#auposting

Vi thought that enforcers were monsters. Bloodthirsty, evil monsters, monsters that preyed on everything beneath them.

Every step of her growing up had supported this. Her parents' death on that bridge. That man that Vander would speak with kidnapping her, taking her away from Powder, leaving her in the hands of a kingpin. Seven long years rotting in a cell, getting "talked to" whenever she spoke or acted or breathed out of turn. It was hell on Runeterra, and it was all because of enforcers. Monsters, all of them.

Then came Caitlyn. Kind, earnest Caitlyn, who had her released and took her home. Caitlyn, who helped her find Powder again. Caitlyn, who helped her speak to the Council. Caitlyn, who'd stood down when she asked. Caitlyn, the enforcer from Piltover. And yet, a friend, too. Maybe more, one day. It occurred to her that enforcers aren't just born monsters. That maybe, just maybe, it depended on the person.

Then again, maybe Vi was just a bit too forgiving for the first cute girl she'd seen in seven years.

"They want a full-scale invasion. To invade Zaun, and force Jinx out." Caitlyn couldn't even look her in the eyes. It made sense. It's hard to see through tears. "I can't let that happen. This was my mistake; my burden to bear. I had the shot, and I didn't take it. All of Zaun shouldn't have to pay for that."

I'm the one who stopped you, Vi wanted to say, but she held her tongue. Playing the blame game wouldn't accomplish anything. "Powder- Jinx." It felt wrong in her mouth. "Jinx needs to be stopped. I know that now. That night- the way she looked at me...." If she wasn't careful, she might just cry too. "She's not herself. She needs to be captured."

"Captured?" Caitlyn takes a step back, hands folded against her chest. Then she throws them to her sides, fists clenched tightly together. "Vi. I know that you two are sisters, but you can't possibly think that letting her live after an act like this is a good idea. She took out half the Council and the leader of Zaun, her own father, in one fell swoop and-"

"Silco was not her father." She could feel a bit of spit fly out of her mouth. "He used her. Manipulated her. Made her think that Jinx was what she had to become. He did that to her."

She can see Caitlyn's jaw clench. Her gaze falls to the floor again. There's a deafening silence between them. "I never said he was a good father," she says finally.

Vi lets out a long breath. Let it go. She's in pain. She doesn't know what she's talking about. "I'm not saying she shouldn't be stopped. But killing her outright without at least some kind of trial will send the wrong message." And maybe I can get through to her, she keeps inside. Powder is my sister. I won't let her die. Not to the Council. Not to Caitlyn.

And especially not to this Jinx.

"You're right." Caitlyn's words snap her back into it. "I know you are, but... I don't know that it's possible anymore." She steps closer to Vi again. "I'm to speak before the Council tomorrow evening, after the memorial. They want to have my testimony to decide on a final course of action. I'm going to try and convince them to let me go after her. Myself, and an elite team. We can minimize damage that way." She finally meets Vi's gaze again. "And... I want you to help me."

She takes Vi's hand then, pulling it between them- and presses a badge into it. An enforcer's badge.

She pulled her hand back so quickly, you'd think it'd been burned. The badge clattered to the floor, echoing between them. "You want me to be an enforcer?"

Caitlyn knelt down to pick up the badge, hair framing her face as she tried to disguise her hurt. It wasn't working. Despite herself, guilt churned in Vi's stomach.

"Not all enforcers are like the ones you've met," Caitlyn said, a little too calmly. That same kind of calm she'd seen her have when speaking at her mother's funeral. "Me, for instance."

"...I know. But..." Was Caitlyn standing further away now? No; Vi had backed away. "Enough of them. Enough that I don't ever want to wear that badge. I want to help, but don't make me wear that badge."

Caitlyn outstretched an arm. "But-"

"Please."

Her hand hung in the air. There was silence again. Vi waited for her to say something- anything.

She didn't. Vi turned around slowly. "I need to clear my head."

"Wait." Footsteps, then Caitlyn's hand was on her wrist, and a quiver was in her voice. "Don't leave. I'm sorry."

Don't look back at her. Vi took a breath. Then she looked back at her. Damnit. She looked so pitiful, holding onto her arm like that. Caitlyn's other hand took hers again. "I don't want to force your hand. I just worry how the Council will react to you if you don't. Your last mission with Jayce didn't exactly end well. We need to present a united front."

"Yeah? You're worried about how the Council feels?" What about how I feel?! Vi felt a fire ignite in her again, and she shrugged her hand away. "Well, I'm worried about my sister. And I won't wear the symbol of our parents' murderers and hunt her down like an animal." She pulled her eyes away and kept walking.

"Vi!" Caitlyn's voice rang in her ears, but she didn't turn around. At least she didn't try to stop her again.

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Caitlyn had never felt more alone in her life. Her father was a mess, her mother was gone- She's gone, and she's never coming back, and I was so short with her- and now Vi had left. Walked out, just like that.

Safe to say, her life was falling to pieces around her. So it came as no surprise when she zoned out, letting her feet guide her as she paced anxiously, and found herself in the garden she and her mother shared.

Well, what they used to share.

She sat on the bench, her body trembling as she did. She felt- angry? Scared? Mournful? A combination of all three swirled in her head and her heart, tears and snot flowing out of her as she bawled, her raw and unfiltered pain crying out into the garden. Even with Vi, she couldn't let herself truly fall apart, no matter how much she'd wanted to.

She'd left anyways. So maybe that was for the best. Why couldn't she just understand?! Why can't she see the threat that Jinx is?? Jinx is too dangerous to let run free. I trust her; why can't she trust me?

She lost track of the time, crying and crying until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she dry heaved until it hurt her chest, and then some. Petals fell off the trees and floated around her, peaceful and serene, oblivious to the whirlwind of emotion Caitlyn felt. The sun sunk lower and lower in the sky as she sobbed, and when she was finally able to stop, the sky was painted in orange. She wasn't able to enjoy it, instead staring into the water. The surface was smooth and untainted. She stared, jaw clenched, brows furrowed.

Peace is nothing but a lie. She reached down, grabbing a nearby stone an throwing it at the pond. It flew in with a large SPLOOSH! and sunk, sending ripples across the surface.

"Not good at skipping stones, are you?" Jayce's unexpected appearance behind her would've had her jump out of her skin in the past. Now, though, she was too tired to care. He collapsed onto the bench beside her. His hair was mussed up and unbrushed, he hadn't shaved, and his eyes were puffy and red. "You, uh, holding up?"

Caitlyn shook her head, a darkened chuckle escaping her. Nothing about this was funny. "How do you think?" Her hands locked around the front of the bench, knuckles turning white. "My mother is still dead. Now Vi's run off; she's mad at me."

Jayce pressed an elbow on his leg, hand pressed against his forehead. "What for?"

"Jinx." Just saying it put a bitter taste in her mouth, like blood. "She still thinks that's her sister. Won't so much as help me find her." She pulled out the badge. "She resents enforcers so much, she's letting it cloud her judgement."

"I get the feeling," Jayce sighs. "Viktor... He insisted we stop work on Hextech. Made me promise, even. Now, it's all that's keeping him alive."

At that, Caitlyn turned to meet his gaze. "He's doing alright, then?"

"Still in whatever stasis it put him in." He chuckles drily at the thought. "Who knows if he'll wake up. Mel is watching over him for me."

"Don't give up." Caitlyn's voice is steadied again, if still a bit raw, and she puts a hand over his. "He'll be alright."

He takes in a breath. "I hope you're right." He looks out over the pond. "I want you to know, you'll have my full support. Bringing in Jinx, I mean."

Caitlyn folded her hands over her lap. "So you backed out of stepping down, then."

"I resolved to back down with Zaun and Piltover are at peace. That hasn't changed." He stands up then. "But we aren't at peace; not yet. The Council's been attacked, and Silco is dead. So I need to help Mel before I can go back to my research." He looks at his reflection in the water. "Besides, Viktor isn't awake yet anyway."

Caitlyn stood up to meet him. "I'll stop Jinx. I have to." She closed her eyes as she spoke. For everyone's sake. And that includes you, Vi.

I hope you're okay.

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Jayce's lab was messy and cluttered; sheets of paper with charts and equations were tacked to a board on the wall, the trash can was overflowing with crumpled papers and food residue, and the work table was covered in tools, near-empty mugs, and the hexcore, which continued its constant glowing and occasional changing of shape and runes. At the end sat Mel, flipping through a journal of notes. Occasionally she'd hum in interest, or glance at the hexcore as it shifted, but otherwise she was silent.

Opposite the table, a blue light glowed from Viktor. He was still encased, of course, the arcane shielding his body from sight. Most of the blood had been cleaned away by now, but the end of a stain was visible just underneath him. Too close to risk disturbing, Jayce had decided.

Mel got up, folding the journal closed and walking around the table. "I must say, Viktor," she said to his sleeping form, "your research is quite remarkable. I daresay you've impressed me more than Jayce." She stopped in front of him, close enough to see him properly but not so close she'd risk touching his cocoon. "Of course, the two of you have always made quite the team, but you have very different strengths. You've always been more the explorer than he, haven't you?"

Something in her face shifted then, akin to sympathy. "It's such a shame what happened to Sky. Unavoidable, perhaps, but still a shame. I can't imagine how that's weighed on you." She watched his face closely, for any sign of change. Any movement, or just stray emotion. When she saw none, she relaxed a bit. "Please forgive him for saving you, when you do awaken. You've always been so important to him. More than me, in a way." Then she giggles. "Well, maybe that's an exaggeration."

Viktor continued to say nothing, do nothing. His stasis remained, and no emotion could be seen on his face.

Mel sighed. "Helping the two of you back then was an investment; I believe it was the greatest choice I've ever made. So should you awaken, and remember all this, I hope you'll understand now why work on Hextech shouldn't be stopped. It's a tool that can heal; It's saving your life right now. Surely we can work together to utilize it to its greatest potential. Isn't that what you wanted?"

But no matter how much she spoke, it didn't change anything. He remained in stasis. Mel just shook her head. But then she perked up, seeming to remember something. She walked over to the door and pulled something out of the shadowed wall behind it and walked back over.

"I'd nearly forgotten after speaking to Jayce," she said, holding the object over her torso, "but this was found in the rubble. I had it fixed for you, for when you wake up."

She set the cane down then, leaning it upright against the table. Pieces of it had been filled in with what looked like gold. "I hope it's of use to you. A memento, perhaps, if it's not."