AFWE chapter 2
Caitlyn couldn't sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about the group of kids she met at Jayce's apartment, and she couldn't even talk to anyone about it. For all her jokes about using the situation to mess with Jayce, Caitlyn couldn't bring herself to tell him about the break-in. at first she told herself it was to protect Jayce's feeling of security in his home, but the longer she dwelled on it the more she couldn't deny that she was a least a little scared Jayce would have made a report and gotten the undercity kids in trouble.
It really didn't help that Caitlyn couldn't find any information about The Last Drop place that Vi mentioned. Apparently, everyone in Piltover just assumed that any business in the undercity wasn't a legitimate one and didn't keep records on them. At least they didn't have to worry about their taxes down there.
Caitlyn had been in the records room for hours, and it was getting to the point that she was able to hear herself blink, so she started to pack her stuff to go home and resume her search in the morning some other way.
"Caitlyn? What brings you to the enforcer's record room?" the gravelly voice made Caitlyn jump, dropping a few files. She and Sheriff Garrison stopped down to pick them up and the sheriff looked at her with an amused expression. "You know, most people have to request access to get their hands on any of these files. What is it you were looking for?"
Caitlyn bit her lip. How would she explain to the sheriff that she was trying to find a place in the undercity to check on her maybe friends who broke into a house topside? She looked back to the older woman who was still waiting patiently for her answer. "I'm looking for a place in the undercity, it's called The Last Drop. Have you heard of it?" Caitlyn decided to stick to as little information as possible to ask the question.
The sheriff stiffened when she heard the name of the establishment. Did that mean she knew it? Was it a bad place? Or was it just its placement in the undercity that made it questionable? Were the undercity kids in trouble? "The Last Drop is a bar, a few miles south of the bridge. Why would you be looking for a place like that?" Caitlyn heard the question but was too excited to think through a good answer, she now knew what the place was and had an approximant location of it. She could find it.
"Oh, ah, just research! You know me, always looking into something… gotta go, bye!" Caitlyn quickly shoved the files back into what was probably their proper locations and ran out the door, mentally making plans to spend the next day looking for the place herself, not seeing the bemused expression on the sheriff's face as she watched her go.
After having successfully fooled Vander the night before, Vi and her siblings needed to burn off some nervous energy so Vi decided it would be a good night to go free running over the rooftops. Powder had been getting better and Vi wanted to build up her confidence some more.
"I don't know, Vi." Powder sounded scared but Vi pushed aside her protective feelings, she knew her baby sister could make the jump.
"You've landed jumps way harder than this one, what's the problem?" Vi gave Powder a little encouraging punch on her shoulder, hoping it showed her confidence. Powder just grimaced and looked over the edge of the roof they were on.
"Those jumps weren't so high up… and so far across…" Vi knew exactly what Powder was talking about, the gap they were at was objectively the scariest looking in the undercity. It was over 10 stories off the ground, cleared an entire street, and forced the jumper to drop at least 2 stories to land on the opposite roof. But while the jump looked scary, it was fundamentally quite simple. It had a plenty of space for the person to run and build up speed, lots of room to land, and no extra hardships like slanted rooves or railings to deal with. In all, it was a perfect jump for Powder to make to build her confidence! Especially since Vi told Mylo to keep his mouth shut for it.
"That's not the important part of the jump. Look at it like this," Vi directed her sister to look straight across at the other rooftop instead of the street below. "You are more than capable of generating enough speed to clear that gap, right?" Powder nodded. "There's tons of room for you to take off and to land, right?" Powder nodded again. "Then all you have to do is not get psyched out. You are ready for this Powder, you can make it. Easily." Vi let go of her sister and took a few steps back to watch the girl ready herself for the jump.
"You promise I can make it?" Powder asked tentatively.
"I promise." Vi injected as much confidence into her voice as she could. She knew Powder could do it, she just couldn't get stuck inside her own head.
Powder just shook her head and turned to the now empty roof, her face painted with determination. Just as she started running, Mylo opened his mouth to say something, but Vi clamped her hand over it before he could make a sound.
As the little girl picked up speed, Vi felt doubt prickle her skin. What if she didn't make it? What if she missed the landing and got hurt? Should she tell her to stop, that they'll do it another day? Just as Vi was contemplating the idea of stopping the whole thing, Powder reached the edge of the roof and threw herself off it.
For several heart wrenching seconds, Vi watched with unequivocal fear while her sister flew through the air, completely unsupported if anything went wrong. After what felt like far too long, Powder's feet hit the opposite roof with several feet of clearance and rolled in her landing, just like Vi taught her.
Vi wanted to drop to her knees in relief. She hadn't even been that scared when she first jumped the gap! "Vi! Vi! Did you see me?! I made it!" Powder's voice faintly echoed around the buildings as she called out her success and jumped for joy, bringing a smile to Vi and the boys' faces.
"Yeah I did! Watch out, I'm coming over!" Vi cleared the gap with ease, just as she had several times before, as did Mylo and Claggor. She scooped up her little sister in a hug, reveling in her delighted giggling and swinging her around in victory.
"I say this calls for Jericho's!" That was the best thing Mylo said in weeks, though he didn't seem to appreciate Vi telling him as such because he just huffed and started the rooftop run to their favorite restaurant in the undercity.
The four galivanted around the undercity, enjoying the freedom that rooftop running provided. Vi was extremely happy to see Powder easily make jumps that would have had her pausing and stumbling just a few weeks ago. Nothing could ruin Vi's night. Or at least that was what she thought before spotting something that caused her to trip on a railing and go tumbling down on a rooftop.
The boys and Powder all stopped upon hearing the crash and made their way back over to see what Vi had stopped for (and probably also to poke fun at her for falling), when they saw what caused her to stumble.
The girl from the topside apartment was wandering around on the street, looking down at a piece of paper in her hand, and frowning. "What the hell is she doing?!" Vi voiced the sentiment and she could tell her small crew agreed. She had told Caitlyn to send her a message, not go into the undercity alone and unprotected!
"She is going to get jumped." Vi couldn't help but agree with Claggor as she could already see some kids in the alley opposite from them eyeing her.
"We gotta go get her." Vi wasn't happy about the idea and fully intended to give Caitlyn hell about it but got up to go to her anyway when a hand wrapped around her arm.
"Like hell we have to help!" Mylo protested. "She came down here herself, it's her fault. Plus, she's a topsider!" he exclaimed like it justified Caitlyn getting beaten in a dirty alleyway. Vi wanted to yell and scream at the thought of Caitlyn hurt and bleeding alone in the undercity, but she pulled herself together to stand over Mylo, expressing just how much she didn't care for his protests.
"We owe her." It was all Vi needed to say. Depts and favors were a universal language in the undercity and even Mylo couldn't pretend Caitlyn hadn't helped them. Still, he groaned as he stomped over to the ledge of the building, but he didn't protest further, so Vi took it as a win.
They all jumped down into an alley behind Caitlyn, who didn't notice them as she was still fixated on whatever was written on the paper she was holding. Vi crept up behind her and since she still wasn't noticed, decided a little turn about was fair play for scaring them by doing something as stupid was wandering the undercity by herself.
"Whatcha lookin' at- oof" Vi had thrown an arm around Caitlyn's shoulder, hoping to make the girl jump, but was surprised when the topsider nailed her with a gut punch. Vi could hear her siblings laugh as she fell, but Caitlyn's surprised face was worth it.
"Oh my gosh, Vi, I'm so sorry!" she grabbed a hold of one of Vi's hands and pulled her to her feet. "I didn't know it was you! Why did you sneak up on me like that?!" Caitlyn started franticly brushing the dirt of Vi's clothes, causing her to blush and her siblings to start another round of laughter.
"That's a pretty solid punch you got there, cupcake." Vi said instead of explaining why she decided to sneak up on her.
"Well pardon me if this place put me a little on edge!" Caitlyn gasped and covered her mouth, apparently afraid what she said would offend the undercity gang. Vi just raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"Well, yeah, It's the undercity. You would probably be getting mugged right now if we hadn't seen you and decided to stop by." Caitlyn scoffed like she didn't believe her. Vi just pointed at the other gang still skulking nearby. Caitlyn paled.
"Oh." Vi would have laughed if the sight of the topsider girl so scared didn't make her chest clench painfully.
"What are you even doing down here?!" Mylo called from his spot leaning on the wall. Vi shot him a glare but the boy just stuck his tongue out at her. She turned back to Caitlyn.
"Seriously, do you need something? I thought I told you to send a message." Caitlyn looked horrified at Vi's question. Part of Vi was relieved Caitlyn wasn't just intending to take advantage of her offer, but another part of her was disappointed Caitlyn didn't need her. Her siblings just looked confused upon hearing about Vi's apparent invitation for Caitlyn to send them messages.
"No! No, ah…" Caitlyn trailed off, making Vi look back at her quizzically. "I was umm… just looking…" Caitlyn looked around a little panicked. "To see what the undercity is like!"
Vi just looked at her, unimpressed. She could hear Mylo and Claggor losing it behind her, probably rolling on the ground laughing.
"Let me get this straight." Vi started to recount. "You wanted to learn about the undercity, so you came down here, alone, unarmed, and with no idea of how to get around." Caitlyn at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
"…yes." Vi did not believe her at all, and looking behind her she could see her siblings didn't believe her either. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she smiled. If Caitlyn wanted to see the undercity, who was Vi to deny her?
"Well then, guess you're coming will us to Jericho's! Then we'll show you the undercity." Vi exclaimed, determinedly ignoring the choking cough coming from behind her.
"Oh, umm… I-" Caitlyn sputtered, but was cut off by a hand pulling Vi away.
"Could you excuse us for a moment?" Mylo asked, pulling Vi away before Caitlyn could respond. "What the hell are you doing?" Mylo hissed at Vi.
"Are you forgetting she caught us at a robbery? Or that she's a topsider?" Claggor added, not quietly enough that Caitlyn didn't hear it.
"And are you forgetting she didn't rat us out? Are you forgetting that she got us out of Piltover and kept enforcers off our backs?" Claggor looked guilty but Mylo wasn't done protesting.
"This could be a ploy! She could be waiting to lead us to the enforcers!" Vi looked at him, unimpressed and ready to tell him how stupid that was, but Caitlyn beat her to it.
"If I may interject," Mylo scoffed, but didn't interrupt her. "That would be a rather foolish way to go about such a ploy." Mylo's jaw dropped and Powder laughed. "Really if that were my intention, would I not just tell the enforcers what really happened and just sent them after you instead of coming here myself?" Powder's laughing only intensified, causing Vi to chuckle and Mylo to gape like a fish.
"S-see! She thought about it!" Caitlyn raised her own eyebrow at Mylo's statement.
"Just now maybe." She said crossing her arms. Vi forcible quieted her laughter before motioning Caitlyn away.
"Give us a second, will you, cupcake?" Caitlyn nodded, moving toward an alley. "Stay where I can see you!" Vi called after her, earning an eyeroll from the boys. "Look, she is pretending she wants to see the undercity, I don't know why, and I don't care. But if we show it to her, she'll get grossed out and go back topside never to come back. Problem solved and we repay our dept." The boys seemed satisfied with Vi's answer, but something in the girl's chest stung at the idea of Caitlyn never being around again. She kinda liked having the girl around, even if she was a prissy topsider.
"Come on Piltie, the sooner we go the sooner we get this over with." Mylo called, wincing as Claggor smacked him over the head.
Caitlyn didn't seem to take offence as she practically skipped back over to the group, making Vi smile. She nodded to the boys and Powder who started climbing the scaffolding on the building next to them. "What are you doing?" Caitlyn looked freaked out at Powder who was already over half the way up the wall.
"You wanted to see the undercity cupcake, down here, we travel by rooftop." Vi offered her hand to Caitlyn to help her to the first handhold on the wall. She hesitantly took it, allowing Vi to pull her up, a small smile adorning both their faces as they began their run through the undercity.