Unspoken Accusations
Vi and Caitlyn walked through the streets of Zaun. Despite it being mid-morning in Piltover, the sunlight barely reached the bottom of the Lanes, and the main source of light was from the occasional fires from street vendors and neon lights hanging over stores.
It had been years since she was last in Zaun, but clearly her name and reputation still struck the right spots to get people to talk to her. She could tell that Smeech’s influence had spread far beyond the moats of his gang hideouts, and yet, there were a fair number who only pretended to favour him out of fear of his power.
“Let me do the talking,” Vi muttered to Caitlyn as they reached a bar in the centre of Zaun called the Last Drop.
The duo headed inside. The bar was dimly lit except for the counter, where a single man covered entirely in tattoos stood, polishing off glasses and rearranging the bottles of whiskey on display. The bar was empty, too — a stark contrast to the bustling hub it once was.
“Chuck!” Vi hissed at the barkeeper, who lifted his head. Upon registering her intense gaze and pink hair, Chuck took a step back.
“Vi.” He nodded curtly, his voice shaking ever so slightly.
“I need information,” Vi said in a low voice. Caitlyn stood by her side, listening but not saying a word.
Chuck swallowed. “About?”
“Smeech,” Vi answered. “His goons are regulars, right? You have to know where he is.”
Chuck sighed and put away a glass. “See, Vi, I wish I could tell you, but…I’m not supposed to.”
Vi scowled. “What are you talking about?”
“He bought over the bar. I had no choice — it was dying. He was the only option, and in return, I had to keep all the secrets I heard in here to myself.”
“You filthy traitor,” Vi said.
Out of the corner of her eye, Vi saw Caitlyn’s hand reaching toward her belt, where her Enforcer badge was hidden under her jacket. Subtly, Vi gripped Caitlyn’s wrist, sending her a silent message not to play that card.
Vi opened her palm over the counter, letting a fistful of coins drop from her left hand onto the counter. “You wanna spill?”
Chuck glanced at the coins, greed seeping into his eyes. It was a nice bonus — more than what he earned on a daily basis. A small price to pay for the Kirammans, too.
“You could always choose my other hand,” Vi said, resting her fist on the tabletop.
Chuck’s shoulder sagged. He swept the coins into a leather pouch, which he slid into his pocket. “I’m not in his gang, so I can’t tell you exactly where he is,” Chuck admitted. “But…”
He flicked his head to the left. “There’s a side street a few hundred metres down. Belongs entirely to him. There’s a warehouse along that street that the gang uses as a gambling house. You can check it out.”
Vi leaned back, satisfied. “Thank you.”
She glanced at Caitlyn before making her way toward the door. “Let’s go.”
~~~
“Are you insane?” Caitlyn hissed at Vi.
Vi shrugged. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you have any idea what you did back there? That was bribery! Even if it’s for the benefit of the mission, it’s against the law.”
“Piltovan law,” Vi said indifferently. “Down here, everything’s against Piltovan law. Your rules don’t mean shit here, alright? Can’t get anything done the ‘lawful’ way.”
Caitlyn clenched her jaw. “Why wouldn’t you let me use my badge?”
Vi turned into the side street. “You’re an Enforcer. If you pulled that out, it would have painted a target on your back immediately. You’d be dead without even taking two steps out of the bar.”
“Why do you have to be so reckless?” Caitlyn hissed.
Vi stopped walking and turned to face Caitlyn. “Why do you have to be so by-the-book? You’re only slowing us down. I’m Zaunite, Cait. I know how things work around here. You don’t. So why don’t you just let me do the talking, the bribing, the killing, and you just —”
“I’m the Sheriff of Piltover!” Caitlyn snapped. “I’m supposed to be leading this mission, not you! What gives you the right to just step in and take over like this, huh?”
Vi stared at Caitlyn, the tension electrifying between them. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence thick with unspoken accusations.
“What gives me the right?” Vi said, her voice low and sharp. “Maybe the fact that I actually know what I’m doing here. You think this is topside? You flash a badge and people are gonna fall in line? This isn’t the fancy city you’re used to, Cait. Up there, it's about order. Down here, it’s about survival.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Caitlyn answered defensively. “I know it’s dangerous here. It’s not the same as Piltover. But, Vi, we can’t stoop to their level. If we just toss aside all our principles, then —”
“Principles?” Vi said incredulously. “Principles don’t mean shit when you’re dead, Caitlyn. Principles are what help us live, but it’s not what helps us survive. And if you’re not ready to make some sacrifices for your safety, then maybe you shouldn’t —”
Vi cut herself off. Her skin was tingling with anticipation, hairs standing up on the back of her neck. She scanned the area. Something was wrong.
“Vi?” Caitlyn asked. “What’s going on?”
“Something’s wrong,” Vi answered breathlessly. “I just…can’t put my finger on it.”
She glanced down the street the way they’d come. A thin layer of fog was sweeping into the street, barely covering the pavement.
Vi turned the other way. The street was completely dark, with not a single soul in sight. If the street really belonged to Smeech, it wouldn’t be silent like that, unless…
Vi’s worst suspicions were confirmed when a sharp whistle pierced the air. All of a sudden, the plan unfurled before them as the men revealed themselves.
They’d all been hiding in plain sight — in the shadows, behind crates — waiting for the right moment to strike. Now, half a dozen masses of pure strength and muscle advanced toward them — three from each direction. Each one bore a tattoo of a pair of tiny spectacles on their faces; a sure sign of loyalty to Smeech.
It was an ambush. And they’d walked straight into it.
~~~
Caitlyn surveyed their circumstances. Her eyes flickered over the warehouses, searching for something, anything to give her an elevated platform. When the fighting began, she wouldn’t have the time or space to aim properly in close-quarters situations.
She and Vi stood back-to-back in the alley as the men approached. Some of them were bare-handed, while others wielded knives and clubs.
The men charged at the duo, and Vi got to work. Caitlyn couldn’t tell very well how she was doing, but judging by the pained grunts and cries of the men, she was holding up well.
Caitlyn wasn’t used to close quarters fighting, but she managed to dodge the first fist. She rolled to the left and came up on her knees, her rifle locked and loaded. The men were closing in on her, and she took the shot. Her aim hit true, killing the first thug instantly and causing him to collapse in the middle of the street.
As another one closed in on her, Caitlyn raised the butt of her rifle and swung it across his face, sending several of his teeth flying out in a splash of blood. As he stumbled away, Caitlyn took another shot at a thug who was approaching Vi’s back.
Caitlyn fired two more rounds — one that pierced the thigh of a thug and another that hit the same man’s shoulder. He crashed into a stack of crates and lay unmoving in a pile of wood and splinters.
She ran toward Vi, but she realised her mistake too late. Caitlyn had turned her back to the thugs behind her, and the shuffle of boots reached her ears too late. Her rifle barked again, with another bullet hitting Vi’s opponent in the chest, and she turned.
The shadows of the man blocked out all light from her eyes, and Caitlyn was defenseless against the knife in the man’s hand. She raised her rifle in defence, but it was too late.
“Caitlyn!”
She heard Vi scream her name, and the impact came — not from the man’s body or his knife, but from Vi crashing into her, sending her rolling over the cobblestones.
Caitlyn’s head snapped up, but all she saw was Vi slamming her boot into the face of Caitlyn’s attacker. Blood trickled from the edge of his mouth, and he went stil.
Caitlyn watched as the two remaining men exchanged glances and ran out of sight. Then she turned her attention to Vi.
Vi stumbled, pressing her hand to her side. Caitlyn scowled and folded her rifle. “I didn’t ask for your help.”
“Do you ever say ‘thank you’?” Vi asked.
“You could have —” Caitlyn stopped herself as her vision tunnelled in on Vi’s injury, blood soaking through her shirt. “You’re bleeding.”
Caitlyn couldn’t help herself. She rushed over to Vi’s side, gently placing down the rifle and pulling Vi’s hand away to assess the damage.
Vi waved her away. “I’m fine.”
“Like hell you are,” Caitlyn answered, but her tone was soft.
“It’s just a cut. I’ve had worse,” Vi protested, but her face was pale. Cold sweat ran down the side of her head as Caitlyn attempted to stem the bleeding.
“Why did you do that?” Caitlyn asked. “You didn’t have to. Now look at you — you got hurt.”
Vi smirked. “Couldn’t let anything happen to you.”
Caitlyn felt a familiar ache in her chest. She wanted to snap at Vi, to tell her to stop being so reckless. But deep down, she knew she felt the same way. Her eyes lingered on Vi for a second too long, the weight of everything unsaid between them hanging in the air. She didn’t want to lose her — not like this, not ever again.
A low groan interrupted her thoughts. The man who’d been lying unconscious in his bed of wooden crates now began to stir. Caitlyn snapped into action, bringing her rifle back up and stepping towards him.
“Don’t move,” she commanded.
Vi staggered up beside her, with one hand pressing her side and the other resting on Caitlyn’s shoulder. She towered over the man, exhibiting her usual confidence and aura despite the injury sapping at her strength.
“Who sent you?” she demanded.
The man flicked his eyes between them, weighing out his options. He registered Caitlyn’s Enforcer badge, the unwavering rifle in her hands stamped with the Kirammans’ seal, Vi’s deathly stare that could have cut through steel.
He winced in pain, but he managed to give them the information they needed. “My…boss — uh, Smeech. He’s got your…Kiramman. He’s got the Kiramman lady. He’s holding her hostage in the abandoned factory further south.”
Vi frowned as she processed the information. “That factory. The one with the broken glass roof. The one that used to belong to Silco.”
The man nodded painfully. “That’s…the one.”
Caitlyn glanced at Vi. “You don’t like it? How far is it from here?”
“Not far,” Vi answered, “but I hate that place. It’s so eerie and creepy.” She shuddered, though Caitlyn couldn’t tell if it was from pain or from memory. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” Caitlyn commanded. “Let me patch you up first.”
Vi chuckled. “Such a mom.”
~~~
Caitlyn knelt before Vi and rummaged through her pack, taking a quick glance at the blood staining Vi’s shirt in an attempt to gauge how deep the cut was.
“You’re such a reckless idiot,” she scolded as she cleaned away the blood with a cloth she’d torn from her sleeve. “Why’d you even act like you’re fine anyway? The pain is obviously worse than you wanna let on.”
Vi winced but smirked. “Can’t have you worrying so much, cupcake. You do enough of that already.”
Caitlyn tried to be cold and indifferent, act as though she didn’t care, but the tremor in her voice gave it away. “Yeah? Well maybe I wouldn’t have to if you stopped charging into fights like you’ve got nothing to lose.”
Vi’s smirk faded. “I have too much to lose, Cait. That’s…the problem.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Caitlyn’s fingers worked on a patch of gauze, but her eyes were fixed on Vi’s.
“I’m not letting the people I care about get hurt. Not if I can stop it.” For a moment, she hesitated and watched Caitlyn tape the gauze to her bare skin. “Even if it means being reckless.”
Despite knowing that deep down, she was grateful for what Vi had done, Caitlyn’s bitterness and humiliation crept in. “You don’t have to do that for me. I’m not some damsel in distress.”
Vi chuckled lightly. “No shit. But…still. I care about you, Cait. I always have and always will.”
Caitlyn’s blazing blue eyes flashed with a mixture of guilt, regret, bitterness. Then her gaze softened.
“Vi?”
“Mmm?”
The silence stretched between them, the unspoken words heavy in the air.
“I should’ve stayed, that day in the rain.”
Vi tilted her head. “You don’t —”
Caitlyn didn’t let her finish. “I do,” she said, her eyes staring up at Vi, soft and full of regret. Her voice was almost fragile, as though one misstep would break her. “I…was scared, and I ran away. But I regret that every day since then. And now, being here with you again —”
She stopped herself, trying desperately to cover up the cracks that had begun to show.
Vi’s gaze softened a little. “We’ll figure it out,” she said quietly. “Let’s finish this mission first, okay? We’ll settle this later.”
It wasn’t an acceptance, nor a rejection. But it was carefully neutral, and for the moment, it was enough.