#the undercity (and caitlyn) gang

[another-faceless-girl]

okay trying to be coherent now. (it wont work cause its night and i cant be normal at night)

so as soon a silco meets powder he just... hugs her and accepts her willingly without any alterior motive like it would better for silco to leave powder but he doesnt because as soon as he meets her he decides that this is his daughter and he is going to keep this child.

now my father cant even accept me now. after fucking years of me trying and working my ass of for his approval he just cant be bothered i guess. but silco just does it and freaks me the fuck out. because a father!??!?! loving his daughter!?!?!?!? unconditionally!?!?!??!

and jinx is also comfortable around silco. she does his eye drops because he trusts her and she trusts him and i think my father would rather naw off his own leg than let me do that to him.

my father pretends to be a good man around other people. he loves children, hes funny hes smart hes good with his own kids and everyone believes him because who would believe me over him? hes a bad father though. a terrible father he doesnt listen to me he doesnt care about my interests and i feel like i cant tell him anything i cant do anything to make him proud. but hes still - however much I hate it - a 'good person.'

but silco is a terrible person and he doesnt even try to hide it. he hits he bribes and he doesnt care who gets in his way because he is getting what he wants if you like it or not. but around jinx hes - im not going to say good because he can do a lot better - a father to jinx and him and jinx are father and daughter no matter how fucked up it might be. he accepts he no matter because to him she is perfect even if its a rubbish concept of perfect. so silco is a terrible person and a - kinda - good father.

because i imagine when you watch it as someone who has a good relationship with your father you think silco is terrible and he is! but to me hes everything a father should be even if hes a monster. Hes protective hes caring and he trusts her he actually likes spending time with her and not just because hes her father and its a duty because he isnt jinxs father. so maybe i sound like a broken record but silco is everything i want my father to be and my father is still himself.

[arvlelt]

pretty mechanic.

pairing - vi x fem!reader

cw - reader's attractiveness makes vi nervy, reader is a smarty pants duh, for the sake of the plot vi doesn’t like cait, fluff, teasing, etc. lmk if i missed anything.

request - For Vi, something with a fem reader, who she meets through Ekko. Reader is apart of the Firelights, a mechanic or a healer, and she's getting parts and Vi just spots her rummaging through old stuff that she's intent on using to fix a hover board, and gets all tongue tied because she was expecting some scrawny pack rat kid, not a pretty woman

w.count - 1.1k+

a/n - kinda short did w what i could, also it's not letting me tag the person that requested this so if you see this, this ones for you gang<3 not proofread

"this better not be a waste of our time," grumbled a pretty grumpy violet who was following ekko with caitlyn not too far behind.

they were on their way to maybe find some clues about powder before ekko insisted that they make a pit stop to fix his board.

ekko scoffed, "if you want my help, i'm going to need my board. which needs fixing. so i need to go to our mechanic, genius."

vi smirked, "what, you can't fix it yourself, big guy? need a lil 'ol mechanic to fix it?" her tone was teasing as ekko didn't reply.

vi thought that was the end of that and that her point was proven right at his silence.

so you could imagine her shock when she see's not a scrawny little nerd, but in fact a very pretty and fit woman.

vi felt her cheeks warming up as she eyed the woman bent over, rummaging through boxes of whatever you were looking for, vi wasn’t as fixated on that — and more on the woman in her eye frame.

she couldn’t help her wandering eyes as they examined your curves, taking in all of your body that she didn’t even seem to notice ekko and caitlyn watching her watch you.

she took in your complete outfit, short shorts that showed just enough but not a lot of your ass, fishnets underneath with a few layered t-shirts you had laying around that made you look so good.

vi seemed to sense a presence behind her she turned around with a slightly flustered expression, “who, uhm— who’s that?” she whispered. ekko couldn’t stop the shit eating grin from forming on his face.

you seemed to hear the commotion as you looked over your shoulder for a quick sec, not giving much attention to the newcomers, before going back to your little invention you were working on.

“what happened now, ekko?” he could hear the desperation in your voice as ekko had quite a habit of damaging his board after coming back from raids, which would make you pause whatever you were working on.

ekko moved past vi, caitlyn straying behind him, and walked into your work space, taking a comfortable seat on your desk next to you, "this is our mechanic, y/n! she can typically fix anything aaanddd, she's a huge help around here."

you scoffed at his praise, wiping the sweat off your brow as you turned around and vi fully saw your face.

she swore she could've fallen on her knees right then and there. you were down right gorgeous. and not just that, you for sure had to have brains. it certainly doesn't take the average person to know what they're doing with being a mechanic and fixing equipment.

vi couldn't help the words spilling out her mouth, as she suddenly felt flustered, "she's your mechanic?" sounding a little more loud than she intended to.

caitlyn was quite amused, not quite used to seeing big bad vi so tongue-tied over someone. and it's not like she could blame her.

you tried not to take offense to her little comment but your face betrayed you as you responded, "and what's that supposed to mean?" you had a bit of an attitude as you reached over and grabbed a rag, cleaning your hands of the grease.

vi could understand why, it's not like everyone in the undercity was as accepting of women doing 'man jobs'.

she winced at how she might've sounded, hands coming up in defense and immediately was fumbling over her words, "that's- that's not what i was implying-! you're.. you're just so.." she trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward under your gaze. you were looking at her with a raised brow, waiting for her to finish.

well it's not like she was implying a bad thing, you were just so pretty. and she could never imagine a pretty dainty thing like you getting your hands dirty, and honestly, she found it so hot.

"i'm soo..?"

oh vi was gonna piss herself at the tone of your voice.

ekko cleared his throat in attempt to save vi, "anways! we're here because i once again busted my board. you guessed it. so if you would be so kind," you scoffed and let go of whatever vi was trying to say and looked over at ekko, who was handing you his board.

vi swallowed hard and she could feel sweat forming on her forehead as she watched you two chatting, caitlyn grabbing her attention as she came next to her, "what's got you so.. not.. you...?" she questioned her but she knew very well what the reason was.

she was trying to tease her, honestly.

vi scoffed, rolling her eyes a bit at her question, "oh, please, you know exactly why," she walked out your workspace with caitlyn trailing behind her.

as they walked out you gave a slight glance at where they walked out before looking back at ekko, "who's that pink-haired chick? she got a problem?" you tilted your head as ekko let out a slight chuckle.

"oh, her only issue would be that you weren't trying to get at her," ekko let out a little laugh as your face dropped in shock.

well that's not what you were expecting. it's not everyday that a woman finds interest in you.

and honestly, it kind of intrigued you.

vi and caitlyn came back in, and once again vi couldn't find the will to speak in your presence. you looked at violet, this time taking a good look at her which seemed to make her blush as she felt her cheeks warming up under your gaze as you eyed her up and down.

"can i help you with something else?" your tone was kinder and more inviting as you could feel the nerves basically rolling off of vi.

vi looking to the side at caitlyn before looking back at you, "uh, just wanna know if you guys are done. we need to, uh, head out soon."

you hummed, looking at ekko and signaling for him to borrow your board, "well if it's urgent, ekko can use mine while i fix his," ekko took the courtesy of walking out, caitlyn as well.

which finally left you two alone for a split sec before the nerves got to vi again and she turned on her heel, ready to run for it.

"i didn't catch your name?" vi was going to faint, good lord.

there was no way such a pretty girl was asking for her name.

she turned over her shoulder, giving a shy smile, "violet, vi for short."

you hummed slightly in response and she watched as you moved along your workspace, grabbing ekko's board and placing it on your work desk, "well, vi, you should come by some time. let me get to know you," your back was turned to her as you started working on the disaster in front of you.

vi was going to explode. she couldn't help the little hops of victory she did quietly behind you before replying calmly.

"yeah for sure, that sounds nice."

[funnyscienceman]

"How much are you willing to pay for clean air?" My professor says rhetorically, discussing economic development and its relationship with the environment and human life, and as my brain is still stuck on arcane against my will i can't help but think about the kirammans apparently building a vent system for zaun but not doing shit about the industrialization that made the Gray in the first place, and then caitlyn using the vents to release that deadly gas in her hunt for what she knows is a deeply disturbed teenager + the gangs that ran the undercity, with no mention of the deal jayce made with silco a season before, nothing about how the gas weapon manhunt affected zaun. Cait gets to go back to her big fancy house as a like tragic hero or whatever with her mom buried in a grave she can still visit and her dad still alive and a girlfriend who'll go down on her no problem despite losing her entire family and turning her back on the home she used to do anything and everything to protect. No sign of remorse not a hint of reparations or doing anything about the stranglehold piltover has on zaun. Gee golly it sure is a mystery why so many people would be put off by this story, riot games company based in california usa with mostly white people in charge

[ceaselesswatchersspecialboy]

To be clear, I don’t hate the direction Caitlyn’s arc took — rather I hate how it was handled.

Her falling back on her privilege in a state of grief and anger makes sense, and creates a genuinely interesting route for her, which they could have addressed in multiple ways and stuck to the theme of oppression and how Piltover was so quick to switch up at the actions of one Zaunite. I think perhaps it would have worked better initially if Vi’s arc to becoming an enforcer was a season long conflict for her, but other than that, I have no qualms with how Cait’s arc started. The issues begin the further her arc goes along, and it becomes clear, at least to me, that they don’t actually know how to balance making Cait sympathetic/nuanced in her grief, while also still giving her genuine consequences for what she does to Zaun, and the contrast between years of death and hatred causing Zaun to start lashing out at Piltover, vs Caitlyn losing her mother and immediately lashing out against all of Zaun. This isn’t to say her grief is invalid, rather she is hurting and poisoning people over it, whether they be innocent in her eyes or not.

I’ve seen some people say it isn’t that bad because she only targeted gangs or Jinx — her main target — but the fact is gas cannot be controlled like that. It spreads. This is likely the same sort of gas that poisoned Viktor. We know what it does. And hell, the gangs are a product of the system and Piltover’s oppression and ignorance of Zaun, something Arcane acknowledged in season one, and then barely paid mind to in season two.

The fact is, Cait is a privileged cop who causes a rise in violence against Zaunites, and this is only briefly acknowledged in act 3 before we move onto other things. Vi’s confrontation towards her doesn’t feel like a consequence either, because it barely lasts, and Cait’s choices barely have an impact on the story, because even though she and the enforcers plagued Zaun for the first two acts, they still end up joining forces with Piltover, and it feels forced.

Cait simply doesn’t work in season 2, because for her to work, they would have to actively acknowledge the class divide and treatment of those in the Undercity, and season 2 refuses to properly do that, thereby painting Cait in a better light than she should be painted.

[reaper2187]

Caitlyn kiramman x female reader

The moon hung low over the streets of Piltover, casting a soft glow that illuminated the cobblestones below. Caitlyn Kiramman, the sharp-eyed enforcer, moved quietly, her polished boots making barely a sound as she stepped through the shadows. She had been tracking a series of criminals for days, but tonight was different. Tonight, her target was rumored to be someone far more elusive, a bounty hunter known for her skills and independence—someone who didn’t care for Piltover’s laws or its protectors.

You, the bounty hunter, had been following your own lead, one that would hopefully bring you closer to a massive score. The client had been vague, but the price offered for this particular target was far too high to ignore. The streets of Zaun were treacherous enough, but with a powerful Piltover enforcer on the case, things just got more complicated.

You crouched on the rooftop, blending into the shadows. Below you, a small gang was gathered, their dirty faces and ragged clothes a stark contrast to Piltover’s cleanliness. You had been tailing them for hours, but they weren’t your real focus. Your intel suggested Caitlyn was nearby, and you knew she wouldn’t hesitate to interfere.

A slight scuffling noise made you turn your head, your senses alert. There she was. Caitlyn, with her signature rifle slung over her back, blue eyes scanning the streets as if she could sense your presence. You smirked to yourself. She was good, but you were better.

With a soft leap, you dropped down behind the gang, landing silently in the alleyway. The thugs didn’t even have a chance to draw their weapons before you had them pinned, your blade pressed lightly to the leader’s throat.

“Tell me where he is,” you hissed, your voice low and threatening.

The gang leader’s eyes darted wildly, but he quickly caved. “He’s… he’s hiding near the old docks… but you’re not the only one looking for him.”

“Who else?” you asked, even though you already knew.

“An enforcer from Piltover,” he spat, hatred and fear mixing in his voice.

You barely had time to process his words before you heard the click of a rifle being cocked.

“Step away from him. Now,” Caitlyn’s voice was calm, controlled, but firm.

You turned slowly, not raising your hands but showing her you weren’t reaching for your weapon.

“Enforcer Kiramman,” you greeted her, a teasing smile playing on your lips. “What brings you down to Zaun? Slumming it?”

Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have time for games. You’re interfering in an investigation.”

You tilted your head. “Funny, I thought you were the one interfering in my hunt.”

There was a tense silence, the gang members too afraid to move as they watched the two of you face off. Caitlyn’s grip on her rifle tightened, but she didn’t fire. There was something in her eyes—curiosity, maybe even admiration. You were known for being efficient, ruthless, and precise—everything she valued in a tracker, even if you operated outside the law.

“I’m not going to warn you again,” Caitlyn said, her voice a touch more serious. “Walk away.”

You chuckled. “And miss out on the fun? I don’t think so.”

Before Caitlyn could react, you moved, kicking the gang leader away and launching yourself into the shadows. Caitlyn cursed under her breath, raising her rifle to track you, but you were already gone.

Hours later, you found yourself perched on a rusted balcony overlooking the docks. The air was thick with the smell of salt and grime, the sounds of the Undercity echoing around you. Below, your target—a smuggler responsible for several illegal shipments into Piltover—was huddled with a group of men, clearly preparing for another run. You had him right where you wanted him, and this time, you weren’t about to let anyone interfere.

But then you felt it. The presence of someone watching you. A shadow crossed the rooftops, and you sighed. Caitlyn again.

“Persistent, isn’t she?” you muttered to yourself.

You waited until she was within striking distance before dropping down behind her, your movements silent. Caitlyn spun around, but you were faster, pinning her against the brick wall of the building.

“You’re starting to get on my nerves,” you whispered, your face inches from hers.

Caitlyn didn’t flinch. Instead, she stared at you, her expression hard but composed. “Likewise.”

For a moment, neither of you moved, the tension between you electric. You could feel her breath on your skin, her eyes locked with yours. Something shifted in the air, a moment of understanding passing between you. You both lived dangerous lives, always one step ahead of death. Perhaps, in that shared recklessness, there was something more.

“You know,” you said, your voice softer, “we could help each other.”

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. “And why would I do that?”

“Because we both want the same thing,” you replied. “The smuggler. You take him in, I get my bounty, and we both walk away happy.”

Caitlyn hesitated, her eyes searching yours. You could see the gears turning in her mind, weighing the risks, the benefits. Finally, she nodded.

“Fine. But you’re not running this show.”

You grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Sheriff.”

The plan went off without a hitch. Together, you and Caitlyn took down the smuggler’s men with precision, your movements fluid as you worked in sync. You had to admit, Caitlyn was impressive. Her aim was flawless, her strategies quick and efficient. For a moment, you found yourself admiring her—not just as a rival, but as a person.

When the smuggler was finally in custody, you stood side by side, catching your breath. Caitlyn glanced over at you, her expression unreadable.

“So, what now?” she asked.

You shrugged. “I collect my bounty, you take him to Piltover, and we go our separate ways.”

Caitlyn frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line. “That’s it?”

You turned to her, surprised by the hint of disappointment in her voice. “Did you have something else in mind?”

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she took a step closer, her eyes searching yours. There was something intense in her gaze, something you hadn’t expected.

“You’re good,” she said quietly. “Better than most.”

You smirked. “I know.”

Caitlyn’s lips twitched into a small smile, but it didn’t last long. Her expression turned serious again, and you felt your pulse quicken as she stepped even closer.

“I could use someone like you,” she admitted, her voice low. “In Piltover. As an ally.”

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Is that an offer?”

Caitlyn’s gaze flickered to your lips for just a second before returning to your eyes. “Maybe.”

You weren’t sure if it was the adrenaline or the way she was looking at you, but something in you snapped. Before you could second-guess yourself, you closed the distance between you, capturing her lips in a kiss. Caitlyn tensed for a brief moment before melting into it, her hands gripping your jacket as she pulled you closer.

The kiss was fierce, filled with the same energy that had fueled your rivalry. But underneath it, there was something else—something softer, more vulnerable. When you finally pulled away, both of you were breathing heavily, your foreheads pressed together.

“Well,” you said, a little breathless, “I didn’t expect that.”

Caitlyn chuckled softly, her voice huskier than usual. “Neither did I.”

For a moment, the world around you seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you in the stillness of the night. It was dangerous, the connection between you. But then again, danger was something you both thrived on.

“So,” Caitlyn said, her voice teasing, “about that offer…”

You smirked, pulling her closer again. “I think we can work something out.”

[unknown-cold]

It's funny and weird at the same time how some people call Caitlyn's Evil Cop, or Bad Character, Dictator or whatever. SHE IS NOT!!

Like let's be serious guys, we never saw her kill an innocent person, even when my friend saw the show he is not a fan of Arcane but he saw a lot of comments about it and I also urged him to watch it after all the excitement around it when I asked him about his opinion on the show and especially the character of Caitlyn he told me, he expected after all the posts and comments about her that she would go to Zaun and kill people with her gun he didn't expect that she just wears a costume that looks like a vampire and looks tough and mean, she would get this much hate. He even asked me why people don't talk or blame Ambessa isn't she the main reason behind most of the problems in this season and also Singed or even Silco and his allies?

I couldn't answer him except that people have double standards and are hypocrites because their criticism of Caitlyn's character is not because she did one bad thing but because she is from Piltover and an enforcer. I'm sure if Caitlyn was from Zaun and did worse things they would sympathize with her and love her, so their criticism is so hypocritical and has double standards. In short, their criticism of a character is not because she did bad things, but because of who she is and where she is from.

They forget that silco and his allies kills a lot of people and children, mainly people from the undercity, even kids and he was pay enforcers to kill anyone who opposed him. And in LOL have put a mini game on the clien and there you could find out that Silco use kids as lab rat to test the chem tanks.

If you're really mad at Caitlyn for her bad actions, so why do you sympathize with these criminals??

Btw, I'm glad Caitlyn took them down. They deserved it, for what they did to the Zaun people during Silco's 7 years of rule. He kills an entire family just to control Zaun and flooding an entire city with shimmer.

And I'm sure now someone will come and tell me that Caitlyn used the gas on all of Zaun and killed people with it. Seriously idiot where did you get this? Can you show me a picture from the show that people died because of grey, and if it's true then the characters must are talking about it, that Caitlyn uses grey to kill innocent people. So this claim is not true, we saw at the beginning of episode 3 how Caitlyn used the gas strategically and not randomly and Amanda confirmed that. So she used it to catch gangs there. Bc seriously, 5 people wouldn't go to catch hundreds of gang members that easily, and also if one of the people got hurt Ekko would have talked about it and we know that Ekko is the most loyal person to his people, so even Ekko himself didn't complain about using grey, he and Scar were talking about the gangs that were working with Silco, and they didn't care about gas, why? Because this gas didn't hurt them.

This is clear evidence. What more do you want? The writers confirmed and even in the art book, it is written that Caitlyn used it to take down the Chem-Barons goons and not to eliminate the Zaun people as some stupid claim.

Even if it hurt them and that using it was an evil act, why didn't you say this when Jinx used it on Piltover and injured innocent people, women and children, she didn't target enforcers for example, Jinx use the Grey randomly unlike Caitlyn, but is anyone talking about this? Of course not. And worse when I saw comments saying that Jinx should blow up Piltover again and eliminate the people of Piltover. Like some people have shown their true colors, that they don't care if a character did something bad or good, all they care about is who this character is.

And because Jinx is from Zaun and they have every right to do bad things, but Piltover doesn't even if they do good things they are still bad, what a shallow and ridiculous thinking. some Arcane fandom are probably the most stupid fandom nowadays, to them everyone from Zaun is a perfect angel who never do nothing wrong, everyone from Piltover is a monster with no feelings

The show is not black and white there is not one side is good and another side is bad, that only exists in Disney movies, go and watch it if you are this kind of boring and traditional storytelling.

Arcane proves every day that this show is not for everyone and if you want to enjoy it you have to open your mind well and be open-minded, and most importantly put politics and real life issues aside, and enjoy this fantasy world with flawed characters and good writing. (This show is not designed to solve political issues at the end of the day. It is a show based on a video game)

So there is no need to take this show seriously and insult people and spread false allegations about people who love a fictional character just to feel that you are morally superior, do not see that you look like asshole 🙂

[catcas22]

Idea for an Arcane AU. Set a few months after the events of S1Ep3.

Cassandra Kiramman visits Stillwater for a snap inspection. Despite the Warden's efforts to steer her away from the lower levels, she stumbles across a prisoner who looks far too young to be there. A closer look reveals that the girl's been beaten to hell and doesn't look to be any older than Cassandra's own daughter.

Cassandra demands to see the prisoner's file. After much faffing about and attempted obfuscation, the Warden has to admit that this prisoner doesn't have a file. Must've gotten lost somehow. Cassandra ends up demanding that the prisoner be released into her custody.

Back at the cell, Cassandra asks the kid -- she says her name is Vi -- if she'd be willing to testify against the Warden. She says she'll do anything as long as Cassandra helps her find her sister. The kid's being very cagey with information, but as far as Cassandra can gather her little sister got mixed up with a local gang. Should be easy enough for someone with the Councilwoman's money and connections to buy her out of whatever trouble she's in.

She takes Vi into protective custody while she drafts her report on the appalling state of affairs at Stillwater. As Vi gets comfortable enough to volunteer more information, it becomes evident that this isn't going to be the simple case of poor treatment and sloppy paperwork that Cassandra thought it was. In fact, she's claiming that Chief Enforcer Marcus personally set her up.

Cassandra ordinarily would have dismissed this out of hand, but the kid knows far too many details about the late Chief Enforcer Grayson's death. Details she has no business knowing. Details that were never released to the public. She'll look into it, just in case.

Eventually leads to Cassandra uncovering a conspiracy between the Chief Enforcer and the head of the Undercity mob. Not sure where it goes from there, but there's plenty of different directions one could take it. Plenty of room for fluffy family stuff, smol Caitlyn starting her own investigation, political intrigue, Caitvi puppy love, Cassandra getting to show her quality as both a good mother and a conscientious councilwoman, etc.

[bellybuttonbooks]

THE SIXTH | Ekko x Fem!OC

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

SUMMARY:

Shimmer is back. Two years after the war with Noxus has ended, a new gangster emerges within the undercity, now known as 'Zaun'.

Daunter is a ruthless chem-baron who has reformed the city's drug empire. He refloods the streets with shimmer and gains the title 'Silco's Heir'.

The Firelights are back in commission after two years of lax, taking down exports just like the days when Silco was still alive.

When the group arrives at an export and finds it already taken down with the barrels drained of shimmer, it becomes apparent that Daunter and his gang aren't the only ones they need to look out for. They had competition. Or... did they?

Ekko finds himself involved in a seemingly endless cat-and-mouse chase with another gang leader-a woman who moves like the wind. He wants to know what her motives are, but he has to catch her first.

🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃🍃

CHAPTER ONE:

- Zaun, two years after the conclusion of Arcane

"Fuck—"

It happened again. Their mission had been sabotaged, just like before. Someone had arrived before he and the Firelights had gotten there, Daunter's goons paralyzed and tied up, the barrels drained of shimmer.

Daunter was Zaun's newest chem baron—and currently it's biggest. He reintroduced shimmer to the Lanes, reflooding the streets with the purple drug.

After Silco had died and the undercity got caught up in a battle with Piltover and Noxus, shimmer had been mostly exterminated by Caitlyn and her enforcers. It still lingered in the black market, but mass exports ceased to exist. Until a few months ago, that is. Daunter crept in like slow-forming shadows caused by a rising moon. In increments so small that no one noticed until everything was drenched in its darkness.

This forced the Firelights back into action. But now, there seemed to be someone else who was intent on interrupting Daunter's operations. Ekko would have accepted the help if it wasn't for the fact that they'd taken the shimmer. He couldn't help but suspect that the culprit had ill intentions, and that put them at odds with the Firelights.

"Looks like we got competition," a distorted voice said from beside him.

Ekko turned his head to look at the masked face of Scar, a tall chirean who served as his Lieutenant and second in command. Chireans held bat-like appearances (minus the wings), with large ears, grey-toned skin, bat-like noses, and neon green eyes.

Both men stood atop a nearby roof, out of hearing distance of the restrained goons on the cargo airship.

"More like another enemy," Ekko responded.

Scar processed his leader's remark before speaking again. "You think they got bad intentions?"

"They're up to no good if they're stealing shimmer. Probably selling it themselves to make bank," he said pointedly.

Scar took in Ekko's words. It made sense and sounded like the most likely scenario. Though, one thing stood out to him.

"Why would they tie em' up? They already have em' paralyzed somehow. It's like they're leaving 'em here for someone to arrest or something."

Ekko considered this but had already thought up a reason. "The paralysis might not last long. Could be a precaution."

Scar nodded, agreeing that his reasoning seemed plausible.

"What should we do? Seems we keep missing 'em. Should we put out scouters across the city?"

Ekko exhaled through his nose, mulling over Scar's suggestion. It did sound like a good idea, but he had to also consider the risks. He didn't want to put his people in danger. This wouldn't be like their typical 'element of surprise' mission. This would involve spying, waiting, and watching—usually from the shadows to avoid detection. Despite this, Ekko had faith in the Firelights.

"Yeah. Could assign shifts. But we still need to keep most of our numbers back at the hideout in case of any surprise missions."

Scar agreed. Daunter was becoming more and more unpredictable, and there were times when they had to act quickly, creating plans with only hours to spare.

The conversation between the men ended there and Ekko mounted his aeroglider. He flew over to the transport ship and hopped off the board, sliding it behind his back to attach to the magnetic piece on his coat. He neared Daz, one of the newer Firelights.

Daz was a little on the shorter side, his body mass nothing impressive. But he was quick, and that made up for his size.

"You find anything useful? Anything they might've left behind?"

Daz stood from his crouching position. "Nothing. But this guy says that it was a bunch of people dressed in black wearing cloaks," he said.

The younger male nudged the oversized goon who was laying on the boarded floors of the airship with his booted foot.

Ekko's eyes narrowed in thought from the goon's revelation. He crouched down, deciding to take questioning the brute into his own hands.

"Did you see any faces? Anything?"

Daunter's ruffian shook his head, his double chin jigging as he did so.

"I was lucky to even see 'em in the first place. Bastards were quick as shit, bouncin' all over the place like a bunch 'a damn shimmer addicts."

Ekko stared down at the overweight man for a few moments before standing.

'Was it possible that whoever had done this was also consuming the drug to give themselves a physical advantage?'

Authoritative voices sounded from the distance, pulling him from his thoughts and signaling him and the other firelights that enforcers were nearby. Ekko yanked his aeroglider from behind his back once again, hopping onto it before instructing the other Firelights to follow him out of there.

The group flew to their hideout, flickers of green trails decorating the air behind them as they moved.

The Firelight hideout was impressive—only accessible through a labyrinth of abandoned sewer pipes. He and his people had the pipes memorized by now, knowing exactly where to go to reach the entrance. The entrance was covered by a heavy, circular piece of metal—resembling that of a manhole cover. It rolled to the side, allowing them access.

Each time Ekko walked through the gate, he was struck with amazement at what he had accomplished so far. He had created a community in the last ten years, having found a large tree growing from the deep, dark depths of Zaun—a miracle, but also a symbol of hope. He had built himself a home, a sanctuary, and shared it with the people of the undercity that had been affected by the shimmer epidemic and the victims of the battle. He was proud of himself, and the people who had joined him in forming the Firelights. They had done well.

During the war, they'd almost lost the tree. Well, they had lost the tree. The corruption from the hexcore had bled into the roots of their tree, causing the leaves to become tainted in wild rune markings before ultimately falling off. But using the knowledge he had learned in the other timeline he'd been teleported to, Ekko was able to form a time bubble around the hideout, reversing time in sphere they'd created but no where else. After ensuring no one was in the bubble, Ekko was able to bring the tree back to its former condition—before his mural had been painted on it.

Before the war, he'd vanished for months, leaving the Firelight no choice but to assume his death. They painted his face on the mural. It was a chilling thing to see once he'd returned; a symbol of his own death that hadn't occurred. A bad omen.

He had lost people throughout his twenty-three years of life—too many people. He carried the memories of his fallen friends with him and honored their memory by having a mural painted on the tall walls of the sewer, colourful portraits of the people who had passed on. It added to the surrealness of their hideout, while also ensuring who they've lost remained with them in, watching over them as they worked, lived, and thrived underneath their still gaze.

His eyes skimmed over the mural; Vi, Powder, Claggor, Mylo, Momo, Chip, Kurt, Jal, Eve, Radar, Heimerdinger, Jinx, and the most recent addition—Ajuna.

He lowered his gaze and walked to his room. It was located in one of the higher structures of the tree. Usually, he would use his hoverboard to fly there, but he decided to take the long way so that he could think on the way there. Plus, the exercise wouldn't hurt. He began his venture up the lengthy stairs, his mind occupied as he did so.

He soon reached his destination, pushing open the door before closing it behind him again after stepping inside.

His room was clean, but also messy. His bed was made, which was something he forced himself to do every morning. It was a twin bed that lined the back right corner of the room. Opposite the bed was his workbench, where the mess began. It was a disorganized madness, but it was his madness, and it worked for him. He was an inventor, a prodigy and a genius, as his parents called him. The workbench was evidence of his success and failures. His tools scattered across the wooden surface, grooves beginning to form in the shape of his fingers from how often he used them. Pieces of scrap lined the walls next to the desk, things he refused to throw out because he was determined to find a use for them some day.

The wall behind his desk was littered with plans, blueprints, diagrams—either of inventions he had already made, planned to make, or things he still hadn't finished planning yet. Next to the bed was his desk. It was situated underneath a curtained window. That was where some of the mission planning took place. He was the leader, and he was the one who created intricate plans for his team to embark on (with some help from Scar at times).

Ekko yanked his aeroglider from his back and rested it against the leg of his workbench before shedding his graffitied coat and folding it over his work chair. He removed his mask and placed it on his desk before sitting in his chair.

His mind was tossing and turning, thinking back to their wrecked mission. It was clear that the Firelights had another enemy to deal with now, as if Daunter and his gang weren't enough. He worried about what this might mean for their future undertakings, what confronting the group would be like, what their leader was like—if they even had one. They most likely did. They wouldn't have been able to pull off such swift heists if they didn't.

Ekko exhaled and willed his troubled thoughts to leave with his breath. He needed to focus. Make a schedule. Make a plan. He pulled out some parchment and leaned over his desk, getting to work.

Weeks passed, and the Firelights had no luck with spotting the culprits. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing. That and any physical altercations made using shimmer made them dangerously fast foes.

Ekko stood atop a roof, his mask adorning his face and the hood pulled over his head. He held his hoverboard to his side, having just landed. The building he was situated on was positioned along one of the main routes for Daunter's shimmer exports.

At this hour, the city was dark but also illuminated by the lights within its buildings. It was pretty, no one could deny that. Pink and green light outlined its contents, adding to its nighttime radiance. It was a contrast to the dank stench that polluted their air.

He lingered on the roof for a while, hoping to spot some movement.

His scouting shift was ending. His body was tense with anticipation and eagerness that didn't seem to dissipate as the time ticked well beyond when he should have gone home. This mystery had been bothering him since the first time they came across an empty transport about a month ago. He couldn't understand how he and the Firelights kept missing them. How this mysterious group of people in black seemed to be getting away with it. Right now, all he knew was that he would not rest until he figured it out, and then took care of it by taking them down.

A flicker of movement occurred from the top right of his peripheral. In a flash his head wagged in the direction, his focus zooming in on it. There. He could see a very faint outline of what looked like the side of someone, the rest of them drenched in inky shadows. They stood upon a roof in the near distance. When Ekko moved onto the other side of the roof he was standing on, he noticed that there were other figures standing with the initial one he had noticed. It had to be them.

He knew that he'd have to stay hidden and quiet. He was outnumbered by people who had unknown capabilities. Instead of confronting them, he would follow them. Watch them and their moves, learn their techniques, inspect them for any weaknesses, and figure out who was leading them.

He put his aeroglider on his back, knowing that the green lights on it would immediately reveal his location—especially in the darkness of the night. He would have to move on foot. He wasn't exactly skilled in moving stealthily. His boots always felt too heavy, his breathing too loud—especially behind his mask. Despite this, he was determined to pursue the group. He'd been chasing nothing but possibilities for weeks. The possibility that he might spot them. The possibility of learning more about them. The possibility of the Firelights having the capability to take them down. He was sick of unanswered questions, and if slinking into the shadows like some kind of damn ninja was what he had to do to get them, then so be it.

When they moved, he moved, trying to mask any footsteps or sounds he made with theirs. So far, it seemed they were moving aimlessly. They headed in every which direction, making quick yet precise movements. Ekko was almost in awe. This group moved with grace and excellence. They used acrobatics and parkour together, the combination of the two giving the group a unique advantage in means of travel and stealth.

Ekko was able to see that the group consisted of about 6 people, with one of them leading the lot. He could see that they were indeed adorned in black attire, which included black cloaks. Any other physical details remained a blur due to their continuous motion.

The leader seemed to lead the group to some sort of abandoned warehouse. It had long since been cleared out of its storage—Ekko and the Firelights having raided it once after Squirt, one of the older members of the gang, spotted it during a mission.

Ekko kept himself tucked away in a nearby alley, sparing only a few glances as he saw the group circle on the concrete clearing in front of the warehouse. As he glanced over the corner, he noticed there was one fewer than before. Before he could even begin wondering what happened to them, he felt an abrupt poke on the back of his neck, directly in the center. In seconds he was crumbling to the ground, his own body refusing to listen to his brain signals that demanded he move. He lay there helplessly, now at the complete mercy of this group that he knew nothing about. He tested his eyes, seeing if he could glance around and blink. He could. He tried opening his mouth. He could. But that was it.

His eyes caught sight of the person who had managed to take him down in mere seconds without him even knowing they were there. They were small—a small female. She was dressed in all black besides a crimson scarf wrapped around her neck. He couldn't see her face because she was wearing a black half mask that covered her nose and mouth, and tinted goggles that covered her eyes. One of the most prominent things he noticed was how long and bushy her hair was. She had it tied in a low ponytail and the ends of it reached all the way to her ankles.

'There's no way that was the ideal way to keep her hair during outings like these,' Ekko thought. It reminded him of Pow—Jinx. Long hair. Always getting in the way when she fought. He felt his heart clench, but he banished the impending memories that threatened to come forth. He didn't have time to think about that now.

"You've been following us," the woman said, her voice firm and yet soft at the same time.

She began circling him, sizing him up before coming to a stop near his head. She squatted down beside him, her head tilting to the side as she looked over his masked face.

"And you've been stealing shimmer to do who knows what with."

Her head tilted to the other side as she listened to him respond in the distorted voice caused by his mask. "What of it? You want some?" Her voice was muffled by the material of her mask.

He scoffed, disgust filling him and lacing his voice with venom as he spoke. "So, you do make profit off it."

She didn't respond to that. Instead, she gripped the edges of his mask and began to tug it off. When she felt a resistance, she reached into his hood and unsnapped the fastens and then tried again.

Ekko could do nothing to stop her as she revealed his face to the night air.

She gave him a good stare down, as if memorizing every facial feature he had. She reached a hand down to him, her fingers making gentle contact with the hourglass marking on his forehead and nose.

Ekko would have jolted away from her touch if he wasn't paralyzed.

She traced along the edges of the marking with two of her fingers, her movements slow and deliberate. After pulling her hand away, she stared down at him some more, almost like she was contemplating something. "What does it mean?"

Ekko's mouth parted, confusion and bewilderment striking him from her abrupt question. He couldn't even think of forming an answer to that question, too caught off guard by it.

"Nothing? Just thought the shape was cool, huh?" She stood, his mask still pinched between her fingers.

"This thing is neat. Did you make it yourself?" She turned the mask over in her hands and held it up, getting a closer look at the neon pink 'x' painting on the front of it and then looking at the mechanics on the inside that made the wearer's voice distorted.

"What did you do to me? I can't move."

She looked from his mask and down at him again as she ignored her question. She seemed to pause, as if stunned by the sound of his actual voice that was no longer disguised by his mask.

"It's temporary. It'll wear off in an hour or so."

Ekko's eyes widened. "An hour? Stuck like this? With you?"

She snickered. "Hey, you're the one who was following us. I had to make sure you weren't a threat." She bent forward and gazed down at him; her eyes still hidden behind the goggles she wore. "So, are you? A threat, I mean."

Ekko swallowed. "Depends. I don't know you, or what your intentions are. I'm only a threat to those who are a threat to me," he said.

"Well, that's quite the predicament. We don't know your intentions, and you don't know ours." She stood up straight before continuing. "But you were the one following us. That's not very nice, y'know."

Ekko could feel her words ignite annoyance within him like a flame touching gas.

"I had my reasons," he retorted matter-of-factly.

The girl turned around, hiding her face from view before pulling down her mask and removing her goggles from her eyes, leaving them resting on her head like a headband. Then she put on his mask. It was too big for her, but she kept it on, nonetheless.

Ekko became enraged. "Take it off, now." His voice was angered and demanding.

She snickered again, this time teasingly as she turned around to show him her face now covered by his own mask.

"No, I don't think I will." Her voice came out distorted now, and it only added to Ekko's fury.

Before Ekko could make a response, she moved quickly out of his peripheral. And suddenly, she was atop the roof of one of the buildings lining the alleyway. She gave him a taunting wave before dashing away.

Ekko could hear her voice in the distance as she ordered the group to head back.

'So, she's their leader.'

Ekko mulled over that fact for a few seconds until he realized that he was now left in the alleyway, defenseless. She had left him there paralyzed and alone, completely vulnerable to any possible thugs in the area.

"Shit—"

Just as the word left his mouth, she returned to her spot on the roof. He watched her plop down, her short legs dangling over the ledge. He could hear her muffled, distorted snicker.

'Bitch.'

"Don't worry, I'll babysit you until you can move again."

Ekko blinked, confusion dousing him from her odd intentions.

"Why?"

"To make sure no one hurts you silly," she replied, her oddly cheerful voice making the distortion effects of the mask glitch out. He heard her giggle.

He stared up at her in disbelief. "You wouldn't have to do that if you hadn't paralyzed me in the first place."

"And I wouldn't have had to paralyze you if you hadn't been following us in the first place."

She had a point, and he knew it, But he also knew he was justified for following them. He needed to know what their intentions were.

"What are you doing with the shimmer that you've been stealing?" He knew his question was a long shot, but at this point he didn't have anything to lose.

"That's for me to know, and for you... To not know."

This woman was infuriating.

"Then I have no choice but to assume that you're selling it for profit. You're just continuing to add to the problems of the undercity. How do you live with yourself? Contributing to the pain and suffering of other people for the sake of coins."

She seemed to pause at his words, like she was thinking carefully before responding. "You're quick to assume things, huh?"

Ekko watched as she crossed her arms over her chest, her head still tilted downwards as she stared at him through his mask from her perch on the roof ledge.

"What choice do I have when you won't give me anything."

She hummed. "Touche."

Ekko could feel pins and needles erupt in the tips of his fingers and toes. The paralysis was starting to wear off. He decided to keep this information to himself. Maybe he could try and get her to come down here and strike after the paralysis had completely worn off without her knowledge.

"How'd you do this? You poked me and suddenly I'm all paralyzed and helpless."

He heard her make a noise of amusement, hinting that she was probably smirking behind his mask.

"More questions?

He rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna answer this one?"

She shook her head in amusement, and Ekko watched in astonishment as she stood and flipped into the air, landing on the ground right beside his head with absolute grace.

'She just flipped off a god damn building.'

He had to admit, that was impressive as hell. He'd lived in the undercity his whole life, and many kids grew up learning how to do parkour, but nothing like this. Sure, he could do his own mid-air flip, but his landings were far from as graceful and quiet as hers. It was like she was a dancer or something.

She squatted next to his head again, peering down at him like before but this time behind his mask.

"How about we swap secrets, yeah? You tell me what this means—" She paused and then poked the white marking on his forehead and nose. "—And I tell you how I made you 'all paralyzed and helpless'."

Ekko was taken aback. She would really reveal something so valuable in exchange for something that was merely personal to him?

"It means a lot of things. It's shaped like an hourglass. I've always had a thing for time."

She made another amused sound—probably smirking again.

"That's it? You have a thing for time? No deep, mysterious meaning for painting a freaking hourglass on your face?"

"Guess so."

She stood and crossed her arms over her chest.

He was starting to get more feeling in his face now, and he didn't even notice when he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Who are you?" he asked her, not really expecting an answer.

She shook her head disapprovingly again before replying. "Another question? But I haven't even answered the other one yet," she pointed out jeeringly.

He grit his teeth. This teeny tiny woman had started a raging anger within him. She dodged questions, was sassy as shit, and she'd stolen his mask and was now wearing it just to piss him off.

She noticed when his eyebrows furrowed, hinting that he was regaining use of his muscles now. She took a step back but didn't fully retreat just yet, lingering behind for a moment to say something else.

"I thought you would've found another fascination by now. But nope, still obsessed with time, aren't you, Ekko?"

Ekko felt like he'd been abruptly drenched in ice-cold water. She spoke to him as if she knew him.

'Who the fuck is this person?'

His shock was evident on his face, and she immediately picked up on it.

In a blur of movements, he was suddenly standing, the paralysis having worn off by now. Despite his quickness, she had maneuvered out of the way and was now standing on the same ledge she had been sitting on minutes before.

"Who the fuck are you?! Tell me, God dammit!"

She was quiet and unmoving for a few moments, as if she was contemplating something.

"Toodaloo." She waved at him and laughed before disappearing.

He growled and pulled his aeroglider from his back, immediately mounting it and taking to the air. She couldn't have gotten too far. It took him only a few moments to spot her in the distance. She was fast—real fast. But he had his hoverboard, which made him faster. He flew his board in her direction, gaining momentum on her quickly.

He watched as she turned a corner abruptly. He quickly made the sharp turn, about to catch up to her when he was forced to come to a stop. She was gone.

He gained altitude, moving up higher to get a better map of the place. He looked around, but still couldn't find anything. She had quite literally vanished into thin air.

"Fuck!"

Rest of the fanfic can be found here.

[viilovers]

Title: Bruises and Broken Bottles

Warnings: ¡Smut! (Not hyper detailed) pit figther vi! X male reader! (Sorry not sorry) If you don't wanna read then block! Or scroll!

The stench of stale beer and regret clung to the air like a shroud. I navigated the cluttered floor of Vi's apartment, dodging discarded clothes and the occasional shattered bottle. “Vi?” I called out, my voice tight with a mixture of concern and exasperation.

A groan rumbled from the corner, followed by a crash. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fuckin’ here, pretty boy.”

That was my cue. Pretty boy. Asshole. Useless sack of shit. The terms of endearment varied depending on the level of intoxication. I was used to it. Too used to it, maybe.

I found her sprawled on the dilapidated couch, one arm dangling off the side, her pink hair a tangled mess against the stained fabric. Her breathing was ragged, and the air around her reeked of cheap whiskey.

“Vi, c’mon. Up you get,” I said, trying to pull her upright.

She swatted my hand away, her eyes bleary and unfocused. “Get off me, Y/N. I don’t need your help.”

“Sure looks like it,” I muttered, but kept my voice soft. Arguing with a drunk and heartbroken Vi was like wrestling a rabid badger. You always ended up worse for wear.

It had been...complicated between us. Years ago, we were inseparable. Two kids from the Undercity, dreaming of a life beyond the grime and the gang wars. Then, everything went sideways. Prison. Powder. Silco. And then...Caitlyn.

Vi and Caitlyn had been good. Really good. I saw it in the way Vi’s eyes softened when she talked about her, the way a small smile would play on her lips. I even thought, maybe, finally, she’d found some peace.

But peace was a luxury we couldn't afford long. When Caitlyn broke up with her after being unsure for too long, Vi had spiraled. The bars, the pit fights, the self-destruction… it was a familiar, agonizing pattern. And for some reason, despite everything, I was the one she called.

I managed to wrestle her into a sitting position, propping her up against the back of the couch. “Water. You need water.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she slurred, but didn’t resist when I pressed a glass of water into her hand.

She took a tentative sip, then grimaced. “Tastes like…regret.”

“Probably is regret. You drank enough of it tonight.”

She glared at me, a flicker of anger in her eyes. “Why are you even here, Y/N? You got nothing better to do than babysit a washed-up pit fighter?”

The words stung, even though I knew they were fueled by alcohol and pain. “Someone has to make sure you don’t choke on your own vomit. Besides, who else is going to listen to you whine about the perfect cupcake breaking your heart?”

The jab hit home. Her expression crumpled, and tears welled up in her eyes. “She…she didn’t understand. She didn't get it here. She didn't see me for me"

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I hated seeing her like this. Hated the vulnerability that she usually kept locked away behind layers of bravado and aggression.

I knelt in front of her, taking her hand in mine. Her skin was rough, calloused from years of fighting. “I know. I know it hurts, Vi. But you gotta stop doing this to yourself.”

She squeezed my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. “Easy for you to say. You got it all figured out, right? Always the responsible one. Always so fucking perfect.”

“Perfect? Vi, if I was so perfect, would I be here, cleaning up your messes at 3 in the morning?”

She laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “Good point, pretty boy.”

I stayed with her for a long time, just holding her hand and listening to her ramble. Eventually, she passed out, her breathing evening out. I covered her with a blanket and sat in the rickety armchair, watching over her.

The first rays of dawn crept through the grimy window, painting the room in a pale, depressing light. I was stiff and exhausted, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. I knew what Vi would be like when she woke up. The hangover, the shame, the desperate attempt to bury it all under a fresh layer of anger and defiance.

I woke to the feeling of eyes on me. Heavy eyes, blood shot eyes. I should be repulsed as i had been last night, but for the sake of my love for her, I wouldn't.

"Morning." I grunt out, still sore from last night.

"Morning." Vi says back, still a little drunk, but sober enough to make out my face. She looks me over a few times, and i know exactly what she's doing. She always looks like she wants to swallow me whole.

I shift uncomfortably at the thought. "Hungry? I could make breakfast."

"I'm starving." She says back, but not for food. Her eyes travel to my lips as she licks her own. "Starving for you."

I try to ignore the way my pulse jumps. "Vi, you're still drunk. You don't mean that."

She raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, I think I do. I've been wanting you for a long time, Y/N. Since before Caitlyn, even."

I swallow hard. "Vi..."

She doesn't let me finish. She reaches out and grabs my shirt, pulling me towards her. My lips crash against hers, and all thoughts of responsibility and reason fly out the window.

Her kiss is rough and desperate, mirroring the turmoil inside her. I kiss her back, unable to resist the pull of her, the memory of what we used to be.

Her hands move to my belt, fumbling with the buckle. "Help me out here, pretty boy," she whispers against my lips.

I pull away slightly. "Vi, are you sure about this? I don't want you to regret it in the morning."

She looks me dead in the eye, her gaze intense and unwavering. "I won't. I promise."

And for some reason, I believe her. I help her with my belt, then start unbuttoning her shirt. Her skin is warm beneath my fingertips, marked with old scars and bruises, each one a testament to her strength and resilience.

We don't talk anymore. We don't need to. Our bodies speak for us, a language of raw need and unspoken desires. I kiss her neck, her shoulders, tracing the lines of her muscles with my tongue.

She moans, arching her back against me. "Fuck, Y/N," she breathes. "I need you so bad."

I don't hesitate. I enter her, and she cries out, her body clenching around me. The pleasure is intense, overwhelming, a release of all the pent-up tension and frustration that has been building between us for months.

We move together, lost in the rhythm of our bodies, the urgency of our need. I kiss her again, harder this time, and she bites my lip, drawing blood.

We had been apart for so long, and so much had changed. But in that moment, tangled together in the ruins of her apartment, it felt like nothing had ever come between us.

Afterward, we lay in silence, her head resting on my chest, our bodies slick with sweat. I stroked her hair, unsure of what to say.

“Vi?” I ventured, my voice hesitant.

She stirred slightly, nuzzling closer. “Hmm?”

“What…what does this mean?”

She was silent for a long moment. Then, she sighed. “I don’t know, Y/N. I really don’t.”

And that was the truth. We were a mess, a tangled web of history, hurt, and unresolved feelings. But as I looked down at her, at the vulnerability in her eyes, I knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t ready to walk away. Not again.

The future was uncertain, filled with challenges and potential heartbreak. But for now, in this moment, it was enough to be here, with her, holding her close. I knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning. We had a long way to go, a lot to figure out. But maybe, just maybe, we could find our way back to each other. Even if it was through bruises and broken bottles.

[maddhatterreviews]

I think the funniest thing about Arcane is that it's this serious steampunk high fantasy story with deep socio-political themes about classism, oppression, and the cost of revolution. As well as where the limits of technology and scientific expansion should be. All centering around various political machinations and a violent family drama that spans two generation and spills out into all out gang warfare.

But because he's a central figure in the lore of Piltover and Hextech in League of Legends, one of the most important characters in the story is named Heimerdinger. And he looks like this:

Like, Jayce gets arrested for performing illegal, potentially danger experimentations after a group of street kids accidentally caused an explosion...and then this little fuzzy gremlin creature walks in and Jayce is just like "Professor Heimerdinger, let me explain..." Like the introduction of this character doesn't HARD clash with the tone and setting of the show until that moment.

But the show also never treats Heimerdinger like he doesn't fit into the setting. The only time Heimerdinger ever feels out of place is when he goes down to the undercity; but for the same reason Caitlyn felt out of place, or any other member of Piltover's upper class would. Not because he's two feet tall and fuzzy.

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

Caitlin having to withstand her girlfriend's torture - getting praised and teased as her girlfriend slowly drag Caitlin to the dark side (Helps Caitlin relax for once in her life and cut lose).

May or may not end up with them running from enforcers and/or gang members.

Your Idiot

|| Caitlyn x fem!reader

|| Warnings: first time writing for Caitlyn, shorter than my usual stuff

|| Summary: reader gets back from a heist, Caitlyn isn't pleased. The heist would later come back to interrupt their date.

Requests open!

~~~

You and Caitlyn have been dating for a while. The only problem being you were from the Undercity. Which often lead to a lot of difficulties in your relationship, but the two of you did your best to not let it get in the way of things.

You'd just returned from a heist, plopping the bag of items you'd collected on the couch before flopping down next to it. Arms draped over the back of the couch as you looked at the ceiling. Letting your eyes close for a moment.

You heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and opened your eyes to see Caitlyn giving you a disapproving gaze, arms folded across her chest.

"Care to explain where you've been?"

"Shopping." You smirked, nodding your head towards the bag and she sighed deeply.

"I can't believe we are having this discussion again. I told you, I would assist you with whatever you needed." She tells you, her tone firm.

"Yeah, but I don't want to have to always rely on you. That's not fair to you. Besides, it's fun! Let loose for once, Caitlyn." You tell her, leaning forward as you rest your arms against your knees. Keeping yourself propped up.

"I can let loose." She rolls her eyes," just not when it comes to the law!"

You stand and walk over to her, pulling her into a gentle kiss. She melts into it and you stay like that for a moment before breaking it. Giving her cheek a gentle tap which makes her narrow her eyes at you.

"Calm down. Nobody saw me."

She looks at you with a gaze you can't quite read," you are really annoying sometimes."

"Love you, too." You chuckle, giving her a soft smile.

~~~

A few days after, you and Caitlyn were out on a date in Piltover. Enjoying a nice cup of coffee as you chatted. Though it was soon interrupted as two enforcers rushed into the shop, pointing directly at you. You don't quite catch what they had shouted at you, already having sprung into action. You flip the table, creating a barrier that would hopefully slow them down for a moment before grabbing Caitlyn by her wrist and sprinting towards the back door. Shoving it open with your shoulder as the two of you ran out of the shop. Apparently someone had seen you on your heist days before.

Caitlyn has a mix of panic and annoyance in her features as she runs with you down a back alley, headed for the Undercity.

"Are you serious?! I thought you said no one saw you!" She shouts, throwing her hands out to the side.

"Turns out someone did!" You shout back.

"Ugh, why am I even with you?!"

"Because I'm charming and irresistible!" You tease her, she shoves you slightly in frustration and you laugh. The two of you managing to lose the enforcers by heading into the Undercity, jumping from building to building. You help Caitlyn get across on some of the more difficult ones until you've reached your safe house. If you can even call it a house. It's not the nicest place in the world but it was yours.

The two of you plopping down on the makeshift bed, trying to catch your breaths. Caitlyn being slightly more out of breath than you.

"You are such an idiot." She mutters, hand on her chest as she glares at you.

"Maybe. But I'm your idiot." You give her a finger gun, which certainly didn't improve her mood with you. You found it amusing though. Teasing Caitlyn was just too easy sometimes.

"Shut up."

[inkdragon1900]

Finished my umpteenth Arcane rewatch ( it’s 100% above 30 now but I lost count around 25 about a year and a half ago ) anyway so here’s some character headcanons.

Vi realized she was a lesbian due to developing a crush on an older girl in a gang when she was younger and 100% adopted some of her stylistic influences.

Caitlyn due to her sheltered upbringing didn’t realize she was a lesbian until she was older.

Mel’s father taught her how to paint.

Sevika was the powder of Vander and Silco’s group growing up.

Silco had the statue of Vander erected.

Smoking originally became a symbol of power in the undercity cause younger Vander nabbed a pipe off of an enforcer.

Jinx tried to play her and Vi’s monster game to try and chase the hallucinations of Mylo and Claggor away the first few weeks after getting taken in by Silco.

Xemina Talis started calling both Jayce and Viktor her boys whenever anyone asked about them after like the 4th family function Jayce brought Viktor along too. She’s never outright asked if Viktor has any living family but his near nostalgic expression as he observes from the sidelines is answer enough for her.

Jayce and Viktor talked a lot after their hextech discovery but as the council debated about letting it continue they talked a little less until Jayce sent Viktor a new cane he built to replace the one that broke with a note asking to meet him for dinner.

Caitlyn and Jayce consider themselves siblings and started to correct any idiot that thinks otherwise in a lie about how they’re biological siblings that has become more and more elaborate by the year. Cassandra thinks it’s stupid but goes along with it, Tobias thinks it’s the funniest thing ever and joins in every now and then to add another incredibly elaborate lie or two.

Cassandra and Tobias are both trans and supported eachother through their transitions, going as far to delay their wedding so Cassandra could find the perfect dress and Tobias could get the perfect tux.

Viktor is bi and after a rousing game of never have I ever between he and Jayce admitted to having actively dated more than 30% of Piltover academy’s student body.

Jayce drunkenly admitted that he is also bi and has dated exactly three people in his lifetime.

He also found out that night that he and Viktor have three mutual exes.

Caitlyn likes writing love poems.

Ambessa came to Piltover not only for weapons but because after finding out about her son’s death her stomach dropped thinking about Mel in danger.

Silco loves the opera and once when he was younger successfully snuck into one.

Ekko personally painted the portion of the mural of Benzo, Vander and his friends.

Ekko and Jinx have had a running contest of who can tag more of the city since they were kids Ekko thought the game had ended until he started seeing Jinx’s pink and blue monkey everywhere he started tagging the green hourglass back.

[eternalwanderer-stories]

Oh yeah, and here we are. Vi's poster is finally out and we can put them all together. Jinx is actually in all of the posters, but as I said, they did a lot better than I expected.

Initially I thought it would be a consistent story according to the release of the posters, but the more I look at them, the more I am convinced that each poster is a separate story of a character in its own time period.

I'll return to the first poster with Vi and Jinx, but I won’t consider the second general poster in detail yet – for me it is really just a general promo with a small symbolic hint. And personal posters are really more interesting.

Ekko

Actually, he was the first. With the release of the trailer, I understand why the poster did not show anything else from his image, except for decoration and a close–up of his face - because now we know that there is also a pink cross and other attributes of Jinx painted on his clothes. This is definitely a different costume, but it is already obvious that at some point Ekko (either himself or his gang) will cooperate with Jinx. Whether this will be a temporary truce, whether this will be the final forgiveness of everything that happened between them in the past is an open question (I am more inclined to a temporary truce).

Caitlyn

Oh yes, that hard look and angry face that contrasts so much with the innocently charming face from the first season. I assume that Jinx's rocket will take her mother's life – it's too obvious and there are too many hints about it. This means that Jinx becomes a kind of Vendetta for Caitlyn, and the matter of her capture (and elimination, I assume) becomes, among other things, her personal business. It is noteworthy that Caitlyn's poster is the only one on which there is no pink color – neither Vi's pink hair nor Jinx's pink eyes. The whole poster is cold and icy blue. I can assume that at some point Caitlyn will remain completely alone in her mission to capture Jinx, and Vi will either not be with her, or for some reason she will be on Jinx's side (especially since on the general poster the girls were separated by a green stripe, which is associated with Ekko. Isn't this the moment from the trailer where Ekko is acting in concert with Vi?). In any case, Caitlyn's poster looks very cold and aloof. And only in red strokes, like blood or a spider's web, threads pass, which Caitlyn used back in the first season, when she drew up her own scheme of evidence of what was happening in the Undercity. The "Red web" is a great metaphor for Caitlyn's condition this season. Red is the color of Noxus, and Ambessa will definitely have a very strong influence, even pressure, on Caitlyn in matters of martial law. The web of Ambessa's decisions, the council's decisions, the confrontation between the two cities, the relationship with Vi and personal revenge against Jinx, in which Caitlyn is obviously entangled, will really change her beyond recognition and I am very interested to see it.

In the first season, Caitlyn looks at her "red web", trying to figure out what is happening in the Underground City. This season, she literally got herself tangled in this web.

Jinx and Vi

Yes, I'll look at them together because I can't separate their posters from each other. In my head, they fit perfectly and intertwine together, like two pieces of one whole. I like the way they are arranged "jack", like a playing card. And both sisters dominate each other's posters. In Jinx's poster, Vi's dominant hands are at the top of the image and are literally on Jinx's neck in an aggressive and suffocating gesture, while Jinx herself is literally upside down and is at the bottom. On Vi's poster, Jinx's hands are already at the top of the image and, obviously, they also bring pain to her sister, only in a different way. Although Vi herself occupies most of her poster, Jinx really dominates – a light gesture that closes her eyes, but literally puts Vi in a very vulnerable, painful and desperate position. Jinx's eyes are open and looking with a certain mixture of fear and malice, whereas Vi's eyes are completely closed – does she not see the real picture of what is happening? Doesn't want to admit the obvious? Or does she just not know what to do next? (It is noteworthy that Vi does not look directly into the frame on any of the posters where she appeared. None at all. The eyes are either averted or closed).

These are definitely different time periods – on Jinx's poster she still has her own finger, whereas on Vi's poster she has already lost her finger. So according to the chronology, the events from Jinx's poster will be earlier than the events from Vi's poster.

Speaking of Jinx's finger.

Yes, it is mechanical, but it is much more interesting what is painted on it and what color it is painted. A pink smiling face. I like the theory that it's Caitlyn who's going to shoot Jinx's finger off, and I tend to stick to that theory. Because if so, the symbolism turns out to be very beautiful. This smiley face, by the way, breaks the color scheme of the manicure.

Blue

Pink

Blue? No, dear. Pink again. Because it's Jinx now.

As a result, all of Jinx's "pink fingers" cover her eye. The same eye that often stood out somehow in many of Jinx's images. Now it is "Jinx" that completely covers the view of Vi for at least one eye for sure.

I don't remember if there will be more posters coming out or if the poster with Vi was the last one, but in any case, the stories they are trying to tell are quite interesting.

(I remind you that this is a leak-free zone. Please, if you have watched the leaks, no need to spoiler in the comments or in reblogs).

[sarcasticace]

What if (and i realized this might not fit within the confines of the 3-episode per act structure, but stay with me) Viktor stumbles upon the golem that would be Blitzcrank. Partially buried somewhere in the area that would become his commune. Uncovered as they started cleaning up the place. Maybe we pretend Caitlyn's strike team caused a bit more pollution than they were hoping. Some actual consequences. Maybe now under martial law, they use it more from time to time. Just to eliminate major threats. Only sometimes... and it's for the greater good. They're actually helping Zaun when you think about it. Trust them. don't trust them. Viktor knows the golems were used pre-ventilation system to help out. Not just with the Gray, but with general toxic runoff. Can't just 'stop' polluting the undercity, but they might as well clean up after themselves. So thoughtful. Viktor fixes them up. Going back into some science and mechanical engineering. He's been out of touch, but aided with some hexcore magic, baby Blitzcrank is working great! Not the Blitzcrank we know though, but he's getting there. Sometimes, Viktor sends Blitzcrank out on his own. Clean up some areas in the undercity. Maybe encounters Isha once or twice. Maybe she doodles on them. But Blitzcrank isn't quite Blitzcrank just yet.

Skip ahead a few episodes, Jayce literally claws his way out of that pit. That's when he encounters Blitzcrank. Scares him at first, but Blitzcrank is a friend. They is friend shaped. But there's something... different... about them. Something more. The way they reacts to Jayce. The way they moves. The way they follows along when people talk. Blitzcrank helps Jayce reach the peak where they both encounter Wizard Viktor.

Fast forward. We're reaching the finale. The enforcers have captured Blitzcrank.... somehow. Actually, I got it, Blitzcrank was helping Jinx, Vi, and the gang. As he's not fully sentient yet, Viktor didn't have a connection with him, so he was unaffected when Viktor was shot through the heart. When everything was going to shit, Blitzcrank's programming was like... welp, time to go. And tries to help everyone escape, but then everything got worse. In addition to Jinx, Blitzcrank was taken into custody by the Enforcers. They were gonna trash them, but Jayce intervenes. Jayce knows them. This is blitzcrank, a friend, but... not as he remembers them. Anyways, Blitzcrank is under custody. There's a moment of peace before the war happens. Calm before the storm. To relax, Jayce begins tinkering with Blitzcrank. It's been so long. It almost seems like forever ago since he was in the lab, creating Hextech with Viktor. And he's just so curious about Blitzcrank. He notices Viktor's handiwork immediately. Jayce replaces some old tech with modern hextech. Leaving a bit of Viktor's improvements behind. But Blitzcrank won't turn on. Huh. Strange. Jayce ponders this for a moment, but then his attention is drawn to his hammer. Not his hammer, the other him, but still... his hammer. Both originally built as tools. To help people. Now used as a weapon. To hurt and kill. He's made so many weapons. More than he ever intended. Hextech was meant to help people. Oh! An idea. There must be one here somewhere. Jayce finds a hexcrystal. Places it within Blitzcrank's core. And Blitcrank, finally, awakens. New to this world. Equal parts Jayce and Viktor. Their final creation together. Not a weapon, but intelligent life.

Blitzcrank follows Jayce around. If anyone asks, Jayce reprogrammed Blitzcrank. Personal bodyguard. No one questions him. They've got no time. Blitzcrank is present when Viktor arrives. At first, he hardly gives Blitzcrank a second glance. And they are left behind when Viktor takes Jayce upwards. That's a long way up, but Blitzcrank has to follow. They… want to follow. Strange. They wants? Blitcrank tries making his way to the top. The big boy tries so hard. But what's this? Someone is hurt. An unconscious body on his way to the top. Blitzcrank was programmed to help Zaunnites, but.... that's not it. Something more. They... want to help. They will help.

Just when all hope seems lost. Viktor is about to win. In comes Ekko to save the day. But he's not alone. Blitzcrank is there too. Following after Ekko on their short, heavy legs. Oh, sweet boy. They’re trying their best. This is still very much Ekko's fight. Not going take away from that. Ekko is the MVP after-all. Hero of Arcane.

Perhaps Blitzcrank saves Ekko, just once, before getting overwhelmed. They helped a little bit. On impulse, let's say, Viktor's mannequin doll-soldiers tries to assimilate them. And it... works? Viktor connects to Blitzcrank. How strange, but he can't actually control him. He's kinda just... there. Well, doesn't matter, he's captured Ekko too now and nothing can- [rewind] Ekko just disappeared. Where did he... oh, there he is and he's throwing the concentrated power of time at my face.

Epilogue time. Jayce and Viktor are gone. Maybe dead, maybe in another plane of existence. Who knows? That's sad, but Blitzcrank is okay. They return to Zaun. Maybe they’re welcome by the Firelights. Who's to say? But Blitzcrank knows that's where they belong. Patrolling the streets of the undercity. Helping people. Just like their dads wanted. Zaun has a long path ahead to becoming the greatest city Valoran has ever seen.

What do you think? I know Blitzcrank being the lovechild creation of both Viktor and Jayce isn't anything new or original, but I think I came up with something fun that could fit within Arcane canon. You know, if you just... pushed it into place real hard.

[floatingshark]

This has been in my head for like weeks and it's what makes me struggle to actually finish arcane LMFAO. For context ive been mostly interacting with arcane stuff on tiktok and ive seen some stuff and opinions that doesn't sit well with me.

also on another note i havent fully finished arcane, i stopped at s2 ep6 so ep7 to 9 i have no prior knowledge apart from spoilers i got bc of arcane edits.

and on one last note, if you disagree or agree with me in this you're free to express it. just be civil. we can all be adults and we know how to understand so just mind your words bc people on tiktok state their opinion so aggressively, it is not needed. we dont need that energy here.

okay so with that out of the way, like i said ive seen a lot of tiktoks lately and i want to kind of speak my mind (technically rant) about some of the discourse regarding characters and whatnot. This is going to be long.

also, spoilers.

so first up is caitlyn. How do i start?

Caitlyn:

I do love caitlyn... in season 1.

in s2 not so much but hear me out. a lot of people have been debating on her actions and how half the fandom hate her, half love her (some a little,,, off putting but ill get into that later) and here's my unneeded take. I don't think its valid. like her actions in s2 are so morally wrong it blows my mind.

first of all, Im not going to say that its ooc of her because that doesnt make sense to say. this cant be ooc (in my perspective) because we have never seen caitlyn angry to the point of doing this. this is our (or my) first time seeing her go through grief this bad that it has her making decisions we dont particularly agree with or is objectively right to do. we cant say that this is "out of character" because we had'nt had prior idea or knowledge to how she'd cope with her mother's passing.

second off, like i said i dont think its valid. yes, i understand her actions are a result of her mothers untimely passing but we can't keep saying that it was right of her to do what she did.

we can empathize and we can understand that what she's doing is because she's had enough of jinx putting the people of piltover in danger because obviously she cares about these people, and it put her over the edge the day that her mother died because of jinx. but it doesnt mean that her actions were right objectively (i say objectively because we all have different moral compasses).

lets get into what she did

her actions consist of:

-gassing the undercity (even after watching an entire documentary/history lesson about how her mother built the ventilation systems to keep the grey out of the undercity)

i dont want to hear people saying that it never showed people dying, it was only used on the gangs, the goons, and jinx. people, we dont need to see people dying to know that the grey has been a problem zaunites have had to deal with for years until cassandra (cait's mom) built those vents.

yes, you can say that they didnt show people dying, doesn't mean that using it wont have consequences if anyone that was innocent does get affected. gas spreads, it moves, it can and it will affect anyone in the vicinity or anyone that comes across it. how do you know that it didnt affect anyone?

even in a moral lens, isnt it just wrong to use the grey ( which in the real world might be equal to something like tear gas. theory tho, going off of tear gas effects) to "clear out" the streets of the undercity where homeless people litter the streets, where children, old people, and people with disabilities roam freely?

-the scene where she insisted she wont miss her shot at jinx

for this one, i think she said this because she was obviously frustrated. she believed in her abilities and she had jinx right in front of her and obviously she wasn't thinking straight.

but people, i cant defend her when i saw her miss her shot just a minute prior. she can think that about herself, that she can shoot past isha and hit jinx in the head, i cant. like i said she missed, it is absolutely not a guarantee to her that they wont move once she pulls the trigger, which is exactly why she hit jinx in the finger instead, and almost killed vi before too.

like its more understandable for me that that statement would come from her, than if it came from someone that was watching the show.

with that, i think i covered mainly my thing with caitlyn. i do empathize, and i do think that for someone thats grieving and angry, her actions can be understandable in that perspective. i do not however, think her actions are justified, especially bc its borderline fascist (if not already). she's a dictator in simpler terms and its just so wrong no matter how i look at it.

i mentioned earlier as well that there were caitlyn supporters that were off putting, but honestly even caitlyn haters can be the same so really its not just a one sided thing going on. the least we can do with this topic, especially because its not black and white, is be civil and just talk about it properly we dont need aggression.

Jayce:

I love jayce, i truly do. well, for the most part.

this rant simply started bc i saw people saying he's privileged, he's egotistical etc, etc.

here is my take.

some people (might just be one actually) see jayce as a minority, or an immigrant and believe that that erases his privilage. but let's talk about it.

no matter if jayce is a minority, or an immigrant, it does not erase that he is from a known house (even if its small) and lives in piltover. he is in the academy, a known scientist and inventor, and he's part of the council. where is the privilege? right there.

he has privilege, why are we erasing that? he has the privilege to live in piltover, to study and learn, to meet with the highest of the highs that control and lead their entire nation, to be known as a great inventor and scientist who, through hextech, has improved the lives of many, who bears a name that is recognizable as a house, and even if he is not equal in wealth with salo or mel, is still equal in status because he now stands amongst them in the same rank and has mel beside him to get the other counselors on board with his plans or ideas.

he has privilege, we cant erase that just because he's an immigrant, because objectively he's living a life better than anyone in the undercity does. hell, viktor has privilege because he's living in piltover now, he no longer lives in the undercity where people struggle, get hunted down, and killed.

thats mostly what i wanted to talk about, i cant say if he is egotistical because i cant remember him being one? arrogant in a way, maybe. but egotistical im not so sure.

with that note.. thats all the word vomiting i can do. but mainly my main gripe is how s2 loses what i loved with the s1 storyline and its the oppression that piltover has on the undercity. it could have been even better if they had handled it properly but i guess it just gets erased like that..

anyways, like i said im up for discussion. you're free to dicuss, to correct, to agree because i can admit i might be forgetting about certain scenes or diaogue or whatnot and its good to be educated and to learn from other people as well.

so, idk, dont take this too personally. at the end of the day it is a show, with important storylines, but still just a show nevertheless. we dont need to be so personal and so aggressive with debates, we can have it like adults, and we can have opinions and thats okay.

thanks for listening lmao

[anadrym]

Extended Author's Notes for Left Behind Ch8.

Spoilers!

Chapter title is from "Without You" by Breaking Benjamin. Dear Agony is one of my comfort albums. :)

I actually added the part about Renata having injured Vi's back like two days before posting. I like the idea that they scarred, and Caitlyn will discover them in a few chapters.

SHE RECOGNIZES CAITLYN AGAIN. Even after everything. Vi is such a loving character, everything she IS is tied to the people she loves. No matter what the Baroness does to her, she can't take that away.

I do like comparing Caitlyn's eyes to a clear sky, for several reasons: 1. It's very romantic; 2. It contrasts with comparing Vi's eyes to clouds/rain/etc; 3. Vi grew up in the Lanes, spent years locked in Stillwater, and now is imprisoned by the Baroness. The sky is a symbol of freedom, and Caitlyn is going to free her.

I keep using the imagery of the brain being almost liquid and sloshing around, kinda like an egg. This is how I feel when I have migraines.

I debated having the commemoration be from Caitlyn's POV, but decided against it because I didn't really want to go into it. Caitlyn is very aware compared to Vi and it would've taken up so much more time to do it through her eyes. Also, it's got a lot of the same elements as earlier, so why rehash?

So here's how the ceremony works: the Chem-Barons, gang leaders, and their conspirators (Caitlyn doesn't know this, but there were a few wealthy Piltovans who didn't like the redistribution of resources to the Undercity and teamed up with the others to make sure that there would still be a Ruling Class) all gather. Prisoners are brought out and the "bosses" take turns executing them. Most don't want to get their hands dirty and have their people do it (the guy with the axe, Vi, and eventually Caitlyn). The more brutal, the better, because it scares the people into compliance.

As Vi beats the first man, Caitlyn watches until she just can't anymore. Then she turns to Renata and basically tells her to just end it already. Renata tells her to end it herself. Caitlyn (as Ghost, hood up) shoots the man to put him out of his misery and to let Vi stop.

I'm a tiny bit sad no one seemed to notice the "There is no one coming for you. No one will save you. Just... just let go." Followed IMMEDIATELY by "And then Ghost is there." Vi, sweet girl, someone IS going to save you.

When the Baroness's turn comes back around, Caitlyn intervenes and asks her not to have Vi do it (to spare both Vi and the victim). Renata tells her that she may do it instead, but not as Ghost. Caitlyn hesitates, the Baroness starts to give Vi the order, and Cait interrupts, agreeing to do it herself. When she puts her hood down, everyone there - both the "bosses" and the populace - can see that Caitlyn Kiramman is working for Renata Glasc, which is EXACTLY what Renata wanted.

Ugh, the tragedy of Caitlyn finally looking over to Vi and Vi not being able to meet her gaze. And that only leads into Caitlyn's belief that Vi is gone.

Caitlyn is still running on basically one bite of croissant.

"To only execute those whose crimes warranted death." Extra judicial vigilante behavior, my beloved.

AND THE BARONESS FINALLY FUCKS UP. She gets way too confident, riding the high of having Caitlyn do her bidding in front of a crowd of people. She really does think that she's got Vi completely suppressed. She also knows that Caitlyn isn't going to "use" Vi; it's all just a taunt, a mindfuck to layer on top of the shit Cait's already going through. It's a "look what I have, look what I've done to both you and her, did you really think you stood a chance against me?" She absolutely does NOT expect Caitlyn to try to mercy kill Vi, and she NEVER even considered that Vi might still be able to break out of her mental prison.

I really like the line "My own personal apocalypse." I just think it's a good line.

One of your comments talked about "the dignity of death," which is such a good way to put it. Cait is willing to give up the last person she loves, everything that remains of the life she had before, just to keep Vi's body from being a puppet for the Baroness. That's love, bitch.

Ashes and Blood reference! Love that song.

Also, the reference to the Purge, but this time it's Caitlyn doing the killing and burning, and returning to the goal of vengeance.

The part about Cassandra putting down an injured dog was another last-minute addition, but I really like having Caitlyn remember her parents. I think her love for them drives so much of her behavior. It was a little hard to write though; I have a dog and he's probably the most precious thing in the world to me. :(

Cait sets the muzzle of the rifle against Vi's forehead because she can't keep it steady with how much her hands are shaking.

When Vi's hand twitches upward, she's trying to reach out to Caitlyn, but hesitates because she isn't allowed to touch anyone without being ordered to.

"Her finger resting against the trigger trembles" - Caitlyn is not looking where she's aiming but she still has her finger on the trigger. I've been trying to be very careful to have Caitlyn practicing gun safety; her NOT doing it this time was deliberate on my part.

Vi has technically been capable of speaking this whole time (her voice works, as seen in the first half of the previous chapter). But she knows not to do it in front of anyone, because they'd realize she's still in there. Now that she's alone with Cait and she thinks (desperately hopes) that she can trust her, she finally lets herself talk.

God, that last scene was so fun to write. It took, like, no time at all; it just played out perfectly in my head and I wrote it down.

This was the cliffhanger I wanted to set up! It ended up working out for chapter length to have chapter 6 be only Caitlyn's POV, but it was really to set up this ending.

Teaser for next week:

Speaking hurts - it's been so long since she's used her voice for anything other than involuntary sounds - but she still swallows hard and, despite the glass shards in her throat, forces herself to rasp, "I know you."

There's a sharp noise.

The girl opens her eyes. Ghost is staring down at her, mouth agape and breathing jagged. Her blue eyes are blown wide; they flicker back and forth between the girl's, filled with horror but also the beginnings of something dangerously close to hope.