Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A Spark and Bruising

Vi

Vi hurt just about everywhere. But then again, what else was new?

She tried really, really hard not to make any noise as she slipped into their dingy apartment. But it felt like every single floorboard creaked under her weight, the cold winter air only seeming to amplify the sound. Vi winced as she pushed the door open, the well-oiled hinges making nary a sound, but the floor under her feet letting out a groan that felt like it was loud enough to wake the dead.

Of course, it didn’t need to be loud enough to wake the dead. It just had to be loud enough to wake up the skinny, lanky teenager sprawled out on the sofa, dressed in nothing but one of Vi’s hoodies. Powder jerked her head up as the floor oh-so-helpfully announced Vi’s presence, eyes a little crossed as she snapped into wakefulness. Vi groaned as hard as the floor had, inwardly. She hated this part.

“Hey Vi,” Powder croaked, pushing herself up into a half sitting position, blue braids almost getting tangled up in her arms.

“Hey Pow-Pow. What are you doing out here, go to bed,” Vi tried to say in a voice that was an attempt to be both cheerful and authoritative.

“Waiting for you,” Powder replied, yawning so wide that she looked for all the world like a cat unhinging it’s jaw. “What time is it?”

“Late.” Vi had her jacket hood up, obscuring her face in shadow as she stuck to the walls, moving around the edge of the living room, trying not to look at her little sister too directly. “Seriously, off to bed with you. You have school in the morning.”

Hopefully, Powder would stagger off to bed before that insane, genius mind of hers started putting two and two togeth-

Powder’s eyes narrowed, and Vi knew it was too late. Shit.

“You did another fucking fight, didn’t you?” Powder hissed, practically scrambling off the couch and approaching Vi with the clear intention of yanking her hood back.

Vi groaned inwardly again. She so did not want to do this right now. “Powder, c’mon, I-”

“It’s Jinx,” her little sister hissed, eyes flashing with resentment as she reached forward to try and snatch back Vi’s hood.

Vi easily caught her bony little wrist in an iron grip, keeping her head turned away from her sister. “Fine. Jinx. Go to bed. We can talk about it in the morning.”

Powder, the little shit, proceeded to kick her in the shin. Because THAT was what Vi needed in that moment, another bruise. Vi let out a grunt of pain, releasing the bluenette’s wrist and jerking backwards. “Ow! You little asshol-hey!”

Jinx, of course, used that opportunity to lunge forward and yank Vi’s hood back, revealing a face that was…well, it had seen worse. It had also seen a lot better. She instantly saw that sadly familiar expression of forlorn rage cross Jinx’s features, her pale face twisting into a mask of emotions that was…not quite sane. Not exactly in-sane, but wavering on the brink of an emotional meltdown.

They stared at each other, neither one really able to put their thoughts and feelings into actual words. “Feel better now that you got your face all fucked up again?” Jinx finally spat, the venom in her words unable to hide the tremor of worry.

“We have bills, okay?” Vi said as calmly as she could. “Just…leave it? I’ll be fine.”

“Suuuuuure, bills. Because a couple hundred bucks is worth risking your life every month.” Jinx continued her verbal assault, following Vi to the kitchen as her older sister half-staggered, half-drooped her way over to the fridge.

Vi reached a bandaged hand with bloody knuckles into the freezer, pulling out an ice pack and pressing it to her face. She really, really hoped she didn’t have a microfracture in her cheek. “Jinx. Go to bed,” she growled as her entire face twitched at the shock and pain of applying the icy block.

Jinx glared at her stubbornly, one bare, bony shoulder sticking out of the too-wide neck of her stolen hoodie. “Not until you promise to stop doing these fights,” she stated adamantly, bare feet planted wide, arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Go. To. Bed.” Each word was forced out past clenched teeth. Fuuuuuuuck, she hurt. She just wanted to close her eyes and drift into unconsciousness, satisfied with the knowledge that her family would make it another month.

She expected Powder to either whirl around and finally do as she was told, or have a serious meltdown. Vi braced for the latter. What she wasn’t ready for was Powder’s expression crumbling, followed by a hitched breath, immediately followed by a noisy hiccup. “I can’t lose you again,” Powder said in a voice that was so laced with anguish that it just about made Vi’s heart break.

Oh shit, that was so much worse. Soooo much worse than the teen angst and anger she had gotten used to, the rebellion and the stubbornness. Now Vi’s heart felt just like her body, and she had to close her eyes and forcibly take a deep breath to calm her nerves. As always, she refused to let her own weaknesses keep her from getting what her sister needed. “Sweetie, you’re not going to lose me. I promise, okay? I’m right here.”

Vi stretched out one arm, creating a space next to her that Powder could easily slip into. Her little sister took the bait immediately, shoulders shaking with tremulous breaths and hiccups as she pressed herself into Vi’s side. Those too-skinny arms wrapped around Vi’s aching middle, making her wince as they squeezed with all the needy affection the teenager had to give.

“Go to bed, Pow-Pow,” Vi whispered after a while, her own strong arms wrapped around the body that she could not make herself think of as anything other than frail.

“Come with me…please?” Jinx whimpered into her chest, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Okay,” Vi agreed, and allowed herself to be led to their shared bedroom. Then, still dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and her jacket, she allowed herself to be tugged into Powder’s twin sized bed to lay down with her sister still snuggled into her arms. Vi could literally feel how tiny the thread was that Powder’s emotional stability was holding on by.

Sleep came quickly, and blessedly, for both of them.

Of course, the pain didn’t stop in the morning. Now, instead of a sharp, fiery stab, it was a long, throbbing ache combined with the horrible stiffness that made any kind of movement torture. But this was nothing new to Vi, and she’d had just enough sense to set an alarm on her phone before blacking out. The buzz of the alarm was like having salt rubbed into a wound of her exhausted mind, and she almost just turned it off, fuck life.

But she knew, deep down, that if she stayed in bed, so would Powder. Her sister would gladly skip school to stay home with her, and that wasn’t something Vi could allow. So despite the way her body screamed at her in protest, she shoved herself up to a sitting position, dragging Powder with her.

“Get up, Pow-Pow,” Vi rasped out in a voice that was thick with sleep, her tongue as dry as a desert.

“Nooooooooooo,” Powder protested, trying to to snuggle back down, but Vi shoved her out of the bed with a push.

“Go get ready for school,” she said. She tried to inject as much cheeriness into her voice as possible, but that was really hard to do when every move made her want to curl up into a ball.

That was the moment normality finally settled in. Powder begrudgingly scurried off to start getting herself ready, and Vi was able to start stripping out of the clothes she’d been wearing since yesterday. There was one mirror in their tiny shared bedroom, hanging on the wall over Vi’s own twin bed. She had to force herself to look at it, as she haltingly and painfully pulled her jacket off. That was when she got her first look at her face, and part of her wanted to sigh in relief. It honestly wasn’t that bad. Her lip was split, one of her steely-grey eyes was a bit swollen, and there was a bruise on her cheek that was already looking yellow.

Seeing a woman in her condition would normally make everyone assume she was in some sort of abusive relationship (and sometimes, being Jinx’s sister/parent felt exactly like that). But as she pulled her long-sleeved tee off, she got a good look at exactly the reason no one ever assumed that about her, no matter how bruised and beat up she looked.

Rock solid shoulders, arms that rippled with muscle, abs that flexed with every breath, and a dozen tattoos that covered her scarred skin. It was a physique that very few females could ever even hope to achieve, forged out of pain, sweat, and the kind of stubbornness that would make a mule look cooperative. Her breasts heaved as she looked at the mottled patchwork of bruising starting to appear all over her torso. With shaky fingers, she undid the clasp of her sports bra and pulled it over her head with a grunt. Her breasts were, well, just large enough to be occasionally problematic for her. When you trained away the majority of your body fat, boobs usually weren't an issue, but she had just enough of a chest to mean she had to keep things really tight up top when she fought in the ring.

Guys in that ring had absolutely no qualm about punching a gal in the tits if he saw an opening. And with the universal nature of the pain she was feeling, it was honestly hard to tell if she had any bruising on the tender lumps of flesh. 

She didn't dislike having boobs, hell, boobs were great. And so she let out another sigh of relief as she looked at them in the mirror and didn't see any major damage. Even her barbell nipple piercing, which she'd managed to forget about like an absolute idiot before the fight, looked completely fine. Vi turned around and checked the broad, inked expanse of her back next, looking over her shoulder and flexing to see if everything worked properly. With the tapestry of steam, gears, and buildings permanently etched into her skin, noticing bruises on her back was trickier. But, again, as much as she hurt all over, the damage didn’t seem to be too bad. 

Thankfully. She could go to work and tell some story about getting into it with a guy at a bar over some hot chick, and people would buy it. Probably. Again. 

Vi moved, shirtless, towards the only bathroom they had in the apartment. Powder was there, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a punk rock t-shirt, brushing her teeth. Those baby blue eyes snapped to Vi as she pushed the door open, and instantly narrowed again in that strange combination of accusatory anger and hopeless, worried anguish. She was looking at all the bruises.

“C’mon, you’ve seen me in worse shape than this.” Vi chuckled, making the words as lightheartedly as she could, and gave one of Powder’s long braids a tug. She also threw her teenage sister her best, charming tomboy-rogue smile that she’d perfected over the course of many years of flirting with women way out of her league. 

That seemed to mollify the bluenette ever so slightly, and she rolled her eyes. “I gueff fo,” Powder muttered around the toothbrush. Vi clicked her tongue in agreement, and then pulled her jeans down, along with her boy shorts. 

She should have been mortified by the way Powder’s gaze locked onto her with a gut-wrenching level of intensity as she did so. Vi also hadn’t missed the way her sister’s gaze had lingered on her bare tits. But what the hell was she supposed to do? Their life had been a fucking mess for years, a train-wreck disaster, a nightmare that none of them could wake up from no matter how hard they tried. Things like this, like shattered privacy between siblings, were just too unimportant to worry about. It’s not like Powder’s mind could be any more fucked up by Vi’s actions. She’d thoroughly maxed out that particular card when Powder had walked in to see her-

Vi felt her heart skip a beat, and a tiny dose of adrenaline hit her system as the memory flashed, unbidden and unwanted, into her mind. Blood on the tile floor. Screaming. Rage, so white-hot that it consumed everything, until she couldn’t even feel her knuckles dislocating as she-

Fuck.

Vi forced herself to take a deep breath and step under the cold spray of water shooting from the shower head. “Get going kiddo,” she huffed, and Jinx blushed, snapping her gaze away from her older sister. The blush was…too prominent on the girl’s face. She was too pale. Any small bit of color that hit her cheeks made them light up like a damn Christmas tree, making her somehow look even more gaunt. 

After she’d gotten out of prison a year ago, one of the first things she’d done was take Powder in for a checkup. Mel had helped her to get some form of basic insurance as Powder’s guardian, and she had immediately driven the teenager to get a physical. She’d also been very, very careful to make sure the doctor was a woman. The doctor had told her things and asked questions that just about tore Vi’s bruised, rocky heart to shreds.

“She’s…underweight,” was how the conversation began. Well, duh, that much was obvious. But the concern in the middle-aged, kindly woman’s face told her more than the words, that this wasn’t a small issue. Turns out that kids from abusive, unstable homes don’t grow right. Or at least, they don’t most of the time. Apparently, they either turned out to be little shrimps like Powder, or titans like Vi. The doctor had proceeded to cautiously ask how things were at home. 

Vi had snorted at the question. “Fuckin’ peachy,” she’d mumbled into her hands as rubbed her face, worry tying her stomach up like a ribbon. “So, what, she needs to eat more?”

“I think…she needs stability more than anything,” the doctor had patiently explained. “Good quality meals would help, yes, as would exercise. But she told me that she’s been attending school sporadically, and that she and your mother moved frequently. Some regularity, some predictability in her life would go a long way.”

So Vi had done what she always did. She’d dug her heels in, set her jaw, and fought. She’d fought tooth and nail, pushed far beyond what she thought she was capable of, to give Powder exactly that. Got them an apartment and kept them there. Got Powder into a new highschool and made sure she went, every day, did her homework, every day. And she also made sure that their mom-

Fucking shit. She’d forgotten to check on her mom last night. Vi let out a muffled scream of frustration through clenched teeth (not loud enough for Powder to hear) as she realized that yet another thing had slipped through the cracks. She hastily finished the shower, slipped into a clean(ish) pair of black jeans and a tank top, and hurried over to her mom’s room. She knocked and got no response. Barely waiting a moment, she pushed the door open and stepped inside a room that smelled like sweat, booze, and despair. For a heart-dropping second, she thought that the sprawled form on the bed wasn’t breathing. But then she saw the gentle rise and drop of her mother’s chest and let out yet another sigh of relief. 

Striding over to the side of her mother’s bed, she kicked a beer can aside and sat down beside the middle-aged woman. Her mother was, somehow, still beautiful. It was no wonder she’d been picked out by a man like Steve after Vi’s father’s death. That angelic, vulnerable face that somehow got more beautiful when it was sad, that could hold such love and empathy in those soft blue eyes. Vi gently brushed some locks of purple hair out of her mother’s sweaty face, and the woman mumbled something incoherent and stirred slightly. Well, at least she was sleeping peacefully.

Their mom was trying, Vi knew. She didn’t miss a single one of her shifts at her part-time job at the gas station. She was trying to drink less. But she was an utterly broken creature. Vi swore to herself, again, that as soon as she was able, she’d get her mom into a rehab facility, one of those fancy ones in Piltover that Vander had recommended. But right now, there was no way she could afford something like that. So for now, she did what she always did: she pushed forward, doing the best she could in the moment. 

Next was breakfast. Part of her berated herself for not just buying cereal, but one look at Powder's skinny frame as the girl packed up her school supplies instantly banished that thought. Vi lit up the stove and pulled the carton of eggs out of the stove, quickly slapping a bagel into the toaster. Sometimes Powder complained about how big the meals that she always made were, yet the food always disappeared quickly. Frankly, it was kind of impressive how much the teen could put away, and Vi wasn't even going to think about denying her as much as she could fit in. 

She was halfway through getting the scrambled eggs ready when there was a knock at the door. Not Vander’s ponderous, sure knock, but a sharp, slightly hesitant *rap-tat-tat*. For a split second, Vi was on high alert and saw Jinx stiffen too out of the corner of her eye. But as always, she forced herself to relax a moment later, hands unclenching from the frying pan handle and spatula. The odds that it was one of Silco’s goons was practically nonexistent. Powder had left that chapter of her life behind.

Vi strode over to the door and yanked it open, her face set into a scowl. To her surprise, Ekko stood on the doormat, and somehow it was still jarring to be eye-level with him. His face was set in it’s own semi-permanent scowl, as always, but he gave Vi half a smirk before registering the state of her face. “Holy shit,” he muttered, eyes going a bit wide before settling back into his practiced, stoic frown. “You look like you lost.”

“Eat shit, Little Dude,” Vi sneered back at him, but stepped aside so he could enter their apartment. “I never lose.”

“There’s got to be a better way to make some extra cash,” Ekko grunted, and Vi saw the way his eyes immediately sought out Powder. Poor kid was seriously head over heels, and part of Vi wanted to talk to him about it, and wanted to tell him it would never work. Part of that was because the thought of her little sister being romantically involved with anyone, even if Ekko was the absolute best-case scenario, made her insides feel weird. And part of it was that, in a bizarre contradiction, she felt like Ekko was too good for Powder. She would never, ever, ever have voiced that sentiment out loud, because she loved her little sister with all her heart, loved her so much it hurt. But Ekko had turned into such a fine young man, beating the odds in every way that Jinx (when Vi was being brutally honest) hadn’t. 

Ekko had risen to the challenge when Benzo was murdered, had found a way to fight through the system and fight for those he cared about. 

When Vi had gone to prison, Jinx had shattered and fallen into a world where all she did was hurt herself and others.

“For an ex-con? Not likely,” Vi muttered in response, pushing past him good naturedly to go back to the stove. “Want some eggs?”

“Nah. You always under-season them,” Ekko said absentmindedly as he approached Powder, hands stuffed into the pockets of his slacks. Vi marvelled at how grown-up he looked in his well pressed clothes and fine jacket. She knew that when he was out in the neighborhood, he wore canvas pants and t-shirts, and blended right in with the other young men in Zaun. But when he went to school, he put his professional foot forward. 

“Hey Jinx,” he said quietly. Jinx, from the moment Vi had opened the door, had studiously avoided looking in his direction. Her back was to him as she finished shoving her books and writing instruments into her heavily graffitied backpack.

“Hey Ekko,” she murmured in response, finally glancing over her shoulder at him. Vi wasn’t sure how the teen managed to keep trying with her sister. They were the same age, and Ekko could have gone after any girl he wanted. But he kept right on trying to help Jinx.

Which is why she didn’t try to convince him that his feelings for Powder were futile. Because he was one of two good influences other than herself that Jinx had in her life. He was Vi’s way of keeping an eye on her at school, on making sure she didn’t fall back into her old ways. He was, in a bizarre turn of events, a rock that Vi had come to lean on in caring for her sister. Back in the old days, she’d been like an older sister to him.

Now, she wasn’t actually sure who was more of an adult between them.

“You feel ready for that AP calc test?” Ekko continued, still standing there with his hands in his pockets, patiently waiting for Jinx to turn and face him.

Jinx snorted and shrugged. “Yeah, shouldn’t be hard.” Vi was so proud of how smart her sister was, and it drove her crazy that Powder didn’t apply herself more.

“Cool. Can you walk me through problem seven from the homework then? It’s the only one I was shaky on,” Ekko continued, and finally the bluenette turned to face him. And smiled, just a little.

“Yeah, sure, Space Boy,” Powder said in her low, slightly raspy voice that she got whenever she was trying to act casual.

Conversation sort of dried up as Vi finished up making breakfast for Powder, which the girl scarfed down in record time. Then it was off to the bus stop for the two highschool seniors, and time for Vi to get to her shift at the small coffee shop called The Fluffy Poro. 

It was run and owned by a gregarious and ingenious little man named Heimerdinger, who was, apparently, attempting an experiment with the little shop. Vi had only met him a handful of times since being hired a little less than a year ago, but the interactions had certainly left an impression. He seemed…nice. Eccentric, for sure. And very obviously a rich Piltie with grand ideas of helping the little Zaunites by studying blah blah blah. It was a very typical attitude of a wealthy Piltover philanthropist. But Vi wasn’t about to hold that against him, because despite her criminal record, he hired her and paid her well for a job that she could walk to. Tending the little coffee shop on one of the nicer streets in Zaun was, frankly, a ridiculously easy job. Not that Vi took naturally to making little baked goods or fancy lattes, but after two weeks of her signature dogged persistence at learning the craft, she’d gotten good enough at it to do the first shift on her own. Now, nearly a year later, she was probably the best (and buffest) barista in Zaun. Probably.

She unlocked the doors and quickly set about opening the small shop, with its fine glass windows that had been replaced probably a dozen times by now. Zaun wasn’t kind to big glass windows, or pretentious businesses. The interior was clean, cozy, and inviting, and soon Vi made sure it was filled with the smell of baking goods and freshly brewed coffee. 

The reality was, they did not get many customers at The Fluffy Poro, simply because it stuck out like a rich thumb in a poor neighborhood. Sure, people had warmed up to it a little over the months since it had opened, and Vi now had more than a few regulars that she knew by name. But, realistically, Vi knew this place had to be a sinkhole for money. She just hoped that Heimerdinger’s experiment was far more important to him than profit, because she really didn’t want to lose this job. 

Vi wasn’t too proud to accept the help she needed to take care of Powder, but she also hated feeling indebted to people. Except Vander. Mel, on the other hand, she already owed an impossible debt, and absolutely refused to accept any more help from. The elegant lawyer had gotten her out of prison, and also introduced her to Heimerdinger, which were things Vi felt she could never properly repay. So she really, really hoped this job would last. Between this, working part time at Vander’s gym in the evenings, and the occasional underground fight, she was beginning to make financial headway for her family. 

That was how Vi found herself, wearing combat boots, black jeans, and a tight red button-up, standing behind the counter when an Enforcer car pulled into one of the parking spots in front of the little coffee shop. Vi immediately felt an instinctive spike of alarm, shoulders tensing as she got ready to either bolt out the back or stand her ground and fight. Years of growing up on the streets of Zaun had ingrained the idea that if the cops showed up, you scattered. Even if there was no conceivable reason they’d be after you, some Enforcers were dirty, and the straight-laced ones would just wind up making your life more difficult if you were anywhere near the vicinity of their investigation. 

And the dirty ones ran Stillwater prison. Vi had spent four years with one reality: if the Enforcers were visiting your cell, you might as well fight back. Because the beating would come anyway. So you might as well make them bleed for it.

With a force of will, she reminded herself that she was the face of a legitimate place of business (frankly, probably the most legitimate place of business on the street). She very intentionally tore her eyes away from the cop car’s blue and brass coloring, focusing instead on wiping down the marble counter. She couldn’t help worrying that they were there for her, there to drag her back to Stillwater. Maybe they’d found out about her illegal fighting? She was done with parole now, but she’d been participating in that even when she was. Maybe the Warden had sent someone to try and get her thrown back in. Or, worse, maybe Silco had figured out where they were and had sent one of his paid lackeys to make sure Vi went back into the hellhole. 

Vi was tamping down the panic rising in her throat, jaw set and knuckles white with how hard she was clutching the rag as it repeatedly swiped over the marble. There was no point in winding herself up like that, and Vander’s words from her youth came rushing back to her. “Breathe Vi, just breathe. Doesn’t matter if a fight is coming or not, you’ve got to breathe. Stay loose. Be ready, not panicking.”

She let out a long, slow breath and rolled her shoulders. The bell at the front door chimed. Fuck.

“Welcome to The Fluffy Poro’s,  what can I get for you tod- ay? ” The last syllable came out embarrassingly high pitched as Vi finally looked up and saw who had walked through the door.

The most beautiful woman Vi had ever laid eyes on stepped lightly into the shop, boots clicking against the tiles. Vi had always thought of Enforcer uniforms as ugly and tacky, with their navy blue and brass accents. There was no way to make one look sexy, but holy hell the young woman walking up to her right now somehow pulled it off. The uniform was crisp, spotless, and somehow found a way to stiffly cling to the slim, yet curvy figure before her. The leggy Enforcer was tall, taller than Vi by a good three inches, and the long ponytaill her raven blue hair was pulled back into made her seem even taller. And those eyes: piercing, deep blue that snapped casually from one thing to the next, clearly seeing and noticing everything without being invasive in the slightest. Full lips pursed into a thoughtful line, adorable and perfectly manicured eyebrows bunched ever so slightly in focus. A sharp nose, only enhancing the aura of eagle-like perception the woman had. Like if fucking Sherlock Holmes was the hottest woman alive. 

Every defensive instinct Vi had flew out the window, totally forgotten, and the other most familiar instinct she had snapped into its place. Leaning casually against the counter on one elbow, she gave the gorgeous Piltie ‘The Smolder’ smirk. It was a lopsided, half-mouth smirk that threw every ounce of butch, tomboy charm she had into it, along with a heavy helping of cocky confidence and just a touch of feminine slyness. “Hey, what can I get for ya?” she asked in her smokiest, low-fem voice.

The copper’s blue eyes finally snapped to her face for a proper inspection, and Vi felt the air leave her lungs in rush. Whoa. Then those eyebrows furrowed a little deeper. “Are you…quite alright? Did someone hurt you?” the Enforcer asked in a smooth, accented voice. 

Vi felt her knees grow weak and her palms get sweaty. Oh that voice. And that accent. And was that a fuckin’ adorable tooth-gap?? It really was like Sherlock Holmes had a gender change, a face lift, a makeover, and then jumped out of the pages to say ‘ta-da! Meet the girl of your dreams!’ Vi, naturally, barely registered the actual question, but managed to give a fabulously articulate response.

“Huh?”

“Your face. Have you been assaulted?” the Enforcer asked again, more slowly, gesturing to her own cheek. 

Oh. Shiiiiiiit. Vi had completely forgotten what her face looked like. After a while, and with a couple ibuprofen (and maybe a swig or two from her flask) the pain had just kind of faded to the background. 

“Oh, uh, no sorry,” Vi stammered, suddenly realizing she looked like a mugging victim in front of a cop. Thankfully, there was a ready lie she could grab. “I teach a boxing class at night, and things got a little out of hand last time. No biggie.” The best part about this lie was that it was mostly true. She cracked the smile back into place, putting both hands palm down on the counter. 

The little frown didn’t deepend, but it didn’t go away either. Why does it feel like she’s picking me apart and putting me back together like a puzzle with her eyes? Vi wondered. Geez, the Sherlock Holmes comparison was getting some serious mileage. 

“I see. And where do you teach these classes?” the woman with raven blue hair continued, standing in a pose that was somehow both relaxed and at attention all at once. She moved with so much poise, but without the usual Piltie arrogance that accompanied it.

“Vanders. It’s further in-town,” Vi replied easily, easing back into her smoky voice. 

“Oh? Well, perhaps I’ll come check it out. I’ve been meaning to increase my proficiency in hand-to-hand combat skills, and you certainly look as if you at least know how to take a punch.” The sly smile that slipped into place, along with the twinkle in her eye, really softened the smack against Vi’s ego.

“Ouch,” Vi chuckled, her own smirk growing. “But sure, I’d love to show you around. Or show you the ropes. Whatever you decide you’re…comfortable with.”

For a split second, the perceptive poise of the woman cracked, and Vi saw her eyes go wide. The faintest bit of pink touched her high cheekbones, but a moment later, the carefully curated mask was back in place. “I think you’ll find that I’m comfortable with quite a lot, miss…?” the Enforcer replied nonchalantly, although Vi didn’t miss the way her eyes dipped down for just a second to do a sweep over her body. 

Oh. Oh no way, Vi thought almost giddily. There is no fuckin’ way this gorgeous Piltie ISN’T straight. The woman was so poised, so professional, so witty, so thigh-clenchingly intense, there wasn’t a chance in hell she was into women.

But then again…

“Vi,” Vi answered quickly, leaning away from the counter and walking over to casually snatch up a paper cup. 

The woman blinked at her. “Vi.”

“Yup!”

A moment of silence. Then, in a voice that was just a little too casual, like she was trying to smother a giggle she continued, “So, that’s not the numeral for six tattooed on your face, that’s your name?”

Vi shot her a mock glare, cocking an eyebrow. “Those the kind of observational skills they teach you at the Enforcer academy?” 

“No, those are the kind you learn in middle school,” the woman replied innocently, that sly smile still on her lips. 

Janna the Wind Goddess, how did she do that? Vi couldn’t help but laugh, a full throated chuckle. “So what’ll it be?” she asked again, tossing the paper cup in the air and catching it again. What the hell are you doing? Vi asked herself. Flirting with an Enforcer? Really?

“I’m…not sure, actually. I usually drink tea, but a friend recommended this place to me. Do you have any recommendations?” the Enforcer asked, looking up at the menu on the chalkboard above Vi’s head. Vi cocked her head slightly, curious. This place was too far into Zaun to see anything other than the occasional customer from Piltover

Vi made a snap decision and started mixing something up. “Tea? With donuts? Sounds gross,” Vi smirked as she started up the espresso machine.

The woman rolled her eyes, but didn’t stop smiling. “Very funny. Frankly, I’ve never understood the appeal of donuts, period.”

“Hmm. You’re more of a cupcake kinda gal, aren’t ya?” Vi mused as she stuck a cinnamon stick into the paper cup and put it under the humming espresso machine. 

“I…excuse me? Cupcakes? Why do you say that?” the blue-nette asked, the veneer cracking just a little again. 

“I dunno. You seem sweet.” Vi’s smirk only grew larger as that tiny blush came back, even though the woman’s features were very quickly put back into place. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” the enforcer said flatly, blinking again.

“Doesn’t have to,” Vi replied easily, as the espresso began pouring into the paper cup. She started frothing the milk next, watching the Enforcer out of the corner of his eye.

The blue-nette narrowed her eyes at Vi and sucked her teeth a little, but Vi could tell the annoyance was superficial. “Are you this combative with all your customers, or are you making an exception just for me?” she asked, voice oozing with rankled sensibilities, and a great deal of amusement.

“I have a history of being combative with Enforcers,” Vi chuckled ruefully as she finished up the cinnamon, honey earl grey latte. 

“Mmm,” Caitlyn hummed, and Vi barely caught those blue eyes flicking to the tats visible on her neck. Definitely prison work, for people who knew what they were looking at. Huh. Vi had expected more of a negative reaction at that. 

Vi scrawled the word ‘Cupcake’ on the cup with her marker and then held it out to the woman, smirk still firmly in place. That cute little frown settled back into place as the woman tentatively reached out to take the latte. Her fingers lightly brushed Vi’s as she took it, which sent a delightful shock all the way up her arm. 

Get it together Vi, she’s an Enforcer. Fun to flirt with, but no way in hell this is going anywhere, Vi inwardly chided herself as the woman lifted the opening of the cup to her nose and took a small sniff.

“Wow,” the woman said, eyebrows going up in surprise. “That…smells wonderful. What is it?”

“Don’t worry about it, Cupcake. Just enjoy.” Vi knew her smirk was getting a little shit-eating, but she couldn’t help it. Something about this woman made it wildly fun to find her buttons and push them.

Oh-ho. The frown was back, and the tall enforcer finally noticed the black, blocky text on the side of the cup. “Ugh. I have a name, you know,” she groused, shooting Vi another annoyed look. “It’s Caitlyn.”

“Perfect. Caitlyn, Cupcake, two c’s. Easy to remember,” Vi told her, casually going back to wiping down the counter. 

Caitlyn looked like she wasn’t sure whether to be exasperated or amused or intrigued. Finally, she seemed to settle for something in the middle and just shook her head. Wow…her ponytail swished in a really enchanting way. Vi bet it would fit perfectly in her palm, so she could use it as a handle to guide those pretty lips right to-

Whoa! Down girl, holy shit! Vi nearly choked on nothing as she internally tried to rein in her horndog. 

In spite of herself Vi felt the faintest blush touch her cheeks, and she hoped it wasn't obvious as Caitlyn finally spoke. “How much do I owe you?” she sighed, reaching for her wallet, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“No charge. Enforcers get one free drink a day,” Vi chuffed, unable to believe that she was saying that without wanting to punch something.

Caitlyn arched an elegant eyebrow. “What, really?”

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, fuuuuuuu-

“Well, for the cute ones anyway.” DAMMIT! It was like her logical brain, the one that was screaming at her that this was AN ENFORCER and POSSIBLY DANGEROUS, was being completely overruled by her horny brain. 

Oh gosh, there was that little hint of pink in her cheeks again. Vi wanted to chortle, and felt like she could play this game forever. It made her ridiculously happy to be able to crack that veneer of perfection, even in the small ways. 

“I find it hard to believe that’s an actual store policy,” Caitlyn huffed, stubbornly opening her wallet and fishing inside for a bill. 

“It is now,” Vi shrugged, not moving an inch to take the cash that Caitlyn proffered a moment later. “But if you want to know for sure, guess you’ll just have to come back around sometime.”

Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed, and she held out the pair of bills for a few moments longer. Vi just leaned against the counter and smirked at her, meeting those blue eyes easily. It gave her a perfect excuse to get lost in those intelligent orbs for a while. Finally, the enforcer woman sighed and put the money away. “Thank you. I’ll admit, it’s a warmer welcome than I get in most stores in Zaun, so I appreciate the gesture. Have a good day, ma’am.” She turned to walk out of The Fluffy Poro, but not before giving Vi one more quick once-over. 

“You too…Cupcake,” Vi called after her, but the last word was said quietly, just for herself. She watched as the enforcer got back into her patrol car, moving with that same poise and panther-like grace. Soon, the brass and navy patrol car was pulling away, and cruising slowly down the narrow Zaun streets. 

Well. What a fantastic start to the day. 

Caitlyn

Caitlyn made it about four or five blocks before she pulled over into another parking lot, her face one of serene control. She wound up parking in front of a tattoo parlor of all things, probably causing no small amount of anxiety to the occupants, given the run-down nature of the place. The marketing/example drawing of a busty woman in a barely-there bikini did little to detract from the place’s ghetto appearance.

She turned off the engine, and let out a long breath. Then she proceeded to blush like her life depended on it, her cheeks burning hotter than she could remember in a long time. What. On. Earth. Had just happened. If it weren’t for the absolutely absurd and coincidental nature of the encounter, she would have been half tempted to say Mel had set her up somehow. Of all her friends, she wouldn’t be surprised if Mel was practically the only one who had deduced she was a lesbian. She was also relatively sure Jayce knew as well, but one didn’t talk to a brotherly figure about these sorts of things. But it seemed such an insane coincidence that the place Mel had suggested to her would just so happen to have an infuriating butch goddess. 

Not only that, but an infuriating butch goddess who was a royal pain in her arse with unearned adorable pet- er, nick names, and looked like she could manhandle Caitlyn without even breaking a sweat. Yes, pretty, soft women were gorgeous and attractive and fantastic, but Caitlyn was a control freak. And every once in a while, she wanted to feel as though she could be taken care of and controlled in a way that wasn’t…cute. 

And by the goddess, Vi had doled out THAT particular aura in spades. Those hands looked like they could have picked her up, pinned her down, and then caressed her in the gentlest way. 

“Professionalism, Caitlyn,” she reminded herself, closing her eyes and trying to get control of her breathing. “Everyone is looking at you, expecting you to fail. Mother, the other councilors, and the Zaunites. You need to keep your cool.”

But she could allow herself the luxury of fantasy, right? Just a bit?

She finally realized she had yet to actually try her drink, the one that her attempt to procure had gotten her into this mess. Practically snatching up the paper cup with that insufferable writing on the side, she took a long sip and yelped in pain when she burned her tongue. “Fuck!” she exploded, sucking on her teeth in annoyance. Then she registered the flavor. 

Creamy, earl grey, honey, cinnamon, not too sweet, full of flavor, mixed with just enough espresso. Absolutely perfect. 

Caitlyn blinked slowly several times, and then took another, slower, sip. “That’s…okay, that’s just unfair in the extreme,” she huffed, still unable to completely get her blushing cheeks under control. She grouchily turned the vehicle back on and pulled out of the parking space, determined to get through the rest of her patrol without thinking about the gorgeous mop of hot pink hair swaying every time Vi moved, or the way that heart melting, handsome smirk would-

“Oh no,” Caitlyn moaned in horror, before taking another sip of the latte. 

Vi

At 5 PM sharp, Vi trudged through the doors of Vander’s gym with her shoulders a little hunched and her feet moving on pure autopilot. Usually, walking through those doors was the highlight of her day. Not that she disliked her job at the Fluffy Poro, and not that she didn’t enjoy her time at home with Powder. But there were only two times in her life right now where she could just cut loose and let some of the rage and frustration out.

One was in the pits. But even though it was a sort of release, it was also insanely dangerous. And it created more problems for her after. 

The other time was right here. In this place of total safety, familiarity, and stuff she could hit with reckless abandon, and not break anything or worry anyone. The class she taught started at 6:30, which meant she had a whole hour and a half to workout, push her body, and just exist in a tension releasing, primal form. 

Today, however, she didn’t feel a little buzz of elation as she walked into the familiar scent of sweat, mats, and metal. Not because she was unhappy to be there, but because she was playing on repeat the highlight of her day already. She was so distracted replaying the way Caitlyn’s eyebrows bunched together ever so slightly, or the way her cheekbones flushed just a tiny hint of pink, or the way that ponytail swished when she moved. 

In other words, she had a faint little smile on her lips as she walked through those doors, and was not remotely paying attention to her surroundings. Because, realistically, she could have made it through the tangle of heavy bags, mats, boxing rings, and free weights blindfolded. So when stepped around the big boxing ring, headed for the locker rooms in the back, and felt something strange shift under her boot, she wasn’t ready. And she definitely wasn’t ready for the explosion of confetti that blasted her from underneath.

If she hadn’t been so distracted, she would have been startled, but the alarm of a sudden noise and burst of color would have quickly dissipated. As it was, every survival instinct she had blared *DANGER* in her mind. Trailing small squares of shimmering, colorful plastic, she launched herself back from the pressure plate she’d just activated. Her fists were cocked up and ready to block or deliver damage with the speed that only terrible experience can give. Adrenaline dumped into her system, and her eyes shot around for-

Cackling laughter and a flash of blue. It took Vi a second for her mind to make sense of the series of events and the sight of her sister rolling around on the floor, giggling manically, given how absorbed in replays it had been just a moment ago. Finally, doggedly, however, it marched through the necessary steps to get Vi to the realization that she’d been punked. 

Vi ground her teeth together as she tried to slow her thundering heart rate and calm her nerves, to tamp down the fight or flight response burning in her system. Looking through her bangs with an aggravated grimace, she took the final step around the corner of the ring and crossed her arms as she looked down at Jinx. “Seriously?” she demanded, trying to keep any real anger out of her tone and starting to brush tiny plastic pieces off her jacket and pants. 

Jinx kept giggling, hugging herself and biting her lower lip as mischief flashed in those overly big blue eyes of hers. She was still dressed in the black graphic tee and skinny jeans, her feet now bare, which told Vi she had come here straight after school. The fact that she’d managed to rig up a plastic pressure plate and the launching device, both of which were cleverly camouflaged into the floor of the gym, in an hour’s time, was terrifying and impressive all at once. Vi wasn’t sure if her heart was going to burst with pride, or if she was going to strangle the little shit. 

“Oh, lighten up sis,” Jinx wheezed, sitting up and blowing her bangs out of her face with a big huff. She was still grinning, all teeth, as she leaned back on her hands and rolled her head around. “I needed to test my pressure plate for that robotics competition, the one you insisted I sign up for.”

“Startled the crap outta me,” Vi muttered, taking another look at the simple yet effective design of mechanics. “You shouldn’t be doing this stuff at Vanders, what if you’d scared off a customer?”

Jinx gave her a flat, pointed look, as if to say: “really?”

Vi rolled her eyes, but had to acknowledge the point. They were the only ones in here at the moment, which wasn’t unusual for the time of day. Zaun didn’t largely operate on a ‘normal’ 40 hour a week, 8-4 work schedule like Piltover did, and the big rushes for Vander’s came later at night and around noon-time. 

“Okay, fine. You tested out your little doo-hickey,” Vi huffed, forcing herself to unclench her fists finally (that was something she always forgot to do, sometimes for several minutes after a rush like that). “Don’t you have homework to do?”

“Well, yeah, but I can do that here,” Jinx replied easily, still smiling impishly up at her from where she lounged on the ground. 

Now it was Vi’s turn to give her a flat stare, and raised an eyebrow meaningfully as she waited for the rest of the explanation. Powder had a history of failing to focus on her studies when she spent time with Vi at Vander's gymn. So Vi had made it a rule that she could only come over after her homework and projects were all finished. 

Powder tried to meet her gaze nonchalantly, even defiantly, but the facade crumbled within moments. Suddenly, Powder became small, shrinking into herself, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them. Vi felt her heart crack at the sight and uncrossed her arms, suddenly concerned. 

“I just…wanted to see you,” Powder mumbled, voice tiny as she worried at her lower lip with her teeth. Her voice was so plaintive, Vi was stopping down beside her instantly. 

She gently placed her hand on Powder's back, feeling the ridges of her spine sticking up painfully sharp beneath her palm. As always, it made Vi’s insides clench. “Bad day at school?” she asked as gently as she could, trying to keep the protective growl out of her voice. 

Powder shrugged noncommittally, but she leaned back and to the side, leaning into Vi’s touch and putting her head on her older sister's shoulder. The neediness, the hunger for any kind of touch or affection from her wasn't lost on Vi. But hell if she knew what to do about it. Because, deep down, she liked the way Powder practically melted against her whenever they touched. She had fought her way through five years of hell just to get back to her sister. Even though it wasn't the same, wasn't as obvious, Vi needed Powder as badly as Powder needed her. 

“Oh, c'mon, spill,” Vi chuckled gently, trying to coax the answer out of the skinny teen by rubbing small circles on her back. 

“I set up my office for her to do homework in.” 

Normally, the sudden appearance of a large, hulking male figure in her awareness would have Vi reacting more strongly than when she'd been caught off guard by Jinx’s prank. But that particular voice could soothe any trouble, any worry, it's booming, resonant strength just making it that much safer. 

Still, Vi frowned a little as she looked up at Vander as he leaned against the edge of the boxing ring and smiled down at them both with all the fondness in the world. Vander knew Vi's rule for Powder, and Vander had always consistently backed her up whenever Powder had tried to use him as a method of getting around rules she found inconvenient or annoying. So why was he…?

Powder gave Vi a hopeful look, pleading with her eyes, and Vi shot a quick glance at Vander. Vander gave her the slightest nod, and so Vi let out a sigh. “Fine. But your skinny ass better stay glued to that chair until every single problem is done. Deal?” 

Powder instantly made her regret agreeing by switching right from puppy dog eyes to scheming devil eyes. “You got it, fat hands,” she giggled. Suddenly motivated to have her homework done with as quickly as possible, she scrambled up to her feet and dashed for Vander's office on the Western wall of the open space. Vi watched her go, and waited until her long blue braids had trailed out of sight before turning questioning eyes on the big man. 

Vander was an absolute mountain of a man, and yet somehow managed to exude the most warm, calming presence Vi had ever known. The middle-aged, greying man had taken a wild, out of control, rage filled, hurting Vi and brought warmth and stability into her life. VI could still clearly remember the first day she'd seen him, at fourteen years old, her eye black and swollen, unable to stand still as her eyes darted around looking for threats. She'd shoved a few crumpled bills at him and demanded he allow her access to the heavy bags. It had been all of what, $10?

He'd taken the money, and then told her he couldn't let an unaccompanied teenager just do whatever she wanted in the gym. Vi had literally been about to pounce on him, despite the sheer idiocy of the idea (Vander could have popped her like a grape between his fingers, skinny as she was then) to get her money back. She'd even started to growl. Then he'd completely taken all the wind out of her overly aggressive sails by explaining: “Guess that means I'll have to take the time to train with you then. C'mon kiddo, let's see what kind of jab you got.”

Then, it had been an act of kindness that was like a two-headed calf: Vi knew they existed, but was utterly unequipped to deal with its presence. 

Now, his paternal kindness and affection were the bedrock of her life, the one thing other than her own strength of will and body she knew she could rely on. 

“What gives?” Vi asked, and felt herself tense when Vander's jaw tightened. He was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.

“Jinx has been here for the last three hours,” he said quietly, his tone even and strong. 

Vi froze. “...why wasn't she at school?” she asked very slowly, trying to keep the rising tension at bay. 

Vander let out a long, ponderous sigh, crossing his massive arms in front of him, as though bracing for a storm. “From what I was able to pry out of her, she's facing a possible suspension for starting a fight,” he said finally. 

Vi’s fists balled up and she forgot to breathe for three heartbeats as that familiar sensation appeared: her insides beginning to burn, flaring to life with heat, with anger that could only be appeased by hitting something. Finally, she took a breath, long and slow through her nose. She locked eyes with Vander, borrowing some calm from those steady, unwavering green eyes. 

“What?” Vi finally ground out. “How? Why? What's a ‘possible’ suspension? And why didn't you tell me?” Those last words were snapped out accusatory, her barely constrained anger lashing out just a bit at the only non-poisonous father figure her little sister had. 

“Calm down, kiddo,” Vander rumbled. “I didn't let you know Johnny-on-the-spot because you were going to be here soon anyway. Besides, it took me a while to get the full story myself.”

Vi took another deep breath, forcing her anger (borne out of fear) down. “Okay, fine. What happened?” she growled. 

“Principle Redgaurd owes me a favor. So I gave him a call, and he gave me the bare bones,” Vander explained, giving Vi a look of approval “Apparently some damn fool decide to start poking fun at Little Man. I'm not sure what about. For whatever reason, Jinx decided to assault the kid over it.”

At that point, Vander actually cracked a grin and chuckled. “Don't you dare tell her I said this, but it was fine work apparently. Quick kick to the nuts, followed it up with a knee to the face.” Vander's eyes sparkled with wry pride. “Jinx never took to proper boxing or brawling like you did, but she's got fucking good instincts for getting scrappy.”

Vi felt a smile touch her own lips despite the situation. “Ugh. Kid gonna be alright?” she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Yeah, from what I heard. I think I can get the principal to let her off easy, especially with Ekko vouching for her.” Vi knew Vander was trying to reassure her, but dammit, she was soooo ready to hit something. She was half-tempted to make the thing she hit Jinx. 

“Shit,” Vi muttered. “Why would she do this? She can't get kicked out again. She's so smart, she could do literally anything.” It was infuriating. 

“Yes, why ever would a young woman act in a reckless, potentially harmful way to try and care for those she loves?” Vander mused with an amused, sarcastic note. 

Vi’s brain took a moment to catch on, sensing the verbal trap, but not understanding what Vander was referencing. 

Then her eyes hit a mirror and she winced as she got another look at her face. 

“Did you win?” Vander asked, bemused and a bit concerned. 

“To a bunch of WWE wannabes? What do you take me for?” Vi muttered, blushing a little. 

“You forget, I used to rule those pits kiddo.” Every once in a while, Vander peeled back all that warmth and fatherly kindness and let her get a peak at the Hound of the Underground. “I'm more than aware of the quality of men who step into that sand. But bare knuckle, bare rules brawling is the most fucking dangerous form of fighting there is.”

Vi had closed her eyes to collect her thoughts and try to form a response, so when she opened them and Vander was right there , leaning over to look her in the eye, she actually jumped a little in surprise. “How many?” Vander asked, tone so dead serious it made he mouth go dry. 

Crap. Stern dad mode. 

She literally opened her mouth to lie, to say ‘just one', and it was like he sniffed out her falsehood before it even left her lips. His bushy brow knitted into a frown and she found the truth yanked out of her like a guilty teenager. 

“Five,” she admitted, setting her jaw. 

Vander actually blanched. “ Vi! Five?! What…kiddo, you fought five opponents back to back, without breaks?”

“Made a grand in 2 hours,” Vi mumbled, kicking at the floor mat. 

Vander stared at her, his face slack with equal parts amazement and mortification. Vi felt a little swell of pride at being able to shock the (in)famous former Hound with what she was capable of. She flexed her fingers in satisfaction, remembering the wild night of violence she'd endured.  

Five faces. Five knockouts. Five peoples’ blood on her knuckles. The roaring crowd, a distant murmur. No rules to worry her, nothing holding her back. Just something to fight.

“Bloody hell,” Vander groaned, putting a hand on his chest, over his heart. “You're gonna put me in an early grave Violet.”

Vi snorted and punched him in the shoulder good-naturedly. “You'll outlive us all, old man,” she chuckled. 

“I'm serious, Vi,” Vander protested, and Vi felt a little guilty at the concern in his voice. But she refused to drop her gaze, steadily meeting his with steel in her spine. “I know you're trying to save up, trying to build a better life for Jinx, get your Mom into a center. And believe me, I have all the respect in the world for you because of it.” 

Okay, that one made her ears turn a little pink. Vander didn't hand out that sort of praise lightly. “But what happens to them if you get really hurt?” Vander continued, the intensity in his tone rising. “Forget a hospital stay, or getting arrested. Fighters get crippled in official matches, with gloves! What happens if you don't get back up because someone lands a lucky punch? What'll happen to your family then?”

“You'll take care of them.” Vi's response was immediate, not a question, not even a statement, but an absolute fact. 

Of course, Vi had no plan to ‘go down and not get back up’. She would claw her way back out of hell to be there for Powder. But she knew, like she knew Vander stood in front of her now, that if worse came to worse, her family would be cared for. 

“Oh hell,” Vander groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, but didn't contradict her. 

“Look, I need to think, about what to do about Powder,” Vi said, shoving her hands into her pockets and feeling the weight of all her responsibilities bearing down on her. “And I need to get ready for class. Let's talk after, yeah?” 

Vander signed heavily and gave her a curt nod, turning to head for his office. “Yeah. Sure, kiddo. I'll make sure she gets her homework done, and talk to Principal Redgaurd. See what I can work out. You know where to find me.”

Vi nodded back and resumed her walk to the locker room, kicking aside the plastic casing of the ‘exploded’ pressure plate. Her little sister really was a genius. Too bad she couldn't reroute some of that intelligence towards keeping herself out of trouble.

Vi changed into her workout gear and carefully wrapped her fists with gauze, and realized she only had less than an hour left to workout before the class was due to start. Part of her wondered if she even should be hitting her normal routine today. She'd barely slept, her body still ached all over with bruising (as much as she was ignoring/forgetting it), and she'd basically just scarfed down her daily free coffee and a burger for lunch and dinner. The other part of her, the much more dominant part, instantly bellowed: ‘screw that shit, hit something!’

So she went with that. She started with the weights first, the clink of metal following her around the gym as she racked and unracked plates. Focusing on compound lifts that increased her overall strength, she pushed herself hard until she was covered in sweat and her muscles had that nice sense of fatigue to them. Then she switched her favorite endurance training: the heavy bag. Drill after drill, ingrained in her very DNA by Vander’s guidance in her formative years. Jab, jab, cross, uppercut. 

“You don’t train specific combos because you’ll throw them exactly like that in a fight.”

Jab, left hook, jab, cross fake, right hook.

“You do the combos to learn the rhythm of a fight: if I do this, what will he do in response?”

Body shot, cross, jab fake, jab, shin kick.

“And I’m going to teach you two sets of moves. The ones that you use for a ‘fight’ in an official or even semi-offical ring.”

Kick fake, jab, cross, straight kick, knee kick.

“Then there the ones you use when it’s you or them. You don’t use those unless you mean to break bone, crush spirits, and potentially take a life. You get me kiddo?”

Groin snap kick, elbow to the throat, eye gouge, left body hook, right body hook, uppercut.

“I think you’ll find I’m comfortable with quite a lot.”

Vi’s trance-like state of frustration-purging came to an absolute screeching halt as gorgeous blue eyes, full lips twisted into a bemused smile, and a swishing raven blue ponytail suddenly danced in front of her mind’s eye. She actually bent her wrist funny on the bag as her final strike came in stuttering and at an odd angle. Suddenly, all the heat that had been building in her chest shot straight down to between her thighs.

Vi began to unravel like a tightly coiled elastic band being loosed. She’d almost managed to work out all the anxiety and frustration of the revelation about Jinx’s day at school. She even almost managed to work out the confusing frustration of being pent up. But then the image of that little frown of concentration, and a hint of pink on high cheekbones. And the fact that a girl that slim had a rack that big was just-

Vi’s eyes shot open as another wave of very unnecessary arousal rolled through her, and she attacked the bag with a ferocity and need that was nearly manic. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her she had all of 15 minutes before her class was supposed to start, and suddenly the knot of worry and frustration in her stomach was worse than ever. Grinding her teeth, she furiously pounded her wrapped fists into the leather of the bag as sweat dripped down her face, droplets flying free and splashing down to the mat on the floor. Her reddish pink bangs stuck to her forehead, her scarred lips peeled back in a snarl. 

She nearly collapsed before realizing that the insane pace wasn’t helping. Heaving for air, she pressed her wet forehead to the bag, squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to unsuccessfully banish the images of that smile, that frown, the way the stiff uniform somehow hugged long, perfect legs. 

Her eyes snapped back open and she staggered away from the bag. Nope. Not working. Needed relief, needed…

Shit. Twelve minutes left.

Making a snap, wild decision, she practically ran for the locker room. Once inside, she stepped inside of a shower and yanked the curtain closed. With almost frantic movements, she shoved her hand into her shorts, her boy shorts, and found herself absolutely soaked. Fuck, it had been a hot minute since she’d gotten her rocks off. The second her fingers touched her soft pubic hair and the slick, swollen lips underneath, she let out a needy whine. Slapping her other hand over her mouth, she instantly jammed two fingers inside of herself, and her thighs trembled at the sudden sensation of fullness. For a brief second, it was like her mind split into two parts, both working overtime. 

The first half imagined that it was her fingers and Caitlyn’s slick tunnel. The idea drove her to start thrusting rapidly, the soft squelching barely muffled by her shorts. 

The second half imagined the mirror version: it was Caitlyn’s fingers sliding up into her, Caitlyn’s palm rubbing against her swollen clit. 

The two fantasies clashed together like a pair of cars colliding, sending sparks into her brain and pleasure jolting through her whole body. Her thighs quivered as she fingered herself hard and fast. She unconsciously went up on her tiptoes, leaning back against the wall of the shower, back arching something fierce. 

Her heart was thundering inside of her chest, as her pleasure grew and grew, but not quite reaching the satisfying crescendo. Keening quietly in frustration, she moved the hand on her mouth and started squeezing her breast through the tank top and sports bra. Too much fabric in the way. Still thrusting hard, she shoved her hand up underneath her top and bra, finally finding warm, soft flesh. She mauled her tit with her hand, palm rubbing her barbell-pierced nipple and making the erect little nub sing with pleasure. 

That did it. With stuttering gasps and pinched-off groans of release, her body bucked and shuddered, mind going utterly blank. Her inner walls, just as powerful and taut as the rest of her, clamped down on her invading digits like a gushing, velvet vice. It felt like an eternity before she actually came down from the insane pleasure high, panting and…well, she’d already been sweaty. 

“Holy fuck,” Vi panted, staring down at herself as she slowly withdrew her hand from her shorts. Her fingers were glistening and sticky, and she realized just how far she’d been shoving her fingers in desperation when she saw that stickiness soaked into the gauze wrapping on her knuckles. 

Oh she needed to get laid, bad. It had been months since her last fling. What was that girl's name? Diana? She’d been hot. But Vi had found out pretty quick she was just a rebound for some woman named Leona, so that hadn’t lasted more than a night or two. Vi briefly wondered if she still had her contact info, and-

“Yo, Viiiiiii,” came a reedy, sarcastic voice drifting into the locker room, one that had Vi stiffen with alarm in her little shower sanctuary. “Your sexy little grasshoppers are here to learn from their sensei-...hey, where are you?”

The voice had wandered into the locker room instead of remaining at the entrance, the padding of bare feet on the tile a sound Vi recognized all too well. “Fuck my life,” Vi groaned quietly, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. With the hand she’d had stuffed into her cooch. The smell of her own arousal flooded her senses, and she suddenly had to clench her thighs again, because OF COURSE. 

“I’m in here, Pow-Pow,” Vi finally called resignedly. 

“...in the shower?” Powder’s confused voice came closer, as did the padding of her feet. “Why did you…”

There was a really long, really awkward silence. Vi wanted to scream, but instead she just let her head drop backwards against the wall behind her. 

“Oh, geez, you are nasty, woman,” Jinx muttered, retreating quickly. 

“I’ll be out in a-” the door slammed, “-minute. Shit.”

Vi felt both better and worse after that, but thankfully her mind was soon busy with the duty of teaching her woman’s boxing class. In her mind, it wasn’t just an excuse to do something to hopefully bring more clients into Vander’s gym (and earn the salary he insisted on paying her), but to carry on his legacy. His tutelage had given her the skills, discipline, and determination to protect Powder, to protect her family. Now, over half a dozen Zaunite women stood before her, ready to be taught the same lessons. On their faces she saw the hardships of life in Zaun, but also the determination to grow and survive, no matter the odds. Just like her. 

“Alright ladies, hands up. Tonight, I’m gonna-” Vi paused as she saw Tilly’s hand shoot up. The youngest of the group, in her early twenties, she was a bubbly small package of nervous, blonde energy. Vi had been particularly glad of her presence. Someone as sweet and naive as Tilly generally had an unavoidable crash with Zaun’s nasty underbelly, never leaving them the same. She was glad that here, Tilly could learn some realism without having it break her spirit in the process.

“Uh…yeah?” Vi said slowly, gesturing for Tilly to go ahead. 

“Did you get into a fight?” Tilly asked instantly, her voice oozing curiosity. Vi instantly saw relief on the other women’s faces, and realized they were all glad someone else had broached the subject. 

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Of course, there had been no avoiding this conversation.

“Let’s just say I was out at a bar last night, and ‘Bob’ was absolutely convinced he could flip me to play for his team,” Vi lied easily, giving off a little smirk to sell the bit. Based on the wry chuckles that followed, it had done the trick. “Now, focus up!”

“What did you do to him?” came the excited squeak from the back of the class. 

Vi huffed and shot Tilly a withering glare. “She gave him a ligma,” a voice full of mischief suddenly chimed in.

Eight female heads turned to look at Jinx, laying front first on a workout bench and grinning lazily, feet up and kicking back and forth in the air, chin on her hands. Vi had seen that grin a thousand times. That grin was an ambush predator, and if you saw it, it was already too late to divert disaster. 

“Don’t-” Vi began with a groan, but Tilly, of course, took the bait.

“What’s a ligma?” the blonde asked in confusion.

“LICK MAH NUTS, BITCH!” Jinx howled in laughter, rolling off the bench and landing with bone-jarring thud on the matted floor. Not only did the fall not slow her laughter, it actually seemed to get more intense. 

Seven shocked expressions. Seven open mouths. And seven minds utterly forgetting the question of the hour. As always, Powder came to the rescue in a way that only she possibly could. And Vi loved her for it.

“Hands up!” Vi barked, snapping her students back to attention, and launched into the lesson with intensity. Before long, she had them drilling punches, perfecting forms, learning techniques. Some were gifted, some were just starting, and some were…enthusiastic, at the very least. But each one was growing, learning, dedicated. Vi hoped none of them would ever have to use it, but…this was Zaun.

The lesson went well, a welcome distraction from the absolute clusterfuck her mind was at the moment. Watching these women gain confidence and strength, learn the skills to defend themselves, it was a fantastic feeling. She could see Jinx still watching them, except now she was sketching in her notebook, eyes constantly flicking up to linger on Vi or give her half smiles. Vi was not looking forward to the conversation about her little sister’s potential suspension, but for now, that was a future Vi problem.

“How long do you think it’ll be before I can beat guys up?” Tilly asked excitedly as Vi corrected her form near the end of the class. 

“Tilly, I- Look, don’t go picking fights, kay?” Vi sighed, trying not to roll her eyes. “I can beat up guys because I train constantly, and I fight dirty . This isn’t a movie. Guys are gonna be bigger and stronger and faster than you by a lot . Unless you train, a lot . Catch my drift?”

Tilly frowned, clearly not expecting that answer. “But…oh.” 

“Look at this way,” Vi offered. “Most guys don’t know what they’re doing. So if you know what you’re doing, even a little, that’s a huge advantage.” She threw a half-hearted jab at the girl’s blonde head, and gave her an approving grin when she successfully blocked it. “I’m just saying, don’t go picking fights, period. If someone comes after you, give’em hell. But don’t underestimate how nasty it is to fight someone who’s bigger and stronger than you are, and that’s gonna be most guys.”

“Okay,” Tilly sighed, not happy, but apparently accepting the answer. 

Vi patted Tilly on the shoulder, turned to face Powder…and froze dead in her tracks. The look of abject terror on her sister’s face made her blood turn to ice. Powder was half standing, notebook clutched to her chest, eyes so large in her head it was almost disturbing as she stared at something through the large window at the front of the gym. The skinny bluenette was trembling, but even through all the fear, there was a murderous, insane look in her eyes. 

Vi whirled to see what had set Powder off like that, heart beginning to pound, adrenaline already dumping into her system. As soon as she faced the front of the gym, her heart exploded with a thunderous rhythm ten times faster. 

A tall, brown skinned woman just as brawny as Vi and but stacked on several more inches of height. She stood, s moking a cigarillo while she looked through the window right at Powder. A smug , vicious smile curled her thick lips, her cruel face amused as she clearly soaked in Powder’s terror. 

Sevika. Silco’s right hand woman. 

Fuck.

Ten months. Ten months they’d managed to stay under the radar, and Vi had finally begun to believe that Silco was going to let them be. But if they were going to be found anywhere, it would be here. A small part of Vi was just thankful this wasn’t happening at their apartment, that they still (hopefully) had that safe sanctuary for a while longer. But another part of her had always known that this was coming. Their luck would never keep them out of Silco’s reach forever. Vi had been dealt too many shit hands in life to think that. 

Vi didn’t even have time to try and temper the rage, the familiar, consuming inferno swelling up inside of her in a heartbeat. A quickened, pounding heartbeat. Everything else faded away as she stalked out of the gym, Powder’s call for her to come back falling on deaf ears.

“I’m gonna fucking end this right now,” she snarled under her breath. Memories fanned the flame of her anger. Finding Powder, so sickly looking, in a warehouse with a freshly furnished interior, smoking Shimmer and giggling at nothing. Sevika bursting into their old apartment, a knife in her hand. The old apartment in flames. 

Vi slammed the doors of the gym open hard, barreling out into the cold evening air, fists balled. Her body was primed for destruction and violence. It had been a long time, since rescuing Powder, and since Stillwater before that, that she had felt so ready to bring blood and agony. Sevika still stood there, hands stuffed into her leather jacket, her black bob framing her hard features as the ember at the end of her cigarillo lit up her face. 

“Hey Vi,” the woman drawled, venom oozing out of every word. “Long time no see.”

There was no point in pleasantries. No point in trying to come to some sort of solution. Silco and his people were evil in a way that not even the most rotten depths of Stillwater had shown her. 

“You’re dead, bitch,” Vi growled, moving forward, already stepping on the balls of her feet. Her muscles were primed and ready to snap her body into the deadly dance of pain.

Sevika’s grin only broadened at her words. The street around Vander’s was relatively empty at this time, but the few people nearby quickly began to move away, eyes wide. Zaun was no stranger to violence, and people learned to notice the signs and get out of the way. 

“He’ll get her back, you know,” Sevika sneered, going to casually unzip her leather jacket as Vi quickly closed the distance between them. “Because even if I don’t take her to him, she’ll eventually go back herself. His little baby girl can’t stay away for long.”

Vi’s next step faltered as the fire of anger surged into a tornado of pure flame, a whirlwind of scorching, relentless heat. How. Fucking. Dare she. Talk about POWDER.

Vi didn’t bother with words. She just surged forward, stepping easily into a fighting stance, fists raised. But in an instant, she froze as Sevika’s hand landed on the pistol, revealed by her now open jacket. Vi stood rooted in place, nostrils flaring as she breathed hard. 

“You fucking coward,” she growled, but Sevika only grinned wider. 

The thug was so close, grinning mockingly at her, daring her to try and lunge the last few feet. Vi figured she could probably beat her draw, she was so close, just another big step and she could lay into that-

“Is everything alright here?”

If Vi could have, in that moment, articulated the thing she least expected to happen, it would have been to hear that voice. Frankly, she would have expected a meteor to take out Zaun before hearing that crisp, accented voice snap the words out like a command instead of a question. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised, her or Sevika, as they both turned to see…

Beauty incarnate. In an Enforcer uniform. Because Vi’s life was just that upside down.

Later, Vi would realize that Caitlyn must have parked around the corner and been headed for the front door when she saw what was clearly about to be a violent confrontation. But in the moment, it was as though she had materialized out of thin air and appeared to bring the wrath of the heavens. 

Vi was so stunned that she just gaped, anger almost fizzling out, but Sevika’s looming, threatening presence kept her anchored to the moment. Sevika, however, managed to respond as Caitlyn strode forward. “No problem here, officer. We’re doing just fine. This is Zaun business.”

Caitlyn’s face was so stony and intense that Vi actually felt a chill at the way her blue, piercing eyes bored into both of them. Her gaze then riveted on Sevika’s hand, which she hadn’t bothered to remove from the firearm stuffed into her waistband. 

“Take your hand off that weapon, slowly,” Caitlyn snapped, lips pressed into a thin line, posture tense but commanding. 

“Or what, rookie?” Sevika laughed, absolutely unperturbed. “Do you know who I-”

Neither of them even saw Caitlyn draw. Vi was fast, and she knew it. She was fast like someone whose life had depended on it over and over. She was fast like someone who was always aware of every possible threat around her. 

But she hadn’t even seen the tall Enforcer reach for her sidearm, let alone pull it out and then aim it at Sevika’s head with stock-still confidence. It was as though the gun had just appeared in her hand. 

“Or I’ll blow your brains all over that window,” Caitlyn replied in a voice that was absolutely calm and collected. The smooth barrel of the semi-automatic .45 didn’t waver in the slightest, and something told Vi that from 15 feet away, Sevika had the same chances of dodging that bullet as she did becoming a councilor. 

Ho. Ly. Shit. It was the absolute most bad-ass thing Vi had ever seen in her whole life. 

Sevik a nearly dropped her cigarillo and her face grew a tad pale as she took a step backward, hand instinctively yanking away from her own handgun. And in the moment, Vi couldn’t blame her. It had to be gut-wrenching to go from believing you’re totally in control, to staring down certain death in the hands of the hottest cop in both cities.

But then Sevika seemed to gather her wits and squared her shoulders. “Rookie, you’re making a huge mistake,” she snarled, hand hovering near the butt of her own weapon. 

At Sevika’s aggressive posture, Vi took a step forward, fists coming up again as she felt an instant surge of protective instinct. She’d been ready to cave Sevika’s skull in moments before, and the fact that her gun was now out of play presented a perfect opportunity for just that.

“Vi,” Caitlyn barked, and she skidded to a stop mid-step. The Enforcer’s eyes flicked to her just briefly, giving her a glare that clearly meant, ‘don’t you dare move’. Vi gritted her teeth, rage still howling in her mind to tear Sevika limb from limb. She flexed her fingers, standing in a combat crouch no more than five feet away on Sevika’s flank. 

Then the door to the gym burst open, and all eyes snapped to the hulking figure stepping through them. Vi had never seen Vander radiate pure threat like he was at that moment, massive shoulders taut with power. His expression briefly registered surprise as he laid eyes on Caitlyn, who was keeping her gun trained on Sevika. Then he took in the whole picture, the three women perched on the edge of a violent encounter. Sevika clearly wasn’t going to back down. 

“Sir, go back inside. My name is officer-” Caitlyn began stiffly, eyeing Vander like he might be either a complication or a threat, but the big man interrupted her. 

“Officer, no offense, but you will never get that dog to back down,” Vander said, keeping his hands in clear view. 

Sevika’s eyes snapped to him with a snarl at the insult, glaring daggers out of the corner of her eye as she continued to face Caitlyn’s leveled weapon. 

“Stay out of this Vander,” Sevika hissed, turning back to Caitlyn, clearly tensing to try something. 

“You know the rules. Silco knows the rules,” Vander growled menacingly, his voice like iron as he continued to slowly approach the woman. Caitlyn and Sevika were about the same height, probably about 6’1”. But Vander loomed over them both, a presence that seemed to fill the entire space. “Neutral. Territory. Your petty squabbles have no business here, on my property.”

“Heh,” Sevika scoffed, still staring down death with a defiant sneer. “You don’t get it, do you old man? Your rules don’t fly anymore. Your days of pretending to float above it all are over.”

“Maybe you both need a reminder,” Vi snarled, taking another half step forward, only to have Vander’s massive palm land on her shoulder. She didn’t look at him, but it was only with an extreme effort of will that she allowed him to hold her back. Her skin felt hot, like it was bubbling from underneath, about to melt off her bones if she didn’t absolutely waste the threat to her sister here and now. 

“As much as I find Zaun underground politics fascinating,” Caitlyn cut in, her voice sharp, clear and level. “None of this matters in the face of the law. I’m taking you in, for failure to comply with orders from an Enforcer.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be out before you can even process me,” Sevika chuckled darkly. Vi’s blood ran cold, and she saw a flicker of doubt in Caitlyn’s face for the briefest moment. That hadn’t been a bluster or a bluff on a Sevika’s part, Vi was positive. There was too much conviction in her words, too much arrogant confidence as she looked down the barrel of a gun. 

“Walk away,” came Vander’s rumble, his words still rolling with dangerous thunder. “A stint in a holding cell is the least of your worries right now. And believe me, Silco’s friends can’t help you if I get involved.”

“Fuck that,” Vi hissed, getting ready to spring forward yet again. “I’m gonna-”

“Remember that there’s an officer of the law here,” Caitlyn cut in, voice like steel. “And that any act of violence will result in arrest.”

Vi felt a strange tearing in her soul. Her anger wanted to now direct itself at the Enforcer. The word ‘arrested’ boomed in her mind like the peal of a doomsday bell. If there was one thing that scared or enraged her almost as much as Silco and his lapdog, it was the thought of going back to Stillwater. But even as she turned baleful grey eyes on Caitlyn, her heart revolted, shoving the anger aside before it could lash out at the raven-haired woman. The mere sight of her, standing tall and proud, staring down the most dangerous woman in the Lanes, was enough to steal Vi’s breath away. 

Thankfully, Vander’s voice cut through the tension like it always did: with the force of an avalanche.

“Walk. Away.” The words were a final warning, growled out in a voice so low that it sounded more like boulders grinding against each other. 

Vi couldn’t see the expression on Vander’s face, but she could feel the tension in his hand. The small, rational part of her mind knew that this situation, with these individuals, was a powder keg ready to go off at the smallest spark. Vander was trying to prevent a massacre. Vi very much wanted to get that massacre started.

For three long heartbeats, no one moved. Then, incredibly, Sevika’s shoulders relaxed and she lifted her hands in the air. With one last death glare at Vi and Vander, she began to slowly back away towards the closest alley. “This isn’t over, Vander,” Sevika sneered, moving carefully as Caitlyn kept her gun trained without even a hint of reluctance. “And watch your back, Officer Kiramman. Even token rookies have accidents,” she spat at Caitlyn, before slipping around the corner of the alley and disappearing. 

Vi slapped Vander’s hand off her shoulder, whirling on him, barely able to control the boiling fury inside. The fury that had flared and then found no outlet. “What the fuck Vander?” she practically screamed at him. “Now she knows where Powder is! They’re gonna come for her! You should have let me end that bitch!”

“Get control of yourself. Now.”

Vi’s anger h ad a large bucket of cold water dumped on it at the unyielding force in Vander’s voice. His tone was practically the same growl as he’d used on Sevika, and he’d never talked to Vi like that before. For a moment, she felt a stab of betrayal as she looked up into his stony, frowning features. 

She forced herself to take a deep breath, to unclench her fists, and ran her hand through her mop of sweaty hair. The closely buzzed left side of her head felt oddly cold, compared to her right side, which felt overheated under the red tumble of hair. Closing her eyes, she wrestled her emotions under control, and forced herself to trust Vander's judgment. 

“I better get a hell of an explanation out of all this,” Caitlyn stated, her voice cold as she reholstered her sidearm. 

Vi watched as Vander turned to eye the Enforcer, the powerful threat he emanated slowly dissipating. Stroking his chin, he jerked his head towards his gym. “I think a chat would do us all some good. Care to join me in my office, officer?”

Caitlyn nodded curtly, and then glanced at Vi. Their eyes met for just a brief moment, and Vi saw…concern? Worry? It was gone in a flash, but Vi could have sworn she saw the other woman look her up and down with genuine care, like she was checking for injuries. 

Vi's own head was a roiling mess, thoughts tumbling over each other in an attempt to get her attention. Get Powder out of here. Find a new apartment. Run. Fight. How long did they have? What was Silco’s plan? Why had Vander stopped her? What would Caitlyn do?

It was making it difficult to think clearly, and so she sullenly followed Vander back into the gym. Her class of women were staring, wide eyed and open-mouthed, whispering to each other, boxing practice entirely forgotten. VI had a feeling this story would be all over the Lanes in no time. Just one more thing to add to the shitty pile of bad that was growing like a mountain over her. 

Her eyes sought out Powder, and for a split second, she began to panic when she didn't immediately see her sister. But as Vander pushed open the door to his small corner office, there she was, curled up in a ball in the corner. Her expression was no longer terrified. It was worse. It was that awful, heart-wrenching dead look, utterly devoid of emotion that had been her primary expression when Vi had gone through the grueling process of weaning her off of Shimmer. Vi never, ever wanted to see that horrible, empty gaze on Powder's beautiful, gaunt face ever again. 

Vi fell to her knees at Powder's side, wrapping her arms around her and gently pulling her close. She felt so very small in her arms, so vulnerable, it made Vi want to cry. 

“I told you he'd never let me go,” Jinx whispered, voice hollow. She wasn't even looking at Vi, just sat staring off into nothingness with unseeing eyes . 

“It doesn't matter what he does. I've got you,” Vi murmured back, her words soothing and gentle with an effort. Her hand gently stroked Powder's face and hair, trying to pour life back into the empty shell she was hugging. “No matter what happens, I've got you. I'll stop him.”

Powder didn't respond, except to close her eyes and lean into Vi. Even that much had Vi feeling a surge of relief, however. It was something. 

Vi could feel the intense, perceptive blue eyes behind her, studying them, analyzing everything. But to her credit, Caitlyn remained silent as Vander shut the door behind them and leaned against the wall. 

“Officer,” he sighed heavily, all aggression gone, leaving him sounding exhausted. “As much as I hate to say it, I think you'd better follow Sevika’s advice and forget about all of this.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Vi saw Caitlyn's jaw clench and her eyes go hard, and she opened her mouth to respond…but then paused. Her gaze once again slid over to the corner, where Vi was still holding Powder, stroking her ridiculously long braids. Vi saw her eyes soften, a flicker of some emotion passing over them. And for some reason, Vi felt her heart swell at the Enforcer's next words. 

“Why? What's actually going on here? Who was she?” Caitlyn asked finally. She wasn't backing down, but she wasn’t trying to force her way through this either. 

“That was Silco's right hand woman,” Vander explained, pulling out his pipe and a box of matches. “Jinx here has a…history with them.”

Caitlyn glanced at Powder again, her eyebrows drawn together in a way that Vi had begun to associate with the taller Enforcer thinking hard. “I've heard of this Silco, but it's blasted difficult to get any actual information on him,” Caitlyn finally admitted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “He seems to be at the center of a great deal of the crime in Zaun and Piltover alike. You're saying that he's connected to Vi?”

Vander paused, lit match stuck in the bowl of his pipe. Vi wasn't sure what exactly to make of the expression on his face. 

“You know a lot for being brand new to the force,” he said slowly. Was Vander…impressed? “Most Pilties don't have a clue he even exists.”

Caitlyn's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and her shoulders stiffened a little. “How did you know I'm brand new?”

“Sevika is a lot of things, but out of date with her info isn't one of them. ‘Rookie’ and ‘Kiramman’ stood out,” Vander replied, beginning to puff on his pipe. 

Vi frowned. Kiramman. Why was that name so familiar?

Then it clicked, just as Caitlyn let out a tiny, exasperated sigh. “Wait, Kiramman?” Vi blurted out, before she could stop herself. No. Fucking. Way. “As in ‘Councilor Kiramman’?” The way Caitlyn instantly winced was all the confirmation she needed. 

Vi couldn’t believe this. The woman she'd been ogling all day, fantasizing about, the Enforcer she'd been neatly rescued by was a member of the richest, most powerful families in Piltover. 

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck her life. 

Caitlyn 

As always, her family name hounded her and stole the spotlight without fail. 

Caitlyn had analyzed this phenomenon intensely over many years, and realized that, logically, this made sense. After all, people were always looking to make connections or understand in what context to place other people. Perhaps it wasn’t always the most productive instinct that humans had, but it was simply the reality. So the rational part of her mind had conceded that she shouldn’t let these frequent occurrences bother her.

Well, her rational mind could go suck a dick. 

Every. Single. Time. Middleschool, high school, college, dates (the few she had), parties, investigative journalism classes, trying to become an Enforcer. It didn’t matter what she tried to do, or who she tried to get to know. The second her family’s name came up, everything changed. Became fake, forced, more difficult, even as it was intentionally made easier for her. 

She hated it. She hated it with every fiber of her being so intensely that she wanted to scream. It didn’t matter that she knew, logically, that it was just a reality that was no one’s fault. Her heart resented being unable to accomplish anything for herself. To be able to test herself, really, with no help or hindrance because of who she was born as. Because she was a Kiramman. 

She couldn’t look Vi in the eyes as she finally admitted: “Yes, that Kiramman. I’m councilor Cassandra’s daughter.” Caitlyn’s finger began to tap a staccato rhythm on her arm, folded in front of her chest defensively. It was a bad habit, but it was either that or bounce her heel. “But I assure you, my actions as an officer of the law are in no way connected to my mother or her political interests.”

Oh goddess, she could feel it already. The judgment. The, ‘oh, so you got where you are because your mother made sure you did’. The sudden pinning of every failed political movement from the council squarely on her shoulders. Or, worse, the immediate pandering, as if she were a genie whose lamp someone could rub just right to get whatever they wanted. 

“So what the hell are you doing in Zaun?” Vi’s voice was grating, as if she was trying to figure out a bizarre puzzle.

“It’s where the greatest need was,” Caitlyn replied coldly. Well, the fantasies had been nice. But clearly, her family name wasn’t just determined to ruin her career. Laners were famous for their absolute hatred of the political elite and ruling class.

An absolutely unladylike snort followed. “Guess there are some decent Pilties after all,” Vi said, but her tone was more tired than biting. 

Caitlyn blinked twice and then turned to glance down at Vi. Vi was looking back, her arms still wrapped around the skinny, blue haired teenage girl who’d been curled up in a corner. In those steel grey eyes, Caitlyn saw no hint of judgment. No expectation. Just curiosity. 

That did strange things to her heart. Suddenly, all the fantasies came flaring back to life, and she had to consciously close her mouth so she wouldn’t gape. Vi didn’t seem to care in the least who her family was, either to get something from her or to assume something about her. She just accepted that Caitlyn was whoever she presented herself to be. 

Then Caitlyn caught the blue-eyed death glare being aimed her direction, and the skin on the back of her neck prickled. The girl who was, presumably, Vi’s sister was peeking out from behind her bangs at Caitlyn. Vi almost certainly couldn’t see her expression, with her brawny arms wrapped around that tiny frame and looking at Caitlyn and Vander. But those eyes…if looks could kill, Caitlyn would have been incinerated on the spot. It was so jarring to go from Vi’s hard, inquisitive gaze to a look of pure hostility that Caitlyn almost took a step back. 

Unsettled, Caitlyn turned back to Vander. “Fine, yes. I’m a relatively new officer, and this is my first posting. But I spent months in the academy doing research, interviewing people from the Lanes whenever I could. I’d always had a suspicion that the majority of the organized crime in Zaun had a hidden figure at the center of it. Now, you’re telling me that you and Vi are tied up in all this somehow?” 

Vander mulled over the words for a moment, cocking his head back and forth in thought. “Probably not in the way you’re thinking. But again, Officer, you’d be better off leaving this whole thing alone. I mean it.”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at him, a little insulted that this big man would think so little of her that the idea of dealing with organized crime would be reason enough to neglect her sworn duty of protection. “And why would I do that? If I file a report, get this Sevika into our systems as a major player in Silco’s operation, we could actually make some headway towards finally taking them down. This isn’t some movie where I can just ignore criminal actions.”

“Hah! Good one!” The high-pitched, savage giggle was like a whip crack in the room, all eyes instantly turning to look at the girl Caitlyn was assuming was Vi’s family member. What had Vander called her? Jinx?

The teen’s eyes were flashing with anger, not humor, even as she grinned at Caitlyn, all mismatched teeth. “ Oh, but my duty!” Jinx took on a overly pretentious caricature of Caitlyn’s accent as she mockingly threw out an Enforcer salute. “ I, an Enforcer, a brrrrrute of Piltover would neeeeeever turn a blind eye to crime! Fantastic joke, toots.”

Vi and Vander seemed almost as shocked as Caitlyn felt at the outburst, but recovered far more quickly than she did. “Hey, knock it off,” Vi mumbled, giving the girl a squeeze on her shoulder. 

Jinx’s glare, now combined with a truly erratic grin, was extremely unnervin g. The hair on the back of Caitlyn’s neck was standing up, and she wondered just how unstable the teenager actually was. 

“Untactful as that was, Jinx has a point,” Vander sighed heavily. “You’re new, and you seem to have your heart in the right place, Officer.” Again, Caitlyn rankled at the patronizing tone, but the big man didn’t give her a chance to interject. “But trust me. Spend a little more time on the force, and you’ll see pretty quick that there’s a reason no one has gone after Silco. Why he’s managed to get a finger in every pie.”

Caitlyn was about to snap back some retort about that being all the more reason to launch an investigation now, but then her mind caught up to all of the implications of what Vander said. Her frown deepened, and she asked, “Are you implying that the Enforcers are corrupt? That some of them are in Silco’s pockets?” 

It was an absolutely ludicrous assertion, but Vander didn’t reply. He just met her gaze steadily, his expression neutral and his eyes seeming to carry the weight of terrible experience. “No, there’s not a chance,” Caitlyn insisted, refusing to believe that some petty Zaun drug lord had somehow infiltrated Piltover’s protectors and law enforcers.

Vander shrugged in a noncommittal way, clearly not too worried about convincing her. Caitlyn shoved away the nagging doubt in the back of her mind. The same one that had been whispering to her for months, asking why no one else had realized what she had about Zaun’s criminal structure. If that were even remotely true it would mean that Piltover was just as bad as the Zaunites claimed. That the organization she had dedicated herself to, mind, soul, and body was nothing more than another puppet. That…that she was still a failure. 

The thought made her sick. No, she wouldn’t believe it, not without hard evidence. 

“Do what you need to do, Officer. I’ve said my piece,” Vander murmured around his pipe. “One more question though. How in the world do you two know each other?” His finger flicked between Caitlyn and Vi

At first, Caitlyn wasn’t sure what he meant by the question. Then Vi let out a chortle, and she felt a tiny little blush on her cheeks. Oh, bollocks. Of course Vi would find this amusing. The real question was, why did Vi’s amusement make her both angry and delighted? It was like butterflies in her stomach, but mechanical ones that exploded, with razor sharp wings. 

“You came to check out the class didn’t you?” Vi sniggered. Caitlyn shot her an annoyed, exasperated look, the blush feeling warmer and warmer. Her finger tapping redoubled, and she had to fight not to bounce her heel too. 

“I thought it would be a good way to learn more about the community,” Caitlyn huffed, noticing the way Jinx’s death glare had redoubled after a betrayed glance at Vi. Was she…jealous? Brilliant. 

Vi started to stand up, as if to continue the conversation (and teasing Caitlyn) from a more height-equidistant point, except even Caitlyn saw Jinx’s fingers turn into claws and keep her planted right there. The interesting thing about that, however, was not Jinx’s possessiveness. Rather, it was how easily and immediately Vi gave into it. 

Caitlyn, an only child, suddenly got a lump in her throat, and felt a little more charitable to the skinny, unstable looking teen.

At Vander’s confused frown, Caitlyn gave him a cursory explanation of their meeting at the Fluffy Poro, and how she found out about Vi’s nightly boxing class. Vander got an intrigued expression, glancing between the two of them. If he found it strange, or had any other thoughts on the matter, he didn’t share them. Slapping his hands on his meaty thighs, he straightened from leaning against the wall. “It’s been a pleasure, Officer Kiramman. Think over what I said. Shall I see you out?” His voice was friendly enough, but it was as clear a dismissal as he could have made. 

Caitlyn hesitated, and for some reason, found herself looking to Vi. She wasn’t sure if she was looking for guidance, support, or to make sure that the brawny woman and her sister were actually okay. Somehow, it didn’t seem right to go without checking. “And what about this whole situation? Will you all be…safe?” she asked, hesitantly, not sure how much they would let her pry at this point. 

Vi’s face darkened, and Jinx seemed to shrink in on herself, though she didn’t stop glaring at Caitlyn. Vi blew out some air, in an almost forlorn way. “Shit Vander. Think they know where we live?” she asked huskily, eyes almost glowing with intensity. 

Vander shook his head almost immediately. “No. I think this was a prod, and a weak one at that. He’s trying to see how we react, gather info,” he rumbled, and Caitlyn was a bit awed at the amount of strength he radiated. “If he’d known where you’re living, he’d have sent her there instead, to scare you more.”

“I’m not scared. I’m pissed off,” Vi snarled, and Vander gave her a look. Caitlyn deliberately kept her mouth shut, filing away each word as a piece of the puzzle that was shaping up before her. 

“You should be scared. This is only going to get more serious, kiddo,” he rumbled, and the paternal concern in his voice was a surprise to Caitlyn. 

Her own father was nothing like this man. She loved him, dearly. He was the one person who supported her no matter what, helped her to try new things to test herself, was her greatest cheerleader. Her father, Tobias, was warm, friendly, hospitable, and brilliant. Her mother often said he was her secret weapon, her rock in any storm, and Caitlyn couldn’t help but agree with her mother on that point. A rarity. But Vander was like a massive shield wall, a pillar that could support you even if hell itself descended, protect you against anything. And after seeing just how dangerous he could appear in their confrontation with Sevika, she had little doubt that he could back it up.

It really was a completely different world here in Zaun, than the one she was used to.

“Think he’s got someone watching the place?” Vi asked, finally prying herself away from Jinx to stand up and start pacing in the office. 

“Certainly. I would offer you a ride home, but I’m sure he knows my car by now,” Vander said apologetically, scratching at his beard as he continued to puff at his pipe. 

An idea occurred to Caitlyn, and before she could even think, the words were leaving her mouth. “I could drive you, in the patrol vehicle,” she offered. 

Vi paused in her pacing, for just a moment, eyes wide, but then resumed, shaking her head. “No good. He’ll follow your car just as easily.” 

“Not like we’d want to ride in an Enforcer car anyway,” Jinx muttered sullenly, and Caitlyn almost raised an eyebrow at her. What she’d done to get on Jinx’s bad side was only half a mystery, but surely, after two interactions, she couldn’t possibly be seen as a threat for Vi’s attention.

…right?

Undeterred, Caitlyn pressed on. “Not if I take you into Piltover first, through the bridge, and then loop back through the East exit. They’d lose track of you completely, and have to guess where and when we would come back into Zaun in order to continue tracking us.”

Vi and Vander shared a look. “That…could actually work,” Vander said slowly, turning a thoughtful gaze on Caitlyn. “But you do realize, that’d be doing the exact opposite of what I told you. Whoever Silco has watching will absolutely note you as helping us.”

Caitlyn shrugged. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take. I think I’ve proved I can handle myself.” She wasn’t about to get back into the debate of just how far this Silco’s reach extended. Either way, she wanted to help.

Vi was studying her, and Caitlyn felt her heart skip a beat under the scrutiny. But she met Vi’s gaze evenly, even as her heart restarted and began to flutter in the most inconvenient way. It was so hard not to look the other woman up and down, to take in all that lean power that managed to leave her feminine curves still intact, if more angular. And the way her handsome-gorgeous features just radiated so much confidence…Caitlyn wanted to cup her cheeks and trail her fingers along that angular, defined jawline, press gentle kisses on the bruises covering her cheek and eye. 

With a massive mental effort, she steered her mind back to the present and gave Vi a reassuring nod. “Let me help,” she said, trying to let Vi see her genuine concern. It felt odd, working to let someone into her emotional landscape, insead of kicking them out.

“Oh come on!” Jinx groused, jumping to her bare feet. “There’s gotta be some other option than going with an Enforcer. ”

“Chill, Powder,” Vi began, and suddenly the short girl looked truly furious. 

“It’s. Jinx,” she snarled, and Caitlyn was taken aback by the fury in her voice. “ Powder? What is going on with these two?” Her mind tried to sort through all the information she had, but really, she was in the dark with so much of this situation. It unsettled her, left her feeling unprepared. 

Vi put her hands up in a placating gesture, wincing slightly, lips pressing together. “Jinx. Sorry. C’mon, we have to get home, get back to Mom. And we can’t risk letting them know where we live. Survival first, right?”

Jinx looked like she wanted to keep arguing, eyes still blazing with outrage, particularly at Caitlyn. Eventually, however, her thin shoulders slumped, and she muttered a resentful; “Fine.”

Vi let out a quiet sigh of relief and turned to Vander. “I guess I’ll need to stay away from here for a while.”

Vander nodded solemnly. “Give me some time to talk to a few people who owe me favors. We’ll figure it out, kiddo. We always do.”

Vi gave the man a grin that seemed forced before turning back to Caitlyn. “Well? We doin’ this?”

Vi

To say that the ride in the patrol car was tense would have been the understatement of the century. Vi saw Caitlyn check her mirrors with paranoid regularity, and tense every time a call came over the radio. Of course, Vi wasn’t faring much better. Sitting in the front passenger seat, she was constantly scanning the surrounding area, half convinced that enemies were around every corner, in every vehicle. Being in the car at all made her skin crawl. It brought a swarm of awful memories that made her stomach churn, as much as she tried to banish them.

Blood on the tiles. Red and blue lights. Getting shoved into a patrol car just like this one. 

Arriving at Stillwater.

Vi wasn’t exactly up to date on Enforcer codes of conduct (hah, as if they had any) but got the feeling Caitlyn would get in trouble if she were found escorting a couple Laners through the border twice. While Piltover and Zaun were technically one political entity, in practicality, neither wanted anything to do with the other. Each entryway was guarded, and any kind of merchandise moving back and forth had to go through a mini sort of customs. 

Conversation was pretty dead. Powder, sequestered away in the back seat, was a stewing tempest of petulance and anxiety. Vi knew she hated being in this vehicle just as much as she did, but wasn’t bothering to try and hide it. She had her notebook out, drawing furiously. It was propped up on top of her backpack, which was set on her drawn-up knees. She was basically scrunched into the corner of the bench, slouched down so far that she was completely hidden from outside viewers.

Vi glanced back at her, for probably the 5th time in half as many minutes. With the situation being what it was, she wasn’t sure if she was checking on Powder to make sure she was okay, or if she was reassuring herself that her sister was still safe. Probably both.

Caitlyn must have noticed, because her white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel very intentionally relaxed. She glanced over at Vi and…smiled. Encouragingly. 

Vi’s stomach did a happy little flip-flop inside of her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Thanks, if I haven’t already said it,” she drawled, her voice scratchy with the storm of emotions billowing inside of her.

“I’m glad I could help,” Caitlyn replied softly. “Based on your directions, I think we’ll be at your apartment building in about ten minutes.”

Vi grunted in affirmation. The crossing between Zaun and Piltover had been stressful as hell each time, but the Enforcers directing traffic had just waved the patrol car through both times without stopping them. 

“Can I ask you something?” Caitlyn continued, and Vi perked up.

“Sure,” she answered, trying not to sound too eager.

“ Sure, ” came a muttered, mocking mimic of her voice from the back seat. 

Vi frowned. She didn’t know what had gotten Jinx’s panties in a twist about Caitlyn. She was even less of a fan of Enforcers than Vi was, sure. But this level of animosity was something else. There was absolutely no hint of the normal teasing in Jinx’s tone whenever she spoke, not since Caitlyn had walked into Vander’s office. It was as though her younger sister was bound and determined to make the Enforcer feel as unwelcome as possible. Which wasn’t particularly helpful considering that they were relying on her to get them home safe. 

Vi decided to ignore Jinx’s little comment for the moment and gestured for Caitlyn to go ahead. Caitlyn’s brow had creased into that cute little frown of concentration, like when she couldn’t figure something out. But she did ask her question.

“How do you know Vander? I take it, based on appearance, that you’re not related in any way.” The words came out cautiously, as if she were carefully testing the boundaries of what Vi would be willing to open up about. 

Vi thought about how to answer for a moment, putting a booted foot up on the dash. Caitlyn’s frown deepened, but she didn’t say anything. Vi gave her a smirk. 

“I guess he’s kinda like my second dad,” Vi answered finally, turning over memories in her mental picture book. “He started training me back…damn, about eight or nine years ago now. I guess he saw something in me and decided to train me.”

“You hadn’t had any boxing experience before that?” Caitlyn prodded, and Vi looked over at the bluenette, curious. What was she fishing for?

“Nah. Didn’t even know how to throw a punch, really. I mean, I’d scrapped plenty with other kids, but nothing serious. I was one angry kid, so I was always getting into fights,” Vi chuckled again, thinking back to days that were…well, not exactly happier. But simpler.

“Was?” Caitlyn asked innocently, another smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Goddess. Vi wanted to grab her head and kiss her right there, right on the corner of her mouth. She wanted to make that smile get bigger before turning into an entirely different shape, something like an ‘O’. 

Vi grinned right back, unable to feel any sting. “Okay, fair point, Cupcake,” she smirked, and the nickname had the perfectly intended effect. Caitlyn pursed her lips and blushed, just a little. 

“Oh. My. Gawdess. Get a room,” Jinx hissed venomously. 

Caitlyn, for once, threw Jinx a dirty look in the rearview mirror. Vi sighed, half tempted to tell her sister to grow up and stop being a little brat. 

“Look, what do you really want to ask, Cait?” Vi said, deciding to keep ignoring her sister for now.

Caitlyn was silent for a moment longer, and then asked even more carefully: “So what made you want to learn to fight in the first place? Was it just your ‘scraps’ with other children?”

Ah. Shoulda seen that one coming.

Vi felt more than heard Powder suddenly suck in a breath and hold it. Vi felt her own chest constrict, and the tension in the car became thick enough that she could have cut it with a knife. Caitlyn seemed to sense that she’d stepped into something serious, but didn’t say anything more, just waited patiently. 

Blood on the tile floor.

“Our uh…our step dad was a pretty bad guy.” The confession surprised Vi as it slipped past her lips, some unseen force drawing it out of her from a place where it lay buried deep. Again, Vi felt instead of saw Powder tense at her admission, probably reliving the same dark experience Vi was. Except she’d been so much younger than Vi, didn’t have the same rage in the moment to protect her fragile mind from…from that sight.

“Oh. I see.” The words were simple, but the amount of gentleness and compassion that Caitlyn managed to pack into them made Vi’s heart throb painfully. She met Cait’s eyes and saw not a hint of pity or horror. Only tenderness.

The last couple minutes of the drive went by in silence, until they parked in front of the dilapidated old apartment building that rose four stories into the air. Powder almost immediately started yanking on the door handle, and Vi was pretty grateful herself that it prompted Caitlyn to unlock them quickly. Powder practically spilled out of the vehicle, and Vi hopped out a bit faster than was probably tactful. But the second she was in free air again, she took in a deep breath and felt herself relax properly. Caitlyn was stepping out a moment later, and Vi couldn’t help but notice how the yellow glow of the street lamp mad her look almost…angelic. Whooooo boy, Vi thought, feeling heat once again suffuse her entire body. This was actually getting dangerous. She could not get mixed up with a Piltie. Let alone the fucking Kiramman heir. Let alone an ENFORCER.

She’d keep lying to herself just as long as she could.

The night was cold, and Vi jammed her hands into her jeans pockets. Powder had climbed on top of the fire hydrant right in front of the building, crouched like some mini, pale gargoyle on top of it. Vi could see her shivering, but Jinx didn’t seem to notice. She was just glaring at Caitlyn.

“Why don’t you head inside Pow-Pow, and check on Mom?” Vi told her as Caitlyn walked around the front of the patrol car. “I’ll be right there.”

For a second, rebellion shone in Powder’s eyes. But then she hung her head and muttered, “Fine.” She then slunk off, shooting one last look over her shoulder before pulling the creaky front door open and vanishing into the dimly lit interior. 

Vi knew she would have to talk to Powder tonight, figure out what was going on in that jumbled up head of hers. Goddess, Silco. Fuck. Was she ever going to be able to get her sister out of that monster’s shadow?

She tried to push that aside for the moment and turned to Caitlyn, who stopped a couple feet away, crossing her arms in front of her chest. That uh…it made her rather generous tits push up a little, in a seriously tantalizing way. Vi tried to fight it, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from shooting down to the glorious swell that even that stupid uniform couldn’t hide. What she wouldn’t give to see that woman in a long, flowing dress.

“Thanks. Again,” Vi puffed out, her voice cracking just a bit. It was suddenly hard to meet Cait’s eyes. She stood there awkwardly, hands jammed into her pockets, the long-sleeve red dress shirt barely enough to keep off the worst of the cold.

“How is Jinx connected to Silco?” Caitlyn asked, and Vi winced. “I’m sorry,” Caitlyn added hastily. “I know I’m asking about things that aren’t my business, but any information you give me could help me open an investigation. We can take him down properly.”

Vi snorted derisively, kicking a loose rock and sending it skittering across the cracked and broken sidewalk. When she didn’t immediately answer, Caitlyn snapped: “Look, I understand that you don’t trust Enforcers. But we exist, first and foremost, to protect the people. I’m sorry you don’t believe that, but maybe give me a chance to do my damn job before you just write me off as some idiotic, idealistic rookie!”

Well damn. Vi’s eyebrows were trying to meet up with her hairline as she stared at Caitlyn until the woman finished her tirade, and met her challenging glare with open admiration. “Cupcake, I don’t think it’s possible for me to think of you as an idiot,” she croaked, smirking.

Caitlyn let out an exasperated sigh, her arms (sadly) dropping from their folded position and planted her hands on her hips. “Brilliant. So just an idealistic rookie then?” she huffed, but the fight had gone out of her tone. And there was that tiny little blush.

Vi decided to change tactics. She didn’t think for a second Caitlyn would actually be able to get the ball rolling with the Enforcers and take down Silco. The Shimmer Baron probably did have his slimy grip on the cops in one way or another. But…she found herself wanting to tell Caitlyn about the awful things she and her sister had been through. At least some of them.

“My sister had a rough time after I went to prison,” Vi began slowly, and it felt like she had to force the words out one by one. After they dropped, however, it was like they stopped weighing her down. “I was on the inside for four years, which is a hell of a lot of time for a teenager to get into trouble around here.”

Caitlyn listened quietly, looking like she was hanging on every word. Her earlier irritation was completely gone, and dammit, those blue eyes somehow looked at her with so much fucking compassion. It made it both harder and easier to continue. 

“Vander tried to be there for her, but I guess she got pretty good at pushing people away. I…I found out, after, that she sent me a bunch of letters.” Talking about that hurt so bad, Vi’s chest ached like someone had punched her right in the sternum. Knowing Powder had been trying to keep some connection between them alive, only to think… “Every fuckin’ week, she wrote me. Stillwater took’em, said they delivered’em to me, but…but they didn’t. Probly just threw them out.”

Caitlyn gaped. “That’s…horrible! That must be in violation of at least a dozen laws, the warden should be…” Caitlyn’s voice trailed off as Vi gave her a meaningful look. Vi wasn’t particularly good at being gentle, but she was trying. She didn’t want to shatter Caitlyn’s outlook on the world or anything, make her as jaded and cynical as Vi was. Hell, the world could probably stand to have a lot more people in it who believed the stuff Cait did. But there was no way around the truth.

Caitlyn’s eyes flickered with something Vi couldn’t quite read, but then she looked away and gestured for Vi to continue. “Powder thought I’d abandoned her,” Vi whispered. Then she felt an awful, nasty laugh bubble up out of her and she found herself chuckling darkly, the pain in her chest redoubled. “I guess I kinda did, getting myself thrown in that hellhole.”

“Vi,” Caitlyn interjected gently, taking a step closer, but Vi barreled on.

“She was totally alone,” Vi choked out, the guilt crashing down on top of her like it hadn’t since her first day out of Stillwater. “Alone with bad memories and a Mom who self-medicates with booze. So she got in with a bad crowd. Started going by ‘Jinx’.” Vi spat out the last word. She hated that Powder called herself that. She knew her little sister was still in there, she saw it all the time. Jinx was just a protective face that shouldn’t exist. That wouldn’t exist if Vi hadn’t fucked up.

Vi almost broke down. She hadn’t allowed herself to dredge up all these things with anyone since she’d bawled like a child into Vander’s shoulder, right after she’d managed to wrench Powder from Silco’s grasp a few days out of Stillwater. But then warm, delicate fingers gently touched her forearm. Even through the material of her shirt, the touch was electric, and Vi looked up at Caitlyn through a shimmer of unshed tears.

“Somehow she got hooked on Shimmer. Not bad, but enough for that son of a bitch Silco to get his claws into her,” she snarled, even the mention of his name tasting vile on her tongue. “It took me days to find her after I got out of Stillwater. No one had seen her in weeks. Well…no one except Ekko.”

That memory wasn’t such a bad one. She still remembered the bizarre combination of horror and pride she’d felt at seeing Little Man all grown up, sizing her up when she’d appeared out of nowhere at his hideout. 

“It’s me! Vi! The same person who used to hose you down and get all the grease off of you when you’d come back from the junkyard!”

“Yeah, well, it’s been a long time. People change.”

“Ekko?” Caitlyn asked, the tips of her fingers still resting on Vi’s forearm. Vi held onto that tiny bit of contact like a lifeline, leaning into it without even meaning to. 

“He’s a good kid,” Vi chuckled, then sniffed. “Actually, his foster dad was the one who gave me the idea to visit Vander’s. Ekko did his best to keep tabs on Powder after I got sent away and she shut everyone out. Little Man’s more stubborn than me even.”

“What…what was Silco doing with her that whole time?” Caitlyn’s question came out like she didn’t really want to ask it. And Vi perfectly understood. Just thinking about that question made her want to vomit onto the pavement, imagining the possibilities.

“I dunno,” she finally admitted, voice little more than a croak. “They had some kind of…fucked up father-daughter relationship. At…at first she wanted to go back to him. Shimmer withdrawal hit her hard, and she spent half the time thinking I was a hallucination.”

Unconsciously, Vi reached down to rub her forearm, right above where Caitlyn was touching. At the thought of her days getting Powder weaned off of Shimmer, the old pain there flared up. She had a relatively new tattoo there, an image of a few interlocking gears. It was to cover up the scar of the savage bite Jinx had given her one day. Those days had been awful, some of the worst of her life. The guilt at seeing what Powder had been reduced to, learning about the letters that had never reached her…Vi had been sorely tempted to simply put Vander’s snub-nose to her temple and finally make the memories stop.

But she would never. She wouldn’t dare ever leave Powder alone again. 

As she rubbed the old wound, now covered up by her sister’s greatest hobby, her fingers brushed against Caitlyn’s. She started, snatching her hand away, looking up at the taller woman with grimace. But Caitlyn didn’t pull back. Her fingers stayed right where they were, and those piercing blue eyes, so full of compassion, were so very close. 

“I…I never got a full answer outta her,” she finished, her quiet voice feeling like it was somehow way too loud and grating  for the intimate moment. “But after she got clean, she was terrified that he would try and take her back.” Vi shrugged, knowing that her long-term planning left a lot to be desired. “And we’ve been trying to keep our heads down ever since.”

Caitlyn let out a shaky breath, and Vi felt like she was either floating or falling, unable to pull away, but unable to say more. The bluenette’s fingers slipped away from her arm and Vi felt a pang of loss. 

“I promise I’ll try, Vi,” Caitlyn promised. “I’ll try to get an investigation started. The law exists to protect. I know it’s not perfect but…but there must be some way.” Her voice was quiet, but strong, full of conviction. Vi didn’t share it, but it was heartwarming to hear someone talk that way. 

“Sure, Cupcake,” she whispered, unable to stop the little tomboy smirk from lifting the edges of her scarred lips. “Let me know what you find out.”

Caitlyn’s own lips curled up in a sly smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Was that your way of telling me I’m allowed to come back and get another of those delicious free lattes?”

Vi’s smirk grew wider, and she leaned in a bit closer. Goddess, Caitlyn was right. Fucking. There. She could have just reached up, cupped her cheek, and pulled her down to a kiss so easily. “Don’t see why not. Unless another cute cop shows up to nab the free one first.”

“Know many of those, do you?” Caitlyn whispered back, and she was leaning in too. Vi could feel the heat coming off of her, smell her. Her scent was like vanilla and gun oil, sweet and hard working. 

Vi couldn’t breathe, couldn’t figure out what to say back. Her heart was thundering in her chest, their faces mere inches apart. 

But Zaun and Piltover don’t mix, just like oil and water don’t mix. And the world was all too quick to remind her of that. 

“Fuck off, pig!”

The shout came from a car that blew by, way too fast for the quiet, nighttime street. It yanked them both out of the moment, and Vi felt a tearing sensation in her heart as she stepped back, breathing hard. The squeal of tires and the fading roar of the engine mixed with the other sounds of nighttime city life, and suddenly Vi felt far more exposed than a moment ago. Not that she particularly cared what anyone thought, but she did not need to be drawing attention to herself right now. Making out with an Enforcer in front of her home would certainly be a news item in the Lanes. She couldn’t help but glance behind them at the looming apartment building, wondering which of the lit or dark windows might hold onlookers.

Caitlyn’s expression was far more guarded all of a sudden, like she’d quickly retreated behind a wall after realizing this wasn’t some idyllic picnic. Fair enough. Vi had done the same.

“See ya around, Cupcake,” she murmured, starting to walk backwards towards the apartment building door. 

“Yeah,” Caitlyn replied, turning to get back into her vehicle.

Vi wanted to say something, to call her back, to find some way to tell her just how fucking grateful she was for Caitlyn just to have listened to her. But her feet kept moving her backward, even if she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Not until the last bit of that swishing raven blue ponytail disappeared into the patrol car’s interior, and the beams flicked on. Then she finally turned away and stomped forlornly into the apartment complex. 

Once inside she continued stomping her way down the dimly lit hallways, the threadbare carpet doing little to muffle her booted footfalls. Clomping her way up to the third floor, she pushed through their door with what felt like the weight of the entire world resting on her shoulders. What could she possibly do about all this? What could any one woman do about all this, these forces squeezing around them until the life was snuffed out? Who was she to stop any of this?

She was Powder’s older sister. She was fucking Violet Envoy. 

Setting her jaw with yet another resolution that she would not quit, she would not break, she stepped into their dingy little apartment to see something that made her groan in annoyance. Jinx and their mom were sitting at the small kitchen table, their mom chattering away in a slurred tone, a bottle of bourbon half empty between them. Two glasses, one full and one with a bit of liquid still in the bottom, accompanied it. 

“Violet!” Felicia, her mother, chirped in surprise, giving her wide a wide, warm smile. “How are you? Everything go okay at work today?”

Vi had to make a snap decision. One glance at Powder’s forcibly cheery expression told her that she hadn’t said anything to their mother about what had happened. Vi was also aware that their mom was not remotely capable of dealing with the danger that they were currently in. Vi doubted Silco cared about their mom at all, but almost certainly wasn’t above using her as a bargaining chip. So she decided to make up a lie that wouldn’t worry her mom to death, but would at least get her prepared for a possible move.

“Hey Mom,” she said cheerily, walking over and giving her mother a peck on the forehead. “It was fine. Whatcha guys up to?” That last comment was aimed primarily at Jinx, along with an accusing glare as she meaningfully glanced at the quarter-full tumbler in front of the teen.

“Just talking and relaxing,” Felicia sighed, and Jinx concurred. “It was a long day Vi.”

Tell me about it, Vi thought bitterly. “Pow-Pow, how much have you had?”

“What’s it matter? I’m 18,” Jinx sniffed, lifting the glass and taking a swig. She grimaced instantly, the faint flush of alcohol already spreading on her features. 

Vi frowned deeper and started to reach over the table to take the glass away, but Jinx moved it out of reach. Vi set her jaw and was about to force the matter, but Jinx quickly said, “I’m not gonna relapse.”

Vi paused, searching her sister’s eyes for the truth. “I swear,” came the mumbled, but earnest follow up. 

Sighing, Vi went and grabbed a glass for herself from the kitchen cupboard. Then she dragged over their last chair and plopped down to join her family, pouring herself a generous portion of the amber liquid. If there was ever a day where they all deserved to take the edge off, this was it. She couldn’t afford to get wasted, but the odds that something would happen tonight were really low. A little relaxation might help her sleep better. And…forget those blue eyes full of tenderness and gentle fingers on her forearm, or the scent of vanilla and gun oil.

“Mom, just so you know, we might have to move apartments,” Vi said as casually as she could, and then promptly downed half her glass in one swallow. The burn of the alcohol as it went down seemed to burn away the frayed edges of her nerves, not so much soothing as dulling her anxiety, fear, and longing. 

Felicia sighed heavily as if she’d been expecting some sort of news like that. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Is Steve still sniffing around?”

Blood on the tile floor.

“Nah, Mom. Nothing that serious,” Vi promised her with a strained smile, and then quickly downed the second half of her glass. 

“Heh,” Jinx chuckled mirthlessly as Vi reached for the bottle and poured herself another generous portion. “And you were about to get on my case.”

Vi shot her a withering look and a curled lip, which Jinx returned before taking another sip of bourbon, trying (and failing) not to grimace. Vi was watching carefully for when she finished the remaining liquid in her glass, because she was not about to let the teen tempt fate with the amount of booze she drank. Jinx might have sworn off Shimmer and its siren call, but Vi understood all too well the power the drug once had over her sister.

“I just think I might be able to get a better deal for a place just as good, that’s all.” When had lying to her Mom become so easy? She knew the answer immediately of course. About a year or so after Steve had crawled into their lives.

Blood on the tile floor.

“Oh! Well…that’s great!” Felicia said approvingly, her hand unsteady as she brought the glass up to her lips again. 

After that, silence reigned for a few minutes. Once Powder polished off the rest of her glass, Vi wrestled it away from her (earning her several titles: ‘fat hands’, ‘sucker’, ‘hypocrite’, ‘spoil-sport’, and ‘piltie screwer’). Vi only allowed herself another small, third serving, and thankfully, the dulling effect of the alcohol was well underway. The memories, b oth recent and long past, didn’t haunt her quite as viciously.

Felicia soon let out a yawn interrupted by a small hiccup, giggling, and stood up to give each of her girls a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek. “I’m so very proud of both of you. My strong girls. Your father should be too,” she murmured, before swaying slightly as she headed for her bedroom.

Should. Present tense. Yeah, lying to her mom didn’t feel great, but telling her the truth was a non-starter. She and Powder both smiled and called goodnight, and waited until the door closed solidly behind her to properly unwind. Vi’s forehead thunked against the table and Powder seemed to melt like a cat, long limbs suddenly sprawled everywhere.

“C’moooooon Vi, one more drink,” Powder groaned, rubbing the heels of her palms into her eyes.

Vi shook her head, but not with any particular conviction. “If you show up hungover to school, we’re screwed.”

“I got suspended, remember?”

Goddess fucking DAMMIT !

Vi forced herself to close her eyes and take a long, slow breath through her nose. “Vander said he would try to figure something out with the principle,” Vi finally managed to force out through the tightness of her throat. Just when she’d felt she’d started to get a handle on things, her emotions, and the absolute cluster fuck of their lives, she had to be reminded that she was failing on every single front.

Jinx snorted out a sort of gurgly giggle. “What’s he gonna do? Offer sex?”

The idea of bear-like Vander offering sexual favors to the mousy, wheedling Principle Redguard was so ludicrous that Vi couldn’t hold back a ragged chuff of her own. “Janna, Pow-Pow, don’t put that image in my head,” she groaned. Her head was still firmly planted on the cool wood of the table, face down. She honestly wasn’t sure if she’d ever lift her head up again.

“I bet Vander is secretly a bottom,” Powder continued to muse, biting her lower lip in amusement at Vi’s suffering. “He seems like the type; all bluster and control, right up until it’s time for the whips to start coming out.”

“Fuck, stooooop,” Vi groaned, trying to suppress the mildly horrified giggle that was threatening to come spilling out. “What do you know about this stuff anyway.”

The words weren’t really thought out, and for a heartbeat or two, she thought nothing of them. It wasn’t even really phrased as a question, Powder was 18 for crying out loud. Silence reigned, and then:

“Why wouldn’t I know about it?”

The question was asked so quietly that Vi might have missed it, except for the intensity of the way it was said. It was almost like an accusation or a plea, something that demanded an answer. Vi froze, going stock-still and then looking at Powder out of the corner of her eye. Her little sister was no longer sprawled, but sitting up, baby blue eyes boring into her with an intensity that made Vi’s stomach lurch. 

Suddenly, she felt like she’d walked into a minefield, and if she put her foot down wrong, something somehow would blow up in their faces. “I dunno,” Vi eventually offered, still not lifting her forehead from the table, her words coming out a bit muffled by the wood an inch from her face. 

“I’m 18.” The words were stated like some sort of obvious epiphany that Vi should have had sooner, the explanation to the universe and all its mysteries. Powder’s gaze hadn’t wavered for a moment, still riveted on the profile of Vi’s face. 

“I know, Pow-Pow. You can…do whatever you want.” The words felt leaden on Vi’s tongue, and the tiny smirk Powder gave her in return told her they both understood just how untrue they were. For both of them. Powder was as much chained up by Vi’s ‘parenting’ as Vi was by Powder’s mere existence. 

“Promises, promises,” came the sing-song reply, still quiet, still so intense.

For a long moment, Powder held her gaze, clearly searching for something. Vi refused to let her mind even start to wonder what. Then her sister stood up, unfolding herself from the chair in a shockingly graceful manner. The way Powder always flopped around, heedless of injury, was always tripping over herself, it was easy to forget that she’d actually been an accomplished gymnast before. 

Powder didn’t say a word, but kept her eyes on Vi as she walked past, reaching out to trail her fingers lightly over Vi’s arm…up, over her shoulder…ghosting across the bare skin of her neck…down the other arm. Vi shivered. Like a puppet on a string, her eyes tracked Powder’s movement until she lost sight of her as Powder lithely stepped behind, and then picked her up again as she walked past. The wood against her forehead felt a lot less cool now.

Powder headed straight for the small apartment bathroom, stepping inside and yanking aside the shower curtain. Vi had a perfect view into that room from her spot at the table. Jinx didn’t turn to look at her, but turned the water on and then started to shimmy out of her clothes. She didn’t bother closing the door. Vi had a distinct and very unsettling emotional reaction to the sight of her sister’s body. 

Jinx was so skinny it hurt. Every time she saw it, it hurt. She could just about see the bottoms of her ribs poking out when she finished exhaling, and when she bent over to step out of her jeans, Vi could practically count her vertebrae. But her body was also strong. Tough. She was covered in the kind of muscle that was all lean and hard as iron, the type that you didn’t notice unless you’d been on the receiving end of it and knew what to look for. Vi and Powder had been in enough tickle fights that Vi knew she could overpower her easily enough. In fact, Jinx seemed to crave being pinned down and manhandled by Vi. But she’d also been tackled by the skinny teen, and watched as Jinx warded off a bigger highschooler or two in the early days. 

Then there was the tattoo. She didn’t know where or when Jinx had gotten it. Soft, blue puffy clouds of steam billowing around her hip and waist, wrapping around her front past her pubic bone, and back around almost to her spine. Smaller clouds of the same soft blue steam puffed up her ribs, stopping just underneath her right breast. Vi had repeatedly asked her what it meant, and had only gotten sad smiles in response.

Jinx kept her back to Vi, but…that was enough. Smooth, soft lines all the way up, porcelain skin interrupted by hard edges of bone. Lanky limbs that were oh-so delicate looking, but full of wiry strength. A taut, round ass. Vi tried to tell herself she didn’t notice that last part. 

To be fair, the real show was watching Jinx undo her braids. It was actually very, very impressive how quickly she was able to do it. Those nimble, crafty fingers unwove the thick strands with practiced ease, unraveling them several inches at a time. It wasn’t long before all that long, straight hair was spilling around her tiny shoulders like a cloak, blessedly hiding the majority of her upper body from view. 

Vi just about let out a sigh (of relief or disappointment, she wasn’t sure, which was another can of worms to deal with at a later date) when Jinx finally stepped into the bathtub…and then promptly did not close the shower curtain. Which meant Vi had an absolutely unobstructed view as water began to cascade down Jinx’s lithe frame. 

…shit. Apparently there was a downside to being gay. The downside was if you had sexually maladaptive sisters.

Vi forced her eyes shut and finally sat up, trying not to think too hard about the fact that she should have been horrified. Both at herself for engaging in the little peep show, and at Jinx for deliberately giving it to her. But she was just…wrung out. She simply had no more shits to give. There were too many terrifying possibilities looming over them, and Vi was the only thing that could stop them.

Keeping her eyes stubbornly shut, she turned and stalked stiffly to their bedroom, only opening them when she felt the wood of the bedroom door under her hand. Then she pushed her way in and stepped into a room that was nearly claustrophobic in its smallness. With two twin beds, a couple of dressers, and a pile of Jinx’s belongings in the corner, there was almost no walking space. But somehow, the unique scent of the room was soothing. It was a strange combination of the smell of home, along with a hint of sweat, and then Jinx’s own unique flavor. She was sure, logically, her own smell was buried in there somewhere.

After doing a few pushups to work off the excess energy, she pulled off the clothes she’d been wearing most of the day. After pulling off her button up shirt and tossing it onto the pile at the foot of her bed, she raised her arms and gave a little sniff. Grimacing, she suddenly remember her own lack of a shower after a…rigorous day. And now that the adrenaline was gone, her responsibilities were done, and it was time to just let go, the pain of all her bruises came flaring back as well. The booze helped though. 

One more check in the mirror. Then her sports bra and jeans went, in favor of a pair of shorts and a worn white tank top. With that, she fell into her bed, not even bothering to get under the comforter. She just had to wait for Jinx to finish in the shower, and then she could…

“Vi?”

The fact that Vi went from an exhausted sleep to bolt upright in about one second was a testament to the power that voice had over her. The soft, slightly raspy tender tone that was so vulnerable, ever only reserved for her ears. 

“Yeah, Pow-Pow?” she asked quickly, her voice thick with sleep, brain trying to catch up with the situation.

Powder stood before her like a friendly ghost, all pale skin and damp blue hair spilling around her, illuminated by nothing other than the soft moonlight shining through their single window. As per usual, for bed, she had stolen one of Vi’s t-shirts. 

Powder gave her a soft, toothy smile and held up a brush. “Braid my hair?” she asked, tone low and eager.

It wasn’t even a question, no matter how much her brain wanted to go right back to sleep. “Yeah, ‘course,” Vi husked, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them and shifting over on the small bed to make room for Powder. Powder turned her back to Vi and hopped onto the bed after fluffing out her hair. Vi tried not to pay attention to the way the hem of the shirt rode up high enough to reveal a bare, tatted hip. No panties. 

Her hands and fingers confidently started plucking up strands of hair and running the sturdy hair brus h through them one at a time. Starting from the ends, she worked her way up each strand, carefully but firmly undoing each knot and tangle. It wasn’t long before Powder was humming softly in contentment, a sound that made Vi’s heart sing in harmony. It had taken months before Powder had done anything that seemed so…happy. Relaxed. Joyful. This was one of the few things that hadn’t changed from their life before the ‘incident’. 

Before the blood on the tile floor.

She’d done this for Powder from the moment her sister had decided to start growing her hair out. Combing, braiding, washing her long blue locks as if they were woven of pure sapphire. Once every little tangle was out, she started expertly weaving the braids together, just how Powder liked them. Two, heavy thick ones right over the shoulders, draping down all the way down her back. She kept the brush handy in her lap, because inevitably, she would find another tangle or knot that had magically reasserted itself.

Back in the day, when they were just kids, Vi had tried to be so gentle. It had taken her forever to do a single braid, and the more Powder kept squirming, the gentler she got. After this had been going on for a while, Powder had finally, shyly asked: “Can you pull harder?” in her cherub-like voice.

“Pull harder?” teenage Vi had asked, flabbergasted. 

“Yah,” Powder nodded excitedly. “I like it.”

Now, years later, Vi knew exactly how much pressure Powder liked to feel, how hard to tug. From the very first time Powder had been well enough, after Stillwater, to allow Vi to braid her hair again, Vi remembered h ow to do it like it was yesterday. Now it was a regular ritual between them, the one thing they could come back to for feelings of security and peace. 

The minutes ticked by as Vi worked, but she barely even noticed. Her entire world narrowed down to the soft, silky strands between her fingers, the way Powder tilted her head back and forth in a relaxed way, and the gentle noises of satisfaction that she made. Even when she was done, the ritual wasn’t over. For as Vi pulled together the final lengths of hair and fastened a band around the ends, her hands then slid up the length of the braids, rechecking them. Once she was sure they were perfect, she gave each one a little tug to let Powder know she was finished. 

Normally, this was the part where Powder would either slink off to her own bed on the other wall, or invite Vi to watch an anime with her late into the night. This time, however, Powder turned around to face her, eyes shining with something that made Vi’s heart race. The bed was so narrow that Vi had been sitting cross-legged, back to the wall. With the lithe grace of a cat, Powder slipped forward and moved into Vi’s lap. Vi naturally straightened her legs as Powder’s weight settled on her, her knobby knees straddling Vi’s thighs. 

Vi would have given anything to feel the strange disconnect she should have in that moment. To feel ashamed at how her hands so naturally settled on Jinx’s naked hips and held her close. Because it felt like a failure as an older sister that she just didn’t. Because as Powder’s spindly arms looped around her neck, and as Vi felt her warm breath ghost across her cheek, her mind told her that it was bad, but her heart and body felt like it was the most natural thing in the world.

If someone had asked her, in that moment, if she was in love with Powder…she could have easily said no. The question of who she was in love with brought to mind a completely different blue haired woman. 

But to say she simply loved Powder would have been a ridiculous understatement. Powder was her whole reason for existing, the only reason she’d made it out of Stillwater, the only reason she bore her life and all the terrible memories around on her shoulders willingly. Her scent was enough to calm Vi, her laughter and smiles were something she craved, her safety and well-being were her greatest motivators. Powder’s touch could light up her day, and her cruelty simultaneously bounced right off of her and cut deeper than anyone else’s ever could.

So when Powder leaned in and started pressing gentle kisses to the bruises on her face, Vi felt a part of her soul relax that she didn’t even realize she’d been tensing. Powder kissed her cheek so gently, right over that yellowing bruise, that Vi didn’t feel a hint of pain. Her eye was next. Then her upper split lip. The entire time, Vi’s grip was firm, but not tight, on Powder’s hips. By now the shirt had ridden up too high to keep anything covered. Vi didn’t look down, but she could feel the warm skin of Jinx’s ass on her own bare thighs. 

Jinx’s arms had been loosely wrapped around her neck as she peppered Vi’s face with kisses. But now, as she oh-so-tenderly placed a lingering kiss on the cut on Vi’s upper lip, those arms drifted down. Suddenly, Jinx was cupping Vi’s face, delicate fingers curving around her jaw. 

Vi felt her breath stutter as Jinx pressed a second, firmer kiss to the little cut on her lip. “Whatcha doin’, Pow-Pow?” she rasped in a whisper, throat very dry for some reason.

“I kinda thought that was obvious, sis,” Jinx murmured in response. 

“We can’t,” Vi said, but the words sounded weak even in her own ears. 

Jinx paused, and Vi felt her breath brushing over her lips, their noses touching. It was so fucking intimate, so natural, that even her rational, logical mind was having trouble remembering why she shouldn’t be allowing this. 

“But I need you,” was Jinx’s simple, whispered reply. Then she rolled her hips. Once. 

And so Vi did what she did best. She gave Jinx what she needed. Vi propped up one leg, pressing up one muscular thigh between Jinx’s legs. Her entire body shivered as her skin met her sister’s very hot, very wet core. Jinx gasped against Vi’s lips, fingers on her jaw tightening. But she didn’t pull away, or even miss a beat. Right away, she began to slowly rock back and forth, rubbing her wetness against Vi’s proffered thigh. 

Vi guided her, hands on hips, helping her to find the rhythm that felt best. And that was strangely easy to do. In some ways, it felt no different than recognizing the way she responded to getting her hair braided. It was all about watching her responses, feeling her tense or relax, listening to the quiet sounds she made. Their softly panted breaths mixed together, noses rubbing, warm foreheads pressed against each other. 

“I love you, Vi,” Jinx groaned softly, rocking faster, making the bed creak beneath them. Fuck, she was practically drenched. 

“I love you, Pow-Pow,” Vi whispered back, meaning every word with a fierceness that was almost reverent.

“Don’t leave me?” she asked, pleading with her baby blue eyes locked on Vi’s in the moonlight.

“Never,” Vi promised, like an oath sworn in front of Janna herself.

That was Powder’s undoing. As soon as the word left Vi’s lips, Jinx captured them in a small kiss. Then her body went rigid and shockwaves began to shudder through her thin body. But those baby blue eyes remained transfixed on Vi’s gaze, shining with an affection and need so intense that Vi could feel her broken soul stitch together just a little more. Powder whimpered quietly as the waves of ecstasy rolled through her, still cupping Vi’s jaw, blue and pink fingernails digging in just a little right behind her jawline. Her lips were still firmly planted against Vi’s upper one in that sort of half kiss that had kicked the whole thing off.

Powder’s release seemed to last a beautiful eternity, but eventually, she went slack in Vi’s grip. Breathing a sigh of relief through her nose, Vi closed her eyes and gave Powder’s hips a reassuring squeeze. “Better?” she asked softly. 

“Uh-huh,” Powder panted in affirmation, still languidly grinding her sopping wet sex against Vi’s thigh.

With the intensity of the emotions over, her own strange feelings and desires under control, she finally realized exactly what this was: Jinx, marking her territory. Vi wasn’t sure how she hadn’t seen it sooner, but there had just been so much insanity throughout the day. Jinx wasn’t just being a pain in the ass because Caitlyn was an Enforcer. She was jealous. Which was, from a sisterly perspective, adorable. From the perspective of being Jinx’s sister, it was certainly a complication. 

Vi let her ride out the aftershocks, Powder’s face never moving more than an inch or so away from hers. It was like her sister was actively drawing the breaths she let out in order to sustain herself. The feeling of wetness trickling down her thigh was all at once amusing (holy shit, Powder had cum hard), disturbing (ehhhh they probably needed a therapist), and extremely satisfying (she’d managed to give Powder what she needed and more). 

Then it was time to be the responsible one in a different way. Oh so gently, Vi lowered her thigh, separating them, and carefully pushed Powder back a little. Her own senses were now so sharpened that she could easily see the outline of Powder’s stiff nipples through her shirt as the teen willingly leaned back from her. 

“Sleep, you,” Vi told her with a smirk. “I’m gonna call Vander first thing in the morning to see if that suspension is actually in place. So your ass better be ready to go to school on time.”

“Pffft,” Powder raspberried, but her expression was so pleasantly satiated that she smiled right through it. “Fiiine. Ekko said he’d be here a little early anyway, so we can go over the robotics stuff.”

“You gonna finally tell me why you lashed out at those kids?” Vi prodded gently. She was still holding Powder’s hips, keeping her in her lap. But Powder’s legs had snapped shut, making things a little less…inappropriate.

“Uh, because they’re shit-turds and they deserved it,” Powder replied with a dramatic eye roll, letting out a puff of air to blow her long bangs out of her face. 

Vi pinched her, right on the hip, and Powder let out a squeak, lurching in her lap. She then tried to give Vi an indignant glare, but Vi just smirked back. “C'mon, spill,” she urged, her tone both placating and warning. 

Powder chewed her lower lip. “Nothin' to spill. They were assholes,” she huffed, and then tried to wriggle out of Vi’s grasp. 

Powder had always been amazingly cat-like. Or maybe it was weasel-like. Either way, her ability to bend, squeeze, and stretch in nearly unnatural ways had translated well to gymnastics as a tween. It also made her ridiculously difficult to hold onto. She could squirm her way out of, or into, just about anything. 

Except Vi had gotten used to all her tricks, and had a counter for every single one. As Powder's body began to twist away from her, becoming as sinuous and slippery as a snake's, Vi broadened her grip and dug her thumbs into that point right next to Powder's hip bone. She grinned as she got the desired, and instantaneous, squeal of horrified delight and Powder's body curled back in on itself. Suddenly, Powder's hands were right over hers, futilely trying to pry them off of her. 

“Gah! I surrender!” Powder half gasped, half giggled, still trying to maintain that indignant glare. 

“Spill,” Vi repeated, applying threatening pressure with the pads of her thumb into her sister's soft flesh. 

Powder switched tactics and tried puppy dog eyes, along with an adorable pout. VI just grinned wider and tensed her forearms, making Powder shiver and squirm again in anticipation. The standoff finally ended when Powder let out an annoyed huff. 

“They started teasing Ekko about Benzo,” she finally admitted, anger lacing her tone, even though she tried to hide it. Vi's hands stilled, as first shock and then anger spiked inside her. 

“...okay, Pow-” she started, trying to calm her own emotional reaction to the idea. 

“Jinx,” her sister muttered.

“Jinx,” Vi corrected herself, hiding the wince. It always felt like a betrayal of some sort to use that name. “That's obviously a really fucked up thing to do, but you can't afford to be getting into fights. Sticks and stones, right?”

Powder has started picking at her shirt with her fingernails, no longer meeting Vi’s gaze. “I didn't kick him because of what he said,” she said after a beat. “I could tell Ekko was about to waste him, though. So I did it first.”

And it all clicked into place. Vi's heart swelled, both exasperated and so fucking proud of her little sister. “You started the fight so Ekko wouldn't get into trouble, keep his record clean.” She said the words out loud, to make them more real. Powder just shrugged noncommittally. 

“He really cares about you Pow-Pow,” Vi said as gently as she could, letting go of her hip with one hand to tilt Powder's chin up, so she could look her in the eyes. 

“Well, he shouldn't. People who do that have a tendency to get hurt,” Powder muttered ruefully. “I just…felt like I owed him one. Or a few. Ya know.”

Yeah, she really did. Vi leaned forward and pecked Powder on the forehead, and the girl flushed in delight, suddenly looking shy. As if she hadn't just rutted herself to orgasm on Vi’s leg moments ago. But, that was her Powder. 

“Bed,” Vi ordered. “Hopefully, school tomorrow. And I'll figure out what we're gonna do about…everything.”

“You always do, sis,” Powder agreed, her words utterly frank and genuine, finally slipping out of Vi's lap. She hopped into her own bed and snuggled under the gadgetry themed comforter as Vi stood. “Where are you going?” 

“Shower,” Vi grunted. 

“Gonna rub another one out?” Powder snickered, and Vi almost tripped over her own feet. 

“Janna, I wasn't actually-” Vi hissed, suddenly reminded how Jinx had practically caught her red handed in Vander's locker room. 

“Oh puh-leaze, I could smell you from outside the stall,” Jinx barked out in a sardonic half laugh. 

So her little sister knew what it smelled like when she was turned on? Greeeeeeaaaat. They SO needed a therapist. Or maybe a psychologist. A whole team of’em. 

“Don't worry. It's a good smell,” Jinx then added, and Vi felt a shiver run down her spine. “I'm sure the Enforcer creep thinks so too.”

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the floor just opened up and swallowed her whole. She retreated to the relative safety of the shower, and did not rub one out, mostly out of spite. However, it was oddly difficult to bring herself to wash that one spot on her thigh. And as her soapy hands glided over her bruised, muscular form, she once again thought of Caitlyn, felt her fingers on her forearm. 

“Dammit, Pow-Pow,” she muttered. Somehow, she wouldn't put it past her sister to tease her about masturbating, knowing it would trigger her ornery streak and guarantee she wouldn't. Purely as payback for making her jealous with an Enforcer. Because every time Vi felt the water hit her breasts, or her fingers came close to the apex of her thighs, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if those hands had long, soft fingers like a Piltie’s instead of the roughed calloused ones of a Zaunite.