On the streets of Piltover, Ren walked ahead carrying a bottle of high-end red wine, while a sullen Vi trailed behind him.
Ren kept a subtle watch on her, wondering if their conversation had done any good. It had been a desperate gamble, but he figured that even if it failed, the situation couldn't possibly get worse than it did in the show.
Still, she's family, through and through. She knows how to look out for her big brother, Ren muttered to himself, touching his face, which was thankfully still intact after their time in the restaurant.
"What did you say?" Vi asked from behind him.
"I said we're here. We can take this back down," Ren fibbed, pointing at a nearby 'Screamer' elevator.
As expected, Vi gave him an eye-roll. She faced Zaun, took a deep breath, pulled on her hood, and simply leaped off the edge.
Ren shrugged and jumped after her, stashing the bottle of wine in his magic storage space as he fell.
In the bustling crowd they'd left behind, Caitlyn burst forward. She stared in shock at the two figures parkouring across the chasm below, then bit her lip and began to painstakingly climb down from the ledge.
——————
Trailing behind, Ren watched the energetic young woman in front of him, sensing none of her earlier gloom. It was as if running and leaping across the rooftops of Zaun had cleansed her of the years of misery from prison. Ren, who had been about to say something, decided to keep his mouth shut and just let her run.
Far in the distance, a certain someone was still moving slowly and awkwardly, clutching desperately at her short skirt to keep it from flying up as she balanced on the pipes in clothes entirely unsuitable for this kind of activity.
Vi's rapid pace began to slow, and she finally came to a stop on a large pipe, gazing down quietly at The Last Drop tavern.
As her breathing evened out, her gaze grew firm and resolute. She turned to Ren as he approached.
"I'm ready. Ready to face Powder, and to face myself."
"I believe there's nothing that family can't solve." Vi looked at Ren. "Let's go. Let's go see Powder. Or... Jinxie."
A wide smile broke out on Ren's face. "Now that's my sister!"
"I'm truly happy to see you seem to have worked through some of your issues."
"Just like I was happy watching you run just now, looking so full of life. So happy, in fact, that I couldn't bring myself to tell you that you went the wrong way."
"The hell?!" After a moment of stunned silence, Vi grabbed Ren's collar with both hands. "What did you just say?!"
"Ahem..." Ren coughed. "The Last Drop was your old home, but it's Silco's base now. My base is in the Central Plaza. So you went the wrong way. By a lot."
Vi was so "touched" by this revelation that she gave his forehead a "sweet" little tap with her own.
CRACK!
The crisp sound echoed across the pipes.
Far behind them, a deeply frustrated Caitlyn had been about to give up when the two people she'd lost reappeared in her line of sight. She quickly hurried to catch up. Ren spotted her.
——————
At the Bluebird Roost, the youths were still training as Vi and Ren stood below.
"Is this the right place this time?" Vi asked, looking at Ren with a very "kind" expression.
Ren nodded vigorously, raising his right hand. "I swear on my life."
"Vi?" Arthur walked over. In the training yard, the eyes of many of the older men turned toward them.
"Arthur?"
"It's me. You're... looking good! Really good! You've grown into a fine young woman."
While the two of them caught up, Ren stepped aside and beckoned to Fizz. When the yordle bounced over, Ren pointed to Caitlyn, who was "hiding" in the distance.
"Fizz, you see that girl over there?" Fizz nodded eagerly.
"She came here to make new friends," Ren said, gesturing toward Vi. "But I made a bet with Vi that you would be the first one to make friends with her."
"Are you up for it?"
"Of course!" Fizz chirped, hopping with excitement.
Ren caught him before he could dart off. "Can I ask you for one more favor? Please don't let her get near Vi and Jinx today, okay?"
Fizz's smile vanished, replaced by a look of solemn purpose. "I promise you, friend!"
When Ren returned, he saw Arthur with a hand on Vi's shoulder, giving her an encouraging look before heading back to continue training the boys.
Wanna join me, come and play~
Music drifted from a nearby phonograph. Isha rested her little face on a table, her big eyes blinking as she watched Jinx.
Jinx, goggles on, was modifying a weapon on her desk, her body swaying and her head bobbing to the beat.
"Powder."
Jinx held up a wrench like a microphone, striking a dramatic singing pose.
"Powder?"
Jinx held a blueprint in front of her face, swaying slowly. As the lyrics crescendoed, she threw her head back and shook it wildly, her mouth open in a silent "YEAH!"
Isha looked away from Jinx and pointed a tiny finger at Ren and Vi. "Eyah!" she squeaked.
"Jinxie, look who's here!"
Jinx held up a component, squinting at it through a magnifying glass, still shaking her head to the music.
Isha came closer and nudged her with a small hand. "Yah! Yaaah!" Jinx, finally noticing, reached out and vigorously ruffled Isha's hair.
"Jinx!!" Ren strode over to the phonograph and slammed his hand down on the table, cutting the music short.
"I'm here~" Jinx chirped, turning to Ren with a smile. Her eyes then fell on the other person in the room. She turned to look.
"Powder."
Jinx lifted her goggles, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Vi?"
Unable to hold back another second, Vi rushed forward and threw her arms around her, hugging her tight. "It's me, Powder."
After a moment of stunned paralysis, tears streamed down Jinx's face, and she hugged Vi back just as fiercely.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Vi said, pulling back to frame Jinx's face with her hands. "I tried to come back for you, but I was taken. I swear!"
"Was it Marcus?" Jinx asked.
"I don't know. It doesn't matter. I... I never thought I'd see you again."
"Is it really you?"
Hearing the words Ren had warned her about, Vi's hands trembled, her heart aching with a fierce, protective pain.
"Of course it's me. Vi. Vi O'Lai. Your sister. I'm back. I'm right here," she said, her hands moving to grip Jinx's shoulders gently. She then took Jinx's hand and pressed it against her own chest.
"I'm real. Feel that? Feel my heartbeat? I'm alive, right here in front of you."
A fresh wave of tears escaped Jinx's eyes. "Everything changed after you left," she whispered. "I changed."
Her other hand twitched, rising slightly toward her stomach in a defensive gesture before she froze, knowing she shouldn't do that in front of Vi.
"I know. Ren told me," Vi said, her own composure starting to crack. "It's okay. We're sisters. It doesn't matter."
"I'm sorry," she choked out. "I shouldn't have yelled at you back then. You're not a jinx. I don't know what was wrong with me."
A single tear escaped the corner of Vi's eye, but she forced it back, struggling to keep her voice steady. For her sister's sake, she couldn't break down now.
"I shouldn't have called you a jinx. You were just trying to help, right? I remember you said that. Whatever name you choose, I'll respect it."
"If you want me to call you Powder, I'll call you Powder. If you want me to call you Jinx, I'll... I'll call you Jinx. Whatever you want. Or I can call you Jinxie, like Ren does."
Another tear traced a path down Vi's cheek. "I just... I just want to know, are we still sisters? Can... can I still be your sister?" she asked, her gaze hopeful but slightly averted.
Jinx smiled, and her entire aura shifted, becoming incredibly calm. She reached up and gently touched Vi's cheek, her thumb wiping away the tear track.
"You are my sister," she said softly. "Always have been. Always will be."
Vi's resolve finally broke. With a sob, she pulled Jinx into a tight embrace, burying her face in her sister's hair. Jinx hugged her back with all her might.
Isha, who had been watching from the side, ran over and wrapped her small arms around both of them, though most of her was clinging to Jinx.
Ren could no longer stay back. He walked over and wrapped his arms around all of them. The room was silent, filled only with the warmth of their reunion.
Well, silent except for the voice in Ren's head.
——————
Ding.
Major Event Altered.
Reward for 'Mutual Understanding between Vi and Jinx' acquired:
Acquired [Advanced Combat Talent · Purple]
Acquired [Resilience · Purple]
Acquired [Advanced Mental Resistance · Purple]
Acquired Magic Knowledge [Mental Communication · Blue]
Acquired Magic Knowledge [Meditation Method · Purple]
Acquired ?? Knowledge [God Invocation Mantra (Part 1) · Blue]
Acquired Combat Skill Legacy [Armor Piercing Force · Blue]
[God Invocation Mantra (Part 1) · Blue]: Through meditation on a 'deity,' form a divine visage in the sea of consciousness. At critical moments, pray to the 'deity' to beseech its power. Incomplete; can only be used to gain spiritual power.
[Armor Piercing Force · Blue]: The E-skill of the Piltover Enforcer, Vi, from the game LOL. Channels force to deliver a blow that damages the enemy internally. The force passes through the target, creating a small shockwave behind them.
——————
With their training complete, the youths scattered, chatting in small groups. The aroma of cooking drifted from the large kitchen, where chefs hired by the Bluebird Gang—a mix of older and younger women from the neighborhood—were preparing dinner.
Arthur and the old-timers were leaning against a wall or sitting on the steps, shooting the shit, but their attention was divided, their eyes constantly flicking toward a certain room inside the main building.
Twisted Fate had gathered a few of the boys around him and was explaining something. Whatever method he was using, it was working; the boys looked thrilled, their faces showing clear interest.
"Damn it, you son of a bitch!" Graves appeared behind Twisted Fate, catching him in a brutal headlock. "You're poaching my recruits right under my nose?"
The surrounding boys rushed forward to intervene, but a single glare from Graves sent them scurrying to the side like the traitors they were.
In the distance, Caitlyn was playing with Fizz.
As the daughter of a councillor and heir to a great Piltover house, Caitlyn had somehow avoided developing an arrogant personality. She was kind-hearted and wanted to use her own efforts to help people, though her "status" sometimes blinded her to certain realities.
Fizz, as a yordle, was also kind-hearted. You could ignore his methods... his intentions were good, anyway.
After her initial apprehension, Caitlyn had quickly let down her guard and befriended this kinsman of Professor Heimerdinger. Besides, she knew where Vi lived now. She could come "play" with her anytime. That's right, Cupcake's mind had already been warped; seeing Fizz, she assumed this was just how they all were.
Next time I come find her, we'll play Truth or Dare, Cupcake thought, still focused on her case. And if she picks truth, I'll ask: 'What is Silco's real role in all of this?'
Far away, our old friend (the Firelight member) was, once again, watching.
——————
Blasting dance music. A swaying crowd. Sevika pushed through the ecstatic revelers, making her way to find Silco. As she headed up the stairs, she passed an ashen-faced Sheriff Marcus, who stormed past her without acknowledging her greeting.
The nerve of that piece of shit, the thought flashed through Sevika's mind before she dismissed it and hurried toward Silco's office.
"What is it? What happened?" Sevika asked, shocked to see Silco looking so furious. In all her years with him, she had never seen him like this. No matter how bad things had gotten, he had always been in control, projecting a confidence that calmed his panicked subordinates.
Silco looked at Sevika as she burst in, and said through clenched teeth:
"She's not dead. She's back."
"Who?"
"Vi! Vi O'Lai! That damned Marcus... after all the help I gave him, all the messes I cleaned up for him, he lied to me!"
"I'll go kill him," a stunned Sevika said, turning to leave.
"Come back," Silco commanded, regaining some of his composure. "He's still useful. Kiramman only suspended him for a week. The docked pay is nothing."
Silco's hand, resting on his desk, twitched as if wanting to grab something.
"The key now is that Ren got her out of prison. She's with Ren... and Jinx is at Ren's," Silco said, closing his eyes.
Sevika asked, "When did this happen?"
"This afternoon. When Ren went to the prison to get her, Marcus was summoned to the Kiramman estate and was chewed out for hours. He came here the moment he got out."
"Then it's too late. They've definitely seen each other by now."
"Is Marcus okay? He got reamed out for hours over something like this? Did Kiramman really let him off the hook?"
Sevika was skeptical, but Silco knew he was powerless to stop what was already in motion. He leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath to calm himself, and resolved to face the situation head-on.
"He imprisoned a child with no criminal record, no case file, not even any personal information, without authorization," Silco explained to Sevika. "The dog he raised dared to lie to him and commit an act in complete contempt of the law."
"Honestly, even that wouldn't be a huge problem if Kiramman never found out, or only found out by chance. But the fact that an outsider brought this to light changes everything. The problem is much bigger now."
"Because it means that more people are likely to find out. Other councillors, rival families..."
Sevika looked at him. "So what now? What are you going to do?"
"If they hadn't met yet, I could have..." Silco's voice trailed off. "But it's too late now."
He spoke softly, as if to himself. "All I can do is face it."
His fingers tapped restlessly on the desk.
"It's fine. My Jinx... we are a family."