Initial Struggles
The tension in the ruined lab crackled like the last sparks of the malfunctioning machine. Caitlyn and Vi stood facing each other, both feeling utterly wrong in their new bodies.
Caitlyn, now in Vi’s body, clenched her fists experimentally, the sheer weight of the gauntlets making her arms feel heavier than she expected. Vi, in contrast, wobbled slightly in Caitlyn’s body, rolling her shoulders awkwardly.
"This is absurd," Caitlyn muttered, her voice now carrying Vi’s rougher tone. "We need to fix this immediately."
Vi, adjusting to the unfamiliar height difference, scowled. "Yeah? And how exactly do we do that?" She gestured to the shattered remnants of the machine that had caused this mess. "Because unless you’ve got a genius plan, we’re screwed."
Caitlyn exhaled sharply, then straightened up—only to bump her head against a low-hanging pipe. She winced, rubbing the sore spot.
Vi smirked. "Careful,cupcake.guess you’re not used to being shorter, huh?"
Caitlyn shot her a glare. "I’m still taller than you."
Vi crossed her arms—Caitlyn’s arms, which felt unnervingly slender compared to what she was used to. "Yeah, well, not anymore."
Caitlyn rolled her eyes, ignoring the smug grin on her own face. "We don’t have time for this. We need to—"
She turned, attempting to take a step, but miscalculated. The strength in Vi’s body was immense, and what should have been a normal step forward turned into a lurch. She lost control of her balance and stumbled forward.
With an embarrassingly loud crash, Caitlyn slammed into a rusted metal shelf, the force of her impact sending tools and vials flying in every direction.
Vi blinked. "Holy shit, cupcake."
Caitlyn groaned, carefully prying herself off the now-bent shelf. "This… is going to be a problem."
Vi, thoroughly enjoying Caitlyn’s predicament, grinned. "Damn. You’re like a baby deer on stilts. Didn’t think you’d be the clumsy one."
"I am not..." Caitlyn started, but then, as if on cue, she took another step and immediately kicked a nearby chair. The chair skidded across the floor, smashing into the wall hard enough to crack the wood.
She froze, eyes wide. "Oh."
Vi let out a low whistle. "Damn. Remind me not to piss me off while you’re in there."
Caitlyn clenched her fists. "I can handle this. It’s just… anadjustment."
"Yeah, well, you better adjust fast," Vi quipped, trying to take a step of her own.
Unfortunately, it was her turn to struggle. The moment she moved, her usual strength was gone. The confidence she carried in her natural stride faltered as she felt Caitlyn’s body—taller but weaker—move awkwardly beneath her.
And then, before she could stop herself, her knee buckled.
"Whoa!"
Vi barely caught herself before she went sprawling onto the floor. She braced against a nearby table, breathing heavily. "What the hell?"
Caitlyn smirked, crossing her arms. "Not so easy, is it?"
Vi scowled, gripping the edge of the table. "Your body feels weird. Like, I know I should be able to move a certain way, but everything’s… slower. Weaker." She flexed Caitlyn’s fingers, frowning. "And my hands...why are they so damn skinny?"
"They are not skinny," Caitlyn said indignantly. "They’re refined."
Vi made a face. "Same thing."
Caitlyn sighed, running a hand through Vi’s short hair —a sensation that felt disturbingly alien. "Look, we need to learn how to function like this until we find a way to switch back."
Vi groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. What’s the plan, genius?"
Caitlyn gestured to the weapons they had brought with them—Vi’s massive hextech gauntlets and Caitlyn’s signature rifle. "We need to see how much control we have."
Vi grabbed Caitlyn’s rifle, expecting it to feel natural in her hands. It didn’t. The weight was off. The balance was all wrong.
She aimed at a crate across the room, pulling the trigger.
And missed.
Caitlyn’s eyes widened in horror. "You missed."
Vi stared in disbelief. "I missed?"
"You missed!"
Vi slowly lowered the rifle, looking at Caitlyn in shock. "Cupcake… I don’t miss."
Caitlyn smirked, arms crossed. "Not in my body, you don’t."