitlyn, but months of chasing Jinx around the city have taught her better.

"Mmm, of course you are," Caitlyn says dryly. Before any of them can leave, there's a knock. Jayce opens it to reveal Cassandra standing there.

"Oh hello Councilor Kiramman," Viktor says politely. Jinx's head snaps around so fast it's a wonder she doesn't get whiplash. She stares at Cassandra and then looks at Caitlyn and then back again. A red flag immediately pops up in Caitlyn's mind.

"Mel and I have some business to attend to this morning with the academy administration. We'll be taking a tour of the newer science buildings after lunchtime, so I was just coming to check on my daughter before we get started. I expect this will take up most of the day. This was supposed to be scheduled for next week just before the grand opening of the new wing, but apparently their scheduled filled up with other matters rather suddenly. Things change as you know and one must adapt. Plus, we'll be able to make sure the new admittance guidelines are going to be followed properly," Cassandra says, her eyes wandering around the room. They land on Jinx, who is staring at her wide-eyed. Caitlyn's gaze shifts between them as the pieces come together.

Jinx didn't know my mother was a Council member,Caitlyn realizes. It's a thought she's had before. Jinx has heard their last name before and seen her mother's photo, but she didn't react to either of them. There were only so many conclusions she could draw from that. The slightly spooked look Jinx is giving Cassandra makes it obvious. Not to mention the worried guilt that creeps into her eyes when she turns back to Caitlyn. Vi and Jayce are noticing it now, too.

Quickly, Caitlyn slides between her mother and Jinx. Cassandra notices, of course, and gives her a questioning look.

"Good to see you, as always. I'm glad you stopped by even if you can't stay long," Caitlyn emphasizes with a forced smile. Stepping to the side slightly, she gestures to Jinx, who now has a neutral expression in place, but her body is tense.

"Mother, this is Jinx. I don't believe she knows you," she adds, giving her mother a long stare. Lifting her chin, Cassandra goes with it, but the look she gives Caitlyn in return says they will talk about this later. In detail.

Caitlyn has seen her mother awake late at night recently, and she went with Benson a few times to pick her up from the council building. Mother has been keeping odd hours pouring over every detail of Jinx's reports, staying thoroughly caught up on what's been going on.

She's been curious to see Jinx for herself for days now. She wants to meet the person who kidnapped her daughter and who now might be their one connection to Hoskel's corruption. The man isn't just a politician, he's also been mother's coworker for years now.

"Well, she wouldn't be the first and undoubtedly won't be the last. You might be surprised at how many people don't realize my dear Caitlyn is a Councilor's daughter. Although I am proud, she's developed such a strong reputation for herself," Cassandra says smoothly. Nodding to Jinx, she gives a warm politician's smile.

"And you must be the young lady my daughter has been telling me about. She seems quite happy with your progress," Cassandra says. She's in full Councilor mode and it's obvious by Jinx's narrowed eyes she's noticed it.

"Hello," Jinx mumbles, but her eyes flicker up to Caitlyn, full of questions and curiosity.

"My daughter has been fighting quite hard for you. Surprisingly so. I worry about anyone who would dare get in her way. I'd like to think she gets that stubbornness and determination from me," Cassandra says with a touch of smugness. Caitlyn sighs quietly. Mother always has to take a small dig whenever she tries, and usually fails, to keep a secret from her.

Caitlyn can see Jinx wavering. Caught between wanting Cassandra to get to the point, and curiosity over knowing more. It's suspicion that wins out. Caitlyn can't help the slight disappointment that fills her.

"Why are you here? We both know that it isn't just to make polite small talk. Not after what I did," Jinx says warily. "So do us both a favor and just get to the point already," she demands.

"You kidnapped my daughter and tried to kill me." Cassandra says, dropping the act. "Yours wasn't the first attempt made on my life and likely won't be the last. Yet despite that, my Caitlyn seems... very protective of you. I'd wouldn't be much of a mother or a politician if I wasn't at least interested in trying to figure out what it is she sees in you," she states bluntly. That answer seems to satisfy Jinx a bit.

"So what are you here as now? The Councilor? Or the parent?" Jinx asks, her tension relaxing.

Perhaps it shouldn't surprise Caitlyn to see that Jinx feels more comfortable with suspicion from others rather than kindness. It reminds her of how on guard Vi was right after the attempted Council bombing, and how difficult it was to accept that people didn't blame her for what happened.

"I'm here as a mother, making sure my daughter is safe. Just as she is evidently determined to keep you safe, regardless of what others topside think of her for it," Cassandra says pointedly. Jinx is quiet as she considers that.

"People aren't happy she's defending me after what I did. Other rich Pilties. They don't understand how she could protect me after that," Jinx realizes. Caitlyn can see the wheels turning in her head as she considers that information. Word spreads quickly and gossip even faster. They may not be aware of the investigation, but the other high houses know that, as Sheriff Jinx is under her direct authority and care.

"Indeed, but Caitlyn has never much cared whether people approve of her. It's one of her best qualities," Cassandra says with a touch of pride.

"So what? You want a promise I'll return her safely?" Jinx sneers.

"No, I want the same thing from you, that you expect from the Council. Action rather than fancy words and sweet promises. Caitlyn has argued firmly that you deserve a chance to prove yourself and we've given it to you," Cassandra says, gesturing to the surrounding workshop. "Now I'm curious to see what you'll do with it when given the opportunity. I do not trust you, but I trust my daughter. So I'm willing to be convinced," she explains.

"This is an academy, after all. It wouldn't be much of a school if we didn't give you a test now and then," Cassandra adds with a tough of arrogance. Now Jinx fully relaxes.

"Then I look forward to showing you and all these others snobby Pilties what a real engineer can do," Jinx says confidently. She lifts her chin and gives Cassandra a haughty stare, but Caitlyn can see the pinched look around her eyes. Signs of the headache she gets when she's hallucinating.

"I look forward to updates on your progress, then. Jayce could certainly do with a little humility," Cassandra adds with a thin smile.

"Excuse me?" Jayce calls out from the doorway. Jinx grins and leans back, putting her boots up on the desk just to annoy him. Jayce is like a brother to Caitlyn, and as such, he has to endure Cassandra's occasional barbs as well.

With a polite nod to everyone, Cassandra leaves, with Viktor pushing Jayce out the door as well as he glares at Jinx to get her feet off the desk. Vi lets out a breath as Caitlyn puts a hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"You all right? I'm sorry, I didn't realize she'd be here today. She has been wanting to meet you, but I didn't want to spring that on you without warning," Caitlyn apologizes. Jinx shrugs and puts her feet down.

"Are you kidding? It felt like I was below again, listening in on Silco's deals with Pilties or the Chem Barons! A few threats, plenty of suspicion, some back-and-forth offers, posturing on both sides, and everyone making sure they know where they stand by the end. That's more of what I'm used to," Jinx says, looking nostalgic.

A moment later, she frowns. "I'm not supposed to be thinking fondly about that, am I?" she asks, wrinkling her brow.

"Baby steps, blue jay. Just as long as you're doing ok. That's what matters most to me," Vi assures her. Jinx shrugs it off.

"It doesn't make me upset when people say they feel suspicious, it feels... natural. Like that's how things are supposed to be," Jinx admits. Then she makes a face. "Rosalyn called it confirmation bias. People saying they don't trust me just feeds the idea that I can't trust anyone else, either. She's working with me on it. Because if I don't, it'll make me doubt people even when they try to prove they care. Like when you first got out of prison and answered my flare. You showed up and tried to tell me you didn't know what the gemstone was. Only I was too sick to believe you," she continues, her expression softening into sadness at the memory.

"And then Ekko showed up before I could try to think it through properly and..." Jinx begins, her expression darkening into anger.

"Hey! It's good to hear that. I'm glad you can recognize that now. Realizing stuff like that is the first step towards getting better," Vi cuts in, distracting her before those thoughts can go too far. "You seem a lot happier and more stable emotionally now," Vi adds warmly. Jinx brightens with the same chaotic energy as before. Her anger successfully forgotten.

"The new meds are amazing! I feel way more in control now and less like everything might make me bounce around from one emotion to the next," Jinx says enthusiastically. She still has her mood swings, but to Caitlyn's outside perspective, they seem more muted now. Not gone, but certainly less severe, and Jinx seems able to come back from them faster.

Vi has mentioned that same observation to Caitlyn privately, but she's also expressed her doubts about how well Jinx would handle up under more intense pressure. Enough stress can and will make the worst aspects of her psychosis emerge again. For now, though, she is better, and it's wonderful to see. The new medications are obviously making a big difference, but Jinx is also genuinely working hard as well. Regardless of her motives, Caitlyn can see that she really is attempting to do better, even if she doesn't always quite succeed.

"All right, I'm leaving. For good this time," Vi says, but she still hesitates a moment before Ember pointedly clears her throat from outside the door. Blushing, Vi blows Caitlyn a kiss and leaves. The door shuts and locks behind her.

"Uh, you two disgust me," Jinx grumbles as she turns back to the desk. Rubbing her hands together eagerly, she cranks the radio up and grabs some goggles.

Conversation over, I guess,Caitlyn thinks. Returning to her chair, she settles in for another long day. Jinx immediately gets to work, draped over the table as she sketches something.

About an hour in, Jinx looks over her shoulder, squints at Caitlyn, and grabs a new sheet of paper to sketch on.

What was that about?Caitlyn wonders. For a while she keeps her curiosity to herself, but Jinx seems to have lost the intense focus she had yesterday. She's distracted now, constantly stopping and fidgeting or staring off into space. It just makes Caitlyn even more interested to know what she's working on.

Finally, it's time to refill Jinx's water again. On her way back, Caitlyn can't help but glance at what Jinx is drawing.

"Is that my rifle?" Caitlyn realizes as she looks at the diagram. It's impressively detailed. Jinx squints up at her.

"I was wondering when you'd stop staring and actually come over to be nosy," Jinx comments. Caitlyn starts to defend herself, but Jinx waves her off. She hooks a chair with her foot and drags it over. Taking the hint, Caitlyn moves to the other side and sits down. For a moment, Jinx just sits there silently fidgeting.

"I've... been thinking about this morning. About your mom, fancy Miss Councilor Lady, and what I've been learning from Rosalyn," Jinx says, but the insult isn't as snide as Caitlyn expects.

"I hurt Vi and I hurt you," Jinx says softly. "But I know how to make things up with my sister. I'm... not sure how to apologize to you. Just saying I'm sorry doesn't feel good enough. Not after..." she pauses and lets it drop, but Caitlyn knows what she means.

"We have clashed a lot these past few months, haven't we?" Caitlyn offers. Jinx snorts.

"I kidnapped you more than once. Taunted you with more than a few bomb threats, some real and some fake. Tried to kill you a few times for real. That's a lot more than just 'clashing' Hat Lady," Jinx scoffs. She plays with her pencil and looks up at her.

"It feels weird talking about it, but it feels even weirder not bringing it up. Like you're all supposed to just move on at some point and be okay with it, because I'm sick and my head's all messed up," she admits. "I know Vi forgives me and you aren't mad at me. Or you don't seem to be, anyway. But other people know about me now that it's in the news. Pilties love their gossip, even I know that. They want to know why you'd get me help after everything I did to you, don't they? Just like your mom said," she demands.

"They do, because I'm the Sheriff. What happens to you is my responsibility," Caitlyn confirms. Reaching out, she puts a hand on Jinx's leg. "I'm listening, Jinx. What's bothering you?" she asks gently.

"I just... " Jinx begins, falters, and tries again. "I wanted to do something. Show I'm sorry instead of just saying it, but... I'm not sorry. Not about all of it," she confesses, looking away. "And the only reason I feel bad about some of it is because we're closer now and I've realized you aren't the person I thought you were. You're my... I mean we're..." she hesitates.

It's just as Caitlyn suspected. Jinx doesn't realize what she said the other day when she called Caitlyn her big sister. She wants to say the words for her, but knows she shouldn't. What she needs is to give her space to say it herself. If she's ready. She can see the moment Jinx's courage falters.

"You're important to me now," Jinx says instead and Caitlyn lets it go. If Jinx isn't ready yet, then she won't pressure her. Instead, she leans back and lets her continue.

"The Council were supposed to be monsters. Only they aren't. Not literally. All of them are just rich Pilties like the rest. Stuck up, arrogant, ignorant, but just people in the end. Only with more power than the rest of us. I don't have the same overwhelming hate for them anymore, but I certainly don't feel bad for them or about what I tried to do, either," Jinx says, clearly struggling with the words. It means a lot to see her willing to open up about this.

"All I know is that I was supposed to be killing the monsters who oppressed us. I wasn't…" Jinx stops and swallows hard. "I wasn't supposed to take someone's mom away," she whispers softly, her voice wavering. She was obviously conflicted, with different emotions fighting for space in her eyes.

"But I don't know if I'd feel that way... if it were anyone other than you," Jinx says guiltily. "And that's not what people mean when they say they want me to get better, to not hurt people, and not want to kill them anymore. That's not what they meant, but I don't know how to change that," she continues. She twists a pencil between her hands and Caitlyn puts her hand on her back. Silent, but reassuring. Even when Jinx was at large, Vi's touch always helped calm her again. She can feel Jinx relaxing under her fingers.

"I hated the Firelights because they got in Silco's way. They were buzzing, annoying pests who ruined everything for him and I had to... I had to be strong and help keep his business running. Keep the Shimmer flowing so he could stay in control, so he could have the city he always wanted. But now? Now that I'm here and I know how... warped my mind was?" Jinx stops and drops the pencil on the table. "I don't feel anything. Aside from annoyance, maybe. Outside of Ekko and one Firelight who reminded me of Vi? I wouldn't care even if they were standing here now. It feels like..." she pauses and wrinkles her brow, "It feels like I wasted so much time and energy on them. What was the point?" she asks. Sighing, she drops her head into her hands.

"But that's not what people mean either when they say they want me to do better," Jinx mumbles. Caitlyn rubs her back, but doesn't interrupt. She let her sit there and think for a while.

"I know Rosalyn said that getting better could take months of therapy before I saw a difference. Years before some of what I'm dealing with is really under control. But I've been feeling so much better on this new medication that I just thought... I hoped..." Jinx trails off for a moment and pulls at her hair. "I hoped maybe it would fix the rest of me too," she murmurs softly.

Caitlyn twitches and impulsively she reaches out and pulls Jinx into a hug. Just like before, Jinx curls into her. Pressing deeper into her arms. How long has it been since her mother died? Since Sevika left? Since Silco last hugged her and said he was proud of her? Too long.

Back at the docks, Jinx let Caitlyn hold and comfort her, but she was also deep in her psychosis. Two days ago, after Jinx had an episode at the hospital, she let Caitlyn hug her and leaned in closer after Caitlyn promised her it was okay not to trust her yet. Not realizing that for Jinx, it was already too late for that. But this time Jinx is fully present and aware of who she is. This is different, and it makes Caitlyn's throat tighten with emotion.

"It's not an apology. Not really. And it's not feeling bad for what I did like I'm supposed to either," Jinx mumbles into her shoulder. "But I thought maybe I could upgrade your rifle? Add in a new module and runes to give it an additional firing mode. One that would just stun people instead of blasting holes in them. I can't say it won't be lethal under some circumstances, but it could be less dangerous. Give you a chance to stop someone without killing them," she says, and Caitlyn can hear the hope creeping back into her voice.

"I know Vi doesn't want me to work on weapons. I know her and I know she's afraid the Council will just use me to create more. Only for them instead of against them," Jinx admits.

Oh, Caitlyn is well aware of that. They spoke about it just yesterday when Vi was out of the room. Vi is pretty firmly against it. Caitlyn certainly isn't for it, not after the damage Jinx has caused, but she's also not against the idea of Jinx making what they already have safer to use.

"What do you want?" Caitlyn asks her. Jinx is quiet for a few seconds.

"I want to work again and attend this fancy academy one day. Just being here makes me feel so much better whether I'm working on mining equipment or improving your gun," Jinx says, her expression brightening again with joy. She waves her hand at a schematic Viktor was showing her earlier. Her notes are all over it now. Her happiness falters for a moment.

"So I thought... maybe this would help. Be a step in the right direction or whatever. I don't know, I just needed to feel like I was actually doing something useful," Jinx awkwardly confesses.

Caitlyn knows how important that still is to Jinx. Feeling useful and like she's not holding back the people she cares about. It was part of her toxic relationship with Silco and it hasn't faded with his death. But like Jinx said, it's going to take years of help to work through that.

"Thank you, Jinx. It's a wonderful idea and one I'd really appreciate," Caitlyn admits honestly. A secondary firing mode to stun criminals instead of shooting them? That would be a godsend.

Technically, the Sheriff has the final say even over the Council, so she doesn't need anyone's permission to allow this, but that's not authority she wants to throw around. It would be far too easy to abuse. At the very least, she wants to consult with Vi first. Then Jayce, since he's the one who gifted her this hextech rifle.

"There shouldn't be any harm in you brainstorming ideas and schematics. But I'd have to talk with Vi and Jayce before we let you build anything," Caitlyn tells her. Still, that's enough to make Jinx perk up as she pulls away.

"Does that mean you like it?" Jinx asks eagerly. It's a relief to see her looking back with gleeful anticipation, rather than the desperate need for approval that she usually has. Although, Caitlyn doesn't doubt that feeling is still there for Jinx.

"Like it? I love it. Regardless of whether you can build it, I appreciate you wanted to do something for me. As for the rest? Don't discount what progress you have made, even if it isn't as much as you want it to be. You've only been getting help for what? Almost a week? How would you get better if you couldn't recognize where you needed to improve?" Caitlyn says positively.

"Yeah, I guess," Jinx considers. She stares at the schematic and then plays with her braid. "Cait?" she asks carefully. "I know you're the Sheriff. Herald of good and justice, cleaning up the enforcer's tarnished image, blah blah blah all that great stuff," she says, waving a hand.

"It's your job to stop criminals. Stop them from breaking the law or hurting people. By force if necessary. But have you ever... not felt bad about hurting someone? Or felt tempted to hurt them?" Jinx asks, her eyes wide and questioning.

Caitlyn has been curious about why Jinx brought this up to her. Honored by her trust, but still curious. Now it makes a bit more sense. She isn't just an enforcer, like Vi is now. She's the one in charge of everyone else. Even Vi technically.

"Hmm, right now I have in my custody a man who tried to lie to me," Caitlyn begins. "Franklin didn't just try to spy on me with a tapped hextech recorder. He abused his authority, disrespected my officers, questioned my judgement regarding how you're being cared for, and attempted to frame another Council member. We've questioned him about it and apparently he did it in exchange for a promotion. He could have gotten you hurt just for some more coins in his pocket and more authority to boss people around with," she explains, her hands tightening into fists.

"So yes, I am having an awfully hard time having any kind of sympathy for him," she admits.

"What are you going to do to him?" Jinx asks, leaning forward.

"According to the law, he'll be stripped of his position, forbidden from working in any Council related position again, and receive an incredibly heavy fine that will put a very painful dent in his accounts. The money will go towards some new equipment I've been meaning to buy for the enforcers," Caitlyn responds.

"Do you think that's what he deserves?" Jinx presses. Now that's a dangerous question.

"From a legal standpoint, yes. Franklin will be publically humiliated and forced out of politics. Hopefully, for good. Personally... he tried to hurt someone I've grown to care about. It's hard not to want a lot worse done to him," Caitlyn confesses. Jinx thinks about that.

"But you're the Sheriff. If you wanted to do more to him, no one could stop you. They wouldn't. They have bigger things to deal with than him," Jinx states. It's not wrong.

"That's true," Caitlyn confirms.

"So why not give him what he really deserves?" Jinx harshly demands. Now they are getting somewhere.

"Because it never stops with just one person. If I do it to him, then what happens the next time someone breaks the law? Should I apply a bit more pressure? Hold them down harder because they deserve it?" Caitlyn asks. She can see the anger in Jinx's eyes. The anger and hate she's grown so used to seeing from her.

"When the bridge protests were over and dozens of Zaunites lay dead along with your parents... what do you think people topside said about them?" Caitlyn says more softly. Jinx blinks, then frowns.

"They..." she pauses. "They said they deserved it," she whispers. "Because people from the undercity are always violent, lawless. Everyone topside acts like they came there just to start a fight and cause trouble. Not to demand fairer working conditions and better pay," she says slowly.

"One officer started the violence that day, but others followed their example instead of trying to stop it. Why?" Caitlyn urges.

"Because they felt the protesters deserved it," Jinx scowls. It's tempting to bring up Stillwater and how the Warden beat Vi because she 'deserved it,' but that might just make Jinx lean back into her hatred of enforcers again and that's not the lesson Caitlyn wants her to take away from this.

"Today, I leave Franklin in the holding cells longer than necessary. Tomorrow, I demand a harsher sentence than the law calls for. The next time someone refuses to cooperate with me during an arrest or an investigation, what will I justify doing to them then?" Caitlyn demands. Reaching to her side, she pulls off the hextech hand cuffs she has attached to her belt and holds them up for Jinx to see.

"This is a rhetorical question, so don't answer, just think about it," Caitlyn directs. "There are people in Piltover and Zaun who feel that what you deserve is to be locked up in Stillwater because of the people you've killed. Thrown into solitary confinement and left there to rot. They don't care that you're sick or dealing with severe trauma. They don't care how complicated this is and that it will take time for us to figure out how all this should work. To them, what you deserve is to be left in the dark and abandoned to the voices and paranoia until there's nothing else left of you," she says. Jinx flinches, her shoulders hunching at those words.

Caitlyn reaches over and places her hand over Jinx's. She can feel them trembling and knows how much the idea of that terrifies her. Is it harsh? Yes. But Caitlyn knows Jinx can deal with it. She has been through a lot, but she's not a child. Not anymore.

"But I think you deserve a chance to try again, to do better, and be a better person. You deserve a family who loves you and a place that makes you feel safe. I don't know how you'll make up for what you've done, but I think you deserve the opportunity to find out and I'm willing to fight for you so you can do that," Caitlyn says gently. Jinx looks up at her, eyes glistening with emotion.

"Which one of us is right?" Caitlyn murmurs. Jinx doesn't answer and, for a long while, they just sit there together in silence.

"I think I get it," Jinx says softly. Caitlyn puts the cuffs away and squeezes Jinx's arm.

"I'm in a position of authority. I have the power to change things and influence how the officers under me will behave. That makes it especially important that I try to set a good example," Caitlyn tells her. "I'm not saying that making the right decision will be easy. It won't be, and it certainly hasn't been for me. But I can say that it has always been worth it," she promises.

"Even when you let me go?" Jinx asks hesitantly. Before all of this, Vi let Jinx go back at the warehouse and, despite her deep misgivings, Caitlyn supported that decision. Not only that one, but multiple times before, when either Vi or herself let Jinx slip away. Now she smiles back.

"Looking at where we are now? Yeah, I'd say that was worth it too," she confirms. Jinx smiles. Not her teasing grin, not a wicked sneer, but a normal radiant smile.

"Thanks for listening," Jinx says appreciatively.

"I'm here anytime you need me," Caitlyn assures her. There's a knock at the door.

Getting up, Caitlyn walks over to see Ember with food and a drinks tray in hand. Looking up at the clock, she realizes it's lunchtime already.

"That fast? Well, I won't complain," Caitlyn says, accepting the bags.

"I just grabbed a burrito so I'll eat in my chair by the door," Ember says. "The academy café offered us some free large coffees. Thought maybe we could use it to help stay awake this afternoon. Just soda for Jinx, though," she adds, hanging the drinks carrier over. Jinx snatches it and inspects the bottled soda to make sure it's the right flavor. Reaching over, Caitlyn tests the cap to make sure it's still properly sealed.

"I was going to do that in a second," Jinx grumbles. She hooks it on the counter and pops the bottle cap off. Caitlyn has to snatch it out of the air or Jinx will just kick it under the table and hope Jayce steps on it.

"Thanks Ember. If we need anything else, we'll knock and let you know," Caitlyn replies appreciatively. Jinx is already back at the desk with her head buried in the bag, pulling stuff out. She grabs a sandwich and chips before Jinx steals the rest. Including all the cookies.

"Can I at least have one?" Caitlyn asks.

"Excuse you? I need the extra calories. I'm a growing girl," Jinx objects.

"You stopped growing years ago," Caitlyn fires back, reaching for a cookie only to have Jinx snatch it out of reach.

"The Shimmer gave me an extra growth spurt or something?" she tries. Caitlyn gives her a look. Sticking her tongue out, Jinx shoves the cookie in her mouth and hordes the rest.

They still haven't sat down and had an in-depth discussion about what exactly happened to her. All Jinx will say is that Silco took her to someone who could help, and they saved her. Now that Caitlyn knows more, she thinks that person may have been the mysterious Singed. Either way, the memories clearly aren't good ones and Jinx clearly doesn't enjoy having it brought up.

The morning after hearing about Singed, Vi pulled Caitlyn aside before they went in the hospital and quietly confessed her worry that more information about Jinx's Shimmer augmentation might lead to medical testing and experiments. Ones that may answer their questions, but that could also put Jinx's ongoing psychiatric care at risk. Caitlyn couldn't disagree with that and while she'd certainly like to know more, there isn't particularly a pressing need for it at this precise moment. Not with Hoskel's investigation going on. So for now, it remains a mystery.

Sighing, Caitlyn resigns herself to no dessert and moves over to the small couch so she can use the coffee table to eat on. Grabbing a small packet from her pocket, she tilts a bit of the powder into the coffee. No reaction. Ember would have tested it before giving it to her as well, but it never hurts to be extra careful. By the time Jinx has finished eating, she's cranked the music back up and seems more focused than ever before. She doesn't react when Caitlyn grabs her trash and throws it out.

Caitlyn sits back down at the couch and yawns. She's nearly done with her coffee, but it isn't waking her up like it usually does. In fact, she feels more tired than before.

That's odd. Was it decaf?Caitlyn wonders, yawning again. She tries to get up but her legs barely move, just sliding over across the floor instead. That's not right. She tries to lean forward, but her arms are dead as well. Not numb, but she can't seem to gather up the energy to move them. She's just so tired.

Opening her mouth, she tries to call Jinx, but all that comes out is a slur. Jinx is still hunched over and working at a furious pace. She's too deep in her work to notice.

Something is wrong,Caitlyn realizes.The coffee must have been spiked with... something that.. that... didn't…her thoughts are sluggish and she can't finish. It's the last thing she considers before she passes out.

Vi stands awkwardly by the tree as Ekko comes around the corner. The first thing on his face is surprise, then it melts into anger. He stalks over and Vi twitches as he raises a fist. But instead of getting punched in the face, he slugs her in the arm.

"Ow!" she complains.

"Oh, don't act like you don't deal with worse every day," Ekko says unsympathetically. "Took you long enough to get down here. Would have been nice to hear the news from you instead of the radio," he growls at her. He's pissed and understandably so. She's been avoiding him. Avoiding this.

"I... deserve that," Vi admits, rubbing her arm.

"You bet you do. Come on. You're here now, so we're going to sit and talk about everything," Ekko demands. Leading the way, he takes them over to a bench out of the way against the wall. Scar sees them and shoos some children away to another part of the clearing to play.

Slowly, painfully, Vi recounts what happened. Jinx's light calling for help, Caitlyn finding her, getting her admitted, Jinx being willing to cooperate and get help, then finally their suspicions about Hoskel and meeting with Sevika. She leaves out the part about Jinx and Sevika's relationship though.

Ekko listens quietly, frowning at some points, but he doesn't interrupt. Vi covers the Council decision that Jinx is too sick for prison and instead she'll stay in treatment. Repeating it all is more emotional than Vi expected. By the time she wraps things up, she's fighting back tears. Seeing that softens some of the anger in Ekko's expression.

"Sorry," Vi apologizes. wiping her eyes. "I just... recently I wake up and I can't believe Jinx is really back. That she wants to get help. Then I get back to the psychiatric center and there she is. Excited to see me and talking about how great her therapy session was," she explains, feeling a fresh wave of tears well up in her eyes.

"Don't apologize for that. I'm still pissed, but that's not something you should ever feel bad about. You were right about her. You had faith in her even when everyone else gave up. Even when I gave up," Ekko tells her. Vi still shakes her head.

"I'm sorry for not coming sooner, Ekko. You're my friend and you deserved to hear the news from me. It's just that between taking care of Jinx and the investigation and now Sevika... I'm stressed to the point of breaking myself, and you guys don't exactly have the greatest history. Jinx specifically wanted me to see Sevika, and they needed to see each other as well. This... this is different," Vi says candidly.

"You're worried me showing up might make her worse. Or at the very least, bring back aspects of her personality that you need her to work on getting under control," he states plainly. Vi can only nod in confirmation.

"Jinx wanted... needed to see Sevika. But between you and her," Vi trails off and looks around at the clearing, at the memorial wall. "Jinx has killed a lot of your people, your friends. I don't know what happened between you during those years, and I'm not trying to dig it up now," she says quickly, when Ekko tries to speak. "I just want to do right by her. Caitlyn is fighting for Jinx to have the chance to get better, to be better. I won't pretend like it'll be easy, or that I have answers for how she'll make up for what she's done. But I want her to have that chance all the same," she says, picking at her arm wraps.

"I get it, even if I don't like it. Jinx is still your sister and her care is your top priority right now along with helping Caitlyn. You're still a jerk for not telling me the last two times you were down here, but I get why you've been so focused. Honestly, I can't even say you're wrong for being cautious. Whatever we were before, there's no love lost between us now. Besides, it's not like I don't know where you live. I could have showed up topside as well," Ekko admits. He rubs his hands together for a second before looking up. "Did she say anything about me? Anything at all?" he asks. Vi grimaces.

"She said you're on even terms now. The Firelights and her. No more bombs, no more bullets, no more dead friends. Jinx promised she would be good and try to get better and she's trying to stick with it. Not perfectly, but she's trying. Although she still seemed pretty angry with you personally over something that happened in the past," Vi tells him. "She didn't explain, and I didn't ask for details," she adds. Ekko nods and looks over at a group of kids playing.

"That sounds like Jinx logic all right," Ekko mutters. Seeing Vi's curious look, he explains. "She's tried to kill me before, and I had the chance to do so on the bridge after her butterfly bombs went off. But I couldn't do it. Couldn't help seeing Powder again. Jinx just looked so…" he pauses and rubs his nose. "Abandoned. Like she had nothing else to keep fighting for," he admits. Vi feels the guilt like a gut punch. She's the one who left her standing there alone, even if it was for a good reason.

"Either way, in her mind, that makes us even. Doesn't matter that I didn't succeed or that the other Firelights failed. What matters is that we tried," Ekko responds. That reminds Vi of the gang leaders Jinx has killed. The Rippers being the most prominent. They put out a hit on Vi after she was sworn in as a Special Enforcer and started taking on cases in the undercity. For Jinx, that was more than enough reason to retaliate.

"We knew something was up recently when Sevika's people started spreading out everywhere. Then she came by here, asked to speak with me personally. Wouldn't give any details, just said that Jinx was in a bad way. Seriously bad. She didn't expect us to help, just drop a tip by her office if anyone saw her," Ekko continues. "Then we heard the news. I figured she must have had an episode and got arrested. Never thought she'd go willingly though," he adds quietly.

"It surprised me, too. Caitlyn was the one who found her and stayed with her until I could arrive. Things are... a lot different between them now. More than I ever could have imagined," Vi admits with a faint smile.

"How is she? Really?" Ekko asks.

"She's..." Vi hesitates and thinks of the milestones Jinx has already reached, but also how far she has to go. Jinx has done amazingly well over the past few days, but this morning, that possessive attitude she has resurfaced. "She's still Jinx," she finally answers.

"She's still got that wild energy, that sarcasm, and suspicious edge to how she sees people. But she also realizes now that she's sick. Jinx understands that how she views things is warped and has been for years. That doesn't mean she can always do something about it, but she sees it now. She wants to get better and learn to deal with it," Vi tells him.

"But she's still Jinx. Not Powder," Ekko says, the sadness clear in his voice. Vi puts a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"I don't know that she'll ever be Powder again. I don't think she wants to be, honestly. For us, Powder was a sister and friend, but for Jinx? All that name means is pain. Suffering. Dead friends and the terrible mistake she made that day. There's very little in our past that doesn't make her suffer, that makes her feel anything other than unbearable anguish. It's taken me too long to realize that my memories of the past are much different from hers," Vi confesses.

"Yeah, it took me too long to understand that as well," Ekko admits. "I didn't understand why she was so attached to Sevika or why she was so afraid to leave her. I couldn't fathom why she would defend Silco the way she did," he says, shaking his head.

"The few times we saw each other while Sevika was running errands, Powder just kept talking about monsters dragging her into the dark. I didn't understand what she was going through, but I kept trying to reach her, right until she disappeared. Rumors said that Silco took in a little girl. After that, I couldn't get close to her anymore, but I saw enough to tell she was changing. Getting worse and worse," Ekko tells her.

"I was running with a new group then, one that would become the Firelights. We started hitting back, interrupting Silco's deliveries, ruining Shimmer whenever we had a chance. If we could get close enough, I could help her. Get her back. Break his hold on her. She was just scared and needed someone to help her get away from him. That's what I kept telling myself," he continues.

"Then one day, Jinx reappeared and set a trap for us. Bombs and grenades. Trip wires, pressure plates, and land mines. It was a massacre. Four of my close friends died that day. Fighting to get out like rats in a maze," Ekko spits out. "The rest of us left, carried their bodies home and mourned them. Some of them were sympathetic about Powder before, but not after that. What she did was no mistake. That was a planned and calculated attack. I begged them for another chance. Swore I could talk to her, said it was Silco's influence and I could still get to her. Risking everything, I snuck back into The Last Drop at night and found the room she was staying in back then," he pauses and stares at his hands. "It... didn't go well," he confesses.

"What happened? If you don't mind talking about it," Vi asks. She wasn't going to ask, but since he brought it up already, she might as well.

"At first she was so happy to see me. Jinx said she missed me and asked if we were still friends, but I had to know why she killed them. Maybe it was just a mistake, and she didn't realize who we were," Ekko says quietly as he remembers that day.

"Something about her... changed then. I know now that implying she had made a mistake set her off. After that, everything was just about Silco. I have to be useful to him. He needs me now, on and on. All she did was blame them for interfering with his operation. They should have known to stay away. At that point, Silco already had his hooks too deep into her. I didn't know how she could defend him, didn't realize just how warped her mind was from being isolated and not getting help. From not being able to address what happened to her," he goes on.

"Still, I tried to reason with her, bargain, anything. I knew Powder was still in there and I begged for her to give us a chance. We could work things out. She just got quiet, saying Powder was dead. That she died along with everyone else. The only one left was Jinx. Again I tried, told her we could figure it out. I knew Silco hurt her, but she could still be Powder again. Just come with us and we could get her help. Didn't she remember how much fun we had? How much everyone cared about her?" Ekko remembers.

"But like you said, those memories just hurt her more, and I couldn't see that. Not that, and not the fact that, to her, Silco was her rescuer. Her dad. Not a monster who tried to kill her. Not the manipulator who kidnapped Vander and lured all of you into a trap to get him back. He was her entire world at that point, and leaving him meant she'd have nothing," Ekko says miserably.

"Silco hurt her," Vi confirms. "But not in a way Jinx could have understood or processed back then, I think. He wasn't all she had, but he made her think he was. Conditioned her to suspect everyone's motives but his, and after everything that happened, Jinx desperately needed to feel useful, to feel needed and loved again. She had to make him proud of her so Silco wouldn't abandon her," she adds. Ekko nods.

"Now I can see that, and realize just how bad she was then. Still is I assume. But back then? I was a dumb kid with a crush, still trying to get back my childhood friend. I didn't understand how she saw Silco or why she was so attached to him after what he did. Her illness already affected her viewpoint and memories, and Silco's influence on her made it worse. If I knew then what I knew now..." Ekko stops and rubs his neck. "Even then, I don't know how well it would have gone," he admits.

"That night, Jinx told me you can't be friends with the dead, only the living. So which one was I going to choose? The living or the dead? If I wanted us to be friends again, I had to decide," Ekko rubs his hands together. "I got so angry then, thinking she was insulting my dead friends, spitting on their graves and their sacrifice. So I told her I chose them. The dead. It was the wrong answer," he says with a bitter smile.

"For a moment, she looked so... shocked. Like she couldn't believe I said that. I waited for her to get angry, but she didn't. Jinx just cried. 'Silco was right,' is what she said. 'Silco told me that no one else wanted me. Only Powder,' she went on. Me being the idiot I was back then, I just kept on reinforcing that idea without realizing it. I told her that Jinx isn't who she was, it was who Silco turned her into. He was the one keeping her away from me and from other people who could become her friends. Powder was still in there and she could still be that person again. But it didn't matter if she was Jinx because of Silco or because of her own choices. It still hurt her either way and doubled down on everything Silco was putting into her head," Ekko sighs.

"I realized far too late that Jinx wasn't talking about my dead friends. In that moment, she meant herself. If I wanted to continue being friends with her, then I had to accept that Powder was dead. But there was more to it, more feelings wrapped up in Silco and what he told her. Emotions and logic that I didn't know how to follow until years and many encounters later," Ekko explains.

"What Jinx needed was the support she already felt she was getting from Silco. She needed me to pick her, not Powder. I think what she wanted me to say was that Jinx was still good enough. Even if she wasn't Powder, even if things had changed, she was still good enough just the way she was," Ekko says. Vi squeezes his shoulder. She can understand that kind of regret.

"I don't know that it would have helped. She certainly wouldn't have left with me that night the way I was hoping for," he admits. "But by rejecting her like that? All I did was reinforce all the paranoia she already had, all the suspicion Silco taught her. He made her feel like she was good enough just the way she was, and all I did was make her feel like no one would ever be willing to accept how much she had changed, how sick she had become. I try not to get caught up in what might have been or what I could have done better. But even now, that encounter is still my biggest regret. If I had picked her that night and then kept at it? Who knows what might have happened over time? Maybe at some point I really would have broken through to her before more people died," Ekko says sadly.

Vi can vividly remember what Jinx said the first time they reunited. How apologetic she was that things had changed since Vi was in prison. She had changed. It was one of the first things she said.

Jinx wasn't Powder anymore and she never would be again, even after she finally processed all of her trauma.

Vi also remembers the way Jinx tried to make her choose between Powder and Jinx before she fired Fishbones for the first time. How she asked if they were still sisters. What if she had done better? Rejected that choice entirely and simply told her she was good enough either way? Would it have made a difference? Would that have been the right thing to do?

It's so easy to get caught up in what might have happened if Vi had a better grip on how sick her sister was back then. But she had only been out of prison for a few days. There was no way for her to be prepared for what she had to face in that short amount of time. Even now, months later, the idea of taking proper care of her and giving Jinx the emotional support she needs feels like an overwhelming responsibility.

"After that I tried again to apologize, to reach her, to understand what she meant and what she wanted of me. But I'd already pushed her too far away and more of my friends kept dying at her hands. The more I tried, the more it felt like I was trading all of their lives for hers. They didn't agree to that and I couldn't keep it up. They needed me, and Jinx kept rejecting my help. Violently," Ekko stops and stares at the memorial wall.

"You couldn't bear to lose more people to her on the chance that maybe one day she'd finally listen," Vi says. "You had people depending on you then. Kids and families and others who all needed your help and growing leadership," she states. Ekko nods silently.

"I don't blame you for making that choice. I just wish you hadn't had to make it at all," Vi tells him. Ekko looks back at her with a smile.

"Thanks, Vi. I tell myself that all the time, that you can't keep dwelling on what you might have done or said differently. But hearing it from someone else still helps," Ekko says appreciatively. "I still want to ask her what she wanted from me that day. What I was supposed to say. Sure, I think I know, but I want to hear it from her and know how it made her feel when I chose my friends instead. I've been wrong before and her logic is... hard to follow at the best of times. At least when she's really deep into her psychosis like she was that day. When she's that bad, you can never make assumptions about what she thinks or feels and she can't always explain it either," he warns.

"I'll keep that in mind for the future," Vi promises him. "Jinx probably won't want to see you, but I'll still ask. That's her decision to make. Not mine to make for her, and I shouldn't have stayed away from here. I'm sorry for being such a coward," she apologizes. Ekko waves her off.

"Trust me, I know how rough it is having people depending on you to make decisions, keep them safe, make sure they have what they need and all that. I could have come up topside as well, but like you, I was scared. Jinx has killed a lot of my people. Far too many to forget. Part of me is worried about seeing her again. So don't even worry about it. We're good," Ekko tells her. Hearing that just makes Vi's guilt worse, but there's also relief that he's not angry. All of that worry and stress over nothing.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? You don't call me over from Piltover lightly unless I'm already down here in Zaun, so I know it must be important," Vi tells him. Ekko frowns.

"What are you talking about?" he says, looking confused. Vi stares at him, but he's not kidding.

"You sent a messenger to me topside. I got it at the academy. I thought it was strange since you shouldn't be aware of the details of where Jinx was, but you work with the Council now as well, so I figured you just handed it off to a contact who could find me. The messenger said it took some time to find me and apologized for the delay," Vi tells him.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't send any messenger. If I needed something that bad, I would have gone topside personally and hunted you down at your fancy Kiramman sponsored apartment," Ekko insists.

Vi's blood runs cold. Jayce said the meeting he and Viktor were going to was supposed to be a few days from now. Cassandra said that her tour of the academy was going to be next week, but something about the schedule changed.

"This was a trap," Vi realizes with dawning horror. "I have to get back topside right now!" she declares, jumping to her feet.

"Hold on, I'm coming with you! We'll take the hoverboards up to the surface, go across the bridge, and hire a carriage to drive us from there," Ekko tells her. Vi grimaces. She hates those things. She tried getting on one and tripped after putting a single foot on it. He sees her hesitance and grins. "Don't worry, we'll give you the training ones with a balance belt. I'll tie your board to mine, so just let the tech do all the work and you'll be fine," he assures her.

"Scar, we have to go! Grab a board for me and a training duo for Vi! We have to leave right now!" Ekko calls out. People scurry around with activity and in seconds a board is under Ekko's feet and someone is helping to put a rather elaborate looking belt around Vi's waist while another syncs it up to the hoverboard under her feet.

Vi's body hums with nervous energy. Something is wrong, she can feel it. Maybe Jinx is the target or Caitlyn this time. It doesn't matter. All Vi cares about is getting back topside as fast as possible.

Why is my mouth so dry?Jinx wonders, as she finally lifts her head up from her sketching. She has a detailed idea for how Caitlyn's rifle should change and she's even included the runes and a new switch to change firing mods. Earlier, Caitlyn seemed to love the idea so hopefully this will make her happy too. Now it just needs some prototypes and live tests. But that will have to wait until Jayce or Viktor, preferably Viktor, get back.

Excitedly, Jinx swivels back and forth in her chair. This is gonna be great! Caitlyn will be so proud of her. Vi might not like it at first, but working on something to keep people safe will make her so proud once she knows how it works! This feels like an excellent decision. Jinx can't always tell what those are, but she's trying to learn, and this feels like an important step.

I am good at this,Jinx considers, squirming in her chair, but from discomfort this time. How long has she been sitting here without a break? Usually, someone forces her to stop by now.

Getting up, Jinx grabs her empty cup and looks over at the couch. Caitlyn looks like she's asleep. No wonder her cup didn't get refilled. Doesn't matter, that can wait for now. She could probably use the rest. Jinx hurries to the bathroom, dropping her souvenir cup off at the water cooler on the way there. After that urgent business is done, Jinx refills her water and takes a long chug. Much better. She's about to return to the workstation when she stops and frowns.

Didn't Caitlyn have coffee earlier? A large one? Besides, she's not someone who slacks off on the job. She's still a topsider, and she takes herself way too seriously to allow that kind of thing. Maybe she's just extra tired from all the work she's been doing lately? Putting her cup down on the worktable, Jinx walks back over and kicks Caitlyn's boot.

"Hey Sheriff, wake up! Not like you to sleep on the job," Jinx teases. Caitlyn's foot shifts slightly, but she doesn't respond. She isn't that tired, is she? Frowning, Jinx tries again.

"Hello? You still there, sleepyhead?" Jinx says, smacking her shoulder this time. Rocking slightly from the blow, Caitlyn silently sags to down to the couch. Spooked, Jinx she stares for a moment before racing to grab her and prop her back up. "Cait? Come on, this isn't funny anymore," she demands, voice wavering.

Lifting Caitlyn's chin, Jinx sees her eyes roll back slightly before they close again. There's a soft murmur and then nothing. Startled, she yanks her hand back and watches as Caitlyn's head drops back down to her chest. This is wrong. This is all wrong. Grabbing her shoulders, Jinx tries again.

"Wake up. You have to wake up!" Jinx begs, shaking her. The grip she has is hard enough to leave a bruise, but still there's no response. Not a twitch, groan, or wince. Nothing.

"Please wake up," Jinx whimpers, her voice cracking on the words. But Caitlyn doesn't respond. She merely sags down onto the armrest. Letting go, Jinx pulls at her hair. This isn't normal. Something happened to her. Think. She has to think.

The coffee.

Turning around, Jinx grabs it and rips the top off. The cup is still about a quarter full. Tilting it back and forth, she looks into it and then spots something at the bottom. Racing over to the workstation, she grabs some tweezers and a sterile dish. Carefully she reaches in and plucks out a small white pill, softened, but not completely dissolved. Only a tiny piece of it is left. Gently, Jinx puts it in the dish and puts the top back on. Grabbing a marker, she jots a note down on the top.

"Caitlyn's coffee. Drugged. High dose meds?" Jinx mutters under her breath.

After the accident, Sevika dealt with a lot of pain both before and after her arm was amputated. She was on muscle relaxers for a while to help her sleep, and they made her act just like this. Completely dead to the world. Not only did they go into effect quickly, but they left her groggy and out of it the entire next day as well. If Sevika wasn't sitting down when she took them, she'd pass clean out wherever she was and wouldn't so much as twitch, even when someone picked her up and carried her to the nearest couch or bed. Or dragged her, depending on who was available to help. After the first few times, she switched to sleeping pills, which, while less effective, also wore off faster and made her less exhausted the next day than the muscle relaxers did.

Jinx will bet Fishbones and Pow-Pow that's what someone put in Caitlyn's coffee. Lately, Caitlyn has taken to testing everything with one-use packets and liquids. She said the Food Alchemist she hired gave them to her, but with one warning. They detected unusual chemical additives, poisons, hard drugs, and whatnot. They may not work right on some prescription medications or more harmless herbs. It helped, it wasn't foolproof.

Didn't Ember have a coffee, too?

Cursing, Jinx runs over to the door and pounds on it, calling Ember's name, but she doesn't answer. Duh. If she got drugged too, then she'll be out like a light.

"Come on! Somebody!" Jinx shouts. She grabs the doorknob, preparing to give it a futile shake, when, to her surprise, the door pops open, nearly making her fall over from the sudden motion. Scrambling for balance, Jinx stares and then cautiously peeks out the door.

The hallway is quiet, and Ember's seat is empty, but it's sitting askew. Like someone hit it. Her coffee cup is down a few feet, a small sticky puddle of coffee has oozed out onto the floor. Someone got to Ember, but from the looks of it, she put up a fight first. Where is she now?

Ducking back inside, Jinx closes the door and paces restlessly. This is wrong. This is all wrong. Councilor Kiramman said earlier that she needed to be tested, but this isn't it. This feels different. This feels like a trap. Groaning, Jinx returns to Caitlyn and tries again to rouse her, but she's out cold. Think. She has to think. How long has Caitlyn been like this?

Looking around, Jinx spots the clock on the wall. It reads 10 on the hour. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she walks over and jumps up, knocking it off the wall. Turning it over, she see's one gear pried up. Just enough that over time, the constant ticking knocked it out of place. Snarling, Jinx throws it to the floor and slams her foot down on it, reveling in the crunch it makes.

That means there's no telling how long Jinx has been unaware of what was going on. For the first time, she curses her ability to focus on her work so intensely. She got so preoccupied and wrapped up in designing Caitlyn's rifle that she blocked out everything else the way she always does. Only this time that meant Caitlyn could have been sitting there for hours without help. Nevermind what happened to Ember. If she fought back, then Jinx didn't even hear it.

This is a setup, and the worst part of all is that Jinx honestly doesn't know how much time has passed or how long the door has been unlocked. Someone could accuse her of leaving, planting bombs around the academy, working on illegal tech, or worse, before returning to the room and she couldn't prove them wrong. It's brilliantly simple.

What will they do when they find out? Will they think I hurt her?Jinx wonders anxiously. Vi would know better, but she's not here either. That message was probably a fake, too. Just a way to get Vi out of here so she couldn't back them up. Then there's the rescheduled meeting Jayce and Viktor had and Cassandra's meeting being moved up with Councilor Medarda's as well. That's three Councilors here today. One of which is Caitlyn's mother, the other is her best friend, and the other is her best friend's partner.

Fantastic, I'm completely screwed. They'll all suspect me,Jinx realizes warily.No, stop it. You know your first reaction to everything is to be paranoid. Remember what Rosalyn has been teaching you. Slow down and take the time you need to think,she remembers. Going back to the couch, Jinx sits down next to Caitlyn and force herself to work through this.

First scenario: her paranoia and suspicion are true. Everyone blames her for what happened and they try to lock her up. Vi isn't here to defend her and Caitlyn can't respond in her condition. So they take Jinx away until they can find out what happened. No nice psychiatric hospital, no therapy. Just a dark cell.

Second scenario: they don't get angry with Jinx, but they blame Caitlyn for lax security. Didn't Cassandra say that people don't like how Caitlyn is handling things? Well, maybe she didn't say that exactly, but she implied it. They want to know why she's helping Jinx instead of locking her away in the dark.

"Dark, dark, dark, where the monsters and beasts play," a voice whispers from under the cushions.

"Shut up," Jinx growls, smacking the couch. There's also the chance of both the first and second scenarios being combined. Wonderful.

"You could always run," a voice whispers behind the walls. "Now's your chance. Hoskel is a Councilor. He'll keep getting more and more desperate until he's tired of simple tricks and passing around the blame. He'll kill one of them because the rest of the Council is too busy trying to do the right thing," it murmurs. Jinx twitches and glances over at Caitlyn. Today it was her. Tomorrow, it could be Vi. How much longer will she have to be patient and trust them to handle things? To find evidence before they give Hoskel what he deserves?

"You could give him what he deserves. Run away, the door is open! Kill him and Vi will be safe and you'll avenge Caitlyn. You've escaped enforcers before. Staying out of their way would be child's play," a voice sneers from the table. That's true. She could take care of this herself. Stop him now before he causes more harm. Before he gets to someone else. She could always...

"No!" Jinx shouts. Shaking her head, she stands up and pounds the sides of her skull. The voices are a trick. Paranoia made manifest. What did Rosalyn say? Instead of accepting an idea or blindly rejecting it, listen and think about it. Follow the thought all the way to the end until she finds out what would happen. Don't let others push her into decisions, make them wait so she can think about it. That will give her the strength she needs to reject bad ideas.

All right. She can do this. Don't reject it outright. Think about it and follow it all the way to the end.

Third scenario: Jinx runs away. Takes the chance to flee and hunt down Hoskel herself, then kills him. Then what? Praise? A celebration? Absolutely not. If they find her in here with Caitlyn drugged and Ember missing, they'll lock her up until they find out she didn't do it, then let her go. But if she runs? That's it. No more living with Vi and certainly no big sister, Caitlyn. No future at the academy or working on cool projects with Viktor.

Plus, they'll accuse Caitlyn of not taking proper security measures. She was too lax, too nice, too kind to the poor, abused trenchers. That's what led to this. She could be removed as Sheriff and everything she's done to help the undercity and Zaunite enforcers could disappear. Caitlyn even warned her officers and Sevika before they made the radio announcement. All so they could make sure other people who were mentally ill would be taken care of. Caitlyn has to stay. But even if she does, who will respect her authority anymore?

Caitlyn trusted her. She let Jinx come here and work with hextech again, even after she made that bomb. Even after she nearly lost her own mother to what Jinx tried to do. Jayce trusted her to make a bomb, even if it was just a teensy one. Viktor said that he's examined her work before and he was clearly nervous when they first met, but he still forced himself to be nice, to treat her like a normal person. He worked alongside her for the past few days and trusted that she wouldn't hurt him. If she did, there's no way he could stop her, but he still did it. And Vi trusted Jinx to stay true to her word that she'll try to get better and work harder not to hurt people. They trusted her. They all trusted her in different ways.

The realization makes tears well up in her eyes. She's a terrorist. A murderer. A mistake. She's not good or kind and she certainly isn't perfect like Silco said. But they still trusted her to do better, to be better. How could she possibly fail them now?

"I'm not running and I'm not going after him. You said I needed to trust you to handle this, and that's what I have to do. That's the right decision even if it isn't easy," Jinx says. Caitlyn, naturally, says nothing. Right, she and Ember still need help.

So... what if she left, but didn't leave? What if she went and got help? What if instead of running or hiding from the Councilor's she went straight to them instead? The voices hiss and complain at that idea, but Jinx shuts them out. Focus, she can focus better now.

Fourth scenario: Jinx goes to get help and tries to find Ember along the way. Rather than escaping, she runs straight to the nearest Council member she can find and, assuming a nearby guard doesn't shoot her first, she tells them what's going on. Jayce and Cassandra Kiramman are both close to Caitlyn and protective of her. That could work against her, but that could also help her. Rather than immediately suspecting her, what if they come straight here to make sure she's safe? What if they actually believe her?

The idea is almost too much for Jinx to accept. No one believes her. Then she stops and corrects herself. She just covered this. Vi believes her and the others have been showing trust in her well. Small displays, like the firecracker she made. A small thing that leads up to something bigger, step by step.

How would that affect Caitlyn if she went to get help? People would still say her security was lax, that she should have been more careful, and she was wrong for trusting a Zaunite officer. But there's one thing they won't be able to say or use against her. No matter how angry they get, no one can argue Caitlyn was wrong to place her faith in Jinx. It feels like a revelation and energy buzzes and hums through her.

"That's it!" Jinx says excitedly, whipping around to Caitlyn. That's when Jinx remembers she is in fact still blissfully asleep and Ember is still missing.

Shoot.

Help. Right. She can do this.

Carefully, Jinx lays Caitlyn down and puts a couch pillow under her head. That's better. Maybe she'll be less stiff when she finally comes out of this.

"You trusted me, big sis. You trusted Vi was right about me being worth saving. Even when everyone else said you were wrong. That doing so was a mistake. Now it's my turn to prove you were right," Jinx whispers.

Working up her courage, Jinx heads to the door and opens it. Slowly, she takes one step outside, then another. Looking at Ember's seat, she heads down the hallway to the right. First step, see if she can find Ember. Then? Get her and Caitlyn help.

Running off, Jinx prays that this is a good decision.

Notes:

SPOILER ALERT: for those immediately stressing out about it, no Ember isn't dead. So no worries on that front! Thank you for reading everybody!

Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Whoever tried to get rid of Ember clearly didn't make it very far with her. Jinx finds her just down the hallway stuffed into the janitor's closet. The faint smell of blood is a dead giveaway.

Ember winces and squints her eyes from the hallway's lights as Jinx opens the door. Feebly, she tries to turn her head away. Her hair was bloody, and there was blood over her shirt. They had a gag wrapped around her mouth and the bloody streaks on it are evidence that she's been trying to pull it down. Someone also tied her hands together with a towel, but not very well. Being drugged and weak is the only thing keeping Ember from just taking it off. Evidently, whoever did this was in a rush or not expecting Ember to still be awake enough to fight back.

Jinx easily pulls the knot apart and throws the towel to the side. Then she pulls down the gag.

"Jinx... felt... funny after coffee. Got jumped. Fought back. You... safe? Caitlyn... safe?" Ember mumbles, her eyes heavy.

"Caitlyn is taking a long nap, but she's fine otherwise," Jinx says, hoping to convince herself as much as Ember.

"Good. Boss is safe," Ember slurs out. Wincing, she tries to lift a hand to her head but can't quite make it.

"How much did you drink?" Jinx asks. Grabbing the towel, she wraps it around Ember's head. The bleeding seems to have stopped, but it's better to be safe in case something opens again.

"Quarter. Started feeling... heavy. Stopped. Suspicious... guy. Waited until… got close. Broke his wrist. Scared him bad. Hit head. Dragged me here," Ember gets out. That she's staying awake at all is a miracle.

"What did he look like?" Jinx asks. Hopefully Ember will tell the Councilors this, but if not then maybe knowing it herself might help.

"Trencher like us. Hired mercenary. Had... Shimmer eyes," Ember's gaze sharpens a bit, and she forces a weak smile. "Not like yours," she adds. Jinx knows what she means.

People addicted to Shimmer sometimes have a look in their eyes and a feel to their body language. The way they look at you, or don't, because they know they'll betray you in a heartbeat for another hit. And as bad as they feel about it, they can't stop themselves either. It could be anyone, and the chances of ever finding them again are slim to none. Which makes it impossible to know who hired them to serve as a perfect scapegoat for a certain sleezy politician who was just down in Zaun recently.

"Probably did it... just for another hit. Disappeared. Think... fighting back... spooked him. Got real... shaky after that. Plus, broke... wrist. Hard to finish… whatever was doing," Ember confirms with a murmur before her eyes drift shut. Jinx smacks her on the cheek and Ember's eyes pop back open halfway.

"Mmm wake," Ember insists.

"Uh huh. Come on. I probably shouldn't move you with a head injury, but I'm not leaving you in here to huff floor cleaner either. Even I know that's not safe," Jinx says.

"Issat... that smell? Giving me... headache," Ember asks with a frown. Being smacked upside the head is probably giving her a headache too, but Jinx doesn't say that.

"Sure is. Now come on. Up you go," Jinx urges. First she leans Ember forward until the less bloody side of her head is resting on her shoulder. Then Jinx lifts her up to her feet, while silently thanking Silco for her enhanced Shimmer strength. After that she puts an arm around Ember's waist and makes sure neither of them will fall over. The solution is hardly elegant, but it works enough to start a very slow shuffle back to the workshop.

"Sorry... let you down," Ember mutters when they get about halfway back to the workshop.

"Excuse me? What are you sorry for?" Jinx asks. The apology distracts her, and she has to stop for a second when Ember drags her foot, nearly catching on the floor. Jinx has to reach over and pull her leg forward before they can start their shuffle walk again.

"My job... serve and protect. Not just... serve other people, keep safe from you. Supposed... protect you too," Ember says, her words slurring a bit. "Could've... hurt you. Let you down," she whispers softly. Jinx says nothing.

Protect and serve. Those words have always been meaningless in her eyes. The only ones enforcers have ever served and protected are the rich and powerful.

But Caitlyn is trying to change that,Jinx remembers. She doesn't treat Zaunites the way past sheriffs or enforcers did or the way other topsiders do. She treats them with respect and dignity. Caitlyn sets an example and expects others to follow, whether they like it or not. The other Zaunite officers are different, too. All of them take their jobs seriously, but they still treat Jinx like she's a person. Not a bomb whose fuse is always lit.

"Sevika always treated you like that. She was always waiting for the next time you would blow up," a voice hisses from the walls. Jinx shivers and tries to ignore it. Sevika treated her like that because she was bitter, not with her, but with Silco for letting her get to that point with no help or discipline. That's changed now. Sevika is back and wants to be her mom again. The voices may not be lying, but they are twisting things. Feeding her paranoia and trying to play with her memories.

The stress is making her worse again, and Jinx knows it will not get any better. Once the voices come, others will come with them. Not Violet, but Mylo, Claggor, and then the monsters. She has to get help for Caitlyn, Ember and for herself before that happens. Before they can drag her too far down again.

You know how to handle this and the medication will help. Like Rosalyn told you, the most important part is not to panic, Jinx reminds herself. It'll get worse and then it'll pass again. She just has to stay calm and the new medication can help stabilize her. She can do this.

"Never knew... walking was so hard," Ember mumbles. She's dragging, her weight pulling at Jinx. Just this short, slow walk is apparently draining what little energy she had left.

"Just a little farther. Come on, what are you going to do after this?" Jinx urges. Keeping someone talking and awake is supposed to help head injuries, right? Or maybe just make sure they aren't getting worse or something.

"Had... tabletop game this evening. Best friend... some others. Gotta tell her... won't be there in time," Ember mumbles. Just a few more steps to the door now. She must be talking about her roommate. Jinx vaguely recalls her worrying over being home in time some nights.

"Probably just worried you won't cover your half of the rent," Jinx says. She's more dragging Ember than walking with her at this point. Ember gives a weak laugh at that. Finally, across the threshold. Jinx picks up the pace slightly.

"I'll have to teach... tabletop one day. Maybe... you get Vi... join to?" Ember mumbles to her.

"Once you're healed up, you can teach me all about it," Jinx tells her.

"Holding you... too that," Ember says. She sighs heavily as Jinx carefully places her on the couch. She takes a moment to make sure she's propped up and won't fall over.

"That... boss?" Ember asks, her fingers weakly feeling the edge of Caitlyn's boot. Even asleep, she nearly takes up the entire couch.

"Sure is. I'm going to find some help, you..." Jinx pauses. Not like she can run off in her condition. "Just don't move. I don't want you falling over," she warns. This is already stressful enough.

"Turn... music on. Loud stuff... you like. Help me... stay wake," Ember requests. Hurrying over to the radio, Jinx grabs it and places it on the coffee table, cranking the sound until it rattles against the wood. Ember smiles and gives her a weak thumbs up.

Jinx blinks and sees Ember walking into the hospital for her shift, carrying some more puzzle books she found at a topsider bookstore. The number grids that Jinx has grown to love so much. A twitch of her head, and Ember is eyeing her hair, asking if she needs help washing and braiding it. Another memory and Ember is racing away to get Vi. Both at the old warehouses and at the hospital. Now when Jinx blinks again, it's to fight back tears.

"I'll protect you this time. I'm going to get help," Jinx assures her. Ember grimaces and Jinx can see the towel is slowly getting red spots on it.

"Hurry," Ember croaks out.

Racing around a corner, Jinx skids to a stop. Empty. How can a school this big have so few people in it? So far, she's only seen a few local security guards, and they just yelled at her to slow down as she ran past. They must not recognize her.

There were plenty of people around yesterday. Is it a holiday or something? Probably. She never really paid attention to topsider celebrations. Outside of Progress Day, that is. Perhaps the quiet halls are because of Cait's mom and Councilor Medarda doing their fancy tour. Where were they going again?

The brain fog is getting worse and the fact that Jinx has a name for it now is little consolation. Stress brings the voices, the hallucinations, the monsters, and somewhere in there it gets harder to think straight. She knows what she's looking for, but she has to keep reminding herself why.

Find the Councilors, help Cait and Ember. Find the Councilors, help Cait and Ember,Jinx repeats to herself. It's right on the verge of slipping away from her. Leaving her running through the halls with no idea why, just the knowledge that she has to find Jayce, Cait's mom, anyone.

Shaking her head, Jinx tries to ignore the shadows dancing across the windows. Monsters waiting outside to grab her. She knows it isn't really dark outside and there's plenty of light inside as well, but right now she can't see that. It's a trick. As long as she can remember that, she'll make it. Caitlyn and Ember are relying on her to... to... uh.

What was wrong with them again?

I have to hurry,Jinx thinks as she claws the memories back from out of the fog. Caitlyn drugged, Ember drugged, but fought back, attacker was a hired mercenary from Zaun. Looked Shimmer addicted. That's important. She needs to remember that in case no one else does. Another corner, another empty hall. Stopping, she looks around and spots a map on the wall.

What did Cassandra say earlier? That they were touring some buildings, but which buildings? Jinx squints at the map for a while before her brain drudges it back up from the fog. The newer buildings! Finally! That's something right? Eagerly, Jinx searches the map. There's six new buildings. Cursing, Jinx pulls at her pigtails.

Ok brain, work with me here. You can do this. Find a connection, a thread, some crumb to help me figure this out,Jinx pleads.

An image of Jayce pops into her head.

Eww, couldn't it be Viktor? He's nice, he gets her jokes, and his only love is hextech. He's a way better, almost maybe friend than a stuffy Councilor. Still, she runs with it.

Jayce. Engineering maybe? No, that's not it. Building things? Not even close. Hextech? Closer. Runes? Very warm.

"The new science buildings!" Jinx shouts as it finally comes to her. Looking at the map, she feels a chill run down her spine. There are only two of them, but unfortunately, the closest way to get to them is straight across the courtyard. Glancing up, she watches as a long black tentacle slaps against the window. Each sucker is ringed with teeth and there's a massive hook in the center of each one.

"Not real. It's not real," she reminds herself.

If Jinx cuts across the courtyard, she'll be at the new buildings in less than two minutes. But the stress of the hallucinations will probably make her brain fog so bad she'll forget everything but finding the Councilors. She won't know why and it will take a lot longer to calm down enough to remember.

Breathe. Think about the situation. What's the outcome of each scenario? If she goes around, that's wasting time and they'll just want to know why she didn't take the quick route. Even with her psychosis, that could make them suspicious and she doesn't need to give them any help on that part. Who knows what else that mercenary got up to while she was oblivious? No, she can't afford to give the Councilors any more ammunition and there's no telling what else Hoskel is planning.

Second option. What if simply she runs straight across and emerges on the other side, missing pieces of her memory? She won't be able to explain what's wrong and taking the time to destress enough to tell them will also take time. Jinx will start forgetting things and realizing she's missing pieces of what was there will make her even more upset.

But if they see me that messed up, they could drop everything else and go running to see what happened to Caitlyn and Ember right away,Jinx considers. If it really was just a muscle relaxant, then ultimately, Caitlyn should be fine. Furious and groggy tomorrow, but otherwise fine. However, she doesn't know how bad Ember's head injury is or how much worse it might be because of being drugged. She might not have time to wait.

Plus, Cassandra Kiramman is a mom. She knows Caitlyn is supposed to be on guard duty today. If Jinx shows up without her, won't Cassandra feel compelled to see what happened to her daughter? Regardless of the risk? That is what parents are supposed to do, right? It's what Silco would have done. Maybe things were messed up between them, and maybe he wasn't an exemplary parent overall, but he still loved her. Parents protect their kids. That's how it's supposed to be, right?

Slowly, Jinx goes to the doors leading to the courtyard. It's black as night outside, with pinpoints of light leading across to the other building. What if she gets lost in the dark? Or a monster frightens her off the right path?

No, you can do this. You're strong enough to do this,Jinx tells herself. Things are better now and she knows that now matter how far down she spirals, there will be people to help her climb out again. It isn't enough to stop the trembling in her hands, but it gives her the courage she needs to push open the door and race out into the dark.

Something isn't right about this. When the group explains their surprise at the schedule change, Jayce simply continues without blinking. Mel has taught him well over these past months. She's helped him learn when and how to speak up in situations like this. He isn't perfect, not by any means, but he is improving. So he continues on as if nothing is wrong and then makes a firm excusal when one of them attempts to drag things out. He explains that there is another important matter that has come up and any further negotiations will have to wait.

Once Jayce and Viktor are far enough out of sight and hearing distance, he immediately stops and waves their security detail away to stand guard.

"This was a trap. Our meeting, Mel's, even Vi being called away. All of this was a diversion," Jayce hisses. Viktor nods somberly.

"Each of us thought the other requested this schedule change. That means someone else interfered. Likely the same one responsible for Mel and Cassandra's change. If this is Hoskel, then he would be smart enough not to do it himself. Not directly anyway," Viktor points out. "The question is why? Why bring three Council members here today?" he considers thoughtfully.

"What do you think, Viktor? Logically, what are the strongest possibilities? All I can help thinking about are the worst potential outcomes," Jayce admits. Viktor closes his eyes and considers that. Jayce trusts him and with Jinx working in their workshop, he felt it prudent to share what information they know about her and the investigation.

"First, let's consider the tactics Hoskel and those working with him have already used. Franklin accepted a bribe so Hoskel could get secondary recordings of Jinx's hospital sessions. He did this by attempting to frame Salo's office for the modified hextech recorders. Next, he slipped a Shimmer variant into Jinx's food, attempting to set her off so she'd become violent or unstable. The goal likely being to get her moved to a different location or placed under new security. One Caitlyn isn't in charge of," Viktor ponders.

"Do you think she's being targeted with this?" Jayce presses.

"I'm not sure. I wouldn't jump to that right away. But considering the previous tactics, I think the goal this time is likely similar. Hoskel can't get the information he needs, but he can continue trying to make what Jinx says seem unreliable. If that fails, then making Caitlyn look bad for her lenient treatment could be an option," Viktor states.

"Either proving that Jinx is too violent or mentally unstable to give reliable information, or framing Caitlyn in order to get Jinx moved to a facility where he could have more direct access to her," Jayce considers with a scowl.

"There is also the possibility that this is all a setup to silence her entirely. We need to hurry. All of them could be in danger," Viktor warns.

"Of course. Let's cut across to the new science buildings and find Mel and Cassandra first. I don't want us to be split up any longer than we have to. Then we'll go straight back to check on the workshop," Jayce decides. Viktor nods and they hurry away to find the others. It doesn't take long with Viktor running alongside him.

Jayce knows Viktor has been doing private experiments with the arcane. Attempts to heal himself to mixed success. Those experiments don't always go well, but Jayce knows there's only so much he can do. So rather than trying to stop Viktor entirely, he's put down some rules instead. Namely, that no one else gets dragged into it again like Sky did. Viktor heartily agreed and has been a lot more thorough since then. Jayce still isn't sure he approves of it, but seeing him healthy again is worth it.

"There they are!" Viktor says breathlessly.

Both Cassandra and Mel are in the atrium of the second building, talking with an administrator. Mel notices them first and quirks an eyebrow at him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Jayce says, coming to a stop in front of them. "But something important has just come up. Could I talk to my fellow Councilors alone for a moment?" he says firmly. The administrator looks surprised but politely excuses herself all the same and heads down the hallway out of hearing distance.

Before Jayce can speak up, though, Cassandra interjects.

"Let me guess. It surprised the group at your little business meeting to get a request from you to move things up a few days," Cassandra says bluntly.

"You as well?" Jayce asks, looking at Mel. She nods in confirmation.

"This was a setup. The question is why? And who is being targeted this time?" Mel says.

"We aren't sure, but we need to go back and check on the workshop right away," Jayce tells them. Cassandra sucks in a breath and anxiously plays with her necklace, no doubt worrying about Caitlyn.

"Young lady, I'm afraid these buildings are closed at the moment. If you're a student, you'll have to wait until the open house viewings like everyone else," the administrator says from down the hallway.

"I need to see them! It's... it's important I know it is! Let me through!"

"Someone please tell me that's not who I think it is," Mel says slowly. Jayce turns and sees a familiar head of blue hair. Jinx is out, and she's completely alone. His blood turns to ice as she gestures and shouts.

The woman doesn't look very convinced and even from here, Jayce can see the wild look in Jinx's eyes and the way she twitches and snaps her head around like she's hearing or seeing things no one else does. She looks unstable and the way the administrator is looking at her warily says she's thinking the same thing.

"Can I help you with something? You look... very much in need of help," the woman says tactfully. Jinx is nearly crying now.

"No! I need to see the Councilors! Something happened!" Jinx shouts at her.

"Just slow down and tell us what's going on," the administrator insists. Only that question seems to make Jinx even more upset. She looks ready to burst into tears and Jayce is silently grateful to see that reaction from her rather than violence. He doesn't know the details of her Shimmer enhancements, but he knows Jinx is far stronger than the average person now. Someone needs to intervene before Jinx swings back in the other direction and forces them out of the way.

"Do you think this is a trap?" Mel considers, glancing over to gauge their reactions.

"Not from her," Cassandra states. "If she wanted to escape that badly, then coming straight to us would not be the way to do it. Nor could she have changed our meeting schedules. I think this is part of Hoskel's plan. Letting her out would be a perfect distraction and a good way to make us fight amongst ourselves about the damage she could do. He'd better pray my daughter isn't in the crossfire," she says, lifting her chin.

"It's all right! Let her though!" she calls out. Jayce was about to say that himself. He can see the way security is frowning and reaching for their weapons. Either out of concern Jinx might turn violent, or because they are catching on to who she might be.

"But ma'am," one guard protests.

Cassandra waves him off and strides over confidently, as if she has everything under perfect control. If there's one thing that years of politics have taught her, it's how to project a calm façade even when you don't have the slightest idea of what's happening. Right now, Jayce envies her for that skill.

"I see you've found my granddaughter," Cassandra says with a wide smile. Viktor snorts out a nervous laugh from behind him and Jayce has to cough into his fist. That's what she went with? Really?

Still, the guards are taking their hands off their weapons and watching less suspiciously than before. These men are private campus security, not regular enforcers. So they aren't immediately familiar with what Jinx looks like. Security detail for a Councilor takes a lot of planning, so Mel vetted the private security here and determined it would be sufficient. She wanted to take some of the pressure off Caitlyn. Now Jayce wasn't sure if that was a good decision or a bad one.

Jinx's eyes shift between the guards' weapons and Cassandra. Whatever she's going through, her mind is still together enough that she immediately brightens and races past the administrator. Cassandra puts an arm around her and Jinx gives her a tight hug. The perfect granddaughter. The touch seems to help her calm down a bit, as well.

"Grandma! I'm so happy to see you! I'm sorry I got separated from the others, but I didn't want to get lost, so I came straight here. I hope that was ok," Jinx says, looking deeply apologetic.

"It's no wonder she's escaped from people for so long. She's quite a good actress when she wants to manipulate someone badly enough," Mel murmurs to him. Jayce nods in agreement. He just hopes that all of her words and Caitlyn's reassurances about Jinx wanting to do better aren't a manipulation as well.

"Grandma?" the administrator says in shock. "I didn't realize, I didn't think..." she stumbles and stammers over her words before clearing her throat. Jayce can see the wheels turning in her head as she stares at Jinx's blue hair and tries to figure out just where she fits into the family tree and how.

"She's part of that new foster program Councilor Shoola has arranged for orphans in the undercity. There were so many working in those awful Shimmer factories that she just had to help. And with me considering retirement soon, I thought, why not try it? I'll have plenty of time on my hands to continue doing some more good for this city," Cassandra says with carefully practiced warmth. She still has an arm around Jinx's shoulders and Jinx herself is doing an excellent job looking innocent and harmless.

It's... not a bad cover story. Shoola is actually sponsoring a foster care program and it would help explain away Jinx's unusual eyes. Most people know of Shimmer, but few know any real details about how it works beyond simply being "that undercity drug." So Jinx's pink gaze and erratic behavior can be explained away without people thinking too deeply on it.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Jinx apologizes. "Breathed in a few too many Shimmer fumes as a kid in the factories," she adds, letting out a wild giggle that Jayce is positive she's deliberately exaggerating. The administrator's heart flies up to her chest and her face softens with sympathy.

"And just like that, she's bought into the whole thing," Mel whispers.

"Oh, how wonderful of you to help! Well, I won't keep you two apart! I'm sorry this tour has to be cut short, but perhaps you'll be able to come to the open house next month?" the administrator says hopefully.

"It's already on my calendar. I wouldn't dare miss it," Cassandra says politely. She firmly pulls Jinx away and back towards all of them.

"Bye!" Jinx calls out with a cheery wave. Once the woman is finally gone and Jinx is with them, Cassandra lets go and crosses her arms.

"Start talking," she demands, fixing Jinx a hard stare. The frantic look is still there in her eyes, but she seems to have herself under better control than before.

"Something happened!" Jinx says insistently. Then she fidgets and looks away. "I... just can't remember what. Trying to get here took too much effort. I had to fall too far down into the dark and the monsters..." she stops and grips her hair.

"No, they might not get it if I say it like that. You can do this, calm down," Jinx mumbles, her head swaying back and forth. "Yes, I know they won't get it! Shut up and let me think! This is already hard enough!" she shouts at something.

"It's okay," Mel says gently. "Take your time," she urges. Jinx's head snaps up, but then quickly twitches away. She looks upset again, but something else about that bothers Jayce and sticks in his mind.

"We don't have time! Something bad happened, and I had to find you right away!" Jinx insists. "But... but I had to go through the courtyard and the monsters made me so afraid. I mean..." she stops again, looking frustrated. Jayce can tell she's trying to explain it for them. Use terms they'll understand better, but she can't in her current state.

"You were hallucinating," Mel offers. "And what you saw scared you? Made your psychosis worse?" she provides. Jinx's expression melts with relief as she stares off to the side.

"Yes! Seeing the monsters makes me afraid, and being afraid takes me farther into the dark, and going down into the dark makes me forget things," Jinx tells them. "But I knew I had to come here! There's... something bad that happened. I don't know what, but I'm not supposed to be out alone. I'm supposed to find you and... and then you'd know what to do?" she trails off weakly. Looking up at each of them, her eyes skip quickly over Mel and back to Jayce as she stares back hopefully.

She's looking at everyone but Mel, Jayce realizes. It's like Jinx is trying to avoid looking at her as much as possible. He knows Jinx hallucinates whenever she sees the Council, but how she sees him and Cassandra must not be as scary. Whatever Mel looks like, it's enough to make Jinx want to avoid looking at her entirely.

"I came straight here as fast as I could. I thought if I took the long way around, it would make everything worse. That was the right decision, wasn't it?" Jinx says, looking increasingly desperate and anxious. Jayce can see what little calm she's managed falling apart again. The wild, strained look in her eyes is coming back.

Being afraid makes her worse,Jayce thinks, recalling what she had just told them. He's ready to intervene when Cassandra speaks up.

"You did exactly what you should have done. Now, hush. We'll take care of things from here. We're going to go right back and figure out what happened," Cassandra states, her tone not allowing any room for argument. Having her take charge of the situation seems to settle Jinx down again.

"Do we have to go back outside?" Jinx asks, her voice strained.

"We do, but we'll be right here so no one will get lost this time, all right?" Cassandra insists as she puts an arm back around Jinx's shoulders. She may be a Councilor, but she's a mother first and Jayce knows those instincts run deep. Regardless of whose child it is.

"I want Viktor with me," Jinx mumbles. He's clearly surprised, but still moves to her side anyway and lets Jinx take his hand.

"Then I'll be right here the whole time," Viktor promises her. That seems to make her feel safer.

"Lets go. I need to find my daughter," Cassandra says, her eyes burning with fire and steel.

Jayce can see bits and pieces of Jinx's memory returning as they race back. It's a slow but steady drip of information here and there until the entire story finally gushes out. Caitlyn drugged, Ember hurt, and the door mysteriously unlocked. Everything is a perfect mixture for serious problems.

It scares him to think of just how easily Jinx could have escaped back into the city. While he still doesn't trust her, he feels guilty for not believing more in Caitlyn. Jinx doesn't feel bad for what she did, not really, but she's still trying to do better, just as Caitlyn said. Jinx loves her sister and possibly Caitlyn as well, judging by what Jinx called her the other day. That desire to have a family again is evidently more than enough motivation for Jinx to stick around and see this through. Jayce didn't trust her, but Caitlyn did and she made the right choice by doing so.

Along the way, Jayce stops long enough to use an emergency phone on the wall to call security and medics to the workshop and then catches back up with everyone. As they go down the hallway leading to the shop, he can hear people talking and see medical equipment placed along the walls.

"Let me go, Ekko!"

"Look, I know you want to find her, but you are in no condition to be searching for anyone right now!"

"Vi?" Jinx says, perking up at the sound of her sister's voice. "That's got to be here!" she exclaims, pulling away from Viktor and racing ahead.

"Hey!" one guard tries to grab her as she shoulders past him into the room.

"It's fine, let her go," Jayce orders. The guard nods and steps aside to let them through. When he steps into the room, Jayce immediately sees medics tending to Caitlyn. She looks asleep, but otherwise unharmed. Others are tending to the enforcer Caitlyn brought with her. Ember. She's being fitted with a head brace and a stretcher is being prepared for her. A bloody towel is resting on her lap, but she seems coherent enough to slur out answers when the medics ask her a question.

Vi is sitting on a stool with an anxious Ekko next to her. Jinx has stopped halfway through the room and is just staring at her sister. Looking closer, Jayce can see why.

Something is wrong with her,he realizes. Vi's eyes are wide and she keeps digging her fingers into her arm, scratching along the arm wraps she always wears. She's faced in Caitlyn's direction, but Jayce isn't sure she's really seeing anything. Ekko looks scared for her and is pressing her back down onto the stool. It must be a panic attack or her PTSD. Maybe a little of both. Either way, she looks as if she's in shock, like too much of her has fallen apart to keep going.

"She's gone... she's gone," Vi whispers to herself.

"They'll find Jinx, you hear me? She'll be just fine and Caitlyn will be okay, just like the medics said," Ekko insists.

"He hurt her," Vi says, her voice cracking apart. "He hurt Cait and Ember. And... and now Jinx is..." she can't say the rest.

"Vi?" Jinx squeaks out, looking scared. Cassandra takes a glance over at her daughter, but medics are swarming over Caitlyn and Jayce can tell by their relaxed professionalism that whatever happened to her probably isn't serious. So instead, Cassandra walks over to Jinx.

"It's all right, dear. She's just having an episode of her own and you're going to help her with it," Cassandra says in that commanding, but kind, tone of hers.

"I am?" Jinx asks, snapping out of her own growing anxiety.

"You are. Come with me," Cassandra says, guiding her over to Vi.

"Let's get out of the way," Mel murmurs to him. Jayce does so and Viktor nudges him, nodding towards a small culture dish on the table. There's something small and white inside it and notes hastily written on top.

"I'll take care of that and see what I can find out," Viktor says quietly. He hurries out of the way, grabbing the dish and calling over a medic before moving to a far corner of the workshop to examine it.

Cassandra walks Jinx over to Vi and smacks Ekko's hands away.

"Hey!" he objects.

"Hands off her shoulders, you're making her symptoms worse," Cassandra says coolly. Ekko scowls but backs up. Jinx still looks afraid and Vi doesn't even realize she's there beside her.

"When Vi gets really bad like this, you want to be careful with how you touch her. Never reach for her shoulders if she doesn't realize you're there, understand? That reminds her of her time in prison and it could make her worse," Cassandra explains with calm patience. Jinx nods, listening carefully to her instructions.

"She's done this before. Helped Vi when she has an attack," Mel says. It's a statement, not an observation. Jayce knows Vi has been accompanying Cassandra more and more lately on her errands around the city. It's inevitable that she would see Vi like this at some point, just as Caitlyn had. Just like Jayce had.

"Now reach out and gently grab her hands. Run your thumb across the back, slowly," Cassandra orders. Jinx does exactly what she says. "Very good. Now call her name and tell her who you are," she continues.

"Vi? It's me, Jinx," she says hesitantly. Now, Vi twitches and blinks her eyes. Some of the shock seems to fade a bit from her eyes.

"Again. Tell her everything is safe," Cassandra murmurs.

"It's okay, Vi. You're safe. Everything is fine," Jinx repeats, her voice cracking.

Jayce swallows hard and forces himself not to look away. Jinx just had an episode of her own and fought her way through hallucinations and fear to do the right thing. To find them and get help like she's supposed to. Now here she is, trying to help pull Vi back as well.

Caitlyn was right, Jinx was trying her best, and she deserved the chance to keep trying as well. Watching her now, it's easy to see what led Caitlyn to be so protective of her. So fiercely determined to get her the help she needs.

"Jinx?" Vi finally says, her eyes blinking rapidly a few times before they settle onto her. Vi looks confused and stares back as if she isn't entirely sure where she is or what's happening.

"It's okay, Vi," Jinx assures her again in a shaky tone.

"Jinx? Is that you?" Vi says again, her eyes blinking again as her confusion clears a bit more.

"I'm here. I'm real," Jinx promises. Vi crumbles, a sob ripping itself from her throat as she throws her arms around her sister and cries.

"Cait needed me, and Ember was injured. So I thought..." Jinx chokes out, holding Vi tightly. "I just wanted to help, but I ruined everything again. I'm a mistake and I make everything worse," she continues as tears well up in her eyes.

"No," Vi croaks. Pulling away she takes Jinx's head in her hands. "No, no, no, never say that. You hear me, blue bird? You are not a mistake. Not now, not ever. I don't care that you left. All right? I don't care about that. I thought... I thought someone took you away. That you got kidnapped or hurt like Ember was. That's why I was so upset," she insists.

"You aren't angry I left the room?" Jinx asks, sounding small.

"No! No, of course not! All I care about is that you're safe. When I got here, I thought... god, I thought you were dead. I thought I'd lost you forever," Vi tells her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You just wanted me to be okay?" Jinx says hesitantly. Vi gives her a relieved smile.

"Of course. Nothing else matters to me, but that. Seeing you alive and safe... that's all I need, blue bird. I just needed you to be all right," Vi assures her. "The idea of losing either of you is more than I could take. Cait may be safe, but if something bad happened to you as well," she trails off and shakes her head. "I don't even want to think about it. I can't think about losing you again," she says desperately. Jinx throws her arms around her sister, and both of them hold on tightly to each other.

"There you go. She'll be all right now," Cassandra says gently. "I'm going to go check on Caitlyn. Just stick with Vi, and she'll be fine. Both of you will. Understand?" she adds. Jinx nods silently in reply. Satisfied, Cassandra straightens up and strides over to the medics to check on how Caitlyn is.

Jayce feels Mel wrap an arm around him.

"Caitlyn was right to give her this chance. Jinx is criminal, but she's also an extremely traumatized young woman who deserves the opportunity to turn her life around. She deserves this," Mel murmurs to him.

"I had my doubts, but you were right, and so was she. Jinx had the perfect opportunity to run away, or even try to kill Hoskel today. Instead, she came straight to us and begged for help. She doesn't trust us, but she trusted us enough to believe we would help," Jayce considers.

"Caitlyn is a good Sheriff. Maybe the best this city will ever have. We're fortunate to have her on our side," Mel comments.

"We are, but Hoskel sure isn't. Once Caitlyn wakes up and finds out what he did and the stress he caused Vi and Jinx? He'll wish you had gotten to him first."

Jinx is used to keeping up appearances. So it doesn't bother her when Jayce puts the hextech handcuffs back on her wrists. Only he puts them on properly. It isn't enough to hurt, but it does a pinch a little.

Vi looks worn out and keeps an arm looped around Jinx's shoulders as they head outside. She doesn't want to let go and Jinx doesn't complain. She just leans in and pretends not to notice when Vi keeps touching her to reassure herself that everything is okay.

All Vi wanted was for her to be safe. It didn't matter that she left or that Caitlyn and Ember were alone. Vi just couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Of losing either of them. How many of those attacks has she had these past months, while Jinx ran around convinced that Caitlyn was keeping Vi away from her? How many nightmares and episodes? Guilt digs into Jinx's gut as she presses closer to her sister's side. Vi pulls her tight and buries her nose into Jinx's hair before letting out a deep sigh.

Together they watch the hum of activity around the vehicle drop off point. Ember is already on her way to the hospital next to Silver River and they expect her to be just fine, but the medics want to watch her overnight, just in case. She made Ekko promise to tell her roommate what happened, so she didn't get home from her job at the radio station and start worrying. Ekko promised, several times and with increasing emphasis, to stop by her address on his way back down.

Ekko is still standing there as well, watching her and looking uncomfortable.

"Something to say, boy savior? Want a nice heart to heart? Talk things out? Hold hands and skip through the streets again like we were kids? Everything all forgiven and forgotten?" Jinx sneers, taunting him. Ekko purses his lips and wrings his hands together for a moment.

"You know what? It can wait. I've waited this long after all," he says, to her surprise. Jinx frowns and stares at him, waiting for the trick, the trap. Vi is still out of it, so she's quiet for a moment as she processes what he said.

"Wait, you aren't leaving? But what about...?" Vi finally asks. Her eyes widen in surprise and her body stiffens as if to get ready to stop him.

"Now really isn't the right time. Caitlyn needs you and you two need each other. This has been a tough day. What I have to talk about isn't as important as making sure you all get somewhere safe and deal with what's going on. It's been this long, won't kill me if it takes longer. I can always come back some other time," Ekko says with a shrug.

He can't be serious.

Jinx squints her eyes at him, but she can't find a reason for the lie or any evidence of a trick. He's actually just going to walk away. She doesn't know how to feel about that. For years he tried to convince her to leave Silco, tried to get Powder back, and convince her Powder was still in there, wouldn't be better off going with him. Right until he finally understood, Powder was gone. Then he left. Gave up. He never wanted her, just Powder. Now he has a chance to speak with her the way he always wanted and he just... walks out?

"That's it?" Jinx demands. "You finally get me where you want me. Literally handcuffed and finally away from Silco. Proper medication and a promise that I won't try to kill you anymore and you're just... going to leave?" she snarls at him. Ekko scoffs.

"Don't act like you couldn't snap those off the second you wanted to. Besides, if you are actually serious about doing better? Then you won't be going anywhere. I know where to find you," Ekko fires back at her. Jinx opens her mouth and then closes it. None of this makes any sense to her. It's not like she can get away right now or that she has somewhere else to go. She can't get away from him this time and he's not taking the chance? He's just letting it go?

"You won't convince me? Turn me around? Beg me to stay on the path of justice and get help? Say how proud you are to see me doing better? All that big talk about how I'm hurting myself, Powder is still in there, on and on. Now you just turn and walk away like a coward? I really mean nothing to anymore you, don't I?" Jinx sneers. Ekko twitches, and she can see some of his anger return. Finally, this was getting too weird otherwise.

"You don't need me to tell you that this is your last chance, Jinx," Ekko spits her name out. The anger feels good, it feels right. He's not supposed to help, he's supposed to hate her for what she's done. And she's supposed to hate him for giving up.

"Either you make this work or that's it. You won't be getting any more opportunities if this goes south. That's why you stayed and why you went to get help. The last thing I need to do is convince you of anything. Especially something you already know, and you know I've tried plenty of times to help you," Ekko states. Jinx laughs.

"Oh, you've done a lot wonder boy, but the last person you've ever tried to help is me," she snarls at him. For a moment he looks ready to fight, to argue. Then he takes a deep breath and lets it out. Jinx can't help feeling disappointed.

"Look. I'm not here to fight. So just… take care of Vi. She's been through enough for you already," Ekko warns her before walking away. Contrary to his big talk, he doesn't actually leave yet. He just heads off a bit and keeps his distance, silently watching everything happen around them.

Sniffing, Jinx leans into Vi, not realizing she's done it until Vi holds her tighter again. She thinks of how Vi looked just before this. Lost and confused. So upset at seeing her gone again that she just shut down. What would happen to Vi if she left a second time? If she lost Caitlyn and Jinx both? It's not a happy thought and Jinx itches to hold her sister properly and comfort her. Comfort herself.

"Your fault. All your fault," a voice whispers in her ear. "Vi is like this because of what you did. I bet she has nightmares about coming back to the hospital to find you gone every time she leaves you at night," another voice murmurs under her boots. Stamping her foot, Jinx shivers and lets Vi rub her arm.

It's a lie.

Isn't it?

Swallowing her nerves, Jinx tries to focus on the activity going on around the steps and drop off circle. Not Ekko, not how much seeing him hurts, and not how lost Vi looked. Caitlyn was safe and heading home, with the medics helping to transport her there. That was the most important thing right now.

It seems Jinx was right. According to the quick analysis Viktor did, the chemical makeup of the pill strongly indicates her being slipped a muscle relaxant. She'll wake up tomorrow feeling very groggy and probably disoriented. So the medics recommended that having her wake up in a place she recognizes might be best. There was some hesitance on Cassandra's part, but when Vi added that Caitlyn would feel better being at home, she relented.

"All ready!" someone shouts as they slam the doors shut. A woman is talking with Cassandra and reassuring her that everything will be fine. Brad, sorry, Benson, is waiting nearby with the family car to bring Cassandra back to the mansion. Vi doesn't seem sure where she wants to go. Jinx knows she can't go with them, and it's clear Vi doesn't want to leave her again.

"I'll be fine once I get settled in back at my room," Jinx finally says. Vi is watching as the ambulance holding Caitlyn drives away, so she takes a moment to catch up.

"Pardon?"

"Once we get back to the psychiatric center? I'll be okay. You should go check on Ember and Caitlyn after that," Jinx insists. It feels strange having to decide like this because Vi can't seem to manage on her own yet. Is this what she feels like whenever Jinx is struggling with something? It's not a good feeling, it's stressful and makes her chest hurt. It takes another second for Vi to respond.

"Right... right. God, I'm sorry, Jinx. I'm so sorry I scared you like that. I just... I'm still a bit out of it," Vi apologizes. Jinx doesn't need to be told that. The slight confusion and the slow way Vi is still processing things when people talk to her is obvious. Maybe she shouldn't be going anywhere alone after all. Jinx is in the middle of debating that when Cassandra walks back over to them.

"Come along, Vi. Benson will take us to Silver River to get Jinx taken care of. Then you are coming with me. You'll stay in the guest room at our place tonight. I don't want you staying alone after that episode, and Tobias could use help if Caitlyn requires something," Cassandra says. Vi opens her mouth but stops when the woman holds a hand up. "I wasn't asking for your opinion," she continues with a stern look. Vi dips her head as if she's been scolded.

"Yes, ma'am," Vi agrees softly.

Cassandra behaves exactly how Jinx expected. A touch arrogant, with sharp predatory eyes like the hawk Jinx hallucinates when she looks at her. When she spots her target, she can hone in on it with pinpoint accuracy. Knowing just what to say or do to pressure them into getting what she wants. She may not be the strongest or the most influential, but she's not a person to underestimate.

Mel is good and will be a better politician in the years to come, but right now? Cassandra has years of experience on her. On all of them. The woman is firm, nearly unyielding when she wants something, but there's also a kindness to her that Jinx didn't expect.

Cassandra was the first to step in and cover for Jinx when she showed up. Then, when Vi was having her episode, she clearly knew how to handle it and what to do for Vi to come back around and feel safe again. Jinx isn't entirely sure how she feels about the Councilwoman now, but it makes her feel better to know that Vi will not be alone all night. Left to sit in the dark with her own monsters.

For a moment, the bird disappears, the wings fade and the hawk's head vanishes in to smoke. Cassandra is just a woman, just another Piltie standing there. Then there's an ache in Jinx's head and the hallucination comes back. Steely eyes and broad wings tipped with claws.

Satisfied, Cassandra nods and walks off to go talk with Mel. Jinx tries her best not to look at Councilor Medarda at all, but the weight of all those eyes still hums at the edge of her nerves.

Now Jayce walks over, giving both of them a polite nod in greeting.

"I have to say you surprised me today, Jinx. In a good way. You had the chance to run or take matters into your own hands. Instead, you stayed and put yourself at risk to get help. That means a lot to me, not simply as a Councilor making decisions about your future, but as a man who could have lost a good friend today. Caitlyn is safe because of you. Thank you," Jayce tells her.

Squirming, Jinx looks away. Dealing with people's gratitude instead of their hatred and suspicion is still hard on her. People were supposed to suspect her, even if they didn't think this was all her fault. This... kindness makes her itchy. Even though Vi is still struggling, Jinx can't help but look at her for help.

"It's difficult hearing that when you're used to everyone looking down on you or blaming you. We're working on it. Both of us," Vi says, squeezing Jinx tighter. That's right, Vi has her own issues, and she's from the undercity besides. Both of them are used to other people suspecting them, even if it is for different reasons. Still, if Jayce was going to be so appreciative, then she might as well try her luck, right?

"Does this mean I can get out early to go visit Caitlyn and Ember tomorrow?" Jinx says abruptly. Both of them stare at her. "I mean Sandman's tapes should be finished by noon and you are so grateful to me after all," she adds with false innocence. Jayce sighs.

"We were so close to having a pleasant moment," he mutters.

"Tough, you can cry about it later. Is that a yes or a no?" Jinx pushes.

"Fine! You can get off early to visit them, but the day after that we're settling accounts with Sandman, finding Silco's records, and ending all of this," Jayce warns her.

"Aye, aye sir!" Jinx says sharply. She can't mock him with a salute, so she bows ridiculously deep instead. Jayce sighs again, looking as if he's regretting all of this.

"What's going to happen in the meantime?" Vi asks.

"Right now, all traffic in and out is under strict watch. All cargo being searched. I convinced Mel not to lock the city down entirely to avoid panic, but we might reverse that after this. Hoskel has to be caught. Now. More evidence can wait. Regardless of what he may have done before, or what Jinx has done, the trouble he's causing now is inexcusable and he has to answer for it," Jayce firmly states.

"I'll be fine in a few hours, so if something comes up or you need me, then just remember that I'm still the Special Enforcer. I can still handle this," Vi says urgently. Her confusion is fading more, replaced with a simmering anger. Stepping forward, Jayce puts a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you can, but that doesn't mean you should do it alone. Let us do our part too. No running off," Jayce warns her. Vi grimaces and looks at Jinx. She just stares back silently, but she knows how hotheaded Vi is and how protective she is of her family. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if she bolted off, Atlas Gauntlets in hand, to fistfight an army for what happened today.

"I won't. Not this time. I've... got to set a better example from now on," Vi says awkwardly. Well, would you look at that?

"Aww, they grow up so fast," Jinx says, sniffing away a fake tear.

"Shut up," Vi mumbles, her cheeks turning red. Jayce laughs.

"Stay safe, you two," he tells them before returning to Mel's side. Jinx twitches and focuses on him instead. He speaks to Cassandra for a bit before she excuses herself, returning to the car.

"We going back with Brad now?" Jinx asks.

"Benson," Vi automatically corrects. Then she pauses and squints down at her. "You do that on purpose, don't you?" she asks suspiciously.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jinx replies with a smirk. Vi snuggles her tighter and ruffles her hair as payback. This time Jinx doesn't fight her off.

At the car, Benson reaches over to open the back passenger door for Cassandra. As he does, Jinx's ears pick up a sound. Like a metal wire rubbing against something. She glances around, but no one else noticed.

What was that?Jinx frowns, pulling away from Vi slightly. The Shimmer has not only improved her strength but also some of her other senses. Only it isn't a universal improvement. Some things stand out more than others. Like the familiar sounds of metal and tinkering or the different flavors in a bowl of spicy noodles. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that no one else reacts, but it does. Something feels... off.

"Jinx?" Vi asks, watching her.

Benson pauses, closing the door slightly as Cassandra stands there to talk to him.

"Did you hear that?" Jinx asks, distracted.

"Hear what?"

Benson nods to Cassandra, and pulls open the door a little again. There it is! That slight screeching, that taut wire sound that is grating on her senses. There's a prickle on the back of Jinx's neck and a voice whispers in her ears. Violet's voice.

"Danger. The Hawk is in danger," Violet murmurs. It's a trick. It must be.

Violet never tricks me, though. Just the others. She's not always right, but she always tries to help, never hurt,Jinx considers. Benson is leaning on the door, listening sympathetically. Jinx catches the words Caitlyn and fine.

What if Violet is wrong? Vi knows that the handcuffs are all for show and so does Ekko, but no one else here does. Jinx knows she can only push them so far. They trust her more after her actions today, but not completely and for good reason. She can't toe the line forever.

Benson opens the door wider and every part of Jinx screams in warning. That sound, she knows what that sound is. She's heard it a thousand times while during her own work. The sound of a wire being primed to pull, to snap and trigger a trap.

Jinx remembers Cassandra's firm tone as she took charge of the situation, protecting her from suspicion when she showed up unstable and afraid. She still hears her resolute but kind tone as she directed her on how to care for Vi. To help coax Vi out of her own episode. The smell of smoke and burning flesh fills Jinx's nose as she thinks of the bridge. She can feel Vi holding her hand as they search every single body, looking for their parents. Jinx imagines Caitlyn waking up tomorrow, not realizing what happened and looking at her to ask where her mom is.

What if Jinx is right? And that sound is exactly what she thinks it is?

Benson pulls the door open all the way, and Jinx hears a snap and an all too familiar metal ping.

In that instant, everything makes sense. Viktor is the one who always takes apart her bombs and then locks them away as evidence. Examining them over time to see how she's improved and how they could stay one step ahead. But where are those defused bombs stored once they've been taken apart? And who exactly is keeping them secure?

An unlocked door, Jinx unable to say how long it was open, both enforcers drugged, and a bomb stolen and pieced back together. Benson works for the Kiramman's so the only people he drives are Cassandra, Caitlyn, Vi, and Jinx. As well as whoever is guarding her that day. Regardless of whether the drugs worked, one of them would still have been inside the vehicle at some point and someone necessary to the case would be killed or seriously injured. Long enough to provide a distraction for Hoskel to escape.

But if Jinx can pick up on the sound from here, then it must be an awfully shoddy or rushed job. One that would be so easy to detect if someone had looked a bit more carefully. Why? The only thing that doesn't fit is Ember. She wasn't supposed to be awake enough to fight back. She broke the guy's wrist and scared them. Possibly enough to slip up on the rest of the job.

"No!" Jinx screams.

Lifting her arms, she twists them uncomfortably and pulls. They made the handcuffs to squeeze tightly, so pulling them in the opposite direction makes the power flicker for just a moment, just long enough to interrupt the flow so that Jinx rips them clean apart before they power back on.

It's an issue only she or someone else with abnormal muscles strength could take advantage of. The flaw is a simple problem to overlook, and one that would be easy to fix. Vi and Cait know about it, but they clearly told no one else. Should they have? Probably. But if Jinx had on a better pair, then what she needed to do now would be a lot harder.

Shoving Vi away, she races down the steps.

"Hold your fire! That's an order!" Vi roars out.

"Don't shoot!" Jayce commands them.

Her mind stutters over the sound of Jayce telling the guards and nearby enforcers not to fire, but she doesn't have time to consider the implications. Fast, she has to move fast. Vi can protect the others. She's an enforcer. That's what she does. But what if her reactions are still slow? What if she can't respond in time?

"Vi, Ekko! Get everyone back! There's a bomb!" she screams at them. Ekko protects people, and he's annoyingly determined, too. He'll listen. The boy savior. The guy who never stops trying to protect people.

"Everyone but lonely little Jinx. Ekko saved everyone but you. He realized Powder was gone and Jinx would never want him the way he wanted her. So he gave up. Gave you over to the dark," a voice hisses under the steps. Jinx stomps down harder to silence it and keeps running. Please let her make it there in time.

"Get away! Everyone up the steps!" Ekko shouts immediately. A second later, Jinx can hear Vi moving as well, hurrying to get the other Councilors, guards, and medics away from the vehicles. Vi is safe.

Jinx is faster now, faster than anyone who isn't tech enhanced. Fast enough to count down how many seconds she has as she hears each click from somewhere inside the car. A soft, tiny little sound that no one else noticed.

Skidding to a stop, she wraps one arm around Cassandra's waist and snatches Benson's collar. Flexing her arms, Jinx drags them away with all the strength she has. Practically lifting both of them clean off the ground. She hears the ticking increase and then a slight pause.

"Get down!" Jinx orders. Grunting, she throws Benson up several more steps and pushes Cassandra to the ground before covering her a split second before the car explodes behind them in a shower of metal and glass.

Chapter 17

Notes:

I was Inspired (TM) this past week and I felt a tad guilty for the cliffhanger I left y'all on last time. So you get this chapter a couple days early this time! Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Vi has always wondered why firefighters accompany medics on so many calls. Now she understands why. Before anyone else can react, they jump into action, unreeling hoses from their two massive tankers. A couple of them turn cranks on the side while the others line up and get into position with carefully practiced efficiency.

"Clear!" someone shouts. Seconds later the hoses fill. One shoots out what looks like powder. The other hose fires water at the burning vehicle and the powder immediately foams up and begins smothering the flames with a loud hiss. Other firefighters herd more people further up the steps as enforcers do the same thing.

Jinx,Vi remembers. She needs to check on Jinx. Shaking herself, Vi turns to Jayce and Mel.

"Are you two all right?" Vi asks them.

"Shaken up, but not injured," Jayce assures her.

"Go! Check on Jinx! We'll be fine," Mel promises.

Relieved, Vi races off down the steps. Jinx is laying there on the ground struggling to get off Cassandra. When she gets closer, she can see why. There's a large piece of glass stuck in her lower back. A few inches deep, it looks like. Vi glances over at Benson, but he got thrown farther up the steps. So aside from some small rips in his jacket, it doesn't seem like any major debris hit him. Already Ekko is running over.

"I've got Jinx! Help Benson!" Vi orders. Ekko nods and skids to a stop next to him. He looks worried about Jinx, but does as Vi directs, helping the man lift himself up from the ground.

Jinx gets her upper body off Cassandra and Vi helps the rest of the way until Cassandra can crawl out and turn to sit down. Her earlier confidence is gone, and she's clearly shaken up. She blinks a few times before her eyes fall to Jinx and she gasps at the sight of her.

"Oh gods! Don't... don't move, dear, we'll get some help," Cassandra says, her eyes fixed on Jinx's back and the glass sticking out of it. Vi grabs her arm to stop her before she can call over a medic. Started, she turns back in surprise. "Violet? What's the meaning of this? We need to get her help right away! That glass... her legs," she begins, but Vi cuts her off.

"Do you trust me?" Vi asks her. Cassandra frowns, as if that's a silly question.

"Of course..." she begins, but Vi shakes her head and squeezes the woman's arm.

"No. I really need you to be honest about this," Vi demands. "Do you trust me?" she says, pleading this time. Cassandra looks again at Jinx, seeing the same things Vi is. The way Jinx is struggling to get up on her arms while her legs lay there unmoving. The glass in her back and how close it is to her spine. Finally, Cassandra nods.

"Then I need your help. Are you good to move?" Vi asks her. Cassandra nods, wary but listening. "Good. I don't... I'm not steady enough to do this, so I'll need your help. I'm going to hold down her legs and I need you to grab the glass and pull it out. Straight up as best you can. Slow but steady," she directs.

While both of them get into position, Vi forces herself to take a few deep breaths. She knows how Jinx's body works and how Shimmer healing works. But it doesn't work around non organic objects. They need to get the glass out first in order for Jinx's body to start properly recovering. Already, Vi can feel her own shaking getting worse. She's in danger of going into shock herself, and she needs to take care of Jinx before that happens. Maybe helping her will cut off her own shock before she shakes to pieces again and loses it like when she saw Jinx missing.

Vi knows how this works. She survived an injury herself that should have been fatal. And there was barely a scar from it. All from a tiny drop of Shimmer. Her little sister has a factories worth of the stuff running through her blood. Jinx will be just fine so long as Vi doesn't let herself panic.

"I'm ready," Cassandra states, snapping Vi out of her thoughts. Her confidence is back, that look she gets when she's not sure what's going on, but she knows not to show it so that other people can see her steadiness and feel safe. Vi desperately needs that right now.

"The Shimmer can and will heal whatever injury Jinx has. But not while that glass is still in her back. We have to get it out for her to be okay," Vi tells her. Roughly yanking that glass out is probably counter to everything a medic would advise in the situation, but Jinx isn't an ordinary person and Shimmer is no ordinary drug.

"Just let me know when," Cassandra says. Reaching over, she places a hand on Jinx's shoulder and rubs it reassuringly. Then she leans down closer to Jinx's ear. "Don't worry, dear. We've got you. You'll be back up in no time," she tells her. Jinx nods and Vi can see her bracing herself. Preparing for the pain. She grabs one of her pigtails and puts it between her teeth. Something to bite down on.

Gripping Jinx's ankles, Vi holds tight and shifts to make sure she has the right leverage and position. Finally she nods to Cassandra.

"I'm grabbing it now. Steady," she murmurs. Tightening her grip, she pushes down on Jinx's shoulder and pulls. It doesn't come out easily, but it steadily slips out until the entire bloody piece yanks free. Jinx lets out a muffled scream as it comes out.

"There!" Cassandra says in relief. Tossing it aside, she leans over Jinx's back, carefully touching the ugly wound with gentle fingers. Vi can see her panicking before a soft pink glow starts to shine through. Whimpering, Jinx looks over her shoulder at Vi, giving her a split second to tighten her grip and press down before both legs spasm in her hands.

"I've got you, blue bird," Vi promises as both legs jerk again. Tears are streaming down Jinx's face. Shimmer can heal, but it can't get rid of all the pain. Not for her. Normally the hallucinations a person experiences help smother it along with the painkiller the drug naturally produces. But Jinx's body doesn't react the same way to it anymore. It will heal her, but she'll still have to cope with the pain of her body being forced to speed heal through a grievous wound.

Vi is choking back her own tears now as she sees her little sister in pain. But it's working. The Shimmer is working and Jinx's legs are twitching under her hands again until they start moving deliberately. Jinx wiggles them like they've just fallen asleep and she has to stomp some feeling back into them. With a sigh, Jinx relaxes and rests her upper body back on the ground.

"Oh, I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," Jinx complains. Vi lets out a nervous laugh as Jinx stretches and flexes her legs.

"Let us help you up," Vi offers. That gets Cassandra moving again. It also and snaps her out of the way she's been staring agape at Jinx's back. Quickly, both of them help her roll over and then sit up. Jinx flexes her feet back and forth, rolling them around and wincing occasionally from stabs of pain as the feeling comes back. It's not an easy process for her.

"You're... it's healed. Perfectly," Cassandra says in awe. She reaches out and touches the spot where the wound was. There's an ugly scar right now, but over the next few days, it'll get fainter and fainter until it's gone. Looking up, Cassandra stares at both of them in wonder.

"Got shot before in the gut," Jinx begins with a grim smile. "Shrapnel gun. Pieces of metal shredded my stomach to bits. Got into a fight with some undercity gang and slipped up. Got overconfident. Crawled away and found a hiding spot. Vi was nearby on a case, heard the shooting and found me. Picked the metal out piece by piece and watched the Shimmer heal it until I was nothing but a mess of stretch marks and scars," she says with a bitter laugh.

"Just how much can it heal?" Cassandra asks, looking at each of them.

"Shimmer can work miracles, but only within the first few hours of an injury. It can heal even fatal wounds if you get to it fast enough. But once you reach a certain threshold? It just becomes a fancy painkiller. For other people, anyway. No magic healing after that, so don't go around expecting to heal the world," Jinx replies, wincing at the ache in her back. "There are also some people who just don't take to it well. Like any other medication," she throws in. Still, Cassandra looks thoughtful at that information.

"Glad I remembered that this time. Although I wish I didn't have to," Vi says. Her hands are shaking so badly now she can't even pretend to hold them still. Jinx takes her hand and squeezes it tightly.

"I came back as soon as I could with Caitlyn, but you were already gone. I know I saw you heal up, but I was still so scared you might not be okay," Vi recalls softly. Jinx runs a thumb over the back of her hand.

"In my mind, I had to leave before you came back with Caitlyn to arrest me. But all you cared about was making sure I was still alive and safe," Jinx says, looking sad. Then she shakes her head and continues.

"Sevika found out what happened to me," Jinx explains. "I went crawling to her office looking for a place to stay the night so I could sleep off the healing pain. She got me settled in, then went out to find them. She gave them an option. Get out of the city that night or stick around and see just what I was really capable of. Any I didn't kill, she would hunt down herself," she tells them. "I never saw them again. Got pissed for a while that I couldn't get revenge, but Sevika never was afraid of my tantrums," she adds with a grim smile.

"So much for you and Sevika not being in contact like she told us," Cassandra notes sourly. Jinx laughs.

"Sorry, grandma. But we trenchers gotta keep some secrets from the Council," she says with a grin.

"Grandma?" Vi asks, confused. Where was that coming from?

"I'll tell you later if I remember," Jinx says, waving it off. "Could you help me up? I'm sore and I need to stretch before my muscles get too stiff and lock up," she complains. Vi puts Jinx's arm around her shoulders and carefully grabs her waist. Cassandra helps lift her from the other side. Jinx wobbles a bit.

"It'll be another minute before my balance is back. Just get me somewhere I can sit for a few minutes and I'll be fine," Jinx assures them.

"Let's get you up the steps and make sure everyone else is safe. With Caitlyn gone, that's my responsibility," Vi states.

"Don't worry, I'll sit with her while you take care of everything else. At least we can do something about this debris," Cassandra says, fussing over some smaller glass bits that are still in Jinx's skin. Already, Vi can see her maternal side coming back out the same way Cassandra does with her whenever she has an episode.

"Wow, I meant the grandma thing as a joke. I didn't expect you to turn into one," Jinx points out sarcastically. That earns her a pinch on the arm from Cassandra. "Ow! Hey! Still injured here!" she whines.

"Not injured enough to stop your back talk, apparently. Now come on, lean on me so you don't fall," Cassandra orders. Smiling, Vi let Jinx go and watched them slowly head off. Bickering with each other the entire time.

"Shouldn't I be the one helping you? How old are you, anyway? I just saved your life, you know. I don't want Cait coming after me because I saved you from a bomb just for you to break a hip on the stairs," Jinx fires back.

"I'm still spry enough to deal with the likes of you, and that's all you need to be concerned about. Don't think just because I'm getting older, I don't know how to handle a sassy young lady. Caitlyn is my daughter after all and believe me, she put more than a few gray hairs on my head with her antics," Cassandra warns.

"Does that mean you'll tell me some embarrassing stories about her?" Jinx says hopefully.

"Keep still long enough to get cleaned up and I'll consider it," Cassandra fusses as they head to a safer distance.

Satisfied that Jinx is in safe hands, Vi turns and surveys the area. Ekko is sitting with Benson as he gets checked over and firefighters have the car fire contained. Time for her to handle the rest.

Once everyone is safely away from the smoldering vehicle, Vi gets to work shouting commands and ordering enforcers around while Jinx has a medic slowly extract other pieces of glass and metal from her back.

True to her word, Cassandra tells a few stories about some of Caitlyn's horrible attempts to sneak out of the house or away from mandatory political events as a medic removes debris from Jinx's back and cleans the wound. Not a single attempt succeeded, apparently, much to Jinx's intense amusement.

The medic quickly slaps some bandages over Jinx's cuts before they start healing. Jinx doesn't bother trying to explain that it's a waste of time. It's faster to just let them put a few on her and then go about their business helping others.

Cassandra looks shaken, but is trying to project confidence all the same as she gets up for a moment to check on Benson. The man is sore, but Jinx throwing him farther up the steps also prevented him from taking serious damage.

Ekko is buzzing around, helping wherever someone seems to need an extra pair of hands. Helping to evacuate people, grabbing extra supplies and being the boy savior he always is. Ugh.

Mel is coordinating efforts to get people evacuated and checked over, but Jinx tries her best not to look over there. Too many eyes, strings hanging down and manipulating a living puppet. Nope. Don't look. She's got everything taken care of. For the moment, it looks like things might be okay.

With nothing else to do, Jinx watches Cassandra as she worries over Benson. If that glass had hit her back instead... well, topsider healthcare is good, but Jinx has serious doubts that they would have been able to fix an injury like that. Then again, hextech can do some pretty amazing things. If Zaun could give Sevika a new arm, then surely topsiders could do something for people dealing with paralysis.

Twitching Jinx, pats at her pants. She insisted on keeping her usual top, but Vi finally got her to toss away her old ragged pants in favor of some new ones. They mostly look the same, just longer and with some fancy pockets on the sides. Perfect for keeping some crayons, a pencil, and a notepad on her. You never know when inspiration might strike. Like right now.

Whipping out the pencil and notepad, Jinx starts sketching. There's probably something more immediately useful that she could do, but she's technically still a terrorist. So staying put until someone remembers that fact and freaks out about where she went is helpful too, right? Right!

Jinx is about halfway through her idea when she feels someone watching her. Looking up, she squints and sees Cassandra there. Hawk eyes watching and hands laced together. Wings carefully folded along them.

"Do you actually need something or are you just making sure I haven't run away?" Jinx says warily.

"I was checking to see if your injury was bothering you," Cassandra corrects her. Jinx shrugs. The way she's currently hunched over would have made Silco complain about how she's going to get stuck like that one day. But it makes her back feel better, so chaos gremlin posture it is.

"It hurts something fierce. It'll keep hurting and get better over the next few days. Medic gave me some pain cream and some bandages. I'll live," she replies, then goes back to her notepad. Cassandra sighs and takes a seat on the step next to her. She adjusts her dress, but all Jinx can hear is the rustle of feathers.

"Is that a spine?" Cassandra says suddenly. Jinx looks up and narrows her eyes suspiciously, then reminds herself that she's supposed to be working on not being so wary of everyone. Still, she wrestles with her brain for a few long seconds before excitement finally wins out.

"Hextech spine for people with spinal injuries," Jinx emphasizes. "Take a wild guess how I came up with it," she says, giggling at her own joke. Cassandra does not seem amused. She flips the notepad around and eagerly shoves it at Cassandra, making her lean away slightly.

"See! Uses hextech to interpret electrical signals from the brain and spine and uses them to move attached disability aids. Like wheel and walker chairs," Jinx says, pointing to a chair that has both wheels and powerful articulated legs attached to them.

"The legs fold up whenever they aren't needed, and then extend to help get over uneven surfaces. The design would keep them from sticking out too far and help them fit through narrow spaces too. Zaun already uses stuff like this. That's how Sevika got her new arm after all. But she always complains about how her arm can start malfunctioning and getting mixed signals if she doesn't adjust it every week. Hextech would allow for a greater range of movement, more nuanced control, fewer parts, and decreased maintenance costs!" Jinx excitedly explains. Pulling back, she stares at her sketch.

"This is still just a preliminary idea, though. I'd want it to be affordable for people in the undercity, so that means it needs to be a lot cheaper while still being able to last a long time. But we trenchers are good at making stuff like that. We have to be. Maybe Viktor will let me experiment and help me make a version that's a lot closer to what hextech could achieve, but without a gemstone," she muses.

Jinx gets lost in thought for a while, daydreaming about the possibilities. Maybe she could make an actual hextech arm for Sevika, though, if they let her. Would she even want that? She'll have to ask Viktor if it's something she can play around with. Abruptly, she realizes Cassandra is watching her. Is she smiling? The beak makes it hard to tell, but her eyes look amused.

"What?" Jinx demands suspiciously. Cassandra laughs.

"No need to be so on guard. I was simply thinking of my dear Caitlyn. She's spoken about how brilliant you are, but it seems I haven't been told the half of it," Cassandra says approvingly. Jinx's heart squeezes in her chest and she grips her notepad tighter.

"Cait talks about me?" Jinx asks softly.

"Oh yes! All the time. The other day she was telling me about that amazing hextech breakthrough you made. Jayce was going on and on about it as well, before a Council meeting we had. You should have heard him. He sounded so proud of you," Cassandra says, observing her. Jinx looks over to where Jayce is by the car.

Firefighters have already hosed down the back of the car with some type of foam and Viktor is lying underneath the front with Jayce crouched down next to him. It's crumpled, and the middle has broken and is resting on the ground, but there's enough room to slide under from the front end.

"Jayce was... proud of me?" Jinx squeaks out. She can still hear his voice booming out, ordering the guards and enforcers not to shoot her. She remembers the offer he gave Silco. Everything he had ever dreamed of and all he had to give up was his daughter.

"Viktor as well. I know how nervous he was to work alongside you, considering how many of your bombs he's disarmed. So seeing such a strong turn around from them both made me incredibly curious. Nevermind how Caitlyn talks. She's become very protective, and it's clear she thinks highly of you and how well you are doing," Cassandra states. She's still watching, staring at her like a hawk watching its prey. Large predatory eyes blinking at her, looking for something.

Jinx thinks of the talk she had with Caitlyn just this morning. How patient she was and how she never made her feel silly for not understanding things or struggling with them. Emotion wells up and lodges in her throat.

"She's... going to be okay, right?" Jinx asks, hating the way her voice cracks at the end. Cassandra puts a hand on her back.

"My Caitlyn is a strong young woman. She'll be just fine. You just worry about taking care of yourself and your sister so you can be there to see her when she wakes up again," Cassandra says gently. Jinx nods and stares down at her sketches, but there are too many thoughts in her head to keep track of them all. So instead, she just puts her notepad and pencil away for later and watches the organized chaos around them.

After a while, things slow down. The firefighters are mostly standing around talking or examining parts from the car. Enforcers have either evacuated everyone or moved the onlookers back behind some hastily erected barriers. Generally speaking, everything is calming down around them. Maybe that means they'll get some actual information, or at least something for her to do soon.

Dragging himself back out from under the car, Viktor sits up and shakes his head, gesturing urgently to Jayce before sliding back under. Standing up, Jayce motions to Vi, who frowns and walks down to them. Whatever he says immediately makes her tense up and look over at Jinx.

Uh oh, maybe I spoke too soon,Jinx considers as Vi turns back to Jayce. They go back and forth for a while until Vi runs a hand through her hair, looking incredibly stressed. Finally, Vi nods and heads straight towards her, pausing along the way to gesture for Ekko to go down to Viktor and Jayce. He looks confused, but does as Vi asks. He was watching her earlier as well, probably wondering about her injury. Jinx warned him off with a hiss and he found something else to do.

Jinx is still sitting next to Cassandra and both of them look up at Vi as she stops.

"We have a problem," Vi says, keeping her voice low. Looking around, she licks her lips nervously and cracks her knuckles.

"There's another bomb."

Cassandra sucks in a breath and Jinx sighs to herself. Of course, there's another bomb. Why not make things even worse? It's not like she's got places to go.

"Viktor says it's one of yours, Jinx. From the evidence lockup they have here. Both bombs probably were," Vi continues. "I already sent enforcers to check it out. Someone messed with the door so it would close, but not lock properly. Campus security says the academy lost power last night for about an hour. That's likely when it happened, so everything would be ready for today," she explains.

"Why exactly are they keeping my bombs here, of all places?" Jinx asks curiously. "That seems like a terrible idea," she points out.

"The best minds in the city are located here, and it's the centerpiece of all hextech research. Jayce felt it only made sense to keep things here, where your work could be examined by Viktor right away. I understand that line of thinking, as well as his worries about hauling even non active bombs across the city all the time, but this is still a school," Cassandra points out with a slight huff. The look in her eyes says she has her doubts about Jayce's reasoning.

"I told him it was a bad idea. This is still a school, not an enforcers' investigation room. Even Caitlyn told him it was better to have a special location for them if only so she could set up stricter access protocols. They may lock the area down, but the campus as a whole is still open to almost anyone," Vi mutters.

"Of course, pretty boy suggested it. Why does that not surprise me?" Jinx says, rolling her eyes.

"We can debate the wisdom of that decision later. What are we going to do about this second bomb right now?" Cassandra insists. Vi fidgets and picks at her arm wraps, a nervous tick Jinx is noticing.

"Obviously, Viktor can do it if he needs to. But since Jinx herself is here, he would rather have her look at it before attempting anything. He feels that she'll know best how to handle this safely and I'll be there assisting them as necessary," Vi explains. She's looking at Cassandra warily and a second later Jinx realizes why as the woman's surprise turns to anger. The feathers on her neck puff up, making her look twice as big. She stands up and marches right up to Vi, making her lean away.

"Absolutely not," Cassandra demands.

"Now Mrs K," Vi begins carefully.

"Don't you stand there and 'Mrs K' me!" Cassandra warns. "And don't try that Special Enforcer line on me either!" she adds, the second Vi opens her mouth to object. Jinx just wishes she had some popcorn while she watches this go down.

"We've already established that Jinx knows what she's doing. There's an entire room full of her bombs to prove that. It's also her choice. It would be no matter what, but after that injury, I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of her crawling under that car now, either," Vi says honestly. "I won't act like I'm not fully prepared to just let Viktor take care of it all, but Jinx..." she pauses and looks over at her. Vi looks... proud? Why would she be proud of her?

"She's good Cassandra. Smarter than anyone here at this school. And as Special Enforcer, it's my responsibility to oversee this. If Jinx helps, then as her older sister, I'm not just going to stand back at a safe distance and hope everything turns out well and I know she can do this," Vi points out. Jinx squirms and looks away. Vi really is proud of her. Even after everything she's done. Jinx can hear it overflowing in her voice.

Cassandra is twisting her hands together now. Feathers puffed up in agitation.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at Jinx.

"I can do it. It's my work, after all. I can handle this," Jinx says confidently. Besides, with Vi having that much faith in her, there's no way she's backing down from the challenge. She's had to disarm her own work plenty of times. Surely, this will be no different. Hopefully.

Looking around, Cassandra stares at all the people. The firefighters, the medics, the academy employees watching. That's a lot of people in potential danger, even if they stay back out of the primary blast radius.

"Viktor will be right there?" Cassandra presses.

"Jayce and Ekko as well," Vi promises.

"And you swear you'll be careful and not take any unnecessary risks?" Cassandra urges, fidgeting anxiously.

"I promise," Vi says gently. Cassandra paces back and forth with a scowl. Talons clicking on the stone. Finally, she tosses her hands up. Jinx knows her wings aren't real, but she can't help flinching slightly at how close one comes to her.

"Fine, it's not like I can stop you. This is your responsibility as an enforcer now. At least come closer and let me take a good look at you," Cassandra complains. Vi obediently holds still as the woman fusses with her and adjusts her coat.

"Bad enough I have to worry about one daughter. Now here I am worrying about the other," Cassandra mutters, her hands trembling slightly. "I know you are more than strong enough to handle yourself even after that episode you had, but that doesn't mean you should have to. Not on your own. Remember not to push yourself if you feel shaky again. There are plenty of others here who can help you, so don't you dare make me go home and tell Caitlyn that something happened to you," she orders. Vi smiles gently and takes her hand. Seems like Jinx wasn't the only one who found an adopted mom after they got separated.

"I'll be fine, Cassandra. Promise," Vi assures her. Still, Cassandra steps closer and hugs her tightly.

Stepping back, she turns on Jinx so suddenly she squeaks and leans away as Cassandra storms over. Is she going in for a hug? She better not be. This is already making Jinx feel funny. There is far too much going on for her to process more family feelings on top of it. Absolutely not. The grandma thing was a joke and it will firmly remain a joke.

Thankfully, Cassandra doesn't attempt a hug. Instead, she picks at Jinx's hair, pulling out a few more tiny glass shards and brushing off her shoulders. Jinx glances over at Vi for help and sees her grinning from ear to ear.

Just let her,Vi silently mouths to her. Good grief, what has she gotten herself into?

"And you! Don't think I forgot about that horrific injury you sustained. And on my behalf as well. Had that glass hit me instead, there would have been no miracle healing for me. I owe you my life and now here you are going right back out there to risk it again. A young lady like you should be in bed recovering, not crawling about under a car dealing with bombs, even if it is one of your own," Cassandra mutters.

"I'll be fine, grandma," Jinx says sarcastically. Although it's hard to put the same level of sarcasm into it as before when Cassandra really is acting like an anxious granny. It makes her stomach churn. Too many feelings.

Jinx could have gotten Caitlyn and Ember killed if the attacker had used different drugs. Had she not started getting thirsty and realized how long it had been without a bathroom break, it could have been a few more hours before she noticed and anyone showed up. Who knows what might have happened in the meantime? The last thing Cassandra should feel was gratitude. Can't someone in this terrible city actually hate her properly the way they're supposed to?

"Fine, fine. Just be careful. Both of you. That's an order," Cassandra demands, finally relenting.

"Yes, ma'am," Vi promises. Grabbing Jinx's arm, she quickly pulls her away down the stairs before Cassandra can find something else to worry about.

Unlike the one inside the door, this bomb is wired a lot better. Or worse, depending on your perspective. There's a grenade and some highly explosive paste carefully tucked in behind some engine parts. The makeshift bomb is stuck to a piece of metal and tied down right by the front passenger seat. Close enough that whoever was sitting there would either get their legs blown off by the explosion or get impaled with metal and be unable to move. Even if they did miraculously survive.

Not a great way to go.

It doesn't help that the grenade is clearly one of hers, only dismantled and then roughly put back together as she thought. Someone stole it, re-armed it and then put it in here. The explosion would ignite the paste, setting off an intense fire that would have spread through the vehicle. The goal was probably to eliminate not only the passengers, but enough evidence to tell that the bomb was dismantled and reconstructed.

Jinx can see a metal wire threaded through loops across engine pipes and onto a double spool. A small mechanical part is connected as well to delay how fast it reels in. But only the spool connected to the engine bomb seems to be set up properly.

The one wired through the door isn't on a delay the way it should be. Enough of the wire is left that Jinx can easily see where the two bombs were supposed to connect onto the spools. It's also easy to see that the pin on the remaining grenade got pulled. The only thing stopping it from going off is the fact that a broken engine pipe shifted and is now depressing the hand trigger. It must have happened after the first explosion.

Unfortunately for everyone, even her thin frame can't reach it at the angle it's at now. Too much of the car has crumpled from the explosion and now the engine in the way.

"What do you think?"

Jinx pulls herself out from under the car and sits up. Viktor, Jayce, Vi, and Ekko are all standing there waiting for her expert opinion. Under different circumstances, all of them looking to her for advice would be an amazing feeling. Still is even now, to be honest.

Focus Jinx,she reminds herself.

"Looks like someone placed the bombs at different times. The one in the engine is very well done. Whoever did it took their time to do it right. Right, meaning that it would do exactly what they intended. Second bomb was far more haphazard," Jinx says. Resting her hands on her legs, she rolls her shoulder to work out a sore muscle. Shimmer can heal the wounds, but the pain will still take a few days to go away. She's going to be aching tomorrow.

"This is the way I believe it was supposed to go. There are two wire spools. The door opens and both wires retract. Judging from the wire and the spools, the mechanism on them was supposed to control the rate at which they both retracted. So there's enough slack in the wire, plus the delay timer to slow things down from a few seconds to whatever time the bomber wanted. Likely a few minutes," Jinx explains.

"To give all the passengers time to get in the car and start driving away," Viktor adds for everyone else's sake. Jinx nods.

"Then both pins pull at roughly the same time. Double explosion from both directions. Enough to kill everyone and leave very little evidence. Assuming everything went off properly," Jinx explains.

"So what went wrong?" Jayce says.

"Benson say anything?" Jinx asks instead.

"He dropped the car off at the parking lot and accompanied Cassandra inside," Jayce begins. "He always does that to confirm the schedule for the day in case any unexpected changes have come up. Then, when the time comes to pick her up, Benson will park the car and come back in at the scheduled time to see if Cassandra is almost ready or if her meetings have run overtime," he adds, looking over at Vi.

"He does. Caitlyn is usually just a quick drop off whenever she needs to ride with him, but Cassandra often takes longer. Around 20 to 30 minutes. Long enough to plant a bomb?" Vi asks.

"More than enough. This is thorough, but not complicated. Anyone with a set of set by step instructions and enough coin as payment could set it up," Jinx admits. Jayce grimaces at that information.

"Only this time it didn't take that long. Everything was all ready to go and Cassandra asked him to pick up the dry cleaning and do a few other errands since the shop was closing early today. Benson got back to the parking garage and left. He said there was a man in the vehicle next to him, but he thought nothing of it. He got back around 30 minutes after Ember grabbed lunch from the academy cafeteria and came inside to wait," Jayce explains.

"Probably the bomber. Had time to finish one of them properly, but not the other. Went ahead with the rest of the job and waited for Benson to get back. Only by the time our dear Benny returned and left the car unattended, the bomber had already been inside, set up the drugged coffee and run into a problem," Jinx says.

"Ember," Jayce states. "She wasn't supposed to be awake, much less aware enough to fight back. I spoke to her a bit to understand what happened. Ember says the same thing you did, Jinx. That she startled him badly. That's the only reason she injured him. Either breaking his wrist or spraining it. He knocked her down, but was really nervous after that. Kept jumping at every little noise. Took him a while to drag her away and shove in her in the closet," he considers.

"There are enforcers searching the garage and questioning the gatekeepers to see who went in and out. Hopefully, they'll be able to tell us more," Viktor offers.

"Well, I can tell you now the timing on the grenade that exploded never got set up properly," Jinx adds. Everyone looks at her again. "Might not have had time, or more likely, his injured hand stopped him from reaching in to set it up. No one-handing that one. So the door opens, and the wires both start reeling in, but at different times. First one goes off and while we're getting our bearings, the wire connected to the engine also snaps and pulls the pin. Only a pipe is blocking it at this point, so it doesn't go off. Just sits there nice and primed, ready to blow," Jinx says, mimicking an explosion with her hands. Complete with lots of boom noises. No one seems to appreciate it. Fine. Be that way.

Standing up, she brushes her pants off, then adds, "Seems that way to me, anyway. Right now, the only thing keeping the second one from going off is that pipe pressing up against the trigger. The bomb in the car didn't have any slack. Not like the first one did. So the second Benson opened it. POP goes the pin."

"You can stop a grenade after the pin is pulled?" Vi asks in surprise.

"Sure. Well, mine does. Not sure how you're supposed to do it, but for me that's a built in safety measure. So long as the trigger is down, you can hold it for quite a while that way. Provided the chemicals haven't fully mixed with each other. Once the chain reaction starts, you've only got a few microseconds at most anyway," Jinx tells them.

"And that explosive paste. Thermite perhaps?" Viktor asks her.

"More than likely," Jinx agrees. Everyone else nods in understanding. Vi just looks confused.

"Hottest burning man-made substance yet invented. Hextech is better, but anyone with the right materials can make thermite. Get some on your gauntlets and it would burn straight through them and your hands both," Jinx explains. Vi shudders and shakes her hand out reflexively. Ekko frowns.

"Hot enough that it would have eliminated substantial evidence of the bomb and done severe damage to whoever was closest to the explosion. There must not have been any set up around the door bomb. Believe me, you know when thermite ignites. There's no mistaking that kind of fire. This came way too close to succeeding," Ekko tells them.

"Agreed. Mel was right to shut this city down, and I shouldn't have tried to stop her. I've directed all traffic going out of the city to be halted as well as the hex gates, but it might already be too late. Now would be the perfect time for Hoskel to escape," Jayce says miserably.

"Oh, don't worry about that. The Firelights already have that covered," Ekko explains with a smug look. Jinx wants to slap it right off his face. Can she do that? Probably not without getting in trouble.

"Meaning?" Jayce presses.

"Meaning, Councilor Salo came to us two days ago asking for the Firelights' help. He wanted to know what it would take to check some, uh, lesser known airship ports for anyone who might be looking for a quiet way to slip out of the city. I told him we could get some people on it. Disable the ships and keep them around long enough for enforcers to get there. Not a fan of working with them, but with the amount he offered? I would have been a fool to turn it down. He didn't bother with coin. Offered us food, blankets, clothing, school supplies, new beds, even emergency overdose medication. The kind Zaun desperately needs, but only topsiders can usually afford, and I couldn't turn that down. I just hope he delivers," Ekko states. Jinx rolls her eyes.

"Must be nice for them knowing you care so much," Jinx mutters, bitterness filling her mouth as she looks away. She doesn't see the way Vi glances over at her.

"I get it, Ekko," Vi assures him. "Accepting help from topsiders isn't easy. Particularly when that person is a Council member, but prioritizing the care of your people was the right decision. This will really help them. Salo toes the line, sure, but he will come through for you on this. If nothing else, he's a smart businessman and the Firelights are becoming more and more influential in Zaun," she explains. Ekko relaxes a bit.

"Hearing that from you makes me feel better," he admits with a smile. It grates on Jinx's nerves. Strumming them like an instrument and making her tense.

"Can we get back to something actually important?" Jinx spits out, startling everyone.

"Unless you would all like to blow up sometime today? I've been through that. Don't recommend it," she hisses. Her pink eyes flash with anger. Viktor clears his throat.

"I believe the bomb can be safely disabled, provided we have Jinx's help. But first I'll need to move the bulk of the engine out of the way," Viktor states, looking at her.

"Not like I got places to be," Jinx shrugs. She stares over at Cassandra, at the hum of activity, at anyone but Ekko.

"He's watching you," a voice whispers from behind her. Twitching, Jinx tries to ignore it and the headache pain pulsing behind her eyes again.

"Then I'll also require the best laser cutter we have and a toolbox. Jayce, can you grab it for me? Vi? You'll need a pair of Atlas gauntlets. Ekko did you use hoverboards to come up here?" Viktor asks as he takes charge.

"Sure, I've still got them with me," Ekko confirms.

"Good. Those might come in handy, along with those gauntlets, when it comes time to move the engine out of the way. That should be enough. Ask the firefighters if they have a more portable version of that foam they used to put out the car," Viktor orders. Jayce and Ekko both disperse, while Jinx stands up and moves out of Viktors' way as he crawls back under the vehicle.

Taking a few steps closer, Vi wraps her up in a tight hug, holding her until tears spring up in Jinx's eyes and the pain banging around in her heart seeps out in barely contained sobs and a hitching breath. Gently, Vi strokes her hair.

"Do you want to talk about him?" Vi murmurs.

Him being Ekko.

Jinx remembers the way they played together as kids. The dumb jokes and the way he'd scare her sometimes before he ran off laughing. The stupid ways he would try to impress her and the way she didn't really understand why. Not until more time passed and Jinx realized how he felt and that she didn't feel the same way. But they promised to always be friends. They were still supposed to stay friends, or at least try. But Ekko didn't even want that. He didn't want Jinx. Just Powder.

It's so much easier to pretend you don't miss someone who hates you.

Jinx grips her sister tighter and shakes her head.

"Then I won't ask. Just know that I love you and I'm here whenever you are ready. To talk, to give advice, or just listen to you vent about how you feel. That's what big sisters are for. Okay, blue bird?" Vi tells her. Jinx sniffles and nods, but she doesn't move. It's been a long day and for right now, she just wants to be held a while longer.

"The boy savior. Hero and leader of the Firelights. No one is too helpless, too alone, too addicted, or too far gone to save. He'll fight for anyone who needs help. The Firelights abandon no one," a familiar voice whispers over her shoulder.

"No one, that is. Except you," Mylo laughs in her ears.

Jinx merely grips Vi's jacket tighter and pretends not to hear him.

"Lift carefully now," Viktor orders. Jinx watches as Vi slowly lifts the engine block. The gauntlets she's borrowing from the academy make it easy. "Hold it there!" he calls out. There's a flash as the laser carefully starts cutting again. Ekko is crouched nearby, using his hoverboard to help provide additional lift and make it easier to move the heavy engine around safely.

First step is to cut away as much of the engine as possible so they can actually reach the bomb. While not accidentally setting it off or shifting the pipes they need to keep it from blowing up. Once that job is done, it'll be Jinx's turn to slide in and actually disarm the grenade. That leaves her and Jayce standing around, waiting until Viktor needs another tool or something.

"So... how's your day been?" Jinx offers nonchalantly. Jayce scoffs.

"Terrible," he admits before falling silent again. He also keeps looking at her. Just staring for a moment before looking away. It's making her twitchy. He does it again and Jinx turns to glare back.

"Sorry, I just," Jayce begins.

"Stuff your apology and just ask already. Seriously, the staring is making me really uncomfortable. Don't be such a creep," Jinx grumbles at him. He looks ready to apologize again, so Jinx just scowls harder until he gives in.

"How long have you been able to break out of those handcuffs?" Jayce demands. Finally! The tension was getting really annoying. Well, maybe slightly less annoying now that she has the idea of him being proud of her bouncing around in her head. But just slightly.

"Figured it out about two months ago. Don't worry, they'll still be fine on the rank and file, but if Silco has any more Shimmer mutants around? You'll need something a lot better," Jinx warns him. He stares at her eyes for a moment before frowning.

"Does Caitlyn know?" Jayce asks. Jinx remains silent and apparently, that is answer enough. "Does Vi? What am I saying? Of course she does," he mutters to himself. "I swear if I wasn't so relieved both of them are okay, we'd be having a serious discussion right now," he complains.

"I mean, technically everything worked out in the end?" Jinx offers. Jayce scowls at her. "I'm just saying," she mumbles.

"My only question is, why bother? I understand the principles of how you broke the hextech link and get out. But if both Vi and Caitlyn knew the handcuffs were useless on you anyway, then why even put them on?" he presses her. For a moment, Jinx is silent. Resisting the urge to squirm, she crosses her arms instead and looks away.

"Cait said it would help make people feel better. Maybe they would be less afraid of me if I was handcuffed," Jinx admits softly. She really wants to see her again.

"Do you want people to be afraid of you?" Jayce asks her. Honestly, she has to stop and think about that for a second. Does she?

"I did," Jinx says, scuffing the ground with her boot. "But it's not the same once people stop hating me. Once they see me as a person and not just a problem to lock away and forget about. It's fair to hate someone who hates you back," she states, then grimaces. She remembers what Caitlyn said this morning, about not giving into your anger just because you feel someone deserves it.

"That's what I thought, anyway. That if they were just going to believe I'm a monster, no matter what I do, then why shouldn't I act like one? But now that I realize the truth? I don't... know how to treat people who realize I'm sick and try to be understanding about it and help. Rather then just continuing to hate me," she confesses. From the corner of her gaze, she can see Ekko watching, listening, but she doesn't stop talking.

"Silco treated me like I was perfect. Like there was nothing wrong and everyone else was the problem. We were both monsters in everyone else's eyes. So why shouldn't we make them fear us? Take advantage of it so we could be in control? Now he's dead and I'm here. With you," Jinx tells him.

"It's like I was deep down in a well and down there everything hurts, but it also makes sense. It makes sense when people hate me, or always assume I messed up, or that I'm a monster, or whatever. I know how everything works and how everything is supposed to function," she continues.

"But being here and on medication for the first time... feels like I came out of the well. Out of the dark. And I realized the monsters lied to me the whole time. Everything I knew was wrong and I don't have to let them control me anymore if I just keep walking away," Jinx pauses and keeps staring at her boots.

"But if everything they told me was a lie, then I still don't know how things are actually supposed to work. And everything still hurts, just differently than before," she mumbles.

"And having Caitlyn and Vi there with you... that helps?" Jayce prompts her. Jinx nods.

"Rosalyn too. My therapist. They don't just expect me to get better and leave me to figure out how. All of them help show me how to do it. How to make better decisions or work through something if I fall back on bad habits. They don't make me feel stupid if I don't understand something that seems like it should be obvious to everyone else," Jinx adds, lifting her eyes to glare at Ekko. He grimaces and turns away.

The morning after Jinx arrived at the hospital, Vi had to leave. Only Caitlyn didn't make her feel bad for being suspicious or afraid. She explained why Vi had to go and gave her the gemstone from her rifle to reassure Jinx that Vi would come back. When Jinx threw a fit over Vi leaving at night, they both worked with her. They didn't give into what she wanted, which was for Vi to stay, but they didn't force her to deal with it, either. They compromised.

Caitlyn didn't get upset that Jinx had trouble trusting her. She didn't get angry when Jinx admitted her struggles with feeling bad about the crimes she's committed. Nor did she make Jinx feel dumb for not understanding why it wasn't okay to just give in to your anger whenever you felt someone deserved it. They compromised, explained, and worked with her until she understood.

"Like you and Viktor helped too," Jinx mumbles as quietly as possible.

"Excuse me?" Jayce says, looking surprised. Jinx can feel her ears turning red and she whips around to snarl at him.

"I'm not saying it again, pretty boy," she warns him.

"Sorry! I was just... wondering what you meant," Jayce says quickly. Sniffing, Jinx crosses her arms and lets him stand there confused for a minute. Finally, she blows her hair out of her eyes and explains.

"The Council wants me to get better, right?" she finally grumbles. Jayce nods.

"Well, you could have just said that and left it there. Left me to stumble along and figure out how on my own. But you didn't. You let me stay at Silver River and see the therapists there instead of shipping me off to Stillwater and shoving sedatives in me. You let Vi and Cait work with me and do things their way. Even though you have plenty of reasons not to. You even let me work again and set clear boundaries for what I can, and can't, build. Or what tools I'm allowed to use and which ones I can't touch," Jinx confesses. The car engine is almost fully cut now, so Vi and Ekko are both intensely focused on making sure nothing shifts too far.

"It's nice to have some clear boundaries and guidance for once," Jinx admits and leaves it at that. Working on getting better has made her realize just how much Silco enabled. He did it because he didn't want to hurt her, but that just hurt her in other ways.

Swallowing hard, Jinx fights back tears as they spring to her eyes. What would dad think if he could see her now? Doing better, feeling happier, and with an actual future that doesn't involve her dead before she reaches 30 years old? Silco would despise seeing her work with Caitlyn and the Council, but working with hextech? Making her own discoveries? Finally able to break free of how much her psychosis has tormented her?

Would he be happy for her? Or would his own history and fear poison even that? Even with everything Jinx has realized so far, even with Silco dead, there's a part of her heart that desperately wants him to still be proud of her.

"It's free! Pull it away!" Viktor calls out. Vi grunts and lifts the engine as Ekko adjusts the hoverboard. Floating it back and away from the car. Once it's not in danger of crushing Viktor, they set the engine down and return to him.

"Hmm, there's one more pipe I need to cut, but the rest I'm afraid to touch. I'll work on that, and then the rest will be up to Jinx," Viktor says. His voice is louder now, with most of the engine not on top of him. Pulling herself together, Jinx thinks of what she'll need.

"Can I get in there for a second?" she calls out. Viktor gives a thumbs up and extracts himself from the vehicle. Everyone is watching her curiously as she slides into place and starts looking at things. She can reach the bomb now, although not easily. Viktor will have to cut one more pipe before she can safely work.

"Glove?" Jinx asks, reaching out to the side of the vehicle to wave her fingers. She feels someone poke her a moment later, and she takes the disposable glove and puts it on her right hand. It's still a little tight in here, but there is enough room for her to reach out and scrape a little of the paste off.

Working her way back out without smearing it on anything is a chore, but once she's free, she waves Ekko back over. He crouches down next to her and flinches as she shoves her hand in his face.

"Um, why am I staring at this exactly?" he begins. Jinx rolls her eyes.

"I thought you were supposed to be an engineer, wiz kid. Figure it out," she snips at him. Then she feels a thread of guilt. Didn't she just get done telling Jayce how nice it was not to have to fumble around for what to do anymore? Curse her for having an actual conscience now!

Sighing, she explains.

"I want to get as much of this off the grenade as possible, so I'll need some type of chemical solution that will cut the fire risk while not burning through the grenade casing. Acid I'm thinking," Jinx tells him. Now Ekko hums thoughtfully and takes a bit from her, rubbing it with his thumb and index finger.

"Looks like aluminum powder and iron oxide, mostly," Ekko muses. "Your grenades use metal and plastic, right?" he asks.

"Metal shell with a thin plastic layer inside. Less chance that any chemicals that leak will immediately cause a reaction before I want them to," Jinx replies. Ekko frowns.

"Hmm, that's cutting it closer than I'd like, then. We could use hydrochloric acid to dissolve the thermite, but only if you could wedge something in between against the grenade so the acid won't touch it. Something made of a thicker plastic," Ekko offers. Jinx considers that for a moment.

"Might be tight, but yeah, I could fit something in. If Viktor can cut a bit more out of the top, I should be able to squeeze in a funnel and pour it down safely." Jinx confirms. Everyone moves into action.

It takes some careful work to get most of the thermite paste off, but finally Jinx pronounces it good enough. Now comes the fun part. She can't take the grenade apart without moving the pipe, but moving it means lifting the trigger. She can't keep holding it down herself at the current angle. Not while also manipulating the cutting laser. This job will have to be done bit by bit.

"You sure we can't cut this from the other direction? Just lift the whole metal panel out?" Jinx calls out.

"Too much flame resistant foam to clear. We'd also have to cut off the entire front dash and risk the vehicle shifting position in the process as the weight moves. We couldn't risk keeping someone under the car while that happened. Crush risk is too high, even with most of the engine removed," Jayce responds. Wonderful.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way then," Jinx mutters to herself. Cutting the pipe in tiny sections at a time should work. Then, when she gets closer, she can use her strength to just bend the rest of the pipe back manually. She'll have a few seconds at most to grab the grenade, open the casing, and cut the right wire. Assuming, of course, the casing wasn't crushed on one side, making it harder to open. There's nothing else to do but try.

"All right. I'm going to cut the pipe away. Hand me the hand laser," Jinx orders. Wiggling her fingers, she feels someone deposit the tool into her hand. They were using the big laser arm for the engine, but now they need something smaller. Even with so much removed, it's still a cramped space because of the way the car has crumpled.

"You got this little sis," Vi says, patting her boot. At least they believe in her. This is turning out to be a lot more stressful than Jinx expected. How many of her bombs has Viktor defused over these past few months? Her respect for him goes up a few notches. Usually she's setting these off to cause as much chaos as possible, not trying to stop one from hurting the people she cares about.

Jinx really wants to tell Vi to back away to a safer distance, but Jinx knows her sister will not leave her side. Not again. No matter what happens, Vi is sticking with her.

So I'd better not mess this up,Jinx thinks. Taking a shaky breath, she lets the laser charge and then starts cutting the pipe. First in half, then small slices out. Bit by bit. One tiny piece at a time. She tosses the pieces out from under the car as they come off. Eventually, she can move the pipe just a little. Now comes the decision. Should she risk cutting off one more piece? Or try to pry the pipe away while reaching for the grenade?

"Why don't you take a break?" Vi tells her. Jinx sighs in relief and drags herself out from under the car. Sitting up, she realizes how badly her hands are shaking.

"Give us a minute, would you?" Vi tells everyone.

"Of course, I'll tell the firefighters we're almost ready for the last step so they can prepare just in case," Jayce tells her. Viktor goes with him while Ekko simply heads out of hearing distance.

"I know how to do this and I know what to do," Jinx says softly. "But it's not just me here. If I slip up, I could hurt you or someone else too," she admits. Vi takes a seat next to her and puts an arm around her, holding her tight.

"When you left to go rescue Vander, all I could think about was how I could help. How I could try to make things easier for you," Jinx murmurs. Vi plays with one of her pigtails quietly. They've never really talked about this. About that day. Not like sensible adults, anyway. She's never been well enough to process it without immediately spiraling into an episode.

"I just wanted so badly to help, because I was always the one person dragging everyone down and messing things up," she chokes out, tears welling up in her eyes. Vi kisses her hair and holds her tight again.

"But now I finally have the moment I wanted back then. The chance to help, to save everyone, only it's nothing like how I thought it would be. I'm not some dumb, idealistic kid anymore. Bombs are tools I work with every single day. I know what could go wrong this time and what could happen if I don't do it right," Jinx whispers. Curling into Vi's side, she leans into her big sister's comfort and warmth.

"I really want to get this right, Vi," she chokes out. Vi rubs her arm slowly and Jinx lets her head rest on her sister's shoulder.

"Let me ask you this. How did you know there was a bomb in the car? Or how long you had until you had to push Cassandra down and cover her?" Vi says.

"The sound," Jinx sniffles. "I heard the metal wire and knew what it was. Shimmer enhances some of my senses, but only things I'm already familiar with, and I have to be familiar with bombs and traps. My life depends on knowing the difference between how a trip wire sounds when it's set properly, versus one that's too tight and might go off early. I have to know the sound of a grenade ticking down and whether a pinched wire is affecting the timing by even the slightest amount. I know what the chemicals I use are supposed to look and smell like in the right measurements. I can even tell if the tubing cracked and chemicals have leaked because the grenade balance feels off in my hand," she admits.

"And all of that is exactly why this is going to work out. You know why?" Vi murmurs. "Because you've got a lot more experience now. Experience that you didn't have before. No one really knew what gemstones could do back then or how volatile they could be. There was no way for you to know just how bad that explosion would become. You..." she hesitates and Jinx feels her tremble. "You made a mistake because you didn't know better and you just wanted to help. But that does not make you a mistake. Powder was not a mistake and neither are you Jinx," she tells her. Hot tears stream down Jinx's cheeks as Vi continues.

"I made a mistake because I felt like I had ruined everything. By not trusting you to come with us in the first place, by putting Vander in that situation, by trying to give myself up, and by going topside when he explicitly told us not to. Then, even after that apartment explosion, I still let you keep those gemstones, even though I suspected what kind of power they had. My little sister had bombs underneath her pillow and I said nothing instead of telling Vander. Because I already felt guilty for losing what we stole and I didn't want to make things worse," Vi says, her voice shaking.

"Every night in prison, I thought about how I hit you and prayed to any god that would listen for forgiveness," Vi chokes out. "All I wanted was one chance, just one to make it right again. To apologize for what I did and what I said to you. All I needed was a moment to cool off and instead of just saying that, I left you alone and made you think I'd abandoned you, that I hated you," she says and Jinx can feel her sister's tears dropping into her head.

Vi has been trying to make it right. She's not perfect at it, but she tries. And when she makes a mistake? She learns from it and tries again.

"You can do this Jinx. Don't just be afraid of the past, learn from it and see how you can do better now. I'm here, and Jayce, Viktor, even Ekko are too. So don't feel like you have to figure all of this out on your own. We're all here to support you. Trust your experience and trust that you'll know what to do if something goes wrong. Just like earlier, when you heard that wire in the door and you trusted your instincts. You know what to do now. You just have to believe that you do as well. Remember to stay calm and don't panic. If you can do that, you'll be able to do the rest as well," Vi says confidently.

Just like before. Jinx didn't see the grenade or the wire. She heard it. The sound of the trap wire, the pin pulling, even the timer ticking down, were all so familiar that her body screamed something was wrong well before her mind could fully process what was going on. She didn't panic, she just reacted and trusted that what she felt was right. Now she has to do it again.

Jinx already knows what to do. She has made hundreds of bombs over the years. Probably more. Some that worked, and some that failed. The chemistry and engineering are second nature to her. Everything she needs to do this right is already there in her head and etched into her muscle memory. All she had to do is trust in herself and her own experience. The experience she's gained from every failure before now.

"Thanks big sis. That helps," Jinx murmurs appreciatively.

"You can do this, Jinx. I believe in you. I always have," Vi says warmly. And she has, hasn't she? Even as kids, Vi always said her gadgets would work some day. Maybe this isn't quite the life either of them envisioned, but Jinx has gotten them to work. Now she needs to take that knowledge and use it to protect people instead.

Straightening up, Jinx rolls her shoulders the same way she's seen Vi do before a fight. It makes her feel better, more confident, ready to take on the challenge before her.

"All right. Call everyone back. I'm going in," Jinx tells her.

Everyone gathers back around as she slips under the car. Firefighters are standing nearby, ready to spray if something goes wrong.

Carefully, Jinx cuts a wider section of the pipe. At about halfway through, she stops and puts the hand laser away. Rubbing the sweat off her palms, she takes a breath and slowly lets it out.

Trust your instincts, Jinx. Trust your experience,she tells herself. This feels right. With one hand, Jinx pulls the pipe, using her strength to bend it until she can wiggle the grenade with the other hand. Just slightly. Flexing her arm, she pulls harder, and the grenade slips down. Just a fraction.