From Depths to Ashes
After escaping from the losing battle, Kara stumbled into the dimly lit jail, clutching her bleeding side. Her breathing was shallow, her legs unsteady as she slammed the heavy door shut behind her. The metallic clang echoed through the quiet chamber. She barely noticed the two figures standing behind the iron bars, her attention instead falling on the grotesque sight of the headless jailer sprawled on the floor.
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Kara slid down to sit, her bloodied hand pressed tightly against her wound. Her weapon clattered to the ground beside her, the weight of the battle catching up with her. She closed her eyes, just for a moment, trying to steady herself.
"You look like you’ve had a rough night," Caitlyn’s sharp voice rang out, breaking the silence.
Kara’s eyes snapped open, her head turning toward the cell. Caitlyn stood behind the bars, her piercing gaze fixed on Kara. "You’re bleeding out, but if you let us out, we might be able to help you win whatever fight’s going on out there."
"Leave me alone," Kara muttered, shifting her position against the wall. "I’ve got enough problems without babysitting prisoners."
Vi stepped closer to the bars, her fingers curling around the iron. "Name’s Vi," she said firmly. "And I’m looking for my sister. Her name’s Powder. Or maybe you know her as Jinx?"
Kara froze at the mention of the name. Her tired eyes flicked to Vi, suspicion and recognition flickering across her face. "You’re her sister?"
Vi nodded, her voice steady. "Yeah. I’ve been trying to find her. If she’s caught up in whatever’s happening out there, I need to get to her."
Kara hesitated, her fingers brushing against the hilt of her weapon. "And why should I believe you?"
"Because I don’t have time to lie," Vi said, her voice growing sharper. "She’s my family. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
Caitlyn stepped forward, her tone calm but firm. "We’ve both dealt with situations like this before. Let us out, and we can help you turn this fight around."
Kara’s gaze darted between them. The sounds of distant explosions reached her ears, a grim reminder of what was at stake. With a frustrated growl, she pushed herself to her feet, wincing as pain shot through her side.
Kara’s eyes narrowed as she turned to Vi. "The keys. Where are they?"
Vi tilted her head toward the headless corpse lying in a pool of blood. "Right there," she said, her voice dry.
Kara’s gaze shifted to the mutilated body, her expression unflinching. Without hesitation, she pushed off the wall and staggered toward the corpse, each step deliberate and steady despite the pain radiating from her side.
Straightening up, Kara turned back to the cell, her hand gripping the key tightly. Her voice was strained with exhaustion, and her movements slow as she glared at Vi and Caitlyn. "If this is a mistake..." she muttered, pausing to catch her breath, "...I don’t know if I’ll live to regret it, but don’t make me regret it."
She unlocked the cell with a loud click, the door creaking open. Vi stepped out first, her expression resolute, followed by Caitlyn, who gave Kara a small nod of gratitude.
The air inside the jail was heavy with the scent of blood and smoke drifting in from outside. Caitlyn crouched low, eyeing Kara’s bloodied side with concern. "We need to take care of that before you collapse."
Kara, her breath labored, nodded but didn't argue. "Get the first aid kit," she muttered, her tone strained but firm.
Vi, already moving toward a shelf near the back of the cell, rummaged through the cluttered supplies. She found a dusty first aid kit and tossed it toward Caitlyn.
"Start patching her up," Vi said, nodding toward Kara.
Caitlyn knelt beside Kara, her hands steady as she opened the kit. "This might sting," she said, her voice calm but urgent. She worked quickly, cleaning the wound on Kara’s thigh and wrapping it tightly with a makeshift bandage. Vi crouched beside them, holding Kara still as Caitlyn worked.
Kara winced but didn’t complain. "I’ve had worse," she muttered, though her pale face betrayed her pain.
Once the bandage was secured, Caitlyn leaned back and assessed her work. "It’ll hold for now, but you’ll need proper care soon."
"We don’t have time for 'proper,'" Vi said, standing up and offering Kara a hand. "Can you walk?"
Kara gritted her teeth and accepted the help, pushing herself to her feet. "I’ll manage."
Caitlyn glanced at her, then at Vi. "We need to get to the Zeppelin. It's still at the dock. We have something there that could potentially turn the tide of the battle."
Kara gave them a sharp look but didn’t argue. "I’ll follow you, but let’s move."
The trio moved cautiously through the narrow, dimly lit alleys of the city. Every step they took was deliberate, their senses heightened as they navigated through the labyrinthine streets. Kara, though clearly exhausted, was leading the way, her eyes scanning every corner for signs of danger.
As they neared the town square, the sounds of the city grew louder, punctuated by the murmur of a crowd and the distant crackle of flames. The sight that greeted them made Kara pause. A line of mercenaries and compromised soldiers stood over a group of kneeling Demacian prisoners, their eyes hollow with fear. Quinn, the strong and dependable soldier, was among them, her eagle—one of her most trusted companions—lying motionless on the cold cobblestone, an ominous sign of what had transpired.
Kara’s jaw tightened. "We need to hurry," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. She scanned the area, noting the mercenaries’ scattered attention, but the flickering shadows and uneasy tension told her that they couldn't afford to linger.
Vi and Caitlyn exchanged glances, their expressions grim, but they continued forward, their pace quickening. They moved through the alleyways, avoiding the main roads and the gaze of the mercenaries, until the destination came into view. The dock was eerily quiet, and the towering craft loomed in the distance, its metal hull reflecting the dim glow of the distant fires.
To their relief, no one was guarding the Zeppelin. It seemed that the entire attention of the mercenaries and soldiers was focused on the town square.
Kara let out a quiet breath of relief but remained alert. "Let's get inside," she said, her voice tight.
They slipped inside the Zeppelin, moving with practiced precision. The interior was dimly lit, the scent of oil and metal filling the air. It was a safe haven for now, but they couldn’t afford to relax.
Caitlyn and Vi moved swiftly toward the rear of the Zeppelin, where a hidden compartment lay. Vi’s fingers found the latch, and with a soft click, the compartment opened. Inside, a pair of hextech gauntlets gleamed, their surfaces still warm from their last use. Caitlyn immediately set to work on her precision rifle, inspecting it briefly before adjusting a few settings.
Vi powered up her gauntlets, the familiar hum of energy coursing through her arms. The sudden rush of power gave her a renewed sense of purpose. "We’re ready," she said with a fierce grin, her eyes burning with determination. "Now, let’s end this."
Kara, still clutching her side, took a moment to survey the two women before her. There was a shared resolve between them.
"We'll make sure they pay for this," Kara said, her voice cold and determined.
As Vi, Caitlyn, and Kara stepped out of the Zeppelin, they froze. Just ahead, a group of mercenaries crouched near the dock’s support beams, their movements frantic as they worked to arm a series of blinking explosives.
For a split second, time seemed to stop. Both groups locked eyes, realization dawning simultaneously.
“Explosives!” Caitlyn hissed, her sharp eyes darting to the blinking red lights.
Before anyone else could react, Vi’s gauntlets lit up with a crackling hum. Her instincts took over, and with a feral roar, she charged forward like a freight train. “Not today!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the tense air.
Caitlyn raised her rifle as she moved into position. Her sharp focus locked onto the nearest mercenary, and with a steady hand, she squeezed the trigger.
The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed across the docks. The bullet found its mark, slamming into one mercenary’s chest and sending him sprawling lifelessly to the ground.
The remaining mercenaries scrambled, their panic palpable. One of them stumbled back, his hand fumbling for something clipped to his belt.
“They’re arming it!” Kara barked, her knife glinting in her grip as she started forward.
Vi barely slowed down, her gaze fixed on the blinking bombs. She closed the distance fast, her gauntlets sparking with energy as she prepared to pummel the mercenaries into the ground.
But the mercenary with the detonator acted quicker than anyone expected. His hand slammed down on the device, and the lights on the explosives began blinking faster—a rapid, ominous rhythm.
“They’ve triggered it!” Caitlyn shouted, her voice tinged with urgency. She fired another round, forcing the remaining mercenaries to scatter, but it was too late to stop what was already in motion.
Vi skidded to a halt just feet away from the bombs, her teeth gritted in frustration. The rapid beeping grew louder, a countdown to destruction.
“Vi, fall back!” Caitlyn screamed, her rifle trained on the fleeing mercenaries to provide cover.
Vi hesitated for half a second, fury burning in her eyes. She clenched her fists, her whole body tensed as if debating whether to charge in anyway.
“MOVE!” Kara’s voice cut through the chaos, and it snapped Vi out of her trance. She spun on her heel and bolted toward her companions, the rapid beeping now a deafening sound in her ears.
Caitlyn and Kara were already sprinting toward the edge of the dock. Vi was lagging behind, her longer stride trying to cover the distance but unable to outpace the deadly clock counting down behind her.
The first explosion tore through the dock with a deafening roar, sending a shockwave of heat and splintering wood outward. Vi, closest to the blast, felt the impact like a freight train slamming into her back. The force hurled her off the dock, and she hit the water below with a resounding splash, disappearing beneath the surface.
“Vi!” Caitlyn screamed, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The second explosion came just seconds later, tearing apart what remained of the dock. Caitlyn and Kara, realizing there was no time to think, dove into the water in unison, narrowly avoiding the blast as it sent fiery debris raining down around them.
Caitlyn broke the surface first, gasping for air, her sharp eyes immediately scanning the water. “Vi!” she called, her voice tight with worry.
Kara surfaced moments later, coughing and spitting out water. “Where is she?” Kara asked, her own gaze darting over the chaotic scene.
“Vi!” Caitlyn shouted again, panic creeping into her voice as the water around them rippled with falling debris.
A splash nearby drew their attention, and Vi finally emerged, coughing but grinning despite everything. “Relax, Cupcake,” she teased, pushing wet hair out of her face. “I’m tougher than I look.”
Caitlyn exhaled sharply, half-relieved, half-exasperated. “You’re impossible, you know that?” she replied, though a small, tired smile crept onto her lips.
“Yeah, but you love me for it,” Vi shot back with a wink, paddling toward them.
Kara rolled her eyes but allowed herself a smirk. “You two done flirting? Because the dock’s gone, and I’d rather not roast alive in this water.”
The trio turned to look at the devastation behind them. The dock was utterly obliterated, reduced to floating, smoldering fragments. Flames danced eerily on the water’s surface, fed by oil that had spilled from shattered barrels.