Unfortunate fates
Caitlyn ran. She didn't look back knowing this decision was the start of a new beginning as scary as that seemed.
She didn't look back when her father called out to her. She didn't look back when her mother threw a fit knowing exactly where she was headed. And she most definitely didn't look back when the enforces chased after like she was some sort of convict on the run.
'Screw them. Screw them all.'
Caitlyn tried to stay calm despite everything but all she wanted to do was scream and cry. It finally came together what her mom had against Vi. It was all the rumors being spread by fellow Piltover citizens about a prestigious councilwoman's daughter shacking up with a low life under city leader's daughter. Her mother cared more her so called 'reputation' more than her daughters own happiness. She really was the epitome of a Piltover woman.
People always gossip. It's been happening since the beginning of time. So why did it matter what was said? Caitlyn was the one being targeted. And she absolutely gave zero fucks to what people said as long as she was able to be with Vi.
Tears brimmed Cait's eyes from the exhaustion this escape was causing her. She had no strength to catch her breath and was on guard at all times.
When she finally reached the bridge she noticed it began to collapse upwards probably in an attempt by the people working to stop her from crossing over.
'Damn it! Not now!' She cried stopping in her tracks trying to think of her next move. But there was no time. Guards and enforcers hurried behind her. She had to stay strong and get to Vi one way or another.
Saying a small prayer, she jumped over the crack and flailed in the air as she crossed to the other side just barely making it before the bridge went up. She watched half of the following enforcers fall into the water below it and breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was one step closer to finding Vi.
Caitlyn ran across for awhile longer but turned around to see surprisingly she wasn't being followed anymore. Perhaps they were too scared to cross into under city territory. Not her. Because of meeting Vi, she was starting to get more accustomed to the culture down here.
Flipping up the hoodie she dawned over her head, Caitlyn began to walk around the place keeping her eye open for anyone she recognized.
It didn't take that long for someone to find her instead.
"Pssst, over here!" A familiar voice called out startling but reassuring the frantic girl.
Knowing exactly who it was she let off a small smile, "Ekko thank god it's you." Caitlyn said reaching out to hug the boy.
"Did you hear about the enforcers coming for Vi? You have to stop them!" Ekko pleaded knowing there could only be one reason for her sudden appearance.
Caitlyn nodded her head. "Don't fret. That's why I came here."
-
Vander.
This was bringing Vi more anger then comfort.
"Why are you here?" She asked her father upset that he had decided to come find her.
Vander shook his head and embraced his daughter in a much needed hug. "You've got a good heart kiddo, don't ever lose it. And make sure to look out for Powder and the boys for me."
What? Was he insane?
"No Vander you can't go to jail instead of me. This is my mess. I lead everyone to that apartment and I introduced Caitlyn down here. It's me they want. And your right, war is never the answer." Vi choked up informing him she was ready to take the blame for whatever lied in store for her.
"I can't do that to you Violet. It'll be fine. Benzo will take over the bar."
'Why is he so stubborn!?'
"No! I'm not letting you do this. The under city needs you!" Vi fought standing firm on her choice. He needed to leave now. The enforcers would be here to collect her at any minute.
Without hesitation Vander pushed Vi into the spare room and locked the door leaving the girl to start banging on it trying to get out.
"Vander no!" Vi cried knowing this wasn't going the way she wanted. But those cries lead to nothing. It was all starting to unfold.
Footsteps began to get closer to the building only meaning one thing. They were here.
Grayson was the first to push open the door that revealed Vander standing by himself.
"Where's she at?" The sheriff asked preparing to cuff the daughter she had assumed they were down here for. Vander stuck out his hands revealing the actual verdict, "It's me you'll be taking. That girl doesn't know what she's getting into."
Grayson was stunned. There was no way she was taking Vander in. Was this some type of joke? Now wasn't the time for it.
"I'm not doing that Vander. The under city needs you." She argued sounding much like Vi in this moment.
Marcus who had been standing behind her boldy scoffed at his colleague, "I don't care who we take but someone's coming back. Stop trying to protect these lowly scum." He hated how much Grayson cared for this wasteland.
It went against everything she believed but Grayson also knew just how much Vander cared for his family. He wasn't going to let anyone else take the fall. Even if it meant the collapse of the lanes.
"If that's the case than I guess we have no choice here." She sighed hesitantly putting the man in cuffs. It was hard to do this to an old friend especially when his daughter was nearby freaking out.
A sly grin crept up onto Marcus's face knowing his plans with Cassandra and Silco were coming to fruition. To be honest this was going even better than he had originally hoped. Take out the under city leader and scare his nuance of a daughter into staying away from topside business? Damn he was about to get lucky.
Vi kept banging on the door to no resolution. She was locked down here while Vander was being locked up and it was all her fault.
'Damn it! Why are you such a bad daughter Vi!? You couldn't protect your family and now Vander's gone leaving the lanes to fend for itself!'
She started punching the wall as she tended to do a lot now with all the anger she had buried deep inside. This situation couldn't get any worse. And she was locked in a stupid room! How was anyone supposed to find her!?
The anger quickly subdued into fear as she heard screaming coming from outside. Taking a look at the small window above one of the walls out of nowhere blood splattered all over the thing making the girl panic and even more frantic to get out.
"Vander!" She cried one last time with nobody around to hear it.
-
Caitlyn quietly followed behind Ekko. Somehow he always knew what was going on and where to go. He lead her down the lanes near Benzo's shop where the duo could see Grayson and Marcus exit the place with Vander in cuffs.
'What's going on?' Caitlyn panicked knowing this was not good, not at all.
"Over here so they don't see us." Ekko whispered taking the girls hand and leading her behind a building where they could still watch the scene unfold without getting caught by the enforcers.
But almost in an instant that nobody could have predicted, A figure sprawled out from nowhere and striked Grayson killing her instantly and splattering her blood everywhere.
"Grayson!" Caitlyn screamed falling to the ground upon seeing her mother figure gone and brutally so. Loudly she sobbed while Ekko traumatized stood not sure how to process what he had just witnessed. It all went down so fast.
The green smog that plagued the city shadowed another person approaching the scene. A frail man with nasty scars on his face smirked at Marcus and Vander.
"What a shame." He said rather coldy seeming to not care Grayson was killed by whatever this hybrid of a person was.
"Silco!" Vander yelled enraged seeing this horrible man being behind the massacre.
Just who the hell was he? And why did Vander know what his name was!?
Caitlyn felt like she couldn't breathe. What were they to do now that Grayson was gone? And where was Vi?
The memory of Grayson awarding Caitlyn first place after a shooting competition replayed on her mind forcefully as tears streamed down her face. Such a good woman gone just like that. Almost like she never was here in the first place.
-
"Why did you give this to me? Did my parents pay you for this?" A younger Caitlyn asked assuming her parents had paid off Grayson to give her first place in this shooting competition like everything else she had 'won'.
Grayson stood beside the child and gave her a genuine smile, "Not at all. You actually deserve this. Your skills are phenomenal young Kiramman. You'll have a bright future if you keep this up."
Was she being honest?
"But they pay for everything. So how do I know you aren't lying to me?" Caitlyn accused still not trusting the Sheriff's words.
Grayson put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get a lot of people who will hand you stuff just based on your name and not what you actually contribute to getting it. But not me. You were the best here. Count this as one of the few and far between things like that you'll get in your lifetime."
Grayson was absolutely right. Caitlyn would receive a lot in her life based off the fact her last name was 'Kiramman' not because she did something to deserve it. For now, the girl would smile and take the sheriff's words believing she was genuine when she said she believed she was the best shooter in the competition.
-
Caitlyn must've spaced out because now Vander and whoever the other guy was were gone. Marcus seemed to be as well.
"Where'd they go?" She asked Ekko who still stood terrified.
He didn't say anything but instead pointed to a factory in the far distance where smoked fumes rose from the building. It was by the docks where trading in Zaun went on. Seems like Vander had been captured.
Caitlyn took a breath knowing she needed to stay strong for the younger child beside her to not traumatize him further. They literally just saw somebody get mauled after all.
"C'mon let's look for Vi. I have a feeling she's in there." Caitlyn said taking Ekko's hand and leading him towards an empty building where faint banging noises could be heard.
'That has to be her in there I just know it...'
The two walked into the place and Caitlyn sighed relieved hearing a familiar but comforting voice with all that was going on.
"Vander let me out damn it!" Vi yelled still trying to break open the door. Her intuition was right.
Without hesitation Cait swung the door open and ran to hug the confused girl.
"Oh god Vi they killed Grayson and took Vander!" Caitlyn cried burying her face in the girls embrace. Vi was left in disbelief. Vander was kidnapped? And that enforcer lady was dead? Just what the fuck was going on.
"Who took Vander? Where did they go!?" She panicked struggling to process how rapidly the severity of this situation was increasing. And what was Caitlyn doing back in the lanes?
Vi almost let herself be vulnerable but noticed Ekko standing petrified by the door. No time for it now. She needed to seem strong for them.
Vi let go of Caitlyn and went to hug Ekko sensing he wasn't ok after seeing whatever just happened. "It's alright now little man. I got you." She reassured trying to calm him down.
"T-they took Vander away." He cried.
Vi sighed and held onto him for a moment longer. "It'll be fine. I'll go rescue him."
But she knew that meant Powder needed to be out of the way. As much as she liked to help she'd only contribute to the problem at hand.
-
Vi and Caitlyn walked through the closed bar and down to the basement to find the three siblings off doing various things. Mylo and Claggor immediately noticed something was wrong with the way Vi acted.
"What happened Vi?" Claggor asked ready to take on whatever was bothering his sister.
"They got Vander. I need to go find him." Vi replied still in disbelief reaching to go find Vander's old gauntlets.
Claggor and Mylo gave each other a confused look. Seemed like they had a rescue mission on their hands.
"I'll come with you. You're not doing this by yourself Vi. Vander's our family too." Mylo reassured going to find something to fight with. Claggor nodded his head signifying he was joining as well.
Powder hearing this raced to grab a bag and started filling it with her inventions. Vi's heart broke knowing she'd have to tell her sister she couldn't join them.
"No Powder, you can't come."
Powder looked up at her sister angrily. "Why not?"
Vi didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain this to Powder without making her feeling less than.
Caitlyn took note of this and knew she needed to come up with something for Powder to feel included.
She bent down to be at face level with the child, "You need to go to Benzo's shop and protect Ekko. He needs somebody to keep him safe and your the only person who can do this."
Powder seemed hesitant at first but then looked at Vi for some reassurance. "I get to take these with me, right?" She asked referring to her bag of inventions.
Vi tried to hold back her tears and hugged her sister for the last time. "Of course you can. I guarantee they'll work if someone wants to hurt you or Ekko."
Ekko stood in the doorway looking at the group as he had followed the two girls back to the bar.
"C'mon little man. I won't let the monsters get to you." Powder joked walking over to Ekko and taking his hand ready to set off to Benzo's like Caitlyn instructed.
Vi sighed terrified for what was to come. What if this was the last time she saw Powder? What if everything went wrong? Could Powder stay strong through all this?
"Go to Benzo's straight away and when he asks why you're there tell him we went to help Vander out. I'll be back for you later." Vi said as Powder nodded her head showing she understood what was being asked of her.
And so on went Powder and Ekko down to Benzo's shop leaving the frantic teenagers preparing to fight whatever awaited them to save their foster father.
"Vi," Caitlyn started grabbing the girls hand, "After this ends I'm staying with you. Even if it means we have to skip town. I ran away from home and I'm not going back."
Vi didn't know how to respond to that. She felt grateful knowing Caitlyn still wanted to be with her despite everything but at the same time Vi was a little worried because she didn't know what this meant.
"I appreciate this cupcake. Really. More than you think."